Downtown • Fox River • Trails • Parks • Local Food
Meet Waukesha.
A historic Wisconsin city with a walkable downtown, the Fox River, trails, parks and an easygoing local scene just west of Milwaukee.
A historic Wisconsin city with a walkable downtown, the Fox River, trails, parks and an easygoing local scene just west of Milwaukee.
Waukesha offers a different kind of southeastern Wisconsin getaway. Instead of a big-city weekend, you get historic streets, local restaurants, parks and the Fox River running through the heart of the community.
Its location west of Milwaukee also makes Waukesha an easy base for exploring more of southeastern Wisconsin without giving up the relaxed feel of a smaller city.
Historic downtown, river scenery and green space give Waukesha its character.
Walk historic streets, find local restaurants and spend some time exploring.
See the quieter side of the city along the river and nearby green spaces.
Walk, ride or simply slow down in Waukesha's outdoor spaces.
A little downtown, a little outdoors and plenty of room to wander.
Explore historic streets, independent businesses and local places to eat.
Make the river and surrounding green spaces part of your day.
Use Waukesha as a starting point for a ride through southeastern Wisconsin.
Find parks and trails when you want a break from downtown.
Make restaurants, cafés and Wisconsin favorites part of the trip.
Finish an afternoon exploring with a local Wisconsin beer.
Leave some time for shops and businesses around the downtown district.
Use Waukesha as part of a larger southeastern Wisconsin road trip.
Downtown gives Waukesha much of its personality. Historic buildings, local businesses and restaurants make it a natural place to begin exploring.
Come for lunch, walk the streets and leave enough room in your schedule to stop somewhere that catches your attention.
Explore Wisconsin Food & Drink →
The Fox River adds water and green space to the Waukesha landscape, creating a quieter contrast with the streets and buildings downtown.
Make it part of a walk, bike ride or slower afternoon before heading back into town.
Explore Wisconsin Outdoors →
One of Waukesha's advantages is how quickly a city weekend can turn into time outdoors.
Parks, trails and the surrounding countryside make it easy to add walking, biking and green space to the itinerary.
Explore Wisconsin Biking →Southeastern Wisconsin gives you plenty of places to explore nearby.
Add Lake Michigan, museums, neighborhoods and big-city food to the trip.
Head SouthPair Waukesha with one of Wisconsin's best-known lake getaway destinations.
Slow It DownBuild a road trip around historic downtowns and smaller communities.
Take the Long WayTurn Waukesha into one stop on a longer weekend road trip.
A simple getaway with downtown, food, trails and nearby exploring.
Check in, walk the downtown district and find somewhere local for dinner.
Spend the morning walking, biking or exploring parks around the area.
Slow things down along the Fox River before heading back downtown.
Grab breakfast and make Milwaukee, Lake Geneva or another local stop part of the drive home.
Warmer weather brings trails, parks and downtown walking back into the weekend.
SummerCombine outdoor exploring with downtown evenings and nearby day trips.
FallCooler weather makes parks, trails and southeastern Wisconsin drives especially inviting.
WinterSlow the trip down with local food, downtown exploring and seasonal Wisconsin scenery.
Two nights gives you time to explore downtown, see the Fox River, spend some time outside and still make a nearby southeastern Wisconsin stop.
Waukesha is known for its historic downtown, Fox River, parks, trails and location west of Milwaukee.
Yes. Downtown, local dining, outdoor recreation and easy access to nearby destinations work well for a short trip.
Yes. The Fox River runs through Waukesha and is an important part of the city's landscape and outdoor character.
Visitors can explore parks, walking routes, biking trails and other outdoor recreation throughout the surrounding area.
Yes. Waukesha is west of Milwaukee, making the two cities easy to combine in a southeastern Wisconsin trip.
Milwaukee, Lake Geneva and other southeastern Wisconsin communities make natural additions to a Waukesha getaway.
Walk downtown, follow the river and leave some time for the trails.