Willard Keland House by Frank Lloyd Wright
The Willard Keland house, also known as “Wingspread,” is privately owned, so you can’t go on tours there. But hey, history isn’t lost!
The house was designed back in 1936 and finished in 1939. Herbert Fisk Johnson bought it, and his daughter Karen fell in love with it. She loved it so much that she got Wright to design her own house, too!
Karen and her husband, Willard Keland, met with Wright in 1954 to discuss their dream home. The house cost $165,000, which might not sound like a lot today, but back then, the average Racine home was only around $15,000! Their home had a Usonian design with some cool “Prairie-style” bits, and it was way bigger than most Usonian houses.
Fun fact: this house was the last one that Wright designed in Racine. It was built almost 50 years after he made the Thomas Hardy House in 1905.
1425 Valley View Dr, Mt Pleasant, WI 53405
Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln Statue
In 1943, Racine’s East Park got a brand-new statue honoring Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. It was the very first statue to celebrate the Lincolns as a couple! Miss Lena Rosewell was super into Mary Todd Lincoln, so she gave the sculpture to the community.
Here’s a neat tidbit: Mary Todd Lincoln hung out in Racine for most of the summer in 1867, but there’s no record of President Lincoln ever stopping by. Miss Rosewell, who passed away in 1935, left her whole estate—about $20,000—to Racine as a memorial.
The statue itself was made by a guy named Frederick C. Hibbard from Chicago. It’s sitting on an extensive five-ton base made of pink Minnesota granite, and Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln are carved out of gray granite from Elberton. You can check out the statue any day from sunrise to sunset in East Park, just a short walk from Downtown Racine, right in front of the Gateway Technical College campus.
1001 Main St, Racine, WI 53403
Sunrise to Sunset, daily
262-884-6400
Racine Zoo
Nestled right by the beautiful Lake Michigan, the Racine Zoo is a perfect spot for the whole family to enjoy some outdoor fun. Way back in 1923, during the winter, the Racine Zoological Society was born. They teamed up with the park board to spread the word about the zoo. It officially opened in March of that year, thanks to Jacob Stoffel, Jr., who donated the first batch of animals.
Nowadays, the zoo is a non-profit and is home to some seriously cool and endangered animals from all over the world. Back then, many folks in Racine pitched in by donating animals like badgers, foxes, and mountain goats. The first non-native animals, monkeys, arrived in 1925.
Today, the Racine Zoo takes care of around 75 different types of animals, with over 300 individual critters from Wisconsin and beyond. It’s a wild place to visit!
2131 N Main St, Racine, WI 53402
10am-4pm, daily
262-636-9189
Racine North Beach
Back in 1908, they kicked off this awesome 50-acre beach spot with a whopping 2,500 feet of sandy shoreline. It’s super cool ’cause they’ve got this wheelchair-accessible mat that stretches all the way to the water, so everyone can enjoy the beach vibes.
The best part? It’s totally free to park and get in! You can hang out and play sand volleyball, chill in the picnic area, and use the restrooms whenever you need. There’s even a playground called Kids Cove where the little ones can have a blast before you all take a stroll along the Lake Michigan Pathway.
And get this: Racine’s Beachside Oasis is a big deal! It’s the first beach in Wisconsin to get recognized as a “Certified Blue Wave clean beach” by the National Clean Beaches Coalition. That’s pretty cool!
100 Kewaunee St, Racine, WI 53403
6am-10pm daily, year-round
262-636-9233
Pritchard Park
Did you know Pritchard Park is a whopping 79 acres? It’s got all sorts of cool stuff to check out. For starters, there’s the SC Johnson Community Aquatic Center, where you can splash around and have a blast. Plus, there’s this awesome pavilion called the Wieczorek Pavilion where you can host big events with your friends and fam.
But wait, there’s more! There’s a playground for kids, baseball diamonds, and soccer fields to run around and play on. If you’re into jogging, there’s a sweet trail you can use, too. Oh, and don’t forget about the pond where kids can try their luck at fishing!
And get this: there’s a Veterans Memorial in the southeast corner of the park, not far from Ohio Street and Highway 11. You can also spot the South Picnic Shelter nearby. If you want to check out everything the park offers, look at the map. And why not consider buying a personalized brick to honor the veteran in your life? It’s a cool way to show some love and support!
2800 Ohio St, Racine, WI 53406
6am-7pm, daily
262-634-1994
Dive into our blog to learn more about Racine! Don’t let it rain on your parade; visit Racine’s museums! Artists can enjoy the various exhibits at the Racine Art Museum and Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts.
