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| Summer vacation spots in Wisconsin |
If you are traveling to Janesville Wisconsin for the first time, the city is home to a wealth of parks, greenbelts, lakes and open spaces where you can enjoy outdoor activities such as canoeing and picnicking.
There is really a lot of interesting things to do in Janesville Wisconsin and if you fancy exploring other nearby cities, Janesville is only a 50 minute drive from fun things to do in Madison WI.
If you’d like to explore the state of Illinois, the town of Galena and downtown Chicago attractions are only a couple of hours drive from Janesville's City Center.
Things to do in Janesville Wisconsin: Fun Activities
City Parks Activities
The city of Janesville Wisconsin is nicknamed the ‘City of Parks’. The city boast more than 50 parks, paved trails as well as open spaces offering plenty of recreational opportunities such as picnicking, canoeing and biking.
If you are planning to do canoeing, you can find a few boat launches at Kiwanis Pond and Lions Pond. However, the Janesville Parks Department only opens these between the warmer months (spring and summer).
Three of the largest parks in Janesville Wisconsin include:
* Rockport
* City of Janesville-Palmer Park
* Prairie Knoll Park
Fishing, Camping & Canoeing
If you are looking to enjoy camping, fishing and water activities in a more natural scenery, the Swenson Wet Prairie State offers miles of hiking trails and angling opportunities.
Sugar River Park also offers hiking opportunities as well as a boat ramp for launching canoes or boats.
For camping out, the popular Crazy Horse Campground is only located 20 minutes away by car from Sugar River Park.
Apart from camping, Crazy Horse Campground also offers hiking trails, canoe rentals and other camping amenities.
Cycling Tour
As mentioned earlier, the city of Janesville Wisconsin features miles of paved trails and parks where you can cycle at your leisure.
However, if you are planning on renting bikes or tour the area on bike, Wisconsin is home to the popular Brodhead-New Glarus Sugar River State Trail.
This paved trail spans 23 miles across the Sugar River and through a few prairie remnants where you can enjoy a bit of wildlife spotting.
Cheese Factory Tour
Taking a tour of a cheese factory is another of the popular things to do in Janesville Wisconsin, and it is definitely worth adding on your itinerary.
If you are planning on touring any cheese factory, most of these cheese factories are small run family businesses so it is worth calling in advance.
A couple of cheese factories that you can visit include:
* Wenger's Springbrook Cheese Inc, located near Sugar River Park (tel (815) 865-5612).
* Silver Lewis Cheese Factory, located near Albany (tel.(608) 938-4314)
Winery Tour
If you fancy sampling fine Wisconsin wine, you can add a winery tour to the list of things to do in Janesville Wisconsin.
Two of the nearest wineries to the City Center include:
* North Leaf Winery, located in the town of Milton, it’s north of the city center (around 10 minutes by car), and offers daily tastings.
* Staller Estate Vineyard, located in Delavan, it’s west of Janesville’s center and it is also a short drive by car (around 30 minutes).
Ice Skating
If you love ice skating, Janesville Wisconsin is home to the Janesville Ice Arena ice rink, which is opened all year around. It is located along Beloit Avenue (between Jeffries Park and Lions Park).
Things to do in Janesville Wisconsin: Places of Interest
Lincoln-Tallman Restorations
If you want to visit the house where President Lincoln spent a few days before he was elected president a year after, the Lincoln-Tallman Restorations is open for public viewing between October and December.
Rotary Botanical Gardens
If you love plants and flowers, the Rotary Botanical Gardens are a great place to stroll around exploring the immense variety of plant species. These gardens are located in Lions Park, adjacent Kiwanis Pond.
Milton Historic House
If you are interested in 19th century architecture, the nearby town of Milton is home to the fame Milton House, which was the first building in the USA to use grout to embed the rebars in the walls.
Things to do in Janesville Wisconsin: Shopping
The shopping scene in Janesville Wisconsin is varied and you’ll find a range of small shops and superstores such as the Wal-Mart Supercenter.
Janesville Wisconsin also has a few discount stores such as Big Lots and Dollar Tree Stores located along Milton Avenue.
For retail shopping, the Janesville Mall shopping center offers a great variety of shops and department stores.
Things to do in Janesville Wisconsin: Nightlife & Entertainment
Janesville Wisconsin is home to a myriad of pubs and bar/ clubs where you can enjoy a nice drink as well as some kind of live entertainment.
Downtown Janesville is where you will most of these bars. For instance, along N Main Street you can find bars such as the Main Street Saloon, Quotes Bar & Grill and Legends.
Things to do in Janesville Wisconsin: Events & Festivals
Southern Wisconsin AirFEST
If you are traveling to Janesville Wisconsin in late May, you can catch the popular the popular Southern Wisconsin AirFEST, which showcases jet plane acrobatics and demonstrations.
Rock County 4-H Fair
The Rock County 4-H Fair is the oldest in the USA and it is a great family-orientated event where everyone can have a good time. It happens in late July and features live entertainment, contests, and fun rides.
Tallman Arts Festival
The Tallman Arts Festival is another popular cultural event in the city and also happens in July. It features live entertainment and plenty of artistic exhibitions.
See. places to visit in Milwaukee
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