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Attractions

Six Must-See Spots

Photo by Manitowoc Two Rivers Visitor and Convention Bureau

Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center
This interactive farm museum is a recent endeavor, but it’s been a hit for visitors in and out of Manitowoc thanks to its fun and innovative approach to educating people on where their food comes from, how and why. The Center achieves this through its nine interactive activities. For example, a farm tour gives visitors an up-close look at farming practices, and the exhibits showcase Wisconsin’s diverse food production, how food is manufactured from farms, farming’s economic impact, and environmental concerns of food production and how farmers are working toward sustainability. Even the attached cafe provides an opportunity for farm education by showing the benefits of food served farm to table. Something else you won’t get anywhere else is the “Birthing Barn,” where two to five calves are born per day on average and visitors get the chance to see firsthand. Open seven days per week from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

LondonDairy Alpacas
“I’m not a fan of alpacas,” said no one ever. We all love those fluffy creatures, and a herd of them live in nearby Two Rivers at LondonDairy Alpaca Ranch. You can visit them during the ranch’s daily guided tours, and you’ll also learn about alpaca history and how ranches operate and produce textiles. If guided tours aren’t your thing, lower-priced self-guided visits are also an option. Be sure to check out the gift store as well for alpaca products including scarves, socks, sweaters and yarn. The ranch also hosts events throughout the year. Open daily. Call ahead to schedule guided tours and gift shop visits. 793-4165.

Point Beach State Forest
Combining the best of beaches and forests, Point Beach State Forest is a must-visit for any traveling nature lover. Just north of Manitowoc in Two Rivers, the beach stretches across six miles of shoreline and is overlooked by the 113-foot tall Rawley Point Lighthouse. Be sure to catch it in action a half hour before sunset or a half hour after sunrise as its light majestically shines down, signalling vessels on Lake Michigan. The forest’s has 17 miles of hiking trails, two bike trails, 127 campsites and two cabins all in walking distance of Lake Michigan. For more information about Point Beach and to reserve a campsite, visit dnr.wi.gov.

The Wharf
Near the end of May, Manitowoc welcomed The Wharf, a breathtaking new music venue and outdoor bar along the Manitowoc River. Live music and events will play all summer long on the Wharf’s 4,000-square-foot wooden boardwalk. The bar offers mixed drinks, wines and several regional craft beers from New Glarus, Ahnapee and Fox River Brewing Company. Upcoming Wisconsin performers include Listening Party, Amy Jo & The Down Glow and Sam & Mads. For more information about upcoming performances and tickets, visit wharfmanitowoc.com.

West of the Lake Gardens
The West of the Lake Gardens stands testament to Manitowoc local Ruth West’s passion for gardening, which humbly stemmed from a 200-tulip garden to a beautiful 6.5-acre tapestry of colorful flora. The garden, free to visit and seasonally open from Memorial Day to mid-October, is divided into 10 smaller gardens that each have an original aesthetic and character. There’s a rose garden, a loop of daffodils, a garden with red and white flowers, a garden grown around a pond and even a small “forest” of flowers within an enclosure of trees. The gardens are open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., weather permitting.

Capitol Civic Centre
This performance venue has had a longstanding history in the Manitowoc arts community, and its continued preservation efforts continue to make it checking out. Originally a vaudeville house in the 1920s, in 1987 it developed into the Civic Centre Manitowoc knows today. Since the Centre opened, it has brought a number of improvements to community theatergoers, many of which were unveiled this spring, including an expanded lobby space and improved theater seating and lighting. The historic venue’s theater productions, comedy acts, music and dance concerts make it more than worth the trip. cccshows.org

5 Ways to Play

1. Take in a Museum
The Rahr-West Art Museum and Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center are some of the area’s most popular museums, but there are several other greats if you haven’t fully gotten your exhibit fix. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is another classic that focuses on Wisconsin’s seafaring and naval history. Here, you can check out ship models and explore a real WWII submarine. Cap off your visit with a drink at the Sub Pub, the museum’s rooftop bar with excellent downtown and Lake Michigan views. Guests may bring their own food or order tableside delivery from Late’s Grill, Wrap It Up or Brian’s Smokehouse. The Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers is a must for any word nerd, featuring educational exhibits on the history of wood type in the printing of published works.

2. Go Antiquing
Antiquing is an intrinsic part of any shopping experience, and Manitowoc delivers: with two impressive antique outlets that make great additions, you’ll never know what treasures you’ll find. First, there’s JJ Antique Mall, whose 10,000 square foot storefront is full of secondhand products from multiple vendors. And when you’re finished there, Ebert’s Antiques is nearby, offering three warehouses filled with antiques.

3. Experience Manitowoc County’s History

Pinecrest Historical Village Manitowoc, Wisconsin Photo by Mike Roemer

If you’ve never been to a historical village, the ones in the Manitowoc area are a fine introduction. For instance, Pinecrest Historical Village is an assembly of 30 buildings on Pinecrest Road including houses, churches, schools, stores and factories that capture what life was like in 1800s Manitowoc. Rogers Street Fishing Village shows what Two Rivers’ fishing community, an industry that stretches back 175 years, through an 1886 lighthouse, shipwreck displays and fishing exhibits.

4. Eat your way across the Food Trail
There are a ton of great food producers and restaurants across Manitowoc County, and with a detailed map keeping track of them, the Wisconsin Coastal Food Trail makes it easy for travelers to try all of the area’s best food. The initiative, recently organized by the Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau, was a way to showcase original products from Manitowoc’s innovators. The trail includes over 20 food business and counting, such as Bakery on State, Henning’s Cheese, Cedar Crest Ice Cream, PetSkull Brewery, The Gills Bar & Grill and Farm Wisconsin Cafe. If it’s on the trail, it’s definitely worth the drive. For more information, visit wisconsincoastalfoodtrail.com.

5. Escape
What the Lock? Escape Rooms provides a unique challenge for those in the mood for a puzzle: using your brainpower to solve riddles and quandaries, can you escape a locked room before the time runs out? Choose between a selection of themed rooms, each with ascending levels of difficulty and unique puzzles to solve. For the most difficult rooms, the success rates can be as low as 20-30 percent. What the Lock? is a great way for travelers to put their resourcefulness and problem-solving skills to the test.

Selfie Spot: The S.S. Badger

The SS Badger ferry heads in to Manitowoc, Wisconsin on it’s 60 mile trip across Lake Michigan from Ludington, Michigan. Photo by Mike Roemer.

When in Manitowoc, snap a selfie with the S.S. Badger, the largest cross-lake passenger service on the Great Lakes. The 410-foot-long steamship transports up to 600 passengers and 180 vehicles per trip across Lake Michigan between Manitowoc and Ludington, Michigan on a four hour cruise. From June 14 to September 1, the S.S. Badger arrives at the Manitowoc dock (900 South Lakeview Drive) at 12 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. and departs at 2 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.