Things to do during your stay

Join us in farm chores 
Everybody who stays at Paradise Farm is welcome (but not required) to join us in meaningful, satisfying work to connect you with your agricultural roots and help you sleep well at night! A farm stay here can always involve helping with the animal chores. We are home to a farm education program, and finding ways to incorporate our guests in the real life of the farm is our greatest joy.

Play
Above all we’d like your stay here to be renewing and, ultimately, relaxing. Grill your dinner on the patio, relax at the firepit and roast some marshmallows. Doze in a hammock. Take a nature walk or go snowshoeing on our groomed trails. Visit our friendly animals. Grab a good book off of our shelf and cozy up in front of the woodstove.

Just a 10-minute drive from downtown West Bend, Paradise Farm is situated in one of Wisconsin’s most scenic areas, the Kettle Moraine. West Bend is conveniently near Milwaukee, and combines the best of small town and big city living. It offers a host of cultural activities as well as all the amenities of a “big city” – with a small town smile and sense of community.

West Bend Farmers Market

The West Bend Farmers Market is one of the area’s best, on Main Street every Saturday morning from 7:30 – 11:00 a.m., mid-May through October. And while you’re there, stop by our kids’ favorite candy store, The Candy Man.

Owners Tom Meurer, left, and Bill Laufer at the Candyman on Main in West Bend.

West Bend offers interesting museums, including the 31,000-square-foot Museum of Wisconsin Art. You’ll also find outstanding ski trails, great shopping, picturesque parks, a historic downtown and a variety of lively community events. West Bend is known as the Geocaching Capital of the Midwest™. With 450 caches within a seven-mile radius, it is a destination for treasure hunters from around the region. 

Beach at Regner Park, West Bend

Nearby Regner Park offers a beach with great swimming, a play area and splash pad for the kids. Go fishing or swimming at one of the many beautiful area lakes, such as Big Cedar or Little Cedar. In the winter, visit the snowmobile trails at Sandy Knoll County Park or go skiing or tubing at Sunburst Winter Sports Park or Little Switzerland.

Tubing at Sunburst

And be sure to check out Shalom Wildlife Zoo, open year round and home to over 400 animals in large natural habitats.

Shalom Wildlife Zoo

The 1,200-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail passes through the heart of West Bend, giving hikers, runners and nature lovers a chance to experience a trail that many consider a national treasure. The trail is administered by the National Park Service and it roughly follows the location of the terminal moraine of the last Ice Age. The terrain is rolling, passing through forests, prairies and farmland of Wisconsin. There are many places to get on the trail in and around West Bend and you can plan a hike of any length. Challenge yourself to hike the approximately 45 miles of Ice Age Trail in Washington County!

A view along the Ice Age Trail

Bring your bikes and ride the Eisenbahn State Trail from Eden to West Bend. The Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford displays a rare collection of Kissel, Nash and Pierce-Arrow autos. Travelers from around the world visit the Shrine of Mary at Holy Hill near Hubertus.

Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary in Hubertus