Understand
[edit]Prior to the area being founded in 1851, Sturgeon Bay was inhabited by the Ho-Chunk and Menominee. The nearby ship canal is a heavy proponent of the development of the city, and the city grew to having two shipyards (one of which is still in operation to this day), with a population in 2020 just slightly below 10,000 people.
Get in
[edit]
By plane
[edit]- 1 Door County Cherryland Airport
is a local airport, though commercial flight & rental car services can be found at Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB) in Green Bay.
By car
[edit]The most popular way of getting around from town to town, Sturgeon Bay is served by two state highways (WIS 42 and WIS 57) and numerous county highways that connect the area to other nearby communities and villages. WIS 42 comes in from Manitowoc to the south and ends at Northport further north in Door County while serving bayshore villages. WIS 57 connects Green Bay to Sturgeon Bay as an expressway and connects the city with other lakeside villages as a generic two-lane road before ending at WIS 42 in Sister Bay.
Get around
[edit]
By car
[edit]Streets on the west side going north/south are generally named after cities and those going east/west are named after tree types. Across the bay, they are numbered and named after states respectively. In terms of driving, the main route through the city center is Business WIS 42/57, the original alignment of WIS 42/57 through Sturgeon Bay before being rerouted in 1978.
WIS 42/57 Business Route
[edit]Business WIS 42/57 follows Green Bay Road northeast of the half interchange before turning north on the west side as Madison Avenue before turning northeast and crossing the Sturgeon Bay Bridge to enter the main downtown district as Michigan St. At 3rd Avenue, the route turns left onto 3rd Ave before turning northeast onto Jefferson Ave, curving north onto 8th Street, and finally northeast again as Egg Harbor Road where it keeps the name until rejoining WIS 42/57 on the northeast side of the city.
On foot
[edit]Many streets, especially those in the downtown, will have sidewalks on both sides of the streets. The Ice Age Trail generally follows Madison Avenue and the walkway along the bay of Sturgeon Bay at Bay View Park. South of here, it picks up the Ahnapee State Trail all the way to Algoma.
Crossings of the Sturgeon Bay
[edit]The city is home to three drawbridges, all of which are maintained by the state of Wisconsin. The newest bridge is the Oregon-Maple Street Bridge (2008) which carries the business routes over the bay alongside the historic 1931 Sturgeon Bay Bridge (or the Michigan Street Bridge, or simply Steel Bridge). The 1978 Bay View Bridge carries WIS 42/57 over the Sturgeon Bay, built as a bypass of Sturgeon Bay for long-distance travel. Previously there was a swing bridge built in 1884 and removed in 1970 known as the Ahnapee & Western Railroad Bridge; this bridge largely fell into disuse and was removed beginning in 1960 after a Swedish vessel collided with an important lift mechanism on the Sturgeon Bay Bridge, that caused minor physical damage but disconnected the east side of the city from the west.
See
[edit]
- 1 Canal Lighthouses, 2499 S Lake Michigan Dr. There are two lighthouses here, the tall Canal Light, and the picturesque North Pierhead Light. You can only access the grounds on the lower level breakwall on the east side of the city, but you can get a bigger view at the natural preserve at 2499 S Lake Michigan Dr.
- 2 Door County Maritime Museum, 120 N Madison Ave, ☏ +1 920-743-5958. 10AM-5PM. Contains the Jim Kress Lighthouse Tower (the tallest building in Sturgeon Bay at 11 floors), and several exhibits related to the Maritime history of the Great Lakes along the shores of Door County. There is also a seasonal museum site up in Gills Rock at 12724 W Wisconsin Bay Rd called "Death's Door Maritime Museum".
- 3 George K. Pinney County Park, 4879 Bay Shore Dr. Though mostly a turnoff and a boat launching place, this county park is by an old quarry and is at the mouth of the Sturgeon Bay with excellent views of both Green and Sturgeon Bays. The Peshtigo Reef Lighthouse (9.2 miles away) can be seen on a clear day.
- 4 Miller Art Museum, 107 S 4th Ave, ☏ +1920-746-0707. M 10AM-7PM, Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, closed on Sundays. Art Museum in downtown Sturgeon Bay
- 5 Door County Historical Museum, 18 N 4th Ave. Tu-Sa 10AM-4:30PM, closed Su M. Historical museum detailing the history of Door County and Sturgeon Bay
Do
[edit]
- 1 Cave Point County Park, 5360 Schauer Rd. Popular county park known for the rocky coves along Lake Michigan.
- 2 Ice Age Trail (Sturgeon Bay Segment). The Ice Age Trail ends in nearby Potawatomi State Park, and runs south using city streets and walking trails near Algoma.
- 3 Peninsula State Park, 9462 Shore Rd, Fish Creek. Though a bit of a drive from Sturgeon Bay, the park is known for scenic vistas and bluffs along the Niagara Escarpment. Upper Peninsula shoreline is visible on a clear day. $13.
- 4 Potawatomi State Park, 3740 Park Dr, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. Scenic state park that is right outside of Sturgeon Bay with scenic views of the shoreline and the eastern terminus of the Ice Age Trail. $8 for WI Licensed Cars, $11 for out-of-state cars.
- 5 Whitefish Dunes State Park, 3275 Clark Lake Rd. A state park covering numerous sand dunes and remnants of successive Native American villages. $8 for WI licensed cars, $11 for out-of-state cars.
Buy
[edit]
- 1 3rd Avenue District. The main business district of Sturgeon Bay, several shops of many types can be found here.
- 2 Madison Avenue District. The western side of Sturgeon Bay's main district also offers several shops and restaurants.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Door County Fire Company, 38 S 3rd Ave, ☏ +1 920-818-0625. Su-Th 11AM-8PM, F Sa 11AM-9PM. American restaurant in a former firehouse
- 2 Kitty O'Reillys Irish Pub, 59 E Oak St, ☏ +1 920-743-7441. Irish pub on Oak Street that is 900 ft away from the Maritime Museum.
- 3 Scaturo's Baking Co & Cafe (Scaturo's), 19 Green Bay Rd, ☏ +1 920-746-8727. M-F 5AM-7PM, Sa 5AM-3PM, Su 7AM-2PM. Small bakery and cafe located at the top of the hill where Green Bay Road becomes Madison Avenue. You can see the bay & skyline from here on a clear day.
- 4 Sonny's Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria ((Sonny's)), 129 N Madison Ave, ☏ +1 920-743-2300. Su-Th 11AM-8:30PM, F Sa 11AM-9:30PM. Pizzeria in a former Applebee's with a decent view of the bay and part of the neighboring drawbridge.
- 5 The Mill Supper Club, 4128 WI-42 WI-57, ☏ +1 920- 743-5044. Hours vary by season, usually Th-Su 4-8PM. Supper Club at the intersection of WIS 42 and WIS 57.
Drink
[edit]Though many of Door County's wineries are located further up north, there are some along WIS 42 outside of Sturgeon Bay, including:
- 1 Door 44 Winery, 5464 Co Rd P, ☏ +1 920-388-4400. M-F 11AM-5PM, Sa Su 10AM-5PM. A winery overlooking WIS 42, 1.5 miles north of the WIS 42/WIS 57 central intersection.
- 2 Door Peninsula Winery, 5806 WI-42, ☏ +1-800-551-5049. 9AM-5PM. Big winery in a former schoolhouse in Carlsville. Parking is mainly accessible via Carlsville Rd (CTH-I)
Sleep
[edit]
Sturgeon Bay
[edit]- 1 Bridgeport Waterfront Resort, 50 W Larch, ☏ +1 920-746-9919. One of two waterfront resorts in downtown Sturgeon Bay, the suites facing north have a spectacular view of the bay.
- 2 Holiday Music Motel, 30 N 1st Ave, ☏ +1 920- 743-5571. Quirky music-themed motel within walking distance of the 3rd Avenue District
- 3 Inn at Cedar Crossing, 112 N 3rd Ave. Historic hotel overlooking the 3rd Avenue district with an adjacent restaurant below the rooms.
- 4 Stone Harbor Resort, 107 N 1st Ave, ☏ +1 920-746-0700. The other waterfront resort in Sturgeon Bay, this place offers views of both the main district and of the western waterfront.
- 5 Chanticleer Guest House, 4072 Cherry Rd., ☏ +1 920-746-0334, toll-free: +1-866-682-0384, [email protected].
- 6 The Lodge at Leathem Smith, 1640 Memorial Dr, ☏ +1 920-743-5555. Cozy hotel near the Bay View Bridge.
Nearby places
[edit]Most of these places are within a three mile drive from Sturgeon Bay's city limits.
- 7 Bay Shore Inn, 4205 Bay Shore Dr, ☏ +1 920-743-4551. A waterfront condominium along the bay of Sturgeon Bay
- 8 Glidden Lodge Beach Resort, 4676 Glidden Dr, ☏ +1-866-454-3336. Resort overlooking the shores of Lake Michigan near Whitefish Bay.
- 9 Sand Bay Beach Resort, 3798 Sand Bay Point Rd, ☏ +1 920-743-5731. Beachfront resort overlooking Sand Bay.
- 10 Westwood Shores Waterfront Resort (Westwood Shores), 4303 Bay Shore Dr, ☏ +1 920-746-4057. Waterfront resort along Bay Shore Drive north of Sturgeon Bay.
Connect
[edit]Cell service is generally strong in the city limits, with there being several cellphone stores along the business route. However, services might be a bit spotty the further you are away from Sturgeon Bay and the two main highways.
Nearby communities
[edit]There are several smaller communities that are in close proximity to Sturgeon Bay, including:
- 1 Carlsville — small unincorporated community along WIS 42 with some shops.
- 2 Forestville — small village southwest of Sturgeon Bay also along WIS 42 in an agricultural part of Door County.
- 3 Jacksonport — unincorporated community along WIS 57 on Lake Michigan
- 4 Little Sturgeon — small unincorporated community to the west of Sturgeon Bay on County Road C.
- 5 Valmy — small unincorporated community along WIS 57 that is the gateway to area parks.
Go next
[edit]- There is more to Door County, especially north of Sturgeon Bay.
- Green Bay has numerous sightseeing options, like the National Railway Museum and Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
- Manitowoc to the south is another maritime city along Lake Michigan, about 60 miles to the south.
| Routes through Sturgeon Bay |
| Manitowoc ← | S  N
|
→ END (in Northport) |
| Green Bay ← | S/W  N/E
|
→ END (in Sister Bay) |