The Midwest is full of beautiful countryside, warm and welcoming people, and lots of interesting places. To me, Wisconsin is the crown jewel of the Midwest. It’s a beautiful state with a lot of places to explore! I am a little partial, though, since it’s my home state.
The city of Green Bay, Wis., is a wonderful place to have an adventure whether you are traveling as a family or having a couples getaway.
Green Bay, Wis., is probably best known for the Green Bay Packers and for cheeseheads. I can tell you that there is much more to this small town! It is located at the base of Door County in the northeast part of the state. The city is also located at the head of The Bay of Green Bay(which feeds into Lake Michigan), and at the mouth of the Fox River. The population of Green Bay is about 107,000, which makes it the third-largest city in Wisconsin. My list showcases some of the highlights of this wonderful city.
10 Fun Things to do in Green Bay
- Tailgating
- Green Bay Packer Game
- Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame
- National Railroad Museum
- Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
- The NEW Zoo & Adventure Park
- Heritage Hill State Park
- Green Bay Botanical Garden
- Neville Public Museum
- Fox River Tours
1. Tailgating outside Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is known for great tailgating! Tailgating has been around since 1869 and started at a college game between Rutgers and Princeton, but the term “tailgating” was first used by the Green Bay Packers in 1919. You can find anything there, hamburgers & hot dogs, ribs & steaks, brats & sauerkraut, cheese curds, and much more! I think that almost everyone going to the game enjoys some kind of tailgating. Of course, the beer also flows! Even though it’s not my thing, Wisconsin has plenty of beer!
The top five best NFL tailgating stadiums
- Lambeau Field – Green Bay Packers
- Mile High Stadium – Denver Broncos
- Gillette Stadium – New England Patriots
- FirstEnergy Stadium – Cleveland Browns
- Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Dolphins
2. Green Bay Packer football game
Going to a football game in the historic Lambeau field is an amazing experience! You will find most Wisconsinites wearing the Green & Gold during football season and rooting for their Green Bay Packers!
Tickets to a Green Bay Packer game don’t come cheap! With so many people having season tickets, it can be hard to find a good ticket. We have found tickets on eBay and Stubhub, usually about $300-$400/each for a seat in the lower section. Even so, we like to go to a game every couple of years. Lambeau Field is one of the last NFL stadiums that still has bench seating. You will quickly meet your fellow Packer fan sitting next to you, and before you know it you will be high-fiving each other.
You can also take a Stadium Tour of Historic Lambeau Field. We finally did this in 2019, which was awesome! We even got to run onto the field through the tunnel.
In this photo, you can see the iconic “cheesehead” hats, see how many you can count. I even own one myself!
3. Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame
When you visit Lambeau Field, don’t forget to check out the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame before or after the game. The Hall of Fame is located on the main floor of the Lambeau Field Atrium, with interactive exhibits and artifacts, that showcase the rich history of the Packers. Hours are Monday-Saturday 9:00-6:00 and Sunday 10:00-5:00, tickets are $18 Adults, $15 Senior Adults, $12 children(14-17), $9 children(6-13) and children under 5 are free.
4. National Railroad Museum
The National Railroad Museum has been in operation for over 60 years. We really enjoyed our trip there! You will find many different train cars that you can walk through, I had never been on a train before. I think you and your whole family will really enjoy it!
Tickets are; $12 for Adults, $10 for Senior Adults, $8 for Children (2-12), and children under 2 are free. You can choose your day and order your tickets online.
Museum Exhibits
- Jodey Lenfestey Children’s Discovery Depot
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Locomotive And Command Cars
- Union Pacific #4017 – Big Boy
- Pennsylvania RR #4890
- The General Motors Aerotrain
- Bauer Drumhead Collection
- Pullman Porters: From Service To Civil Rights
- The Milwaukee Beer Line: From Grain to Glass
5. Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Bay Beach is a beautiful 600-acre wildlife refuge featuring live animal exhibits, educational displays, miles of hiking/skiing trails, and various wildlife viewing opportunities. Located at 1660 Easy Shore Drive.
When we lived in Green Bay, we called this the “Goose Park”. You could hardly walk through the park with so many Canadian geese there! It is really fun for the kids to be able to feed, and see them up close and personal!
NOTE: Winter hours are 8:00-4:30 daily, Summer hours are 8:00-7:30
6. NEW Zoo & Adventure Park
The NEW Zoo, which stands for Northeastern Wisconsin zoo, is located at 4378 Reforestation Rd. It is part of the Reforestation Camp in Brown County. Together they occupy about 1560 acres. The camp has miles of hiking, biking, and nature trails. In the winter it is a great area for cross country skiing!
The NEW Zoo & Adventure Park has recently earned the Quarter Century Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). The award is presented to organizations that have maintained 25 years of continuous accreditation. The NEW Zoo was first accredited in 1996.
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
The NEW zoo is open daily from 9:00-4:00. Zoo admission is half price during the months of January and February and is only available at the door.
Tickets can be purchased online starting in March. Admission costs; $11 Adults, $8 Senior Adults, $8 Children(3-15) and under 3 are free.
7. Heritage Hill State Park
Heritage Hill State Park is a step back in time. It’s a 56-acre living history park. The park opened in 1977 with 26 historical and reproduction buildings depicting the early history of Northeastern Wisconsin from 1672 to 1940. The employees dress in period clothing and show what life was like during that time period.
The Park is located at 2630 S. Webster Ave on the banks of the Fox River, the new season begins on May 3rd with Spring tours Tuesdays-Fridays in May from 9:00-2:30.
The Park hosts several other events throughout the year, check out the Bootleggers Ball on February 25th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Tickets are $45 if purchased in advance or $50 at the door.
8. Green Bay Botanical Garden
The Garden is located at 2600 Larsen Rd and is open year-round. Each season in the garden has different things to see and do. They offer many educational programs for all ages. It’s also a great place to take a walk, any time of year! Here is a short video with more information.
Winter hours are 9:00 to 5:00(October-April), Summer hours are 9:00 to 8:00(May-August).
Tickets are; $12 Adults, $10 Senior Adults and Students, $5 Children(3-17) age 2 and under are free.
9. Neville Public Museum
The Neville is located at 210 Museum Place. Their hours are;
- Sunday, noon-5:00
- Monday, Closed
- Tuesday, noon-8:00
- Wednesday through Saturday, 9:00-5:00
Admission is always free to Military members and to Brown County Residents every first Wednesday, Adults $9.00, Children(3-15) $6.00, and Children 2 and under are free. You will find many interesting exhibits at the Museum;
- Current Exhibits
- Generations Gallery(from fossils to football)
- Spectacular Science(hand on exhibits)
- HerStory(the roles of woman in the community)
- The Green Bay Art Colony
- and much more!
10. Fox River Tours
The Fox River is divided into 2 sections, the Upper Fox River and the Lower Fox River. Together the river runs 182 miles. The Upper Fox River flows from Lake Winnebago through the city of Green bay to the bay. You can take a Riverboat tour of the Fox River starting from the city of DePere(just south of Green Bay).
The River Tyme is a 60-year-old riverboat that use to serve the Mississippi River and now provides tours of the Fox River. Tours take about 90 minutes.
When I lived in Green bay several years ago, they called the boat “The Love Boat of Green Bay”, at that time it was a dinner cruise that traveled through the locks. It was a great tour!
In Conclusion…
I think that sometimes the Midwest is overlooked when planning a vacation. Many Midwest states are a good choice; Illinois, Minneapolis, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. You will find beautiful countryside, good food(ever had a cheese curd?), friendly people, and football!
I would love to know your favorite midwestern state, please comment below. Remember to share this post on your social media pages.
