Entertainment & Recreation

Whether you live, work, or are just visiting, Hartford Wisconsin has a perfect mix of activities for you to enjoy.

Outdoor Activities

Pike Lake State Park

Take part in a range of outdoor activities, such as:

Biking
Boating
Camping
Cross-Country Skiing
Fishing
Hiking
Swimming

Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary

Visit 435 beautiful acres of spectacular scenery for hiking or enjoying picnics on the wooded grounds. Its neo-Romanesque church offers a peaceful spot for those wishing to worship, meditate, or pray. Thousands of visitors climb the 178 steps to the top of an observation tower for an unparalleled glimpse of the picturesque surroundings. Special seasonal events occur throughout the year, including a live Nativity, religious concerts, and the annual Holy Hill Arts & Crafts Fair.

Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center

Enjoy a lazy river, waterslides, and sand play area as well as an eight-lane competition pool. Open in summer months.

Golf

The opportunities to play golf on courses of varied skill levels are abundant. Hartford is home to the highly regarded Washington County Golf Course and the Hartford Golf Club. The Erin Hills Golf Course, site of the 2017 US Open is a “short putt” away from downtown. Numerous other quality courses are located within 20 minutes of Hartford.

Parks & Recreation

The City of Hartford is home to 18 parks with everything from children’s play equipment and sports fields to shelters and even an ice rink and disc golf. The Recreation Center is equipped with a complete fitness center and the indoor Signicast Aquatics Center.

The Parks and Recreation Department offers programs for residents of all ages. Also available in the community are club-sponsored recreation programs, such as Hartford Sideliners Soccer and Hartford United Soccer Club, Hartford Youth Wrestling, Hartford Youth Football and Hartford Select Baseball.

Library

Enjoy quiet time spent among the books at our spectacular Jack Russell Memorial Library. The Jack Russell Memorial Library is a two-story, 35,000 square foot community gathering space in downtown Hartford, equipped with 19 Internet stations and Wi-Fi access.

Automotive Museum

Hartford is home to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum. Showcasing transportation history, the museum is Wisconsin’s largest auto museum, featuring an ever-changing display of classic and vintage autos and artifacts plus the largest assembled group of Hartford-built Kissel luxury automobiles. The museum’s striking art deco interior showcases 110+ vehicles and a 1913 steam locomotive and a huge Lionel train layout.

Art Center

The Schauer Arts Center is known as a local and regional treasure. Filled with culture and history, the Center was transformed from a canning factory built in 1919 into an architectural award-winning performing and visual arts center. Since opening in 2001, the Center has provided high quality professional touring performances in its theater and regional artwork tastefully presented in the art gallery. The year-round Schauer School of the Arts offers music, theater, dance, and visual arts education for all ages and abilities.

History

A historical gem, the Chandelier Ballroom, was built in 1928 as the Schwartz Ballroom and has been known as an architecturally prominent facility ever since. In its early years it hosted touring vaudeville performers and big bands and in the 1960’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s presented concerts from various rock stars who were on tour in the area. Today the Chandelier Ballroom is used for wedding receptions, business functions and a variety of community social events.