Janesville truly shines as a family-friendly destination with our wide array of attractions and activities tailored to all ages. From educational attractions to natural wonders, our city offers an abundance of opportunities for quality family time. So gather the family and embark on an unforgettable adventure in Janesville, Wisconsin. Start creating memories that will last a lifetime in our vibrant and welcoming community.
June Events:
* = FREE EVENTS
*Ongoing | Spring StoryWalk®
Ongoing | Milton House Museum Tours
*Every Saturday | Janesville Farmers Market
Every Sunday | Sterling North Museum Tours
*Every Sunday & Wednesday | Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Show
*Every Tuesday | Music at the Marv
*June 1 | Creekside Cruise Night – Kids Night
June 3 | Rock County Dairy Breakfast
– The Daluge Farm also offers summertime tours and Farm Camps for kids.
*June 3 | Bike Rodeo
*June 3 | Take a Kid Fishing Derby
*June 3 | Rock County Squish Meet
June 7 | Story & Stroll in the Gardens
*June 10 | Rock River Heritage Park Ribbon Cutting & Picnic in the Park
*June 15 | Janesville Town Square Gran Prix & Kids Roll Bike Race
*June 15, 22, 29; July 6 | Kids Noontime Entertainment
*June 16 | Movies in the Park: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
*June 16 | Summer Night Hike
June 17, 18 | Fly-in or Drive-in Pancake Breakfast
*June 24 | Touch a Truck
*June 29 | Camp Fire Tales
The Janesville Ice Arena will reopen in mid-June with family, teen, and public skates.
*Note: Don’t forget to check the individual websites or contact the venues for the most up-to-date information on opening hours, ticket prices, and any additional updates about offerings.
Free Activities:
💜 Summer playground checklist: For tons of fun this summer, take on this Playground Challenge to visit all 43 of Janesville’s playgrounds by September 24! As you explore each park, mark it on the list and take a picture of your family enjoying the playground to document your visit. Once you have visited all 43 playgrounds, send your photos to the Janesville Parks & Recreation Facebook page or submit them by email at recreationmail@ci.janesville.wi.us. All families that complete the challenge will be entered to win a prize! Download playground checklist.
💜 Walk the downtown Public Art Trail: Download the trail map.
💜 Cool off at downtown’s interactive water feature, The Bubbler
💜 Check out a book from Hedberg Public Library
💜 Enjoy a day of outdoor fun and recreation at Janesville’s 64 parks. This expansive system offers a wide range of activities for the whole family to enjoy, including playgrounds, picnic areas, and walking trails. With beautiful scenery and ample space to roam, local parks are a perfect spot for a family outing. Learn more about area parks.
💜 Geocaching to both hide and find hidden containers at marked by coordinates at different locations throughout the city
Free park highlights:
– Riverside Park Splash Pad
– Visit the new Play Trail at Schneider Farm Park
– Take a rock for motivation or leave a rock for inspiration at one of Janesville’s seven Kindness Rock Gardens.
– Hiking at the Rock River Heritage County Park, Devil’s Staircase, Robert O Cook Memorial Arboretum, or Rockport Park
– Joan and John Evans Legacy Sundial
– Skatepark in Bond Park
– Flying kites at Kiwanis Community Park
– Fishing at Lustig Park, Riverside Park, or Traxler Park
💜 Paid park highlights:
– Palmer Park Wading Pool
– Rockport Pool
Attractions:
💜 Skelly’s Farm Market: a family-owned farm with pick-your-own strawberries, sunflowers, and pumpkins when in season, with playgrounds, wagon rides, and homemade bakery favorites like apple cider donuts.
💜 Nature’s Touch Garden & Activity Center: two HUGE bounce pillows (the largest in Wisconsin) plus terrainable rides, pedal carts and tracks, obstacle courses, giant chess and checkers sets, a sandbox, duck races, corn hole games, and more.
💜 Kidtopia Indoor Playground: indoor playground with bouncy houses, toys, games, and more
💜 Lincoln-Tallman House on the Rock County Historical Society campus: a fun, educational opportunity for kids to walk the same halls and hear the stories of a 19th-Century Rock County family and their daily life.
💜 Rotary Botanical Gardens: includes the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children’s Garden, with the fragrant Popcorn plant and plants that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Look for their StoryWalk® from June through October. This outdoor exhibit is a children’s book displayed on posts so you can stroll through and read with your little one. Their annual Garden Art Exhibit, on display from mid-May through mid-September, ties in with the StoryWalk® book.
💜 RiversEdge Bowl: family glow bowling every Saturday
💜 Velocity Downtown Adventures & Rental: rent bikes, scooters, or even kayaks
💜Retro City Rockade: a blast-from-the-past arcade with pinball machines and more than 50 fun games
Tasty Meals & Sweets:
Breakfast:
💜 Citrus Cafe: waffles, pancakes, and fresh-squeezed orange juice
💜 Bessie’s Diner: aviation-themed restaurant inside the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport
💜 Wedge Inn East: homemade donuts and cinnamon rolls
Lunch/Dinner:
💜 Pizza:
Marco’s Pizza
Milwaukee Street Pizza
Mac’s Pizza Shack
Jim’s Pizzeria
Lisa’s Pizzeria
Sam’s Pizza
Chubby Bubba’s Pizza
💜 Italian House: Family Feast deals with pasta, subs, and garlic bread
💜 GR’s Sandwich Shoppe: sandwiches, paninis, and more
💜 Luke’s Deli: hot dogs, sandwiches, wraps, fresh-squeezed lemonade
Learn more about uniquely local restaurants.
Desserts:
💜 Cookie dough bites and fun macaron flavors like birthday cake, fruity pebbles, and peanut butter and jelly, along with more grown up flavors from 808Cheesecake
💜 Fudge, handmade sodas, and s’mores charcuterie trays from the Sugar Exchange
💜 Ice cream tacos, nachos, and flights from Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Co
Shopping:
💜 Classy Rascals Children’s Clothing Boutique: boutique with a curated collection of clothes and toys for your little ones ages newborn to tween
💜 Uptown Janesville: stores like Angry Fox, Blessed Divine Creations, Letgo N Play, RonMar Tasty Popcorn, Chuck E. Cheese, Claire’s, GameStop, & more
💜 Kids Closet: thrift store with like-new clothing, toys, baby equipment, and more
Explore more fun to find in Janesville at our website, or reach out to us for any additional recommendations or questions – we’re happy to help!