One-Day Wonders in the Kenosha Area

You wish you had more time, but you only have one day to spend in the Kenosha Area. What should you do? What’s not to be missed? Here are a few suggestions to make the most of your day trip to our area!

Climb aboard the Jelly Belly Express train inside Jelly Belly Visitor Center. Take a trip through the candy company’s sweet history and explore what goes into the magical process of creating Jelly Belly jelly beans. Treats, souvenirs, a free sample bar, and a snack bar can be found in the huge candy store. The tour is free, takes about 35 minutes, and each passenger receives a free sample of Jelly Belly beans at its conclusion.

Eat at Franks Diner, the lunch car diner made famous on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." The ambiance and sassy service can’t be beat! Whether you order their signature “Franks Garbage Plate”, a juicy burger, or huge pancakes, the motto is: Order what you want … eat what you get! Note: it is one busy place, so go prepared to relax and enjoy the experience!

Take a scenic ride along Lake Michigan and through Downtown Kenosha on an authentic Electric Streetcar.  From your seat, view a miniature Statue of Liberty replica, a Christopher Columbus statue, two lighthouses, and much more! The streetcar stops at three museums: Kenosha Public Museum, Dinosaur Discovery Museum, and the Civil War Museum. Many shopping and eating opportunities are just steps from the streetcar! The ride lasts approximately 15 minutes round trip and costs just 50 cents for ages 12 and under and $1 for ages 13 and up. An all day pass costs $2.50.

The only museum of its kind in the nation, the Civil War Museum is truly a treasure.  The museum’s engaging and interactive exhibits tell the personal stories of the Upper Midwest, from lives changed by the Civil War to those who shaped the course of American history. Seen through the eyes of soldiers, nurses, spouses, children, slaves and others who lived it, the main exhibit gallery: “The Fiery Trial” spans the home front, railroad and waterways to the battlefront and back home again. And don’t miss the Veteran's Gallery - a solemn tribute to veterans of all wars.

If time allows, visit the mammoths at the free Kenosha Public Museum (right next to the Civil War Museum) and the meat-eating dinosaurs at the free Dinosaur Discovery Museum.  Discover Kenosha’s manufacturing history and more at the free Kenosha History Center. If you visit on the weekend between mid-May and October, explore maritime history at the free Southport Light Station Museum and climb the 1866 Southport Lighthouse (must be 8 or older to climb; there is a fee).

And don’t forget to visit our grand Lake Michigan shoreline – whether walking the promenade or strolling on the beach, with the sand between your bare toes. It’s a beautiful shoreline with parks for playing, beaches for sunning, piers for fishing, boat docks for mooring, and restaurants for dining.