25 Awesome Things to do in Green Bay with Kids

Over the past couple years I have fallen in love with Wisconsin. The towns I have visited showcase the best of the Midwest with hospitality, natural beauty, charm, and lots of family-friendly fun. It was no surprise on my most recent visit to the Badger State that I discovered there are many great things to do in Green Bay with kids on a family vacation.

Yes, the Packers and Lambeau Field are the showstopping centerpieces of town, but there is also an incredible zoo, rich Native American heritage, one of the best old-time amusement parks in the country, and so much more! Here is my guide to all there is to do and see in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Things to do in Green Bay with Kids

Get Involved in Packer Mania

The Packers may have a small market surrounding them but they have one of the biggest fan bases in the country. It is hard not to love an organization that is owned by the fans. Tickets are sold out for every home game but it isn’t hard to find them for sale on the secondary market.

Going to a Packers home game is a right of passage for most NFL fans. There is just something magical about Lambeau Field, the oldest stadium in the NFL. Unfortunately, it can be cost prohibitive for some families to attend a regular season game. Thankfully, the Packers have some great free or almost free options for families.

If you want to take part in a FREE and fun experience, head to Green Bay Packers Training Camp. It takes place at Ray Nitschke Field, an outdoor practice field located across the street from Lambeau Field. Camp begins in late July and runs through the August preseason games. Details and the practice schedule can be found on the Packers website.

One tradition that your kids will not want to miss out on experiencing is the American Family Insurance DreamDrive bike ride.

Each day, as players make their way from Lambeau Field to the practice field, they borrow bikes from young fans to ride over. This tradition dates back to the 1950s and is a great way for children to interact with their favorite players. Players often talk to the kids during the ride, and take photos with them and give autographs as they approach the practice field.

As you can imagine, this experience is very popular so arrive near the locker room entrance early if you want to give your chance of being selected. It also seems to be less crowded later in the practice season than in the beginning, especially midweek.

Training camp offers fans the opportunity to see the Packers up close from bleachers surrounding the practice fields. It is a much more intimate experience than a regular-season game, and since there is no cost associated with it, it is a much more affordable way to see the Packers in action.

There is also a good chance of getting autographs as the players leave the field after practice, so bring a Sharpie and something to sign.

Another cool experience is Packers Family Night which usually takes place in early August at Lambeau Field. This event is a full-team practice under the lights, with many game-day elements like player introductions, on-field drills, and a fireworks display. Tickets are only $10.

Door County is just down the road! Here are our favorite things to do in Door County with kids.

Tour Lambeau Field

You don’t have to be a Green Bay Packers fan to appreciate a visit to the oldest and most iconic stadium in the NFL. It opened in 1957 as City Stadium but renamed after legendary head coach Curly Lambeau in 1965.

Known as “The Frozen Tundra”, this outdoor stadium can be especially cold in the late season when wind chill has been known to reach -48°F as it did during the legendary “Ice Bowl” of 1967. Regardless, every Green Bay Packers home game has been sold out since 1960!

I visited on a lovely day in mid-August and took the Classic Stadium Tour with several families and their children ranging in age from 6 months to 17. The Classic Stadium tour is 60 minutes in length and takes you up into the Alumni Suite, in the player’s tunnel and right next to the grass on field level. Guides share history and stories about the Green Bay Packers organization.

As an NFL fan, I couldn’t help but get a bit teary eyed standing next to the field I had watched countless games being played on. Green Bay Packers fans may want to upgrade to the 90-minute Champions Tour which includes a visit to the press box or the 120-minute Legendary Tour which includes more history and a visit to the South End Zone and Visiting Team Locker Room.

Tours are offered multiple times a day (outside of home game days, select holidays, and special events) and can be booked in advance online. You can also purchase a combo ticket to include a visit to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame which is located onsite.

While at Lambeau you will also want to explore the Packers Pro Shop which is filled with 21,500 square feet of Packers apparel and memorabilia. I found the prices to be quite reasonable compared to some other stadiums I have visited.

IIf you are hungry, head to 1919 Kitchen and Tap, named for the year the Green Bay Packers were founded. The restaurant has walls lined with Packers memorabilia and large windows with views of the Lambeau Field Atrium.

The restaurant bills its menu as “upscale tavern food”, with a large selection of gourmet burgers, flatbreads, steak, ribs, salads, and more. Make sure to order the cheese curds, a regional specialty that needs to be sampled at nearly every area restaurant you visit.

Titletown

Titletown is located across the street from Lambeau Field and serves as a hub of action in the area. It is made up of shopping, dining, a large park, and housing.

The park includes a large playground, a football field, and a games area where families can enjoy activities like giant chess, ping-pong, foosball, and shuffleboard. The plaza has live music performances, outdoor movies, and seasonal festivities throughout the year.

One of the biggest highlights of Titletown is Ariens Hill. It is an awesome sledding hill in the winter and during the summer you find lots of kids rolling their way down the giant hill. Also during the winter, you will find an ice skating track winding its way around Titletown and its beloved hill.

There are a few different restaurants onsite, including The Turn which has several Topgolf Swing Suites which you can rent out and enjoy while you eat. These are the most advanced golf and interactive gaming simulators around and have eight interactive experiences to choose from.

The food at The Turn is casual American food with favorites such as flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The avocado chicken salad is excellent and this is yet another spot where you can try this restaurant’s take on cheese curds.

Explore more of the state! Here are our favorite things to do in Wisconsin with kids.

Spend the day at The NEW Zoo and Adventure Park

I am a huge proponent of zoos. They do the important job of breeding endangered species and exposing the public to a variety of animals so that they can gain appreciation for the animal kingdom and make efforts to protect our planet’s wildlife.

The NEW (Northeast Wisconsin) Zoo exceeded my expectations with great animal exhibits and experiences as well as a commitment to helping several species thrive through captive breeding programs.

The zoo is nestled within 1,500 acres of forested land and has over 200 animals representing more than 90 species including favorites like African penguins, red pandas, giraffes, lions, and river otters.

They have behind-the-scenes experiences with giraffes, African penguins, and Aldabra tortoises as well as experiences where animals like armadillos, hedgehogs, and snakes create special canvas paintings for you! Giraffe feedings are available daily and Safari Train is always a hit with the little ones.

The Adventure Park has several ropes courses, a climbing wall, zip line,a canopy tour and a “Kids Kourse” for younger kids. It is located on the same property as the zoo but is not included in zoo admission. Combine this with the zoo and you have a full day of fun.

Get Outside at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary

The Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary is a 700-acre preserve located on the Bay of Green Bay, the largest freshwater estuary in the world.

Start at the Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Center which has several great interactive exhibits about local wildlife and conservation. Kids can enter a tunnel to experience what life is like in a beaver den, make molds of animal footprints, and learn about nature in Northeast Wisconsin.

The park also has one of the largest wildlife rehabilitation centers in the state. Over 4,500 injured and orphaned animals are cared for annually, and a majority of them are rereleased back into the wild. Some of those that can’t be released are used for educational programs or live in animal enclosures that people can visit for free. There are wolves, river otters, foxes and mountain lions on display as well as some other mammals and waterfowl.

Speaking of waterfowl- the sanctuary has a huge population of ducks and Canada geese that are anxious for you to feed them. Feed is available for purchase at the sanctuary. They like to hang out in the pond area near the manmade waterfowl. The sanctuary also has miles of nature trails that wind through forests, wetlands, and prairies.

Experience Old-Fashioned Fun at Bay Beach Amusement Park

Bay Beach Amusement Park is one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks in the United States. It offers a nostalgic experience as well as nostalgic prices- tickets are just 25 cents each and the most expensive rides are only four tickets!

The park is along the Bay of Green Bay and there is no admission fee. You simply buy tickets and pay for the rides you want to enjoy. Highlights include beloved classics like the Ferris Wheel, Scrambler, Tilt-A-Whirl, train, and the Zippin Pippin, a classic wooden roller coaster that was Elvis Presley’s favorite. There are also several kiddie rides for the little ones to ride.

Just a short walk from Bay Beach Amusement Park you will find a fully accessible playground that is free to visit.

Pop Into the Children’s Museum of Green Bay

Right next to the Bay Beach Amusement Park you will find the Children’s Museum of Green Bay. It is filled with hands-on exhibits that are perfect for kids ages 10 and under.

The museum focuses on STEAM education, with exhibits that allow kids to experiment with basic scientific concepts and explore engineering and technology experiences through play. Your kids will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they are learning.

Highlights include a Digestive System where the kids are the “food” as they make their way through the body, the Vet Clinic where kids get to be an animal doctor, he Gandrud Auto Group Garage where kids learn how to assemble and take apart a car, a mini grocery store, and an area where people can create art.

Of course, there is also an exhibit focused on movement that includes an homage to the Green Bay Packers where they can do the Lambeau Leap, try on a Packers uniform, and do plenty of running, jumping, and kicking.

Shop in the Cute Shops and Weekly Farmers Market Downtown

Green Bay has a cute little downtown area that has lots of great shops and dining options, as well as CityDeck, a boardwalk along the Fox River.

Stop in at The ARTgarage, a community art center and gallery where you can find unique, locally made art pieces. Seroogy’s Chocolates is a definite “must” if you have any sweet toothes in your family, Lion’s Mouth Bookstore is a wonderful independent bookstore that also sells coffee, and Jake’s Pizza has great pizza with scratch made dough, sauce, sausages, and even gluten-free options.

If you visit Green Bay in the summer, definitely make sure to head to The Farmers Market On Broadway which takes place every Wednesday starting in June. This market is hopping and a great place to buy gorgeous fresh flowers, tasty cheese curds, visit craft and produce booths, and enjoy the overall vibe. Plus local breweries and wineries offer drinks which you can enjoy as you stroll the market and enjoy the live music and gourmet food trucks.

Green Bay Botanical Gardens and Childrens Park

The Green Bay Botanical Gardens has 47 acres of plant collections and themed gardens lined with walking trails. The Rose Garden and Japanese Garden are favorites, as is the Garden of Lights during the holidays.

Families with young children will most likely prefer to spend the bulk of their time in the new Childrens’ Garden. There is a slide tower, treehouse, splash pad, and discovery station with hands-on experience in the garden. Children are encouraged to touch, taste, and smell in the Sensory Garden.

Tour a Replica Oneida Longhouse

Much of the land around Green Bay is owned by the Oneida Nation, a tribe that lived in upstate New York for hundreds of years until they were forced by the US government to move to the land which would eventually become Wisconsin in the early 1820s.

A great way to learn about the history and traditional lifestyle of the Oneida people is to take a guided tour of the Oneida National Museum. These tours are led by a member of the Oneida Nation and are filled with history that many of us are less familiar with.

The highlight for kids will be the visit to the replica longhouse where kids will learn about the lives of those that lived in these traditional dwellings. They will get a chance to grind corn and have other hands-on experiences inside the longhouse. Outside they will find the Three Sisters Garden which showcases corn, beans, and squash growing together in harmony.

National Railroad Museum

If you have train enthusiasts in your family you will definitely won’t want to miss The National Railroad Museum, one of the oldest and largest railroad museums in the United States.

This museum is located on the banks of the Fox River near downtown and has over 70 locomotives and rail cars, ranging from steam engines to diesel locomotives. HIghlights include the Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4017, one of the largest and most powerful steam locomotives ever built, and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Command Train from World War II.

The Exhibit Hall houses a variety of displays including model trains, railroad artifacts, and interactive displays. There are seasonal train rides offered including Thomas the Train, train rides to the pumpkin patch., and Polar Express-themed train rides during the holidays.

Heritage Hill State Historic Park

I always love a good living history museum! Heritage Hill State Historical Park gives families a chance to experience life in Wisconsin from the 17th century to the early 20th century. There are lots of historical buildings and costumed docents to help you immerse yourself in history.

Highlights include a fur trader’s cabin, a reconstructed section of Fort Howard which was originally built by the US Army in 1816, farmsteads representing various ethnic groups which settled in Wisconsin, and the town of Green Bay as it appeared in the mid 1800s.

Hike to One of the Area Waterfalls

The city of Green Bay is surrounded by thick forests and there are several opportunities to get out and explore the natural side of things. As a matter of fact, there are a couple waterfalls that are worth a visit in the area.

The first is found in Fonferek’s Glen Conservancy Area, a county park with steep limestone cliffs and interesting rock formations that are part of the Niagara Escarpment. It is a lovely 30-foot waterfall formed by Bower Creek cascading over a limestone escarpment. The waterfall can be viewed from an overlook and park entry is free.

Wequiock Falls is in its namesake county park just north of Green Bay. The park is small but it is a lovely place to enjoy a picnic near the falls, especially in the spring

Wequiock Falls, one of Brown County’s smaller parks, contains a large ravine featuring a close-up inspection of the Niagara Escarpment rock formation. In spring, the flow from Wequiock Creek forms a picturesque waterfall which gradually slows through the dry summer season. A pretty place to picnic and relax along Highway 57, the park is equipped with tables, restrooms, drinking water and ample parking.

Kayak on One of Green Bay’s Waterways

Kayak Wisconsin is the waterway answer to self-serve scooter and bike rentals that have popped up everywhere. They have three local self-serve kayak rental stations in the area- the Mueller Park Kayak Launch on the Fox River, Lily Lake, and the Green Bay Duck Creek Quarry boat launch.

All you have to do is visit their website two hours before your desired reservation to pay fees, sign a waiver, and get Bluetooth access set up. Life jackets and paddles are included with your rental. Simply return your kayak to the same place you took them from when you are done.

Play on the Pirate Ship at Bay Shore County Park

Bay Shore County Park is located 15 miles northeast of the city on the eastern shore of Green Bay. It is known for bluffs and views of the bay. It is a place where people come to fish, boat, hike and play on its popular nautical-themed park which is designed to look like a huge wooden pirate ship.

There is also an 18-hole disc golf course which competitive teens and tweens are sure to love.

Take Your Teens to Green Bay Escape and Axe

Green Bay Escape & Axe combines two activities that are popular with my teens- escape rooms and axe throwing. It is located just three blocks from Titletown so it is easy to combine dinner and activities into one memorable evening.

Book a combo package to use family teamwork to get out of the Escape Room and then relieve pent up frustration by throwing some axes.

Watch a Water Ski Show

Looking for something different to do while on vacation? How about watching a free show put on by the Waterboard Warriors Show Ski Team?

Shows take place at 6:30pm on Tuesdays in June as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays in August. They take place on the Fox River in the Mueller Park in the town of Wrightstown which is south of Green Bay.

Eat at Aaron Rodgers Favorite Restaurant

Chives, in Suamico’s Vickery Village, has proclaimed itself to be Aaron Rodgers favorite restaurant in the area. While he typically orders a dish that was seasonal and no longer available, it is still fun for fans to dine at a place he was known to frequent.

Note: Chives in closed on Sunday and Monday. Dishes like the almond crusted brie and Thomas Keller’s French onion soup are definitely not to be missed. The Chives Burger is tasty and the Butternut Squash gnocchi is very popular. This is a place that can be casual or more upscale, depending on how you order.

After you eat, explore Vickery Village which has some cute shops, including ice cream at Chill Hill.

Where to Stay in Green Bay

Oneida Hotel

Oneida Hotel is attached to a large casino, just across the street from the Green Bay Airport. All of the rooms are spacious and have an in-room fridge, which families always appreciate. There is a complimentary shuttle offered to and from the airport. The entire property, including the casino, is non-smoking, which I really appreciated.

They have a coffee shop in the lobby which serves up drinks and tasty grab-and-go breakfast options, as well as a small shop filled with snacks, drinks, and essentials that you can charge to your room.

Cedar & Sage Grill House is the big restaurant on property, but there is also a Noodle House in the casino which does offer “to go” options if your kids are tuckered out from a long day of exploring or want to enjoy a meal by the pool.

Tundra Lodge Resort Waterpark

If you are looking for more of a resort feel with a full indoor waterpark, check out the Tundra Lodge Resort Waterpark Conference Center. They have a huge, 30,000 square foot water playground complete with water slides, a lazy river, and an outdoor splash pad.

When the kids dry off they can head to the onsite arcade which has over 70 games. They will surely try to have you buy them a treat at Kate’s Candy Store.

Rooms are suite-style and the Loft Family Suite is a great option for larger families. They have one bedroom with a king bed, a loft bedroom with two Queen beds and a sleeper sofa, a living area with another sleeper sofa, a dining area, and two bathrooms.

Lodge Kohler

If you are looking for something more upscale and directly across the street from Lambeau Field, look no further than Lodge Kohler.

Their Leaps and Bounds Cafe is a great spot for breakfast and their rooftop restaurant, Tavern in the Sky, is a great place to have dinner and drinks while admiring the views of Lambeau.

Kids will love the indoor pool and parents will want to sneak away to get a treatment at their full service spa. Rooms are more like standard four diamond hotel rooms but their bathrooms are custom designed by Kohler.

Thank you so much to Discover Green Bay for hosting the author’s stay and giving her the opportunity to cover this amazing destination for Trekaroo. All opinions are her own.