By Kristine Hansen | Photo courtesy Museum of Wisconsin Art
For a jolt of inspiration — whether you’re a lover of spent inside an art museum can help break up the winter-into-spring slog. Consider these five art museums, all within a two-hour drive of Madison, as the perfect excuse for a day trip and a major creative boost.
Many also have cafes where you can linger over a book, a shop in which to support local artisans by purchasing their wares and classes, and workshops to either adopt or sharpen an artistic discipline.
MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART
This West Bend museum exhibits 300-some artists with some relation- ship to Wisconsin, whether they’re Dairy State natives or have had a transformational experience in Wisconsin. Works in the museum’s collection span from the early 1800s to modern day, including three of the state’s most well-known artists: land- scape painter Tom Uttech, pop artist Reginald Baylor and the late Carl von Marr, whose paintings were exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
Admission includes an annual museum membership, making it easy to return here.
Don’t miss: “Kelly Jean Ohl: Threads of Interconnectedness” (through April 12) showcases Ohl’s hand-carved clay creations that reference natural forms, such as seed pods, fossils and oceanic creatures.
MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
When Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava unveiled this building’s design in 2001, it made a major splash — and continues to do so today — as its soaring white bird-like wings create a sharp contrast against Lake Michigan’s waters. In the permanent collection are collections of Haitian art, folk art and German Expressionism, among the best in the U.S., along with a significant number of Georgia O’Keeffe paintings.
Don’t miss: “Gertrude and Friends: The Wisconsin Magic Realists” (through July), brings together fantastical depictions inspired by 1940s Midwestern life and the mysteries of everyday America.
TROUT MUSEUM OF ART
In October, this museum moved into its new home — 30,000 square feet of ground-floor space in a four-story building in downtown Appleton — in partnership with Lawrence University. Throughout 2026, admission is free, supported by The Boldt Company. In addition to serving coffee and cocktails when the museum’s open, The Drinkery is a cafe-bar hosting Coffee and Conversations creative talks every fourth Sunday.
Don’t miss: “Tandem Press: Contemporary Art and the Print Impression” (through April 5) features works by international artists who have collaborated with the Madison-based fine art print publisher.
RACINE ART MUSEUM
Located in downtown Racine on Main Street, the museum’s collection of contemporary craft — just a sliver of its 14,000-piece collection — ranks as the country’s largest. Works on paper from the 1930s to today are another specialty, such as prints, watercolors, drawings and photography. Open since 2003, the museum continually hosts fun exhibits, including its wildly popular Peeps show around Easter where artists and community members riff on this nostalgic marshmallow treat to create art.
Don’t miss: “Tanya Crane: Embodied Histories — Exploring the Legacy of African Jewelry” (through January 2027) showcases Crane’s patterns that echo designs of Indigenous makers.
JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER + ART PRESERVE
These two Sheboygan museums were both founded by the Kohler Foundation, the arts offshoot of the luxury plumbing manufacturer. Tucked into downtown Sheboygan, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center focuses exclusively on contemporary art, particularly that of self-taught artists, including artist-built environments.
The Arts Preserve’s three-story building (crafted from timber, river stones and concrete) on a 38-acre site allows more room to showcase these artist-built environments of mostly self-taught artists, including “Details of a Lost Library,” the interior of Stella Waitzkin’s apartment in New York City’s Hotel Chelsea, packed with cast books. Both do not charge an admission fee. A visit is not complete without popping into the bathrooms at each as they are also works of art, at the hands of talented artists who have reimagined the walls, tiles and more.
Don’t miss: “Recent Acquisition: Roger Brown Study Collection” (through spring 2027) features some of Brown’s collection of 2,000 works by Chicago Imagist artists, recreated as it was in his home on the South Side of Chicago. “A Beautiful Experience: The Midwest Grotto Tradition” (through May 10), showcases grottoes and historical context about the art form.
ART IN MADISON
You don’t have to travel far to see art, as Madison is blessed with two museums. The Chazen Museum of Art on the UW-Madison campus features the state’s second-largest collection of art (second only to the Milwaukee Art Museum) featuring works by big-name artists such as Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol. The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art’s newest show “A Broad Sweep of Sky” (through March 29) explores 1930s-1940s Regionalist artists like Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood.
