In addition to its storied football team, this Wisconsin city offers myriad attractions and activities away from Lambeau Field.
By Diane Morey Sitton
April 2021
When most people think about Green Bay, Wisconsin, football comes to mind. And no wonder. The legendary Green Bay Packers have won 13 world championships — nine National Football League titles and four Super Bowl wins. They hold 25 division titles and boast more than two dozen inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Union Pacific Big Boy #4017 at the National Railroad Museum.
But Green Bay and the vibrant communities that adjoin it offer a multitude of memory-making attractions that beckon families when it’s not “game day,” or even football season.
Note: At this writing, some of the attractions and activities described below remained temporarily closed because of COVID-19 restrictions. Check for availability before you visit.
For starters, more than 5,000 artifacts representing 100-plus years of railroading await inspection at the National Railroad Museum. The kid-pleasing attraction sits on the west bank of the Fox River, the scenic waterway that runs north through the city of Green Bay into the bay — an offshoot of Lake Michigan — that gives the city its name. Here, after browsing General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s World War II armor-plated command train, a General Motors Aerotrain, and the largest drumhead advertising sign collection known to exist, you can climb aboard the Union Pacific #4017 Big Boy, a 1.1-million-pound steam locomotive that once pulled heavy freight over the mountainous regions of Wyoming and Utah. A 25-minute documentary profiles the mighty workhorse.
The National Railroad Museum features the World War II command train used by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Outside, during a narrated 25-minute train ride around the perimeter of the museum grounds (May through October), folks glean facts and fancy about rolling stock and hobo culture. An 80-foot-tall observation tower offers views of the Fox River and Green Bay.
Less than 10 miles northwest, flowers, foliage, and family fun await visitors at Green Bay Botanical Garden. The 47-acre greenspace showcases more than 62,000 plants representing 3,800 species and cultivars. The award-winning garden occupies the site of a historic apple orchard. In fact, Larsen Orchard Remnant, one of 33 theme gardens at the facility, features apple trees from the former orchard.
Green Bay Botanical Garden features more than 30 theme gardens.
Folks can get their first glimpse of the historic trees from the Wellhouse, a camera-friendly structure near Schneider Terrace and the visitors center. The Wellhouse also overlooks a combination parterre/herb garden, as well as a colorful foliage garden.
Activities and education are the focus at the Children’s Garden, where a treehouse, maze, koi pond, butterfly garden, and sensory garden mesmerize youngsters. Other kid pleasers include animal-shaped topiaries and the Hobbit House, a rest station built to resemble a hobbit hideaway. Besides being fun to look at, the whimsical structure provides lessons in conservation. It is built into the hillside, which minimizes its heating and cooling needs, and the green roof lessens storm-water runoff and provides habitat for garden creatures.
At Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, nine miles of hiking trails wind through various terrain.
Other specialty gardens at Green Bay Botanical Garden include the Vietnam Veterans Garden and the Daylily Display Garden. The Shade Garden features a stream and a stone springhouse.
Species of a different sort await families at the NEW (Northeastern Wisconsin) Zoo and Adventure Park, approximately 10 miles northwest of downtown Green Bay. Don’t miss Zuri and Nigel, the zoo’s beloved giraffes, which mingle with visitors during feeding experiences. Other favorites include the alpacas, sheep, and goats at the children’s petting zoo, and tortoises Al and Tootie. In all, some 90 species occupy the 43-acre zoological park, including African lions, black bears, moose, monkeys, and penguins. The adjoining Adventure Park features a dual racing zip line, a ropes course, a rock-climbing tower, and more.
Wildlife abounds at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.
For families seeking more of the great outdoors, Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve, on the west shore of Green Bay, offers 920 acres of forests, meadows, and wetlands crisscrossed by nine miles of hiking trails. Visit the interpretive center to learn more about Canada geese, wild ducks, and other area wildlife. A short accessible trail in Barkhausen Sensory Woods features bamboo chimes, raised gardens, and a sensory wall.
Lessons in environmental conservation lie ahead at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Green Bay’s largest city park, at 600 acres. Here, live animal exhibits, educational displays, 6.5 miles of hiking trails, and wildlife viewing stations showcase waterfowl, birds of prey, wolves, cougars, foxes, deer, and coyotes, not to mention snakes, owls, and flying squirrels. Bird-watchers have identified some 250 bird species in the park.
Nature lovers relish the Fox River State Trail as well. From the north trailhead in downtown Green Bay (the downtown portion of the trail serves as a riverfront walkway), it winds south along the Fox River, following trails once used by American Indians, French explorers, and traders. The 25-mile route features numerous overlooks and access to several local parks. (The trail is free for hikers; bicyclists age 16 and older require a state trail pass.)
Regionally grown fruits and vegetables are offered downtown at the Saturday Farmers Market.
On Saturdays from May to October, you also might want to shop the local wares at the Saturday Farmers Market, a downtown tradition since 1917. Fresh flowers, regionally grown fruits and vegetables, homemade dog treats, and honey number among the offerings. But get there early; vendors open at 7:00 a.m. and close at noon. (Check www.downtowngreenbay.com for updates.)
The Automobile Gallery, another downtown attraction, lures visitors with shiny restored vehicles representing a century of auto history. Here, you can examine a 1912 Maxwell, wax nostalgic over a 1963 Corvette, or travel “Back to the Future” in a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12. In all, some 80 cars, trucks, and vans fill the landmark complex that originally housed a Cadillac dealership.
A classic Cadillac Coupe DeVille is parked at The Automobile Gallery.
The Automobile Gallery is the brainchild of Green Bay native William “Red” Lewis, a car-loving automated-car-wash entrepreneur who described the automobiles in the gallery as “the art.”
Art and then some are on view at Neville Public Museum, located downtown on the west bank of the Fox River. Here, a treasure trove of artifacts, film footage, photos, and graphics explore the art, history, and science of northeast Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. Local art, books, and jewelry fill the gift shop.
For football fans and families, the museum is a convenient starting place for the self-guided Packers Heritage Trail, a history-rich trek that commemorates the colorful legacy of the Packers and their fans. Pick up a free map at the museum and then hike, bike, or drive to all or some of the 25 Green Bay Packers landmarks. A large bronze plaque at each location explains its significance. Popular stops include Curly Lambeau’s birthplace; City Stadium; Packers practice fields; and Hotel Northland, the historic downtown site of Vince Lombardi’s introductory press conference.
The self-guided Packers Heritage Trail includes 25 landmarks.
And no matter when you visit “Titletown” (i.e., Green Bay), the Packers Heritage Trail is just a warm-up for the football activities yet to come.
More lore and legend await in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, located in the Lambeau Field Atrium. The two-story, state-of-the-art tribute uses artifacts, interactive displays, and film clips to span 100 years of Packers’ history.
Allow 1.5 hours for self-guided tours of the nine permanent galleries and two temporary exhibit spaces. (Buy tickets online to reserve a time slot.) Start by viewing an introductory film. It includes highlights from the infamous Dallas Cowboys/Green Bay Packers “Ice Bowl” matchup played on December 31, 1967. Game time temperature registered 13 degrees below zero. Next, browse antiquated equipment, including leather helmets and shoulder pads; view “The Notre Dame Box,” “Lombardi Sweep,” and more famous plays on video screens; and hear the stories of Bart Starr and other renowned players in their own words as you explore a gallery showcasing their uniforms and personal mementos.
An escalator ride at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame provides Packers facts and stats.
For many “Cheeseheads,” as Packers fans are affectionately known, visiting Coach Vince Lombardi’s replica office is the highlight of their hall of fame explorations. The space brims with photos and footballs from “Vince Lombardi’s Packers” — an era through the 1960s when the revered coach spearheaded the team’s turnaround and triumph.
Nearby, the Trophy Room showcases Packers world championship trophies, Lombardi Super Bowl trophies, and Super Bowl rings.
A 50-foot-tall Lombardi Trophy replica is displayed at Lambeau Field Atrium.
And if that isn’t enough football, you can take the Field Viewing Tour. This 15-minute tour offers the perfect opportunity to take selfies as you learn about the upkeep of the turf, a weave of synthetic fiber and Kentucky bluegrass that sits atop layers of pea gravel, sand, and heating coils. But keep off the grass! Visitors aren’t allowed to step on the meticulously maintained playing field.
In Green Bay, activities abound. Whether families seek nature, history, art, or football, the city knows how to serve it up, even when it’s not game day!
Further Info
Greater Green Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau
(888) 867-3342
greenbay.com
Nearby Camping
Apple Creek Campground, C12354 *
De Pere, Wisconsin
(920) 532-4386
www.applecreekcamping.com
Bay Shore Park
New Franken, Wisconsin
(920) 448-4466
www.browncountyparks.org
Brown County Fairgrounds
De Pere, Wisconsin
(920) 448-4466
www.browncountyparks.org
* FMCA Commercial Member Campground