See Wisconsin’s Best Towns This Summer

Your favorite destinations for every activity

Meet the Best Wisconsin Towns

Most Beautiful Town

First Place: Mineral Point, in southwest Wisconsin, was home to the state's "badger" miners whodug lead and zinc out of the rolling hills and built one of the most charmingsettlements in Wisconsin Territory. A great way to see it is during the "Garden Tour & Garden Clinic" on June 20 and 21. On June 21, two master gardeners will conduct a garden clinic at beautiful Shake Rag Alley. Pendarvis, a state historic site, is a showcase of architecture, history and Cornish culture. Visit on June 7 for the summer Art Walk or Aug. 2 for Gallery Night, when you can meet dozens of artists in their galleries.Check out outstanding original live theater productions on the new outdoor Alley Stage. Lodging ranges from historic miners' houses to country estates andnational franchise inns. The Brewery Creek Inn serves great food and its owncraft beers. The Red Rooster Cafe and the Old Royal Inn are known for their pasties and figgyhobbin.

Second Place: Cedarburg

Third Place: Ephraim,on Highway 42 on the bay side of the Door Peninsula,has earned a reputation as the most beautiful town in Door County.

Best Townfor Galleries and Arts Scene

First Place: Egg Harbor, in Door County, draws visitors because of its fantastic galleries. Don't miss the incredible decorated egg collection at the Dovetail Gallery. Yore Place features prints and originals with Door County themes while the 1871 Cupola House offers works by Phil Sealy. The art scene is enhanced by 32 concerts offered over the summer by the Birch Creek Music Association. Celebrate Independence Day weekend at Egg Harbor with a fireworks display (July 3) and parade.

Second Place:  Mineral Point

Third Place: Paoli,a tiny town 15 miles south of Madison,boasts five galleries as well as the Paoli Cheese Shop, likely Wisconsin's smallest cheese emporium.

 

Best Theater and Entertainment

First Place: Spring Green is home to American Players Theatre (APT), theTony Award-nominated outdoor theater that specializes in the works of William Shakespeare. Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin and Hillside Studio are just up the road. For a taste of Wright-style lodging, book a room at the House on the Rock Resort, the work of Wright's apprentices and built on property that Wright once owned.

Second Place:Fort Atkinson's Fireside Dinner Theatre is one of the Midwest's most popular professional dinner theaters and one of the largest group tour destinations in Wisconsin.

ThirdPlace: Fish Creek's Peninsula Players of Door County opened with a Noel Coward play in 1935 and has been charming theater-lovers ever since.

 

BestTown for Dining

First Place(Tie): Lake Geneva deserves this honor. From incredible steaks and wines at the Geneva Chop House at the Grand Geneva Resort to the Red Geranium, El Palenque or Popeye's casual sining, an institution overlooking the grandwaterfront, Lake Geneva can please any palate.

First Place(Tie): Sister Bay's Al Johnson's restaurant has goats on its sod roof, but be sure to go inside for the lingonberry pancakes. And don't miss the Mission Grille or the Inn at Kristofer's.

SecondPlace: Green Lake with Grey Rock, Norton's Dining Room and Carvers on the Lake.

BestTown for a Boating Getaway

First Place: Pepin on Highway 35 innorthwest Wisconsinis best known as the birthplace of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. But don't overlook thebeautiful Lake Pepin,the natural lake of the upper Mississippi River.Watercraft of every shape and size-including one-person kayaks, fishing boats, houseboats, sail boats, riverboats and barges-make their way through these waters.

Second Place: Baileys Harbor on the scenic lake side of Door County.

Third Place: Eagle River (See BestSnowmobiling Getaway)

 

BestCross-Country Skiing Town

First Place: Blue Mounds, with Blue Mounds State Park, about 25 miles west of Madison, has quietly developed a reputation as one of the finest cross-country skiing areas in southwest Wisconsin.

Second Place: Cable, home to theinternationally known American Birkebeiner cross-country race every February.

Third Place: Fish Creek and Peninsula State Park in Door County

Best Shopping

FirstPlace: Cedarburg is rich in art and history(the downtown is on the Historic Register), but it's also full of great shopping opportunities, with Washington Avenue's specialty shops, inns, pubs, antiquaries, art galleries and coffee shops.

SecondPlace: Mount Horeb charms thousands ofvisitors each year with its "trollway" shops, antique stores and theone-of-a-kind Mustard Museum.

Third Place: Sturgeon Bay, the portal to the Door County peninsula, offers a charming downtown in a maritime setting.

 

Most Romantic Town for an Adult Getaway

First Place: Bayfield is home to some of the finest B&Bs in the Midwest, like the Old Rittenhouse Inn, Cooper Hill House, Bayfield Inn and Greunke's First Street Inn (where JFK Jr. hung out).

Second Place: Lake Geneva (See Best Town for Dining)

Third Place: Fish Creek (See Best Theater and Entertainment)