Call it a state of change — one of the Midwest’s most popular vacation destinations, Wisconsin is constantly updating and upgrading its tourism offerings for visitors.
Last year brought a spate of tourism developments in Wisconsin, and there are new and updated attraction openings scheduled for 2016 as well. So even if your group has toured the state in the past, you’ll find plenty of new things to enjoy on a return trip.
Milwaukee’s iconic art museum recently underwent an extensive renovation that added significant exhibit space and made room for two new galleries. In Green Bay, the atrium at beloved Lambeau Field got a facelift, upgrading numerous visitor amenities and experiences.
Numerous brand-new attractions are coming online in Wisconsin as well. A new “explorium” at Horicon Marsh gives visitors a look inside the history of this popular wildlife refuge, and the Driftless Glen Distillery is making its mark on the tourism scene in the Wisconsin Dells area. Later this year, a historic steam-engine riverboat, the Julia Belle Swain, will return to the waters of the Mississippi in La Crosse.
Lambeau Improved
A seat at a Green Bay Packers home game is one of the toughest tickets to get in professional sports, so seeing a live football game isn’t a viable option for groups traveling in Green Bay. But travelers can still get a taste for the area’s football culture with a visit to the famed Lambeau Field, which is open year-round.
In 2015, Lambeau Field completed a two-year, $140 million renovation that greatly enhanced its visitor experience. The renovation updated the stadium’s atrium, a public space first opened more than a decade ago, and brought improvements to the on-site Packers Hall of Fame, the definitive Packers museum, and 1919 Kitchen and Tap, a football-themed restaurant that has become a popular stop for groups in Green Bay.
The renovation also brought an expansion of the Packers Pro Shop, which sells a wide variety of branded merchandise. The new shop now has 20,000 square feet of retail space.
Fun Distilled
Wisconsin Dells is known for its wealth of water parks and other family-friendly diversions. Just a short drive outside of town will bring visitors to a more grown-up attraction, Driftless Glen Distillery, which opened in 2015.
Situated on the banks of the Baraboo River, Driftless Glen is a full working distillery that creates a variety of spirits, including vodka, gin, moonshine, brandy, cream spirits and bourbon. Distillery tours last 45 minutes and showcase the 10,000-pound, 44-foot-tall column still used in the double distillation. Visitors also see the rick house where bourbon is aging in barrels and learn about the grains, mash and fermentation used in producing spirits.
At the end of the tour, groups get a tasting of six Driftless products, as well as six oils and balsamic vinegars. Lunch and dinner are available in the on-site restaurant.
