Preview Post: Devil's Lake State Park

Devil's Lake State Park is one of the state parks most visited by people I know.  It is most loved for its scenery, and there are many trails of varying difficulty throughout the park.  Devil's Lake also houses some Native American burial mounds.  The lake is clean, and many people camp here annually.

There's an unofficial travel guide website for the park at Devil's Lake Wisconsin


Devil's Lake State Park
S5975 Park Rd ~ Baraboo, WI ~ (608) 356-8301

Admission: State Park Vehicle Admission Sticker - $28/annual, $8/day

Preview Post: Aldo Leopold Center

The Aldo Leopold Center in Baraboo is a nature center.  It is mostly enjoyed for the outdoors, but there are also buildings that function as learning spaces and museums about Aldo Leopold, a diligent conservationist.  There are tours you can take, or you can explore on your own.

Aldo Leopold Center
E13701 Levee Road ~ Baraboo, WI ~ (608) 355-0279

Admission: I do not believe there is an admission fee to enjoy the land.  Tours do require fees.

Preview Post: Augusta Wildlife Area

The Augusta Wildlife Area is a state preserve.  It's 2100 acres, so there is plenty of opportunity for outdoor exploration.  There is not any sort of playground, but there are trails.

August State Wildlife Area
Wildlife Rd ~ Augusta, WI

Admission: I believe you need a state park admission sticker.  $28/annual, $8/day

Preview Post: The Dells Mill

The Dells Mill is a historical site outside of Augusta, Wisconsin.  It is mostly a photo opportunity, but there is a museum there as well.  It sounds like they have pretty limited hours, though, so check before you go!  I believe they are only open on Saturdays.  Their website is not very updated, so I had a difficult time finding information.

The Dells Mill
E18855 Co Rd V ~ Augusta, WI ~ (715) 286-2714
Admission: Unsure

Preview Post: Prentice Park

Prentice Park is Ashland's biggest park.  There is a natural spring well and a playground, as well as plenty of outdoors to explore.  Camping is also available.

Prentice Park
Turner Road ~ Ashland, WI

Preview Post: Central Railyard Park

Central Railyard Park in Ashland has a playground and a skate park.  They also have an ice skating rink in the winter.  It looks like a decent-sized park.  They also have bathrooms.

Central Railyard Park
6th Street & Vaughn Avenue ~ Ashland, WI

Preview Post: Kreher Park

Kreher Park is actually a city-owned RV campground, but it is also listed as a public beach, so I am assuming you can access the facilities without having a campsite there.  There is a playground and a beach...on Lake Superior.  Brr!  Most reviews I can find are from people who have camped there, and they have been positive.

Kreher Park
200 Prentice Avenue N ~ Ashland, WI

Preview Post: Maslowski Beach

Maslowski Beach in Ashland seems to be best known for its spring water.  It hosts a beach (obviously) but also has a playground.  There are also bathrooms, and it sounds like they are usually open based on reviews I've found in which people mention changing areas.  It is on Lake Superior, so pretty chilly, but by all accounts is usually a nice beach for playing.

Maslowski Beach
Highway 2 on the west side of Ashland, WI

Homestead Animal Farm

We visited Homestead Animal Farm in Merton to get our pumpkins this year.  It is an awfully cute farm!

The petting zoo, kiddie play area, and hay ride were each $2.  The corn maze was $6 (woah!).  We didn't do that one.  They do offer a bundle price if you are planning to do it all.  It saves you a buck.

The petting zoo area was a lot of fun.  We could get as close to the animals as we wanted, and they were all pretty tolerant of lots of hands.  We even got to hold a baby chick!  The kids got a pretty big kick out of the chickens running loose around the farm.

The kiddie area was pretty small, but they did pack a lot in there.

 Not much for large motor, traditional playground activities, but there were lots of fine motor building and ball games.  They had a nice variety for little tyke experiments.  One of my pet peeves is when places make adults pay to supervise, and I definitely felt like this was not worth my entrance fee.  But the kids had a good time.

 

Our favorite was definitely the hay ride.  It was a small, cozy wagon, and the man running it was great.  We even had to stop for deer on our trail - twice!  It does not take you out to the pumpkin patch like we have been used to, but it was a nice length and a pleasant ride.

 

It seemed to me like the pumpkins were a bit pricey ($9 for a large one?), but these are the only pumpkins we've purchased this year so maybe I'm just out of touch with the going rate.

I was glad we went right away in the morning.  We spent about 2 hours there, and by the time we left it was starting to get pretty crowded.  It is a spacious farm, but the activity areas had a limited amount of participation.  I think it would have been frustrating with a lot more people.

There were port-a-potties available.

Homestead Farm
 W320 N9127 Hwy. 83 ~ Hartland, WI ~ (262) 966-3840

Kalahari Indoor Theme Park

The girl child wanted to go to Kalahari Indoor Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells to celebrate her birthday.  We were mostly in it for the rides, also the little one is not such a fan, so we ended up doing a few games as well.

There is a fair amount for the little ones to do, including a mini ropes course.

But she was in the sweet spot, being small enough to go on the kiddie activities and just big enough to do most of the grow-up ones as well.  The full-scale ropes course ended up being a little bit more unnerving than she anticipated, and one of the attendants who was working was FANTASTIC at helping to guide her through it.

She also enjoyed the variety of climbing walls.

We appreciated that there were options for unlimited-play wristbands as well as the ability to buy credits to use on anything in the park.  This worked out well for our family since we knew the kids would get their money's worth, but the we parents probably would not.  It was easy to reload our card if we ran low.

We were also VERY impressed with the staff.  We got really lucky and were there on a day that was not crowded at all.  Truthfully, we were able to walk right onto most of the rides.  There were a few that the adults had to go on with the kids.  We were all supposed to pay, but the attendants were all so nice about letting us go on with them without charging us!  It made our visit so much more enjoyable and the kids got to do a lot more than they would have if we had needed to pay for every carousel and Ferris wheel ride!  Little things like that made our experience a great one.  It was a bit more expensive than we usually spend for birthday fun, but I think we would all agree it was worth it.

We also didn't need to stay at the hotel, which was great for us.  I was a little bit surprised while researching that overnight guests do not get more of a discount on wristbands.

Kalahari Indoor Theme Park
1305 Kalahari Drive ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (877) 525-2427

The Little Farmer

The Little Farmer is a fall playland in Malone. 

There is goat-feeding.

And a whole play area with climbing structures (including some made of straw bales), tricycles, and all sorts of fun.  There were also inflatable bouncy horses, which were a lot of fun.

These pedal cars were a favorite for sure!

The kids also enjoyed the little garden, which had little hidden secrets.  They liked the natural tic-tac-toe a lot.

Most importantly, the Little Farmer has the best caramel apple bar!  You get to pick your perfect size apple and choose your favorite toppings.  You can even turn it into a caramel apple "sundae."

One thing I really appreciate about the Little Farmer is that you pay for what you do.  Anyone can wander around for free.  The food prices were not outrageous, and the play area was only $1 per person.  Adults had to pay, but I could deal with a dollar.

The maze and hayride were more expensive, around $4 each if I recall correctly.  They seemed a little bit pricey comparatively.  We decided to just go with the corn maze.  The maze includes a puzzle you try to solve as you work your way through, which was a pretty fun addition.

The Little Farmer
N9438 Hwy 151 ~ Malone, WI ~ (920) 921-4784
Price varies by activity

Lake View Acres Park

Lake View Acres Park is a small neighborhood park in Hartford.

There are a couple of swings and a few other small pieces of equipment.  There are no real climbers, but the kids had a blast on a standing spinner.

Bonus side note, it was pretty hysterical to watch them try to walk away after spinning!

The park technically has a shelter/shed structure.  My hope was that there may be some bathrooms, but everything was locked up when we were there.

Lake View Acres Park
95 S Teri Lane ~ Hartford, WI

Preview Post: Bayview Park

Dip your toes in Lake Superior with a visit to Bayview Park in Ashland.  Technically it's on Chequamegon Bay, so it has a LITTLE bit of a chance to get up to a swim-able temperature!  It looks to be a long and narrow park with quite a bit of lakefront.  There is a beach as well as a playground.

Bayview Park
1803 East Lake Shore Drive ~ Ashland, WI

Kingston Spring Lake Park

A friend introduced us to Kingston Spring Lake Park.  It is a a small park on the shore of Spring Lake in Green Lake County.

The lake is not big, but they have cleared a nice beach area with a decent amount of sand to play in.  The water in front of the sand is pretty nice too, though there were lots of weeds to either side.  Highlight of the day for my kiddos: we saw a snake swim from one side to the other:)

It was great with little kids because it is nice and shallow for quite a long way out, so they had lots of room to splash and play before we had to reel them back in.

There is a restroom building with pit toilets.  Those didn't seem very well maintained.  The door didn't close on the women's, and they were pretty gross.

Kingston Spring Lake Park
Spring Lake View Drive ~ Kingston, WI

Preview Post: Ashland Mural Walk

Ashland has a beautiful downtown, complete with murals painted on the buildings.  It is a point of pride for their city, and there is a whole map you can walk to see them all.  I think it would be worth seeing!

Ashland Mural Walk
Downtown Ashland, WI

Preview Post: Ashland Historical Society Museum

The Ashland Historical Museum does not look like a very hands-on experience, but it does seem to have quite a rotating assortment of content.  They change their exhibits up to keep things fresh, but I am guessing this still probably a pretty short visit with kids!

Ashland Historical Society Museum
216 Main Street West ~ Ashland, WI ~ (715) 682-4911

Independence Park

Independence Park is Hartford's largest park.

There is a lot of wide open expanse, so this is a great park for outdoor games!  It also has quite a playground.  There are two separate climbers, swings, and a couple of other play items.

It has enough to entertain a crew of kids! 

There is also a very nice picnic shelter with bathrooms.  I don't know if the bathrooms are always open, but there seemed to be some kind of summer camp happening when we went, so they were at the time anyway.

Independence Park
900 South Wilson Avenue ~ Hartford, WI

Kanow Park

Kanow Park is a Jefferson County park. 

It is a nice big park right on the river.  It is mostly wooded, but there is a large covered picnic area.

 

There is also a playground.  It is older, but the kids still had fun.

Supposedly, there is some sketchy past to this park, but when we were there, there was not another soul to be seen.  It is definitely a nice quiet park, but it is a bit of a drive away from everything.

There are bathrooms.

Kanow Park
N8248 Rock River Road ~ Ixonia, WI

Preview Post: AmericInn Waterpark

The AmericInn in Ashland has an indoor waterpark.  It doesn't look like it's huge, but it might be a fun way to spend an afternoon.  From pictures I can find, it looks like there are two decent water slides and a splash area.  They do have day passes available.

AmericInn SplAshland
3009 Lake Shore Drive E ~ Ashland, WI
Admission: $10

Candy Cane Park

Candy Cane Park is what the city of Hartford calls a "mini" park.  Accurate.  It is definitely tiny. 

There is a one-person climber, a couple of swings, and a sand box.  The kids were pretty unimpressed, but they did play for a bit in the sandbox.

Candy Cane Park
526 East Lincoln Ave ~ Hartford, WI

Ashippun Community Park

After finding the Fireman's Park to be a dud, we were pretty stoked to discover the Ashippun Community Park nearby.

The equipment was in great shape.  A lot of it looked almost new.  I may have even tried some of it out myself...

We enjoyed all of the different climbing activities.  I think the favorite, though, were the old-fashioned bouncing toys.

There are bathrooms, but they were locked when we were there.  I'm thinking they are probably only open for events.

Ashippun Community Park
W2520 Elm Street ~ Ashippun, WI

Ashippun Fireman's Park

When we visited the Ashippun Fireman's Park, we did not even get out of the car.  While it would have been a nice place to practice baseball or play kickball, but that's all there was.  We were disappointed that at a nice big park like that there was no playground.

Ashippun Fireman's Park
W2665 Oak Street ~ Ashippun, WI

Ixonia Fireman's Park

We visited the Ixonia Fireman's Park and enjoyed playing on the playground.  It's not huge, but plenty of fun.

The main playground felt a little bit old-fashioned, but it didn't seem to bother any of the kids that were there.

There is also a small handicapped-accessible addition.  This equipment looked fairly new, and my non-handicapped children enjoyed that too.  We were able to have a nice discussion about how other kids might be able to use the items at that playground too.

We lucked out and found the bookmobile there!  We got to listen to a guest reader at the park!  They set up under a very large covered picnic area.

All in all, we enjoyed the Ixonia Fireman's Park.

 Ixonia Fireman's Park
N8345 Park St ~ Ixonia, WI

Preview Post: Fairfield Park

Fairfield Park is a tiny park in Arcadia.  It must be mostly take up by the playground, and it sounds like it might have some old favorites (seesaw anyone?).

Fairfield Park
200 South Fairfield Ave ~ Arcadia, WI

Ski Slide Park

Park season is in full swing in this household!  Only a week out of school, and we're onto our third park of the summer.  They are such great free fun.  And with so many in the area, we can visit a different park every time for a brand new experience.

Our latest was Ski Slide Park in Ixonia.  Ski Slide Park seems to be centered on baseball.  There are multiple diamonds, as well as a football field.  However, there was also a playground - presumably to entertain the kids who are not playing in the games!

It was not huge, but it kept the kids' attention for a good half hour.  The climber is a nice, sturdy Little Tykes.  Unfortunately, since the bedding of the playground is all sand, it has taken its toll on a couple of the features.  For example, there is a periscope that looks like it would be really neat, but it is all scratched and clouded with sand.

Our favorite features, the "telephone" system and the plastic dinosaur.

Downfalls to this park:
1. As you can see in the picture, there was a lot of trash.  Again, this is a baseball park.  You can tell many kids are set loose with treats from the concession stands and just dump the wrappers while they play.

2.  You can't get at the bathrooms unless there is an event happening.  We were really lucky because there happened to be a super nice guy there mowing the lawn who let us into the building to use the bathrooms, but for the most part you would be out of luck.

Ski Slide Park is a fine stop to get a little energy out if you are in the area, but we will probably not seek it out again.

Ski Slide Park
N7935 Ski Slide Rd ~ Ixonia, WI

Harnischfeger Park

Harnischfeger is a Dodge County park outside of Ixonia.  This park has a LOT to do, although not much of it was open and available when we were there.  I'm not sure if that was because we were there right at 8:00 when it technically opened or because we were in the middle of the week.  Or if a lot of it just is not offered a lot of the time.

We were pretty excited about the board walk.  But it was closed off.

 The playground was available to use.  There were three small climbers, a rock wall, and swings.  There is also an old-fashioned jungle gym, which was kind of fun.  For the most part, everything seemed to be in pretty good repair.  Although the ground could use a fresh covering.  It is beginning to grow over with weeds.

Harnischfeger park is also home to kayak/canoe rentals, fishing, and mini golf.  There are also nature trails.

There are quite a few shelters available to rent.  They also have sand volleyball and a ball diamond.  It would be a great place for a family reunion!

Onsite camping also means there are bathrooms available.

Harischfeger Park
W3048 Crawfish Rd ~ Ixonia, WI

Lebanon Firemen's Park

Little Lebanon is home to this great Firemen's Park.  It is very large and has something for everyone. 

 

 There are multiple enclosed shelters available to rent, but there is also this large open shelter that is great for picnics.

The playground equipment is well-kept.

 There are two different climbers, one intended for younger kids and one for older, but my kids enjoy both equally.

 A classic favorite is the racing slides:)

There are sand volleyball courts and a ball diamond.  I believe there is also a nature trail, though we haven't explored that yet.

Another plus: the bathrooms are usually open.

Lebanon Firemen's Park
N2050 County Road R ~ Lebanon, WI

Preview Post: Schultz Park

Schultz Park is a park in Arcadia with a playground and a pond.

Schultz Park
213 Willow Street ~ Arcadia, WI

Preview Post: Schank Park

Schank Park is in Arcadia.  From what I can tell, this park is a soccer field and pavilion. 

Has anyone been here?  Is there a playground?

Schank Park
503 Bautch Drive ~ Arcadia, WI

Preview Post: Vilas Hanson Park

Vilas Hanson Park is (I believe) the newest park in Arcadia.  There is a big shelter.  From what I can tell, that is all that is there.

Vilas Hanson Park
751 Truman Way ~ Arcadia, WI

Preview Post: Klink Deer Park

Rudy Klink Deer Park in Arcadia actually has a deer enclosure!  This is the first municipal deer park I have come across.

Along with the deer enclosure, there is a playground.

Klink Deer Park
610 W River Street ~ Arcadia, WI

Preview Post: Memorial Park

Memorial Park looks like Arcadia's crowning jewel of parks.  It is a large park with various war memorials.  There are also tributes to the area's history.

Beside the more serious aspects of this park, there is also a community-built playground and various athletic facilities. 

This sounds like a super nice park.  I'm looking forward to checking it out with the family.

Memorial Park
551 Memorial Drive ~ Arcadia, WI

Preview Post: Killian's Children Park

Killian's Children Park is in Arcadia.  It has a wooden playset and mostly green space.

Killian's Children Park
Hillview Drive ~ Arcadia, WI

Preview Post: Dettloff Park

Dettloff Park in Arcadia has a playground and a basketball court.  It sounds like most of it is open area.

Dettloff Park
200 Fairfield Park ~ Arcadia, WI

Preview Post: Arcadia Aquatic Center

The Arcadia Aquatic Center looks like a great family pool.  It is an outdoor pool with zero entry.  It looks like there are a few kiddie slides and one big water slide.  I also see diving boards.  Looks like fun!

One downfall is everyone has to pay to get in, even adults who are supervising & not swimming.

Aquatic Center
415 Gavney Road ~ Arcadia, WI ~ (608) 323-2472
Admission: $4/person, Free/under 2 & seniors

Preview Post: Pietrek Park

Pietrek Park is a Trempealeau County park.  It looks like it is a beautiful park with LOTS to do!

There is disc golf, volleyball, and basketball.  There is also a playground and a beach.

The park has a campground, so there must be bathrooms available as well.

I think this park is free since I can't find any entrance fee prices anywhere, but I do know that sometimes county parks require payment to get in.

Pietrek Park
N31500 State Road 93 ~ Arcadia, WI ~ (715) 538-2311 ext. 251

Preview Post: Barlow Planetarium

The Barlow Planetarium in Menasha looks like a really neat place to visit.  I've actually never been to a planetarium, but I really want to take the kids here when they get a little bit older.

It is important to note that you have to look at their show schedule in order to plan your visit, but they seem to run shows pretty regularly.  They also hold special events throughout the year.

The Barlow Planetarium claims to have a state-of-the-art projection system.  It is run by UW-Fox Valley.

Barlow Planetarium
1478 Midway Road ~ Menasha, WI ~ 920-832-2868
Admission: $8/Adult, $7/Teen, $6/Child or Senior, Free/Under 3

Thoreau Park

Thoreau Park is nestled inside Sun Prairie's Smith's Crossing development. 

 In a subdivision of houses that are very close together, this is actually a pretty huge open space.  It looks like it might be planned out for more in the future.

There are three of these sidewalk dead-ends.  I would assume the plan is to connect them to...each other? something else?... at some point.

I'm not sure when this park was built, but it is definitely showing some wear and tear.  For example, there is a steering wheel that spins some plastic balls in a big bubble.  The balls are all busted up, but the wheel still spins.

There was also still plenty of nice, operational equipment for us to enjoy.  The kids really liked the twisty slide, of course.  They also enjoyed the multiple steering wheels on the climber.

All in all, we were in the area, and this park was worth seeking out.

There were no bathrooms at this park.  I think it is intended to be a neighborhood park, mostly for the people who live within walking distance and could go home to use their own.

Thoreau Park
1521 Thoreau Drive ~ Sun Prairie, WI

Preview Post: Appleton Family Ice Center

Appleton Family Ice Center is an indoor ice rink.  They offer hockey and ice skating, but they also have open skate times when anyone from the public can come.

Appleton Family Ice Center
1717 E. Witzke Boulevard ~ Appleton, WI ~ (920) 830-7679
Admission: $5, $3 skate rental

Preview Post: Woodland Park

Woodland Park in Appleton does have a wooded area.  There is also a playground and a ball diamond.  There are not restroom facilities.

Woodland Park
1815 Schaefer Circle ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Vulcan Heritage Park

Vulcan Heritage Park looks like more of a "take a walk" kind of park than a "let's go play" kind of park.  There is not any play equipment or bathrooms, but it is right on the river.

Vulcan Heritage Park
501 West Water Street ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Vosters Park

Vosters Park in Appleton has your traditional play structures, as well as some more interesting climbing apparatuses.  It looks like a smaller park and has no bathrooms.

Vosters Park
4200 East Ashbury Drive ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Veterans Park

Veterans Park in Appleton is mostly a nice playground.  There is not much else there but some green space.  No bathrooms!

Veterans Park
1201 South Memorial Drive ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Summit Park

Summit Park in Appleton has a little bit something for everyone.  There are a couple of climbers (presumably for different age groups?), tennis courts, basketball court, and a ball diamond.  What this park doesn't have though: bathrooms.

Summit Park
2425 North Summit Street ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Schaefer Park

Schaefer Park is a tree-filled park in Appleton.  There is a shelter with restrooms.  It looks like they have a well-kept climber and a set of swings.  There is also a basketball court.

Schaefer Park
610 South Buchanan Street ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Providence Park

Providence Park looks like a smaller park in Appleton.  It has a playground with a sheltered bench and a lot of green space.  There are no bathrooms.

Providence Park
10 North Providence Avenue ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Peabody Park

Peabody Park in Appleton is on the water with a nice trail.  There is a playground and a pavilion.  There are also bathrooms and drinking water.  A basketball court is also available.

Peabody Park
601 North Green Bay Road ~ Appleton, WI

Preview Post: Mead Park

Mead Park is a park in Appleton.  The playground looks pretty small.  There are picnic tables but not a shelter.  There is also a sand volleyball court.  No bathrooms though!

EXCEPT: at the pool!  This park is also home to an outdoor pool, complete with diving boards, water slide, and splash pad.

The park itself is free, but there is a fee for the pool.

Mead Park
1430 East John Street ~ Appleton, WI
Pool Admission: $1/non-swimmer, $3/child over 3, $4/adult, $3/seniors, Under 4 free

Monkey Joe's

We visited Monkey Joe's inflatable play place for a fun way to burn off some energy on a below-zero winter's day.  I had looked into the Appleton location, so I was pretty excited to see how it was in person.

I remembered seeing they had a parent's lounge, which I did not really find at the Waukesha location. There were plenty of tables to claim for our stuff, and there are massage chairs stationed throughout, but you do have to pay to operate them.

The kids had a blast, of course!  The littlest one (3yo) got the best deal because he was little enough to go into the toddler inflatable (which they ALL wanted to do) and was big enough to make it through the big kid ones.  The favorites were definitely the slides.

There was also an arcade area.  The kids wandered over every so often and enjoyed looking at the games, but we didn't spend any money playing them.  We also avoided the snack bar.

The place seemed very clean, including the bathrooms.  I did notice there didn't seem to be any good spot for nursing mothers.

Monkey Joe's
2040 West Bluemound Road ~ Waukesha, WI ~ (262) 549-3866
Admission: $10-11/child over 2, $6/under 2, Adults Free