5 Best Sights in Door County, Wisconsin

A must-stop for nautical enthusiasts, this museum is at the foot of the Highway 42/57 bridge in Sturgeon Bay, the gateway to Door County. Displays on local shipbuilding and commercial fishing over the past century show the region's significant contributions to maritime history. Allow time for the 40-minute guided tour of the John Purves, a restored tugboat that traveled around the Great Lakes, the Caribbean, and even the Bering Sea during the 1960s.

Marrying the great outdoors with fine theater, this venue is within Peninsula State Park along the shores of Green Bay and is America's oldest professional resident summer theater. Actors relocate from around the country each summer to reside in a 16-acre campus tucked into a quaint vacation community. Theater lovers gather under a covered amphitheater for the shows.

Spanning 3,776 wooded acres along Green Bay, Peninsula State Park is a half-mile north of Fish Creek off Highway 42. Nearby bicycle-rental facilities make it easy to schedule an afternoon ride. A variety of activities within the park keep the most restless of outdoors enthusiasts happy, including an 18-hole golf course, bicycling and hiking trails, a beach, a lighthouse, White Cedar Nature Center, and Peninsula Players Theater. Spots at the 468-site campground book up quickly during the summer.

Life on the 912-acre, car-free Rock Island, home to this state park, is simple and rustic. Ferries depart daily from Jackson Harbor on the northeast tip of Washington Island. Only hike-in and backpack camping is permitted, although day trips are encouraged. Pottawatomie Lighthouse, on the island's far-northern tip, is Wisconsin's oldest lighthouse, fully restored to how it might have operated around 1910. Daily tours are led by live-in volunteer docents.

As the Door County peninsula's gateway city and a busy shipbuilding port, Sturgeon Bay sits on a partially man-made ship canal connecting Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Its charming downtown is home to dozens of art galleries, cafés, and restaurants, with cozy bed-and-breakfasts tucked into historic homes. Sturgeon Bay is also a commercial hub with a hospital, chain stores, and restaurant franchises. The city remains an international leader in the construction and design of yachts and ships.