Oshkosh Public Museum: A Day Trip from De Pere

For the final approach by car, the museum’s directions start from US Highway 41. Take the Highway 21 exit (exit 119), continue east on Oshkosh Avenue, turn right onto High Avenue at the first stoplight after the bridge, then turn left at the second driveway into the visitor parking lot.

The museum is at 1331 Algoma Boulevard. Visitor parking is free, with accessible spaces in the museum lot. If that lot is full, overflow parking is available in the former River Valley Church parking lot behind the museum, off High Avenue.

For a separate Green Bay-area outing, you could also plan a visit to the National Railroad Museum or Heritage Hill State Historical Park.

The museum’s exhibitions and galleries are the focus of a visit. The R. Harder Gallery of Gems and Minerals is located inside the headquarters of Jewelers Mutual Group, about twenty minutes north of the museum, and admission there is free.

Allow an hour or more if you plan to see the Chicago Collects: Jewelry in Perspective exhibition; the museum says most visitors spend at least that long exploring it. The Apostles Clock remains on exhibit, but if seeing it is a priority, call the museum ahead because maintenance or repair may affect its availability.

The museum welcomes photography in the galleries without flash. Service animals are allowed, while large bags and backpacks cannot be taken into the galleries. Food and drinks are not sold onsite, and food and beverages are not permitted in exhibit spaces.

Oshkosh Public Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed Sundays and Mondays, as well as on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and December 24 and 25.

General admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and older and students, and $4 for children ages 4–17. Children age 3 and under and museum members enter free. You can buy general admission in person on the day of your visit; it provides access to the entire museum for that day.

There is a 50% admission discount with proof of membership or admission from the Paine Art Center and Gardens or the EAA Museum. The museum says it is fully accessible, with a wheelchair lift just inside the main entrance and an elevator serving the other facilities. The Historic Sawyer Home’s Grand Staircase landings and exterior veranda are not accessible.

Before you go: Hours, admission and access details can change, so check the official site before you go.

Use the same Highway 41 and Highway 21 approach in reverse as a reference for the return drive, and confirm your route before leaving Oshkosh. Since the museum closes at 4:30 p.m. on its regular open days, plan your time inside with that closing time in mind.