Sixty miles of beaches, boardwalks, lighthouses and quaint shopping strolls make Wisconsin’s Schooner Coast a family getaway you’ll all enjoy.
Stretching along Lake Michigan from the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc to the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin’s Schooner Coast is an unforgettable slice of Wisconsin’s natural waters and maritime history.
Schooner Coast Lighthouses
A number of the lighthouses along the Schooner Coast can be viewed close up. Try the Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse, Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse, Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse and Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Lighthouse. Details, pics and maps here.
Maritime Museums & Historic Village
Three different locations along the coast offer a chance to experience the deep maritime history of the area. For a comprehensive list of attractions, see this link.
Wisconsin Maritime Museum at Manitowoc
Open seven days a week, year-round, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. mid-March-June and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. July-August. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for children (age 6-15) and free for children age 5 and under, includes the museum galleries plus a guided tour of USS Cobia, a fully restored WWII submarine moored in the Manitowoc River.
Door County Maritime Museum at Sturgeon Bay
Open seven days a week, year-round, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept.-May and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. June-Aug. Admission is $12.50 for adults, $9 for children (age 5-17) and free for children 4 and under, includes the museum galleries plus a guide tour of the tugboat John Purves. Admission to only the tug is $6.
Rogers Street Fishing Village
Open May-Oct. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays and noon-4 p.m. on weekends. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children under 16. Rogers Street Fishing Village and Great Lakes Coast Guard Museum exhibits an 1886 historic lighthouse, shipwreck displays and artifacts, and commercial fishing exhibits. Five historic buildings portray exciting stories. Step aboard the 1936 wooden fishing tug BUDDY O, explore the fishing sheds, see the antique Kahlenberg Marine Oil Engine started up, hear the whistles and horns, and then climb up to the 1886 Two Rivers’ North Pier Lighthouse for a bird’s eye view of the Fishing Village. Finish your visit with a tour of the Great Lakes Coast Guard Exhibit SHIPWRECKS!, featuring artifacts rescued from the depths of Lake Michigan’s most famous shipwrecks.
State Forest & Park
From wide sand beaches to rugged limestone cliffs to forested terrain, the Schooner Coast offers a variety of water-side recreation. To explore further, follow this link.
Point Beach State Forest – Two Rivers
Open daily 6 a.m.-11 p.m. A vehicle admission sticker is required for entrance to the forest and in order to see Rawley Point Lighthouse. $7 daily pass for a vehicle with WI plates, $10 daily pass for a vehicle with out-of-state plates.
Potawatomi State Park – Sturgeon Bay
Open daily 6 a.m.-11 p.m. A vehicle admission sticker is required for entrance to the park. $7 daily pass for a vehicle with WI plates, $10 daily pass for a vehicle with out-of-state plates.
Heaven On Earth Island – Potawatomi State Park Observation Tower
From the observation tower, you have a panoramic view of two small islands just offshore. The smallest island, known as Hoe (heaven on earth) Island, is one of the Door Peninsula’s most unique residences. Fred Wittig and his family live on the island year-round. If you’re lucky, you can catch Fred or his wife Dawn at their store, The Healthy Way (see their coupon in Schooner Coast Passport), to discuss the challenges and logistics of island life.
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve
Enjoy a small, white sand beach that not many people know about. It’s quiet, secluded and surrounded by rolling sand dunes. Take a hike along the Ship Canal for a unique view of the lighthouses and Coast Guard Station. Plus, enjoy two scenic overlooks.
C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Fish & Wildlife Area and Anadromous Fish Facility
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fish Collection Facility began operation in 1990. Here anadromous fish – species that swim upstream for reproduction – are directed up a fish ladder into a collection pond for spawning. Two large underwater viewing windows allow visitors to observe large lake trout and salmon thrash and leap up the ladder to the spawning pond. Peak activity is in spring, late summer and fall when spawn is collected to raise fingerlings to stock the Lake Michigan sports fishery. Enjoy the quiet beauty of the river, the frenzied activity in the ladder and the restful walkways around the pond. For more details, visit their website.
Car Ferry & Tug
Ships and boats come in all shapes and sizes and perform many different duties. The Schooner Coast includes a car ferry that was originally built to transport railroad freight cars, but now carries passengers, and a tugboat that served during WWII and later helped construct many Great Lakes’ harbors. Learn more here.
S.S. Badger at Manitowoc
This 410-foot car ferry is a fun and relaxing shortcut across Lake Michigan . Carferry arrives in Manitowoc at noon and departs at 1:55 p.m. each day May 26-June 9 & Aug. 29-Oct. 9. The ferry makes a second trip June 10-Aug. 28 arriving in Manitowoc 11:30 p.m. and departing 12:55 a.m. each day.
Tug Ludington at Kewaunee
Tour a piece of American history, on the Tug Ludington. Open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children.
Dining, Shopping & Strolling
For insider recommendations on things to do, see, shop and eat, visit the Gems section of SchoonerCoast.org.
Bonus: Savings Passport
The Schooner Coast Savings Passport is good for discounts at cozy bed & breakfasts, waterfront hotels, interesting shops and small-town diners and restaurants up and down the coast. Download yours here.
