Oshkosh… thats that overall place, isn’t it?
Yes, Oshkosh is known for Oshkosh B’Gosh overalls. Although they’re not manufactured here any longer.
What’s this EAA Airventure thing?
Oshkosh is known for hosting the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual Airventure Fly-In. This is attended by thousands of enthusiasts as well as some notable celebrities such as John Travolta, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, even Tom Cruise. The week-long event features daily airshows with stunt pilots, as well as historical and modern military aircraft. Although attending the EAA fairgrounds in not free, the airshows are visible from most areas in Oshkosh.
I’m staying at EAA, what is nearby?
Across from the EAA museum, which is a must see for attendees, are the Prime outlets. This is an open outlet mall with many brand name outlets such as Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Lands End, Old Navy, and of course Oshkosh B’Gosh.
If you’re looking for a good meal there are also some great restaurants nearby. Durango’s on south Koeller Street offers authentic Mexican dishes at great prices. I consider it to be the best Mexican food in Oshkosh, and it is close to EAA. If you are looking for a more home-made type meal, try LaSure’s on Washburn. LaSure’s offers traditional homestyle cooking and is open for lunch and dinner. Seating is limited. LaSure’s also offers excellent desserts, especially cakes. Lastly, if you’re looking to relax, have a beer and a nice sandwich for lunch or dinner try Friar Tuck’s on South Park Ave. Relaxed atmosphere and lighter fare on the menu.
One last important location is the Express Laundromat on South Park Ave, near LaSure’s. It’s always good to know where the laundromat is, and Express is located very close to Wittman Airport.
Besides chain stores, where can I shop in Oshkosh?
Main street in Oshkosh has just about every kind of store you can think of. Nearly all of the stores on Main Street are independent, and each has their own character. There are many clothing stores and thrift shops downtown. You can also find bookstores, hardware, and antiques. Several places I think are worth mentioning in detail. First being the Exclusive Company. The Exclusive Company is a music store that also sells audio equipment for your home or car stereo. They are a great place to find used CD’s and records, as well as band T-shirts.
Second is Camera Casino. They carry every kind of cameras from 35mm to digital, and can help you with getting your photos printed. The staff is very knowledgeable and happy to help.
Another great place downtown is House of Heroes. They carry comic books, graphic novels, and gaming-related items like Magic or Yugioh cards. They always seem to have interesting things, and if you are into any games, they often hold tournaments where you can win money or prizes.
Lastly, there is Hobby Town. It isn’t on Main Street (It is on Oregon St) but it is worth a drive. Hobby Town has all sorts of R/C stuff. Planes, helicopters, cars, tanks… They also have a large selection of models, and model railroad supplies. Best of all they have an indoor dirt track to race R/C cars and trucks.
How about sight-seeing? What’s interesting in Oshkosh?
Going with kids? Some suggestions:
Menominee Park / Oshkosh Zoo – Menominee Park is a great place to take small children. You could practically make a day out of it. They have a large playground for kids. There are also areas where you can swim and fish in Lake Winnebago. There is plenty of space for picnics or kite flying. Best of all there is a zoo! The zoo is small, but it has a decent amount of animals. Oshkosh leases the animals, so they are never the same, but there have been some fairly exotic ones in the past. And there’s always monkeys, which are a kid favorite.
EAA Museum – Yes, a museum, but this one will be fun for kids, I promise. There are many aircraft on display including a Wright brothers replica, and a unique flying car. Best of all is the scale F22 Raptor. Kids are able to climb into the cockpit with working gauges and dials and mess around. Sorry dad, its kid-sized by the way, so you might not get out if you cram into it. They also have a fun flight simulator game for two. This is great for thrill-seekers, as it does go upside-down and rotates. (I found this out the hard way). They have a big gift shop with stuff for adults and kids.
Older kids, or just adults? Try these:
The Oshkosh museum – Many displays about native Americans, and early Oshkosh
Paine Art Center and Gardens – The Paine Art center is actually a historic mansion in Oshkosh, which is now an art gallery. Many top-notch collections have been featured there in the past, such as Tiffany lamps, and even original Rembrandt paintings. The gardens are also a great place to visit, and hosts craft sales for local artist to sell their works.
Any good places for a date?
One of the best restaurants in Oshkosh is the Water City Grill, located downtown. They offer a seasonal menu which changes often, as well as live jazz. They serve great upscale food with a casual atmosphere.
Another great place is the New Moon Cafe in downtown Oshkosh. They serve all kinds of coffees and teas, as well as soft drinks and beer. They also serve food like brownies, cookies, muffins, and even large items like burritos. The New Moon is a great place to see live music, and they have an open mic night weekly.
The Grand Opera House in Oshkosh can also be a good date location. They don’t always have the biggest acts, but some are good. I have seen comedian Steven Wright there, which was fantastic. They have also had uncle Joey from Full House playing guitar there, so it really is hit or miss. But if you get tickets for a good act, you can have an awesome date. Have dinner at Water City Grill, go see your show, and then cuddle up with your date with some coffee on a couch at the New Moon. All of these are within walking distance from each other, so it is very convenient and I think it is the best Oshkosh offers.
I just wanna crash and get some pizza.
Theres plenty of good pizza here, after all there is a college here. It all depends on what kind of pizza you feel like. If you’d like to try something new, theres no better place than Glass Nickel Pizza. They offer many “non-traditional” pizzas, like one that has potato and broccoli on it (terrific by the way) as well as “regular” pizza. They also deliver.
If you want a more standard pizza, Rocky Rococo’s is great stuff. They are a mostly Wisconsin-based chain that offers pizza a bit better than Domino’s or Pizza Hut.
Lastly, if you have access to an oven, try a take and bake pizza from Eaton’s. Take and bake pizzas are great because they cost less than a delivery pizza and are just as good, plus you can bake it to your liking soft or crisp. Eaton’s also offers breakfast and dessert pizzas as well as sandwiches.
How about places to drink?
Well it depends what kind of place you’re looking for. If you want to live it up, there are plenty of lively bars and clubs near the college. If you’d rather have a more relaxed setting, Oshkosh is littered with small pubs where you can get a beer and something to munch on. Many of these places have Friday night fish frys as well.
Hopefully this gives some insight into what Oshkosh has to offer. Enjoy your visit whether you are flying in for EAA, or just passing through town. Feel free to leave comments. Here is a link if you’d like to join AC.
