5 Wisconsin Small Towns With Big Shopping Appeal
Cambridge: Originally settled by Scottish and Norwegian farmers, today this small town has a strong artistic community.
Rowe Pottery Works, with its handcrafted bakeware and cheerful shopping experience, tops the list. There’s also Cambridge Wood-Fired Pottery and Rock Eagle Pottery. Don’t miss Avid Gardener for botanical inspiration, Kaleidoscope Fibres for those who love knitting, Katy’s Corner for Scandinavian finds, and Sprout Artisan Marketplace for local artwork.
Mineral Point: This was the first city in Wisconsin to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The list of art studios and galleries would be impressive even for a big city.
For unique art, there’s Howdle Studios or Brewery Pottery, which is housed in one of the oldest brewery buildings in the state. The Foundry Books has antique books, including children’s books. Phoebe’s Nest, featuring antiques, art, jewellery and home décor, is located in the city’s first firehouse built in 1900.
Spring Green: Known for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin, the American Players Theatre and the quirky House on the Rock, it also has some real hidden gems of shopping.
Arcadia Books is an independent bookstore with a café and coffee shop. The Opal Man jewellery boutique is the only independent opal dealer in the U.S.
Baraboo: Shop fronts haven’t changed much since the city bustled with the excitement of being the winter home for the Ringling Brothers circus.
Bekah Kate’s will wow you with its selection of gourmet cookware. Cornerstone Gallery features jewellery work and home décor items from American artists. Lillian Verrall has an eclectic selection of accessories, gifts and consignment furniture.
Washburn and Ashland: Just 15 minutes apart on Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay. Washburn is a secluded community on the north shore of Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior and the nation’s first eco-municipality. Ashland is the “historic mural capital of Wisconsin.”
Chequamegon Books in Washburn has more than 70,000 new and antiquarian books, plus specialty coffee and tea. Karlyn’s Gallery features pottery and art. In Ashland, Gabriele’s German Sweets has handmade cookies and chocolates. Salmagundi is a fair trade gift shop with rotating art shows.
