#IPW2023

 WHAT'S NEW IN WISCONSIN 2023

Wisconsin Department of Tourism

Madison, WI (April 2023) – Celebrating its 175th anniversary of becoming a state in 2023, Wisconsin is in the midst of a year that is packed with new developments, attractions and experiences. Check out a sampling of the state's latest and greatest below.

MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS

Harley-Davidson Museum 

Harley-Davidson will celebrate its 120th anniversary by launching the Harley-Davidson Homecoming event, an annual four-day festival filled with music, food and moto-culture. The inaugural event will take place at the Harley-Davidson Museum and other venues throughout the Milwaukee area on July 13-16, 2023, and welcomes riders, enthusiasts and fans to meet in Milwaukee for a huge celebration.

Eau Claire Children's Museum

Opened in January 2023, the new $12 million Eau Claire Children's Museum features a total of 24 exhibits and a brand-new early childcare and 4K preschool program to be open year-round in its 3,000-square-foot, two-story building. The building runs on 100% renewable energy and includes a musical instruments room, a life-sized game bubble from the game “Trouble” and a climbing wall.

Eau Claire Sculpture Tour

The Eau Claire Sculpture Tour will once again take the claim of the largest in the nation when new sculptures rotate in for the 2023 season in June. The tour features more than 70 sculptures and allows visitors to vote for their favorites to be crowned Sculpture of the Year. The winning sculpture gets to stay as new sculptures get installed every year. 

Food + Farm Exploration Center

The Food & Farm Exploration Center is a state-of-the-art educational center that is in development in Plover. The center will offer interactive exhibits, inside and out, to bring modern farming to life. The facility broke ground in 2022 and is slated to open in summer 2023.

Sun Prairie Explore Children's Museum

Opened in early 2022, the Sun Prairie Explore Children's Museum is a 4,800-square-foot space with plenty of places for imaginative play and hands-on learning. The Explore experience is developmentally appropriate for children between the ages of 0-8, offering a wide range of both permanent and rotating exhibits.

Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua's Listening Room

Every summer in Bayfield, the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua venue hosts an array of musical performances. In late 2022, the venue introduced The Backstage, a new alternate venue, event center and home to the famous house band, the Blue Canvas Orchestra. With this new space, music and the other acts that keep crowds of people coming to Big Top Chautauqua will soon be available year-round (on a much smaller scale).

Installation of 400th Barn Quilt in Shawano County

Twelve years after its launch, The Shawano County Barn Quilt Project installed its 400th barn quilt in October 2022. The project was started in 2010 by local Shawano photographer Jim Leuenberger, who had seen similar quilts in other states. The purpose of the project is threefold: to encourage the preservation of the beautiful, old barns in the county, to promote tourism in Shawano County and to provide an opportunity for clubs like 4-H and FFA to conduct a community service project by painting and/or sponsoring a barn quilt. Go here for a guide to the area's barn quilts.

Pinseekers

Scheduled to open in 2023, Pinseekers in DeForest is a three-story, 36,300-square-foot golf and entertainment venue including a golf range powered by Top Tracer, restaurant and bar, rooftop terrace, mini bowling and natural terrain mini golf course.

Children's Imaginarium

Set to open in fall 2023, the Children's Imaginarium in downtown Wausau will have 10,000 square feet dedicated to professionally designed, highly interactive, hands-on exhibits. All exhibits and programming will be rooted in STEM and will be a place for all children and families to spend time together interacting, learning and playing.

Sift & Winnow

Located in Mount Horeb, Sift & Winnow is a new boutique offering a carefully curated collection of lifestyle items to enrich your everyday moments. The shop is the atelier of featured copper enamel jewelry artist, Linda Winther, who specializes in color, line and shape to inform the jewelry she creates.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES & EXPERIENCES

Emrick Lake Campground at the Preserve

Opening in late May 2023, Emrick Lake Campground in Oxford will be the one of the largest campgrounds in the state with 500 new RV sites, including several cabins and a large waterslide located right on the pond. The owners' mission is “to provide our guests the most amazing camping experience possible - through exceptional service and unmatched amenities.”

Milwaukee Riverwalk Extension

The Department of City Development (DCD) is continuing efforts to improve and expand Milwaukee's Riverwalk system, which represents more than 3 miles of pedestrian access along the Milwaukee and Kinnickinnic Rivers.