Tuesday, January 21, 2020

10 Fun Ways To Spend Time in Kenosha This Winter

We've been to Kenosha several times over the years. It's always a fun place to hang in the summer when you can visit the beach and spend time enjoying the lakefront, take in a Kenosha Kingfish baseball game or explore the Bristol Renaissance Faire. However, we also love Kenosha in the winter. There are so many indoor attractions to enjoy and the lakefront is still quite beautiful when there's a bit of snow on the ground and ice on the lake.



Kenosha Public Museum

This free public museum overlooks Lake Michigan and was established in 1936 and covers history of the Kenosha area and beyond with over 80,000 in its collections. The highlight of the museum for many visitors is the mammoth exhibit with the largest and most compete mammoth excavated in North America.


Photo: Kenosha Public Museum

Located next to the Kenosha Public Museum, the Kenosha Civil War Museum gives a sobering overview of the cost of war and concentrates on the involvement of the Union soldiers from the Great Lakes states. The two-story museum's permanent exhibits include the high-tech 360° movie technology in its short film Seeing the Elephant.



This museum located next to the 1860s Southport Light Station gives a great overview of Kenosha and it's past industry, which includes vehicles and other products made in Kenosha along with rotating exhibits showing what early life was like in the area.



Shop at Tenuta's 

This Italian deli and liquor store is a foodie's paradise. Pick up meat, cheeses, prepared sandwiches (like their famous "Muff-lotta", canoli, lasagna, sauces, take-and-bake pizzas and other treats as well as a large selection of imported items. 



Spend a little time exploring this artist co-op where you'll find many mediums of art, from paintings to jewelry to pottery. They also have a make-your-own pottery studio where you can pay by the pound.



Have fun on a little train ride through this Jelly Belly distribution center where you can learn more about the how the candies are made, try out unusual flavored beans at the tasting counter and pick up a number of discounted items - like seasonal treats and the belly flops candies that are not as attractive as Jelly Belly beans, but taste just as good.



Another haven for foodie fans, you'll find all kinds of unusual sauces and other items on the shelf and can pick up Kringle pastries and cheese bread made in their on-site bakery. And then there's an entire room of cheese where you can try samples and choose from dozens of varieties. In the tavern, you can enjoy a beer along with their complimentary signature cheese spread and crackers - or you can ask for it in a plastic cup and you can sip while you shop. There's also a restaurant serving sandwiches, cheese curds and other hot food items.



You do have to go outside to jump from store to store, but it's worth it for the discounts you can get on clothing, shoes, purses, chocolates and other items.


Spend some time outside on the slopes or the tubing hill at this fun winter resort just outside of Kenosha. I've never been on skis, but have had a lot of fun tubing there with my kids. It's such a thrill going down and I love that there's a conveyor to take your tube back up the hill so you don't have to carry it.



Being held this year from February 1-9, pick out some restaurants to try out while they are offering a number of fixed-price menus. Special breakfast, brunch and lunch menus are available during this time for just $10 and dinner offerings are $20 or $30. More than 40 eateries are participating, including Twisted Cuisine, Tuscany Bistro, Ashling on the Lough, Boat House Pub & Eatery, Brat Stop, Grab's Burger Bar, Sazzy B, The Coffee Pot, Waterfront Warehouse and more.





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