Here is the ultimate Wisconsin bucket list for your trip to help you explore the Badger state. This often overlooked Midwest destination will surprise you with its Old World European heritage, Scandinavian traditions, plethora of breweries, and some really beautiful lakes.

This bucket list covers some of the best things to do in Wisconsin from Milwaukee to Madison, Green Bay, and beyond.

Take a look at this bucket list for the places you can’t miss in the state and things you have to do to ensure you have the ultimate Wisconsin experience.

Wisconsin Bucket List

1. Eat Cheese Curds To Your Heart’s Content!

Let’s just start with the most obvious thing you must do in Wisconsin — sampling cheese! Everyone knows that Wisconsin is synonymous with cheese, but just incase you were not aware, Wisconsin is the top cheese producing state in the USA!

Now that you have that information, lets get to the important part — sampling the goods!!

Almost every restaurant and bar in the entire state of Wisconsin offers fried cheese curds on their menu so this is a good place to start to get your cheese fix.

Often, these Wisconsin restaurants make their gooey, yummy goodness using local producers, and have their own little twist on how they serve the dish. So don’t feel ashamed to order a basket at every place you dine.

2. Take A Brewery Tour In Milwaukee

At one point in its history, Milwaukee was the self proclaimed “Beer Capital of the World”. In fact, this city birthed some of the country’s biggest beer barons including Pabst and Miller.

But, even before these beer barons came along, Milwaukee was a beer town prior to becoming an official city with one tavern per every forty residents!

This was because of the large population of German immigrants who brought their beer halls and beer brewing know-how.

Today, the only major brewery left in Milwaukee is the Miller Brewing Company run by MillerCoors but this doesn’t mean you can’t see this city’s beer history at places like Best Place At Pabst Brewery.

At Best Place At Pabst Brewery they offer tours that tell entertaining stories about the history of these legendary beer barons in Milwaukee.

These days, the business of craft beer is booming and Milwaukee can lay claim to having one of the highest densities of craft breweries in any U.S. city. There is nothing more quintessential than craft beer in Milwaukee (well besides pretzels and sausages), so be sure to swing by a local brewer to sample homegrown Wisconsin beer!

3. Sample Some German Sausages

Milwaukee is a city full of German and Polish descendants which is obvious when you are wandering around the city. So why not take advantage of this city’s heritage?

And what’s more German and Polish than a sausage? If there is anywhere you should try a bratwurst outside of Europe, it most certainly should be in Milwaukee!

Milwaukee still boasts many sausage-makers who continue to honor and pass on the Old World traditions and many of the city’s favorite German establishments have been in operation for over 100 years.

Usinger’s and Klement’s are the most well-known sausage-makers in the industry but there are many other mom and pop shops throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin offering some of the best brats in town.

4. Explore Door County

Door County is a narrow 70 mile peninsula in the northeast corner of the state which protrudes into Lake Michigan.

The ‘Door’ as it is known, has become one of Wisconsin’s most popular tourist destinations and is somewhat reminiscent of Washington state’s Orca Islands.

Summer and during the fall are the best times to visit when you can enjoy water activities, hiking, road trips, and leaf peeping.

The area has a thriving arts scene and is a great foodie destination too where you can explore cuisine with a Scandinavian heritage. Also be sure to try French-style cider at Island Orchard Cider and Belgian-inspired farmhouse ales at Door County Brewing while you’re visiting Door County.

Although the region is famous for fruit-based wines, especially cherry and apple, its vintners cultivate cold-hardy varietals too.

5. Attend A Fish Fry

Fish fries are very common in the Midwest but it is an especially strong tradition in Wisconsin.

Friday night fish fry happens year-round at many non-chain restaurants and taverns across the state and typically involves beer battered cod, perch, bluegill or walleye.

The tradition began because Wisconsin was settled heavily by Catholics of German, Polish, and other European backgrounds whose religion forbade eating meat on Fridays.

The large number of lakes in Wisconsin meant that eating fish became a popular alternative to eating meat — and voila, the fish fry was born!

While the majority of the state prefers frying their fish, the Scandinavian community in Door County favors the fish boil; a variant which involves boiling potatoes, white fish, and salt in a large cauldron.

The Door County fish boils have become a state-wide attraction and there are several notable restaurants that put on quite a show for guests.

Restaurants offering fish boils are spread out from the northern tip of the peninsula all the way to Sturgeon Bay making it easy for visitors to find a place to try a traditional Door County Fish Boil no matter where they stay on Wisconsin’s peninsula.

6. Take The Ferry To Washington Island

Located seven miles off the northeast tip of the Door Peninsula is Washington Island. This peaceful island which is home to less than one thousand residents has become a popular summer tourist destination.

Washington Island is actually a group of small islands that include Plum Island, Detroit Island, Hog Island, Rock Island, Pilot Island, Fish Island, and the largest and most visited, Washington.

Most of the people who settled on Washington Island were Scandinavian immigrants and these islands are now home to one of the oldest Icelandic communities in the United States and possibly the largest outside of Iceland itself.

The journey to Door County's Washington Island begins with a scenic ferry ride over crystal blue waters. Once ashore you can explore local state parks, national wildlife refuges, and rocky beaches. Also not to miss is the Midwest’s largest lavander farm!

7. Celebrate Midsommar In Ephraim

What is Midsommar you ask? Well, it is a traditional Scandinavian celebration that welcomes summer, and as you may have guessed, it takes place on the date of the summer solstice.

Because Sweden endures long and exhausting winters with very little sunlight, the Swedes very much look forward to the summer months and this holiday is regarded as one of the most important days of the year for them.

In Sweden, Midsommer includes an outdoor party, drinking, songs and dancing, but the most important aspect is reconnecting with nature and getting outside.

Of course Midsommer is celebrated in Door County due to its Scandinavian heritage. One of the best places to enjoy the tradition is at the annual Fyr Bal Festival in Ephraim.

Each year, this town celebrates by hosting a party that involves the burning of the winter witch — a ceremony represented by large bonfires set along the shoreline of Eagle Harbor. During the day, the entire village comes alive with fun activities such as live music, dancing, crafts, art stands and more before the fires are lit at sunset. A spectacular fireworks display over the water concludes the celebration.

8. Visit The State Capitol In Madison

Standing majestically in downtown Madison is the State Capitol Building. Finished in 1917, the building is adorned with a 284-foot-high dome that's just three feet shy of Washington's Capitol building.

The Wisconsin State Capitol is the tallest building in Madison, a distinction that has been preserved by legislation that prohibits buildings taller than the columns surrounding the dome (187 feet).

The best way to experience the beauty and grandeur of Wisconsin's Capitol building is to take a tour of the exterior and interior. Tours of the interior of the building are available daily and are undoubtedly one of the best free things to do in Madison.

9. Catch A Green Bay Packers Game

It’s no secret that Wisconsin has one of the best football teams in the country so if you happen to be visiting during the football season, you can’t leave without catching a game.

Their home games usually sell out so if you can’t get tickets to the game, it is still worth stopping by the stadium to visit the adjacent Packers Hall of Fame Museum.

The Green Bay Packers home stadium is at the Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

10. Visit The Apostle Islands National Seashore

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore comprises of 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland coast located at the northern tip of Wisconsin on Lake Superior.

On the mainland and on many of the islands are windswept beaches, sandstone cliffs, sea caves, and hiking trails for you to explore. Visitors can hike, paddle, sail, or cruise to experience this beautiful northern part of the state.

Underwater you’ll find interesting rock formations and fascinating shipwrecks that provide outstanding scuba diving opportunities.

This national recreational area has more lighthouses than any other site in the national park system with nine historic towers across six islands.

Camping is available on 19 of the lakeshore’s 21 islands and at one campsite on the mainland.

11. Enjoy The Waterparks In Wisconsin Dells

The Wisconsin Dells is home to the largest concentrations of outdoor and indoor waterparks of any place on the planet! So if you’re looking for a fun summer destination in the Midwest, this is the place for you!!

The biggest and most popular waterpark in the Dells is Noah’s Ark, the world largest outdoor water park which has over three miles worth of waterslides inside a 70 acre lot.

Other waterparks here that you should include on your Wisconsin bucket list are Kalahari Resort, Chula Vista Resort, and Mt Olympus Waterpark.

12. Explore The Wisconsin River By Boat

If waterparks aren’t your thing, there is a whole lot more to do in the Wisconsin Dells. One of the must do activities in this popular Wisconsin destination is to take a boat tour of the Wisconsin River.

You can explore the natural beauty of this area aboard a Dells Boat Tour which allow you to choose between a two hour Upper Dells tour and a one hour Lower Dells tour.

The tours carry visitors to see what is arguably the most classic attractions in the area, most notably the ‘dells’ rock formations that tower above the river. This tour company has exclusive rights to these landings along the Upper and Lower Dells.

13. Go For A Hike At Devil’s Lake State Park

Devil's Lake State Park is the largest state park in Wisconsin. This state park is known for its 500-foot high quartzite bluffs that surround the state park’s namesake lake.

The geologic history of the area is very interesting as it sits on the western edge of the last ice-sheet deposited during the Wisconsin glaciation. Features that can be seen at Devil’s Lake State Park are a result of a glacier that deposited terminal moraines that plugged the north and south ends of the gap in the bluffs during the last ice age approximately 12,000 years ago.

Located only 35 miles from Madison, this is the perfect place to head to if you are in the state capital but needing a nature break.

Read: The Best Fall Destinations In Wisconsin

14. Take A Cranberry Marsh Tour

Looking for a fun way to celebrate autumn in Wisconsin? How about taking a cranberry marsh tour! Marsh tours are the perfect way to experience Wisconsin’s Cranberry County and one of the most quintessential fall-related things to do!

There are several marshes that offer public tours in both central and northern Wisconsin. At the cranberry farms you can participate in public harvest days, attend cranberry festivals, or take a tour to learn more about the process.

For example, at Rooted In Red, you can take a tour of their century-old family run farm where you’ll learn about the cranberry growing process, and enjoy live music and tasty food from local food trucks during the harvest season. Learn more about cranberry marsh tours here.

15. Drink An Old Fashioned At The Ishnala Supper Club

For one of the most Wisconsin experiences you can have, order an Old Fashioned at the Ishnala Supper Club.

This legendary supper club is nestled among tall Norway Pines in the middle of Mirror Lake State Park where every table at the restaurant offers amazing views of tranquil Mirror Lake and its surrounding bluffs.

And what better way to enjoy the peaceful Wisconsin scenery then with the state’s official cocktail in hand - the brandy Old Fashioned!

16. Take A Tour of Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Spring Green Home

Located in the Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin near Spring Green is Taliesin, the name of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 37,000 square foot home. The sprawling property also includes buildings from nearly every decade of Wright’s career from the 1890s to the 1950s.

Taliesin, which is now designated as a National Historic Landmark and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open to the public for tours. Architecture enthusiasts will enjoy exploring the interiors of two famous structures that include the Taliesin home and Wright’s Hillside Studio.

17. Drive The Great River Road

The Great River Road is Wisconsin’s only national scenic byway. It travels 250 miles along the Mississippi River through more than 33 historic river towns & villages linking people and history.

The drive is incredibly beautiful no matter what season you visit whether it’s during autumn when the road is lined with orange, yellow, and red fall foliage, or winter when the region is blanketed with white snow and sparkling crystal-like frost.

The drive offers everything from historic places to quaint towns, outdoor recreation, and natural wonders. There are many overlooks where you can take in awe-inspiring vistas that stretch to the distant horizon.

Be sure to take your time and explore the many communities found along one of the nations most famous roads.

Plan A Trip To Wisconsin

Car Rentals

If you need a rental car for your trip, we recommend Enterprise who are our preferred car rental company. But if you would prefer to shop around, use rentalcars.com to look for the best rates on car rentals in Wisconsin.

Hotels

To find the best rates on hotel rooms, search hotels.com who have the largest inventory of rooms at the lowest rates! Alternatively you can use VRBO to find a vacation homes in Wisconsin to make your trip extra special.

RVs & Campervans

Would you prefer to rent an RV or campervan for your Wisconsin road trip? Check out Outdoorsy where you’ll find a huge selection of vehicles across the U.S. that you can sleep inside. Save money by not having to stay overnight in hotel rooms!

Road Trips

If you’re not experienced with taking road trips, have a look at a few of these articles that will help you become more familiar with what to expect on your great American road trip adventure: