Tristan Crist Magic Theatre
Best Attraction
Described as “an intimate venue for a live-scale show,” Tristan Crist’s Magic Theatre has been likened to a Las Vegas-style illusion show that fits in with the small-town surroundings and environment within Lake Geneva. The 175-seat facility is designed to bring all participants close to the action on stage. The goal, Crist says, is to provide seemingly impossible illusions in close proximity to all audience members. Crist adds new magic and illusions to his performances on a regular basis.
Location: 100 N. Edwards Blvd., Lake Geneva, WI
lakegenevamagic.com | 262-248-0505
Woodstock Opera House
Best Attraction
Described as a venue of historic elegance, the Woodstock Opera House offers an array of special events throughout the year, including art exhibits, concerts, dance performances and live theatre. A wide range of musicians have graced the opera house’s stage over the years, including those specializing in bluegrass, folk and Irish. The facility also offers an onsite eatery, the Stage Left Café.
Location: 121 Van Buren St., Woodstock, IL
woodstockoperahouse.com | 815-338-4212
Raue Center for the Arts
Best Live Music Venue and Best Live Theater
Situated in the historic heart of Crystal Lake, this popular spot has been a source for live entertainment within the community for a century. Originally known as El Tovar, the facility, with its signature Spanish mission-style décor, was home to vaudeville theater and filmed “talkies” in the 1920s, and then evolved as new entertainment options came to the forefront. The facility, now called the Raue Center, has recently undergone an extensive renovation and become a venue for a range of Grammy Award winning musicians, nationally recognized artists and Broadway stars.
Location: 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake, IL
rauecenter.org | 815-356-9212
Belfry Music Theatre
Best Event Venue
This deeply rooted facility, operating out of a former church building, began as a stock company in 1935 and, in the subsequent decades, provided professional experience to such well-known actors as Harrison Ford and Paul Newman. Today, the Belfry, according to the organization’s website, aims “to continue its legacy to engage, inspire and entertain our community by presenting professional productions for the entire family that enrich and have a meaningful impact in their lives to build memories throughout the generations.”
Location: 3601 State Highway 67, Delavan, WI
belfrymusictheatre.com | 262-394-6460
Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Best Live Music Venue
Since its opening in 1977, this 37,000-capacity amphitheater has featured countless concerts and performances on the outskirts of Elkhorn and East Troy. The facility features a signature wood roof that covers a 7,500-person pavilion and a sprawling lawn area. Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffet, Shaun Cassidy and the Dave Matthews Band are just a small sampling of some of the acts that have performed at Alpine Valley over the years. The site has also hosted such large concert series as the Family Values Tour, Lollapalooza and, in 2019, a second iteration of Farm Aid.
Location: 2699 County Road D, East Troy, WI
alpinevalleymusictheatre.org | 262-642-4400
Geneva Theater
Best Movie Theater
The exterior is a nod to the past, but the interior features a number of modern touches. The four-screen Geneva Theater, located in a historic building in the heart of downtown Lake Geneva, offers first-run films with the latest digital 4K technology in comfy leather seats. The cinema also features a full snack bar and meal menu. On occasion, the Geneva Theater serves as a venue for special live performances on a historic stage.
Location: 244 Broad St., Lake Geneva, WI
geneva4.com | 262-763-6789
Raymond’s Bowl and Entertainment Center
Best Bowling
This family-owned, multi-generational business offers up a number of amenities designed to appeal to people from all walks of life. Features include a 24-lane bowling alley, highlighted with eight of their signature Wildside Bowling Lanes. The site also hosts Ray’s Bar, which provides a range of TVs for catching games, slot machines, live music and daily drink specials. Additionally, the more than 40-year-old business features an arcade area, private party rooms, and a pro shop, known as Bowler Smart.
Location: 3960 Johnsburg Road, Johnsburg, IL
raymondsbowl.com | 815-385-1475
Black Point Estate and Gardens
Best Tour
Designed to serve as a retreat from the frenetic pace of daily life, the 8-acre Black Point Estate and Gardens is situated on a serene 620-foot stretch of undisturbed Geneva Lake shoreline. The estate and gardens, under the auspices of the Wisconsin Historical Society, serve as an opportunity to step back in time. Beer tycoon Conrad Seipp had the Queen Anne-style mansion built as a summer home in 1888. Visitors can marvel at the breathtaking architectural features and furnishings, which include post-Civil War-era furniture.
Location: 812 Wrigley Drive, Lake Geneva, WI
blackpointestate.wisconsinhistory.org | 262-248-1888
Three Oaks Recreation Area
Best Beach
This popular outdoor spot, once home to the Vulcan Lakes quarry, has since been reclaimed and transformed into a variety of new purposes with the natural habitat in mind. Recreational opportunities include canoeing, kayaking, sailing and paddle boating. Visitors can marvel at the natural environment as they hike, fish, or picnic. Notable features within the sprawling grounds include a kid-friendly spray park, a scuba diving school, an outdoor dining patio area and rental facilities.
Location: 5517 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, IL
crystallake.org | 815-459-2020
Riviera Beach
Best Beach
This summertime hot spot offers 600 feet of sandy beach along Geneva Lake with an adjacent bathhouse and board walk. It is situated in downtown Lake Geneva next to the Riviera Ballroom, near other popular amenities, including the Geneva Lake Shore Path, Lake Geneva Library and the array of restaurants and shops dotting the city’s main thoroughfare.
Location: 211 Wrigley Drive, Lake Geneva, WI
cityoflakegeneva.com | 262-248-3673
White River State Trail
Best Bike Trail
Following a former rail corridor across 19 miles, the White River State Trail winds through Elkhorn in Walworth County over to Dover in Racine County. The scenic trail includes numerous bridges and trestles, communities such as Elkhorn, Springfield, Lyons, Burlington and Dover, as well as farmlands and wetlands. The mainly crushed limestone trail is a favorite for hiking and biking, along with horseback riding on a two-mile stretch from Lyons to Springfield. During the winter, the trail also accommodates snowmobiles and also connects with many other area snowmobile trails. In addition to snowmobiles, the trail is open for walking, bicycling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Location: W4097 County Road NN, Elkhorn, WI
www.co.walworth.wi.us/835/White-River-Trail | 262.741.3114
The Prairie Trail
Best Bike Trail
Encompassing more than 26 miles across McHenry County, the Prairie Trail connects eight of the county’s communities, stretching from Algonquin to just shy of the Wisconsin State line. Whether hiking, biking or a just taking a leisurely stroll, there are plenty of stopping points along the way to take in the scenic views. The Prairie Trail runs along the former Chicago and Northwestern railroad lines, and is not only close to local shops and businesses, but it also provides great views of Glacial Park, Larsen Prairie, Sterne’s Woods, the Diverse City Prairie and the Fox River. Broken into two routes, the North and South trails, the 8.5 miles of Prairie Trail North leads visitors from the Village of McHenry to the North Branch Conservation Area, while the Prairie Trail South begins in Algonquin and leads to the Village of McHenry, crossing 17 miles. This paved section of trail is relatively flat and used mostly by pedestrians, bicyclists and rollerbladers. The main access points to the trails can be located north of Algonquin, along Main Street in Crystal Lake, as well as Petersen Park in McHenry, and in Glacial Park which is north of Ringwood. In addition, the Prairie Trail links to almost 100 miles of other Illinois trails including the Hebron and Fox River Trails.
Location: 314 Washington St, Algonquin, IL
visitmchenrycounty.com/Prairie-Trail | 815.338.6223
Geneva Lake Shore Path
Best Sunday Walk
A walk on the Shore Path provides an up-close view of the stunning and historic homes along Geneva Lake, as well as a view of all of the activity from sailboats or excursion boats traveling across the water. The path weaves in and out of wooded areas along the shoreline and stretches almost 26 miles, which is actually longer than Geneva Lake’s immediate shoreline at 21 miles. It would be quite an undertaking to attempt to walk the entire path in one day, as it typically takes 8-10 hours, so instead, most people choose to walk it in sections, entering along one of the public access points in Lake Geneva, Fontana, Williams Bay and at Big Foot Beach State Park. The easiest starting point is near the Lake Geneva Public Library and then heading in either direction.
The access point by the library sports a historic marker that commemorates the path’s history. It was used by several Native American tribes, including Chief Big Foot’s Potawatomi tribe, who used the trail between their villages in what is now Fontana, Williams Bay and Lake Geneva. Later, the trail transitioned into a path for the workers to access the summer estates of the Chicago families who rebuild their homes here after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Historically and today, property owners are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the path through the properties, which allows each homeowner to add their unique touch. Some provide benches for walkers to take a brief rest, while others display artwork or feature specialty landscaping.
Location: Access Points in Lake Geneva, Fontana, Williams Bay and Big Foot Beach State Park, WI
visitlakegeneva.com/things-to-do/shore-path/
Snake Road
Best Sunday Drive
Designated as a rustic road by the state of Wisconsin, Snake Road is a curving road that has been preserved and maintained by the generations of Lake Geneva families. The roughly 2.5 mile stretch is accessed by traveling on Highway 50/Main Street and heading out of downtown Lake Geneva, before turning onto Snake Road. This quiet loop provides a deeper sense of tranquility than other areas surrounding the lake area. The families who originally settled in the area migrated as a result of the Great Chicago Fire, as well as the expanding railroad during that time.
Location: Snake Rd, Lake Geneva, WI
visitlakegeneva.com/blog/post/famous-wisconsin-scenic-drives
Geneva National Resort and Club
Best Golf Course
This long-tenured site, which features a resort, golf course, lodging accommodations and a steakhouse, has been noted for its picturesque scenery and top tier-amenities. The golf course’s design has been modeled after such professional legends as Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. The golf course is situated amid the rolling, beautiful hills of the Wisconsin countryside and the Lake Como shoreline. Other notable features within the golf course include manicured bent grass tees, fairways and greens. Five tee boxes are available to accommodate every level of player.
Location: 1221 Geneva National Ave. South, Lake Geneva, WI
genevanationalresort.com | 262-245-7000
Hawk’s View Golf Club
Best Golf Course
Since opening 20 years ago, Hawk’s View has picked up a number of accolades and has frequently been recognized as one of the premier golf course facilities in the Midwest. Hawk’s View holds the distinction of being the only 5-star rated course in the Lake Geneva area. The venue has also received mentions in such publications as Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. The sprawling grounds include Como Crossings, with a par-72, 7,074-yard championship caliber layout, and Barn Hollow, a family-friendly, 18-hole, par-3 course.
Location: 7377 Krueger Road, Lake Geneva, WI
hawksviewgolfclub.com | 262-348-9900
Turnberry Golf Club
Best Golf Course
This family-oriented venue features a number of notable amenities, including the 30,000-square-foot French Normandy-style clubhouse, a renovated, 3,900-square-foot banquet room and four tennis courts. E. Lawrence Packard designed Turnberry’s 72-par golf course, which is situated 6,852 yards from championship tees. Turnberry has notched a number of notable achievements over the years, including a host site for the Illinois Open and a qualifier site for the U.S. Open. While it has a number of features for skilled, professional golfers, the course is designed in such a way that players of all skill levels can enjoy the venue.
Location: 9600 Turnberry Trail, Village of Lakewood, IL
turnberrycc.com | 815-455-0501
Moraine Hills State Park
Best Park
A recreational paradise, the park is located three miles south of McHenry. The over 2,200 acres offers 10 miles of trails for everything from hiking, biking, fishing and bird watching. The park’s western border features the McHenry Dam, on the Fox River. The trails are the park’s main recreation features, as three trails wind through the park providing scenic views and opportunities for wildlife sightings. The Fox River Trail is 2 miles long, while the Leatherleaf Bog Trail is 3.2 miles, and the Lake Defiance Trail is slightly longer at 3.7 miles. All three are surfaced with crushed limestone. The fourth trail, the River Road Trail, is made of 1.7 miles of paved path. Lake Defiance, located in the park’s center, is one of the few undeveloped glacial lakes in Illinois. Boat rentals are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Another key spot is Pike Marsh, a 115-acre area near the southeast corner of the park, which is home to many rare plants. Leatherleaf Bog provides an example of the Kettle-Moraine topography, and along with Pike Marsh, is a dedicated nature preserve.
Location: 1510 S. River Rd., McHenry, IL
www2.illinois.gov | 815.385.1624
Big Foot Beach State Park
Best Park
Located along the shores of Lake Geneva, Big Foot Beach State Park offers a variety of activities ranging from more than 6.5 miles of hiking trails to 34 campground sites, picnic areas and even a swimming beach. The trails, all labeled by color and easily walkable, range from the 0.5 miles (the red trail) to 2.9-miles (the green trail). There are 40 acres of picnic area and roughly 150 tables, as well as charcoal grills, a playground and volleyball courts for visitors to enjoy. The 100-foot marked swimming area at the beach allows visitors to experience the clear, clean water of Geneva Lake, while those interested in canoeing or kayaking head over to Ceylon Lagoon. While there are no rentals at the park, equipment can be rented from a local vendor just south of the entrance. In addition to swimming, fishing is another option for visitors at Ceylon Lagoon. There’s a pier situated a short distance away, and boat launches are available in downtown Lake Geneva as well as in Linn Township. The park also offers winter activities including trails for cross-country skiing, hiking and snowshoeing throughout the entire park.
Location: 1550 S. Lake Shore Dr., Lake Geneva, WI
dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/bigfoot, 262.248.2528
Thank you to all of the businesses who provided their photographs to include in the feature.