Kenosha, WI Road Trips

The city was founded in 1835 under the name of Pike. The town underwent growth and its name changed to Southport in 1837. In 1850 the name was changed again and this time it stuck: Kenosha. Even though it's been over a hundred years, you'll see many businesses use the Southport moniker in their branding. Kenosha owes much to the numerous waves of immigrants that chose to settle here. The Italians especially made an impact, along with the Germans, Irish, and others. Kenosha was heavily involved in the auto industry from the early 1900s to the late 1980s with Rambler, Nash, AMC, and others having factories in town. Kenosha became a sleepy suburb with not much in the way of "culture" once the factories left. Kenosha was hit hard by the loss of auto industry jobs like many cities in the rust belt. The downtown area is undergoing renovations to become more attractive with efforts that include: the removal of the previous dingy, abandoned warehouses with posh condos; the opening of three public museums; a recreation of the historical streetcar line; and several new art galleries. Land along the I-94 corridor has undergone extensive development, with warehouses and new factories moving in. Kenosha has chain retailers and restaurants, especially on the western side of town. Like the rings of a tree, the history of the city's growth is marked by the location and type of attractions in Kenosha. The downtown area has historic, brick buildings; the center of Kenosha is sleepy 1960s suburban with large, shady lawns; and the western edge is filled with McMansions and businesses.

1 Anderson Arts Center, 6603 3rd Ave. Located on the southern end of the Kemper Center campus, this art museum displays the work of local and regional artists. The building was finished in 1931 and its architecture is an example of the French Renaissance Revival style. (updated Jan 2017) Civil War Museum, 5400 First Avenue, ☏ +1 262 653-4140. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Also open Mondays moon-5PM March through August only. Despite Wisconsin's distance from the battlefields of the Civil War, Kenosha has a museum dedicated to it. The exhibits here focus on the experiences of Midwestern veterans of the Civil War. $7 adults, free for youth 15 and under if accompanied by a paying adult. 2 Dinosaur Discovery Museum, 5608 Tenth Avenue, ☏ +1 262 653-4450. Tu-Su noon-5PM. Dinosaur museum which also houses the Carthage Institute of Paleontology. Free. 3 Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 First Avenue, ☏ +1 262 653-4140. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Also open Mondays noon-5PM March through August only. Kenosha's natural sciences and fine arts museum. The lower level houses a large mammoth skeleton, small gift shop, and children's educational room. The upper level houses a taxidermy menagerie and an art gallery. Free. 4 Kemper Center, 6501 3rd Ave, ☏ +1 (262)657-6005. Built in 1861, this historic mansion sits on the shore of Lake Michigan. Guided tours are offered year round, call the number listed to get the most current times and prices. Seasonal events, such as a haunted house and Christmas concerts, are hosted here.

1 America's Action Territory, 12345 75th St. Check their website for hours as they change depending on the season. This event filled location has three mini-golf courses, laser tag, go-karts, bumper boats, paintball, and an arcade. It's common to see children (and teens) host birthday parties here. Some of the go-karts are faster than others; always pick the karts near the back of the line and to the far side of the track (winners get to take a victory lap, hence these prime karts being at the back). During the winter, the outdoor attractions close but there is still a decent amount available to entertain your offspring. Pricing is dependent on participant's height. You can purchase an unlimited pass for $27 to $32 or purchase attractions à la carte. See website for à la carte pricing. (updated Feb 2016) 2 Petrifying Springs Park (Pets Park). This park consists of hiking trails that are both paved and unpaved, cross-country ski trails, a golf course, and several large playgrounds. Many of the hiking trails wind up, down and around the pike river and a few of its tributaries. There is also a dog park. (updated May 2016) 3 Anderson Park Pool, 8730 22nd ave. This water park has two pools: a children's pool that has a small water slide and the regular pool that has two slides and a diving board. Entry fees are cash only. Entry: $4 (ages 3-17), $5 (adults), $3 (seniors over 60). (updated Feb 2016) 4 Dream Playground (Petzke Park), 3100 14th Ave. 8AM to 10PM. A playground designed for children of all ages and physical abilities.

If you're not interested in expanding your palate with local food, rest assured that the city has the usual chain restaurants, including Applebees, Chili's, Red Robin, and Culvers. A heavy concentration of chain restaurants can be found on 75th street, about a two miles to the east of I94 (between 104th avenue and Green Bay road). Just drive up and down 75th until you see something you like. The best way of enjoying your stay in Kenosha is to try one of the local, family owned restaurants. Kenosha was founded by successive waves of English, German, Scandinavian, Irish, Italian and Eastern European immigrants. Thus, its culinary institutions are quite diverse. There is also a high saturation of bars in Kenosha and many of these serve food far above the usual bar-pizza food. There is a smoking ordinance in effect which prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars unless they have a completely segregated smoking room with separate ventilation. You'll have difficulty finding a restaurant or bar that has spent the extra space to accommodate a separate smoking section, however. 1 Big Star, 1500 Washington Rd. This is a drive-in that has been open since 1954. The burgers are excellent but very small. They are only open from March 1st to Labor Day. (updated Feb 2016) 2 The Coffee Pot, 4914 7th Avenue. They are only open for breakfast and lunch. There is often a wait during the weekend. (updated Feb 2016) 3 Franks Diner, 508 58th St, ☏ +1 262-657-1017. M-F 6AM-1:30PM, Sa 7AM-1:30PM, Su 7AM-1:30PM.

Kenosha has many bars. There is usually one on the corner roughly every couple of blocks or so. Most of these are hole-in-wall places that you'd only step foot in if you lived in the area or went with someone who was a regular. There are locations listed in the Eat section that legally are bars but their food is a main attraction. This includes the Brat Stop, Captain Mike's, Mike's Chicken and Doughnuts, and Ashling by the Lough, among others. Below are bars that don't serve food or where food is not the main attraction. 1 The Checkpoint, 5301 22nd Ave. A nerdy-cool "barcade". The exterior and interior are covered in video game homage murals. The drinks are named after Mortal Kombat finishing moves. This bar also has a few hookahs. The arcade cabinets are free and feature a wide variety of classics. Pool and darts must be paid for. This bar has some interesting hours of business. Sometimes they close for a night, just because (this is rare, but frequent enough to warrant a heads-up). Make sure you have secondary plans lined up and do a "drive-by" to make sure they are open the night you want to visit. (updated Feb 2016) 2 Club Icon, 6305 120th Ave. This is a gay bar, but it's the only place in town that has a dance floor so folks from all points of the spectrum congregate here. Among the locals, it has a slight reputation of being trashy. They do events, theme nights, and often have a live DJ. (updated Jan 2017) 3 Rendez'vous Tiki Lounge, 1700 52nd St. This place has a fun tiki bar theme and is recommended if you like fruity drinks.

A high concentration of chain hotels and motels can be found near I94, specifically near exit 344. These accommodations are pretty "vanilla" and budget to mid-range. Best Western Executive Inn, 7220 122nd Avenue, ☏ +1 262 857-7699, toll-free: +1-800-438-3932, fax: +1 262 857-2698. Wyndham Garden Harborside Inn & Kenosha Conference Center, 5125 6th Avenue, ☏ +1 262 658-3281, fax: +1 262 658-3420. The hotel is considered quite nice by local standards. It has a beautiful view of the harbor and Lake Michigan. It's located in the middle of the downtown area and within a ten minute or less walk to most of the downtown restaurants and museums listed here. It's close enough to the train station that it would be feasible to stay here, be entertained and fed, and visit Chicago without needing a car (this is all something that can't be said for many other locations in the city). Other than that, it's just ok, a stay here isn't going to wow you. The rooms are mildly dated but clean. It has a pool and a gym. Some rooms allow pets. All rooms are non-smoking.

It is possible to bike from Chicago to Kenosha by following the Robert McClory bike path (roughly 56 miles of biking from the start of the trail into Kenosha). The trailhead starts in Highland park on Green Bay Trail at Laurel Ave. and St. Johns Ave./Sheridan Rd. It follows North Lakeshore drive and is clearly marked if you wish to start your journey further north. The path is mostly concrete, asphalt, or tightly packed limestone gravel. The trail follows the path of an old railroad. It is often tree lined and passes through some very pretty neighborhoods (and a few not-so-pretty ones as well). This is a dedicated bike path that only briefly goes onto streets around the Lake Forest area. It ends at the south side of Kenosha, by Anderson park. Give about 6 hours for travel, including rest stops. This is most likely a half-day event, minimum: ensure you find a good map of your route and pack enough supplies. Airport Express (Subsidiary of Coach USA, operated by Wisconsin Coach Lines), (bus stop) Brat Stop at I-94 & Hwy 50 (at the I-94/Hwy 50 interchange (exit #344 off of I-94) at 12304 75th Street). Service from several places in Milwaukee including Mitchell Airport and from Chicago O'Hare. Connections to Greyhound & other bus companies in Milwaukee and Chicago. Arrival and departures are on the east side of the Brat Stop near the volleyball courts. Please look for the sign and waiting area. (updated Aug 2020) Wisconsin Coach Lines (Subsidiary of Coach USA), (bus stop) 63rd St on 20th Ave in Uptown. Service from Milwaukee and Racine.

Most of Kenosha is suburbia. With the exception of the downtown area, attractions in Kenosha are spaced out with enough distance between them that walking or biking sometimes isn't an option unless you are very fit and have the extra time. You'll want to have some form of motorized transport to get around, unless you are staying near the lake and the attractions near the interstate or middle part of town don't interest you. Many of the streets are being redone to include bike lanes. Bike culture has not yet kept up with these new lanes and occasionally you will find cars driving in or overtaking from the dedicated lanes. Their connection to one another is sporadic because the lanes are added as streets are repaired. There are several local bike shops that sell supplies and do bike repairs. If you've made bicycle your main mode of transport and are in need of their services, the below all have very good reputations and have been in business for many years: 1 Ski & Sports Chalet, 5039 6th Ave, ☏ +1 262 658-8515. This location dedicates more floor space to bikes than ski equipment. They have friendly, accommodating staff and passionate repair people. The have a moderate selection of bike accessories. They also offer bike rentals. (updated Apr 2017) 2 Southport Rigging Inc. (The bike shop), 2926 75th St. Most locals just call this place the bike shop. They specialize in Trek bikes, sell bike accessories, and perform repairs. (updated Apr 2017) 3 Total Cyclery, 2900 52nd St, ☏ +1 262 652-2222. A very small shop that has knowledgeable staff and good repair people.

You are unlikely to become the target of a crime, as most crime is locally focused. While nowhere near south Chicago levels, certain areas near the train tracks in the inner-east part of Kenosha are rather rough. You won't need to make sure your car doors are locked when approaching a stop sign or roll through red lights at night, but don't dawdle around the area after sundown. Kenosha's downtown has been cleaned up in the past decade, but portions of it beyond the main strip should be avoided after night. Also, the downtown area has a high homeless population. They ride the trains from Chicago, and Kenosha is the last stop on the line. They are mostly harmless. Avoid staying in motels on Sheridan road on the north side of Kenosha. In addition to being very run down and shady, there is frequent drug-related crime, car break-ins, and the occasional prostitution bust. It isn't an incredibly rough area, especially compared to the inner-east part of Kenosha, but the area has a large number of motels within 1,000 feet of the lakeshore that offer very cheap prices and so could, at a glance, seem like a good place to stay. You are more likely to get into a car accident than become the target of crime. You shouldn't speed, but local Kenoshians have a tendency to drive at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limit, even in the city, due to its proximity to Chicago and I94's driving habits. They consider it a speed minimum limit, not a maximum limit. If you do the speed limit on the main north-south roads, you might have some road rage directed at you.