Event planners considering locations in Wisconsin have their pick of venues that make the most of their scenic surroundings or highlight historical periods in the state’s story. These five unique venues give attendees a chance to explore nature, immerse themselves in different cultures and experience a new side of the Badger State.

Beaver Creek Reserve

Chippewa Falls

For meetings with an outdoorsy flair, Beaver Creek Reserve is an environmental and recreational nature reserve with 400 acres and 9 miles of hiking trails to explore. Beaver Creek is about 1.5 hours from Minneapolis-St. Paul and 20 minutes from Eau Claire in the northwest portion of the state.

The reserve is split into two campuses. The Wise Nature Center on the south side has four trails and a seasonal butterfly house and can accommodate up to 160 people in its auditorium. The Savannah Room can hold up to 40, while the Woodland Room, which can hold groups of up to 70, is adjacent to the kitchen and provides direct access to trails.

On the north side, the Citizen Science Center conducts research projects on-site, including monitoring birds and keeping track of invasive species, and has Hobbs Observatory, where groups meeting on the property can view the night sky. The Main Lodge can seat 100 guests and has a full commercial kitchen. There are five cabins that can accommodate up to 20 guests each, and Cedar Lodge can host up to 30 guests with a central space for group activities. Outside, there is room for an event tent for 100 people seated or 150 for a reception.

Naturalists can give presentations at events held at the reserve or take groups on a guided hike. The property also has a zip line and obstacle course for team building.

beavercreekreserve.org

Old World Wisconsin

Eagle

Old World Wisconsin is a 600-acre living history museum in Eagle that details the lives of the immigrants who came to Wisconsin between 1850 and 1950, including those of German, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian and African descent. The museum, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, is made up of historic buildings that were brought there for preservation.

The property has several event spaces, including the octagonal Clausing Barn, which was built in 1897 and can host up to 150. It is centrally located, and groups renting that space can add a visit to The Brewhouse or Wittnebel’s Tavern with an adjoining beer garden. The tavern is the newest addition to Old World Wisconsin and can host smaller events for up to 30 on its upper level.

Caldwell Hall can accommodate up to 100 guests, and the building has its own staging and catering areas. Groups can bring in their own catering. The Picnic Pavilion in the Scandinavian Homesteads section works well for reunions or picnics of up to 300 guests, and groups can bring in food trucks, face painting or a bounce house. The area has its own entrance, but groups can add hands-on experiences such as blacksmithing, leatherworking or cooking in the historic Crossroads Village. Outside of the village, groups can see how farmers worked the land and meet some heritage-breed animals that are rare or endangered, like Morgan and Belgian horses and Java chickens. The Green can host 175 seated guests.

Planners can arrange walking tours of the village or take advantage of trams that move throughout the site, which is within the Kettle Moraine State Forest and is surrounded by woodlands, prairies and wetlands.

oldworldwisconsin.wisconsinhistory.org

Wingspread Retreat & Executive Conference Center

Wind Point

Wingspread Retreat & Executive Conference Center in Wind Point was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 and originally served as the home of Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr., the president of S.C. Johnson. It sits on 36 acres and now serves as an events center run by The Johnson Foundation.

A second home on the property was converted to a 1,200-square-foot conference center, which can hold 55 attendees, but most social events and dinners are held in Wingspread.

Wingspread is selective about the type of events it hosts, specializing in small board meetings, executive retreats and leadership workshops. The beautiful home is surrounded by ponds and woods, making it a great spot for corporate teams to focus.

Small groups can stay in the 40-room Sam & Gene Johnson Guest House, which offers scenic views of the surrounding landscape.

A breakfast buffet bolsters groups in the morning, and a private meal space is set aside for lunch and dinner. Wingspread and the Guest House both have full kitchens. Groups interested in learning more about Wingspread can take a complimentary architectural tour of the building followed by a cocktail reception.

The property backs up to Lake Michigan, and hiking and biking trails are located nearby. Team-building activities include ice breakers, guided nature walks, yoga sessions, collaborative problem-solving challenges and leadership workshops. Visitors often leave the property through the back gate to catch the sunrise at the historic Wind Point Lighthouse.

wingspread.com

Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Manitowoc

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc is best known for its World War II submarine, which is docked outside, but it’s also a great backdrop for events. Updates were made to the concourse leading to the submarine in 2025 that show the differences between modern sub construction and how submarines were built during the world wars.

Wisconsin’s Shipwreck Coasts exhibit, which opened in late 2024, was developed in partnership with the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which oversees 36 historic vessels that remain underwater. Artifacts from those wrecks are featured in the shipwreck exhibit.

The exhibit “is designed in a way we can continue to update it,” said Alexandria Bolle, communications coordinator at the museum. “We are always updating it to show the patrons coming in new boats in the area as well as artifacts from them.”

Groups hosting events at the museum can rent the Riverview Room, which can seat 96 at rounds or 175 theater style. The Sub Pub Rooftop Bar, which overlooks downtown Manitowoc and Lake Michigan, can host 120 for a banquet or 175 theater style. Groups can bring in their own food but must purchase drinks from the bar. The Cobia Theater and Riverside Gallery can host groups of up to 40.

Groups of up to 60 can also spend the night on the USS Cobia or take a guided tour of the submarine.

wisconsinmaritime.org

The Pump House Regional Arts Center

La Crosse

The Pump House Regional Arts Center was originally built in 1880 as a city waterworks, pumping water from the Mississippi River to the city of La Crosse. As the city developed, it outgrew the old pump house, and in 1914, the city built a new one elsewhere. The historic pump house is the only surviving example of Romanesque Revival civic architecture in La Crosse. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a City of La Crosse Historic Landmark. It served in various capacities until 1977, when a newly formed regional arts alliance leased the building. It officially opened as an arts center in 1979, after extensive renovations that included woodwork, doors and staircase railings salvaged from the old post office and county courthouse buildings, which were torn down.

The Pump House encompasses three floors. There are two juried art galleries on the main floor and a loft gallery on the upstairs balcony that is usually reserved for youth or school organizations. The building has a theater that seats 130 at full capacity. It can be used for shows, theater events, concerts or conference rentals.

Groups can rent out the entire building or reserve separate gallery spaces. The center can host up to 125 for a banquet. There are several classrooms and art studios downstairs that offer ceramics, painting, printmaking and woodworking classes for an interactive arts experience.

thepumphouse.org