For those who can't wait for spring to arrive, it is a rebirth in nature as the leaves begin to show on the trees, the flowers start to bloom, and the birds return from the south. And many of us can't wait to get outside to feel the warmth and sunshine on our faces! With the best things to do in Wisconsin in spring, let your winter blues melt away as you embrace the warmth and nature coming back to life.
Flower Blooms In Wisconsin
I bet you'd agree that it doesn't really feel like spring until the flowers start to bloom. Just seeing colorful buds bursting out of the ground is such a welcome sign after all the snow. You can see some of the most remarkable flower blooms at the following locations:
1. Oh My Peonies
Location: Marion, WI
Popularity: This is a hidden gem peony farm in the small city of Marion.
Price: No cost to visit. However, you may purchase peonies while you're here!
One of the best Wisconsin spring activities is visiting a flower farm -- that's my opinion, at least! Oh My Peonies is a small farm with friendly owners and gorgeous flowers. What started out as a small operation has grown to have over 300 varieties of peonies including heirloom, new, and rare varieties. The blooming season begins around June 1 and carries through part of July. You may visit Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. during the season and pick your own peonies!
2. Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy
Location: Middleton, WI
Popularity: This is a fairly popular family-friendly nature spot.
Price: No fee
If you're looking for free things to do in Wisconsin in spring, head to the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton. While open year-round, springtime is such a wonderful time here as the landscape comes back to life with flowers and greenery. Take a walk, get involved by volunteering, or just enjoy the scenery. What a lovely place to be!
3. Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum
Location: Kenosha, WI
Popularity: This is a fairly popular family-friendly place to visit in springtime.
Price: No fee. However, you will have to pay a fee for group tours and special programs and events.
Open Mar. 1-Oct. 31, Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum is one of the best places to visit if you're looking for family things to do in Wisconsin in spring. Not only are there hiking trails, a nature center, a sugar shack, and a group of historic buildings including a schoolhouse and a town hall, but in springtime, you'll see a variety of wildflowers dotting the landscape. While you're here, you'll be able to see why some couple host their weddings here. It's so pretty!
Botanical Gardens In Wisconsin
While wildflowers are absolutely incredible to see, for those who wish to see a wide variety of plants, trees, and flowers in one place, head to a botanical garden. With walking paths and information on what you see, here are the top botanical gardens in Wisconsin:
4. Bookworm Gardens
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Popularity: This is a popular botanical garden to visit in Wisconsin. Over 72,000 people visited in 2023 alone. Reserving tickets online in advance is recommended.
Price: $8/person with advance registration; $10/person at the door. Children under age 2, Bookworm Gardens members, and Sheboygan County residents are admitted for free.
You can't find a more whimsical place in Wisconsin than Bookworm Gardens for some family fun! Located in Sheboygan, this children's literature-inspired botanical garden is a must-visit for those seeking out day trips in the spring. It's open between May 1 and Oct. 31 each year, and your jaw will drop when you see all the colorful flowers in bloom! There's also a variety of outdoor activities to enjoy here including 70 gardens, stories to read, walking trails, play structures, and more. It's one of the most fun things to do in Wisconsin in spring!
5. West Bend Labyrinth Garden Earth Sculpture
Location: West Bend, WI
Popularity: This is a hidden gem you can discover within Regner Park in downtown West Bend.
Price: Free to visit.
If you need to spend some time in a serene place, take a meditative stroll through this remarkable garden labyrinth. As you walk along the pathway, take note of the flowers along the way. The blooms should add to this incredibly unique experience in Wisconsin.
6. Boerner Botanical Gardens
Location: Hales Corners, WI
Popularity: This is an incredibly popular spot, especially in the spring and summer.
A great place for the whole family, Boerner Botanical Gardens offers a wide variety of flowers including annuals, perennials, peonies, herbs, heirloom varieties, and more throughout its 12 gardens. However, it's best-known for its rose garden which is a huge draw for those who love flowers. And, what's spring without tulips? You must come here to see the tulips as well! Location: Hales Corners, WI
Popularity: This is an incredibly popular spot, especially in the spring and summer.
A great place for the whole family, Boerner Botanical Gardens offers a wide variety of flowers including annuals, perennials, peonies, herbs, heirloom varieties, and more throughout its 12 gardens. However, it's best-known for its rose garden which is a huge draw for those who love flowers. And, what's spring without tulips? You must come here to see the tulips as well!
Parks To Visit In Wisconsin This Spring
For outdoor enthusiasts and families, parks are a great way to spend time outdoors. While some parks offer everything from hiking trails to camping, others have playgrounds, lakes, sports fields, and other amenities to keep the fun going in warmer weather. Here are a few of the best parks to visit in Wisconsin this spring:
7. Lake Park by Frederick Law Olmstead
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Popularity: This is an incredibly popular park for residents of and visitors to Milwaukee.
Price: Free to visit.
A public park since 1889 and designed by famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, visitors can experience a stroll along walkways, a visit to North Point Lighthouse, views of Lake Michigan, and treks across whimsical bridges. This is a must-see oasis in the city that's a one-of-a-kind destination in the Midwest.
8. Peninsula State Park
Location: Fish Creek, WI
Popularity: With plenty of outdoor activities, this is one of the more popular Wisconsin state parks.
Price: Vehicle admission stickers are required. Day-use passes are as follows: $3-$8/WI plates, $11/out-of-state plates.
Located in the small town of Fish Creek along Green Bay, Peninsula State Park is the place to be no matter the season. While you can certainly go cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, snowmobiling, and ice fishing during the winter, this park truly shines once the weather starts to warm. This park has it all, too! To start, there's swimming, hiking, picnicking, and playgrounds. There's an outdoor amphitheater for live music and theatrical performances as well as Eagle Bluff lighthouse tours sponsored by the Door County Historical Society. As if that wasn't enough, there are opportunities to go boating, kayaking, and canoeing -- and you can find rentals from a nearby outfitter if you don't have your own watercraft. As far as scenery goes here, Peninsula State Park has 8 miles of shoreline along Lake Michigan and towering bluffs. It's gorgeous! Oh, and I should mention, if you're looking for golf courses in the area, there's one within the park! Seeing as there's so much to do here, you may as well rent a campsite and make it a spring break getaway destination this year.
9. Blue Mound State Park
Location: Blue Mounds, WI
Popularity: This is a relatively popular park. However, you can enjoy plenty of peace and quiet here.
Price: Vehicle admission stickers are required. Day-use passes are as follows: $3-$8/WI plates, $11/out-of-state plates.
Located in the Wisconsin River Valley about an hour south of Wisconsin Dells and 30 minutes west of Madison, Blue Mound State Park offers wonderful outdoor activities. Between biking, camping, swimming, hiking, picnicking, and hunting, there are plenty of ways to enjoy nature. While open year-round, you'll certainly want to take advantage of this park when the weather heats up in the spring!
Spring Hikes In Wisconsin
Do you enjoy a challenging hike from time to time? Hey, there are plenty of easy hikes, too! Whether you're up for a challenge or want to take the kids on an easy nature hike, download the AllTrails+ app to find trails close to you. In the meantime, you can check out these hikes that are perfect in the spring:
10. Mount Pisgah Hemlock Trail
Location: Ontario, WI
Popularity: This is a quiet trail. You may end up having it all to yourself!
Price: Vehicle admission stickers are required. Day-use passes are as follows: $3-$8/WI plates, $11/out-of-state plates.
Take a wonderfully scenic hike along the Mount Pisgah Hemlock Trail at Wildcat Mountain State Park. With views of the Kickapoo River, which is known, not only as the crookedest river in America but the world, this park certainly has that wow factor. While only 1.4 miles in length, the Mount Pisgah Hemlock Trail is a moderate-rated loop trail that follows the river downstream and will treat you to stunning views along the way this spring!
11. Brady's Bluff and Riverview Trail Loop
Location: Trempealeau, WI
Popularity: This trail is popular among both hikers and birders.
Price: Vehicle admission stickers are required. Day-use passes are as follows: $3-$8/WI plates, $11/out-of-state plates.
Located within Perrot State Park, a 1,200-acre park at the confluence of the Trempealeau and Mississippi Rivers, the Brady's Bluff and Riverview Trail Loop is 3 miles in length. The perfect time of year to hike this trail is during the spring. After hiking, enjoy canoeing or kayaking (rentals are available), fishing, biking, picnicking, and more. Want to make this your next getaway destination? Camping is available here as well! You'll also have easy access to the Great River Road from this park.
12. Dells of Eau Claire Loop
Location: Aniwa, WI
Popularity: This is a hidden gem trail if you want some solitude as you hike.
Price: Free to visit if you're looking for cheap things to do in Wisconsin in spring.
Located in the Dells of Eau Claire Park, a Marathon County park, the Dells of Eau Claire Loop is an easy 1-mile hike that happens to be family-friendly. Enjoy river views, rock formations, and more on this trail. After your hike, spend some time in the park searching for waterfalls or spending time on the beach.
Spring Picnic Spots In Wisconsin
Spring has sprung so it's time to pack your picnic baskets, grab your picnic blankets, and head out to one of the most picturesque picnic spots in the state!
13. Torpy Park
Location: Minocqua, WI
Popularity: This is a lovely park perfect for a relaxing picnic.
Price: No fee.
With views of Minocqua Lake, Torpy Park is a beautiful, well-maintained recreational park offering a sandy swimming beach, a playground, tennis courts, sand volleyball, and tennis courts. Additionally, there are picnic tables and picnic shelters. So, how about a picnic with a water view? That's what you'll get at Torpy Park!
14. McClintock County Park
Location: Athelstane, WI
Popularity: This is a quiet underrated park.
Price: $5 day-use fee.
Set along the Peshtigo River, McClintock County Park is a picture-perfect place to picnic. Find a spot near the river so you can take in views as you eat. Then go for a walk along the footbridges that cross over the river rapids and search for waterfalls. If you don't want to leave, see if you can reserve a campsite at the park's small campground.
15. Village Park
Location: Thiensville, WI
Popularity: This is a relatively popular park, especially in the spring and summer months.
Price: No cost.
The 16.3-acre Village Park is situated along the Milwaukee River. Here you can make use of the sports fields, take a stroll along the Rotary River Walk, view wildlife, take the kids to the playground, and, as you may have guessed, have a picnic! There are plenty of picnic areas and tables around the park, so pack your picnic basket and enjoy an afternoon here.
So, which of the best things to do in Wisconsin in spring will you do first? Will it be a hike, a visit to a park, a trip to a garden or wildflower field, or a nice picnic? Let us know in the comments along with some of your favorite things to do this time of year!
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