25 things to do
in Wisconsin during the holidays
The turkey has been trimmed. Now it's the trees' turn. ❚ Wisconsin provides plenty of opportunities to get in the holiday spirit, from light displays to sleigh rides. Here are 25 ideas for exploring the state this holiday season. 1. Cut down a natural Christmas tree. Most state and national forests in northern Wisconsin allow visitors to cut down a tree for personal use. Get a $5 permit at a ranger station in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest or the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, don some blaze orange and grab a saw for a Griswold-style adventure in the forest. 2. Milwaukee's Santa Cycle Rampage is a fun two-wheeled take on the Santa run. More than 1,000 Santas took part in the family friendly 5.5-mile ride last year, and as many are expected for this year's ride on Dec. 2 from Cranky Al's in
Wauwatosa to Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. Even if you're not actually riding, watching that many Santas ride bikes down North Ave. is a sight to behold. The ride costs $35 for non-Bike Fed members. Register at wisconsinbikefed.org.
Madison will also play host to a Santa Cycle Rampage, beginning at 10:15 a.m. Dec. 9. See the Madison Bike Winter Facebook page for more information. 3. The Ridges Sanctuary lights its
boardwalks with luminaries during a free Natural Christmas celebration from 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 9. The nature preserve will also have holiday crafts, live music, and hot chocolate and marshmallow roasting around a campfire.
4. Live reindeer make regular appearances at holiday parades and festivals around the state, and many of those come from Reindeer Games out of Erin. The farm posts where they'll be on their website (reindeergames-wi.com), so you can find a reindeer appearance every weekend through Christmas. Upcoming appearances include Milwaukee’s Third Ward from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1, at 417 Main St. in Delafield from 8 a.m. to noon Dec. 2 and at Christmas on the Corner in Port Washington from 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 2.
5. Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride with Paradise Ranch in Cedarburg. The halfhour rides travel through light displays in the woods around the ranch and are offered from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 5 to 8 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets are $42 for adults and $29 for kids age 11 and under. Reservations are required at paradiseranchwi.com.
6. Cave of the Mounds is filled with the echoing sounds of Christmas carols around the holidays. Deliberate Vibration a cappella group will perform Dec. 1, and the Christmas Tubas will perform Dec. 3. Join sing-a-long caroling at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 3, 10 and 17. And on Dec. 9, kids can meet with Santa, hear holiday music and search for characters from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." 7. Walk through a holiday lights display. The WPS Garden of Lights at Green Bay Botanical Gardens features botanical-themed displays, plus a campfire to warm up around. Enchantment in the Park in West Bend's Regner Park offers walk, drive and carriage-ride options; so does Rotary Winter Wonderland at Marshfield's Wildwood Zoo. Thousands of lights illuminate the Henry Vilas Zoo during Zoo Lights, which will also have a holiday market
this year.
8. See holiday lights by boat. Lake Geneva Cruise Line's Santa Cruise takes visitors past light displays on the shore. Tours aboard heated boats depart from the Gage Marina/PIER 290 Restaurant in Williams Bay daily through Dec. 30 (no tours Dec. 24-25). Tickets are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors (65 and older), $15 for kids (4-17) and free for children under 4.
9. Old World Wisconsin's Crossroads Village gets decked out for the holidays during An Old World Christmas Dec. 2-3 and 9-10. Visitors to the living history museum can see how early Wisconsin settlers celebrated the holiday, from traditional carols to wassail punch to horse-drawn bobsled rides. There will also be a holiday brunch (extra cost; reservations required). Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for kids (5-17) and free for kids 4 and under.
10. Take a Christmas train ride with the East Troy Electric Railroad. The ride travels from the depot in East Troy to the Elegant Farmer, where kids can visit with Santa and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies. Rides are at 9 a.m., 10 a.m.,
noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., Dec. 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17. Tickets are $17.50 for adults (15 and older), $15 for kids (3-14) and $5 for kids 2 and under.
11. Large-scale model trains wind their way through poinsettias and evergreens at Olbrich Botanical Garden's "Holiday Express," on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily Dec. 2-31 (closed at 2 p.m. Dec. 24 and all day Dec. 25). Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for kids (3-12) and free for kids 2 and under. 12. The Old Rittenhouse Inn's Wassail
Dinner Concerts are a Christmas staple in Bayfield. Three-course lunches and five-course dinners are accompanied by performances from the Rittenhouse Singers and holiday decorations around the historic Victorian home. The dinner concerts are offered Dec. 1-23; lunch is $49 and dinner is $75. The meals are open to the public, but they often sell out in advance.
13. It's a progressive dinner, without any of the cooking or cleaning that comes with hosting. Door County's White Gull Inn and Thorp House Inn host a "movable feast" on weekends in December. The five-course dinner starts with hors d'oeuvres at the Thorp House, after which guests are taken to the White Gull Inn by horse-drawn wagon for soup, entrée and salad. The evening wraps up with dessert at Barringer's Restaurant. The dinners are only open to guests of the inns.
14. Travel by trolley to two wineries in Door County, then enjoy a sleigh ride and a fireside lunch at the English Inn during a Winter Wonderland Tour from Door County Trolley. The five-hour tour is offered on Saturdays, December through March. Tickets start at $65.95. 15. Cristo Rey Ranch's Live Christmas
Nativity features actors and live animals re-enacting the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. The performances are held in a heated barn on the Mount Calvary ranch Dec. 8-9. Advance tickets are required and cost $15 for adults, $8 for kids (4-12) and are free for kids 3 and under; call (920) 753-3211. 16. "Miracle on 34th Street" gets the musical treatment at The Fireside, where showgoers are treated to a meal before the show. The production is on stage through Dec. 23; tickets start at $45.95. 17. "The Nutcracker" comes to life inside the Paine Art Center and Gardens during Nutcracker in the Castle. Take a guided tour of the mansion, decked out to resemble the holiday classic. Selfguided candlelight tours make the display even more special; take one from
4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays through Jan. 5. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for kids (5-17).
18. Old World Christmas markets are good places to find unique, hand-crafted gifts. Try the Old World Christmas Market at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Dec. 1-10. Admission is $6 for adults and free for kids 14 and under when accompanied by an adult. 19. Get a dose of warmth inside at
Milwaukee's Domes. See the Holiday Floral Show, "Naughty or Nice," a behind-the-scenes look at elves at the North Pole, through Jan. 7. Bring the kids to meet Santa, Mrs. Claus and Rudolph during Santa Under Glass from noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 3, 9 and 16. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for Milwaukee County seniors, people with disabilities, students (with ID) and kids (6-17); and free for kids 5 and under. 20. See House on the Rock decked out
in thousands of Santas during the holidays. More holiday decorations and Christmas songs add to the festive experience. Admission is $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors (65 and older), $13.95 for kids (4-17) and free for kids 3 and under. 21. Welcome Santa to the Wisconsin
Maritime Museum during the Christmas Tree Ship Celebration Dec. 9. The free event features make-and-take crafts, games, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a presentation about the real Christmas tree ship, the Rouse Simmons. 22. Send your Christmas cards from
Rudolph. The cancellation stamp at the post office in this little Wood County village features the famous red-nosed reindeer. Rudolph's Country Christmas celebration the second Saturday in December includes craft vendors, horse-drawn wagon rides, a lighted parade and of course, reindeer.
23. Join a Full Moon Hike at Devil's Lake State Park from 7 to 8 p.m. Dec. 2 to burn off some of those holiday calories.
Meet at the Steinke Basin parking lot for a 2-mile hike, and warm up around a bonfire there before and after the trek. 24. Hike on the longest night of the
year. Head to the Zillmer Trails in the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit (off County Road SS between County Road G and Highway 67 near New Prospect) for a group hike from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 21. The hike is best
for families with kids older than 6. 25. Celebrate the Spirit of Christmas
Past at Heritage Hill State Historical Park. The Christmas event from noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16 includes music, Christmas meals prepared in the historic kitchens, Old World Santa and horsedrawn wagon rides ($2 extra). Admission is $11 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for kids (3 and older).