Plan Your Stay

Whether you’re here for an afternoon, a weekend, a week, or you decide to never leave, our handy planning guide can give you the best tips and suggestions for how to spend your time while you’re here.

Summer - I Have an Afternoon

On the water

Swimming, sunning and horseplay for kids of all ages at the public beaches and clear waters
Kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding
Sailboat rides and Sunset cruises
Fishing off the docks
Jet-skiing

Attractions

Explore Sturgeon Bay’s history at Heritage Village at Big Creek
Indoor theater at Third Avenue Playhouse or Rogue Theater
Free music in the park, Wednesdays @ 7 p.m., Martin Park, mid-June through end of August
Dine indoors or out, at fine restaurants and casual eateries
Explore a favorite food of Door County with a stop at award-winning cheesemaker Renards Cheese
Shop at specialty gift shops and boutiques
Explore Sturgeon Bay’s art offerings: galleries and districts stimulate your brain’s right side, and make for enlightening shopping and gifts
Feed the animals at The Farm
Skaters and BMXers will dig the rails at Door County’s only Skate Park
Enjoy a beverage at a cafe, brewery, distillery or winery
Visit the U.S. Coast Guard Canal Station lighthouses and stop at lookout points for views of the canal

In the great outdoors

Enjoy the fruits of the fields at Sturgeon Bay's weekly Farm and Craft Markets Saturdays at Market Square
Sweet and tart cherries ripen, waiting to be picked
Bike around town or off-road on trails in Potawatomi State Park, or a rustic county park
Stroll the sand dunes, or bask in the summer sunshine at Whitefish Dunes State Park
Enjoy a picnic at one of the beautiful beaches of Otumba or Sunset Parks, or Whitefish State Park
Fish the canal, bay or lake
Take in a youth baseball or soccer game
Run off some energy at any of the parks with courts, cages, disc golf, outdoor fitness equipment, and the dog park
Check out our historic walking tour

Traveling with children & teens

Check out our “In the great outdoors” section
Free music in the park, Wednesdays @ 7 p.m., Martin Park, mid-June through end of August
Learn about Door County history at the Door County Historical Museum & Archives, Door County Maritime Museum and Miller Art Museum
Explore a favorite food of Door County with a stop and tour at award-winning cheesemaker Renards Cheese
Pick and eat cherries, ripe from the trees
Tour and experience Sturgeon Bay and Door County on an authentic trolley tour
Bird watch by the canal, lake or bay
Take a stroll around the waterfront, watch the maritime hustle and bustle
Feed the spring baby animals at The Farm
Skaters and BMXers will dig the rails at Door County’s only Skate Park
Outdoor activities are great for burning off energy
The Farm is a great stop for exploration and education
Do some shore fishing with kids
Sunset Park is a great park for kids, offering a sandy beach, playground, restrooms and acres of green space with picnic amenities

Traveling with pets

Check out our "In the great outdoors" section
Visit the U.S. Coast Guard Canal Station lighthouses and stop at lookout points for views of the canal
Bird watch by the canal, lake or bay
Take in the astounding sights and sounds of massive Great Lakes freighters
Run off some energy (or your canine’s) at the dog park

Events

Lighthouse Festival (second weekend of June)
Steel Bridge Songfest (second weekend of June) – world’s only collaborative songwriting festival, bringing together more than 200 musicians for four days and three nights of live music
Harmony by the Bay -Free music in the park, Wednesdays @ 7 p.m., Martin Park, mid-June through end of August
Annual Kid’s Fishing Derby
Free music in the park, Wednesdays @ 7 p.m., Martin Park, mid-June through end of August
Sturgeon Bay Celebrates, July 4
NFL Alumni Fishing Tournament
Kewaunee/Door Salmon Tournament
Strike ‘gold’ at the annual Sail Through the Avenues Sidewalk Sale (last Thursday of July)
Maritime Week (first week of August)
Maritime on Madison (second Saturday of August)