Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
structed a loading pier and began a cordwood-cutting business to supply steamships ply-
ing the coast. Later, Fish Creek transformed itself into the hub of commercial fishing on
the Door Peninsula. Tourism was fortuitously there to take up the slack when the steam-
shipsupplyindustrypeteredout.Bythelate1890s,localswerealreadyputtingout“Tourist
Home” signs. Within a decade, even the home of Asa Thorp had been transformed into the
Thorp Hotel.
Sights
Most visitors to Fish Creek prefer to simply stroll about, getting a look-see at the original
architecture inanoldcounty.Theharborareaalsohasremnants oftheearliest cabins.Even
the remains of an 1855 cabin built by the founding Thorp brothers stands on the grounds
of the newfangled Founders Square mélange of shops and restaurants in the village center;
theywererebuiltafterafireascloselyaspossibletotheoriginaldesigns.Anotherlandmark
structure is its famous “haunted house,” the 1875 Greek revival
Noble House
(intersection
of WIS 42 and Main St., 920/868-2091,
www.historicnoblehouse.org
,
noon-5pm Fri.-Sat.
mid-May-mid-June, noon-5pm Tues.-Sun. mid-June-Labor Day weekend, $3). The Gibral-
tar Historical Association (920/868-2091,
www.historicnoblehouse.org
)
has
historic walk-
ing tours
(10 am Wed. and Fri. summer).
PerhapsthemostaccessiblewineryinDoorCounty,
Orchard Country
(WIS42S,866/
946-3263,
www.orchardcountry.com
, 9am-5:30pm Sun.-Thurs., 9am-6pm Fri.-Sat., tours
$3) is a favorite. The winery has award-winning county fruit wines, pick-your-own fruits,
sleighrides,andabunchmore.Thewineryisapick-uppointforthe
Door County Trolley.
Withoutcharteringaboatorflyingyourownplane,theeasiestwaytotakein(butnotac-
tually step onto)
Chambers Island
across the Strawberry Channel is via
Fish Creek Scen-
ic Boat Tours
(ClarkPark,920/421-4442,
www.fishcreekscenicboattours.com
,$35),which
has a variety of tours.
Entertainment and Events
The country's oldest summer theater, the
Peninsula Players
(north of Fish Creek off
WIS 42 on Peninsula Players Rd. inside Peninsula State Park, 920/868-3287,
www.peninsulaplayers.com
)
performaspateofBroadwayplaysandmusicalsinagorgeous
garden setting with bayside trails late June-mid-October, a tradition in its seventh decade.
Reservations are recommended. Even better: relatively recent renovations include heated
floors.
Less than half as old as Peninsula Players, but with boatloads of attitude, the tongue-
in-cheek
American
Folklore
Theatre
(10169 Shore Rd., 920/839-2329,
