Hustisford Lions Park

We really enjoyed the Hustisford Lions Park.  It's a nice park right by the river.  The playground area is pretty well fenced from the river, but down the path there is open access. 

The playground had an interesting mix of the old-fashioned and the new.  Caution: the slides are all metal!  Not so leg-friendly on a hot, sunny day!  When we were there it was cool and cloudy, so we had a blast :)

 This was my kiddo's favorite play piece.  It was smaller than most, so it was easy for her to climb around on.

The playground is all sanded and has a sandbox to boot.  Along with a playground, there are tennis courts and a basketball court.  There are also lots of picnic areas and benches to watch the river.

There is a bathroom building, but I'm not sure how reliable that is.  When we were there, the women's door was locked, but the men's was open.

Hustisford Lions Park
Ann St ~ Hustisford, WI

Watertown Bowl

Watertown Bowl 18 was a fun stop for a rainy morning!  We did a large family outing with all the cousins when we had some out-of-state visitors, and it was perfect!

As the name implies, there are 18 lanes.  We went mid-morning, mid-week, and there were plenty of lanes available, but we were definitely not the only ones there.  I was shocked they had bitty shoes to fit my kiddo and 6# balls she could carry, but they do not have any of the bowling ramps.  At least there are bumpers!  They were also very patient about retrieving the balls that didn't quite make it down the lane to the pins.

It is a fairly standard bowling alley.  The scoring is all computerized.  It is nicely kept and clean.  They also run some great open bowling specials.

There is another location as well: Watertown Bowl North.

Watertown Bowl
102 W. Cady St ~ Watertown, WI ~ 920-261-1796
Admission: Varies - under $5 per person per game, but cheaper if you play your cards right.  We bowled for just over $2 each (including shoes) on the daily special.

Clark Park

 This park is a lot of fun!  There is a small climber for the young folk and a larger climber for the more adventurous players.

 I've never even seen a walk-up "slide" before!  There are lots of activities on both climbers to keep kids occupied.

I was surprised how busy it was!  When I found it, it felt kind of like a hidden gem, but by 10:30, there was no doubt it has been well-discovered!

Clark Park also has swings, a sandbox, picnic benches, and a ball diamond.  There is a shelter with bathrooms.

Clark Park
225 Clark St ~ Watertown, WI

Watertown Aquatic Center

This is a great community pool!  The best part is that there is something for every age group.  There is a zero-depth entry with fountains, waterslides for tots, and a mushroom fountain.  For the older set, they have a large twisty waterslide and a quick drop one into the deep end.  There is also a diving board.  During rest times (or when you just need a break from the water), the kids can play in the sanded playground.  It holds a climber and some sand features.  Word of warning: it does get hot in the sun!

My very favorite part of the Watertown Aquatic Center is the colored lines along the bottom of the pool.  I'm assuming they are some sort of lifeguard watch sectioning tool, but they are so effective for, "you can only go up to the ________ line!"  Even my kiddo, who didn't venture too far out on her own, seemed relieved when I suggested she only lobster-walked to the green line (after multiple mouthfuls of water at points beyond that).

There are a couple of downfalls to the pool.  They don't allow carry-ins - they have a snack bar or will give you a stamp to return if you want to leave the pool to eat your own food.  We walked to a picnic bench at the adjoining park.

My biggest complaint is that there are no floatation devices allowed.  I'm sure that is not unique to this facility, but I cannot quite figure out the intention.  My kiddo is fresh off of swimming lessons and is so proud of herself being able to "swim" with her floatie on.  They even provided them for practice at the indoor pool lessons, which are also overseen by the Parks Department!  Oh well.  Officially the rules state that no pool toys are allowed.  However, I did see many people playing with toys, and I have seen plenty of buckets and such there before, but the family who tried to put floatation devices on their kids were stopped.  Glad they tried it before I did! :)

Watertown Aquatic Center
1009 Perry St ~ Watertown, WI ~ 920-262-8085
Admission: $3 per person older than one year

Lewis Park

 

This is a nice little park nestled on the Rock River in Watertown.  There is a nice little walking trail through the park, a fountain, and some picnic benches, but as far as I can tell, the main draw is the ducks.

 

 There is a port-a-potty onsite.

Fannie Lewis Park
415 N Water St ~ Watertown, WI

Menominee Park and Zoo

 Menominee Park is a large park in Oshkosh.  There are ball diamonds, a beach, a large community-constructed wooden playground, and a zoo!

There is also a walking path through the park.  There is a small "amusement" area with a car ride and carousel.  It also hosts a small train that runs through the park.  Paddle boats are available for rent.  Most of the park is free (including the zoo), but it does cost to ride the rides.  While most of these are only open seasonally, there is definitely a plethora of activities to keep the whole family busy!

Babygirl on the carousel

Menominee Park
520 Pratt Trail ~ Oshkosh, WI ~ 920-236-5082