Free & Cheap Things to Do in Green Bay

Parks & Nature

One of the largest free urban wildlife sanctuaries in the country — a stunning 535-acre refuge operated by the City of Green Bay with live animal exhibits, miles of free hiking and cross-country ski trails, and an impressive nature center. Home to Wisconsin's largest wildlife rehabilitation program, caring for over 6,500 orphaned and injured animals annually. Deer, eagles, otters, foxes, and dozens of other native species live in naturalistic habitats throughout the grounds.

Address: 1660 E Shore Dr, Green Bay, WI 54302

Tip: Nature Center open daily 8am–7:30pm (shorter hours in winter). Trails open 8am–4:30pm. The wildlife viewing areas are most active in the morning — arrive early for the best animal sightings. Free parking on site.

Outdoors

A 25-mile free trail winding south from downtown Green Bay along a former railroad corridor beside the Fox River — one of the most scenic and accessible trails in northeastern Wisconsin. The north trailhead starts right in the heart of Green Bay near the Mason Street Bridge, making it easy to pick up from downtown. Walking and running are always free; the river views, wetlands, and wooded stretches make this a beautiful way to spend a morning.

Address: Porlier St & Adams St, Green Bay, WI 54301 (north trailhead)

Tip: Walking and running are always free — no pass required. Bikers need a $5 daily state trail pass available at the trailhead. The first 11 miles south from Green Bay are paved asphalt, ideal for a casual walk or run.

History & Culture

The legendary home of the Green Bay Packers opens its five-story Atrium to the public 365 days a year — completely free to enter on non-game days. Browse the Packers Pro Shop, grab a bite at 1919 Kitchen & Tap, and soak up the unmistakable atmosphere of one of the most storied stadiums in American sports history, all without paying a cent. The Walk of Legends public art path just outside adds another free mile of Packers history.

Address: 1265 Lombardi Ave, Green Bay, WI 54304

Tip: Free to enter on non-game days — the atrium is open daily with shops and dining. Stadium tours and Hall of Fame have separate admission if you want to go deeper. Come early on weekdays to avoid crowds. The exterior walk around the stadium is always free.

Family Fun

One of the cheapest amusement parks in America — operated by the City of Green Bay on the southern shore of Green Bay since 1892. Free admission and free parking; rides are paid by 25-cent ticket and most take just 1–4 tickets (so 25¢ to $1 per ride). The Zippin Pippin wooden roller coaster (a replica of Elvis Presley's favorite ride from Memphis) is the headliner.

Address: 1313 Bay Beach Road, Green Bay, WI 54302

Tip: Free admission and free standard parking ($7 premium parking optional). Open daily 10am–8pm Memorial Day–Labor Day; shorter hours in May, September. Most rides are 1–4 tickets at 25¢ each — bring a roll of quarters or buy tickets at the ticket booth. Free kiddie ride days select weekdays.

Parks & Nature

The Green Bay Packers' 45-acre public development across Lombardi Avenue from Lambeau Field — a free year-round park with a full-size football field, hill for tubing in winter, sled-able snow runs, basketball courts, ping-pong tables, shuffleboard, bocce, and a giant playground with a tree-house jungle gym. Free outdoor games equipment available to borrow at the on-site Admissions building.

Address: 1065 Lombardi Avenue, Green Bay, WI 54304

Tip: Free general access daily 7am–10pm; playground and field 8am–9pm. Free yard games, bocce, shuffleboard, ping-pong — equipment at the south Admissions building. Winter ice skating and snow tubing have fees and require admission to the rink; check titletown.com for current rates. Free parking lots all around.

Parks & Waterfront

A free quarter-mile public boardwalk and terraced riverfront promenade along the east bank of the Fox River in downtown Green Bay. Includes a free splash pad, three boat landings (Shopko, Pine Street, Cherry Street), public restrooms, and free music stages. Hosts the free 'Let It Glow' winter lights display November through February and the Fridays on the Fox free summer concert series.

Address: 301 N Washington Street, Green Bay, WI 54301

Tip: Free year-round, dawn to dusk. The splash pad runs Memorial Day through Labor Day. Free concerts most Friday summer evenings on the Shopko Landing stage. Free street parking on weekends and after 5pm weekdays; otherwise use the Pine Street ramp. Connects directly to the Fox River State Trail.

History & Museums

One of the country's oldest and largest railroad museums, founded in 1956 and home to 70+ locomotives and rail cars including General Eisenhower's WWII command train (a National Historic Landmark) and the massive 4-8-8-4 Union Pacific 'Big Boy' steam locomotive. Indoor and outdoor exhibits sprawl across 33 acres along the Fox River.

Address: 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay, WI 54304

Tip: $15 adults / $7.50 children 2–12 / $13 seniors. $3 admission for SNAP/EBT cardholders. Open daily 9am–5pm in summer; reduced winter hours. The $6 seasonal train rides run May–October on weekends and select weekdays — book the train ride separately at the front desk. Plan 2 hours minimum.

Historic Sites

A 56-acre living-history open-air museum on the banks of the Fox River with 27 historic buildings — fur-trade cabins, Belgian farms, a Cottage Hospital, a country schoolhouse, and a French Empire-style mansion — staffed in summer with costumed interpreters demonstrating everyday life in northeastern Wisconsin from the early 1700s through the mid-20th century.

Address: 2640 South Webster Avenue, Green Bay, WI 54301

Tip: Summer rates (May 1–Oct 31): $14 adults / $12 seniors and military veterans / $7 youth 6–12. Winter rate (Nov 1–Apr 30): $6 adults / $3 youth — historic buildings closed but grounds open for snowshoeing and sledding. Closed Mondays. Active military free year-round. The free Thursday 1pm tram tour (Jun–Sep) is included in admission.

History & Museums

Brown County's history, science, and art museum sits right where the Fox River meets downtown — three floors of rotating exhibits run from Ice Age geology and Packers lore to regional art, with a glass curtain wall framing the river. It's also the official starting point of the Packers Heritage Trail, whose first bronze plaque stands at the front entrance.

Address: 210 Museum Pl, Green Bay, WI 54303

Tip: Brown County residents get in free the first Wednesday of each month (open until 8pm with a craft activity). Military members and veterans are always free. Guided group and homeschool tours run $6 per person with advance registration.

Family Fun

Brown County's 43-acre zoo in the Suamico woods north of town keeps giraffes, lions, red pandas, penguins, and a walk-through aviary — plus an adventure park with a zip line and ropes course if anyone has energy left. Feeding a lettuce leaf to a giraffe costs a few dollars and is worth every penny of it.

Address: 4378 Reforestation Rd, Suamico, WI 54173

Tip: The zoo-plus-canopy-tour combo saves $2 per person if you want the zip line too. Giraffe feedings run seasonally — check times when you arrive. Drop-off Home School Workshops for grades 3–8 run through the education department.

Parks & Nature

Forty-seven acres of display gardens bloom on Green Bay's west side — a children's garden with a treehouse, formal rose and English cottage gardens, prairie plantings, and four seasons of color capped by the WPS Garden of Lights walk each winter. It's consistently rated among the Midwest's best botanical gardens.

Address: 2600 Larsen Rd, Green Bay, WI 54303

Tip: NWTC students and faculty enter free with ID. The children's garden alone can absorb a family for an hour — pack accordingly. Guided field trips and homeschool programs book through the education team about four weeks out.

History & Culture

A free self-guided walking trail through downtown Green Bay traces the Packers' century of history across 25 bronze-plaque sites — Curly Lambeau's childhood home, the birthplace of the team, the train depot that sent the squad to road games, and old City Stadium, their home from 1925 to 1956. The City Walk covers 16 sites in under three miles.

Address: Starts at Neville Public Museum, 210 Museum Pl, Green Bay, WI 54303

Tip: Grab the trail map online or at the Neville Public Museum, where the first plaque stands. Two driving spurs extend the route along Baird Creek and the Fox River for completists. Trolley tours of the trail run seasonally through the Packers Hall of Fame.