The fourth-largest city in Wisconsin, Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, just behind Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. Kenosha is 32 miles away from Milwaukee and is located almost halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. Kenosha has been an important Great Lakes shipping port since the early 1800s when it was named Southport. Decades ago it was a bustling hub of manufacturing and became a commuting “bedroom community” due to the ease of access to the Chicago-Milwaukee corridor. Today it is mostly a white collar work force with Abbott Laboratories being one of the largest employers. Delve into “K-Town” culture at the Kenosha Public Museum, a fine arts as well as a natural sciences museum. The permanent art collection includes 1,200 pieces and natural science exhibits include mammoths, world cultures, Native Americans, zoology, geology, fossils and other decorative arts.
You might not expect to find a first-rate Civil War museum in Kenosha but this explains the skirmish from the perspective of the upper Midwest states, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. More than 750,000 men from this region served in the Union. Both museums are located in Downtown Kenosha which has a pleasant Harbor front that you can see beautiful Lake Michigan views and lighthouses as well as many excellent shopping outlets. The Farmers Market in the summer is crowded on Saturdays and filled with good foods. Be sure to take in Library Park, which besides a library has a war memorial, a Lincoln statue and a park which are all included in the National Register of Historic Places. Third Avenue is also included in the National Register of Historic Places. Kenosha Transit Carhouse’s streetcars can take you across this growing city and if you book a room online at Choice Hotels in Kenosha, WI, you’ll have a convenient location for a visitor to commute to and from. Book it today!