Manitowoc things to do in winter include roller skating at Rollaire

Indoor entertainment options include skating at Rollaire or visiting the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, the Rahr-West Art Museum and the Strand Adventures family complex.

MANITOWOC – Once the Christmas gifts are open and cookies eaten, you might be looking for some family fun for the holiday break and winter months. We’ve put together our bucket list of activities and events you might want to check out in this cold, crisp season!

Camp Vits — cross country skiing and snow shoeing

Camp Vits Park is 76 acres tucked away from the hustle and bustle at 97 S. Park View Road. The park provides adventurists with well-maintained trails that cater to all skill levels. Snowshoes are available to rent from the Manitowoc Parks Department at the front desk of the Manitowoc Senior Center, 3330 Custer St.

Silver Creek Park — skiing, sledding, snow tubing and fat tire biking

Nestled along Lake Michigan, Silver Creek Park, 3001 S. 10th St., offers 70 acres for winter fun. There are hills for sledding and tubing, and trails for skiing and biking.

Go skating at Burger Boat Company Park, Manitowoc County Ice Center or Rollaire

When temps dip below freezing, locals and visitors can flock to Burger Boat Company Park, 821 N. Eighth St., which provides a free place to ice skate. There are no skates to rent, so be sure to take your own.

The Manitowoc County Ice Center, 4931 Expo Drive, also offers fun on the ice with open skating, skating lessons and hockey. Public skating typically is offered Saturday and Sunday afternoons and there are skates for rent.

For indoor roller skating, there’s the Rollaire, 930 N. 18th St., open 1:30-4 p.m. Sundays ($7 all ages), 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays ($5 admission) and two sessions on Fridays — 6:30-9 p.m. and 8:30-11 p.m. at $8 for one session or $12 for both. Additional cost for skate rental.

A visit to the Manitowoc Winter Farmers’ Market

This market is presented by Grow It Forward Saturdays, including Dec. 27, Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 14, Feb. 28, March 14, March 28, April 11 and April 25. The market is open 8 a.m. to noon at The Venue at Union Square, 702 York St.

The event features kids’ activities, coffee, bloody Mary and mimosa bar, and bistro tables to sit and enjoy your drinks and locally made foods. Light entertainment will also be provided.

Check out the Wisconsin Maritime Museum

Explore the area’s maritime heritage at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, the largest museum of its kind in the Midwest, at 75 Maritime Drive. Get up close to life-size historic vessels, real artifacts and interactive exhibits, and also take a tour of the USS Cobia, a World War II submarine docked in the Manitowoc River.

Visit the Rahr-West Art Museum

Named one of USA TODAY’s “10 Great Places to See Art in Smaller Cities,” the Rahr-West features fine art set in a Victorian mansion, 610 N. Eighth St. See works from Georgia O’Keefe, Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso. Keith Haring’s Subway Drawings exhibit will recur weekly on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday Dec. 21 through Feb. 15, 2026.

Take the kids to Strand Adventures

A family activity complex in downtown Manitowoc, Strand Adventures offers a state-of-the-art ninja gym, an indoor rock-climbing wall, a custom-designed laser tag arena, a jungle gym and toddler area, as well as an arcade full of games. Strand, 315 N. Eighth St., is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays

Head to Holidays on the Farm

The Farm Wisconsin Discover Center, 7001 Gass Lake Road, is hosting Holidays on the Farm Dec. 20, 26, 27 and 30. Meet special farm animals, warm up by a crackling fire pit, enjoy wagon rides, relive nostalgic farm memories and explore more than 10,000-square-feet of educational exhibits while you are there.

Contact reporter Patti Zarling at [email protected] or call 920-606-2575.