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I don’t mean to be cheesy, but when it comes to having a blast with the younger generation, the Dairy State definitely has it covered! Entertaining your kids can be difficult and expensive, so check out these free or cheap activities for kids in Wisconsin!
Ride the Sweet Train
Pleasant Prairie
Visit the factory of America’s favorite jelly beans, Jelly Belly! Take a 25-30 minute tour on the Jelly Belly Express train. You’ll see large screen video monitors that showcase the candy making process for candy corn, gummies, and, of course, jelly beans. After the tour, enjoy the sample bar where you can try some of your all-time favorites (hello buttered popcorn!) or some new recipes on the Jelly Belly menu. Feeling brave? Try the Bamboozled flavors. They look like ordinary delicious Jelly Belly beans, but you may sample a flavor like “baby wipes”, “moldy cheese”, or “stinky socks”! If you’re feeling less adventurous, delicious fudge samples are also available. The tour is free for all ages, but you might want to bring a little bit of pocket money to take home a bag or box of jelly beans or other sweets from the store. Your kids will love this sweet, free tour!
Explore Life Under the Big Top
Baraboo
See a live circus with entertainers like jugglers and aerialists and animals like gargantuan elephants! Circus World is the place for affordable fun throughout the year. Different events take place in different seasons, so check the website for opening dates and activities. Summer brings Bengal-Siberian tigers, and the Kids’ World Circus gives the little ones a chance to perform for themselves. There’s something to do for every youngster or young-at-heart visitor. At a fraction of the cost of a touring circus, prices are very affordable for children and adults and vary depending on the season. Children under 5 are free. Season passes are just $30.00 for adults and $15.00 for children. Check out the adventure under the big top with your little ones!
Discover Some Dinos
Kenosha
Time travel to 65 million years ago and check out the fossils of dinosaurs while you learn about our friends from the Mesozoic era at the Dinosaur Discovery Museum. Dinosaur skeletons are casts of actual fossil bones, so your kids can see what an Allosaurus looked like while it roamed the earth! The best part is admission is absolutely free and part of Kenosha’s public museum system, which also includes the Civil War Museum, and Kenosha’s Public Museum (of natural sciences and fine arts). There’s so much to see in all these great museums, you may want to make a two (or even three) day trip out of it!
Stop and Smell the Flowers
Milwaukee
Visit the Mitchell Park Domes, a horticultural conservatory inside the world’s only conoidal glass houses. The Desert Dome, Tropical Dome, and Show Dome (with floral displays) all showcase elaborate displays of thousands of plant species. Milwaukee County residents get free admission on Mondays from 9 a.m.-noon. The price is affordable for visitors, just $7 for adults and $5 for children and students. (Children 5 and under are free). Experience beautiful plant life and other rotating exhibits including train shows and Farmer’s Markets at the Domes.
When you’re looking for something fun and affordable to do with kids in Wisconsin, look no further. The state has so much for kids of all ages. Even the adults will have fun with these free or cheap activities for kids in Wisconsin!
