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

Henry Vilas Zoo

The Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison is a fantastic FREE zoo. 

There was a new interactive arctic exhibit that was lots of fun.  The kids could go into bear traps and an arctic exploration vehicle.

Of course, there are lots of other typical zoo exhibits too.  We had a great time!  Plus there is a really nice park right outside the gate.

Downside: very little parking

Henry Vilas Zoo
702 S. Randall Aveue ~ Madison, WI ~ (608) 266-4732
Admission: Free, carousel/train extra

Rockin' Jump

 We have been to the Madison Rockin' Jump a few times now.  Originally, we were looking for a place to take our two-year-old for his birthday that he would LOVE.  There are so many places he enjoys, so we wanted to come up with something a little bit different so it would feel more special.

We decided on a trampoline park.  There are a few in Southern Wisconsin, but the toddler jump hours at Rockin' Jump fit our schedule the best.

 Needless to say, he had a blast!

Once she heard all about it, the big kiddo felt a little left out, so for Christmas we gave them a gift certificate and took them both back.

We've had so much fun here, we've even taken friends back with us!  One of my favorite parts about Rockin' Jump is their Rockin' Tots, when the entire trampoline park is only open to children 6 & under and their supervising adults.  It's great to let them run and play without worrying about them getting trampled.  For the older crowd, they also host Tween/Teen jump time.  And, of course, there are times that are open for all ages.

The facilities have always been very clean and well-kept when we have been there.  There are nice bathrooms.  We did not take diapers in (chose to change in the car before and after), but I believe there were changing stations.

The other part I LOVE is the pricing.  Parents do not pay to supervise their kids.  That is one of my pet peeves at a lot of child-centered places - parents pay admission even though they are really only there for their children.  Not here.  Only the jumpers pay!

Some advice before you go: sign a waiver online so you don't have to wait to do it there, and save your jump socks so you don't have to buy more next time.  Also, there is a maximum number of jumpers at any given time, so if you're going at a time that might be busy, either book a spot online or get there early.

I have never been to the one in Brown Deer, but I would assume it is very similar.

Rockin' Jump
2700 Novation Parkway ~ Madison, WI ~ (608) 819-5368
9009 North Deerbrook Trail ~ Brown Deer, WI ~ (414) 522-1945
Admission: anywhere between $5-$20, depending on when you go and how long you want to be there

Belleville Community Park

Should you happen to be dragged accompanied to Belleville by your significant other who has to visit the Duluth Trading Outlet and should you need something to do while aforementioned significant other browses aforementioned outlet, you may be wondering what exactly there is to DO in Belleville.  The answer is: not a ton.

However, there is a pretty little park!  Community Park is on Lake Belle View with a beautiful causeway walking path. 

There is also a small playground.  Important note: it's right next to the water, and there is NO fence or barrier.

There are buildings with bathrooms, but they were all locked when we were here.  There was a port-a-potty.

Community Park
39 N River Street ~ Belleville, WI

Mustard Museum

The Mustard Museum in Middleton is one like no other.  It's not huge, but it's worth the stop.

(Photo credits to Jason Hensler)

The actual museum is on the lower level.  I believe they have every kind of mustard ever made.

There is also some kitschy memorabilia, as every good museum should have!

But the real fun of this museum is upstairs.  You can sample any mustard they sell - which is a ton!  They have lots of different kinds open around the store with pretzels set out to grab.  You can ask for anything you see, though!  It was fantastic!

Mustard Museum
7477 Hubbard Avenue ~ Middleton, WI ~ (800) 438-6878
Admission:Free

Little Amerricka

 We had so much fun at Little Amerricka!!  We started with the kiddie rides.  My kiddo loved these, as expected.  They have quite a few to choose from.

Then we moved onto something a little more advanced:)   My kiddo went on her first roller coaster!

They were not super busy that day, so they sent us around THREE times before stopping the ride!  We had very little wait time for any of the rides.  A much better option for us than Great America, especially with the little ones.

Little Amerricka's pricing allows for lots of customization.  Another perk of this amusement park, there is no general admission, so if anyone wants to go along to watch without riding, they don't need to pay to get in.  They have pay-per-ride tickets as well as wristbands.  Different color wristbands allow you to do different activities throughout the park.  Our whole group had gold wristbands, and we really didn't have time to take full advantage of them.  I would strongly recommend looking at the ride list for each wristband and choosing based on what each person is able/wants to do.  A better option for many might be to purchase one of the lower level wristbands and then buy tickets to do an extra activity or two.  The park is generally only open for a few hours a day, so that is important to keep in mind as well.  While we may have liked to do more that our wristbands allowed, there just really wasn't time to go on all the rides AND go-karts AND bumper cars AND mini golfing.

It was a fun day and a great alternative to Six Flags!  Smaller, less crowded, and locally owned!

One other word of advise: be sure to check the website for hours of operation before you make your plans.  Their schedule is kind of all over the place and changes throughout the summer.

Little Amerricka
700 East Main Street ~ Marshall, WI ~ 608-620-5224
Admission: no general admission; prices vary based on your ride selection: rides start at $1.50/ride, wristbands available from $10.95-$21.95, season passes available as well