Ready for summer adventures?! We have rounded up nearly 300 outdoor summer things in Northeast Wisconsin, including the Fox Valley, Oshkosh, Green Bay, Door County, and beyond!
One of our favorite things about living in Wisconsin is experiencing all of the seasons. The long winter leads to really enjoying the summer!
Where to cool off?
When the weather heats up, it calls for a day of splashing! Lucky for us, we’re surrounded by fresh water lakes, nearby the ocean-like experience of Lake Michigan, and rich in community pools and splash pads!
- Plan a Pool Day! – 10+ Outdoor Swimming Pools Near the Fox Cities
- Cool Off at a Splash Pad – Neenah Splash Pad, Park & Playground at Washington Park
- Head to the Beach! – 30+ Wisconsin Lakes for Your Next Beach Day: including Wisconsin State Parks Point Beach, Hartman Creek, and Kohler-Andre, Door County, and Fremont.
- Beach Inflatables – Plan a Fun Day at Fondy Aqua Park or closer to home at Plamann Park Beach
- Wind Your Way Down a River – Summer River Tubing in Northeast Wisconsin
- Eat Ice Cream – The Ultimate Ice Cream Lovers Bucket List: 60+ Favorites! – Take a road trip to Kelly’s Creamery or discover a unique local twist like Wonders or a classic like Frog’s in Sherwood.
- Explore by kayak or canoe – Where to Rent Kayaks in Northeast Wisconsin – discover the beautiful Chain of Lakes.
Where to explore in nature?
An amazing thing about living in this area is the variety of destinations for families and incredible natural areas that are largely free or very low cost to enjoy. From trails to hike to rivers float down, there’s always something to do while enjoying the natural resources available to us.
- Bubolz Nature Preserve in Appleton
- Mosquito Hill in New London
- Heckrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha
- 1000 Islands Environmental Center in Kaukauna
- Navarino Nature Center in Shiocton
- Ledgeview Nature Center in Chilton
- Brillion Nature Center in Brillion
- Wisconsin Explorers Program – Into the Woods: Discover Nature and Earn FREE Patches through the Wisconsin Explorers Program
- Waterfalls – Where to Find Waterfalls in Wisconsin within 2 Hours from the Fox Valley
- Wisconsin State Parks – 26 Awesome Wisconsin State Parks That Are Less Than Two Hours From Appleton
- Rocks! – Paint rocks. Search for rocks.
- Treasure Hunting – Geocaching, Hidden Rocks, Letterboxing
- Go fishing – Kids Fishing Guide – Northeast Wisconsin
- Take a drive – 25 Picturesque Scenic Drives to Enjoy From Your Car Window
- Find a lighthouse
- Collect beach glass
- Cave Tour: Maribel Caves, Cave of the Mounds & Ledgeview
- Gravity Trails in Door County offers a zip line adventure
- Climb an observation tower
- Experience Road America with an Off-Road Driving Experience
- Explore Washington Island with a UTV from Island Adventure Company
- Race Go Karts: Badger Sports Park
- Mine for gems and learn about rocks. Weis Earth Science Museum. Also join Great Lakes Rocks and Minerals Facebook Group.
- Count Birds. Download the iBird app and count how many different birds you can see or hear. Madison Audubon is a great resource and includes a FREE Bird Guide for Kids with 27 common birds, described in ways that kids (and adults!) can relate to.
Run or Walk
- June 20, 2024: Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom Fun Run & Movie, Appleton Memorial Park (FREE)
- July 13, 2024: Filthy Fun Kids/Family Runs in Fox Crossing
- July 21, 2024: Color Me Fun Run, Appleton Memorial Park (FREE)
- Neenah Summer Fun Runs – Memorial Park, Neenah
- Youth Cross Country – Cloves Grove, Menasha, Menasha Parks & Recreation
- Walk a boardwalk – Heckrodt Wetland Reserve, 1000 Islands Environmental Center, Arrowhead Park (Grand Chute), Kohler-Andre State Park, North Side of Horicon Marsh off Hwy 28, Schmeeckle Reserve in Stevens Point, and Riggs County Park in Ripon.
- Appleton Poetry Walk – All around Appleton! Find locations
- 18 Fox Valley Nature Trails for Biking, Walking & Hiking
- 5 Oshkosh Area Nature Trails for Biking, Walking & Hiking
- 13 Green Bay Area Nature Trails for Biking, Walking & Hiking (and Waterfalls!)
- 11 Worth the Drive Hiking Trails about One Hour from Appleton
Gardens
10 Gardens In and Around Northeast Wisconsin including the Scheig Center at Memorial Park in Appleton, Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin in Appleton, Green Bay Botanical Garden in Green Bay, Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh, Sisson’s Peony Gardens in Rosendale, Gottfried Prairie & Arboretum in Fond du Lac, Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan, Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Robert W. Monk Gardens in Wausau and Mitchell Park Horticulture Conservatory (The Domes) in Milwaukee.
- Sketch.
- Bird Watch.
- Count Butterflies.
- Learn about bees and eat some honey!
- Walk through Riverside Gardens.
- Learn about butterflies at the Butterfly Gardens of Wisconsin in Appleton.
Parks & Playgrounds
Heading to the park is a great time to unplug and enjoy nature. Whether you are heading out to check out new(er) parks, like Pierce Park and Jones Park in Appleton, Hidden Pond in Menasha, Washington Park in Neenah or Menominee Park in Oshkosh, a classic favorite or hidden gem.
- Disc Golfing is a fun activity to get outdoors. A couple reader favorites include Triangle Sports Area, Perkins Park in Green Bay, Plamann Park, and Telulah Park.
- Golf – Reid Municipal Golf Course or check out Winnegamie’s Junior Golf Program
- Mini Golf – Badger Sports Park, Funset Boulevard, Chubby Seagull, Bridgewood
- Relax in a Hammock – While your bigger kids play or read books!
- Dig in the Sand, make castles, play with trucks, and bury pennies for a scavenger hunt. Sand volleyball courts are a fun spot for littles. Patriot Park in Grand Chute has nice sand.
- Watch the Clouds and learn about the weather.
- Gaga Ball – Find a gaga pit (and YouTube the directions). Memorial Park, Lions Park, and Erb Park in Appleton have one. Play! – Our Park Series has features and pictures for many local parks and we will be adding to it all summer!
- Find a New Slide! – Ultimate slides in the Fox Valley.
- Wooden Parks – Chilton Morrissey Park & Playground
- Born Learning Trails – these play-based learning activities are typically painted on sidewalks and a series of interactive stations at 12 Fox Cities Parks including Erb, Memorial (Appleton), Pierce, Plamann (Children’s Farm), Fritsch, Fritse, Wittman, Jefferson, Smith, Memorial (Neenan), Doyle and Lion’s (Greenville) Parks.
- Roll (or Run) Down a Hill – Head to your favorite sledding hill for a fun picnic spot and great view. See if you can roll or run down! Hills are also fun to run down with a kite.
- Run the Bases. Find a baseball diamond and get some running in. The inclusive fields like the Memorial Park Miracle League is great for younger kiddos.
- 8 Fun Games to Play on a Swing – Including Superman, Tornado, and Tug of War!
- Skip Rocks – Lutz Park, Jefferson Park, and Fritse Park
- Take your Favorite Backyard Games to the Park! – Bocce Ball, Lawn Dice, Lawn Jenga, Ladder Golf
- Write Activities on a Beach Ball (or roll a dice) – exercises, scavenger hunt, get-to-know questions, would you rather
- Go on a Scavenger Hunt – Nature Scavenger Hunt, Color Hunt, Bird Hunt, Math Scavenger Hunt, Gratitude Scavenger Hunt. Parks with scavenger hunts built-in – Kiwanis Park, Wanick Choute Park.
- ABC Architecture Scavenger Hunt – Find the letters in nature! Bigger kids can make collages or spell words to create a digital art masterpiece.
- Playground Bucket List – Monkey bars, fireman’s pole, zipline, teeter-totter… How many of these can you play on this summer?
- Think Beyond the Playground! Open grassy area can be just as fun for a change of scenery and fun play. Try the classic outdoor games, Kick the can, capture the flag, Hot Potato Hide and Seek.
- School Playgrounds are also a great place to play. Many also are fenced in to keep littles from escaping! Many are closed until the end of June. They also often offer great blacktop activities – Four Square, United States map, Tether Ball…
- Many church playgrounds are also open to the community. Christ the Rock has a beautiful natural playground.
- Table Tennis – Purchase balls and paddles on Amazon or used on Facebook Marketplace and keep them in the car.
- Archery – these parks have archery…Memorial Park in Appleton, Lions Park in Greenville. Woodfire Lodge in Brillion also has a sporting clay shooting course and 15 target archery course.
- Storytime – Books about playgrounds and parks. Find a local story walk. Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan is open with reservations this year. Pick up one of these playground themed titles at one of our libraries:
- Skate Parks – Tellulah Park, Greenville, and Menasha, NEST
- BMX Biking – New Rider Clinics, Racing and Strider Racing for ages 2-5 at Winnebagoland BMX
- Outdoor Hockey – Rollerblading – Patriot Park in Grand Chute. Looking for gear? Check out Play it Again Sports.
- Scooters – Both Erb Park in Appleton and Menominee Park in Oshkosh have nice paths to scooter around. Park your car on the far end and scooter to the playground.
- Soccer – Practice your dribbling and goals on the soccer field.
- Play Basketball
- Picnic – Pack your own snacks or skip the dining room and order carry out.
- Fly a kite!
Animal Lovers
Many of our large favorite zoos have restrictions or modifications this summer. The Milwaukee County Zoo, NEW Zoo and Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison are working through reopening, consider finding a smaller focused zoo, animal rescue or farm to visit!
- Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Green Bay
- Mulberry Lane Farm, Sherwood
- Shalom Wildlife Zoo, West Bend
- Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center, Manitowoc
- Ride a Horse – Horseback Riding
- Doc’s Zoo, Bonduel
- Animal Haven Zoo, Weyauwega
- Lakeside Park, Fond du Lac
- Larson’s Famous Clydesdales in Ripon – see fourteen Famous Clydesdale’s in a 90-minute guided tour and a short Grandstand Show.
- Siberian Outpost in Malone – Contact for a private tour for your family to learn about dog sledding, the history of the Iditarod and the training.
- The Door County Dog Sleds also has an Education and Discovery Center.
- LaClare Farms, Malone
- Alligator Alley, Alligator and reptile farm, Wisconsin Dells
- Timbavati Wildlife Park, Wisconsin Dells
- London Dairy Alpacas, Two Rivers
- Menomonee Park Free Zoo, Oshkosh
- Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue, Rock Springs
- Wilderness Walk Zoo, Hayward
- Play with cats and enjoy lunch or drinks at The Pawffee Shop Cat Cafe, Appleton
- Bear Den Zoo & Petting Farm, Waterford
Educational Experiences
- The Building for Kids
- History Museum at the Castle
- Atlas Science Center
- Trout Museum of Art
- Weis Earth Science Museum
- Green Bay Children’s Museum
- Neville Public Museum
- Old World Wisconsin, Eagle
- Heritage Hill, Green Bay
- Plunkett Observatory, Belgium
- Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Pepin
- History Museum at the Castle, Appleton
- Oneida Nation Museum, De Pere
- Hearthstone Historic House Museum, Appleton
- EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh
- Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc
- Wade House Historic Site, Greenbush
- Historic Farm Museum, Two Rivers
- Hutchinson Historic House, Waupaca
- National Railroad Museum, Green Bay
- Aztalan Museum, Jefferson
- Wisconsin River Papermaking Museum, Wisconsin Rapids
- Portage WWII History Museum, Portage
- Peshtigo Fire Museum, Peshtigo
- Menominee Logging Camp Museum, Keshena
- Twig’s Beverage tour, Shawano
Arts and Crafts
- Find Murals in Appleton
- Find Murals in Neenah and Menasha
- Find Murals in Little Chute
- Find Murals in Kaukauna
- Find Murals on the CE Underpass in Kimberly
- Find Murals in Green Bay
- Find Murals in New London
- Find Murals in De Pere
- Oshkosh Mini Murals
- The Fire in Appleton
- Fire Escape in Oshkosh
- Jurustic Park in Marshfield
- Stevens Point Sculpture Park
- Appleton’s Sculpture Valley
- Hazelmade Art Studio, Appleton
- The Art Garage, Green Bay
- The Art Spark, Appleton
- Pinot’s Palette, Appleton
- The Draw, Appleton
Read!
- Appleton Public Library’s Summer Reading Program
- Kaukauna Public Library Summer Reading Program
- Neenah Public Library Summer Reading Program
- Oshkosh Public Library Summer Reading Challenge
- Brown County Library Summer Reading Challenge
- Free little libraries – Clean up your library and drop off some books to an empty Free Little Library.
- Find a storywalk. Visit Memorial Park for a Storybook Garden Walk. A different book will be featured every 2 weeks all summer long.
- Find vintage titles and childhood favorites at Half Priced Books
Cultivate Giving & Kindness
Summer provides kids with some extra time to think about others that might not be present during the busy school year. There are many organizations within our community that can use help even from small hands!
- Volunteer
- Send cards to a Nursing Home
- Bring treats to the police station, fire station or Harbor House
- Make blessing bags for the homeless or less fortunate
- Send a thank you to a local farmer
- Make birthday boxes for families in need
- Join a pen pal program and share words of kindness
- Buy lunch for your neighbor or friend
- Surprise your postal worker with a treat and note in the mailbox
- Pay for someone’s meal behind you in a drive-thru or restaurant line
- Make and hide kindness rocks
- Clean up your local park
- Support your local small businesses, pop up shops and entrepreneurs
- Organize a school supply drive for your school or make supply backpacks to give
- Help clean pews and gardens at local churches
- Spend time with adoptable animals at the local animal shelters
- Help clean an elderly neighbor’s yard, garden or home
Treats
Summer is the perfect time to grab a sweet frozen treat in the Fox Valley!
- Ice Cream – Soft serve, gelato, hand-scooped and more – eat your way through this list while supporting our local dairy farmers!
- Donuts – We have so many great options! Simple Simons has a Donut House in the parking lot on Saturday mornings. Happy Bellies Bakeshop has a yummy baked cinnamon donut. Or enjoy a classic from Manderfields, Mom & Pop’s Bakery or Hill Top Bakery.
- Cheese Curds – Celebrate June Dairy month along with a delicious cheese stop!
- Kids Eat FREE
- Find a FREE School Lunch Program
- Candy shops – Head to Crazy Sweet in downtown Appleton
- Shaved Ice
- Eat Delicious Fresh Popcorn – Mike’s Popcorn or Archie’s Famous Popcorn at Downtown Neenah Dairy Queen or the Neenah Dairy Queen Grill & Chill
Outdoor Dining
Spending lots of time outdoors in the summer often includes meal times! We’re not sure what magic is involved, but food tastes much better on a sunny day on the grass or on a patio. Pack a picnic and head to a beautiful spot, or check out somewhere new that has outdoor service.
- Eat your way through the alphabet with The ABCs of Summer Snackin’: A Bucket List of Local Goodies!
- Drive-Ins
- Outdoor Dining in the Fox Cities
- Outdoor Dining in Green Bay
- Outdoor Dining in Oshkosh
- Find a food truck rally!
Outdoor Movies
Northeast Wisconsin is usually full of local parks and businesses offering free and very low-cost summertime entertainment like outdoor movies.
- Field of Scenes, Freedom
- Get Reel Chilton Twilight Drive-In Theater, Chilton
- Grab a blanket and watch a movie on a hill. Check with your local Parks Department. These are generally FREE!
- Kids Dream Family Summer Film Series from American Family Insurance
Camping
- Go camping!
- Reader Recommended Wisconsin Campgrounds
- Try a new campground treat – Smores, Pudgie Pies and more
- Kid-Friendly Camping Recipes – Check out these Camping Recipes!
- Camp and visit the Plunkett observatory at Harrington Beach State Park
Plan a Day Trip
Here are some of our favorites outside to help you start to plan your day!
- Appleton – Downtown Appleton, Lawrence University, Jones Park, City Park, go-karts, mini-golf and batting cages at Badger Sports Park, mini-golf at Funset Boulevard, Appleton Farmer’s Market
- Grand Chute – Bubolz Nature Preserve, Town Center Park
- New London – Murals, Kist Kandies & Ice Cream, Mosquito Hill
- Neenah – Downtown Neenah, Riverside Park, Kimberly Point Lighthouse, The Plaza, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, Washington Park & Splash Pad
- Menasha – Ice Cream at Lemon Loves Lime, Weis Earth Science Museum, Barlow Planetarium, Elisha D Smith Public Library, Heckrodt Nature Reserve
- Sherwood – Wanick Choute Park, High Cliff State Park, Ice Cream and Mini Golf at Chubby Seagull
- Brillion – Lion mural, Brillion Nature Center
- Chilton – Ledge View Nature Center, Caves, Wooden Park & Ice Cream, Chilton Twilight Drive-In Theater
- Oshkosh – Menominee Park and Zoo, Paine Art Center and Gardens, Glow Mini Golf Opening in July, Ardy & Ed’s Drive-in,
- Winneconne– Historical Museum, Marble Lake, The Well
- New London– Familiar Grounds Coffee Shop, Mosquito Hill Nature Center, Cuff Farms strawberry picking & outdoor playground
- Fond du Lac – Lakeside Park
- Kaukauna – 1000 Islands Environmental Center, Dick’s Drive-In, Star Orchard, Sticky Fingers
- Green Bay – Murals, Pamperin Park, Heritage Hill, Zesty’s Frozen Custard, Bay Beach, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Titletown District
- De Pere – Murals, Art, Sunset Point Love Lock Tradition, St. Norbert College, Fox River Trail
- Door County – Things to do in Door County with Kids
- Waupaca – Hartman Creek State Park, Red Mill
- Stevens Point – Feltz Family Farms and Dairy Store, Stevens Point Sculpture Park, Green Circle, Schmeeckle Reserve, Downtown Murals, Ice Cream at Belt’s
- Wausau – Quarry hike at Rib Mountain State Park, Riverlife Park, JoJo’s Jungle, downtown Wausau
- Sparta – Sleep in a caboose!, Largest Bike Wheel, Elroy-Sparta state trail
- Wisconsin Dells (beyond the water parks) – Downtown Wisconsin Dells, Downtown Candy Shops, Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin Deer Park, Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, Duck Tour, Paul Bunyans for Breakfast, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Wizard’s Quest, Mirror Lake State Park, Rocky Arbor State Park
- Baraboo – Devil’s Lake State Park, Circus World Museum, Oschner Park and Zoo, Downtown Baraboo, the Baraboo Hills, New Life Lavender and Cherry Farm, Concerts on the Square, Mirror Lake State Park, Parfrey’s Glen
- Milwaukee – Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee Museum, Discovery World, Lakeshore State Park, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
- Madison – Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Henry Vilas Zoo, Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison Children’s Museum, Capitol Square Farmer’s Market, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Concerts on the Square, Art Fair on the Square, The Taste of Madison, Camp Randall Stadium, Babcock Hall Ice Cream
- Sun Prairie– Explore Children’s Museum, The Sassy Cow Creamery
- Blue Mounds– Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mound State Park
- Stoughton– Lake Kegonsa State Park, Cheesers, movie theater
- Sheboygan – Bookworm Gardens, Kohler-Andrae State Park, North Beach and Playground, Lottie Cooper Shipwreck, Acuity Flagpole
- Two Rivers – Point Beach State Park, Washington House
- Weyauwega – Evanswood Outdoor Village shops, Animal Haven Farm and Zoo
- Shawano – Yoder’s Bakery, Shawano Lake, Twig’s Soda Museum
- Manitowoc – USS Cobia, Beernsteen’s, Screamin’ Cronuts, Sputnik Crash site
- Minneapolis – we have lots of ideas for a fun road trip!
Wisconsin Roots
- Watch the Milk Bottling Process Live at Lamers Dairy, Inc.
- Take a selfie with Bernice, the giant fiberglass cow, at Cedar Crest Ice Cream Parlor
- See a calf be born at Land O’ Lakes Birthing Barn at Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center
- Check out vintage farm equipment at the Historic Farm Museum
- Learn how to milk a cow at Mulberry Lane
- Observe the cheese-making process at Marieke Gouda and Scray Cheese
- Attend the Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival
- Whip up your own butter or make homemade ice cream
- Learn more about sustainability and ethical farming at the G Farm
Indoor Places to Explore
- Urban Air Adventure Park
- The Building for Kids
- History Museum at the Castle
- Atlas Science Center
- Trout Museum of Art
- Weis Earth Science Museum
- Green Bay Children’s Museum
- Neville Public Museum
- EAA AirVenture
- Coffee Shops with Play Areas
- Kenna’s Kabin at Bubolz Nature Preserve
- Indoor Play Area at the Heart of the Valley YMCA
- Archery
- Art & Craft Studios
- 1000 Islands Nature Center
- Heckrodt Wetland Reserve Nature Center
- Bowling – Kid’s Bowl FREE
- Bumper Cars & Boats
- Children’s Museums
- Ice Skating
- Indoor Play Areas
- Libraries: Appleton Public Library, Kaukauna Public Library, Menasha Public Library, Neenah Public Library
- Manicures / Pedicures
- Movie Theaters
- Rock Climbing
- Roller Skating
- Swimming Indoors
Summer Events & Festivals
If you’re looking for the best festivals and fairs in Wisconsin for 2024, look no further! Whether you’re looking for family-friendly fun or a chance to connect with local traditions, Wisconsin’s summer festivals have something for everyone.
From music and food to cultural celebrations and county fairs, Wisconsin summer festivals offer a wide range of experiences for locals and visitors alike. Here are our favorites near the Fox Cities and beyond! Looking for more things to do? Find all of these events and more on our calendar.
What’s on your Summer Bucket List? We would love to hear what you are up to!
