Things to Do in Neenah

The instructors at Bricks 4 Kidz translate a curriculum molded around science, technology, engineering, and math into kid-friendly language using Legos. They encourage creativity at hands-on classes and parties, where they oversee youngsters in designing and erecting machines, catapults, buildings, and other colorful formations with architecture and physics in mind. By giving their labs whimsical themes, including outer space and roller coasters, they put the kids in an environment where they can work together to master tricky concepts such as friction and scale. Central theories and activities are tailored to groups based on age, ability, and which side of the “Does gravity exist?” debate they support.

Captain Zach Burgess and his experienced crewmembers are determined to get you out on Lake Michigan and the Bay of Green Bay, come rain, snow, or zombie apocalypse. For walleye fishing in the warmer months, they prep a bathroom-equipped 25-foot Tiara Pursuit, whose deep sides provide stability and built-in canvas keeps passengers warm on wet days. Come winter, they roll out 8'x10' ice shacks that can hold up to five people seeking perch and whitefish near the warmth of a wood stove.

Snugly situated on a historic 1881 farm once known as the Schwabenlander Homestead, Mulberry Lane Farm takes its name from an ancient mulberry tree that once served as a favorite playplace for the Schwabenlander children. In those days, the 100-year-old tree was so esteemed that the children were not allowed to climb it while wearing shoes. Because of this rule, it wasn’t uncommon to find Lawrence, Harry, Norbert, and their nine other brothers and sisters swinging from its boughs, their shoes respectfully lined around its base.

Today, children still play in the shadow of that mulberry tree thanks to the founders of Green Meadows Farm, the Keyes family. Close friends of the last of the Schwabenlander boys, the Keyes adopted the farmstead and its original brick farmhouse into their petting farm empire in 2005 but gave it its own identity to honor the legacy of the original owners. Guided tours lead groups around the farm on foot and by hayride, where kids and adults are encouraged to interact and swap salad recipes with the goats, chickens, sheep, and rabbits that call the farm home. Along the way, visitors can learn how to milk cows and ride ponies or practice catching a chicken, then swing by the barn to snuggle kittens and Otis, the 900-pound boar. Before departing, visitors each receive a free souvenir in the spring and summer, and those who come in the fall have the chance to pick their own pumpkins from the 6-acre pumpkin patch.

Two people glance nervously at each other. Then, at the tops of the trees surrounding them. Then, down at their feet. Over their toes gush torrents of water. To keep from slipping, they whiten their knuckles around the metal bars. They count down from three, rocking back and forth with each number, and then hurl their bodies down the chute. A steep first drop accelerates them as wind and water rush past their ears. Toes pointed, arms folded, their bodies bank tightly around corners and loop quickly around a 360-degree turn. The race ends with a splash into a pool and an argument over who won.

The twin 350-foot waterslides at Harbour Village Resort are the most prominent feature in the park, but there are plenty of attractions for everyone. Ballers hoop on the basketball courts; fishermen cast and reel at the fishing pond with small-mouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. Even the solitary hiker trekking one of the nature trails will find company in the chattering wildlife of chipmunks, bald eagles, and foxes.

Themed activities dress up the family campground and water park. During Christmas in July, Santa swaps his heavy red cloak for a svelte candy-caned-striped speedo. Water wars break out during Pirate Weekends, and on Father’s Day, clipper-brandishing kids sheer their father’s manes in the “shave dad’s head” contest. On the weekends, glow rides trick out tractor-trailers and its passengers with glow sticks that stream to the rhythm and beats of DJ music.

Guests refuel for extra rounds of mini golf or bonus rolls on the skate park’s pipes at ice-cream socials or at the onsite store. Others readily spot the blue tongues of those who’ve been slurping slush puppies or making out with a Smurf.

More than three decades spent trolling the fish-filled waters of the Great Lakes have allowed USCG-licensed captain Kevin Williams to master the art of freshwater and ice fishing. While leading expeditions for intrepid participants both young and old, Kevin leverages his unparalleled knowledge of marine speakeasies to catch fish by surprise—and when that happens, the fisherfolk in his boat are ready and waiting with the proper angling gear, be it their own or Kevin's. The captain sets out on warm-weather trips in a 19-foot Weldcraft Maverick equipped with GPS, a trolling motor, and a fish finder, and hosts winter fishing in a heated icehouse accessible by ATV or speed-skater piggyback rides. Fishermen can keep whatever they catch, and may head home after the excursion with buckets full of whitefish, perch, and walleye.

Green Bay Whitefish joins forces with Door County's expert ice-fishing guides to help anglers of all experience levels snag whitefish and walleye throughout winter months. The team stays up to snuff on the area's fishy goings on, ensuring every trip plants clients in highly populated spots. During those outings, Green Bay Whitefish provides all the necessary supplies, from transportation on and off the ice to a spacious, heated shack stocked with some of the industry's latest electronics.