New 2026 Kenosha Area Visitors Guide Now Available

This year marks our 40th anniversary as an organization. Visit Kenosha is a private, not-for-profit corporation that exists to promote the Kenosha Area as a travel destination and thereby contribute positively to Kenosha County’s economy. Among the products we are known for is the Official Kenosha Area Visitors Guide and VisitKenosha.com.

The 2026 edition of our free Kenosha Area Visitors Guide is now available. This is our 39th guide and our largest one to date at 148 pages.

Let’s dive a little deeper into the Visitors Guide:

The Designer

Credit for the Visitors Guide’s fabulous graphic design and illustration goes to Janette Hill Art LLC. This is the third Kenosha Area Visitors Guide where Janette provided her expertise. A big thank you to Janette!

An example of Janette’s illustration skills from this year's guide:

The Cover

Shown on the 2026 Kenosha Area Visitors Guide cover is the Six Time Division 1 National Champion Waterski team that calls Kenosha County home. In May, the 54th season for the award-winning Aquanut Water Shows will begin. The Aquanuts are six-time National Champions, the Wisconsin 2021 and 2022 State Title Winner, and one of the most successful water ski teams in the nation. They are famous for their daring stunts, and renowned for their Champion Ballet Line and breathtaking four-tier pyramids. Shows occur on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, at 6:30 p.m. The location is Lake Mary / Lance Park in Twin Lakes. Admission and parking are free. Go to aquanutwatershows.com for more information.

More photos from the cover photo shoot:

Inside The Guide

Inside the Visitors Guide, you’ll find a ton of useful information, itineraries, travel planning tips, maps, and details about Kenosha fun. We cover shops, restaurants, attractions, recreation spots, hotels, and events.

Articles include Exploring Kenosha One Golf Course at a Time, Exploring Kenosha’s Outdoors, Lake Life, Seasonal Fun in Kenosha, Museums Tell a Story, Public Art, Welcome to the West, and Fun For All Abilities.

Additional articles include Unique Shopping, Nightlife, Celebration Destination, Drive-ins & Drive-thrus, Marvelous Mocktails, Beer & Cheese, On Fridays We Eat Fish, Ask About Our Meatballs, and many more.

New Businesses

Learn about businesses that opened just last year, including Seis Modern Cocina, Hansen Park Beer Garden, Kenosha Coffee Roasters, Olafson & Porter Vintage Goods, and Southport Wellness Café & Smoothie Bar.

As well as Station on 6th, Magnolia Bridal Boutique, Revival Room Resale, Trini's Ice Cream Shoppe, Johnny'Z Animal House, Pretty Weird, Yogi’s Pud’N, and more.

We included new businesses that will be opening this year, such as MelKat's and Southport Tea.

MelKat's is a project that’s underway to revive and reimagine the former Shirl’s Drive‑In, 7943 Sheridan Road. Under the new name MelKat’s and led by local restaurateur Dino Katris, the venue is expected to open this year. It will be a quick service restaurant with great food and delicious frozen desserts.

Southport Tea is opening in the former S.J. Crystal’s building at 5701 6th Avenue. The business began as a hobby for Russ Collier. He shares, “I’ve always loved tea — it’s relaxing, simple, and has this amazing ability to connect people. After 25 years in the financial technology world, I realized I wanted to do something slower paced, something that made people smile. In 2024, I started selling tea at the Kenosha Public Market, and the community response was incredible.”

Events

We have an Events Calendar in the Visitors Guide that lists a selection of annual events. We recommend using VisitKenosha.com/Events to access an up-to-date list of events throughout the year and/or signing up for the weekly EventSource email.

Get The Guide

Whether you are considering visiting the Kenosha Area for the first time or you’ve been here many times … whether you are a long-time Kenosha resident or new to the area … you’ll learn something new from the guide.

Pick up a free Kenosha Area Visitors Guide at numerous businesses, attractions, and organizations throughout the Kenosha Area. Or stop at one of our visitor information centers to pick one up: the Wisconsin Welcome Center – Kenosha is at I-94/41 and Hwy. 165. Here you’ll find publications and brochures for destinations throughout the state. We also staff a Visitor Information Center in Downtown Kenosha at 600 52nd Street, Suite 200.

On our website, you can view the identical digital guide or request we mail you a copy (at no charge).