Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, WI

We took a ride on the annual "Snow Train" from the railway museum last weekend. Our son loved it - the train was filled with lots of small children, there was a lot to see, and the ride was the perfect length. Fifty minutes was long enough that it was still fun for the kids, but not so long that they got too squirrely.

"Conductors" and "Engineers" walk around in full regalia, which is also fun for the kids. It's relatively inexpensive, and there's a decent gift shop where you can buy a wooden train whistle. Even in the winter, the steam heat kept the cars toasty. The museum itself is sort of in the middle of nowhere - they have many old trains on the grounds, and a larger museum that we didn't duck into. We just wanted the train ride. If you've got kids who are even mildly interested in trains, check out their daily rides this summer.

Mid-Continent Railway Museum
E8948 Diamond Hill Road
North Freedom, WI 53951
midcontinent.org

(Thanks for the review Honkus!)

Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, WI

The Chazen Museum of Art is located on the east end of the UW-Madison campus. Children and adults can go through the museum in a couple of hours and cover 2000 years of art from ancient Greece to 20th century New York. Artists in the permanent collection include Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Andy Warhol. The Chazen usually has two exhibitions in addition to the permanent collection.

The museum's size makes it a very intimate setting to view art. It is probably most age appropriate for children who can stick with the "look with your eyes, not with your hands" rule. Parents of children who are not old enough to be aware of museum etiquette should keep it in mind though for a weekend when the babysitter is available and they want to get reacquainted with culture.

Entrance to the Chazen is free. There are also free concerts in the museum on most Sunday afternoons between September and May.

Chazen Museum of Art
800 University Ave
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 263-2246
chazen.wisc.edu

Beerntsen's Confectionary in Manitowoc, WI

Beerntsen's Confectionary is a fabulous little candy and ice cream shop that I have frequented since I was a little girl. Beerntsen's is located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and has been around since 1932. My parents used to take my sisters and I there for home made sandwiches, sundaes and, of course, their yummy candy. My parents still live in the area, and when we go to visit, we always make sure to stop at Beerntsen's. Our daughter's love it as much as we do! It's a great tradition.

Beerntsen's Confectionary
108 North 8th Street
Manitowoc, WI 54220
(920) 684-9616
beerntsens.com

(Thanks for the review Julie!)

Betty Brinn Children's Museum in Milwaukee, WI

The Betty Brinn Children's Museum is a wonderful museum at the end of Wisconsin Avenue overlooking the Milwaukee Art Museum and Lake Michigan. The space is big enough that there is room for the kids to play and climb and not have to wait in a line. The toddler area is enclosed and separate from the rest of the exhibits for the older kids so you don't have to worry about the toddlers accidentally getting knocked over.

There is parking underneath the museum so no need to go out into the elements between the car and the museum entrance which is nice in the winter.

Although we've never had a birthday party there, they do have party packages.

Betty Brinn Children's Museum
929 W Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 390-5437
bbcmkids.org

Madison Children's Museum in Madison, WI

The Madison Children's Museum is a fun place to take your kids. They have many exhibits and play areas where kids can really get involved, whether it's pretend play, making music with instruments or brushing a cow. They also have many programs for toddler, preschool and school-aged children. If you live in the Madison area and have kids, I would highly recommend purchasing a yearly membership, because if you attend any of the weekly programs for kids, your admission is then free. Definitely worth it! It does get crowded because of it's popularity, so I recommend going early in the a.m.

Madison Children's Museum
100 State St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 256-6445
madisonchildrensmuseum.org

(Thanks for the review Julie!)