ARTgarage, courtesy Green Bay CVB
ARTgarage
Housed inside a century-old industrial building that was once a cannery factory, ARTgarage combines a cool environment with hands-on art opportunities for visitors. The organization occupies part of the Cannery on Olde Main, a multiuse shopping and entertainment destination known for its Cream City brick walls, stained cement floors and high wooden ceilings.
The ARTgarage has a variety of spaces.. Studio A, which used to be the cannery’s loading dock, features a main gallery, several side galleries, artist studios and a gift shop. Studio B is a multipurpose space used for educational workshops, performances and special events.
In addition to enjoying the spaces and the artwork on display, groups can have hands-on workshops led by the ARTgarage’s resident artists. Classes for younger visitors can include painting, drawing, origami or even digital photography. Older groups can study knitting, rug weaving and other more advanced art forms.
Beach Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
In the middle of urban Green Bay, the Beach Bay Wildlife Sanctuary protects numerous animals from around the region on more than 700 acres of natural habitat. Visiting groups can explore the grounds to spot wildlife on their own, or they can engage with the staff to learn about the sanctuary’s wildlife rescue program.
Bay Beach operates the second-largest wildlife rehabilitation system in Wisconsin, caring for some 4,500 injured or orphaned animals each year. Visiting groups can learn about the process by checking out live animal exhibits and educational displays around the park. Throughout the year, the park staff hosts interpretive programs for more than 10,000 area students.
There are numerous recreational activities available at the sanctuary as well. Miles of hiking and skiing trails give visitors access to unspoiled wilderness areas that are the favored habitats of wild animals living at the sanctuary. The shoreline there is a popular spot for urban fishing as well.
Tailwind Flight Center
It’s not every day that young travelers get a close look at the mechanics of aviation. But at Tailwind Flight Center, a company that offers full-fledged flight training courses for adults, youth groups can learn about the wonder of flight from expert instructors.
The best opportunities for students are the Introductory Discovery Flights. Those sessions start with a 20-minute flight briefing on the ground, during which participants are introduced to the physics of air travel and the ins and outs of flying a small plane. The planes then take off for short flights, and instructors give more demonstrations about how pilots fly aircraft. The session concludes with a 15-minute post-flight review.
Tailwind can also customize special flightseeing tours for your group. Some travelers request flyover tours of Lambeau Field, and others arrange customized flights to see the sights around Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
Oneida Nation Museum
Native Americans have played an important role in Wisconsin’s past and present. At the Oneida Nation Museum, a short drive from Green Bay in De Pere, young visitors learn about the history and culture of one of the area’s most important peoples.
The museum features a collection of artifacts from local Oneida historians and historians from branches of the Oneida nation in other parts of North America. Exhibits and dioramas explain Oneida customs and special ceremonies. A longhouse introduces visitors to the types of dwellings typically used by the area’s first inhabitants. Groups also see baskets, beadwork and pottery from the Oneida artistic tradition, as well as contemporary art being made by members of the nation.
The museum offers special guided tours for groups that last 45 minutes to an hour. The cultural education staff can tailor the tour to specific age groups or areas of interest, and can arrange for hands-on activities with advance notice.
