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Tourism

With a beautifully preserved downtown district bursting with an eclectic selection of specialty boutiques, trendy restaurants, sensuous spas, museums and historic inns, Cedarburg is a wonderful place to spend a day, a weekend or a lifetime. Add a burgeoning arts community and a full calendar of festivals, entertainment and special events, and it’s no wonder visitors consistently rank Cedarburg as one of Wisconsin’s best-loved small-town destinations.

Take a step back in time as you stroll through historic Cedarburg. Boasting more than 200 historically notable properties, Cedarburg has placed itself among some of the finest sites for admirers of history and architecture—earning first place in the “Most Distinctive Architecture” category in the online Wonders of Wisconsin voting contest in 2008. The mission of Wonders of Wisconsin is to discover and share the most special, exciting and stunning parts of Wisconsin.

The city itself has two separate districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places—the Washington Avenue Historic District and the Columbia Road Historic District.

Many of the ornate limestone and brick buildings that line Washington Avenue downtown remind one of the community’s bygone days, as the more than 100 structures, originally constructed back in the 19th century, still stand virtually unscathed. But these early buildings are not museum pieces; they are at the center of community life, housing a variety of Cedarburg’s businesses, specialty shops and dining establishments.

Neighboring the downtown district is the Columbia Road Historic District, which is composed of nearly 130 noteworthy historic structures. Additionally, Cedarburg is home to Wisconsin’s only remaining covered bridge. The 1840s community of Hamilton, reachable in just one mile south of downtown, is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is brimming with a host of exquisite stone structures.

Recent restoration was completed in and around the historic Interurban Depot, which once served rail commuters. This rehabilitation transformed the depot, now the Hazel Wirth Center, into the new home of the Ozaukee County Historical Society. Dedicated in fall of 2007, the center is composed of the society office and board room, the Ozaukee County Archives Research Center and a museum.

At the same time, the well-maintained Hoffman/Boeker Farmstead, circa the 1870s, is gradually being transformed into the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts. In 2001, the Wisconsin Quilt History Project purchased the farmstead to establish a museum celebrating American quilts and fiber arts. By 2005, the Interim Museum at the Stone Farmhouse was opened, featuring a variety of styles of quilts and fiber arts in rotating, themed exhibits. On top of an assortment of activities, the museum hosts trunk shows, historical farm tours, lectures, private, guided tours of the exhibitions and several festivals and special events.

Operated by the Cedarburg Cultural Center, the Kuhefuss House Museum is recognized as being one of the oldest and most significant residences in Cedarburg, standing as part of the community since 1849. The home is filled with an extensive collection of family photographs and historical items.

The General Store Museum is found within a restored 1860s-era framed structure in Cedarburg’s main National Historic District. The museum displays the Roger C. Christensen Collection of antique advertising art and packaging—one of the largest in the Midwest—from the early 1900s through the 1940s, plus Depression-era items, in the style of an old-time general store. While the Cedarburg Cultural Center oversees the collection, the Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce operates out of the building as well and oversees the on-site Cedarburg Visitors Center.

In addition to its array of historical sites and museums, Cedarburg is also known for its fun-filled, family-friendly festivals and events, which bring in thousands of tourists annually. The Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual Fourth of July Hometown Celebration, Christmas tree-lighting ceremony and Sample of Cedarburg event that showcases local businesses. The Chamber also coordinates the Friday Farmers Market, which is filled with fresh produce, flowers and plants, handcrafted items, baked goods and live music from mid-June through late October.

Presented by the Cedarburg Fire Department in Fireman’s Park, Maxwell Street Days welcomes patrons to peruse through more than 1,000 vendor spaces replete with antiques, collectibles and crafts four times per year.

Held the fourth weekend in June, the annual Strawberry Festival honors the delectable berry with “bubble gum blowing” and “berry bob” contests, a marketplace bursting with hundreds of vendors displaying various wares, fine arts and crafts, hayrides, wine tasting, the Berry Big 5K Run/Walk and much more. Strawberry Festival is also renowned for its Plein Aire Art Competition that attracts multitudes of artists eager to paint and sketch throughout the downtown historic district.

The third weekend of September brings about the anticipated annual Wine & Harvest Festival, where visitors can try their luck at grape-spitting and grape-stomping in addition to a wealth of fall farm produce displayed amid three major art and craft fairs spread throughout the city.

Residents and visitors also don’t want to miss the annual Winter Festival in February, featuring an ice-sculpting contest and bed races across frozen Cedar Creek, among other contests, activities and events.

In 2008, the city, along with Festivals of Cedarburg Inc., hosted the first Cedarburg German Festival, celebrating the area’s strong German heritage, much to the delight of area residents and visitors. Plans are underway to ensure the growth of the event in coming years.

For Cedarburg visitors in search of a comfortable place to spend the night, do not worry, as the area offers plenty of modern hotels, along with several charming bed and breakfast inns providing private Victorian, country-style and period accommodations.