Green Bay's Historic Trail Reveals Stories of Families and Early Settlers

Green Bay residents can now sign up for a free History Trail pass that tracks visits to more than 100 historic locations around the city and Brown County.

The pass arrives at a time when many locals seek direct connections to the figures who built the area’s cultural foundation. Sites tied to early families, touring musicians and Indigenous storytellers offer concrete reminders of how Green Bay developed its identity beyond modern attractions.

Family legacies at preserved homes and museums

At the Hazelwood Historic House Museum in the Astor Historic District, the ten-room Greek Revival residence completed in 1837 still displays furnishings and photographs from the Morgan and Elizabeth Martin family. The Martins remained a political and cultural presence in the region for nearly a century after the home was built. The Neville Public Museum’s Generations Gallery displays artifacts collected over more than a century, ranging from fossils to items connected to local football history. The Oneida Nation Museum presents exhibits on the Oneida Creation Story alongside displays about lace makers from the early 1900s and the Oneida Code Talkers who served in World War II.

Venues that hosted national names

Bay Beach Amusement Park occupies land first purchased in the 1890s, with its first roller coaster opening in 1901. President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered an address there in 1934 during a celebration marking Jean Nicolet’s landing. The Riverside Ballroom, operating since 1935, welcomed Lawrence Welk, Jimmy Dorsey and Glenn Miller before hosting Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper on February 1, 1959. A monument on the property now commemorates those three performers. The Tarlton Theatre, originally constructed as an automobile dealership in 1925 and later converted to a cinema in 1941, reopened in 2018 after restoration as a venue for film festivals, live shows and other performances.

Outdoor locations add further layers. Voyageur Park marks the Fox River crossing used by early explorers and traders, and includes a 1925 service station building. Wequiock Falls sits along Highway 57 and exposes the Niagara Escarpment, a formation described as more than 400 million years old. Heritage Hill State Park rounds out the recommended outdoor stops for visitors tracing the area’s layered past.

Green Bay visitors can start with the History Trail pass available through the greenbay.com site to plan routes that connect these locations. The pass records progress at each stop and supplies background on the people and events tied to each place.