Field Trips of Wisconsin - Homeschool Buyers Co-op

Aldo Leopold Nature Center --
300 Femrite Drive, Monona, WI
These days, children can be increasingly disconnected from nature - caught up in computer games, preoccupied with videos, lured by shopping malls and over scheduled with extra curricular activities. ALNC is leading the way to ensure that students of all ages have opportunities to connect with nature by offering positive and constructive learning opportunities that capture children's interest, engage their senses and teach them to appreciate the interconnectedness of all living things.

Baraboo's House of Seven Gables --
215 6th St., Baraboo, WI
The House of Seven Gables, dating from 1860, has been recognized as an outstanding example of Gothic Revival or Carpenter Gothic architecture. It was likely inspired by the pattern books authored by Victorian architectural tastemaker, Andrew Jackson Downing. It is a true "Gingerbread House" with board and batten siding, steeply pitched gables with ornamental bargeboards and drop pendants as well as elaborate peaked finials.

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary --
1660 East Shore Drive, Green Bay, WI
The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is a beautiful 700-acre urban wildlife refuge and one of the largest Wildlife Rehabilitation Sites in Wisconsin. They are also Green Bay's largest city park.

Beyer Home Museum --
917 Park Ave, Oconto, WI
The Victorian home was built in 1868 and is furnished in period. Also on the grounds are a museum and a barn that contains two early electric cars.

Carr Valley Cheese --
S3797 County G, La Valle, WI

Cave of the Mounds National Natural Landmark --
2975 Cave of the Mounds Road, Blue Mounds, WI
For more than 60 years, visitors have discovered why this is one of the best one day trips in the midwest! Guided tours on paved, lighted walkways lead visitors past an unforgettable array of crystal formations. Take a break from Chicago Tourism and wisconsin dells resorts - the constant temperature in the cave makes touring comfortable all year round.

Cedarburg Cultural Center --
W62 N546 Washington Avenue , Cedarburg, WI
With an art gallery, a theater, a convention center and a museum, Cedarburg's Cultural Center does more than preserve its town's heritage; it brings historic Cedarburg to life. The center also continues to celebrate contemporary times by hosting jazz and blues festivals, ethnic-dance companies and other performing arts programs in its main facility

Chalet of the Golden Fleece --
618 2nd St., New Glarus, WI
Modeled after a Swiss mountain chalet, it was once the home to Edwin Barlow.

Charles Allis and Villa Terrace Art Museums --
1801 N. Prospect Ave, Milwaukee, WI
Charles Allis/Villa Terrace Art Museums are part of the Milwaukee County War Memorial Complex and share the mission of serving the living in memory of our war dead. Come enjoy Charles and Sarah Allis' collection featuring 19th Century French and American Paintings. The collection spans 2000 years and includes original and antique furnishings.

Children's Museum of Eau Claire --
220 S. Barstow Street, Eau Claire, WI
The Children's Museum of Eau Claire is an interactive environment for children and their grown-ups that inspires imagination, discovery, creativity & the love of learning. Children's Museum of Eau Claire - a place to see, touch, learn, and grow.

Circus World Museum --
550 Water St, Baraboo, WI
Historical Site of Ringling Brothers north living quarters & performances. Summer time there are live shows. All year long the museum is open.

Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin --
500 North Harbor Drive, Milwaukee, WI
Where science, discovery, creativity, ingenuity, adventure & technology inspire you to turn dreams into reality. Discovery World is a complex & innovative concept that connects the natural world with human-designed technology. We offer a wide variety of educational, cultural and environmental programs including hands-on exibits, aquariums, interactive programs and state-of-the-art labs and more.

Galloway House and Village --
336 Old Pioneer Rd., Fond Du Lac, WI
See what life was like in the late 1800s. Tour this authentic village and 30-room mid-Victorian mansion boasting 4 fireplaces, Italianate details, and many pieces of original furniture. Surrounded by 25 historic buildings such as a church, photographers' shop, town hall, newspaper print shop, and one-room school. The Blakely Museum contains historical collections from Native Americans to present day.

Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve --
4815 N. Lynndale Dr., Appleton, WI
An 8.5 mile trail system for hiking, jogging, bird watching, cross-country skiing, and nature observation. An earth sheltered Nature Center with natural history exhibits, nature store, restrooms, and auditorium for programs and meetings. Offers adult, family, and children's workshops and programs, guided tours, and special events throughout the year.

Gundry House --
234 Madison St., Mineral Point, WI
Built of sandstone in 1868, the house contains displays of Victorian furnishings and artifacts of Mineral Point, as well as a collection of local minerals.

Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations (Wauwatosa,WI) --
11700 Capital Drive, Wauwatosa, WI

Hearthstone Historic House Museum --
625 W. Prospect Ave, Appleton, WI
The first private home in the world to be lighted by a centrally located hydroelectric station using the newly invented Thomas A. Edison system. Have fun in the Hydro-Adventure center in the basement of the museum, ride a high-wheel bike, generate electricity for Appleton and watch a video that tells how people in 1882 reacted to this amazing home.

Henry Ruess Ice Age Visitor Center --
N2875, Campbellsport, WI
Part of the Ice Age Trail, the Visitor Center provides educational information, including films, exhibits and panoramas about the glaciers that carved out Wisconsin; the glaciers in this part of the Kettle Moraine are specifically highlighted. Open Monday through Friday 8:30am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday 9:30-5pm.

Heritage Hill State Park --
2640 S. Webster Avenue, Green Bay, WI
A complex of furnished historical buildings is grouped in four theme areas. Historic homes included are the 1762 fur trader's cabin, 1776 Tank Cottage, 1842 Beupre Place, and a Belgian farmhouse.

Hillestad Pharmaceuticals, USA --
178 U.S. Hwy. 51 N., Woodruff, WI
See vitamins, minerals, protein tablets, herbs , skin cremes and lotions manufactured using natural source nutrients.

The Hixon House and Museum --
429 N. 7th St., La Crosse, WI
This mid 19th century home reflects an affluent lifestyle and still has some of its original furnishings such as oriental rugs, ceramics from Europe and the Orient and furniture from the Empire and Victorian periods.

Honey Acres --
N1557 Highway 67, Ashippun, WI
Combining more than 150 years of beekeeping experience and a passion for honey, Honey Acres offers a complete variety of gourmet honey, honey cremes, honey mustards, honey confections and a variety of gift presentations. Tour the factory and the nationally-acclaimed, professionally designed "Honey of a Museum".

Indian Agency House --
.25 miles east on SR33, then .5 miles north along the canal, Portage, WI
Built in 1832 by the U.S. government for John Kinzie, agent to the Winnebago Indians. It has been restored and is furnished in period.

Jelly Belly Center (WI) --
10100 Jelly Belly Lane, Pleasant Prairie, WI
Sweet sensations and a world of delight await you at the Jelly Belly Center, a mouthwatering stop located off the I-94 Milwaukee/Chicago corridor,near the state line. The Center is designed so visitors can take a tour of the warehouse (really, it's fun!) and taste the magic of "the original gourmet jelly bean," Jelly Belly.

Kenosha Public Museum --
5500 First Ave, Kenosha, WI
Natural science and fine and decorative arts museum. Offers classes and workshops for children and adults. Established in 1933, the Museum's collections have grown to over 70,000, including almost 1,000 works in the fine arts collection. Exhibit programming includes world cultures, Native Americans, zoology, geology, fossils, and fine and decorative arts.

L. R. Ingersoll Physics Museum --
1150 University Avenue, Madison, WI
Make science come alive and experience physics in this child friendly, hands on environment on the UW Madison campus. You'll find interactive exhibits of optics, magnetism, and atomic physics. Open daily for browsing, or schedule a guided tour with your homeschool group.

Lamers Dairy Farm --
N410, Appleton, WI
A working dairy farm that you can watch milk being processed and bottled through a big observation pipe.

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum --
700 North 12th Street, Wausau, WI

Madeline Island Historical Museum --
At the ferry landing in La Pointe, Madeline Island, WI
One of Wisconsin's most historic places beckons the adventurer in you. Heed the call. Generations of Native Americans, fur traders, lumbermen, old salts and summer travelers have for more than three centuries. Discover for yourself the timeless allure of this place, and complete your island experience at the museum dedicated to its storied past. Among the exhibits are a sailor's home and much more.

Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District --
1610 Moorland Rd, Madison, WI
Visit the sewer district? Gross or ...? Waste management is an important issue facing growing urban areas and rural places alike. Tour the Madison Metro Sewerage District to learn what happens with our waste and what is being done to protect the environment.

Madison Wisconsin Public Television (WHA-TV) --
821 University Avenue, Madison, WI

Mid-Continent Railways Museum --
E8948 Diamond Hill Road, North Freedom, WI
This is a great preserved railroad site, giving visitors a real taste of railroading of the past. Take a memorable, seven-mile, 50-minute round-trip ride on a former branch line of the Chicago & North Western Railway through the scenic Baraboo Hills. Passengers ride in restored steel coaches built in 1915. An authentically-attired conductor will call "all aboard!" before the train leaves from an historic wooden depot built in 1894. Train fare includes admission to the Coach Shed filled with restored wooden passenger, freight cars and displays from the turn of the century.

Milwaukee County Zoo --
10001 W Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee, WI
Recognized as one of the country's finest zoological attractions, the Milwaukee County Zoo serves as a resource to educate, entertain and inspire. The zoo houses 2,500 animals and is noted for first birth of polar bears and siamangs in captivity. The zoo is also home to the largest group of bonobos in one location outside their native Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is also home to two of the National Zoo's World Famous cheetahs.

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory "The Domes" --
524 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, WI
Experience a desert oasis, a tropical jungle and special floral gardens . . .all in one afternoon . . . and an amazing lighting display in the evening! The incredible diversity of plantlife you will encounter reminds us all of the Earth's unique diversity of plant and animal species so very vital to our own survival.

Mosquito Hill --
N3880 Rogers Road, New London, WI
The Mosquito Hill Nature Center is open year round with both indoor and outdoor opportunities on 430 acres adjacent to the Wolf River. Inside are natural history displays, an art gallery, exhibit areas, an auditorium, classrooms, and a library. Outside is a butterfly house which is open July through August and an observatory that's used during scheduled events. There are also various school programs available for any grade level.

National Historic Cheesemaking Center --
2108 6th Avenue, Monroe, WI
Learn all about the history of cheesemaking, which was and still is an integral part of the fiber of community here in southern Wisconsin. The National Historic Cheesemaking Center offers tours rich with artifacts and information about the area's rich cheese industry, area farmers, and the history of cheesemaking in southern Wisconsin.

Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo --
43788 Reforestation Road, Green Bay, WI
Hike trails, have a barbecue and see the lions. Yes, there really is a zoo wrapped up in those 1,560 acres of recreational land. There are miles of trails, picnic areas, trout ponds, and animal exhibits, and an observation tower overlooking a portion of the animal exhibits and lush habitat. This a wanderer's paradise that attracts more than half a million visitors each year.

Octagon House --
276 Linden Street, Fond du Lac, WI
Originally built as an Indian Fort and Trading Post, the Octagon House of Fond du Lac was later used as a safe house for runaway slaves during the Civil War. Architecturally unique, this oddity has 12 rooms, and nine passageways!

The Octagon House Museum --
1004 Third St., Hudson, WI
The St. Croix County Historical Society maintains the Octagon House museum complex. In addition to the gracious, restored house with Victorian era furnishings, the complex includes the Garden House with its 19th century life, domestic arts, carpenter, blacksmith, and general store tableaux; and the Carriage House, which includes the Museum Gift Shop and research center. All structures are set amid expansive, beautifully maintained gardens. .

Old Country Wisconsin Cheese, Inc. --
5510 Cty. Hwy. D , Cashton, WI
The Old Country Cheese Factory is located in the heart of the Amish community in Southwestern Wisconsin. They accept fresh can milk from 230 Amish milk producers who live around Cashton, Hillsboro, Tomah, Wilton, Sylvan, Readstown, Liberty Pole, and Chaseburg. Old Country Cheese located on County Road D in Cashton, brings in 120,000 pounds of milk a day from over 230 Amish milk producers!

Old World Wisconsin --
S103 W37890 Highway 67, Eagle, WI
The immigrants and pioneers who settled Wisconsin came from vastly different cultures. Yet they all shared a common purpose - the determined pursuit of the American Dream. Old World Wisconsin tells their stories by re-creating a world in which farmers, tradesmen and shopkeepers lead their lives the same way these settlers did. Bring the whole family to see, hear and smell the same things that filled the senses of those hardy souls who chose to build new lives in a faraway place called Wisconsin. This 576 acre museum has over 50 preserved and furnished buildings from the 1800s.

Oshkosh Public Museum --
1331 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh, WI
The Oshkosh Public Museum preserves the heritage of Oshkosh and the Lake Winnebago Region, and uses its collection to educate citizens and visitors about the region's colorful history. The museum tells the rich story of exploration, settlement, and development of the Lake Winnebago Region in Wisconsin. It is the story of Native Americans; French explorers, missionaries, and fur traders; immigrants from far-away places including Germany, Poland, Russia, and Scandinavia; pioneers and investors; builders and dreamers; farmers, shopkeepers, and lumber barons. Share their history as they are seen at play, at home and at work. The museum and its extensive archives are housed in the 1908 Edwardian mansion of lumber baron Edgar P. Sawyer and the modern William Steiger Addition.

The Pabst Mansion --
2000 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI
In 1892, the Flemish Renaissance Revival Mansion of Captain Frederick Pabst, world famous beer baron, accomplished sea captain, real estate developer, philanthropist and patron of the arts, was completed. From the day the house was inhabited, it was considered the jewel of Milwaukee's famous avenue of mansions called Grand Avenue and represented the epitome of America's Gilded Age Splendor in Milwaukee. The Pabst Mansion is a testament to Pabst's success, his love of life and his German heritage. Boasting stunning interiors, elegant original furnishings, elaborate wall coverings, the finest wood craftsmanship, intricate ironwork, brilliant stained glass, and rare art, the Mansion helped make the 1890's the "Pabst Decade" in Milwaukee.

Palermo's Pizza Factory Tour --
3301 W. Canal Street, Milwaukee, WI
If you'd like to learn more about Palermo's Pizza you are invited to take Milwaukee's only pizza factory tour. Tours of the Villa Palermo facility are available during which you'll learn about how pizzas are made, the company's history and other fun facts about pizza. Tours take approximately 1 hour to complete and include a 20-minute video of the company history, a walking tour of the plant and a slice of their fresh pan pizza in the Pizzeria & Cafe, and time to shop for Palermo's merchandise.

Pendarvis --
114 Shake Rag St., Mineral Point, WI
Six carefully restored stone and log houses built by Cornish lead miners are open.

Peshtigo Fire Musuem --
400, Peshtigo, WI
America's most disastrous fire in 1871. On the evening of October 8, 1871 the worst recorded forest fire in North American history raged through Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, destroying millions of dollars worth of property and timberland, and taking between 1,200 and 2,400 lives. This site contains many artifacts that survived the fire and the fire cemetery with a mass grave of over 300 unidentified bodies.

Racine Zoological Gardens --
2131 North Main Street, Racine, WI
A visit to the Racine Zoo is more than viewing and learning about the animals. It can be a day at the park, picnic, a stroll along the beach, topped off with an evening band concert. Tree lined paths wind through grounds with numerous flower gardens, and picnic areas overlooking the lake. Zoo Beach is open to the public and provides a wonderful spot to relax. During the summer, the Zoo hosts its Animal Crackers Jazz Series on selected evenings.

Sauk County Historical Museum --
531 4th Ave, Baraboo, WI
The museum is housed in a 1906 mansion. Displays include American Indian and pioneer relics, Civil War equipment, household furnishings, toys, textiles, and memorabilia.

Shake Rag Alley --
18 Shake Rag St., Mineral Point, WI
Shake Rag Alley offers year-round art workshops plus lodging in beautifully restored 19th c. buildings in historic Mineral Point, Wisconsin. From rustic willow chairs to mosaic sculpture to screenwriting, participants delight in unique classes in a magical setting enhanced by tree-shaded gardens and an ancient spring, all just a block away from downtown shopping and 17 art galleries. Reconstructed homes and businesses of Cornish artisans who settled the area in the mid 1830s are open.

Sprecher Brewing Company --
701 W. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, WI
Start your tour in our Rathskellar Museum where you can view brewing memorabilia from long gone Wisconsin breweries while waiting for your tour to begin. Next, visit the brew house and discover how Sprecher is reviving the Old World brewing traditions that once made Milwaukee famous. Travel through the lager cellar to see the Bavarian murals on display on our bottling room wall. After the brewery tour, the next best thing to Munich is Sprecher's indoor beer garden, with oom-pah music and samples from any of up to ten beers and seven sodas on draught. Prosit!

Stora Enso --
510 High Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Witness the wonder of papermaking! Although some think of papermaking as a 'smokestack industry', when you visit, you'll find a clean, high-tech manufacturing operation that meets strict environmental standards set by state and federal agencies. Tour visitors see how paper touches their lives and what a complex and interesting process it is!

Swiss Historical Village --
612 7th Avenue, New Glarus, WI
A recreated village featuring a snapshot of the lives of 19th century Swiss immigrants. There is a welcome center and guided tour that includes history of the pre-emigration lives of the settlers, their reasons for leaving Switzerland, and why they settled here. The different buildings include a school, homestead, church, beehouse, dairy and more.

Ten Chimneys --
Depot Road, Genesee Depot, WI
Unique among historic sites, Ten Chimneys offers guests a virtually barrier-free tour of an estate replete with original furnishings and overflowing with the romance of the Golden Age of Theatre. Tour guests are placed in small groups and are led through the estate by highly-trained docents who share stories that interpret not only the objects and decor of the estate, but also the lives and values of its remarkable creators, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

Trek Bicycle Corporation --
1170 Universal Blvd, Whitewater,, WI
Trek Factory tours offer the chance to get behind the scenes at Trek and everything that goes in to making your Trek bike. See one of two facilities open for weekly tours.

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge --
W28488 Refuge Rd., Trempealeau, WI
This 6,226-acre Refuge lies within the Mississippi flyway, along the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin. The diverse habitats within Trempealeau Refuge support a variety of wildlife species, including the Federally-threatened bald eagle, the State-endangered osprey, and the State-threatened Blanding's turtle, all of which nest on the Refuge. Schools, universities, and other groups are welcome and encourage to visit and study nature. Diverse Refuge habitats provide a wonderful outdoor classroom for many educational group activities. Groups can schedule guided walks, specific curriculum-based programs or utilitize prairie and wetlands educational trunks by contacting the Refuge Park Ranger. The Refuge celebrates International Migratory Bird Day in May and National Wildlife Refuge Week in October - schools are encourage to participate in Refuge festivals for they can provide excellent learning opportunties. If your groups plans to visit the Refuge with or without the assistance of a Refuge Park Ranger, please notify the Refuge office prior to your arrival (608-539-2311, ext. 16).

UW- Madison Geology Museum --
1215 West Dayton Street, Madison, WI
Fossils! Minerals! Dinosaur skeletons! Meteorites! The UW-Madison Geology Museum is a winner with kids, full of interesting items to view to their hearts content. Self-guided tours are available during open hours, and a free, downloadable self-guided tour book makes the trip even more interesting. You can also bring the entire homeschool group and schedule a guided tour.

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum --
2220 N. Terrace Ave, Milwaukee, WI
This Italian Renaissance-style villa, designed and built by architect David Adler in 1923, was originally the residence of Lloyd Smith of the A.O. Smith Corporation and his family. The Villa Terrace features fine and decorative arts dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries, wrought-iron masterpieces by Cyril Colnik and a formal Garden.

Washburn Observatory --
1401 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI
Show the family the night sky in all of its glory at the free public viewings (held monthly during June, July and August and bi-monthly the rest of the year) at Washburn Observatory on the UW Madison campus. What an incredible way to round out any unit study or semester study of astronomy!

Weis Earth Science Museum --
1478 Midway Road, Menasha, WI
The Weis Earth Science Museum is the official State Mineralogical Museum of Wisconsin. This 5500-square-foot museum is the newest addition to the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley campus and the only museum dedicated to the geology of Wisconsin and its rich mineral and mining heritage, which was so important to the settlement and economic development of the State. Interactive and hands-on exhibits, video displays, colorful graphics, and specimens of real fossils, minerals and rocks await you at the Weis Earth Science Museum. The exciting museum galleries include Geology Basics where you can mobilize continents and create your own quake, A Walk through Geologic Time where you will discover that volcanoes, mountains, oceans, and glaciers were once part of the Wisconsin landscape; Wisconsin’s Mining Heritage where you can walk through a 19th-century lead mine tunnel and learn how mining gave us our State nickname; the Mineral Gallery where you can marvel at beautiful minerals from around the State and the world; and Earth Science & Society where you will learn how important rocks and minerals are to our daily lives. Additional gallery space reserved for temporary and traveling displays will change every few months-there will always be something new to see at the Weis.

Wilson Place Mansion --
101 Wilson Circle, Menomonie, WI
Built in 1859 by Captain William Wilson, it was a originally a large colonial-style house with a pillared porch. Captain Wilson, was a principal in the Knapp, Stout & Co., Company, founder and first mayor of the city of Menomonie, and the area's first state senator. In 1875, he enclosed the 22-acre estate with a sandstone wall, part of which fronts the museum today.

Wisconsin Maritime Museum --
75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc, WI
Welcome to a great place to learn, play and explore the rich maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum offers visitors a unique place to spend hours learning about the sailors, shipbuilders and submariners who made that history, and to have some great family fun! Founded in 1970 as the Manitowoc Submarine Memorial Association, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum has grown into one of the largest maritime museums in the Midwest. In addition to commemorating the maritime heritage of the Manitowoc-Two Rivers area and the submarines built here during World War II, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum is now a leader in preserving the maritime history of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region.