Sheboygan County Historical Museum
The Sheboygan County Historical Museum is a six-building campus housing over 35,000 artifacts that emphasize local history. The buildings include a stately brick building reflecting the career of Judge David Taylor and the era of 1850-1900, the 1864 Weinhold Family Homestead, the 1890s Schuchardt Barn with rural agricultural displays, and the 1867 Bodenstab Cheese Factory with early commercial cheesemaking appliances. Also featured are seasonal displays, exhibits, a classroom and museum store. Changing exhibits include Indian history, ice harvesting, maritime history, the circus, local sports, early agriculture and related trades.
The Wade House
In 1844, Sylvanus and Betsy Wade found themselves creating a settlement halfway between Sheboygan and Fond du Lac. This site would not only become the Village of Greenbush, but it would also be a prime location for a stagecoach trail. By 1850, the Wade House Stagecoach Inn had taken off, and it flourished for about a decade before the railroad became the main mode of transportation. Visit the Wade House and return to a time of stagecoach travel to see a community where Yankee refinement met the Wisconsin wilderness. Enjoy an 1860s vintage baseball re-creation, or experience the clash of arms between Union and Confederate troops in re-enactments as part of the annual Civil War Weekend.
Sheboygan County Historical Research Center
The Sheboygan County Historical Research Center (SCHRC) specializes in the preservation and storage of written records of all of Sheboygan County and the surrounding area. The SCHRC has over 20,000 general information files (newspaper clippings, past research correspondence, small genealogies) focusing on family surnames, local business and industry, Sheboygan County towns, villages and cities, local landmarks, clubs and organizations, landmarked properties, churches and much more.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a magnificent facility comprising of 12 galleries, two performance spaces, five studios for classes, several spaces for special events, the ARTcafe, an extensive gift shop, whimsical sculpture gardens, and “America’s Best Bathrooms,” according to ABC’s Good Morning America. Up to 30 exhibits each year explore themes such as messages and magic, civil liberties, home and the American story. Architecture critic Whitney Gould described it as a “sassy, classy tour de force.”
Plymouth Arts Center
The Plymouth Arts Center is the premier art destination in western Sheboygan County. Located in historic downtown, this community non-profit organization is dedicated to its mission, “to enliven the spirit of our community and to enrich the lives of all by providing diverse experiences in the arts.”
The Sheboygan Project
Art does not have to be confined to museums and galleries. The Sheboygan Project brings the street-art movement to the City of Sheboygan by using the urban landscape as a canvas for exciting works of art that reflect the city’s people and culture. The Sheboygan Project aimed to connect artists with available wall space and resources to create unique site-specific works in Sheboygan.
The goal of this street art series was to create a more intimate relationship between the invited artists and the Sheboygan community receiving his or her art. It is hoped that this project will continue to draw and inspire artists from inside and outside of our community by increasing and strengthening the city’s public art and cultural diversity. Additionally, The Sheboygan Project aims to further develop Sheboygan’s reputation as a destination for artists and encourage locals to embrace the arts culture of their city.
Kohler Design Center
The Kohler Design Center is a three-level showcase of innovative product design and technology, creative achievement, and American history. A fusion of old and new, the space offers a comprehensive representation of Kohler Company’s state-of-the-art products and stunning examples of the company’s contributions to gracious living and interior design.
The building was originally used as a recreation hall for residents of the Village of Kohler. In 1985 it was transformed into a 36,000-square-foot showcase for the extensive array of quality products offered by the Kohler family of businesses. The Kohler Design Center has grown to become a dramatic exploration of design ideas, the quintessence of Kohler’s commitment to providing products that contribute to a higher level of gracious living.
Weill Center for the Performing Arts
The Sheboygan Theater was constructed in 1927-1928 for the Milwaukee Theatre Circuit of Universal Pictures Corporation. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style, it is an especially fine and intact example of the “atmospheric” type movie theater developed in the 1920s.
The theater is now home to several local performing arts groups plus presents its own series of live performances and movies. The theater receives no public funding, but relies solely upon the earned income and donations from generous corporations, foundations, families and individuals, plus the efforts of an amazing group of over one hundred volunteers.
Plymouth Downtown Mural Walk
In June 2011, downtown Plymouth was host to the Walldogs, a group of 160+ painters from around the world, who created 21 murals on downtown buildings over the course of four days. The murals depict businesses from Plymouth’s historic past. This self-guided tour is available year round.
Aviation Heritage Center of Wisconsin
A place for people to experience the world of flight, the Aviation Heritage Center of Wisconsin offers an aviation museum and library. Explore the early pioneer days of barnstorming pilots landing in fields to give rides and demonstrations. Discover the golden age of aviation from the late 1920s and 30s, and learn about the founders who established aviation success for Sheboygan County and aerial advancement throughout southeastern Wisconsin.
Elkhart Lake Historic Race Circuit
Two historic race circuits around Elkhart Lake will take you around the corners and over the hills once traveled at high speed by the world’s top sports car drivers. Learn about Dicken’s Ditch, Kimberley’s Korner, and the Schoolhouse Straight. Race circuits around Elkhart Lake were listed on the Wisconsin and National Register of History Places in 2006. View the 14 historical markers placed around Elkhart’s historic open-road sports car racing circuits to commemorate the big names and big events that occurred there between 1950 and 1952.
Lao, Hmong & American Veterans Memorial
Located on Sheboygan’s lakefront, the Lao, Hmong & American Veterans Memorial was built and established as a humble reminder of all the sacrifices made during the US Secret War in Laos during the Vietnam War era. It contains 24 panels made of black granite. Twelve are for names engraving and 12 for narrative texts. In the center, there is mosaic design of a piece of Hmong needle work (Paj Ntaub), Symbolizing Hmong women’s contribution to the US secret war in Laos.
