Get inspired for your visit...

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Whatever style of lodging you prefer, we've got you covered! Select your lodging here.

Fort is filled with festivals throughout the year. From wine walks and food truck festivals to concerts and athletic events, we find ways to celebrate nearly every weekend! See the Chamber of Commerce's calendar of events.

Hike at Dorothy Carnes Park, boat on the Rock River or in nearby Lake Koshkonong, or bike our miles of trails. In the winter, skate at Haumerson's Pond or get an adrenaline rush on our snowmobile trails.

We have delicious and unique dining options galore! With countless casual and fine dining choices, we have the flavors to make your mouth water, from sushi and pizza to fish fries and prime rib. See a list of restaurants.

From walking tours down historic Merchants Avenue to a trip to our Panther Intaglio, the rich of history of Fort Atkinson promises to delight Wisconsin history enthusiasts.

View a map of the best kayak drop spots in the Fort Atkinson area and around Jefferson County. You can also rent a kayak or canoe.

From the Fireside's famed giftshops and the Jones Dairy Market, to Blodgett Garden Center's wide variety of seasonal and pet gifts, to our quaint downtown antique, vintage, clothing, home, and gift shops, to our seasonal Farmer's Market and Holiday Market each December, Fort Atkinson is a shopper's paradise!

Fort Atkinson has connections to both Queen Elizabeth and Abraham Lincoln. Hoard's Dairyman magazine started here. We're the ‘Intersectional Peony City of Wisconsin’ in honor of Roger and Sandra Anderson’s work with intersectional peonies.

Whether you're looking for an elegant, formal affair or something more casual, we have the venues and event planning options to make your special day absolutely perfect. See a comprehensive list of venues, photographers, cake bakers, DJs, and more here.

The scenic 31.5-mile Glacial River Bike Trail runs through our downtown and leads riders past farms, bronze sculptures, prairies, streams, and through a wooden covered bridge. See all our biking events and news here.

Rent a bike here.

Thure Kumlien, 19th century ornithologist, studied birds on the shores of Lake Koshkonong. These days, birdwatching opportunities abound at Jefferson Tamarack Swamp, Adam Birding Conservancy, Red Cedar Lake Waterfowl Production Area, and Dorothy Carnes Park. Learn more here or explore the Rock River Birding Trail. See taxidermized birds at the Hoard Museum's bird room exhibit.

Musical theatre at the Fireside is just one way to experience live music in Fort. From free weekly summer charity concerts on Wednesdays and Fort Atkinson Community Band Concerts on Mondays, to live music at the Island Bar, Proof Speakeasy, Koshkonong Mounds Country Club, Sunset Bar & Grille, Cafe Carpe, Riverstone, and other venues, Fort Atkinson's live music scene has something for everyone!

Stroll along the Rock River and take our beautiful pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the river for a sparkling view upstream and down. Our beautiful riverwalk is the perfect location for wedding, senior, and candid photos!

Folks from around the Midwest and beyond have been coming to Fort Atkinson's famed Fireside Theatre for dinner and a show for decades. This is a must-see stop for travelers and locals alike.

Use Fort Atkinson as your home base and explore countless attractions a short drive away. Whether you're in the mood to skydive, take a self-guided barn quilt tour, or paddle up river for a stop at quirky Goat Island, unique adventures will find you at every turn in the river or road.

Take a guided or self-guided tour of Fort Atkinson on bike or by foot! Hoard Museum Director Merrilee Lee offers a variety of biking tours throughout the spring and summer. Download a map of Little Free Library spots or Historic Sites to take your own walking tour.

Visit our tours page for many more ideas!

Check out farms, orchards, corn mazes, nurseries, garden centers, country markets, and pumpkin patches! Just a few choices include Busy Barns Adventure Farms, Warm Belly Farm, Poyer's Farm Market, Blodgett's Garden Center, Morningside Farm and Orchard, Steffen's Cherry Orchard, Hoard's Dairyman Farm, Jelli's Market, Jones Market, and many others.

The Fort Atkinson Farmer's Market happens May-October from 8 am-noon. Stop by for free live music and crafts for kids. Night markets take place at Blodgett's Garden Center select evenings in the summer. Summer Charity Concerts take place on select Wednesdays. Fort Atkinson Community Band Concerts take place on select Mondays.

From murals of her poetry to an extensive display at our library, Fort Atkinson gleams with pride for Lorine Niedecker. Her Blackhawk Island cottage is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Though closed to the public, you can still visit the grounds today.

Fort Atkinson is the home of the National Dairy Shrine and the Dairy Shrine Museum (located within the Hoard Museum), Hoard's Dairyman farm magazine (established in 1885 and still the leading dairy magazine), and home of Charles Rockwell and William Dempster Hoard.

Read about the "Cheesy History" of Jefferson County or learn more here.

The first weekend in December is always a special time in Fort! Enjoy our annual Holiday Market, Open House, trolley and carriage rides, strolling carolers, and much more! This year, the open house will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2 and the holiday parade will take place on Sunday, Dec. 3.

The Milton House Museum is the only remaining certified stop on the Underground Railroad in Wisconsin that can still be toured today. Milton House photo credit: https://miltonhouse.org/

Rock Lake and Aztalan in Lake Mills are magical, mysterious destinations you shouldn't miss. This History's Greatest Mysteries episode dives deep to uncover the answers to the mysteries surrounding these locations.

Save the date for Goat Fest 2023: August 5, 2023! Learn more about this quirky destination that is accessible only by water here or here.

Wisconsin Skydiving Center is just a few minutes outside of Fort Atkinson, on Hwy K.  With more than 55 years of combined skydiving experience, owners Bo Babovic and Alex Kolacio are dedicated to providing every student with the best skydiving experience possible. 

Just an eight-minute drive from Fort Atkinson, Cold Spring Creamery County Park provides the perfect spot to relax, enjoy a picnic, and visit Lincoln Hill, where President Lincoln spent the night in the summer of 1832 after his horse was stolen!  Photo credit: www.jeffersoncountywi.gov

 Burnt Village County Park is a popular site on the lower Bark River for launching small boats, canoes and kayaks, and for shore fishing. It's also a well known Historic Site, once being home to a Native American village and later a Federal Soldier encampment during the Blackhawk War of 1832. View a Jefferson County waterways map here. Photo credit: www.jeffersoncountywi.gov

The cute college just town fifteen minutes from Fort Atkinson was once called the "Second Salem" and has been called "The Creepiest Town in Wisconsin." Learn about Whitewater's mysterious, fascinating past here. 

Jefferson County is filled with great golfing spots. Learn more here.

Featured photo taken at Koshkonong Mounds Country Club.

Jefferson County Fair Park, just a ten-minute drive from Fort Atkinson, has an ongoing schedule of events, from animal shows to car shows to shopping events, auctions, and much more!