Looking for an inexpensive day trip in the Fox Cities region of Wisconsin? Then we highly recommend that you check out the Oshkosh Public Museum (OPM).
The OPM is housed within the historic Sawyer home, which was built by a local lumber baron in 1908. Along with many museum displays of life around the Lake Winnebago region and various art works, you can explore some of the homes original interior design. One of the very special exhibitions is the Apostles Clock which still chimes on the top of every hour, lights up, and begins a not-to-be missed mechanical parade.
We were very impressed with the number of interactive displays within OPM. There are some much larger, and well endowed, museums that don’t seem to grasp the positive impact of allowing guests to get hands-on with history. But OPM understands. They offer up everything from a scavenger hunt with a prize if completed to a grandma’s attic filled with toys, dress up clothes, and trunks that play music when opened. We were lucky enough to visit while they hosted a temporary interactive exhibit on parasites!
Even OPM’s gift shop is better than many we’ve seen. Along with expensive home decor pieces and books, it offered numerous items for under $5 (even choices under $1), so every family member can get a keepsake to remember their trip.
The museum also displays numerous xeroxed news articles and original source works regarding OshKosh’s participation in national events, available for free perusal to all guests in the basement level of the museum.
Admission is free (kids under 6 get in for no charge) if you are a member of ASTC and can fit within the weird confines of those exacerbating distance rules. Parking is plentiful, restrooms are clean and have changing stations, and the grounds of the museum are worth exploring.