As you arrive, the number of people, size of the site and the rows and rows of magnificent aircraft are simply overwhelming. If you were to walk past….not down….each row of airplanes, you would cover 5.2 miles! This just begins to describe the sights to be discovered at the annual, week-long EAA AirVenture of Oshkosh. Typically about 2,500 show aircraft participate in AirVenture, including homebuilts, antiques, classics, war birds, ultralights and rotorcrafts.
A beautiful Aeronautics Museum and an amazing afternoon Air Show only enhance the AirVenture experience, and the recently added KidVenture experience is not to be missed. Held at the Wittman Regional Airport, KidVenture attracts thousands of participants, young and old alike with hands-on, education - and fun - aviation based demonstrations and presentations.
Winnebago County has over 165,000 acres of waterways including Lake Winneconne, Lake Poygan, Lake Butte des Morts, and Lake Winnebago along with the Wolf and the Fox Rivers. The Lake Winnebago System is famous for walleye fishing, beginning with the spring run on the Wolf River. This part of Wisconsin is indeed a top destination for walleye anglers.
Following the walleyes spawning run spring fishing takes off and continues on into late fall. The Department of Natural Resources along with area conservation groups work together to make our waterways one of the finest in the nation. Amateur and professional fishermen find walleyes in abundance, along with perch, white bass, crappies, catfish, bluegills, smallmouth bass and northern pike. The white bass are abundant in spring, and residents and guest enjoy great fishing year round.
When winter returns to our area, ice-fishing season opens and lasts until late March, weather permitting. Area conservation clubs sponsor fisheries, and sturgeon spearing is held in early February.
Winneconne has been honored to host the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail Tournament twice in recent years. Professional fisherman from all over the United States and Canada come to take part in the tournament and enjoy our village and beautiful waterways.
This 21.8 mile trail runs from the city of Oshkosh to the northern Winnebago County line and is open to outdoor enthusiasts year-round. The base of crushed lime stone offers bicyclists, hikers, joggers, horseback riders a great experience, and in the winter months gives snowmobilers a wonderful glimpse of nature as the trail winds through marshes, farm fields, and prairies and borders beautiful Lake Butte des Morts. You may access the trail at County Y and County Road S in Butte des Morts, at Highway 116 and County S in Winneconne or Highway G in Allenville.
A pleasant 1.5 mile route that takes walkers and bikers around the replacement wetlands created at the intersection of Highway 116 and GG. The trail can be accessed off of Kolb Road, where a parking area exists for trail users or at the Park and Ride and County S. Wolf Wilderness Trail accesses the larger WIOUWASH Trail in Winnebago County.
The Friendship Trail runs east and west through the Town of Clayton parallel to U.S. Highway 10. The Friendship Trail also connects with the WIOUWASH Trail, and helps connect other Fox Valley Trails including the Little Lake Butte des Morts Trestle Bridge. The trail will eventually travel from Manitowoc to Stevens Point.
With 160 acres of pure beauty, this 18 hole championship golf course, located on Ball Prairie Road in the Town of Winneconne, is home to the only "Wisconsin Shaped" green in the state! Well manicured fairways and USGA compliant greens ensure guests a wonderful experience each and every time they visit Lake Breeze. The Clubhouse Bar & Grill with its friendly atmosphere invites guests to enjoy quality food and famous Friday Night Fish Fry.
Wisconsin's largest indoor archery range can be found only in Winneconne, Wisconsin! With a business that started in a broom closet of a local bar in 1996, blossoming into the state's largest archery range is quite a feat. The range, while maintaining that down-home feel for anglers and hunters to share their stories, offers a 40-plus yard year-round indoor archery range, accompanied by a 3D outdoor range, a 20-yard spot range, a bar & grill facility, and an expanded sporting goods store with a great selection of crankbaits, livebait, and plastics specific the needs of a Wolf River fisherman working to catch those finicky fish!
Bowling fun awaits on the outskirts of Marble Park at none other than Marble Park Lanes – Winneconne's very own bowling alley!
The lanes, located at 675 Grant St., open in mid-August and stay open during the fall, summer and spring until April 30. Several youth and adult leagues are available, and bowling and shoe rental prices are exceptionally reasonable. Don't miss the full service bar area and great munchies and pizza too. The lanes open at 6 pm nightly during the open season.
Located just a stone's throw from Winneconne is the world famous Union Star Cheese Factory of Zittau, Wisconsin. If you are looking for taste and tradition, then Union Star Cheese Factory is the place for you. Beginning operation in 1911, Union Star has been owned and operated by the Metzig family for over three generations. Voted as one of "Wisconsin’s Best," the Union Star Cheese Factory has been making cheese for over 90 years. Stop by and sample their fresh, homemade cheeses all produced from local dairy milk. Located five miles southeast of Fremont on County Road II, Union Star offers tours of the factory every morning except Sunday. Fresh cheese is available each morning between 9:00 to 10:00 am. Come sample "the best of Wisconsin!".
Know as Wisconsin's premier 1/3 mile dirt track, the Oshkosh Speedzone opens in early February with snowmobile and sno-cross races for area enthusiasts and continues on through the fall season with five divisions of amazing dirt track action. From the very low budget racer to the more advanced participant, you'll see drivers push the limits of dirt track racing just minutes away from the Winneconne Area on County Road Y in Oshkosh. Rest assured you'll see amazing dirt track action at the state’s best racing facility!
The Grand Opera House in downtown Oshkosh is a beautifully restored Victorian Theater. Built in 1833 and restored in the 1980s, this stunning facility is owned by the city of Oshkosh and has been managed by the Opera House Foundation since 1990. The 668 seat house has the intimacy of a European-style theater with near perfect acoustics. There are velvet seats, a ladies' warming room, marble fireplaces and cherub ceiling, to name just a few of its distinctive characteristics. The Grand Opera House offers 5-Star Events, a performance and family series, as well as many special events for the community year round. It is a wonderful venue for live theater with a distinctly local flavor.
Whether you are interested in fabulous fine dining or a delicious buffet overlooking the scenic Wolf River on Showboat I, or a fun dinner cruise on Showboat II, you are guaranteed a memorable time on a Winneconne Fin 'n' Feather Showboat Cruise! The Fin 'n' Feather Showboats, on the water's edge in downtown Winneconne, offer a refreshing taste of the leisurely past and a wonderful view of the Wolf River - one of Wisconsin's greatest natural resources. It's fine dining and fun all on a gorgeous river boat!
In 2004, The Village of Winneconne, in conjunction with the Winnebago County Health Department, initiated the designation of a number of different walking paths throughout the village. With as many as four routes offering distances of one to three miles, these paths provide walkers, roller bladers and even cyclists a chance to enjoy the great outdoors and some invigorating exercise in a measurable and safe manner.
Various routes are color coded, and sponsorships have helped to pay for the painting, benches, and signage along path routes.
Purchased by the Butte des Morts Conservation Club back in 1998, the massive 1,183 acre wetland island known as Terrell's Island is a true natural wonder and a sight to see. The island, which resides on the south side of Lake Butte des Morts in the Town of Winneconne, is a wetland preservation site that is dedicated to providing a safe habitat for native wildlife, and to providing a site for environmental education to the community.
With more than 12,000 to 13,000 birds using the island as their home among other inhabitants, Terrell's Island is open to the public 365 days per year and is just a short drive from the village of Winneconne. Walking trails branch throughout the compound, and a viewing platform is under construction for visitors. More information can be found by visiting the Butte des Morts Conservation Club