Kid-friendly Wisconsin

Want to snap out of the winter doldrums? Try planning a trip with the kids or grandkids.

It’s never too early start making preparations for a summer trip or a spring break getaway to … Wisconsin.

Whether exploring a faraway galaxy through interactive exhibits, cuddling with baby animals or viewing spectacular waterfalls, Wisconsin can take family vacations to a new realm of fun.

Museums
Wisconsin’s children’s museums combine fun and education. The Children’s Museum of La Crosse is a hands-on museum with three floors of interactive exhibits. Kids can scale the “Mt. LeKid” climbing wall; learn about dental care with a giant mouth; and freeze their images on a wall in the “Me & My Shadow” display.

The Above & Beyond Children’s Museum in Sheboygan is home to a tree house with life-like critters and the longest indoor rope bridge in the United States.

At the Fox Cities Children’s Museum in Appleton, kids can explore Station 99, featuring a real fire engine; Construction Junction, complete with an electronic crane; and the A-maze-Ing Heart, a model of the human hear that’s big enough for kids to crawl through.

The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee is the only museum designed specifically for kids 10 and under. It features hands-on exhibits and interactive programs. The museum has been cited by Parents magazine as “one of the 10 best children’s museums to visit nationwide.”

Other Wisconsin family-friendly museums include the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, which is one of the largest maritime museums in the Midwest. It offers a unique look at the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.

Along with its 12 galleries and exhibit areas, the museum also offers guided tours of the World War II submarine U.S.S. Cobia.

The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame contains a re-creation of Vince Lombardi’s office and gives kids the chance to take a Lambeau Leap.

Zoos
Animal lovers can find plenty of zoos in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee County Zoo features not only extensive exhibits of animals from all around the world but also a dairy complex and milk production exhibit.

The 43-acre N.E.W. Zoo in Green Bay houses a variety of animals from monkeys to bobcats, while Green Bay’s Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is a 700-acre wildlife refuge with an interactive nature center.

The free Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison has housed a Siberian tiger, Bornean orangutan and five African lion cubs.

For some personal interaction with the animals, the Peck’s Wildwood Wildlife Park in Minocqua offers kids the chance to cuddle with baby animals in the zoo’s nursery.

Wisconsin Deer Park in Wisconsin Dells lets families feed some of the state’s best-known game species.

Parks
If the kids are yearning for fresh, outdoor smells a little exercise, they’ll enjoy Wisconsin state parks.

Pattison State Park in northern Wisconsin features 165-foot-high Big Manitou Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Pattison also has nine miles of hiking trails to explore.

Copper Falls State Park in Oconto offers 54 regular campsites and a backpack site year-round. Journey through this 3,000-acre park and learn about 2,000-year-old Indian burial grounds.

Whitefish Dunes State Park in Door County is a mix of huge sand dunes, a beautiful sandy beach and rocky shoreline.

The 2,891 acres of Willow River State Park contains a dam, lake, trout stream, sandy beach, prairie remnants and a nature center with spectacular view of the historic Willow Falls and the Willow River Gorge.

By visiting Wisconsin museums, zoos and state parks, kids can escape from the everyday and write a storybook ending to a family adventure.

For free Wisconsin travel-planning guides and more information about all of the attractions mentioned in this article, visit www.travelwisconsin.com or call this 24-hour, live-operated toll-free number: (800) 432-8747.

Travel Wisconsin
www.travelwisconsin.com

Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners
www.wisconsincampgrounds.com