1. Stoughton Opera House
City: Stoughton, WI
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (608) 873-6677
Address: 381 East Main St.
Description: The opera house opened in 1901 as a city auditorium on the 2nd floor of the city hall building. The venue played host to a variety of events and activities from Vaudeville acts to temperance meetings, and for a short time hosted graduation ceremonies for local schools. By the 1950s, however, the building was falling apart and it wasn’t until the 1980s that interest in restoration finally found action. Today the clock in the previously empty clock tower has been replaced, and the redone interiors are spectacular. Look for year-round concert events of all styles and open to all age groups.
2. Stoughton Center For The Performing Arts
City: Stoughton, WI
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (608) 873-0717
Address: 515 East Main St.
Description: Set in a restored tobacco warehouse with exposed brick and an open-beam ceiling, the center seats over 100 and provides space for receptions and workshops. Three music studios are also inside. The facility is wheelchair accessible.
3. Lake Kegonsa State Park
City: Stoughton, WI
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (608) 873-9695
Address: 2405 Door Creek Rd.
Description: Lake Kegonsa was known by pioneers as “First Lake,” part of the four lakes that defined what is now the Madison area. Like the other lakes, Kegonsa was formed by a retreating glacier over 12,000 years ago. The park offers 342 acres of woodlands, restored prairie with plenty of wildflowers, and marshlands. A boardwalk passes through the wetlands and over 5 miles of trails explore the rest of the park. Cross-country skiing is possible in the winter. Campsites number 80 and there are also two playgrounds, a boat launch, a swimming beach, horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts, a fishing pier, and a sledding hill. Dogs have their own swimming area. The lake is known for its incredible fishing; the name comes from the Ho-Chunk language and means “lake of many fishes.”