Wisconsin is anything but ordinary, a place where Harley-Davidsons might rumble past historic Victorians, cutting-edge contemporary museums and ecologically conscious performing arts centers.
With its eclectic heritage, planners arranging events in Wisconsin can count on a wealth of unique venues that evoke the history and modern-day allure of the state.
Greater Milwaukee
Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s largest city and the state’s cultural center.
“Milwaukee is set apart from other Midwestern and Wisconsin destinations by both the depth and breadth of its cultural and facility options,” says Paul Sienko, director of sales at Visit Milwaukee. “A multibillion-dollar investment in tourism product is fueling an urban renaissance resulting in a pull-out-the-stops combination of cherished tradition and modern attitude. Milwaukee’s off-site meeting venues are as interesting and diverse as the city itself.”
A standout venue is the newly expanded Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM), boasting a world-class design by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The expansion features the iconic Burke Brise Soleil, a shade structure that has received worldwide acclaim. The graceful retractable construction evokes a colossal white bird spreading its wings.
Museum facilities for groups include the Windhover Grand Reception Hall, a cathedral-like space with views of the lake and a 90-foot-high glass ceiling located directly below the Burke Brise Soleil; an open-air terrace; a 265-seat auditorium; and several meeting rooms.
Next door to MAM is Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, a new 120,000-square-foot museum dedicated to science, technology, innovation, exploration, and the environment. The attraction features aquariums, interactive exhibits, live theater performances, and the Denis Sullivan, a recreated 19th century sailing ship that can be chartered for lake voyages. The museum provides sweeping views of the lake and the city from Pilot House, a circular structure with a wrap-around balcony. Pilot House and several other areas of the museum are available for group events.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee will welcome one of the country’s most iconic venues next year: the Harley-Davidson Museum.
“The great American motorcycle has been a Milwaukee tradition for more than 100 years,” Sienko says. “William S. Harley and the Davidson brothers created the iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle in Milwaukee in 1903. Starting in 2008, we’ll be able to celebrate this American classic at the one-of-a-kind Harley-Davidson Museum.”
The 130,000-square-foot complex will feature a wealth of indoor event space accommodating large groups and outdoor space suitable for events of up to 15,000 people.
For those who enjoy getting closer to nature, a 15-minute drive north of Milwaukee will bring groups to the 185-acre Schlitz Audubon Nature Center and its Dorothy K. Vallier Environmental Learning Center. Facilities include a grand hall, an auditorium, several classrooms, and a conference room. The center is nationally known for its spectacular birding, and special hosted programs allow delegates to get up close and personal with hawks, falcons, owls, and a bald eagle.
Just west of Milwaukee are Waukesha and Pewaukee, where several interesting cultural lures double as unique off-site venues.
Leading the list is Old World Wisconsin, a living history museum that spans more than 500 acres and is dedicated to the history of rural life in America. Among the facilities available for group events is the Clausing Barn Restaurant, an octagon-shaped barn built in 1897.
Other memorable off-site options include a dinner cruise on Pewaukee Lake or an event at Ten Chimneys, the circa-1930s home of Broadway stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
Madison
Wisconsin’s capital of Madison has also become known as the queen of green.
“Downtown Madison is set upon an isthmus between two glacial lakes,” says Tom Farley, director of marketing at the Greater Madison CVB. “Most of Madison’s venues take great advantage of the area’s natural resources and beauty. This does not stop at the spectacular views. Many restaurants and catering places use produce that is locally grown and very fresh. Madison takes great pride in being a green city, and it shows in its meeting venues and cuisine.”
According to Farley, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, certified by Travel Green Wisconsin, a new program that recognizes tourism-related businesses that can prove consistent efforts to be sustainable and low-impact, is “the ultimate green meeting place in one of the top eco-friendly destinations in the country.” Olbrich features 16 acres of outdoor display gardens and the glass pyramid of Bolz Conservatory, which houses and displays 750 tropical plants as well as birds, fish and reptiles year-round. Several venues are available for group events, including an atrium that accommodates up to 125 people and boasts glass walls, vaulted glass ceilings and a view into the arbor.
Since 1909, the Madison Club has set the tone for old-school gentlemanly charm in Madison. Today the handsome brick edifice, located steps from the Wisconsin State Capitol, consistently receives top ratings for its cuisine and clubby atmosphere for business lunches, and it features several private meeting rooms.
The $205 million, Cesar Pelli-designed Overture Center for the Arts, another structure certified by Travel Green Wisconsin, is Madison’s downtown cultural arts jewel. The contemporary glass building presents a diverse bill of theater, dance, music, and children’s events throughout the year and features an array of light, airy meeting spaces. The adjacent Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is also available for events and features a rooftop restaurant overlooking downtown.
Wisconsin Dells
The five-mile gorge along the Wisconsin River known as the Dells has been beguiling visitors since our great-great-grandfathers wore long curls and short pants. Its 100-foot cliffs and fascinating sandstone formations were the foundation of what is now a many-layered and beloved tourist destination offering resorts, waterparks, theme parks, natural attractions, and live entertainment.
The historic 800-square-foot Cold Water Canyon Pavilion was restored this year from an old-fashioned concession stop for Dells Boat Tours into an exclusive private rental facility for a variety of events. Finished in timeless wood, stone and wrought iron, the pavilion is fitted with a built-in bar, gas fireplace and a lighted dance floor. Pavilion guests are invited to explore its lush, shady turns on a wooden boardwalk that winds past sandstone cliffs and luxuriant foliage.
“Cold Water Canyon is a setting made beautiful by Mother Nature and cannot be found anywhere else,” says Melanie Platt-Gibson, marketing director at the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau.
Pavilion events begin at the Upper Dells boat dock in downtown Wisconsin Dells, where guests board a private charter boat and are transported to the location.
In the small town of Baraboo, planners can host events in the Circus World Museum, the original home of the Ringling Bros. Circus. The site now features exhibits from the heyday of the “Greatest Show on Earth,” a miniature circus and the world’s largest collection of the elaborately hand-carved and sensationally painted circus wagons. Several structures at the site, including the original Ring Barn and Elephant House, are National Historic Landmark buildings.
Woodside Ranch Resort and Conference Center is another unique venue option in the area, according to Platt-Gibson.
“It has a family-friendly farm atmosphere that is joined with all of the latest technologies and conveniences that are necessary to conduct a productive and effective conference.”
Woodside Ranch began life in the 1850s as a two-story farmhouse off a dirt road that served as a buggy path into the town of Mauston. In the 1920s, farm vacations began catching on with tourists from the big city, and cabins, barns and other facilities were slowly added for their enjoyment. Today, the 1,300-acre ranch offers a 100-horse stable, an array of recreational activities, cabin and lodge accommodations for more than 150 people, and a 2,000-square-foot conference room.
Sheboygan Area
No visit to Sheboygan is complete without a taste of the city’s famous bratwurst. While strolling along the lakefront, sausage in hand, don’t be surprised if you spot surfers, though the Pacific Ocean is about 2,000 miles west; Sheboygan hosts the largest annual lake surfing competition in the world each summer. Clearly, this is a city where they do things a little differently, and its unique venue options are no exception.
Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts was built as a glamorous cinema palace in the 1920s. Artfully restored and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1,150-seat theater, which is available for event rental, showcases live music performances and classic movies.
Located in nearby Kohler, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center welcomes groups as large as 500 to wander its 10 galleries showcasing the latest and most innovative designs. Its six bathrooms are masterpieces by resident artists, proving the center’s philosophy that art can enhance every aspect of daily life. Meeting facilities include a 188-seat theater; Matrix hall, hosting up to 400 people; and the outdoor Festival Green, accommodating up to 1,000 people.
The four Pete Dye-designed championship golf courses at Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run in Kohler were designed to evoke the lonely grandeur of the Irish coast along the shore of Lake Michigan. The fortified fieldstone Irish Barn, reminiscent of farm buildings in rural Ireland, overlooks the lake and Whistling Straits course, and welcomes groups as large as 150.
Green Bay
Most people who hear “Green Bay” think Packers. The legendary football team put the city on the map, but it’s certainly not all the area has to offer.
“The city of Green Bay is a beautiful Great Lakes international port city located on the bay,” says Brad Toll, president and CEO of Packer Country Visitor and Convention Bureau. “Conventioneers love the lush green golf courses, the excitement of a charter fishing excursion or relaxing on a river cruise.”
Among the destination’s distinctive venues is the 50-acre Heritage Hill State Historical Park, a living history attraction on the Fox River that spotlights Wisconsin’s development. The recent addition of a multimillion-dollar educational center and events facility has transformed the attraction into an exciting choice for get-togethers. After business hours, the attraction can be reserved for special events such as murder mystery dinners, wine tastings, candle-lit tours of the park and its historic buildings, and traditional English tea parties.
“Heritage Hill is an historical park that really understands meetings and events,” Toll says. “They do a terrific job providing the facilities needed for a successful conference, but also bring history and fun to the conference in a unique and entertaining way.”
Lambeau Field, home of the Packers, is another top venue. Its atrium can accommodate groups of almost any size for all types of events, and several other areas of the stadium are available for rental. Visiting groups can explore the Packers Hall of Fame, take a stadium tour or choose gifts for the fans back home at the Packers Pro Shop.
Fox Cities
The Fox Cities invites planners to think outside the box by arranging events at venues such as a farm, an historic theater and an interactive gaming center.
The family-owned Homestead Meadows Farm in Appleton is an authentic, vintage farm that has been restored and converted for private event rentals. Set on a rolling 50-acre meadow, the farm is available for events such as barn dances, picnics and campfire socials. During a hayride, groups might see deer, wild turkeys, cranes, and other wildlife.
Located in downtown Appleton, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center hosts a rousing calendar of plays, musicals and concerts throughout the year. A variety of spaces can accommodate groups, from 750-person receptions in the main lobby to banquets of 175 people in the Kimberly-Clark Theater.
When it’s time for some serious fun, Appleton’s Funset Boulevard gets groups moving with laser tag, bumper cars, mini-golf, batting cages, and more than 100 arcade games. Group rates and special packages are available for gatherings of 20 people or more.
Lake Winnebago
The inviting town of Oshkosh is known for its warm hospitality, and it hosts several interesting venues.
Built in 1883 and carefully restored in the 1880s, the Victorian-style Grand Opera House, offering 668 velvet seats, provides a backdrop of timeless glamour and impeccable class to any event. However, the property wasn’t always quite so impeccable.
“At one point in time it was the only X-rated movie theater to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” says Diane Meyer, director of sales at the Oshkosh CVB. “Bringing in Broadway musicals, grand opera and even vaudeville, it attracted such celebrities as Harry Houdini, John Philip Sousa and even President William Howard Taft. Spirited sites and sounds of the past leave a mysterious reminder of days gone by.”
Completed in 1930 and patterned on English Tudor Revival country houses, Paine Art Center and Gardens is known as one of “America’s Castles.” The facility offers an historic mansion, art galleries and 19 formal theme gardens. As many as 200 people can gather in the gardens, and the mansion hosts up to 125.
Elkhart Lake’s Road America has satisfied the need for speed for 53 years. Set on 640 rolling acres in the Kettle Moraine area, Road America’s adventure packages include day-long and weekend driving and racing schools, motorcycle license training, geocaching, all-terrain vehicle programs and go-karting. Road America accommodates group events of up to 1,000 people using both indoor and outdoor venues, and it has a VIP Tower for 75 people and seven tented hospitality areas.
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva has been a favorite getaway for city dwellers needing a break from the crowds and summer heat for 100 years.
“Lake Geneva has been a resort community since just after the Civil War, when wealthy Chicago families discovered the site and began building summer homes there,” says George Hennerley, executive vice president at Lake Geneva Area CVB. “More than a century later, the Lake Geneva area is one of Chicagoland’s top getaway destinations.”
For the authentic Lake Geneva experience, a lake cruise is a must. Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers a fleet of seven boats. The largest, Grande Belle of Geneva, styled after turn-of-the-20th-century steamers, can host a maximum of 225 passengers. Other choices include a yacht, a paddle wheeler and a luxury cabin cruiser.
The line is also the exclusive provider of transportation to and from the historic, state-owned Black Point Estate. The Queen Anne-style mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, hosts tours for groups as large as 47 people.
The Riviera Ballroom, built in the 1930s, is another favorite spot for meetings and weddings, hosting up to 400 people and offering sweeping views of the lake.
“During the Swing Era, the Riviera was home to the big bands featuring the likes of Wayne King, the Dorsey’s, Artie Shaw, and Louie Armstrong,” Hennerley says.
La Crosse and Central Wisconsin
The small college city of La Crosse is bordered on one side by the Mississippi River and on the other by rows of scenic bluffs that visitors can explore via a number of hiking trails.
La Crosse’s Pump House Regional Arts Center, built in an historic water pumping station, produces a variety of visual arts and performances throughout the year and offers three art galleries, a 140-seat theater, a conference room, and other meeting spaces.
Meanwhile, Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center is dedicated to preserving the natural environment of this pleasant valley and the cultural heritage passed down from the area’s Norwegian immigrants. The 400-acre facility is available for group rental and tours, and its heritage skills classes can teach groups crafts such as rosemaling (decorative flower painting), wood carving and weaving.
For More Info
Brookfield CVB 262.789.0220
www.brookfieldcvb.com
Door County Visitor and Convention Bureau 920.743.4456
www.doorcounty.com
Fond du Lac Area CVB 920.923.3010
www.fdl.com
Fox Cities CVB 920.734.3358
www.foxcities.org
Greater Madison CVB 608.255.2537
www.visitmadison.com
La Crosse Area CVB 608.782.2366
www.explorelacrosse.com
Lake Geneva Area CVB 262.248.4416
www.lakegenevawi.com
Oshkosh CVB 920.303.9200
www.oshkoshcvb.org
Packer Country Visitor and Convention Bureau 920.494.9507
www.packercountry.com
Sheboygan County CVB 920.457.9491
www.annarbor.org
Stevens Point Area CVB 715.344.2556
www.stevenspointarea.com
Visit Milwaukee 414.273.3950
www.milwaukee.org
Waukesha and Pewaukee Area CVB 262.542.0330
www.visitwaukesha.org
Wausau/Central Wisconsin CVB 715.355.8788
www.letsmeetinwausau.com
Wisconsin Association of CVBs 608.837.6693
www.thinkwisconsin.com
Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau 608.254.8088
www.wisdells.com
