The Madison Opera resides at the Overture Center for the Arts located right on bustling State Street.  We can’t wait for the April performance of Rossini’s Cinderella.  Naeset-Roe Inn in nearby Stoughton has a grand architectural quality to it – it’s a renovated 1878 Italianate National Registry property – making it the perfect spot to spend the night after an evening at the opera. Dating to 1873 is the Hotel Ruby Marie in Madison overlooking Lake Monona, another grand choice for overnight accommodations.

The Skylight Opera Theatre of Milwaukee is performing Gershwin & Friends, which takes place at a ritzy party in the New York City home of George Gershwin in the midst of the Jazz Age.  Over at the Florentine Opera, also in Milwaukee, they’re staging a musical revue of love songs February 10-12 called Isn’t It Romantic?    Their season wraps up in May with a performance of Mozart’s first major opera, Idomeneo. The Brumder Mansion B&B has its own 70-seat theatre on the upper floor that it uses for staging real weddings.

If opera isn’t your thing, then maybe you’d like ballet or a symphony performance.   We recommend staying at a historic B&B to set the mood for performances of historic proportions. We have 25 inns around the state listed on the National Historic Register.

Relax before and after the opera at historic Hotel Ruby Marie in downtown Madison

Waukesha, a western Milwaukee suburb, ranks #50 with its easy access to miles of Rails to Trails bike paths, Frame Park’s miles of hiking trails and regular weekend events and ‘art crawls’ every 2 months.

At #69, Eau Claire‘s great fishing (Wisconsin is so much more than cheeseland – we’re known for our fish fries too), and rolling hills are complemented by an active music scene downtown – in fact, the indi folk band Bon Iver got its start here.

Madison, known for its bike friendly culture – try a scenic cruise around Lake Monona past Frank Lloyd Wright’s Monona Terrace – and exceptional Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings on the Capitol Square, comes in at #95.

Appleton, a mecca for shop-a-holics with the Fox River Mall area, showcases Broadway entertainment (did we mention we’re so much more than cheeseland?) at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, is #96.

How can you find out what the locals know? Easy – B&B innkeepers are your personal concierge, sharing their insider tips for their city with you. And, it’s easy to find which city you want to visit – and where to stay – by using our ‘find an inn‘ feature.