Wisconsin factories to visit and tour

Wisconsin has factories to visit and tour. Below, first are the active, working factories. The next section has historical operations which often have demonstrations or renactments. These incluse both large and small operations, from several person chocolate factories and cheesemakers to large manufacturers making paper towels, wood products, beverage cans and bottles, are open to the public with real tours, exhibitions and fun education.

In some cases, such as a manufacturing process that is no longer in use, the only way to see it and learn about it is a museum or living history center. So, we also provide information about engineering facilities and museums, dinosaur digs, even government facilities, like NASA, astronomy oberservatories and more that are open to the public on certain days and times. And if there is some place that is just plain fun to visit, we add that, too!

These are perfect for homeschooling, for STEM and for fun! Kids love visiting these places! They're learning and getting an education without even realizing it. And most of these are either free or under $10! What's better then fun, entertaining, good for children and families, educational and free?

Here are some of the top factory tours in Wisconsin and contact information and tips about visiting them.

Factories, Engineering, Museums and other fun demonstrations and exhibits to visit in Wisconsin

• Amazon Fulfillment Center - tour of the facility
  MKE2: Amazon Fulfillment Center, 9700 South 13th Street, Oak Creek, WI 53154.
  BOOK ON THEIR WEBSITE. Each tour is approximately 60-90 minutes long. On the tour you may walk up and down at least one flight of stairs and walk approximately 1 mile. Amazon says "Ever wondered what happens when you shop on Amazon? Book a free walking tour of an Amazon warehouse and see how our people and technology deliver for customers." The also have the following recommendations and requirements:
  Arrive Early - arrive 15 minutes prior to your tour.
  Attire - All guests must wear flat, closed-toed, and closed-heeled shoes (no sandals, clogs or high heels). We recommend wearing comfortable shoes or sneakers. Additionally, long hair must be pulled at or above shoulder length. Loose fitting clothing (long-hanging jewelry, scarves, or ties) are not permitted. Headscarves worn for religious reasons are permitted but must be tucked in securely.
  Identification - Upon your arrival, your tour leader will ask for a government issued photo ID. Please ensure that guest information submitted during sign-up matches the guest ID.
• Harley-Davidson Museum and Factory Tour - motorcycle manufacturer
  400 W Canal St, Milwaukee, WI 53201. Phone: (877) 883-1450. The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee offers guided factory tours where you can witness the birth of these iconic motorcycles. Explore the manufacturing process, heritage, and culture of Harley-Davidson. Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations center, established in 1973, is where the Touring, Trike and CVO families of motorcycles are assembled. Visitors to the Vaughn L. Beals Tour Center will be able to explore exhibits, walk the factory floor from manufacturing to assembly to the end of the line, and sit on a current production model. Harley-Davidson® Factory Tours offer the chance to watch extraordinary people channel their pride and expertise into machines that capture the imagination. We've opened the doors to some of our manufacturing facilities to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring a legend to life.
• Indian Motorcycle Factory Tour - motorcycle manufacturer
  805 Seminole Ave, Osceola, WI 54020.  Phone: 715-294-5205 and ask for Shelly Sedivy. Tours are by appointment only.Phone: (877) 204-3697. Email: factorytours@indianmotorcycle.com.
  Osceola, WI: Manufacturing & Assembly (Engines)  . Advance appointments are required for large groups (eight and over). Must be 18 years of age or older. No cell phones or cameras past the lobby. Must have closed toe shoes. No sandals or flip-flops. Please call ahead to find out if the facility is under normal production (no tours if there is pilot production).
• Kohler Design Center Factory Tour - bathroom and kitchen facets
  101 Upper Road, Kohler, WI 53044. Phone: 920-457-3699. Open: to the public,  Free Admission, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 10am to 4pm, Sunday from 10am to 4pm. The Kohler Industry in Action Factory Tour is a two-hour, 3 ½-mile behind the scenes tour.
• Leinenkugel - beer brewery
  124 East Elm Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729. Phone: (888) 534-6437. Email: leinielodge@leinenkugels.com. Take a tour of our historic brewery in Chippewa Falls and let one of our guides, family members or brewers, introduce you to 155 years of beer brewing and six generations of Leinenkugel family history during our Legacy Brewery Tour. Have you toured Leinenkugel's before? Try one of our new experiences! Pilot Brewery Tour & Behind the Scenes Tour with Matt Leinenkugel. Our Master Brewer Tour, with John Hensley, the guy that crafts your favorite beers. Lastly, the Historical Grounds Tour with more history about the place we call home, Chippewa Falls, Wiscosnin. All tours start at the Leinie Lodge®, which is filled with historical photos, vintage brewing equipment and plenty of Leinie’s beer gear and collectibles to take home. Our tap room holds 15+ different Leinenkugel’s beers that are in season, including taproom exclusives made from our small batch Pilot Brewery. Come relax on our patio or by the fireplace with friends and family and enjoy our award-winning beers. Get the full flavor of all things Leinenkugel’s® at one of our upcoming events! Subscribe to stay-in-touch & be the first know what’s happening in our neck of the woods at Leinenkugel’s®.  We recommend you book in-advance. For more information, please call (888) 534-6437. The Leinie Lodge accepts credit cards only.
• Miller Brewer - beer brewery
  4251 W. State St. Milwaukee, WI 53208. Phone: 414-931-2337.  Email: millerbrewerytour@millercoors.com. Open: Thursday Tours 10:30-2:30pm, Friday Tours 10:30-3pm, call for exact times; Tastings 10-4:30pm, Gift Shop 10-5pm . Closed on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Free parking is available at the Miller Visitor Center on a first-come, first-served basis.  Tour Fee: Souvenir glass and beers included with each paid tour, in 2023, $10 (plus fees and tax) per Adult 21+ CREDIT CARD ONLY. Free Admission 0-20 yrs (no beer sampling). Here in Miller Valley you will experience an indoor/outdoor guided walking tour of over 165 years of brewing history. Experience everything from Fredrick Miller’s arrival in Milwaukee to the high-speed production lines used today. Your tour seamlessly blends the rich history of Miller Brewing Co. with the modern technology of today’s brewing process. Our tours begin with a beer because… why not? We will immerse your senses as we take you back in time to our famous underground caves and historic, Bavarian-Style Miller Inn. Don’t worry, you will rejoin us in the 21st Century as we move on to our modern operations including our Brew House, Packaging and Distribution Centers. Ice-cold refreshing samples of our finest brews will be served at various stops along the tour (and after!) for those 21 and older. Water and soft drinks are available for guests under 21 or upon request. Please note: This tour does include six blocks of indoor/outdoor walking with 46 mandatory / 56 optional stairs.  Strollers are not permitted along the tour route, however wearable baby carriers are permitted. See their website for other rules, restrictions and guidance.
  Booking a Tour - Walk-in tours are available on a limited basis Wednesday's, Thursday's, and Friday's only. For day-of tour times, please call 414-931-2337 or visit our Facebook page at "The Miller Brewery Tour".

Wisconsin Historical Forts and Sites, Famous buildings, Active Federal facilities to tour, Geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

 

Wisconsin State historic sites and parks

These are state-run parks, museums and historic sites that present the history of some manufacturing process, industry, or living settlement

• Amnicon Falls State Park
• Aztalan State Park
• Belmont Mound State Park
• Big Bay State Park
• Big Foot Beach State Park
• Black River State Forest
• Blue Mound State Park
• Brule River State Forest
• Brunet Island State Park
• Buckhorn State Park
• Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area
• Capital Springs State Recreation Area
• Chippewa Flowage
• Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area
• Copper Culture State Park
• Copper Falls State Park
• Council Grounds State Park
• Coulee Experimental State Forest
• Cross Plains State Park
• Dells of the Wisconsin River SNA
• Devil's Lake State Park
• Fenley State Recreation Area
• Fisher Creek State Recreation Area
• Flambeau River State Forest
• Governor Dodge State Park
• Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
• Governor Knowles State Forest
• Governor Nelson State Park
• Governor Thompson State Park
• Harrington Beach State Park
• Hartman Creek State Park
• Havenwoods State Forest
• Heritage Hill State Park
• High Cliff State Park
• Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area
• Interstate State Park
• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit
• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Loew Lake Unit
• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Mukwonago River Unit
• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit
• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit
• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Pike Lake Unit
• Kinnickinnic State Park
• Kohler Andrae State Park
• Lake Kegonsa State Park
• Lake Wissota State Park
• Lakeshore State Park
• Lost Dauphin State Park
• Lower Wisconsin State Riverway
• MacKenzie Center
• Menominee River State Recreation Area
• Merrick State Park
• Mill Bluff State Park
• Mirror Lake State Park
• Natural Bridge State Park
• Nelson Dewey State Park
• New Glarus Woods State Park
• Newport State Park
• Northern Highland American Legion State Forest
• Pattison State Park
• Peninsula State Park
• Perrot State Park
• Pike Wild River
• Pine-Popple Wild Rivers
• Point Beach State Forest
• Potawatomi State Park
• Rib Mountain State Park
• Richard Bong State Recreation Area
• Roche-A-Cri State Park
• Rock Island State Park
• Rocky Arbor State Park
• Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area
• Straight Lake State Park
• Tower Hill State Park
• Totogatic Wild River
• Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area
• Whitefish Dunes State Park
• Wildcat Mountain State Park
• Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area
• Willow River State Park
• Wyalusing State Park
• Yellowstone Lake State Park

Wisconsin Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

Wisconsin has al humid climate, with warm humid summers and cold, often snowy, winters. Winters can be brutally cold and snowy, especially with lake effect snows. The southern part of the state is slightly warmer than the northernareas.

Climate data for Wisconsin (normals from 1981-2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	66 (19)	69 (21)	89 (32)	97 (36)	109 (43)	106 (41)	114 (46)	108 (42)	104 (40)	95 (35)	84 (29)	70 (21)	114 (46)
Average high °F (°C)	23.9 (−4.5)	29.2 (−1.6)	40.6 (4.8)	55.5 (13.1)	67.3 (19.6)	76.3 (24.6)	80.4 (26.9)	78.2 (25.7)	69.8 (21.0)	56.9 (13.8)	41.2 (5.1)	27.5 (−2.5)	52.9 (11.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)	15.0 (−9.4)	19.6 (−6.9)	30.5 (−0.8)	44.0 (6.7)	55.3 (12.9)	64.7 (18.2)	69.1 (20.6)	67.1 (19.5)	58.7 (14.8)	46.5 (8.1)	33.1 (0.6)	19.4 (−7.0)	43.6 (6.4)
Average low °F (°C)	3.7 (−15.7)	6.3 (−14.3)	18.3 (−7.6)	31.6 (−0.2)	42.6 (5.9)	52.4 (11.3)	57.2 (14.0)	55.0 (12.8)	47.1 (8.4)	36.2 (2.3)	23.7 (−4.6)	10.6 (−11.9)	31.8 (−0.1)
Record low °F (°C)	−54 (−48)	−55 (−48)	−48 (−44)	−20 (−29)	7 (−14)	20 (−7)	27 (−3)	22 (−6)	10 (−12)	−7 (−22)	−34 (−37)	−52 (−47)	−55 (−48)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.15 (29)	1.03 (26)	1.80 (46)	2.63 (67)	3.54 (90)	4.17 (106)	3.79 (96)	3.78 (96)	3.75 (95)	2.38 (60)	2.00 (51)	1.27 (32)	31.29 (794)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	11.4 (29)	9.5 (24)	8.7 (22)	3.2 (8.1)	0.4 (1.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.8 (2.0)	4.9 (12)	10.2 (26)	48.7 (124)
Source: "Wisconsin State Climatology Office".

Camping in Wisconsin

If you're looking to save money on your trip, camping may be a fun alternative to hotels and motels, especially, if you already have the gear, or are looking to get some. BTW, this websites ( https://RoadTrippingAndCamping.com ) explains everything you need to know about camping gear and where to the best gear at the lowest prices.

Camping reservations are required and can be made for the same day of your arrival or up to 11 months in advance of your planned date of occupancy. Campers must make a reservation before setting up on any site.

RESERVE a campsite online or by calling 1-888-947-2757.

AUTOMATIC CHECK-IN

Campers should proceed directly to their reserved campsite after the designated check-in time of 3 p.m. Campers will be automatically checked in through their reservation. All occupancy rules still apply.

DNR staff may periodically stop by campsites to verify check-in. Campers should keep a copy of their reservation on hand or available on a mobile device for staff to verify the reservation.

 

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in Wisconsin.