Leader Staff
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Barn quilts have emerged as a key tourist attraction in Shawano County. This quilt is on County Road E in the town of Wescott.
Here are the top five tourist attractions in the Shawano area, as decided by Leader staff:
1. Shawano Lake
Pretty much everyone agrees, the major tourist attraction in Shawano Country is Shawano Lake. In the summer, the lake is a popular destination for boating, swimming, fishing, skiing, sunning, bird watching and whatever else you can do on and under the water. The 6,200-acre lake, with maximum depth of 39.5 feet and average depth of 9 feet, is home to a variety of fish, including musky, panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye and sturgeon. Shawano Lake has about 24 access points, including the county park, which has a boat launch and beach.
2. Shawano Lake Golf Course
One of Wisconsin’s oldest golf courses, Shawano Lake Golf Course is a public 18-hole course measuring 6,231 yards on more than 120 acres on the north shore of Shawano Lake. The course opened in 1922. The course rating is 68.6 (63.6 gold tees) with a slope of 123 (111 gold tees). Practice your swing on its eight-tee driving range, your sand shots in a bunker area and your putting on the practice green before hitting the links. With opening tee times slated for 7 a.m., golfers can finish a round before heading to the Shal Bar & Grill, which fires up the grill at 11 a.m.
3. Shawano Speedway
Shawano area residents and racing fans love the historic half-mile dirt oval, 990 E. Green Bay St., on the county fairgrounds. Racing starts at 6:30 p.m. every Saturday through Labor Day weekend in the following divisions: Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars and Mighty Fours. Spectator Eliminator races are held on a limited basis after the regular program. One of the season highlights is the return of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series to the Speedway on July 29. The big night draws racers and fans from across the country.
4. Barn Quilts
With 266 quilts — and counting — on display, Shawano County proudly proclaims itself Barn Quilt Capital of Wisconsin. The quilt trail has garnered national attention. An author working on her second book about barn quilts recently said Shawano County will be well represented in her new offering, due for publication in 2016. “The barn quilt is definitely in the top three (tourist attractions),” said Patti Peterson, tourism manager for the Shawano Country Tourism Council. “It’s very popular.”
5. Heritage Park
Explore the area’s early history with a visit to Heritage Park, 524 N. Franklin St., in Shawano. Established on the site of Shawano County’s first sawmill, the park includes nine buildings and six museums. Museums are the Kast House built in 1871, schoolhouse built in 1895, reconstructed 1800s log cabin, 1930s limestone building, an “oil house” — now an agricultural museum, and a replica of the 1940s railroad depot in Zachow. There are also fishing docks (the park is located on the channel between the Wolf River and Shawano Lake), flower gardens and picnic areas. The park is operated by the Shawano County Historical Society.