Lots of different exhibitions some with interactive activities, educational, local art and dinosaurs! Who could ask for more? Basically a beautiful waterfront museum with fantastic, highly interesting exhibits that appeal to all ages. Admission is completely free, making it incredibly budget-friendly for our family of five. The volunteers and staff are absolutely wonderful--so friendly and helpful! We wanted to support them by making a donation at the gift shop. Even though I didn't have cash on me, they easily and quickly accepted a donation via Apple Pay. The outdoor area around the water has great statues to look at, and it is perfectly located near the local parks and beaches. I highly recommend stopping here if you are celebrating a Great Lakes graduation or just spending a day in Kenosha! My daughter graduated from Great Lakes and we wanted to go on a little adventure as a family during one of her liberty days. I recommend coming early and checking out local events in the nearby parks. We went on a Saturday and there was a cute Italian festival and a farmers market(Kenosha harbor market and celebration place). Afterwards we walked around the water side and enjoyed surrounding statues then headed into this cute museum. If you're going head over early enjoy the market and the museum then grab a sandwich at the local deli, snack at the piggly or a dog from red hot and head over to the park or the beach near by, then finish the day at the sweet corner! If you can make it to the cheese castle do but they close at 7 so we didn't make it! I'll make reviews for the above listed spots as well! read more

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This is one of my favorite museums in southeastern Wisconsin. Right in Lake Michigan with ample parking. Donations welcomed a beautiful gift shop with so much to explore. So many beautiful artifacts in history layout. read more

This is a great free museum! Drove out to Kenosha for the day and was pleasantly surprised by the public museum. It's free so I wasn't expecting much, but it was very nice. I really enjoyed the lay out. It was the perfect size. My kiddo really enjoyed the animals upstairs and the Dino skeleton. Kenosha is so lucky to have free museums. Definitely worth a visit! The civil war museum is in the same lot. We stopped there too but the woman at the front said it was a lot of reading and didn't really recommend it for my 6 year old. read more

I've been here before for school field trips and came back recently for a day trip to Kenosha. This is a wonderful museum that lays out the natural history of the region. This museum is also affiliated with the Smithsonian, which we are members. I'm glad this arrangement is in place, as the Smithsonian is one of the best organizations out there. Their dedication to education is unrivaled. A visit to this museum is a great way to relax and learn about the physical evolution of the area. This is a local treasure!! read more

Loads of easy-to-access, free parking! Charming exhibits beautifully presented to appeal to children and adults of all ages. Space to explore and discover the area history and wildlife that even the tiniest toddlers can enjoy. Lovely, charming gift shop with gifts for all ages. Kind, personable staff who are friendly, helpful, patient and inspiring. Can't wait to come back and bring visiting relatives and friends!! read more

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The fossils and ice age history downstairs is really neat - but so is the art and taxidermy upstairs! Enjoy the free museum and toss them a donation if you can. read more

Kenosha Public Museum is the perfect place to take your kids or a date (or even family) on the weekend for a nice fun and educational time. It's also FREE (there's a donation receptacle in the front), with ample FREE parking and a gorgeous lake right by. Exhibits: The coolest thing is the Mammoth fossil and the Native American/Dinosaur exhibit. I loved all of the genuine artifacts and pieces (around 80,000- but did not seem like there were that many) that were in the museum. It is definitely a much shorter visit than the Field Museum but it's perfect for a few hours on an afternoon. There is also a stunning art gallery on the second floor with images and sculptures that could be found at any of the famous art museums. My favorite displays were the Asian sculptures and the very art prints in the gallery. My favorite part of the museum is the look out area on the second floor with the prettiest view of the water. The museum also has a reasonably-priced gift shop with a fun array of gifts. 100% of the proceeds go back the store so it was fun to look at the chotchkies. Kenosha Public Museum was a fun date idea and I'm excited to go back during the spring to walk along the beautiful lake!! read more

First of all, I just want to say that I was so relieved this place was open on a Monday! As someone who works weekends it's often hard to find museums that are open then. As for the museum itself, it combined natural history, science, history, and art wonderfully. I learned a lot about the area but history at large as well. Also, I am IN LOVE with their Cabinet of Curiosities exhibit. Well done, overall. Glad we made the stop. read more

Kenosha Public Museum - Museums Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Free parking, free admission, a gorgeous art exhibit of river paintings as well as Japanese prints, and a cool curiosities and science exhibit. Space could be used a little better to have a few more hands-on items, but overall a good way to spend 30 minutes. read more

Kenosha Public Museum - Museums Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Kids will love this museum! And it's FREE! If you are in the area and you have kids, make the time for a visit. It is not huge, but surprisingly spacious inside. The exhibits are not on fantastic, like some of the major museums, but that does not mean you and the kids are not going to have some fun. I am not into taxidermy or stuffed animals, but their collection is fascinating. Their Native American display is interesting as well, even though most of the figures facial features look rather depressed. Give it a try! read more

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What a wonderful public museum! Accessible and featuring fascinating, inspiring things for all ages! Permanent exhibits feature Wisconsin life. I was fortunate to view an amazing and uplifting collection of spectacular water colors! Winners of this year's competition of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America were featured in the gallery upstairs. Check their calendar for hours, permanent exhibits and special shows! Gift shop is great. Easy parking & access. read more

A smaller museum but definitely worth a stop if you're in the area! I'd been meaning to stop by for a while now and finally came for a visit. The museum has a pretty impressive array of artifacts and displays especially considering the price ($5 suggested donation). I like how it relates historical things back to the local context like what did the area look like so many-illion years ago and the mammoth they dug up not far from Kenosha. In addition to the science area, the upstairs had a display of art which was also nice to walk around and contemplate for a little while. We were able to spend about 1 hour here, but if you really stop and read the displays you could probably spend more. Plentiful free parking right outside the doors, and located right next to the Kenosha Civil War Museum and very close to downtown Kenosha and the lakefront! read more

There is a reason why this is one of the must see places in Kenosha! This museum is much smaller if you're comparing it to the ones in Milwaukee and Chicago, but with its prime lakefront location, huge free parking lot, and no entry or exhibition change ($5 recommended for donation), this place definitely is worth visiting. They have a beautiful Native American exhibit and a huge mammoth fossil. The exhibits are easy to follow and they have loads of artifacts neatly organized and definitely a dream place for any curious child and adult! There are elevators to go up to the second floor which has a couple of huge rooms filled with beautiful paintings. There is also an area on the second floor that has floor to ceiling glass walls that look out to lake Michigan. There is a gift shop on the ground floor as you enter which is a perfect location as you're exiting the museum. The ground floor also has a kids area called 'The Field Station' which has different stations (such as zoology, art, anthropology, paleontology and geology stations) to let kids explore the arts and science. As a family, we had a great time here, and definitely can see ourselves back here again soon! read more

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Incredible for young children and they only ask you donate what you can afford. We need more museums like this for children and families who can't afford to pay hundreds to bring multiple kids to a new experience where they can learn about art and history! read more

I enjoyed the Kenosha (free, donation appreciated) Museum. The first floor had many very interesting fossils and artifacts. Charming woman, who runs the trading post, and I talked a while. She went to the digs of the TRex in the Dakotas. Finding a fossil of a crocodilian. She plays the flute to add colour to the 1st floor: hope you get to meet her. The 2nd floor had an exhibit of 19th century Japanese wood block and water colour pieces. The revivalist teacher wanted to reintroduce an artistic style and method lost to Japan: while teaching the method to students to create in the old style with modern influence. Dioramas of ancient and old masters at work. You will see in my picture the Elgin marbles displayed. Also, on this floor are 'curiosity cabinets' full of mostly random items the wealthy stole from far off lands. These collections collected, eventually, into what we see as the natural history museums of the 19th and 20th century. read more

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You can tour it in 30 minutes but for the price (free) it is worth your time. Mammoths downstairs, art up. Clean and maintained well. We had the most fun in the kids area (another 30 minutes). Now that I reflect, that is where they excelled here, the kids hands on stuff. It really was a great interactive section. We came up here for the Jelly Belly (storage facility) tour and this was a b or c list stop. Glad we did it though. read more

Kenosha Public Museum - Museums Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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I give the museum a 5/5 in terms of what they have to offer and how well done everything is considering it's free. My son loved exploring and seeing the animals. The reason I'm giving it a 3/5 is because I'm disappointed that their play area was closed 15-20min before the museum actually closes so that an employee could begin disinfecting things. As a parent of a 2year old, who did fabulous walking the museum with the promise of play at the end, I'm severely upset we entered the area and we're immediately asked to leave. I'm sorry it was 15-20min before your close, but perhaps you should wait to disinfect areas until your actual museum closes. read more

Cool little museum. The displays are very well done. Lots of information for those who want to read and learn more. The second floor had a great water color art exhibit when we were there. The field study area for kids was lots of fun for my son. read more

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Really wonderful place to visit while in Kenosha. I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the history of Kenosha. The statues of the animals were very realistic and beautiful. The gift shop was reasonably priced as well. I would go back to just talk to the lady running the trading post. She really made the place authentic. read more

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The fact it's free gives it a solid five stars. It's free people! They have a great section of fossils and other natural science displays. The piece de resistance is the large cast of a wooly mammoth that was found in Kenosha county. I mean, that for free, is definitely worth it. Be sure to drop a few bucks or more into their donation box up front! Besides the main attraction, they also have special exhibits. During my visit, it was retro B Horror film posters. We're talking things Teenage Blood Suckers from Outer Space Beach Party. They also had a wonderful guitar museum featuring beauties made by Fender and Gibson. Things will always be changing here! read more

You just can't go wrong with a free museum!! Better yet, when you add in Kenosha's beautiful lakefront harbor view and the world's largest and GINORMOUS local mammoth skeleton to ever be excavated, it's a must-see! This was Kenosha's second museum (established in 1993) and now is one of several (to be exact, 1 of 4). You begin by taking a trip back in time 425 million years ago and within an hour find yourself where Kenosha finds itself today--historical, progressive and growing. It is home to a constantly aumenting collection of 70,000 pieces, including almost 1,000 works in the fine arts collection. The exhibits present world cultures, Native Americans, zoology, geology, fossils and fine and decorative arts. If you're still not won over, check out a video of what the museum has to offer at: http://www.kenoshacvb.com/podcast/museum.asp. read more

Kenosha Public Museum - Kenosha Public Museum Exterior with glass "glacier" - Museums Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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Guitar exhibit today...super-cool!!! Les Paul was from Waukesha? WOW. Train set on first floor for Christmas, very nice. Also early horror movie poster exhibit. read more

Kenosha Public Museum - View from second floor window...beautiful! - Museums Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

This place simply rocks! This is a great place to take the kids to beat the heat and do something cool. When you get there.. toss a few bucks in the donation box to keep this amazing place open!!! The exhibits here are constantly changing bring new things to amaze and enrich your kids. I would say that you could easily spend two hours here going through all of the exhibits. This includes one of the most interactive and engaging hands on play areas I have ever seen in a museum. (TIP for Parents) Feed the kids before going :) as many of the areas are food and drink prohibited. (TIP for kids) Beg your parents to take you here.... this place is a ton of fun. read more

This is a valuable community space that I've been drawn to again and again since I was about 10 years old. I'm still learning from the exhibits. I applaud the artists who designed the displays, they are appealing to the eyes and intriguing. The galleries upstairs always have something new and interesting for visitors and the view from the solarium can't be beat. read more

Not bad for free but I was disappointed to find the Woolly Mammoth display was made from a cast and isn't made from real bones. read more

Kenosha Public Museum - Museums Near Me - Kenosha, Wisconsin

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We were here for a wedding so I didn't really get to look around. It's a lovely building situated on the lake which makes for spectacular views. It appeared modern, spacious, and clean. Overall it was a neat spot for a wedding ceremony and reception and the staff were absolutely wonderful. read more

Worth stopping with kids if you are nearby. Kids explored the downstairs exhibits and then spent some time in a kids area. My son liked the fake people looked like real people in the exhibits. Gift shop was also nice to walk through. read more

Wonderful museum for kids! In addition to interactive exhibits, they have a large, airy room just for kids that has many projects and crafts to engage in. And to top it all off, it's free. read more

Yep I'm a fan. What a nice place to go. Adult, or children. Always free to get in. Right next to the lake front. Lots of things to see, and artwork also. A little of everything. Great life size exibits . MANY OTHER FREE THINGS TO DO IN TOWN ALSO. read more

This is a great little museum. I went on a snowy Saturday morning and it was pretty empty. The staff greeted me kindly and gave me a map and explained what was in the different areas. The downstairs history exhibit was a little more oriented towards children than I expected, but I still enjoyed it. The art upstairs was nice, it was really cool to see some Dali works in a local museum! There is a $5 suggested donation. Combined with visits to the other Kenosha museums, this makes more a fun day trip. read more

Beautiful facilities. Field museum was dark and scarey! Displays were great but a child with tender feelings or sensory issues would be frightened. Art display was very light. Loved the guitar showcase but there was nothing else to see. read more

A nice museum in a modern building....admission is free, and the museum is very kid friendly!

We just had our wedding at the museum last weekend and I cannot say enough about the venue and the staff! From beginning to end they were fantastic to deal with! We rented the entire museum and had our ceremony upstairs with the beautiful view of the harbor and our reception downstairs. The events coordinator (Kris) is amazing and always had a smile on her face. She was there for us the whole weekend. I can't thank her enough!! The director of the museum (Peggy) was there for us the entire night and even jumped in to help with some last minute issues! Again ..thank u! Also a huge thank you to Joe who helped us tremendously with set up/cleanup and everything else we didn't think of! If you are looking for a place in town to have any type of event I highly recommend the museum! Class act! read more

Had a wedding here. Would NOT recommend it to anyone with guests over 80 people. It simply is just too small for anything bigger than that. We had over that amount of people and all the plans that were originally in place were changed without me or my husband having any choice in the matter. They are reluctant to compromise with any given situation. Think twice before booking your event here. read more

The Kenosha Museum seems more like a trophy than a real museum. It's small, without many exhibits, and not much variation. With Kenosha so close to Milwaukee and Chicago, it doesn't even begin to compare with its competition. A nice place to keep cool on a summer day at the lake, and the fountains outside are fun to watch, but it's not much in the "going to a museum department". read more