Parents with young children, this trip is for you and one that will keep your kids (and you) entertained!
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin is one of the cutest small towns in the US – and also one of the most unique!
This town has proclaimed itself the “Troll Capital of the World”. It’s fun to drive along the streets looking for the resident trolls. Hint: There are more than 2 dozen.
The trolls represent the community with old-world charm, celebrating the town's Norwegian heritage. Each troll features a distinct personality, from dentist to farmer, grumpy to cheerful; these fun-loving carvings are a fun roadside oddity. The trolls greet visitors along Main Street, outside local businesses, and even in front of private homes.
It all started when a Mount Horeb business wanted to attract customers to their store so placed a troll statue outside their shop. . Those first trolls were kind of a hit, so the village reached out to local woodcarver Michael Feeney and asked him to make a few official trolls for the town. Slowly over the years, more and more trolls were added in front of businesses or in grassy areas. And now, well....the town is chock full of trolls!
I'm going to lay out an itinerary for you that includes June 11-14, 2026
so that you and your kids can take advantage of Mount Horeb's kickoff to summer - Summer Frolic.
This itinerary is designed to keep both you and your kids entertained.
Accommodations
Mount Horeb is a very small town close to Madison, the capitol of Wisconsin and therefore, accommodations options are limited. Therefore, I'm going to recommend and adult and kid friendly accommodation in the nearby town of Barneveld - about 9 miles from Mount Horeb.
Deer Valley Lodge
401 W. industrial Drive, Barneveld, WI - 9.2 miles from Mt. Horeb
Photos credit: Deer Valley Lodge
You can take a virtual tour of rooms and suites here. Check out their Specials & Deals here.
The reason I recommend Deer Valley Lodge for families with kids is their indoor water park. And for you adult golfers, the lodge sits right on the edge of a golf course.
There is an on site restaurant, The Rusty Nail. The Rusty Nail Saloon is open to the public and is accessible from the Hotel Lobby or the Waterpark. Inside the Saloon you will find rustic furnishing, 2 flat screen TV’s featuring ESPN, several rusty nails, and a family friendly environment.
Rusty Nail Hours
Fridays 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturdays Noon – 10:00 pm
Sundays 11 am – 3 pm
*Hours may vary based on demand & staffing.
The Indoor Waterpark is approximately 12,000 square feet in size. There is fun for children and adults of all ages with 2 Tower Slides, a Zero Depth Kiddie Pool with a double slide, an Activity Pool, Play Equipment, 3 Basketball Hoops, Fountains, Dump Buckets, and a super sized Jacuzzi Whirlpool.
Cool off with something from The Rusty Nail Saloon or try one of their homemade pizzas. Hotel Rooms include Waterpark Passes!
Normal Water Park Hours: Open Every Day 8 am — 11 pm. I love that the water park is open as late at night as it is.
Itinerary - Day 1
Morning: Check into Deer Valley Lodge and get settled. If the kids have pent up energy from traveling to Mount Horeb, take them to the water park and let them burn some of that energy off.
Stop at the Mount Horeb Welcome Center and pick up a troll map that shows the location of all of the trolls in the town. Or you can download one here. If your kids have cell phones you might want to download the map onto their phones or pick up a map for each of them.
Turn their trying to find all of the trolls (Hint: There's over 2 dozen of them) into a scavenger hunt with the promise of a treat if they do a good job of finding all of the trolls. (I'll build the treat into your itinerary.)
Afternoon: Go to Sjölinds Chocolate House for lunch and to get your kids that special something you promised them - chocolate! 219 East Main Street, Mount Horeb.
Mt. Horeb Welcome Center
Through the afternoon: While the kids hunt for the trolls you can explore downtown Mount Horeb and take advantage of Summer Frolic that's held in Grundahl Park. There's a a carnival, bingo, live music, Youth Night (with a DJ!), the Norsk Run, a men's softball tournament, a volleyball tournament, fireworks, a parade and more! There's also a raffle with a Grand Prize of $10,000!
Photos credit: Sjölinds
Definitely try the Swedish meatballs for lunch! They also have sandwiches that vary daily and soups.
They've also got one of the best breakfasts in Mt. Horeb.
After lunch buy the kids a few chocolates as a treat for doing a good job on their troll scavenger hunt.
Don't forget to take some pics of them posing with the trolls!
Evening: Have dinner at the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub, 105 S 2nd Street, Mount Horeb.
With a renewed focus on locally sourced and scratch-made food, you can enjoy a variety of pub favorites, pizzas and regional specialties. Just like their beer selection, their menu changes periodically to rotate in new items for you to try! Don’t forget to join them on Fridays for the Fish Fry.
SUN – THURS | 11 AM – 8:00 PM
FRI & SAT | 11 AM – 9:00 PM
Day 2
Morning: Have breakfast at Sunn Cafe, 201 E Main St, Mount Horeb.
Sunn Cafe is open at 7:30am on weekdays and has tasty to-go breakfast bites and sandwiches. Ingredients are fresh and the specials are always changing.
Visit the Driftless Historium, 100 S 2nd St, Mount Horeb
Photo credit: Driftless Historium
Kids will like the VIRTUAL TOUR of the Mount Horeb Area.
View the exterior, interior and grounds of the Norway Building, constructed for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
At the end of the fair, the building was moved to a Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, estate later owned by the Wrigley family of chewing-gum fame. Eventually it was moved to Little Norway, a local attraction in rural Blue Mounds where generations of visitors experienced its unique charms. Several years after Little Norway closed to the public, the building was moved back to Orkanger, Norway, where it was originally created.
The Driftless Historium is an award-winning Interpretive Center telling the story of Southwestern Dane County from pre-history to modern day. Over 3,000 square feet of space is dedicated to sharing the lives of Mt. Horeb's rich cultural heritage.
Weeks before the Norway Building was dismantled and moved back to Norway, researchers at UW-Madison's Wisconsin Institute for Discovery scanned the structure and recreated it as a high resolution, 3D reconstruction. Using state-of-the-art technology, visitors to the Driftless Historium can once again experience this unique building as they virtually "walk" through and around the Norway Building at our 3D kiosk. Also on view are 3D reconstructions of the historic Springdale Lutheran Church and a local "hanging" dairy barn, now part of Rare Earth Farm, owned and cared for by Charles Bauer and Charles Beckwith.
Download the companion Scavenger Hunt HERE for the kids when touring the museum.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday: 10:00am to 4:00pm
2026 admission prices have not yet been published.
Afternoon: Spend the afternoon participating in the continuing events of Summer Frolic.
Evening: Have dinner at Brix Cider, 19 S 2nd St, Mt Horeb.
Photos credit: Brix Cider
Brix takes their apples very seriously and only source from local apple farms within 60 miles of their production space so every cider you drink is hyper-local.
They get super creative with their cider and go beyond the basic dry and sweet brews by playing with flavors like whiskey and pinot grapes, lemon or basil to make extra special ciders. They also serve up food so this is a great happy hour and dinner spot.
Stay awhile for the live music!
Day 3
Morning: Pamper yourself and sleep in. You're on vacation after all!
Have a late brunch at Buck & Honey's, 108 South 2nd Street, Mount Horeb.
Photos credit: Buck & Honey's
Brunch items available every Saturday & Sunday 11-2pm.
Buck's offers up 7 different mouthwatering breakfast entrees from breakfast sandwiches to quiche, the most expensive entree priced at $18. Most entrees range in price from $12 to $16 and portions are generous.
They're open 7 days a week from 11 am to 9 pm.
Hike or bike the Military Ridge bike trail.
Well, maybe don’t hike or bike all of it as it’s a 40 mile bike trail that connects Dodgeville to Madison, but tackle parts of it.
Expect shady cover of trees in most parts of the trail, and you’ll pass forests, marshes, prairies and some park shelters on your route if you need to take a break. The trail is well maintained, part of it is asphalt paved (which you can also inline skate on) and part is gravel.
(It's best if you bring your own bike(s) from home as you'd have to go to Madison to rent bikes)
A state trail pass is required for bicycling and in-line skating on the trail.
Later afternoon & into the evening: Enjoy the last day of Summer Frolic, including the fireworks.
Treat yourself to casual fine dining at Bistro 101, 101 East Main Street. Located in the Hoff Mall, Mount Horeb.
Photo credit: Bistro 101
Bistro 101 serves a seasonally changing menu featuring locally grown and foraged produce, fresh fish and seafood, USDA Prime steaks, pork chicken, house-made desserts, modern and classic cocktails, and a full bar. Located in scenic downtown Mt. Horeb.
Hours of Operation
Wednesday through Saturday
5 pm Open 9pm Close
Reservations STRONGLY recommended
Day 4
Morning: Take a 50 minute drive from Mount Horeb on a road trip to nearby Baraboo, WI.
Have breakfast at one of my favorite Baraboo breakfast spots - Log Cabin Restaurant & Bakery, 1215 8th St, Baraboo, WI.
Just the cinnamon rolls alone are worth the trip!
Everything is made fresh. Even the orange juice is hand squeezed each morning and breads are homemade fresh every day.
Open 7 days a week from 7 am to 9 pm.
After breakfast visit the Circus World Museum, 550 Water Street, Baraboo.
The Circus World Museum is a museum complex in Baraboo, Wisconsin, devoted to circus-related
history. Just as a side note: One of my distant relatives was a booker for Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. When I visited his home as a kid, his entire huge house was packed with circus memorabilia. When he passed away, I was told all of that memorabilia had been donated to this Circus World Museum. When I visited I did recognize some of the artifacts I'd seen in his house as a kid. Just some trivia for you...
He had some awesome circus artifacts so you'll see some of them yourself when visiting Circus World.
The 64 acre museum complex features circus artifacts and exhibits, including several restored circus wagons,.
The also host daily live circus performances throughout the summer.
There are live circus performances in their Big Top twice a day at 11 am and 2:30 pm that are included in your general admission ticket.
There's a Kids World Circus where your kids will jump into the action, playing the parts of daring performers and mischievous animals in a show that’s always full of surprises and where creativity takes center
stage! Taking place in the Hippodrome once each day during the summer.
The history, and the amount of circus wagons was mind blowing. A great visit for young and old alike.
2025 SUMMER ADMISSION
Adult (18-64): $23
Teen (13-17): $23
Senior (65+): $20
Child (5-12): $15
Children under 5: FREE Check the website for operating hours.
Money $aving Tip: Wisconsin Historical Society members receive free general admission and 10% off events.
Afternoon: Drive 3 to 4 miles from the Circus Museum to the Mid Continent Railway Museum, E8948 Museum Road, North Freedom, WI.
Mid-Continent is an outdoor living history museum and operating railroad recreating, preserving, and interpreting the small town/shortline way of life from the “Golden Age of Railroading.”
Take a memorable, seven-mile, 55-minute round-trip train ride on a former branch line of the Chicago & North Western Railway nestled in a valley between the Baraboo Hills in rural Sauk County. Passengers ride in restored steel coaches built a century ago. An authentically attired conductor will call “all aboard!” before the train leaves from a historic wooden depot, built in 1894.
Mid-Continent is much more than just a train ride. Explore the indoor/outdoor museum filled with award-winning restorations and railroad exhibits. In all, there are over 40 train cars and locomotives on display and more under restoration.
Book yourself on the Pizza Limited for lunch if this event is available. (In 2025 it was held Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM.) If the pizza event is unavailable there are other events.
For families looking to add some culinary delight to their day, the museum presents an array of themed train rides. From the gourmet dinner trains offering exquisite 5-course meals to the fun-filled BBQ and pizza trains, there are options to satisfy both young and mature taste buds. The autumn and snow trains also provide a seasonal touch to your visit, making every trip a unique adventure.
Aboard the Pizza Limited train, passengers will enjoy a 9″ personal pizza, popcorn, and a soft drink while embarking on a 55-minute ride through rural Sauk County. Tickets also include museum admission to view Mid-Continent’s collection of restored railroad cars, locomotives, and equipment.
Stick around after the train rides for Freedom Days, the Village of North Freedom town celebration which includes a fireworks display, taking place 1/2 mile from Mid-Continent.
Photo credit: Mid Continent Railway Museum
Event fares depend upon which train car you elect to ride in: coach class, caboose or engine.
If you wish to view the museum without taking a train ride, admission for a self guided tour is $5 for anyone over 3 years old.
Whether you're a history buff or simply looking for a fun-filled day with the kids, the Mid-Continent Railway Museum promises an unforgettable experience. So, pack your bags and grab your tickets!
If you have time, stroll along the Baraboo Riverwalk. The 3-mile paved Riverwalk follows the Baraboo River as it winds through the City. It’s approximately a 6 mile round trip walk but you won’t feel it as it’s a unique trail along the river that at times goes through the downtown and surrounding neighborhood.
What made it very fun and interesting was that I passed a free admission zoo (where the circus kept some of their animals), a ball park, the downtown Main Street, the historic circus buildings, the river (of course) and the past circus performers houses!
You'll cross this bridge on your Riveralk
It's a beautiful, peaceful walk with lots of family photo ops.
Evening: Have dinner at Driftless Glen, 300 Water St, Baraboo, It's right on the river.
Some reviewers claim Driftless Glen is a bit pricier than most Baraboo restaurants but I didn't think the prices were out of line for the food I received.
Their jambalaya was even better than the jambalaya I've eaten in New Orleans. Fantastic!
Wisconsinites are Old Fashioned drinkers...it was the first time I had a maple Old Fashioned with bacon and a blueberry Old Fashioned. They were both great!
Soups, salads, flatbreads, cocktails, and desserts are served from open to close.
Lunch is served from open to 3 pm.
Appetizers from 3 pm to close.
Dinner from 5 pm to close.
Closed Mondays & Tuesdays through April. Open Wednesday-Sunday at 11 am.
You'll definitely want to make reservations.
After dinner, return to Mount Horeb and relax at your accommodations.
Day 5
Morning: Have breakfast at Icki Sticki, 1225 Springdale Street, Mount Horeb.
Icki Sticki is more than just a coffee shop and breakfast café—it’s a community hub where artisan coffee, delicious breakfast options, and irresistible ice cream come together to create unforgettable moments.
The kids will love Icki Sticki. Who doesn't love ice cream and waffles for breakfast?
(They have non-sugar-high breakfast options as well.)
And their numerous coffee concoctions put Starbucks to shame.
HOURS
Monday - Friday: 6 am to 9pm
Saturday & Sunday: 7 am to 9 pm
Pack a picnic lunch and take a drive to Blue Mound State Park, 4350 Mounds Park Rd, Blue Mounds, WI.
It's about a 10 minute drive from Mount Horeb and the park is off Hwy, 18.
Perched atop the highest point in southern Wisconsin, Blue Mound State Park offers
Ice cream and waffles
spectacular views, unique geological features, and a wide range of year-round outdoor activities. Visitors can enjoy over 20 miles of scenic hiking, off-road biking, and cross-country ski trails.
One of the most popular attractions at Blue Mound State Park between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the 1,950-square-foot seasonal swimming pool and outdoor-themed splash pad. Visitors enjoy cooling off on hot summer days in the heated pool, which is warmed to 80 degrees. The pool has a minimum depth of 3 feet and a maximum depth of 4 feet.
The pool is equipped with an ADA lift chair for those needing assistance entering or exiting the water. The lift is powered by water pressure and designed for self- or assisted use. The chair automatically turns 180 degrees for easy deck and wheelchair accessibility.
Bathrooms, showers and a changing area are available. Lockers for your belongings are also available, but please bring a lock if you need to lock secure items. No lifeguards are on duty—children under the age of 16 need to be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times.
Take a hike on any one of the park's numerous trails. If you have little ones, try the John Minix Trail. This is a 1 mile loop that is the park's easiest trail so won't be too challenging for younger children.
Observation towers are at the far east and far west ends of the picnic area. Each tower is 40 feet high and equipped with a landmark locator to help pinpoint the location of various cities and geologic features. At the top of the towers, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside hundreds of feet below. Enjoy the view of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, Baraboo Bluffs and the gently rolling countryside as far as the eye can see.
Vistas have been cut through the trees on the north side of the picnic area, near the towers, for those who cannot climb the observation towers. These areas also offer panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Playground equipment and sandboxes are in the picnic area.
Afternoon: Enjoy the day at Blue Mound Park just relaxing and enjoying nature.
Evening: Have dinner at Ope Haus Pub, 107 Co Rd ID, Barneveld, WI - within 5 miles of the park.
Family-friendly restaurant, serving burgers, pizza, sandwiches and plates.
I had to laugh at myself...while waiting for my food, I ordered a Bloody Mary, thinking nothing of it or the fact they called it the Uff-da Bloody Mary,
This is what I was served!
I nearly fell off my chair. Had I known what the Uff-da Bloody Mary consisted of, I wouldn't have bothered ordering dinner! Dinner was right there in my 60 oz. Bloody Mary!
House-made mix loaded with cheese curds, Slim Jim, bacon, olives, cherry tomatoes, chicken wings, pickles, celery, 2 sliders...
If you're going to order the Uff-da Bloody Mary, ask them to bring a dinner plate with your drink.
Head back to Mount Horeb and if you and the kids are up to it, spend you last night in the water park.
Day 6
Say goodbye to Mount Horeb and head for home.
Hope you had a trollific time!