Brie Wright – What’s Up Racine

Architecture

Racine has several landmark buildings in the Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower along with the nearby Wingspread facility, which draws international students of design and architecture. Whether inspired by organic design elements or dendriform (tree-shaped) columns, visitors gain a new appreciation for this iconic architect and his revolutionary approach to the built environment.

Community Learning

Overlooking the lakeshore in Downtown Racine, the Racine Pubic library offers patrons access to millions of titles, archived materials and computer access free of charge. It also provides delivery services to homebound individuals, public meeting space and regularly hosts educational events for youth, teens and adults.

Museums

The Racine Art Museum (RAM) houses the largest contemporary craft collection in North America from nationally and internationally recognized artists. With over 9,500 pieces in the collection, RAM hosts and shares unique exhibits regularly. In addition to sharing its collections, the Racine Art Museum hosts professional artist development series, artists resource fairs and regular community events.

Racine’s Wustum Museum is housed in an 1856 Italianate-style farmhouse on 13 acres, including a one-acre formal garden designed by famed Wisconsin landscape architect Alfred Boerner. Wustum hosts studio art classes and changing exhibitions featuring solo shows of emerging artists, group juried competitions and invitational thematic exhibitions.

Racine Heritage Museum is dedicated to preserving the material culture and sharing our history of achievement, diversity, inventive genius, productivity, craftsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit. These stories of the people and their culture characterized by determination, skill, diversity, and courageous spirit are worthy of celebration. The Racine Heritage Museum has a vast public archive for research.

Performing Arts

Since 1938, the Racine Theater Guild has provided a venue for performance arts in southeastern Wisconsin. As the first community theater in Wisconsin to own its own building, the Racine Theater Guild has hosted national theater festivals and represented the United States at international theater festivals. The Racine Theater Guild also hosts unique concert series, theater events for children, community theater classes and nationally recognized theater productions.

Established in 1932 by Frederick Schulte, The Racine Symphony Orchestra (RSO) is one of the oldest symphony orchestras in Wisconsin. Since then, the Racine Symphony Orchestra has performed over 400 concerts. The RSO currently hosts the Young Artists’ Competition, Masterworks concerts, summer and holiday pops concerts and regular community education programs.

The Racine Arts Council was founded in 1967 to encourage, support and advocate on behalf of Racine artists, art organizations and young people interested in the arts.

Visitor Information – Tourism Resources

Real Racine (Racine County Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the destination marketing organization that oversees tourism promotion and development in Racine County. Real Racine publishes an Activities Guide which promotes businesses, attractions and events throughout Racine County.

The Real Racine Visitor Center is located at 14015 Washington Ave. (Hwy. 20) in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, just west of the I-94/Hwy. 20 interchange (Exit 333).

Parks and Open Space

The City of Racine has over 1,100 acres of parkland scattered throughout established neighborhoods, edging the Root River and framing the Lake Michigan skyline. Racine’s BlueWave Certified and nationally-acclaimed white sand beach at North Beach Park is connected to historic neighborhoods and Native American heritage sites by Jens Jensen-designed parklands and the Root River Pathway. The Root River is a major tributary to Lake Michigan, celebrated by anglers for world-class trout and salmon fishing, as well as perch, bass and pike. Throughout the year the City of Racine hosts art and music festivals, community-wide sporting events, fishing tournaments, antique shows and many church and cultural festivals.

Established in 1923, the Racine Zoo welcomes over 85,000 annual visitors to the 28-acre park on the shore of Lake Michigan. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Racine Zoo cares for over 100 different species of animals from Wisconsin and around the world.

Harbor and Marinas

Once the second-busiest port on the Great Lakes after the Port of Chicago, the Racine Harbor has been a hub of economic and recreational activity since its first dredging on June 17, 1844. Though no longer a major port, the Racine Harbor is central to Downtown Racine’s Festival Hall concert and convention center, a hotel, nearby restaurants and pubs and seven thriving marinas.