Not jetting off to a tropical paradise this Winter Break? Allow us to help make it super special anyhow!
We’re highlighting local attractions, Winter day trips, and special camps, curated just for you:
Local Attractions
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
The holidays are jumpin’ at Betty Brinn Children’s Museum! Their Holiday Tot Time program will feature winter-themed songs, stories, games and other hands-on activities for the Museum’s youngest visitors, (Ages 0-4) the Be A Maker space will host holiday projects like snowmen, snowflakes, and other festive decorations. (Ages 4+), and the New Year’s Eve at Noon event will include a dance party, party hat and noisemaker, and a mid-day ball drop! Free with regular admission. Find out more here.
Frosty Free Week at the Milwaukee County Zoo
December 25th, 2019 – January 1, 2020
‘Tis the season for a wintry visit to the Zoo! Bundle up the family and head to the Zoo for Frosty Free Week, when all guests visit for FREE! Thanks to Metro® by T-Mobile and the Milwaukee County Zoo, admission is free for everyone December 25 through January 1 (regular parking and concession fees still apply). During Frosty Free Week, the Zoo is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Regular parking and concession fees apply.
Embrace the weather, and visit the Zoo’s cold-weather animals, like polar bear, Snow Lilly, and our caribou, and then warm up inside any of the Zoo’s animal buildings to enjoy your favorite indoor exhibits. Visitors will notice Snow Lilly, as well as the caribou and elk herds, are most active during the colder temperatures. Be sure to visit the Zoo’s North American river otters in their year-round outdoor exhibit, Otter Passage. You won’t want to miss these lively and animated animals as they slip, slide and frolic in their outdoor habitat! Say hello to the Zoo’s newest additions, including Kiki, the red panda cub, and Desmond, the giraffe calf.
JB’s on 41 Winter Break Specials
4040 S 27th St, Milwaukee, WI 53221
Winter Break Special: 2 games, shoes & a $5 arcade card is $12/person at select times!
Bowl on Christmas Eve from 11am-4pm or Christmas Day from 5pm-Midnight
Reserve a New Year’s Eve package – click here to book online!
Milwaukee Public Museum Winter Break Programming
December 23-31, 2019
Find Educators on the Museum floors from December 23-31* between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for fun activities!
Holiday Cards – How did Christmas cards get started? Was there a strict standard of New Years’ cards during the Streets era? Discover the where, when, and why of this holiday tradition through a close-up experience with unique vintage holiday cards rarely on display.
Sami Traditions – Hear about the Sami people of northern Scandinavia. Take a look at some Museum artifacts to learn more about the winter traditions and lifestyle of this often-overlooked indigenous group.
The Story of Simba – In the early 1920s, MPM made a trip to Africa to bring both cultural and natural objects back to Milwaukee. Visit the Africa cart to hear more about the Cudahy-Massee expedition, see these objects, and learn more about their impact on Milwaukee.
Winter Day Trips
Above and Beyond Children’s Museum
902 N 8th St, Sheboygan, WI 53081
Enjoy almost 10,000 square feet of exhibit space on three floors and a mezzanine offer a vast interactive environment where families can discover and learn together. There’s a Miniature Circus, Toddler Barnyard, Log Cabin Schoolhouse, and a wind tunnel!
Dinosaur Discovery Museum (Free!)
5608 10th Ave. Kenosha, WI 53140
Learn all about dinosaurs, see dinosaur skeletons in the main gallery that are casts of actual dinosaur fossil bones, and listen to the environmental and animal sounds in the exhibit gallery. Read more about our visit to the Dinosaur Discovery Museum here.
EAA Aviation Museum
3000 Poberezny Road Oshkosh, WI 54902
With a collection of more than 200 historic airplanes along with world-class galleries and displays, the EAA Aviation Museum is a year-round destination.
Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center
7001 Gass Lake Rd, Manitowoc, WI 54220
Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center is the newest agriculture tourism attraction in the Midwest! Visitors enjoy 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibits featuring Wisconsin’s agriculture industry. Kids and adults alike make a connection with the origins of their food and the modern technology that keeps production efficient and food safe. Enjoy a bus tour of a local dairy farm and see modern farming technology in action. Stop into the Land O’Lakes Birthing Barn for the chance to experience the birth of a calf.
Madison Children’s Museum
100 N Hamilton St. Madison, WI 53703
You and your family are in for a memorable day exploring and discovering award-winning fun designed for kids ages 0 to 12. The Madison Children’s Museum has three exhibit floors—including the rooftop garden and authentic log cabin—located just off downtown Madison’s Capitol Square. Click around to find what Madison Children’s Museum has to offer with this interactive floor plan! Download and print their visitor guide.
Museum of Wisconsin Art Winter Week
205 Veterans Ave, West Bend, WI 53095
MOWA is hosting family activities for their Winter Week this year, including Winter Creation Stations every day from 10:30–1:30. The studio doors are open for families and friends of all ages. From paper creations to creative masterpieces, there is an interactive and educational art project every day of Winter Week.
Jelly Belly Visitor Center (Free!)
10100 Jelly Belly Ln., Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158
Don’t miss their free daily tours on a real mini choo-choo train. The tour includes an educational ride through the warehouse and free candy!
Kenosha Public Museum
5500 1st Ave., Kenosha, WI 53140
Check out this natural sciences and arts museum with exhibits featuring mammoths, world cultures, Native Americans, zoology, geology, fossils, and fine and decorative arts. The Field Station section offers hands-on activities especially for kids. Take a closer look at insects, fossils, and shells and identify the neighborhood birds.
Kohler Arts Center
608 New York Ave. Sheboygan, WI 53081
Admission is always free at the Kohler Arts Center. Explore original exhibitions featuring works by contemporary artists and from the Arts Center’s renowned collection of artist-built environments, visit the Artery to stretch your imagination with hands-on, exhibition-inspired projects for all ages, and grab a bite to eat ( made-from-scratch) at their cafe onsite.
Legoland Discovery Center
Streets of Woodfield 601 N. Martingale Road Schaumburg, IL 60173
Visit LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Chicago at Streets of Woodfield, Schaumburg. Inside the Center you can let your imagination run wild as you learn top tips from our Master Model Builder, join your favorite LEGO characters in our 4D cinema experiences, pedal fast on our Technicycle Ride and find plenty of places to build amazing LEGO creations.
Spinning Top & Yo-Yo Museum
533 Milwaukee Ave., Burlington, WI 53105 (262) 763-3946
See a 2,000 item exhibition of antique & modern spinning tops, yo-yos, patches, and more. You can also view videos about spin tops and learn about the science behind spinners. Kids will have the chance to play and experiment with toy tops and spinning top games, plus enjoy a live presentation by Judith Schulz, toy top collector. Tickets are $15 per person and must be ordered ahead of time.
Winter Camps
Adventure Rock Winter Break Camp (Ages 6-12)
Bow Wow Blizzard Camps at the Wisconsin Humane Society
(Milwaukee, Ozaukee & Green Bay Campuses)
Grades 2-6 – $55 – Come in from the cold and warm up with furry friends! Spend your winter break at this one-day camp for young animal enthusiasts.
Friday, December 27 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Milwaukee CampusFriday, December 27 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Ozaukee Campus
Come in from the cold and warm up with some fuzzy friends at the Wisconsin Humane Society Milwaukee Campus’s Bow Wow Blizzard Camp, a one-day winter camp for kids in grades 2-6. It’s a wonderful way for kids to learn all about the Wisconsin Humane Society and ways that they can help critters of all different shapes and sizes. There will be a variety of humane activities offered throughout the day including crafts, games, a behind-the-scenes tour and even a chance to meet some of the animal guests!
Camp Minikani Winter Camps
https://www.minikani.org/winter-camps/
At a time of year when most kids are inside, winter campers are having a blast tromping around in the snow and meeting new friends at YMCA Camp Minikani. Your child’s counselor will guide the experience as they gain a sense of independence by being away from home for four days and three nights. In addition to a handful of adventures at Minikani, your child will visit Sunburst Ski Area in Kewaskum, Wisconsin, where they may snowboard, ski or snow-tube. On their last night, campers and counselors celebrate “New Year’s Eve, Eve, Eve,” which is a camper-created carnival and dance party, culminating with a homemade ball drop.
Winter Adventure Days at Urban Ecology Center
School’s out! Join us for a whole day of winter fun. Would you know how to survive a Wisconsin winter in the wild? Spend time making your own shelter, building a fire and learn how to find your way in the woods. For kids in 2nd-4th grade only, pre-registration is required. Dress for the weather and bring a bag lunch!Program Cost: $75 | Member Discount: $54
