What’s new in Wisconsin

Celebrating its 175th anniversary of statehood in 2023, Wisconsin is in the midst of a year packed with new attractions and experiences.

Check what’s new for summer 2023 and beyond.

 

MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS

 

Harley-Davidson Museum 

Harley-Davidson celebrates its 120th anniversary by launching the Harley-Davidson Homecoming event, an annual four-day festival of music, food and moto-culture. The inaugural event will take place at the Harley-Davidson Museum and other venues throughout the Milwaukee area on July 13-16, 2023,.

 

Eau Claire Children’s Museum

Opened in January 2023, the new $12 million Eau Claire Children’s Museum features a total of 24 exhibits and a brand-new early childcare and 4K preschool program. The building runs on 100% renewable energy and includes a musical instruments room, a life-sized game bubble from the game “Trouble” and a climbing wall.

 

Eau Claire Sculpture Tour

The Eau Claire Sculpture Tour is the largest in the nation when new sculptures rotate for the 2023 season in June. The tour features more than 70 sculptures and allows visitors to vote for their favorites to be crowned Sculpture of the Year.

 

Food + Farm Exploration Center

The Food & Farm Exploration Center is a state-of-the-art educational center in development in Plover. The center will offer interactive exhibits, inside and out, to bring modern farming to life. The facility is slated to open in summer 2023.

 

Sun Prairie Explore Children’s Museum

Opened in early 2022, the Sun Prairie Explore Children’s Museum is a 4,800-square-feet space for imaginative play and hands-on learning. The Explore experience is developmentally appropriate for children between the ages of 0-8, offering a wide range of both permanent and rotating exhibits.

 

Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua’s Listening Room

Every summer in Bayfield, the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua venue hosts an array of musical performances. In late 2022, the venue introduced The Backstage, a new alternate venue, event center and home to the famous house band, the Blue Canvas Orchestra. With this new space, music and the other acts will soon be available year-round.

 

Pinseekers

Scheduled to open in 2023, Pinseekers in DeForest is a three-story, 36,300-square-feet golf and entertainment venue including a golf range powered by Top Tracer. There is a restaurant and bar, rooftop terrace, mini bowling and natural terrain mini golf course.

 

Children’s Imaginarium

Set to open in fall 2023, the Children’s Imaginarium in downtown Wausau will have 10,000 square feet dedicated to professionally designed, highly interactive, hands-on exhibits. All exhibits and programming will be rooted in STEM and will be a place for all children and families to spend time together.

 

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES & EXPERIENCES

 

Emrick Lake Campground at the Preserve

Opening in late May 2023, Emrick Lake Campground in Oxford will be the one of the largest campgrounds in the state with 500 new RV sites, including several cabins and a large waterslide on the pond.

 

Beloit’s Outdoor Art Trail

Since Beloit’s inception in 1836, the city has seen nearly 190 years of American history unfold. From innovation to education and more, artists have created memorable history for community members and visitors to enjoy. Take the new self-guided Outdoor Art Trail digital tour to unlock the details of Beloit’s unique history.

 

Area 31 ATV/UTV Complex

What was once a Yamaha testing facility is now an action-packed UTV driving adventure located in Minocqua. Whether riders want to enjoy a thrilling UTV ride or try one of Area 31‘s brand new 2022 Polaris RZR 1000s, it can now be done on various routed one-way trails.

 

Plover River Crossing

The Plover River Crossing in Portage County is a new pedestrian bridge that will add roughly 1.3 miles of trail and provide easy access for walkers and bikers to the Plover River Trail. The Green Circle is the Stevens Point Area’s 27-mile nature trail which circles through river shores, trees, wild birds, and animals.

 

Oconomowoc Duffy Boat

Enjoy a 90-minute cruise on a zero-emissions electric boat on Fowler Lake in downtown Oconomowoc. The new Duffy Boats are 100% electric powered which keeps waterways clear of pollution and emissions. As a bonus, they run silent, so music and conversation are possible.

 

International Crane Foundation 50th Anniversary

Founded in 1973, the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo is an organization that combines research, captive breeding and reintroduction, landscape restoration and education to safeguard the world’s 15 crane species. In 2023, the Foundation will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a series of events including an anniversary celebration in September and the Great Midwest Crane Fest in November.

 

Great Pinery Heritage Waterway

The Great Pinery Heritage Waterway in Wausau is a historic river trail system that combines the three rivers that meet in the heart of the city. The new scenic, urban and historical water trail is 108 miles long (the fourth longest in the state), offering visitors and residents paddling opportunities on the Wisconsin River, the Lower Big Rib River and the Lower Eau Claire River on marked landings. Many of the launches are ADA-accessible.

 

Ariens Nordic Center

Northeast Wisconsin’s premier Nordic center, the newly opened Ariens Nordic Center in Brillion includes 5k of lighted trails for cross-country skiing designed by Morton Trails and a state-of-the-art 20-point Kurvinen Biathlon Target System. The center’s robust snowmaking system covers all trails, a 3k paved roller ski loop and more.

 

Herbal Safaris

Located on 72 hilly acres in west-central Wisconsin, Bull Brook Keep Farm is now offering guided “herbal safaris” that focus on helpful native herbs, trees and shrubs, many of which can be found in every backyard, driveway and park. On these guided walks, visitors learn to see what’s right at our feet and learn how these plants can be used.

 

CRUISE NEWS

Great Lakes cruise options continue to grow in Wisconsin. Both Bayfield and Green Bay received first-time visits by cruise ships in 2022. Viking’s Octantis visited Bayfield on six occasions this year, while The Ocean Navigator, operated by American Queen Voyages, was the first ever cruise ship to visit Green Bay. Two visits took place in 2022 with two more planned for 2023. The Ocean Navigator also visited Sturgeon Bay on July 1, 2022. La Crosse was also visited by a Viking cruise ship as part of its America’s Heartland voyage in September 2022 with further visits planned for 2023.

Sturgeon Bay will see additional cruise ship activity in 2023 with Hapag Lloyd’s cruises ship the Hanseatic Inspiration that added Sturgeon Bay to their Great Lakes portfolio for next year. Viking’s newest ship, The Polaris, launches in 2023 and will include Algoma as part of its Great Lakes cruising itinerary, marking the destination’s first-ever visits by a cruise ship.

 

 EVENTS, FESTIVALS & HAPPENINGS

 

U.S. Senior Open Championship

SentryWorld will host the 43rd U.S. Senior Open Championship from June 29–July 2, 2023. This is the first Senior Open and third USGA championship to be played on the 200-acre parkland course in Stevens Point. The 7,320-yard championship golf course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., who redesigned it in 2013 with on-course architects Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi.

 

Wisconsin Farm Technology Days

One of the largest agricultural fairs in the Midwest, Wisconsin Farm Technology Days will be held in Baraboo, July 18 – 20, 2023, at the grounds of the Badger Steam & Gas Engine Show.  Attendees can see exhibits, demonstrations, entertainment, food trucks and more.

 

Mile of Music

Mile of Music, the community-supported music festival that takes over 40 venues with 700 live-music sets throughout a mile-long main street in Appleton, celebrates its 10th year from August 3-6, 2023. In 2022, Rolling Stone noted that the festival is a ‘blueprint for how to foster emerging talent.’

 

Dodge County Antique Power Show

For the first time in 118 years, Case’s 150 H.P. engine is going to be in Wisconsin. The Dodge County Antique Power Club is bringing in Kory Anderson’s 150 HP Case custom-built steam traction engine to its 2023 show, August 4-6. It’s the largest steam traction engine ever built.

 

Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival

The longest-running and largest corn festival in Wisconsin, the Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival will celebrate its 70th anniversary, August 16-20, 2023. Named one of the best food festivals in the Midwest, the Sun Prairie Sweet Corn Festival is always held the third weekend in August.

 

NASCAR 2023 at the Milwaukee Mile

NASCAR racing will return to the Milwaukee Mile for the first time since 2009. A NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race will be held at the historic racetrack at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis on Aug. 27, 2023. The Milwaukee Mile, the self-proclaimed oldest operating motor speedway in the world, has hosted at least one peacetime auto race every year since 1903.

 

Portage County Cultural Festival

Celebrating diversity in Portage County, the Portage County Cultural Festival will return on May 13, 2023. The festival provides an opportunity to sample food, music, folk dances, native crafts and children’s games from around the world.

 

Warrens Cranberry Festival 50th Anniversary

Held during the last weekend of September each year, the Warrens Cranberry Festival will commemorate its 50th anniversary. The free event celebrates all things cranberry with arts and crafts, over 100 farm market vendors and a variety of food stands serving unique cranberry treats.

 

Mount Horeb Trollidays

This new tourism event in Mount Horeb highlights the Wisconsin town’s reputation as the “Troll Capital of the World.” For the entire month of December, trolls will be taking over Mount Horeb and encouraging locals and visitors to shop, eat and play in the Mount Horeb area.

 

Harvest Moon Fest

On September 16, join the town of Cassville hosts the first Harvest Moon Fest at the Stonefield Historic Site. Enjoy live music., shop at local vendors and step into the saloon for drinks from local Wisconsin breweries and wineries. The evening finishes off with bonfires, axe throwing and more.