Shawano
Easy to Get to...Easier to Like!

No matter where you're coming from, Shawano is easy to get to and even easier to like! Located in northeastern Wisconsin on Shawano Lake between Green Bay and Wausau, you'll find great natural attractions, friendly people and a relaxed pace in Shawano. It's a great place to bring the family for fun on the water or in the snow. Hunters and fishermen love the abundant natural resources and antique browsers and shoppers enjoy the numerous specialty shops and uncrowded streets. Shawano has something for everyone.

Shawano Lake Communities

Whether you're visiting Shawano, Wescott, Cecil or other communities on beautiful Shawano Lake,  you'll be amazed by the beauty and serenity of the area. Shawano Lake and other nearby lakes offer natural beauty while the communities offer unique attractions. Shawano offers a historic downtown full of great specialty  shopping, including antiques and collectibles. There's evening entertainment at a restored theater and pub.  In Wescott you'll get a little of the old world and much of the new, while relaxing along the sandy beaches, swimming in the lakes or enjoying the enchanting town. You'll enjoy the quaint little village of Cecil on Shawano Lake that is full of things to do yet the perfect place for a restful get-away. In every community you'll enjoy numerous  local events and festivals all year long, including the Mooseyard St. Paddy's Day parade, Shawano Fly-Out, Old Time Music & Craft Festival, Spirit of Shawano Arts Festival, Flea Markets and many more.

The Mooseyard

In The Town of Wescott on the north shore of Shawano Lake, you're sure to hear about "The Mooseyard." The name resulted from a local, gentle and intelligent mule named "Moose." In the summer of 1886, during the vegetable season, complaints were received about "Moose" eating vegetables from neighboring gardens. Although "Moose" was fenced in at night, this mule would jump the six foot high fence at night and eat his neighbors' vegetables, and jump back into his own yard before morning. Later, after Moose was confined to his barn at night, passing neighbors would say, "Moose is in his yard." From that saying came the name of "The Mooseyard" -- and the fond name now given to Wescott and the nearby area.

Recreational Activities

In the Shawano area, there are outdoor activities to delight everyone, from young to old and from the outdoor observer to the outdoor adventurer. With the many lakes, rivers and streams, the area is a paradise for boating and water enthusiasts. Shawano Lake, the county's largest body of water, is open to all types of boating, including sailing, canoeing, jet skiing, motor boating and water skiing. Its sandy beaches provide great sunning and people watching. It's a popular fishing spot for the whole family as the fish always seem to be biting! Largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, perch, crappie, and bluegill are popular catches. Other nearby  lakes and rivers, such as Washington Lake, Red River and Embarrass River have abundant fish populations and Wolf River also is one of the best musky fishing sites in the area. River rafting along the Wolf, Oconto, Embarrass and Red Rivers provides terrific whitewater fun and challenge for the daring. There is also kayak and white water canoeing on the Red River. In the winter ice fishing on the Shawano area lakes and rivers is a very popular way to relax. Also, in winter, ice racing on Shawano Lake by motorcycle, car or ATV draws racers from all over the Midwest.

The area is a snowmobilers' paradise  with more than 300 miles of groomed and marked snowmobile trails in the county. These scenic trails wind through majestic forests and serene meadows. Great trails for cross country skiing, hiking, ATVing, biking, and traverse the countryside.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced golfer, there are four beautiful golf courses in the Shawano area to challenge you.

Shopping, Dining, & Lodging

If you enjoy shopping, you will love the Shawano area. From the historic downtown streets of Shawano filled with numerous specialty, antique, and craft stores to the charming shops in Wescott, Cecil and other nearby communities, you'll enjoy the friendly hospitality and unique shopping. After a busy day, you'll feast on great dining, something to satisfy everyone's taste. There's family dining, lakeside dining, and fine dining featuring steak, seafood, Italian, German, hamburgers, sandwiches and more. Whether you choose to stay in a beautiful campground and sleep under the stars, a cozy rustic or modern cottage, a scenic lakeside resort, a luxurious hotel room or a charming  bed and breakfast inn, your lodging choices are many in the Shawano area.

 

Area Attractions

• Historic Downtown Shawano

• Shawano Lake

• Fall Color Spectacular

• Menomonee Logging Museum

• Heritage Park Museum

• Gresham Railroad Depot Museum

• Mielke Park & Cultural Arts Center - Theatre in the Woods

• Shawano Lake County Park

• Navarino Nature Center

• Mountain Bay Trail

• Acres for Recreation

• Shawano Fly-Out

• Heritage Tours - From the Pineries to the Present

• Rustic Road Tour 

Shawano

Visit Shawano's Business Directory

For more information about the surrounding area, visit Shawano County