By MaryBeth Matzek | Photo courtesy The Wilderness Resort
The winter months oftentimes can feel like the longest of the year as families are mostly trapped inside and looking for things to do. That’s where Wisconsin’s indoor resorts, museums and attractions shine.
FUN WITH WATER
Indoor water parks are popular choices for families planning a short trip where their children burn off some energy.
The Wilderness Resort has “dry” and “wet” activities to keep family members of all ages busy, Schindler says.
“The Wilderness has four indoor water parks that spread out the crowds and help it feel less busy,” he says.
Dry activities include 3D mini golf, go- karts, a ropes course, laser tag, climbing, a play park, three arcades, Take Flight Aerial Adventure, the WildKids Club and a paint-your-own pottery studio.
“Every experience we have created at the Wilderness is with the family in mind. It is so easy for families to come here, unpack and have action-packed days of wet and dry fun. From waterparks to arcades and a lot in between, we have something for family members of all ages,” Schindler says.
Last fall, the Wilderness opened a new onsite, outdoor attraction — Aquavia Lumina: An Enchanted Night Walk through a Canyon of Wonders. The multi-media experience features thousands of lights, lasers, projections and a soundscape.
Metropolis Resort in Eau Claire has multiple wet and dry activities to keep families busy, says marketing director Mariah Geisert. In addition to its aquatic playground and lazy river, the resort includes a trampoline park, ninja warrior courses, a fun center with a massive arcade, laser tag and the largest indoor go-kart track in the Midwest.
“We’re very family-oriented and everything is under one roof,” she says. “There’s a lot to do here to keep busy.”
Geisert says the resort is ideal for family and team gatherings with rooms ranging in size from two standard queen beds to a suite with 10 bunk beds, which is ideal for birthday parties or a team outing.
HANDS-ON LEARNING
Children love visiting the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay since they not only learn more about trains, there’s also many hands-on exhibits, Tenpenny says. The museum has more than 70 pieces of rolling stock and 100,000-plus small artifacts and operating/display trains.
“Railroads play an integral role in U.S. history so it’s not only a nice educational opportunity, there’s also a lot of interactive opportunities,” he says.
One of the museum’s standout pieces is the only A4 Class locomotive in the country, a British locomotive renamed for General Dwight D. Eisenhower after World War II. Two London and North Eastern Railroad cars that were converted for Eisenhower’s use during the war are also part of the exhibit.
“Visitors not only get to see the outside of the train and learn about its history, but they also get to go inside. It’s an experience you can’t find elsewhere,” Tenpenny says.
If the kids and adults in your family like boats, head to Manitowoc and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. The museum is home to the USS Cobia, a World War II submarine that was built in Manitowoc. The sub is open year-round for tours.
Beyond the submarine, the museum is home to multiple exhibits, including a maritime history gallery, a model ship gallery, an exhibit focused on boats built in Wisconsin and the Waterways Room and Little Lakefarers Room with children-focused activities. In 2024, the museum added exhibits focused on the shipwrecks off Wisconsin’s coasts.
The Milwaukee Art Museum helps spark creativity and curiosity in its young guests (children ages 12 and under are free) through a variety of activities. The museum’s ArtPack Station has guides to help families learn more about artists and exhibitions and has activity bags for families to check out and use to help kids engage with the textures, shapes and colors they’ll see in the gallery.
Parents can also print out Museum Moment guides in English or Spanish at home to help children engage in the exhibitions once they arrive at the museum. Children can also create their own art in the Kohl’s Art Studio every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CHILDREN’S MUSEUMS
Kids learn through play, which is why the Madison Children’s Museum’s exhibits and activities focus on play. Children visiting Can-Be Land can run in a giant gerbil wheel, play interactive games, investigate retro tech and more. For children 5 and under, Wildernest provides a variety of activities including a water activity, play music and climb into activity huts.
As part of the museum’s Nice Age Trail (whose name comes from the state’s famous Ice Age Trail), children can explore Wisconsin’s four seasons in four different habitats. In the exhibit, children imagine themselves as animals whether they’re exploring a life-sized bear cave (and listen to a bear’s snores) or climb and help build a life-sized beaver’s home. By interacting with nature and pretending to be an animal, children can learn empathy and connect with nature. An added bonus: Admission to the museum is free on Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m.
The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee has hands-on exhibits that allow children to explore the world around them, says Nicole Orlando, the museum’s director of marketing and communications.
Its Hometown exhibit is dedicated to a variety of businesses, such as a grocery store, vet office, post office and more, that allow children to engage in imaginative, hands-on play.
“Hometown helps foster collaborative play as one child could be a shopper while another child can check them out at the register when they’re done shopping,” Orlando says. “We pride ourselves as a place where kids can just play. They can burn off their energy and have these fun experiences that help build lifelong skills.”
The Children’s Museum of La Crosse offers three floors of exhibits of learning and fun including a fire truck, a fun sub, a tree house and a dino maze. There’s also a convenience store and bank where children can role play different experiences.
The museum’s newest exhibit, Draw Alive, uses a unique interactive wall projector drawing game where children can watch their drawings come to life on a large screen.
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