Best Spots in Kenosha
10 Great Kenosha Spots for ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Students
Located on the Lake Michigan waterfront, the historic city of Kenosha offers a wide variety of dining options, events, and activities for students to enjoy. Here are some of Carthage students’ favorites!
Washington Park Velodrome
Established in 1927, Kenosha’s is the oldest operating velodrome (an arena for track cycling) in the United States. The track has hosted at least seven national championships and recently underwent more than $700,000 in city-funded renovations. Cycling competitions, themed events, and races for children are hosted at the velodrome on summer evenings. Kenosha families and cycling enthusiasts bring lawn chairs and camp out to watch the exhilarating races. It really is a unique experience.
National Parks & Trails
With more than 150 miles of biking trails in Kenosha County, students can experience beautiful scenery, burn off some of those donuts, or just get outside in a variety of parks, nature preserves, and forests. One of the more popular trails, the , runs straight through Carthage and also passes by some local restaurants and businesses around town. online at the Kenosha County website. Opened in June of 2018, the brand new passes through Carthage along Lake Michigan, leading to Downtown Kenosha. The trail begins on a wooden boardwalk before transitioning into pavement, creating a safe separation between vehicles and trail users. Another favorite spot is . About a 10-minute drive north of campus, “Pets” offers 350 acres of beautiful hiking and bike trails for students to enjoy.
Anna’s on the Lake
New to Kenosha, was founded in 2022 and features a spectacular view of the Kenosha Harbor. The building where the coffee shop is housed is over 100 years old and is a must-visit landmark. Enjoy a delicious cup of coffee while taking in the serene views of the lake!
Franks Diner
A classic restaurant built out of a lunch car, has been popular within the Kenosha community since 1926. The diner has been featured in many nationally renowned news outlets, such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal; on the television show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” in 2007; and had many celebrities stop in to enjoy their vintage charm, like Kenosha native Mark Ruffalo. Franks Diner is packed on weekend mornings with hungry customers looking to enjoy their famous garbage plates. Although popular for its breakfast menu, it is the longest continuously operating lunch car diner in the United States. From the warm homemade bread to their friendly service, Franks Diner is dedicated to providing customers with quality time which will ensure they’ll return for more.
Museums
There is no shortage of fascinating history in Kenosha. The Kenosha Public Museum and Civil War Museum are located next to each other downtown, near . offers a variety of interesting exhibits, including a woolly mammoth that was excavated in Kenosha County and work from local artists. History buffs can learn about Kenosha and the upper Midwest’s role in the Civil War at the , through educational videos, artifacts, and reenactments that are on display. At the , students can check out interactive exhibits, fossils, and life-size replicas of real dinosaurs. A paleontology lab is also housed at the museum, led by Carthage paleontologist and biology professor Thomas Carr. Many Carthage students participate in valuable internships with Kenosha’s museums as well.
Kenosha Kingfish Baseball
Anyone looking for a summer night of entertainment, great food, and fun activities should attend a baseball game. Since its first season in 2014, the elite collegiate baseball team has developed a huge following. The team won the 2015 Northwoods League Summer World Series, and then hosted the 2016 Northwoods League All-Star Game. But don’t just go to watch the game. The Kingfish stadium has incorporated an early 1930s fishing boat, the Bambino, into their outfield wall, which also serves as a celebration area for guests. At every home game, the Kingfish mascot, King Elvis the First, launches down a zip line attached to the Bambino to throw the first pitch of the game. That’s something you really don’t want to miss.
Art Galleries & Studios
The arts are very prevalent in and around the Kenosha area. There are many opportunities for students to experience local theatre, fine arts, and music. , located in the Rhode Center for the Arts in downtown Kenosha, displays beautiful works from local artists, as well as its own share of Kenoshan history. The gallery is named after world-renowned artists George and Nan Pollard of Kenosha. George worked as a professional portrait artist, commissioned to paint presidents, the pope, celebrities, and athletes. Nan illustrated children’s books that many Carthage students grew up reading, including “Curious George” and “Peter Pan.” The couple lived in Kenosha for more than 50 years and their legacy lives on in the gallery.
The Kenosha HarborMarket
Built on the idea of bringing a European-style market to town, the is an award-winning event that brings people from far and wide to Kenosha every Saturday. Full of locally grown fruits and vegetables, produce, and artisans, the Kenosha HarborMarket brings the larger community together and creates a buzzing atmosphere full of support. Carthage students love to travel to the market during spring and summer, where the vendors are just a skip away from the Lake Michigan shoreline. Bring the family out and soak up the sun as you walk the streets of downtown Kenosha and meet all the friendly faces.
Drive-ins
Kenosha is full of classic attractions that will give any visitor a blast from the past, two of which are and drive-in restaurants. While both 1950s-styled drive-ins offer classic menu items like cheeseburgers, corn dogs, fries, shakes, Root Beer floats, etc., Big Star is only open during the spring and summer, and The Spot is all year round. Both drive-ins are an annual tradition for Kenosha residents during the warm months, where customers can drive up and enjoy their food in the nice weather or even take their meal to the lake that’s close by.
Blue House Books
is Kenosha’s only full-service bookstore that does tremendous service for the community. Not only is their shop cozy and welcoming for any booklover, they are supportive to those looking for their next read, host book release parties and writer talks, and team up with partners in the community to help spread reading resources. Stocked with the newest and popular book releases, along with supporting local authors — Blue House Books is a staple in the Kenosha community that’s worth checking out.