Algoma

Celebration of the lake

Algoma, on Lake Michigan, is a prime tourist destination in Kewaunee County. It has an extensive stock of historic buildings, many constructed of cream city brick. Algoma boasts two properties on both the state and national Historic Register of Historic Sites including the von Stiehl Winery, Wisconsin’s oldest (offering tasting and tours) and the Art Dettman Fish Shanty, one of the last 1920’s era original fish shanties on Lake Michigan.

Kewaunee County is blessed with two excellent golf courses that are open to the public for recreation in Algoma. The Alaskan Golf Club located on Hwy 42 between Algoma and Kewaunee offers 9 holes of golf along with the Yukon Mini Golf course for a fun filled family outing. Northbrook Country Club offers 18 holes of golf on a beautiful course in Luxemburg, 15 minutes west of Algoma on Hwy 54 & County A. Wisconsin’s oldest winery features tours and tasting from their Bohemian tasting salon. Von Stiehl Winery is housed in a 1850’s era building that was originally the Ahnapee Brewery. Used as everything from storage to a washing machine factory in the interim, the structure was perfect for Dr. Stiehl’s hobby, wine making, when it outgrew his basement. von Stiehl still “wraps” some bottles in their distinctive white casts, a brainstorm of Dr. Stiehl who wanted to protect his newly made wines from heat and light while it aged. Wrapping the bottles in white casts, much like he would wrap a broken limb in his medical practice, gave von Stiehl wines a very unique look. There is still commercial fishing in Algoma these days along with lumber operations–throw backs to the earliest industries–but most of the fishing today is sport fishing. Known as the salmon and trout capital of the Midwest, Algoma boasts a strong and vital charter fishing industry along with manufacturing plants that produce everything from hammocks to labels, doors to mops. Algoma celebrates their Lake Michigan heritage with the annual “Shanty Days Celebration of the Lake”, which draws thousands of visitors to the lake shore community.