Lake Geneva is rich in history, with something to do for everyone. One of the most beautiful lakes to tour by boat. Sights to see, places to eat, and most of all to relax and experience a simply wonderful area!
Antique shops, galleries, home goods, clothing boutiques are some of the shopping attractions. For more adventurous activities rent a kayak, bicycle, or a boat!
Geneva Lake Shore Path
A 21-mile hike around the lake! If 21 miles is unreasonalbe, just hike for an hour or so to capture views of the gorgeous landscaped estates that were built around the lake. Free and open all year round. Many places to park and start your walk.
Apple Barn Orchard & Winery - W6384 Sugar Creek Road, Elkhorn, WI (262) 728-3266 Fax: (262) 740-0208 Pick your own or already picked apples, fruit wines, apple cider, cider donuts, caramel apples, pumpkins, gifts, pantry items and more. To find out when Apple Barn Store and Winery will be open visit www.AppleBarnOrchardAndWinery.com for more information.
Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers a wide variety of sight seeing boat tours on Geneva Lake. Tours operate from mid-April through early November. All tours are narrated and offer an up close look at the beautiful and historic estates that line the lake shore. Available sight seeing tours include the famous US Mailboat Tour, Geneva Bay Mansions Tour, Full Lake Mansions Tours, Ice Cream Social Tour and evening Sundowner Cruises. Lake Geneva Cruise Line also offers dining tours including a Luncheon Tour, Sunday Champagne Brunch, Sunset Dinner Cruise and Dixieland Jazz Dinner Cruise. The newest addition to the tours is the BLACK POINT TOUR. For information or reservations, call 800-558-5911 or see www.CruiseLakeGeneva.com.
East Troy Electric Railroad
2002 N. Church Street, East Troy, WI. (262) 642-3263
Historic streetcars, rapid transit cars, and interurbans make a ten-mile round trip between East Troy and The Elegant Farmer- Wisconsin's largest Farm Market at Highways J and ES near Mukwonago. Regular service begins the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend and continues through the end of October on every weekend. Weekday service operates from mid-June through mid-August.
Special events include Trolleyfest Weekend in early spring, Model Railroad weekend, and Fall Fun Days, the fall colors riding season, that connects with The Elegant Farmer's "Cheap Fun" Fall Weekends, with hayrides, pumpkin picking, and many other activities. The Elegant Farmer also features the best apple pies "you ever hung a lip on".
The East Troy Electric Railroad also features award-winning dinner train service, using the railroad's Art Deco diner twins, Ravenswood and Beverly Shores. www.EastTroyRR.org
The Elegant Farmer
1545 Main St., Mukwonago, WI 53149. Farm Kitchen, Bakery, Deli & Market and family fun. Featuring simply the best Apple Pie baked in a paper bag, cider baked Ham, Caramel & Cheese Popcorn, jumbo Cookies & Muffins and much, much more. Family Fun includes seasonal hayrides, apple picking, East Troy Electric Railroad trolley rides and lots more. For more information, please call (262) 363-6770 or visit www.elegantfarmer.com.
Lake Geneva Historical Walking Tour
Historical walking tour booklet available for a minimal fee. Outlines significant features of Lake Geneva. Available at the Chamber of Commerce office.
Lyons Town Hall
Downtown Lyons, WI. restored historical building built in 1877.
Rustic Roads
A rustic road has natural features along its borders such as rugged terrain, native vegetation, native wildlife, or include open areas with agricultural vistas which singly or in combination, uniquely set this road apart from other roads.
Lake Geneva Museum
818 Geneva Street, Lake Geneva. (262) 248-6060
Step onto the brick pavement and step back in time. Walking along our "Main Street" you can not only peek into historic stores, homes, a school room and other places, but you can actually go into them for a close up look at furniture, clothing, tools, machines, merchandise, photos and other artifacts of daily living. Take this stroll and you will get a real feel for life and lifestyles in the late 19th and early 20th century in the Geneva Lake area. Open May through October:
Spring & Fall, - Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays.
Summers, - Thursday thru Monday.
1:00 to 5:00 p.m. More information about Lake Geneva Museum
Old World Wisconsin
Hwy. 67, 12 miles north of Elkhorn. (262) 594-6300
Any day of the spring, summer, and fall - only thirty-five miles from Milwaukee - expect to find yourself immersed in historical scenes of farm and village life re-created by real-life characters out of the past. Farmers still ply fields with antique farm implements lugged by teams of oxen and horses. Women and children work side-by-side on chores that change with the season - from planting gardens in the spring to stocking larders in the fall. Farmsteads and settlements representing German, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Yankee, and African-American pioneers dot nearly 600 acres of rolling, wooded hills as unspoiled as the land that greeted the first settlers. And an 1870's crossroads village tells the story of small-town life in America's Heartland. Come discover a place where history truly lives and breathes. Come home to Old World Wisconsin.
Open daily May 1 through October 31. Admission - $11.00 for adults. For more information and to find out about special events, visit their oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org
Webster House
Elkhorn. (262) 723-4248 or (262) 723-5788.
Local history. Open May 1 - September 30, daily - Thursday through Sunday, 1 PM to 5 PM
Nestled on a quiet street in the city of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, the Webster House Museum is a well maintained white clapboard house. The composer Joseph P. Webster once owned the home. Both the structure and its famous owner played an important part of the history of Elkhorn. According to museum records, the Greek-revival style cottage was constructed in 1836 and was originally located in Elkhorn's public square, now known as courthouse square. The building served as the federal land grant office, selling land to Walworth County pioneers before Wisconsin became a state in 1848. The building originally measured 18 by 22 feet and was only one story. The land office was abandoned in 1840 and later moved to its present site at the corner of Rockwell and Washington Streets by LeGrand Rockwell, one of Elkhorn's first settlers.
For more information about the Webster House click here, then click on "About Us", then "Webster House Museum".