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Walworth County
Attractions
Walworth County…southeastern Wisconsin's tourist center…
invites you to discover the charms of its many small communities rich with local
history, friendliness and fun.
Nestled within lakes, forests and open prairies, each of the small towns that
make up Walworth County has a lot to offer. Known for its wonderful lodging,
dining, hidden boutiques and shops, and activities for visitors of all ages,
Lake Geneva is a popular destination for visitors from all over the Midwest! The
recent restorations of its lakefront, which showcases magnificent lakefront
homes, have brought back the nostalgia that made Lake Geneva so popular. Popular
attractions include touring the lake by boat eating at the many excellent
restaurants along the water, and enjoying the charming downtown. While in
Walworth County, take time to appreciate Wisconsin history with visits to
various towns, including Delavan, Eagle and Elkhorn. Delavan, one of Wisconsin's
early cities, is home to numerous Victorian homes, many of which are on the
National Register of Historic Places. The 19th Century Circus Colony
settled in Delevan from 1847 to 1897 and Delavan is also the founding home to
the P.T. Barnum Circus, better known as the "Greatest Show on Earth".
Take a trip to Old World Wisconsin, a living history museum in Eagle, for an
informative look at the hard working Europeans who built our state and the
traditions they brought with them. Also visit Whitewater, one of Walworth
County's larger towns, which is full of local history and culture. Whitewater's
University of Wisconsin campus offers creative music and theater departments and
the Ivrin L. Young Auditorium is host to many extraordinary performances and
guests.
No matter what the season, a trip to Walworth County and its beautiful
forests, historical communities, and charming downtown areas provide an
enjoyable adventure and get-away for everyone!
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Museums and Historic Sites
East Troy Electric Railroad Museum
262-548-3837
House of operation: Wednesday thru Saturday, May 27 to October 14, 2000 1pm -5pm or by appointment.
The East Troy Electric Railroad Museum
operates on original Milwaukee Electric Railway &
Light Company interurban trackage dating back to
1907. Seven miles of the original line from Milwaukee
to East Troy, plus an additional mile and a half added
later remain, and continues as a living railroad as
well as a museum.
Webster House Museum
262-723-4248
Nestled on a quiet street in the city of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, the Webster House Museum is a well maintained white clapboard
house, containing Civil War and Victorian period items. The composer Joseph Philbrick Webster once owned the home. Both
the structure and its famous owner played an important part of the history of Elkhorn.
Watson's Wild West Museum
262-723-7505
Elkhorn
Available for bus tours, school groups, and
private parties. Lunch, dinner and evening
entertainment available for groups of forty or
more.
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Parks and Nature Centers
Big Foot Beach State Park
Lake Geneva
A great place to visit in lake Geneva, Big Foot Beach State Park offers a beach, park with tables/grills,
overnight camping, riding stables, campgrounds,
downhill ski
area, cross country trail, winery tours and more;
enough to keep your whole family occupied for hours!
Four Seasons Nature
Preserve
This 66-acre nature preserve is part of the City of Lake Geneva Park System. 40 acres of
wetland (sedge meadow, pond, calcareous fen and tamaracks) and 20 acres of upland that
are being restored to prairies (xeric, sand, short-grass, tall-grass, wet mesic and oak opening
with mature oaks and hickories) are all on one site. The preserve is bordered by 250 acres,
which are part of a primary environmental corridor, and is open to the public. The trail has
plaques identifying various plant and animal species.
Kettle Moraine State
Forest
Eighty miles of groomed and marked forest trails throughout this 2000-acre preserve provide a
magnificent backdrop for hiking, biking, and camping. In winter, cross-country skis are
available for rent. The forest’s Southern unit is located on Hwy H, five miles North of Elkhorn.
A State Park sticker is required and can be purchased on site. (262) 594-2135.
Fontana Fen
This 10-acre conservation area on Hwy 67 is home to one of the rarest type of wetlands, the
calcareous fen. A fen is a type of wetland prairie with an internal ground water system
conducive to supporting only a few specialized plants. Located on Hwy 67 between Fontana
and Walworth West of St. Benedict Church.
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Points of Interest
Yerkes Observatory
373 W. Geneva St., Williams Bay.
(262) 245-5555.
Visit the largest refracting telescope in the world! Tours Saturday only: 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. or Noon.
Geneva Lakes Greyhound Track
JCT Hwy. 50 & I-43, Delevan
Multi-level facility offering pari-mutuel betting on
greyhounds, food court, sports bar, clubhouse fine dining
and outdoor picnic areas. Group packages available. (262)
728-8000 or 800-477-4552.
Annual Walworth County Fair
262-723-3228
Walworth County Grounds, Elkhorn
Carnivals, horse shows, live entertainment, livestock competitions,
antique shows and food galore are just a few of the dozens of events at the fair…the oldest and largest
county fair in Wisconsin.
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Special Things To Do
Annual Trolley Festival and Railfan Weekend
East Troy (262-548-3837)
See and ride all of the vintage railroads
and trolleys at the East Troy Electric Railroad/Wisconsin Trolley Museum. Step back in time
and ride an historic trolley on a seven mile railway. Enjoy slides and movies about the rich
history of trolleys.
Chocolate City Festival
Burlington
262-763-6044
A chocolate lover’s fantasy comes to life as the City of Burlington
duly earns its reputation as "Chocolate City". Be on hand for concerts, parades, carnival rides,
food fests, 5K run, pageants, arts festival, and of course, chocolate tasting.
Scandinavian Midsummer Celebration
262- 594-6300
Enjoy colorfully costumed dancers and singers rejoice around a ribboned
Maypole while quieter celebrations are held throughout the
Norwegian and Finnish farmsteads. Participate in the ancient traditions of the summer
solstice. Old World Wisconsin.
Annual Classic Car Rally
Lake Geneva
262-248-2764
Judging by classes of cars and special competitions serve as fund-raisers
benefiting children’s cancer charities. Join in the drive around Geneva Lake
with fun-filled stops. Lake Geneva
Annual Winterfest & National Snow Sculpting
Competition
Lake Geneva
Riviera Park
262- 248-4416
Lake Geneva is proud continue to be chosen
as the site for the National Snow Sculpting Competition. This competition is the
centerpiece of Winterfest, held the first weekend in February.
This popular annual winter celebration features a
multitude of recreational activities, an abundance of
food and great entertainment, including helicopter
rides and much more.
Each year an estimated 30,000 people see the
competition as fifteen teams from states throughout the country - Alaska to Florida - vie for the
national title. Each team consists of three members who spend three plus days using a
variety of hand tools carving a 6' x 6' x 10' block of snow.
The public is invited to Riviera Park ( Wrigley Drive and the lakefront ) January 30 - February
4, 2001 to watch competitors create their designs. Weather permitting, competitors are on-site
9 am - 1 pm. and 2 pm. until dark. The public also gets to participate by working on sample
snow blocks and voting in the "Peoples' Choice" sculptured award. Voting done on Saturday
and awards given at 3:00 pm Saturday.
Music by
the Lake 2007
George
Williams College, Allyn Pavillion for the Performing Arts
350 Constance Blvd., Williams Bay
866-843-5200 or 262-245-8501.
Music by the Lake: Five By Design with the
Wisconsin
Chamber Orchestra, Saturday, July 7, 2007, 7:30 p.m.
Heralded by The Washington
Post as “one of the best
pops programs of the season,”
Five By Design delivers a musical journey to
early television and team with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra for Independence
Day favorites. Strains of the “1812 Overture” will accompany a fireworks display
to close out the evening.
Music by the Lake: The Blind Boys of
Alabama, Saturday, July 14, 2007, 7:30 p.m.
This
group has spread the spirit of soul gospel music for more than 60 years. They
have earned two Grammy Awards and a Dove Award for “Higher Ground” when it was
the Best Traditional Gospel Album of the year. Recently, the group has added pop
and blues into their inimitable style.
Music by the Lake: The New Moon by Sigmund
Romberg, Saturday, July 21, 2007, 7:30 p.m. & Sunday, July 22, 2007, 6:30 p.m.
Containing five hit tunes
including “Lover, Come Back To Me”,
The New Moon is set in
New Orleans
in 1728. The story brings
together an aristocrat with the daughter of a ship builder and spectacular
melodies and lush orchestrations provide some of Sigmund Romberg’s most
“singable” music.
Music by the Lake: The 5th Dimension, Saturday,
August 4, 2007, 7:30 p.m.
Bursting onto the Top 20 list
in 1967, the group produced a string of hits over the next two decades. From
“The Age Of Aquarius” to “Wedding Bell Blues”,
The 5th Dimension appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” was regarded as
one of the “classiest groups” on television.
Ticket Information:
Single
ticket prices are $11-53. Call or order online at
http://www.aurora.edu/mbtl
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