What are the best things to do in Fond du Lac?

Lakeside Park, with its lighthouse, carousel and train, is the main draw. Galloway House & Village, the county fairgrounds events and a walk along South Main Street fill out a visit.

Is Lakeside Park free?

The state tourism site lists admission to Lakeside Park as free. Some rides and rentals are paid, so bring cash.

When is Galloway House open?

The Fond du Lac County Historical Society's site currently lists Friday to Sunday, 11 to 3, from the first Friday in June through the last Sunday in August. It also lists visits by appointment, so check before you go.

What can you do in Fond du Lac when it rains?

Ledgeview Bowling has open bowling and golf simulators, the YMCA has a pool and open gym, and downtown has a brewery and a bakery. Call ahead because league nights can limit open lanes.

Where can you stay in Fond du Lac?

Hotel Retlaw is a 1920s hotel downtown, and the town also has chain hotels such as Hampton Inn and Country Inn & Suites. The hotels guide compares them.

Things to Do in Fond du Lac at Lake Winnebago's South End

A working lighthouse, an antique carousel and a mansion village on the south shore of Lake Winnebago.

Fond du Lac sits at the bottom of a very large lake, and the whole town leans toward the water. If you are sorting through things to do in Fond du Lac, start at the shoreline, where a working lighthouse, an old carousel and a big waterfront park fill a day without trying. The city was incorporated in 1852 and the French name still tells you the geography, with the Fond du Lac River running into Lake Winnebago near the park. Everything below works as a walk, a drive across town or a rainy-day plan, and the food, coffee and beds each have their own pages when you are ready for them.

Lakeside Park is where most visits begin

Lakeside Park covers about 400 acres on the shore of Lake Winnebago, and the city's tourism office describes it as a walk-up lighthouse, picnic areas, canals and a marina in one place. The state tourism site adds a playground, a zip line, ball diamonds, a splash pad, a dog park, kayak and canoe rentals and accessible fishing platforms, and lists admission as free. Visitors who reviewed it mention plenty of tables, benches and grills, flower gardens and a fountain.

Lakeside Park

The park's historic carousel is an antique that a 2022 family write-up says dates to 1920 and still has much of its original components, flaking paint and all. Alongside it run a miniature train that loops through a dark tunnel and a petting zoo with goats and llamas. Reviewers describe a good spot for picnics, fishing and boating, and one visitor who brought a dog stuck to the surrounding trails because the main section is not set up for pets. Reviewers also mention food trucks, though one wished they stayed past six in the evening.

Two events change the feel of the park. Walleye Weekend arrives each June, and the park is decorated with thousands of lights in December. Outside those dates the park is quieter, so bring cash for rides and rentals and check the schedule before planning around any of the paid attractions.

Lakeside Park Lighthouse

The lighthouse was built in 1933 and is still a working light, with an observation deck and seasonal self-guided tours. One visitor write-up counts about six flights of stairs to the top, which pays off with a view across the lake and over the park. Because tours are seasonal, treat a winter climb as a bonus rather than a plan.

Pick the lighthouse for the view and the carousel for the kids. Two hours is enough for that pair.

Galloway House and the village behind it

A different pace awaits about 3 miles south of the lakefront, where the Fond du Lac County Historical Society keeps Galloway House and a village of old buildings at 336 Old Pioneer Road. Travel Wisconsin calls the mansion a showpiece of gracious living, set beside the working-farm touches that supported three generations.

Galloway House & Village Tours

Reviewers describe a Victorian mansion you tour with a guide, around 20 reconstructed buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s, a schoolhouse and a log cabin. One reviewer says some things can be touched, another that the buildings are open for wandering on your own, and a third that the visit takes over two hours. The venue lists itself as suitable for children and offers wheelchair-accessible parking.

The society's website currently lists Friday to Sunday hours from 11 to 3, running from the first Friday in June to the last Sunday in August, with tours of the house on the hour and visits by appointment possible. That makes it a summer stop, and the sensible move is to confirm before you drive out. One reviewer says the village is a summer visit.

The Fairgrounds, from county fair to concerts

The Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds & Expo Center is about 0.7 miles from Galloway House, which makes the two an easy pairing. The county describes a 75-acre site with more than 60,000 square feet of exhibit space, hosting the county fair, trade shows, car shows, horse shows and concerts.

Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds & Expo Center

Reviewers write about carnival rides kept clean, free bands, a steak sandwich from a food stand and a lobster roll from a crab shack truck that one visitor thought tiny but tasty. The venue shows a free parking lot, and one concert-goer wished for more than eight portable restrooms at a main-stage show. It is a venue that changes with the calendar, so look up what is on before you go.

The grounds carry an odd bit of history too, since a camp held 300 German prisoners of war here in 1944.

Downtown on foot, around South Main

Downtown rewards a slow loop, starting with the South Main Street Historic District, one of four historic districts among the city's 20 National Register listings. A mural known as Fond du Lac Flossie is painted at 183 South Main Street, and a Third Thursdays On Main downtown shopping event is listed on the city tourism site.

Hotel Retlaw, Trademark Collection by Wyndham

Hotel Retlaw is a stately 1920s hotel at the north end of this stretch, and it is about 1.3 miles from the lakefront. A guest in a one-bedroom king suite mentions two bathrooms, good light and a television that pops up from the foot of the bed.

The Fond du Lac Beer Company brews in a historic building on 4th Street Court, pouring ales and lagers and a house root beer. A group of six told reviewers they got a table right away on a visit, and the kitchen closes one hour before the taproom.

Fat Joe's Burgers & Brew serves inventive burgers on pretzel buns with live music and patio seats, and a reviewer praised its build-your-own burger with a plant-based option. For something sweet, Bryanna's Bakery on South Main is known to reviewers for almond turnovers, raspberry crescents and custom birthday cakes.

If you want a pastry before the lakefront, the bakery on South Main sits about 0.2 miles from the hotel.

Beyond the park: the lake, a creek and the arts

Lake Winnebago spreads across 131,939 acres in three counties, and the city's tourism pages list boat and WaveRunner rentals, windsurfing, paddleboarding and even winter ice kiting on it. Buttermilk Creek Park is a large hilly park with an amphitheater and a sledding hill, a good cold-weather alternative. The Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, known locally as THELMA, is mentioned on the city tourism site as an event venue. Longer trips from town can reach Horicon Marsh and Kettle Moraine State Forest, both named on the same tourism site, though you should check distances before planning.

Indoor options when the lake wind turns

Ledgeview Bowling

Ledgeview Bowling offers open bowling, leagues, a restaurant and bar, a pro shop and golf simulators for indoor golf year-round. One reviewer loves the place but says open bowling can be scarce because leagues and tournaments take lanes, so call ahead. One family found it empty on a Friday afternoon around 2:30 and their baby enjoyed it.

Fond du Lac Family YMCA

The Fond du Lac Family YMCA traces its roots to 1844 and offers a pool, hot tub, steam room, open gym and pickleball, according to reviewers. Some parents say it is not set up for very young children to drop in, so ask about visitor access and a kids' area before bringing toddlers. It sits about 0.4 miles from Hotel Retlaw, a short walk for a guest.

Marian University, founded in 1936 by the Sisters of St Agnes, adds a campus walk at 45 South National Avenue. The historical society's site lists a program at the Stayer Center Auditorium. It is about 1.1 miles from the fairgrounds and about half a mile from the bowling alley, which makes the east side a tidy cluster.

The campus is the quiet corner of the tour.

Eat, sip and sleep between stops

When it is time to eat, a full rundown of where to eat in Fond du Lac sorts out the steak house and diner options from the supper clubs.

Sebastian's Steak House on South Main is a large dining room with a bar, a fireplace and booths, and a reviewer says the prime rib is the usual order. Faros Restaurant & Cocktails is a Greek-American diner that serves an all-day menu until late.

Sal's Pizza on South Main bakes specialty pies and calzones, and Lavish Coffee brews Sweet Bloom espresso with syrups made in house.

Mornings are easier with the breakfast spots worth getting up for in Fond du Lac, one of which has corner windows facing the airport, as a reviewer of The New Stretch notes.

Coffee drinkers can compare the coffee shops of Fond du Lac.

Anyone craving a slice can see the pizza choices around Fond du Lac.

Evenings are covered by the bars and taverns of Fond du Lac.

Sweet cravings are answered by the bakeries of Fond du Lac.

Planning an overnight stay means weighing the hotels in Fond du Lac, a set that runs from an old downtown landmark to modern chains.

How to put a day together

A full day works best in this order. Begin with a pastry downtown, walk the historic district, and drive to the lighthouse while the light is soft. Eat lunch near the park, then spend the afternoon at Galloway House if it is a summer weekend.

On a wet or cold day, swap the lakefront for bowling or the Y, add the campus walk, and finish with a brewery dinner. In December, go after dark for the lights at Lakeside Park.

None of it is a rush, and the lake keeps pulling you back to its edge. That is where the day began, and the lighthouse is still working there at the end of it.