Worth the Walk: Five Walking Tours in the Fox Cities this Fall

Fox Trot Trail

This self-guided, two-mile loop walking tour of Appleton's downtown and riverfront will take you through history and past beautiful scenery. Heavily tied to the paper industry, many of the 16 points of interest and sites along the trail helped make Appleton and the Fox Cities the growing and thriving place it was and continues to be.

Neenah Historical Walking Tour

Get a glimpse into Neenah's history and continued vibrancy by taking the self-guided Neenah Historical Walking Tour. Walk past two dozens points of interest including exquisitely maintained, historic homes from the "paper baron era" and other notable landmarks such as the Kimberly Point/Neenah Lighthouse, Hiram Smith Octagon House, Neenah Clocktower, and Doty Cabin.

To learn more about the Indigenous culture of the Neenah area, take a stroll down Lakeshore Ave. and look for the signs with the QR codes. Each code will take you to an audio recording featuring things like traditional pow wow music or insight on the Menominee perspective of the area.

Downtown Appleton Public Art Walking Tour

Bright murals, decorated traffic control boxes, inspiring sidewalk poetry, and intriguing sculptures spot the downtown Appleton landscape. Walk College Avenue and the surrounding riverfront and downtown area to see the mix of these whimsical, meaningful, and diverse works of art.

History Museum at the Castle Get Up and Go Tours

From a Cemetery Tour to Spiritualists and Hauntings, the History Museum at the Castle offers multiple interactive, guided walking tours. Check out the current lineup on their website.

Sidewalk Tour of Doty Island

Learn about the architecture and history of Doty Island on this self-guided sidewalk tour around the island and its neighborhoods. Well-known paper industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and politicians built and/or lived in many of the featured homes, a majority of which remain impeccably maintained private residences to this day; the tour also features a number of business and mill buildings, which helped build and power the vitality of the Fox Cities region. Visitors can find route and property info here for a self-guided tour.