West Bend

Overview

Natural beauty, celebration of historic places, and friendly neighbors are three things that define the West Bend experience. The Milwaukee river twists and sparkles through the center of West Bend, but that’s just where the natural majesty of this city begins. West Bend is also home to over 1,200 acres of parks, playgrounds, and outdoors areas, including the 1,200 mile National Ice Age Trail, as well as several other bodies of water aside from the Milwaukee river. Visually intriguing art sculptures are scattered throughout the city, serving to accentuate the natural beauty with abstract art. West Bend also has a strong community that plans enough events that you will never feel left out!

Recreation

Along with the Milwaukee river and several lakes and ponds, which young and old residents alike can enjoy all year round, Regner Park offers people of all ages lots of fun. It serves as a beach with five bodies of water during the summer and hosts a skating rink during the winter. This is just the beginning of outdoor fun in West Bend, though, as it has many other parks, including an archery range, several playgrounds, and a riverwalk along the Milwaukee river.

In addition, West Bend has been titled the Geocaching Capital of the Midwest! For those who aren’t familiar with Geocaching, it is a kind of game in which participants have devices that tell them where geocaching sites are. Once participants reach the sites, there are usually boxes with fun prizes inside. The rule of the game is that you can remove an item, but you must put something else in the box in its place, and then put the box back where you find it--usually hidden. Geocaching is a great way to get to know West Bend as a city and to enjoy the nature it has to offer.

There is also a farmers market from May to October. Other events like the car show Wheels on Main, Music on Main, Fall Fest, the Annual Artwalk, and Winter on Main also take place in downtown West Bend, so community events are in no short supply. For indoor fun, the Museum of Wisconsin Art also calls West Bend its home.