Platteville

Around Platteville

Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Town and around · Wisconsin · 52k people

Platteville

Locals say Driftless Area

Where the bluffs meet the prairie

Pioneer OrangePioneer Blue

Join the room Ask the neighbours

Welcome to the Driftless Area! From the bluffs to the river towns, there's always something to see and do. Grab a cheese curd and enjoy the local charm.

Clubs for Platteville

No clubs for Platteville yet.

The room

One room for everyone around Platteville. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

Ask the neighbours

All

A good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.

Coming up

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Marketplace

Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Platteville. Sign in to sell something.

Things to do

  • University of Wisconsin-Platteville Home of the Pioneers, known for engineering and agriculture.
  • The Mound A prominent limestone hill with a park and scenic overlook.
  • Villa Louis Historic Site A restored 19th-century mansion on the Mississippi River.
  • Wyalusing State Park Bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers.
  • Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums Exhibits on lead and zinc mining history in the Driftless.
  • Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium Home of UW-Platteville football.
  • Outdoors Hike the bluffs
  • Outdoors Fish for trout
  • With kids Visit the Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums
  • With kids Take a hike at Wyalusing State Park
  • Evenings Supper club bars
  • Evenings Taverns with live music
  • Locals love Supper clubs
  • Locals love Dairy farms

Through the year

  • Grant County Fair July County fair with livestock, rides, and local food.
  • Platteville Mining Days August Celebrates the area's lead mining history with parades and activities.
  • Muscoda Morel Mushroom Festival May Honors the local morel mushroom harvest with food and crafts.
  • Prairie Villa Rendezvous June Historical reenactment of the fur trade era along the Mississippi.

The Driftless Area has a humid continental climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and snowy, summers warm and humid, with beautiful springs and autumns. Best: Late spring and early fall are ideal for outdoor activities.

Talk like a local

“Driftless”
The unglaciated region of Wisconsin, known for its rolling hills and bluffs.
“Supper club”
A traditional Wisconsin restaurant/bar serving prime rib and fish fry.
“Cheesehead”
A term for a person from Wisconsin, often wearing cheesehead hats.
“Fish fry”
A Friday tradition of eating fried fish at bars and restaurants.

Getaways

  • Dubuque Riverboat casinos and the Fenelon Place Elevator.
  • Freeport Historic downtown and parks.
  • Madison State capitol and university.
  • Baraboo Circus World Museum and Devil's Lake.

Local flavour

Teams

  • UW–Platteville Pioneers NCAA Division III

Also rooting for Green Bay Packers (NFL), Milwaukee Brewers (MLB), Milwaukee Bucks (NBA), Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA)

Eat and drink

  • Cheese curds Fresh, squeaky curds from local dairies; often fried or eaten plain.
  • Bratwurst Grilled brats, often with beer and onions, a Wisconsin staple.
  • Friday fish fry Traditional cod or perch fry served with coleslaw and rye bread at supper clubs.
  • Supper club fare Relish trays, prime rib, and old-fashioned cocktails – the defining dining experience.

Where people go

  • Supper clubs Classic Wisconsin dining institutions with relish trays and old-fashioneds.
  • Dairy farms Rolling green hills dotted with Holsteins – the heart of the region.
  • Limestone bluffs The dramatic cliffs of the Driftless Area along the Mississippi River.
  • Historic lead mines
  • River towns Prairie du Chien and other Mississippi River communities with historic main streets.

Heritage and traditions

This region is proud of its Driftless Area landscape, its lead mining heritage, and its tight-knit farming communities.

Say it like a local: “Pop” — Soda or soft drink.

Festivals

  • Boscobel Butter Festival June Celebrates dairy heritage with butter sculptures and contests.
  • Cuba City Cheese Days September Community celebration of cheese-making heritage.

Landmarks with a story

  • Fort Crawford 19th-century military fort that played a role in the Black Hawk War.
  • Grant County Courthouse 1905 Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse in Lancaster.
  • Sinsinawa Mound Dominican motherhouse founded in 1847 near Hazel Green.

Food traditions

  • Morel mushroom hunting and cooking Foraged morels are a local delicacy, celebrated at the Muscoda festival.

A little history

  • 1673 Prairie du Chien founded as a French trading post
  • 1899 Gideons International founded
  • late 1800s Railroad arrival

Rivalries

  • UW-Platteville vs UW-Whitewater WIAC conference rivalry in football and basketball.
  • Packers vs Bears NFC North rivalry, big in Wisconsin.
  • Brewers vs Cubs NL Central rivalry with Illinois neighbors.
  • Badgers vs Minnesota Border battle in football and hockey.
  • Outdoors Cross-country skiing
  • Outdoors Snowshoeing
  • With kids Visiting the Boscobel Butter Festival

People speak with a typical Midwestern accent; 'Prairie du Chien' is pronounced 'Prairie du Sheen'.

Only here

  • The Gideons International was founded in Boscobel in 1899.
  • Prairie du Chien is the oldest European settlement in Wisconsin.
  • The Driftless Area was never glaciated, leaving unique topography.
  • The Mound is a prominent landmark in Platteville.
New here? A few tips
  • Be prepared for cold winters and hot, humid summers.
  • Try the local cheese curds and Friday fish fry.
  • Learn to pronounce 'Prairie du Chien' as 'Prairie du Sheen'.
  • Take a drive through the Driftless Area to see the bluffs.
  • Don't be surprised if people say 'ope' when they bump into you.

Make this page better

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Nearby

Every area
Lafayette CountyWisconsinWhere the hills are green and the cheese is fresh.DubuqueIowaLocal rooms for Dubuque.Prairie du ChienWisconsinRugged beauty, small‑town warmth.MaquoketaIowaWhere the river meets the bluffsGalenaIllinoisWhere the river meets the bluffsFreeportIllinoisPretzel pride in the heart of the MidwestMadisonWisconsinLakes, bikes, and Badgers — welcome to the isthmus.BarabooWisconsinBluffs, river, and a little circus.

Platteville, WI. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.

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