Known for bratwurst and cheese, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, sits near the shores of Lake Michigan. About 50 miles north of Milwaukee, this Wisconsin city is a former trading post and lumbering village. With a tremendous amount of history, Sheboygan is home to numerous types of museums. If you’re in the area, make sure you check out these three must-see museums.
Above and Beyond Children’s Museum
Known as ABCM, Above and Beyond Children’s Museum is a nonprofit organization that sits in a historic three-story building found on North 8th Street in downtown Sheboygan. Opened more than 15 years ago, the museum began as a traveling road show and featured interactive children’s exhibits. Today the ABCM has high-quality academic exhibits housed in more than 10,000 square feet of space.
The first floor includes an exhibit called Rachel’s Favorite, which honors the memory of Rachel Jorgensen who died in 1998. The exhibit shows what you can accomplish by using household items. The mezzanine includes the Sky Crawl, which lets kids crawl from a tree house to the Music Mezzanine and back via rope mesh. This museum is open Tuesday through Sunday.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Found on New York Avenue, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center was founded in 1967 and is a place dedicated to making arts programming accessible to everyone. It promotes understanding and appreciation of the work done by contemporary and self-taught artists through their exhibitions, commissioned artwork, and performing arts programs.
When you step into the building, you can view more than 20,000 individual works of art created by 30 different artists. If the weather is nice, take a walk through the James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden where you can see more than 30 historic and religious figures situated in the woods. Admission to the museum is by voluntary donation.
Sheboygan County Historical Museum
Operated by the Sheboygan County Historical Society, the Sheboygan County Historical Museum collects, preserves, and educates visitors as to the history of Sheboygan County. Located on Erie Avenue, the museum resides in the former David Taylor House, which was built in the early 1850s by Sheboygan County Judge David Taylor.
In this house, you can find rural agriculture displays and commercial cheese-making implements. You can also look at seasonal displays and temporary exhibits, some of which have included artifacts about local sports, ice harvesting, and early agriculture. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from February through October. From the Friday after Thanksgiving until December 30, the museum is open daily and Santa conducts storytime every Wednesday.
When you’re in the Sheboygan area and are in the mood for a little culture, stop by any of these museums. Stop in at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center to explore art both inside and outside of the facility. Visit the Sheboygan County Historical Museum and learn more about the area. Or bring your children to the Above and Beyond Children’s Museum so they can pretend play and explore numerous exhibits. No matter what place you go to, you’re bound to leave a little more enlightened.
Connect with us
