Kenosha with Kids

Situated on Lake Michigan, Kenosha is an ideal location for a family getaway. Just an hour and a half from Chicago, if you love free museums, art, fresh air, lake views, and family fun, this is the city for you!

Downtown Kenosha is easily walkable, with breathtaking views of sailboats, an iconic red lighthouse, colorful murals, sculptures and impressive landscaping that will leave you inspired. I have never seen so many flowers in a downtown before, add this with Lake Michigan glimmering in the background and you’ve got yourself an incredible combination! If you’d prefer a relaxing ride, Kenosha has you covered with their lakefront electric streetcar.

I have compiled a list of the three A’s: Accommodations, Adventures, and Appetite!  If you have any questions about Kenosha or our trip please send me an email!

Accommodations

We stayed at The Country Inn & Suites by Radisson conveniently located near I-94/41. We were roughly 7 miles from downtown Kenosha, but it was an easy ride to get downtown each day.

Our room had two queen beds and a bathroom with a tub (kiddos love a bath!). It was very clean with comfortable beds – can’t ask for more when it comes to a hotel room!

The Country Inn & Suites offers a free hot breakfast (there were SO many options to choose from), and a heated indoor swimming pool – I am sure this is great in the colder months for people visiting!

Adventures

Kenosha Public Museum – Kenosha Public Museum is a FREE museum offering education through exploration. Located on the lakefront, the museum has displays of fine art, decorative art, and natural science specimens. A centerpiece of the Kenosha Public Museum is the Schaefer and Hebior mammoth exhibition. The Hebior mammoth is the most complete mammoth (90 percent) ever excavated. It is also the largest wooly mammoth ever excavated. This was an excellent stop for us, as we are currently learning about them in homeschool!

Our family had an amazing time at Kenosha Public Museum. The staff is very knowledgeable and excited to share facts – something that really resonated with me.

Kenosha Harbor Market – Located directly outside of the Kenosha Public Museum (in warmer months), the Kenosha Harbor Market was a great way to start our Saturday Morning. Wander through several vendors offering homemade jewelry, home grown veggies, beautiful flower bouquet, and out kiddos favorite – BUBBLES! People at the market felt like old friends, and we were able to sample some delicious local fare (including raw corn that tasted incredible!).

Dinosaur Discovery Museum – Another free museum in Kenosha, the Dinosaur Discovery Museum is the only museum to focus on the link between meat-eating dinosaurs and birds. The museum is fairly small, but well worth the stop. It has an on-site laboratory where you can see/watch their current works being studied. Dinosaur Discovery Museum presents current, ongoing research in the study of dinosaurs. There is a downstairs lab where kiddos can do puzzles, color, and learn!

Electric Streetcar – We loved the Electric Streetcar – and rode it three times! Beautifully restored electric streetcars travel a 2-mile loop, providing a scenic tour of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Fare per loop: $1.00 ages 13 and older / $.50 ages 5 to 12 / 4 and under free. It is a nice way to relax after exploring downtown.

Durkee Mansion (Kemper Center) – This was one of those stops where we didn’t know what to expect… and were blown away. Home to Charles Durkee, who served in Congress from 1848-1853 and in the U.S. Senate from 1854-1861, he built this house with his wife. In the 1860s, the pantry had a trap door to the root cellar where it is rumored that it was used to provide safe haven to runaway slaves during the Civil War. Charles Durkee was a good friend to Abraham Lincoln, and was a palbearer at his funeral.

Sold to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, the home was turned into a girls’ school for higher learning, an Episcopal Female Seminary. 

While the Durkee Mansion is open to the public for self-guided tours, the staff found out we homeschool and went out of their way to give us a detailed tour and show us around. They were the kindest people, and we learned SO much!

Playgrounds – Never have I ever seen so many public playgrounds in one city, around 70 if you can believe it – and some with amazing views of Lake Michigan. Get out there and play with your kiddos and soak in the beauty of Kenosha!

Duck Pedal Boat – Kenosha Community Sailing Center seasonally offer rentals of kayaks, fishing kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and duck-themed pedal boats. We opted for the duck pedal boat, and had a great time in the harbor. The Kenosha Community Sailing Center gives people easy access to the water, and is a great service to their community.

Hot Mess Studio – This was an incredible stop for our family. Hot Mess Studio is an immersive art experience that I would highly recommend for everyone! When we arrived we put on ponchos and shoe coverings. Then we went to into the studio, with paint covered walls and some blank canvases. This studio is a dream for adults and children alike, with paint guns, balloons filled with paint and darts, tons of paint and different brushes/tools. Your inner artist comes out when the black lights come on and your favorite music starts blasting. We had one hour to create our masterpieces, and left with FIVE pieces of art (one for each of us, and a family painting). Something we will treasure forever, what a souvenir!

Appetite

Waterfront Warehouse – Get. The. Cheese. Curds. SO good! This was our first experience with cheese curds and my oh my, I will be dreaming about them! Waterfront Warehouse in Kenosha serves American fare in a casual setting, and the food was delicious!

Twisted Cuisine – This is a must visit in Kenosha, Twisted Cuisine offers fine dining with a menu that changes throughout the year. My favorite part? They offer half-portions so you can try more of everything! The staff was very kind and welcoming of our family, and the cuisine was incredible!

La Fogata Mexican Grill – La Fogata Mexican Grill was voted best Mexican food in Kenosha, Wisconsin- and for good reason! We came here for brunch and were impressed! The portions were over the top and service was top-notch. Order some extra salsa for your chips – I highly recommend the habanero salsa! Oh… and that deep fried ice cream…

Kenosha Brewing Company – I love sampling local beer when we travel, and Kenosha Brewing Company was a great stop for this! We came for dinner and there was a wedding reception going on – just a testament to how loved this place is by locals! I recommend doing a mix & match of their tacos.

Frank’s Diner – Franks Diner is a registered historical landmark and the oldest continuously operating lunch car diner in the U.S. – that being said, it is VERY popular so come early! Featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”, Frank’s Diner is known for their homemade bread, huge pancakes, juicy burgers and the renowned Franks Garbage Plate. Definitely get the garbage plate, it was insanely good. Oh, and did I mention their mimosa was the size of my head?!

PUBLIC Craft Brewing Co – PUBLIC Craft Brewing Co. is a craft brewer located in historic Downtown Kenosha, making “beer for the people”. This location is super unique and has a great vibe. And the icing on the cake? The beer is GREAT!

Mars Cheese Castle – Okay… I wasn’t sure if I should put this under an adventure or appetite – because it is a little of both! Mars Cheese Castle is specialty food store, delicatessen, and taproom which sells a variety of consumable products in Kenosha, Wisconsin. You MUST visit when in Kenosha, if only for the experience. Kid’s get crowns and balloons and you can sample delicious cheese. There are thrones for photos, and souvenirs of every kind you can imagine!

Until next time…