Wisconsin is known for so much more than snow, lakes and cheese—the state boasts more than 70 museums focused on all kinds of topics. Wandering through one is an admirable way to stay warm and to learn simultaneously. Check out this specialized bunch.
PIECE IT TOGETHER
Appropriately housed in a repurposed 1850s farmstead, the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts has inspiring and valuable 18th-and 19th-century quilt and textile collections. Located just east of historic Cedarburg, the museum aims to foster and inspire creativity and its current exhibit that runs through April 12 does just that. Wander through “Color in Motion,” showcasing the work of Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry, deemed one of the 30 most influential quilt makers worldwide. wiquiltmuseum.com.
GETTING PAPER
Pay homage to all things paper at the Paper Discovery Center in Appleton. A display that takes you from tree to a tissue, a make-your-own paper lab and a showcase dedicated to paper use in health and hygiene are just three of the interactive hands-on permanent exhibits that kids are bound to love. An afternoon at the center will give you newfound appreciation for the prevalent material that helped shape today’s world. paperdiscoverycenter.org.
ROCK IT
From rocks and minerals to fossils and dinosaurs, the UW-Madison Geology Museum is full of surprises. The museum peers into Wisconsin geological history—showcasing rocks from a time when Wisconsin had volcanoes, the enormous tusks of an Ice Age mastodon, dinosaur skeletons and fossils. Get inspired by the black light display, which allows ostensibly normal rocks and minerals to transform into vibrantly colored spectacles through the process of fluorescence. The Madison museum ignites interest in the earth for guests of all ages. geology.wisc.edu/~museum.
– Joyce Novacek
