Sheboygan , the largest city in Sheboygan county at just over 50,000 residents, lies on the shores of Lake Michigan about 60 miles north of Milwaukee, in east-central Wisconsin. Formerly a busy trading and fishing port, Sheboygan grew through shipping and industry, and was a major center of German immigration to the area. While shipping on the Great Lakes has seen a major decline and the commercial fisheries disappeared entirely, Sheboygan remains a prospering industrial town, and continues its immigrant heritage to this day, with vibrant Hispanic and Hmong communities adding their influences to the cultural landscape. The "spirit on the lake" (a translation of the Native American name) is also becoming a tourist destination thanks to several farsighted development initiatives, particularly along the scenic riverfront and lakefront.
Get in
Most visitors to Sheboygan will probably be arriving by auto. Sheboygan is about one hour's drive north of Milwaukee on Interstate 43, about an hour south of Green Bay on the same, and about three hours north of Chicago (I-94 to Milwaukee and onto I-43). There is also a Greyhound bus terminal on Pennsylvania Avenue, and the nearest Amtrak station is in Milwaukee.
Get around
Sheboygan Transit runs buses throughout the city itself. Fares are $1.50 per ride. Most of the downtown area is within comfortable walking distance, and parking is rarely a problem.
See
John Michael Kohler Art CenterThe
Kohler Company has a long history in the Sheboygan area, particularly in its eponymous company town, Kohler. One of their greatest contributions to the cultural scene of Sheboygan is the
John Michael Kohler Art Center, or JMKAC. Built into the historic Kohler house on 6th Street and New York Avenue, the Art Center hosts local theatrical and musical events, provides summer art programs for local schoolchildren, and houses an ever-changing collection of contemporary art by local and national artists in their extensive galleries. A recent addition has greatly expanded their exhibition space. As Kohler is primarily a bathroom fixtures company, the restrooms in the Art Center are -- quite naturally -- extravagant displays of porcelain artistry. The men's restroom near the main entrance is particularly breathtaking (curious female visitors need not despair, the front desk greeters will happily escort anyone inside). Entrance to the Art Center is free, but donations are encouraged.
The LakefrontThe city of Sheboygan is centered at her harbor, where the Sheboygan river meets Lake Michigan. Immediately north of the harbor sits Deland Park, with pleasant beaches, boat launches, and an upscale yacht club. Alongside the yacht club, a breakwater (one of two enclosing the harbor) juts out past the marina and about half a mile into Lake Michigan, punctuated by a lighthouse. The walk along the beach and breakwater to the lighthouse is quite pleasant, and is particularly popular in midsummer when the cool lake water blesses the lighthouse with air temperatures often twenty degrees cooler than in the city.
The RiverfrontOne of the city's most successful development plans has been the expansion of a boardwalk...
