Coast for a While
With more than 30 miles of Lake Michigan coastline, 17 beaches, and the 6-mile Mariners Trail lakeside recreational trail there are abundant options for a relaxing trip to the coast. If you want to experience our community by learning about its history through museums we have a lot to offer. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum and WWII submarine the USS Cobia give a look at Lake Michigan nautical history. Manitowoc County Historical Society and Heritage Center offer up community history, Pinecrest Historical Village re-enacts the past in an interactive way, and the Rahr-West Art Museum preserves a Victorian mansion and houses an extensive collection of historic and modern art. Enjoy yourself on the waters of Lake Michigan in a variety of ways. Rent a kayak, put-in your boat at the marina, catch a fishing charter or take a ride on the S.S. Badger carferry, the only remaining coal-fired steamship in North America. Accommodations range from quaint bed & breakfasts to family and lakeside hotels offering convention and meeting space. Family style to fine dining, there is a restaurant here to please the toughest of critics.

Explore our Downtown
Check out Manitowoc’s 8th Street Historic District and the surrounding shops, restaurants, parks, and entertainment. The Main Street District has 72 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Some things you sill not want to miss include a micro-brewery, a historic theater which hosts national touring acts and local theater groups and weekly farmers’ markets. 

An Abundance of Activities
Dine on local specialties like perch and smelt at more than 30 area restaurants, then catch feeding time at the Lincoln Park Zoo and Big Red Barn petting zoo. Weekly concerts at Washington Park, Thunder on the Lakeshore Airshow, Manitowoc County Fair, Sputnikfest and other events provide entertainment every weekend.

Historic Manitowoc

Shipbuilding has played a role in Manitowoc’s past from the schooners of the 19th century, to the world-class, luxury yachts built by Burger Boat Company of today. Stroll the river-walk to the lake and watch freighters move tons of materials in and out of our hard working port. You might even catch a glimpse of a yacht bound for the Mediterranean.

Dive into history at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and step aboard the USS Cobia, representative of the 28 submarines built in Manitowoc during WWII: explore the classic yachts and sailboats in the museums galleries or get hands-on in the children’s waterway room. Take in the galleries at the historic mansion which houses the Rahr-West Art Museum; seek out works by Picasso, O’Keeffe and Warhol. Immerse yourself in history at Pinecrest Historical Village tour historic buildings, and interact with costumed interpreters who share what life was like at the turn of the century and before.

http://www.manitowoc.org/