2024's 11 Most Beautiful Small Towns in Wisconsin

The state of Wisconsin is located just above Illinois, along the western edge of the Great Lakes region. Along with historical nicknames like “America’s Dairyland” and the “Badger State,” Wisconsin is perhaps best known for the Green Bay Packers, Harley Davidson, and the production of cheese. Yet, Wisconsin has a plethora of picturesque small towns scattered across its landscape as well. Here are eleven of the most beautiful small towns in the state. From towns like Sturgeon Bay and Cave Point County Park to towns like Bayfield and the Meyers Beach Sea Caves, Wisconsin possesses a natural beauty that never fails to amaze.

Sister Bay

Home to several great events, including a fall festival showcasing live bands, an arts & crafts fair, and even a community fish-boil, the quaint town of Sister Bay is a true haven for displaying cultural beauty. The town of Sister Bay also offers several sources that encourage a natural beauty, including stunning views of the bay while sitting on the soft sands of Sister Bay Beach or enjoying smores in front of a campfire on the far side of Waterfront Park with friends and family. There are even several picturesque spots in downtown Sister Bay, including the Corner of the Past museum, which features 15 historically restored buildings, including a 19th-century farmhouse that was once owned by Alex Anderson.

Stockholm

On the northeastern bank of Lake Pepin, opposite Frontenac State Park, the town of Stockholm is a wealth of natural and cultural beauty hidden in a rather remote area. Home of just over 200 people, this peaceful lake town is also home to the Stockholm Museum, which showcases the history of the town, the Black Cat Farmstead, and Stockholm Village Campground, which provides ideal scenic vistas of the lake and all the amenities accompanying camping in a tent or motorhome. The town of Stockholm also provides visitors with a cultural sense of beauty within the community, including local businesses and establishments. Hop Dish & Vine offers a tasty Caprese Chicken Sandwich, while Rustic Road Gallery displays awe-inspiring naturalistic art from Cooper Hansen.

Bayfield

The tranquil town of Bayfield, home to around 600 permanent residents, is also home to several red and orange sandstone creations that are known as the Sea Caves of the Apostle Islands. Downtown Bayfield is also home to a variety of attributes that classify it as culturally beautiful. The Mayfield Maritime Museum, with free admission to young and old, displays over 150 different artifacts relating to the maritime history of the town, while the Bayfield Heritage Association, also free to everyone, showcases exhibits from folk-art paintings by Bob Nelson to traditional birch-bark canoe constructed by Marvin Defoe. They even have a portrait of Henry Wolsey Bayfield, taken in 1840.

Ephraim

Perhaps one of the most tranquil small towns in the entire state, with around 400 permanent residents, the town of Ephraim is an ideal location to experience natural and cultural beauty. The Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond provides a variety of great outdoor activities, such as taking stunning photographs of the native wildlife and the fall foliage. Other areas of the town maintain a sense of beauty and wonder as well. Anderson Dock displays its own unique style through thousands of names etched on the walls of the boathouse, and Eagle Tower, a prominent structure in nearby Peninsula State Park, allows visitors to see as far away as the Upper Michigan shoreline.

Mazomanie

Whether it is the Midwest Microcar Museum, featuring antique cars like the 1958 Nobel 200, or Morton Forest County Park, located two miles south of town, the town of Mazomanie is a true natural, historical, and cultural oasis, depending on the personal perspective of the viewer. Mazomanie is also home to several other great natural attributes, including Mazo Beach and Mazo Bluff, a plethora of excellent restaurants like the Old Feed Mill on Cramer Street and Gordons on Commercial, and many locally-owned establishments such as Carr Valley Cheese Company. There are also several in-town natural amenities, including a public swimming pool on Park Street and Walking Iron County Park out on Beckman Road.

Mineral Point

The picturesque town of Mineral Point, situated south of Ludden Lake, just above the southern border of Wisconsin, is home to around 2,500 permanent residents. This cozy town is also home to a wide variety of photographic opportunities, like the Mineral Point Railroad Museum, which features the railroad history of the town, the historic site of Pendarvis, honoring some of the original Wisconsin “badgers” and their Cornish heritage, and the Gundry House Museum, showcasing historical value pertinent to the Gundry family homestead. There are also several arts & craft-inspired art studios and galleries in Mineral Point, including the Jane Wilcoxson Studio, Wantoot - Modern American Art & Craft, and Robert Clement’s Studio.

Sturgeon Bay

Home to a variety of great venues, such as Cave Point County Park, which offers cave spelunking and cliff-diving, and Whitefish Dunes State Park, which offers 15 miles of great hiking trails, the town of Sturgeon Bay is a haven for natural attractions. Yet, this town of almost ten thousand residents is also home to some great cultural and historical attributes. Door County has two museums in town: a maritime museum with a tugboat tour and a museum catering to the history of the county. There are also several festivals that occur annually in Sturgeon Bay. The Harvest Fest & Street Art Auction, held every year in mid-September, offers more than fairly-priced local artwork. There is a “Cruise by the Bay” Classic Car Parade, food and craft vendors, and even the “Tapping of the Oktoberfest Firkin.”

Spring Green

An hour west of the city of Madison, the pastoral town of Spring Green is an oasis of natural and cultural attributes. Home of the Taliesin Preservation, which is better known as the home and office of Frank Lloyd Wright, House on the Rock Museum, which displays the world’s largest carousel, as well as a sea creature that was measured at 200’ in length, the town of Spring Green has many great sites that are perfect for a camera. The Tower Hill State Park, which borders the Wisconsin River, also called Spring Green home, offers outdoor activities from canoeing and kayaking to hiking and camping. A variety of special events also take place in downtown Spring Green, including “BeatleFest” and “ChamberFest.”

Fish Creek

On the other side of Peninsula State Park from Ephraim and just under ten miles southwest of Sister Bay, the town of Fish Creek boasts a population of just over a thousand people. Yet, along with the amenities of the state park, such as hiking, biking, and camping overnight, this beautiful small town possesses some great natural and cultural attributes downtown as well. Peninsula Players Theater is an outdoor theater with an accompanying beer garden, while Edgewood Orchard Gallery showcases work by artists such as Ginnie Cappaert and Rebecca Korth. There are also a variety of activities for the children in Fish Creek. If swimming is out of the question due to inclement weather, beaches like Sunset and Nicolet Bay offer several sand-related adventures.

Ladysmith

The picturesque town of Ladysmith, interwoven along the banks of the Flambeau River and south of the Chequamegon National Forest, is the perfect town to visit if you are a nature enthusiast. From Memorial Park, which is excellent for a picnic with the family, to O.J. Falge Park, which features a scenic boardwalk, the area around Ladysmith displays a facet of beauty that most towns do not achieve. There are also several historical and cultural attributes in the town of Ladysmith, including two museums, a copper mine, and a plethora of events and festivities. Northland Mardi Gras, held annually in Ladysmith and takes place in July, and Winter Magic, held in December and featuring campfires, horse-drawn wagon rides, and even a Winter Magic Parade.

Mosinee

In the center of Marathon County, in the center of the state of Wisconsin, the peaceful town of Mosinee rests along the banks of the Wisconsin River. Home to a variety of nature-oriented activities and attributes, this town of just under 5,000 permanent residents is also home to a plethora of parks, such as Dessert, River, and Walter Zych. There are also a wide variety of activities that can be enjoyed on the waters of the Mosinee Flowage and the Wisconsin River, including fishing, boating, kayaking, and swimming. Plus, every year in August, the town of Mosinee presents the Logjam Festival. This exhilarating event features the Wisconsin River Rollers, canoe rides for the children, cannon firing demonstrations, a petting zoo, and even tournaments in horseshoes and corn-hole.

So, in conclusion, whether it is hiking through or camping in a state park, like Peninsula State Park outside of Fish Creek, or tasting a delicious Caprese Chicken Sandwich from Hop Dish & Vine in Stockholm, the great state of Wisconsin displays its own unique style of beauty. Whether it is stopping in downtown Sister Bay to enjoy a community fish-boil with family or going spelunking or cliff-diving with friends in Cave Point County Park outside of Sturgeon Bay, beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder and, in Wisconsin, there is beauty to be seen everywhere.