Thirty minutes outside the geographical boundaries of Beloit, Wisconsin, past cornfields nearly ripe for harvest and toward Williams Bay on Geneva Lake, my family turned up the driveway to enter green lawns studded with trees. We circled the drive and parked next to an academic-looking stone structure with domed ceilings on opposite ends. We had arrived at Yerkes Observatory, quietly one of the most significant places for the advancement of astronomical observations dating back to the 19th century, and a destination on my list long before I knew of anything else to do in the area.
Photo: Philip Arno Photography/Shutterstock
Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in Beloit, Wisconsin
This was one stop on my family’s late-summer weekend in Beloit. Our fall calendar was filling up, and we wanted a final push to capture the last of the hot days and sunshine, without the frantic scurry of beaches or water parks or popular destinations. As fall peeked around the corner, signaling the return to school for the household, we wondered if we could fit in one more trip that wouldn’t require much planning or much saving and spending.
Beloit is not the first place to come to mind for destinations in the United States, or even within Wisconsin. Janesville to the north has a large network of parks and recreation land, and Madison is a different energy with the state capital and college crowd. Just over the Illinois border, Rockford offers art, architecture, museums, and a growing food and drink scene. But this is its strength: visitors don’t have to fight crowds, rush for reservations, or feel the FOMO of too many things to do but not enough time.
For a relaxed family weekend, Beloit has a touch of each of those other cities: a little recreation by the Rock River; a small, walkable downtown area; and a short list of local eateries you can realistically tackle in a weekend without feeling like you missed something.
Things to do in Beloit
Yerkes Observatory
Photo: Aaron of L.A. Photography/Shutterstock
Operating as part of the University of Chicago from 1897 to 2018, the observatory is the home of what was once the largest refracting telescope in the world, a 40-inch-diameter lens, as well as several other telescopes housed under rotating domes. Now run by a non-profit organization, it houses 180,000 glass plate images of the planets, galaxies, stars, and various space objects.
This is where spiral galaxies beyond the Milky Way were confirmed and studied, where famous scientific minds like Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Gerard Kuiper, Nancy Grace Roman, Carl Sagan, and many others studied and advanced our knowledge of the cosmos. You can book one of several different tours, including public viewing nights when you can look through the historic telescopes.
Yerkes Observatory: 373 W. Geneva Street, Williams Bay, WI 53191
Noble Nostalgics
At Noble Nostalgics, yesteryear bliss is shaped like plastic bricks. LEGO is the name of the game here, for collecting or building, alongside video games from the Super Nintendo and N64 era and then some, plus smaller items like Pokemon cards, Hot Wheels, and other playful ephemera throughout the small shop. Rounding out the collection are action figures, plush characters, and small toy sets I had forgotten since before the days I concerned myself with school grades and cafeteria lunches. Whether you’re hunting down a seemingly unattainable collectible from your childhood or instilling the joys of building and play in the next generation (or both simultaneously), this is a worthwhile stop on the way through downtown Beloit.
Noble Nostalgics: 3113 Prairie Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
Beloit Farmers Market
Every Saturday morning from May to October, several streets in central downtown Beloit brim with pleasant energy. Let your curiosity guide you, as well as your hunger. We did, and it paid off. Smell and sample honey, cheese, bread, fruit, pickles, jams, mushroom jerky, super juices, coffee, spices, sunflowers, pastries, and all manner of farm-fresh produce. Browse artisan crafts in many forms: sculptures, carvings, paintings, photographs, jewelry, handmade soap, candles, buttons, dog collars, dream catchers, garden art, and peculiarities you’re not quite sure about but somehow also want to take home. More than 85 weekly vendors make the Beloit Farmers Market a beloved gathering full of variety and a “hey, neighbor” feel.
Beloit Farmers Market: 557 E Grand Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
The Rogue Bookshop
After the farmers market, we stepped past the row of vendors and visited The Rogue Bookshop. Kids have a dedicated room in the back of the shop to browse young adult and children’s books, toys, activity books, cards, games, magazines, and more. Spot the hidden reading nook around one of the corners. Before leaving, we snapped a photo of the creatively displayed wall of books, open pages outward with flowers and illustrations.
The Rogue Bookshop: 321 State St, Beloit, WI 53511
Beloit Sky Carps baseball
Summer means watching baseball. And even if you don’t like baseball (we do), the Beloit Sky Carps make it fun. The Sky Carps are a minor league affiliate of the Miami Marlins, playing against other Midwest-based teams that feed the major league. Bordering the river in downtown Beloit, the 3,850-person capacity ABC Supply Stadium is easy to get to and navigate, offering the charm of a small-town ball field. Games are boosted by a family-friendly environment, weekly promotions, kid activity areas, and fireworks after Saturday night games.
Beloit Sky Carps: 217 Shirland Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
Beloit College museums
There’s a certain feeling I get when I step onto the green campus of a small college in the Midwest. Beloit College felt familiar: grassy lawns penetrated by mature acorn trees, a mixture of brutalist low brick buildings with narrow windows, tall Greek-style pillared edifices, and vaulted-roof structures, among stucco and rough-hewn stone halls.
Among them stands the Logan Museum of Anthropology, where archaeology exhibits span ages. Free admission makes the small museum feel all the better for learning experiences, especially if the family is in tow. Nearby, the Wright Museum of Art features rotating exhibits across painting, sculpture, and photography.
Logan Museum of Anthropology: 700 College St, Beloit, WI 53511
Riverside Park
We caught live music performed at the pavilion on Friday night. Many people bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. In the afternoons, we could rent kayaks or paddleboats to get on the water. Visit the small rental shop beneath the pavilion stage by the lagoon.
Part of the Riverside Park area, Turtle Island Playground was a lifesaver for my family vacation, with room to run, ladders to climb, and multi-story slides. Plus, you can still hear the live music and walk back across the small bridges to grab snacks or drinks from food trucks and enjoy the summer night together.
Riverside Park: 1200 S Riverside Dr, Beloit, WI 53511
Where to eat and drink in Beloit
Velvet Buffalo Modern Italian
The food at Velvet Buffalo Modern Italian is traditional with playful flourishes, and the wine list lets you taste different regions of Italy alongside the parade of dishes. Diving into the menu under the restaurant’s high ceilings, my family was drawn to the mildly spicy sausage and peppers orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe, which has been on the menu across many changes and so is an essential plate to try. The special, a seared sablefish on a bed of rice and ribboned carrots and zucchini, was savory yet light. Brussels sprouts with charred leaves, umami pops of bacon, sweet golden raisins, and drizzled-in balsamic honey vinaigrette were standouts, and the kids’ menu had options like buttered noodles and spaghetti and meatballs.
For dessert, we had butterscotch budino with salted caramel, chantilly cream, and sesame cookies, vying against other Italian classics like tiramisu, panna cotta, and gelato.
Velvet Buffalo Modern Italian: 500 Public Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
Flying Pig Treat Shop
At Flying Pig Treat Shop, you can get a slushie, shaved ice, Maui freeze, bubble tea, flavored lemonade, soft serve ice cream, shake, ice cream sandwich, or choose from dozens of flavors of ice cream, surpassed in number only by the shaved ice flavors. Kids will love the rainbow of ice cream sprinkles and toppings lined in jars on one side of the shop. No sweet tooth? Look to the opposite wall of gourmet popcorn variations. But just try resisting ice cream flavors like Zanzibar chocolate, strawberry cheesecake, Amaretto Cherry Mackinac Island Fudge, colorful Superman, mint chocolate chip, java chocolate, or the rest of the diverse lineup.
Flying Pig Treat Shop: 431 E Grand Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
G5 Brewing Company
Set on a hill covered with tall grasses, G5 Brewing’s taproom and brewing facility is composed of metal and aged wood accents between large windows that bring the outside in and the inside out. Patio space and several large areas inside mean there are tables for big and small parties alike, in addition to bar seating.
If your time allows, as ours did, hold off on ordering a pint until you run through a tasting flight selected from the 15 or so beers on tap. IPA-lovers will be satisfied with a couple hazy, citrusy, and bitter options. A Czech lager brings grainy and crisp tone, while a kolsch and seasonal festbier harken to the German traditional beers with a nod to modern hops selections. Several beers are fruited sours, including a prickly pear/Juicy Fruit sour, a strawberry shortcake-inspired kettle sour, and a cherry limeade popsicle-mimicking option.
The food menu focuses on burgers and thin-crust pizzas, but don’t forget you’re in Wisconsin and fried cheese curds are always relevant. BBQ ribs, salads, pastas, and Sunday brunch plates are other popular food choices.
G5 Brewing: 1895 Gateway Blvd, Beloit, WI 53511
truk’t | street tacos, tequila & whiskey
Whiskey and tequila drinkers can be a discerning bunch; truk’t has plenty of options — ranging from bourbon, rye, Scotch, American whiskey, and Irish whiskey to tequila and mezcal — as well as a menu built for the whole family. Sip a hard-to-find wheated bourbon from Kentucky next to a 100 percent blue Weber agave tequila with no additives, or a leathery and smoky single malt from the shores of Scotland.
Tuck into a plate of tacos ranging from al pastor and shrimp curry and Baja fish to chicken tinga and charred Brussels sprouts. Chips and queso, rice bowls and salads, plus brunch chilaquiles, breakfast skillets, or flights of mimosas, boozy coffee drinks, or Bloody Marys round out the menu.
truk’t: 443 E Grand Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
The Rock Bar and Grill
The Rock Bar and Grill delivers Wisconsin supper club hospitality without the traditional feel of a Wisconsin supper club. It skips the wood panels but keeps that same everybody’s-here energy, adds some sports bar TVs, and sits right along the Rock River (including covered patio tables if weather isn’t quite perfect). Some even drive boats up to dock and dine.
Regulars steered us to the Friday fish fry of battered cod with fries and coleslaw first. There were also burgers, wraps, and hot sandwiches from pulled pork or Monte Cristo to Italian beef and grilled pot roast. We opted for a server’s favorite side, the seashore-style flat fries or sweet potato fries. Expect pub-fare appetizers, spanning cheese curds, Buffalo wings, jalapeño poppers, artichoke dip, nachos, and the locally infamous Frickle Roll: a pickle spear wrapped in ham and cream cheese, all deep-fried and served with (Wisconsin) spicy ranch dipping sauce. Wash it down with one of the more than a dozen beers on tap, including local and regional brews plus a few craft beers from around the country. Save room for a shareable dessert like a caramel-drenched bread pudding or an ice cream-topped brownie.
The Rock Bar and Grill: 101 Maple Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
5Bar
I couldn’t understand 5Bar even though I wanted to. It’s not a dive bar. It’s not a fancy cocktail bar. It’s not a visually on-trend influencer-trap bar, nor is it a karaoke bar. But it has elements of each of these, somehow amalgamated into a thoroughly Wisconsin small-town experience in the tune of the 1970s.
This is an establishment that combines the “everybody’s welcome” ethos and cocktail menu effort of what could be a Milwaukee neighborhood bar while remaining relaxed to a point of low-grade chaos on a weekend evening, especially past 10 PM. The multi-colored lights with fluorescent accents, seemingly haphazard trinkets on the walls, old mismatched furniture, and backlit letterboard sign announcing whose birthday it may be will disorient you more than the drinks. But maybe they’ll give you a sense that you’re not too crazy to be imbibing with locals of all stripes, because you will probably rub shoulders with what could be mistaken for recently rushed sorority girls, jocks in shades of camo, flannel-clad indie skaters, or black-draped goth patrons, alongside a just-married pair and their wedding party, chain-smoking retirees, and a well-dressed white-collar working couple who want a nightcap after their upscale steakhouse dinner. And the owner’s dog, who is somewhat of a local celebrity, is known to roam the bar in search of belly scratches. It’s all rather confusing, and it’s simultaneously rather charming.
Yes, you can order a Jell-O shot, or a pickleback, or Malort (you are in striking range of Chicago, aren’t you?). You can stick to macro light beer or beloved regionals like New Glarus Brewing. You can order cocktails with ingredients you’re not familiar with, or ask for a classic if the bartender is inclined. The cocktail menu rotates, taking on various themes by season or the whims of the bartenders (for example: psychedelic music, Harry Potter, love languages, back to school, and equally fun if nontraditional territory). The one sure thing after a visit to 5Bar: You will remember your experience, love it or hate it or can’t categorize it, for a long time.
5Bar: 530 E Grand Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
Blue Collar Coffee Co.
We stumbled into Blue Collar Coffee Co. after the Saturday morning farmers market, in desperate need of caffeine. We appreciated that it has hearty breakfast bites (chorizo breakfast burrito or breakfast sandwich), as well as a cinnamon roll, a rotation of danishes, and other pastries on top of the coffee menu. The beans behind the brew are from Ruby Coffee Roasters from central Wisconsin. Check the board to see what’s on drip when you visit, and you may get the Blue Collar Creamery seasonal blend (notes of dark chocolate, caramel, praline) or a light roast single-origin coffee from places like Rwanda (giving cola, plum, and tropical fruit).
Blue Collar Coffee Co: 108 W Grand Ave, Beloit, WI 53511
Where to stay in Beloit
Most of the lodging options in the Beloit area are the standard corporate franchises — think Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Fairfield by Marriott Inn and Suites, Best Western Legacy Inn and Suites. Those are fine if you want the standard franchise fare: free continental breakfast, a swimming pool, or an exercise room on site. But if you want to stay downtown within walking distance of many points of interest, consider Hotel Goodwin (which is in the same building as Velvet Buffalo and their rooftop bar) or Ironworks Hotel Beloit, just across the river. For a boutique experience, look at 1810 Emerson House Bed & Breakfast (adults-only) or The Beloit Haus, which offer more accessible prices than you’re likely to find at bed and breakfasts in larger cities.
Getting to and around Beloit
Photo: Philip Arno Photography/Shutterstock
By car, Beloit is a convenient Midwestern destination right on Interstate 90, between Madison (just under one hour away) and Chicago (one and a half hours away). If you prefer to fly into a small airport, Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) is a 33-minute drive south of Beloit. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is 1 hour and 10 minutes away.
Around town, parking is plentiful and free. Downtown Beloit is compact and walkable. A city bus network offers limited service, but renting a car will be the most convenient way to get around. 