A prime example of the area’s beauty is Wyalusing State Park, a 2,700-acre nature area above the confluence of the Wisconsin River and the Mississippi River.  The Cassville car ferry is a popular way to cross the Mississippi.

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Southwest Wisconsin’s mining history is showcased in Platteville. The Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums offer a trip into that past with tours of the 1845 Bevans lead-zinc mine, featuring artifacts from that period and exhibits about its role in the state’s early years.

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Another noteworthy historic site is Stonefield, where visitors can get a taste of life in a 1900s farming community.

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Nelson Dewey State Park is part of the historic site, a 756-acre portion of what was once Dewey’s 2,000- acre agricultural estate. Overlooking the Mississippi River, the exposed rock along the bluffs displays the geological changes that created the layers of limestone and sandstone.

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Trains take the spotlight at the Fennimore Railroad Historical Society Museum. The former city utility building has been remodeled to look like a turn-of-the-century train depot, and children can ride on a narrow gauge train called the Dinky.

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The Potosi Brewing Company represents another highlight of Wisconsin’s heritage. Originally founded in 1852, the Potosi Brewing Company became the fifth largest brewery in Wisconsin, selling its beers nationwide.

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Tourists also flock to the Dickeyville Grotto, a cave-like shrine built of stone, mortar, and colored glass, created by Father Matthias Wernerus, a German-American priest who served the parish from 1918 until his death in 1931.