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Winnebago County |
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Winnebago County Attractions A water recreation paradise, Winnebago County communities were shaped by their rivers and lakes. Long before the 17th century arrival of Western Europeans, Native Americans used Winnebago County's waterways to travel and transport commercial goods from the East through the Great Lakes to the Fox, Wisconsin, and Mississippi Rivers. Early French explorers and fur traders used the same route for trade, travel and transport throughout their territory, from Canada to New Orleans.Today Winnebago County's numerous lakes and streams offer fishing, swimming, boating, sailing, para-sailing, canoeing, kayaking and water-skiing in summer; ice fishing, ice boating, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, skating and snowshoeing in winter. Take a Fox River-Lake Winnebago cruise on a luxury excursion yacht, rent a craft or watch a colorful sailing regatta from a shoreside park in summer or an iceboat regatta from a cozy fireplace suite in winter. Whether you want to take a quiet stroll or bicycle along the water, hike through native nature preserves, have a picnic, launch your boat, toss horseshoes, golf, play tennis, turn the children loose in a fantastic playground or run your dog, Winnebago County's parks, trails and nature preserves have it all. For a close-up view of native plants and animals, walk the boardwalk over the Heckrodt Wetland Preserve in Menasha, hike or bicycle through the countryside on the WIOUWASH Trail, or enjoy the special plant communities at the Waukau Preserve. Oshkosh, Neenah and Menasha enthrall visitors with glimpses into pioneer homes and visions of the luxurious life-styles of 19th century paper makers and lumber barons in magnificent, fully restored and furnished mansions, world-class museums and art galleries. The performing arts are alive and plentiful in Winnebago County where the fully restored 1883 Grand Opera House, the Alberta Kimball Auditorium, the University of Wisconsin's Frederick March Theater and Rebel Alliance Theater in Oshkosh offer professional symphonies, dance, touring artists and theatrical productions. At day's end, Winnebago County offers fine dining, first-rate lodging, world-class entertainment and homespun hospitality to all. In Winnebago County, you can visit and fish from a lighthouse pier, relive the daily life of a bridge tender, visit the cabin of Wisconsin's second Governor, James Doty, or watch the stars and earth from space in a state-of-the-art planetarium that holds audiences spellbound and returning for more. Experience the freedom of flight; fly over the county in a vintage biplane or early tri-motor airliner from EAA's Pioneer Airport and visit the historic civilian and military aircraft on display at the EAA Airventure Museum. In July, attend the annual EAA Airventure when Oshkosh's Wittman Regional Airport welcomes more that 12,000 aircraft the 800,000 visitors to view more than 2,700 showplanes, thrilling airshows and fly-by's of vintage and experimental aircraft from around the world. Located on the Western shore of Lake
Winnebago, Winnebago County is easy to find and exciting to visit anytime of the
year.
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to top Museums and Historical Sites EAA Air Adventure Museum3000 Poberezny Drive, Oshkosh 920-426-4818 See Barnstormers, fighter pilots, "Aces", world Record Setters, and airplanes that capture aviation's exciting and colorful history. Be part of the action at the EAA's world class Air Adventure Museum with nearly 100 rare, unusual and significant airplanes that put you in the pilot's seat! Go for a ride in an open cockpit biplane or an early airliner at the museum's pioneer airport! Museum open Monday - Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. year round. Pioneer Flights open daily May to August, weekends only September and October. Military Veterans Museum Park Plaza Complex, Oshkosh 920-426-8615 See the original New York Herald newspaper announcing the assassination of President Lincoln, the original ship's log of the USS California from Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, jeeps from W.W.II, Korea and Viet Nam, women's service uniforms, Allied and enemy weapons and more. Enjoy the PX gift shop and the museum's growing archives cataloguing the nation's military history. Morgan House/Museum 234 Church Ave., Oshkosh 920-232-0260 Built in 1884 by John Rodgers Morgan, co-founder of Morgan Lumber Products, this Queen Anne-style home features original woodwork, wallpaper and fireplaces. The museum, home of the Winnebago County Historical and Archeological Society, also features a complete antique dollhouse and turn-of-the-20th century exhibits. Open Sunday 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day. Oshkosh Public Museum 1331 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh 920-236-5799 Fantastic exhibits for the whole family in the warm and inviting Edwardian mansion that is home to the Oshkosh Public Museum. Call ahead to find out about what new temporary exhibit we have. Admission charged. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Paine Art Center and Arboretum 1410 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh 920-235-6903 Visit the splendor of this Tudor Revival mansion designed in the 1920's for Oshkosh lumber baron Nathan Paine and his wife Jessie Kimberly Paine. Enjoy the warmth and charm of exquisitely crafted period rooms. Stroll through the arboretum's six vibrant display gardens, including the Rose Garden and the Formal Garden. Three gallery spaces showcase frequently changing exhibitions as well as the art center's renowned collection of 19th century French and American paintings, sculpture, oriental rugs and decorative arts. Open Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; Friday 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Tayco Street Bridge Tower Museum Tayco & Main Streets, Menasha 920-751-5155 Visit a by-gone era of river navigation when the Fox River was the main highway for commerce and travel. Share the life of the bridge tender in the tower museum's historic photos, machinery and artifacts. Open Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., Friday - Sunday 8:00 a.m. - midnight. Bergstrom-Mahler Museum 165 N. Park Ave., Neenah 920-751-4658 Housed in a vintage mansion on Lake Winnebago, this museum has the world's largest and most representative collection of glass paperweights and an exquisite collection of Ceramic Glass, Victorian and Contemporary Art Glass. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 1:11 - 4:30 p.m. Doty Cabin In Doty Park 701 Lincoln St., Neenah 920-751-4614 Costumed guides recreate the era of Wisconsin's second governor, James Doty. Open noon - 4:00 p.m. daily June - August, weekends only May - September. Octagon House/Paper Industry Hall of Fame 336 Main St., Neenah 920-729-0244 Tour this unusual 8-sided house built in 1856. This fully restored home now houses the Neenah Historical Society and Paper Industry Hall of Fame. Open Monday, Tuesday and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Velte History Room City Hall, Neenah 920-751-4602 Venture into the lives of Neenah's people, from Native American through 19th century European explorers and settlers in exhibits of their tools, dishes and other artifacts of daily life. Open Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Back to top Parks and Nature Centers Heckrodt Wetland ReserveHwy. 114 & Brighton Beach Rd., Menasha 920-720-9349 Stroll the elevated boardwalk to view the thriving wildlife preserved in this 60-acre wetland and nature center. Open Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Menominee Park and Zoo Hazel Ave. and Merritt St., Oshkosh 920-236-5080 Visit the City's showcase park, located along the shores of Lake Winnebago. The 110-acre family park includes a petting zoo, picnic shelters, food concessions, tennis courts, ball diamonds, boat launches and tie-ups, a two-mile paved recreation trail for walking, in-line skating and bicycling, impressive floral gardens, amusement rides including a miniature train, traditional merry-go-round, bumper boats, paddle wheel, a beach, and two playgrounds. Open daily. Waukau Nature Preserve North of Waukau 920-232-1960 Take a self-guided tour of this natural beauty, following the interpretive signs that inform hikers about the individual varieties that make-up the park's different plant communities. Open daily year round. WIOUWASH Trail Westwind Rd., Oshkosh 920-232-1960 Named for the four counties it traverses, Winnebago, Outagamie, Waupaca and Shawano, this trail is popular year-round. The crushed limestone base enables summer use by hikers, bicyclists and joggers, and winter use by cross-country skiers. Back to top Special Things To Do Jayem Gallery24 Jewelers Park Drive, Neenah 920-725-4326 Celebrate nature's marvelous treasures, diamonds, gold, rubies and more displayed uncut and unpolished in their natural form at Jeweler's Mutual Insurance Company. Open Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Barlow Planetarium 1478 Midway Rd., Menasha 920-832-2848 Discover the secret wonders of the stars in the only planetarium of its kind in Wisconsin. Experience a heavenly view of the world projected in three-dimensional format with giant full-color special effects, with crystal-clear THX surround sound and interactive audience-participation keypads at each seat. Call for schedule of shows. Curler Science Gallery Midway Rd., Menasha 920-832-2848 Immediately outside of the Barlow Planetarium and adjacent to the foyer of the UW Fox Valley's main entrance you'll find the Curler Science Gallery. Interactive computers allow children and adults alike to explore topics on space and other sciences. Oshkosh Community Playground Menominee Park, Oshkosh 920-236-5080 EAA Air Venture Oshkosh Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh 920-235-3077 For one week in late July, Wittman Field becomes the world's busiest airport! It's a spectacular event that attracts more than 855,000 visitors and 12,000 airplanes -- all who come to view the more than 2500 showplanes, experimental and vintage civilian and military aircraft, aerobatics, fly-bys and spectacular daily airshows sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association. Don't miss it! Sawdust Days Menominee Park, Oshkosh 920-303-9200 Go back in time to the 1870's when Oshkosh had 24 sawmills, 15 shingle mills, and 7 sash and door factories and was known as the "Sawdust City"! Experience these times when you visit the annual "Sawdust Days" festival, which features five days of music, food, fun, parades and the largest 4th of July fireworks display in the Fox Valley on the shores of Lake Winnebago. June 30 - July 4. Back to top Points of Interest Neenah LighthouseKimberly Point Park, Neenah 920-751-4614 Built in 1945, the lighthouse is not open for tours, but the handicap accessible fishing deck and restrooms are open to the public all summer. Oshkosh Public Library 106 Washington Ave., Oshkosh 920-236-5200 Located at the head of State Street, just three blocks from the Convention Center, the Public Library features an architecturally outstanding three-level expansion to the original 1900 building where the 42-foot dome soars above the refurbished marble floor of the Great Hall. Grand Opera House 100 High Ave., Oshkosh 920-424-2355 The Grand Opera house, a restored 1883 Victorian theater, offers some of the most diverse performing arts programming in Northeastern Wisconsin, including dance, music, professional touring companies and children's programming. |
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