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Oshkosh is a historic city located on the western shore of Lake Winnebago in east-central Wisconsin. Best known for hosting the EAA AirVenture fly-in convention, the city offers a compelling mix of aviation heritage, lakeside recreation, and a vibrant downtown district along the Fox River.
Oshkosh takes its name from Chief Oshkosh, a Menominee leader who played a key role in Wisconsin territorial affairs during the mid-19th century. The city was founded in 1836 and quickly grew into a major lumber center, with numerous sawmills lining the Fox River by the 1850s. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 drove demand for Oshkosh lumber, and the city became known as the Sawdust Capital of the World. Wealthy lumber barons built grand Victorian mansions along Algoma Boulevard, many of which still stand today as testaments to the city’s prosperous past.
The Oshkosh Overall Company, founded in 1895, produced durable denim clothing for railroad workers and farmers, eventually becoming the global brand OshKosh B’Gosh. The company’s world headquarters remained in the city for over a century before its acquisition and relocation. Oshkosh Corporation emerged from the city’s industrial roots and now manufactures specialty vehicles and defense equipment at its headquarters, sustaining the area’s manufacturing economy into the modern era.
The EAA Aviation Museum stands as one of the premier aviation attractions in the Midwest, with more than 200 aircraft on display spanning the history of flight. Visitors can explore exhibits on World War II aviation, homebuilt aircraft, and space exploration while walking through five hangars of exhibits. The museum’s Pioneer Airport offers vintage aircraft rides during the summer months, giving passengers a taste of early aviation from a grass runway on the grounds.
The Oshkosh Public Museum occupies the historic Sawyer family mansion, an elegant 1908 Tudor Revival home overlooking the Fox River. The museum features the Apostles Clock, an elaborate hand-carved timepiece that plays music every hour, along with exhibits on local history, Native American artifacts, and rotating art shows. The Paine Art Center and Gardens offers a different cultural experience, with a stately English-style mansion housing decorative arts, European paintings, and seasonal botanical displays across its meticulously maintained four-acre estate.
Downtown Oshkosh stretches along Main Street and the Fox River, with more than 20 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grand Opera House, built in 1883, continues to host theatrical performances, concerts, and community events after a meticulous restoration. Its intricate Victorian interior features hand-painted ceilings, ornate plasterwork, and a horseshoe balcony that recalls the elegance of late 19th-century entertainment venues.
The Oshkosh Farmers Market fills downtown streets with over 100 vendors every Saturday from June through October. Shoppers browse stalls of fresh produce, artisan cheeses, baked goods, flowers, and handcrafted items while live musicians perform along the waterfront. The Oshkosh Waterfest concert series brings national touring acts to the Leach Amphitheater, a riverfront venue in the heart of downtown that draws crowds throughout the summer months.
Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin’s largest inland lake at over 137,000 acres, defines outdoor life in Oshkosh. Menominee Park runs along more than a mile of lakefront and features swimming beaches, a small zoo, playgrounds, picnic shelters, and a boat launch. The park’s paved trails connect to the Wiouwash State Trail, which extends north and south through scenic countryside for more than 40 miles of hiking and biking.
The Fox River flows through the center of Oshkosh, creating opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding directly from downtown. Multiple outfitters rent equipment near the riverfront, and the calm water makes the stretch through town accessible to beginners. Anglers target walleye, northern pike, and perch in the river and lake, with the spring walleye run drawing serious fishermen to the Fox River below the dams.
The Experimental Aircraft Association hosts EAA AirVenture each July, drawing more than 600,000 aviation enthusiasts from around the world to Wittman Regional Airport. The week-long event features daily airshows, workshops, forums, and thousands of aircraft on display, ranging from vintage warbirds to experimental homebuilts. The night airshow lights up the sky with aerobatic performances, pyrotechnics, and formation flying against a summer sunset.
The Military Veterans Museum and Education Center preserves the stories of Wisconsin veterans through exhibits of uniforms, equipment, and personal artifacts spanning conflicts from the Civil War to the present. The Oshkosh Water Spirit sculpture, a 50-foot tall stainless steel installation near the riverfront, has become an iconic local landmark celebrating the city’s deep connection to its waterways and industrial heritage.
Late July brings the single busiest week of the year as EAA AirVenture transforms Oshkosh into the busiest airport in the world. Lodging fills a year in advance, and the energy of hundreds of thousands of pilots and aviation fans creates an unmatched atmosphere throughout the entire city. Advance planning is essential for anyone hoping to attend the convention and experience the aerial displays firsthand.
Summer months from June through September offer the best weather for enjoying Lake Winnebago, the farmers market, and outdoor concerts at the Leach Amphitheater. Daytime temperatures typically range from the mid-70s to mid-80s, with lake breezes providing natural cooling along the waterfront. Fall brings vibrant foliage to the parks and trails, while the Waterfest concert series continues into early September with a lineup of national acts.
Here are some of our recommended things to do near Oshkosh. Choose your favorite!
The EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh stands as one of the premier aviation museums in the world, drawing visitors from across the globe to its five climate-controlled hangars housing more than 200 historic aircraft . Operated by the Experimental Aircr…