Warm Winter Escapes

By Danielle Braff

Visitors flock to Door County in the summer, but if you want a quieter experience, try a winter weekend getaway. There’s so much to do outside once cooler temperatures hit—whether in the snow or on the ice. If you’re looking to stay inside, we’ve got plenty of indoor activities, too, from spa treatments and art galleries to upscale dining and more. Here are a few suggestions for a frost-free itinerary.

Recreate Indoors

Ever mastered the downward dog or thrown an axe? Here are the best places to do it. If you’ve never taken a hot yoga class in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, you’re in for a treat. At Ironwood Yoga & Pilates in Sister Bay, you can take heated vinyasa classes, Pilates, and sound baths on the last Sunday of the month. Or, attend a Junction Center Yoga Studio restorative yoga session—a stress-reducing practice that blends mindful breathing with stretching and gentle supported yoga poses—which takes place at the serene, glass-enclosed Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor with amazing views of the bay. 

It’s very easy to spend an entire day at Sturgeon Bay’s Door County Sandbox. After some friendly axe-throwing competitions with your friends, play virtual golf, watch a game, order some drinks—and then repeat. Check their calendar for live music.

Pamper Yourself

It may be cold outside, but when you enter Ephraim’s Spa at Sacred Grounds and step into the sauna or the steam room, you’ll forget what season it is. Let the Lomilomi massage transport you to warmer climes. The Hawaiian-inspired treatment offers a unique spiritual and physical experience. Spa Verde, a holistic spa in Egg Harbor, prides itself on using only chemical-free, organic products. The craniosacral massage, which focuses on your scalp, neck, and back, is incredible after a busy day of outdoor snowy adventures. Bonus: If you book a massage, you’re welcome to use the full-spectrum, infrared sauna and shower for a low fee.

There are quite a few lavender farms in Door County, and on Washington Island, so it’s fitting that you can incorporate lavender into a customized aromatherapy massage at Sturgeon Bay’s Saguaro Day Spa. A steam treatment, plus hot tea in a robe by the fireplace, will warm you up after a day of winter activities, from shopping to hiking.

Arts & Culture

Let Door County entertain and educate you with art galleries, theaters, and museums. Wander around Popelka Trenchard Glass (a glass-blowing studio in Sturgeon Bay), Frykman Studio Gallery (photography and wood carvings in Sister Bay), and Plum Bottom Gallery, which represents nearly 100 artists practicing a multitude of mediums and has locations in Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, and Sturgeon Bay. 

Fish Creek’s Northern Sky Theater moves indoors during the cooler months to present its annual Home for the Holidays performance: a musical play embracing the season. In the mood to see a musical, comedy, or drama? Head to Sturgeon Bay’s Third Avenue PlayWorks. Don’t miss their monthly indoor winter markets, too, as well as holiday-themed performances in December.

Opened in 1975 in Sturgeon Bay, the Miller Art Museum is Door County’s only fine-art museum. It holds an impressive collection of 20th-century regional art and dynamic, changing exhibits. Bonus: It’s totally free. Door County Museum & Archives is nearby and also offers free admission. It’s the perfect place to learn about the area’s heritage through re-created storefronts, a wildlife display, vintage cherry-picking and farm equipment, and much more.

While you’re in town, take time to peruse Door County Maritime Museum’s interactive exhibits throughout the multilevel Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower. You’ll learn about life by and on the water—from ship-building to ice cutting—and spot massive ships that arrive in Sturgeon Bay’s port for winter maintenance.

Fine Dining

For a romantic evening out or an intimate dinner with friends, there’s no shortage of fantastic restaurants here. Experience elevated Wisconsin supper club dining in Fish Creek at Barringer’s Restaurant, featuring dry-aged steaks, grilled Chilean salmon, and true burgers. Start with the creamy lobster bisque, then order a chilled, smoked seafood plate to share.

Locals frequently mention Alexander's—another elegant restaurant in Fish Creek—as a favorite place to gather over a candlelit meal. Make a reservation and soak in the ambiance over roasted cherry duck, filet mignon, and pesto-crusted scallops, or settle in at the bar for signature martinis and a plate of oysters Rockefeller. 

For a taste of French flair with locally grown products, secure a table with your honey at Chives in Baileys Harbor. Start with a plate of escargot, then mussels and frites, followed by chocolate mousse. White Gull Inn, a historic bed & breakfast in Fish Creek, has been treating visitors to luxury since 1896. The full-service restaurant menu includes nationally acclaimed cherry-stuffed French toast for breakfast and dinner entrées that feature locally caught whitefish.