Appleton

Getting around town is accomplished efficiently and cheaply by using the public transportation system or by taxis. Public buses are reliable and the standard fare is $0.50. Same-day transfers are free. If you are staying downtown in the Raddison or Copperleaf you can easily walk to nearby restaurants bars and shops.

Bird Rides offers 100 electric scooters which users can use to get around most of the city. A ride costs $1 plus 39 cents for each minute of use.

Note that parking on any city street is illegal from 2 AM to 5 AM every day of the week. You can usually call the Appleton Police Department and ask to get approval to be parked overnight, but during the fall and winter months it is not uncommon to be denied due to leaf collection or snow removal, so don't depend on this option. If you will have your own vehicle in town when you visit, make sure you have private parking available to you.

• 🌍 Fox Cities Stadium (Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium), 2400 North Casaloma Drive, ☏ +1 920-733-4152. Stadium that hosts baseball and major music concerts. (updated Mar 2018)
• 🌍 Fox Cities Performing Arts Center (PAC), 400 W. College Ave, ☏ +1 920 730-3782. Features high quality shows such as the famous Chinese Acrobats, and mainstream plays such as Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and Les Misérables. Also hosts the Fox Valley Symphony and touring music and comedy performances. (updated Jan 2018)
• 🌍 Fox Cities Exhibition Center, 355 W Lawrence St. Constructed convention center in downtown Appleton. The center will be hosting multiple events such as the Wisconsin Tourism show and Oshkosh Corperation meeting. (updated Jan 2018)

In general, Appleton is well-respected for the quality of the education in its public schools, both at the primary and secondary levels.

• Lawrence University - a small, private liberal arts college. Ranked #1 university in Wisconsin by Forbes magazine.
• University of Wisconsin Oshkosh-Fox Valley - a two-year collegiate campus of the University of Wisconsin System.
• Fox Valley Technical College - a technical (community) college of the Wisconsin Technical College System.

The Appleton Area is widely considered to be the shopping capital of Wisconsin by locals and visitors. It has a good mix of big chain stores and small businesses.

Heading east from the Fox River Mall on Hwy 96 (Wisconsin Ave) to the other side of Interstate 41, you'll find more stores including Home Depot, Sam's Club, Woodman's grocery store, and the largest Fleet Farm in Wisconsin. There's an old saying "if you can't find it at Fleet Farm, you probably don't need it."

Or, head east from the mall on College Ave to find Wheel & Sprocket, and more hotels and restaurants. Continue on College Ave to downtown Appleton which has an eclectic mix of shopping, coffeehouses, restaurants & bars.

Many of the westside "big box" stores also have store locations along Appleton's eastside Hwy 441 corridor, known locally at Darboy. Eastside stores include Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Menard's, Office Max, Best Buy, Target, Festival Foods, Pick 'n Save, Tractor Supply Co, Goodwill, plus the usual mix of Starbucks, Walgreen's, restaurants, movie theatres and hotels.

Downtown Appleton has numerous restaurants, many within a short walking distance from the PAC. Vince Lombardi's Steakhouse at the Paper Valley Hotel has great steaks at a reasonable price, and if you're lucky you might get an autograph from NFL visiting teams staying at Paper Valley the night before Packer home games.

Waterfront dining is available near downtown along the Fox River waterfront at Fratello's Riverfront and Pullman's, and at Waverly Beach along the north shore of Lake Winnebago.

The Appleton area has plenty of coffee shops and cafés as well, such as Tempest Coffee Collective, Seth's Coffee, Copper Rock, Brewed Awakenings, and Acoca.

Many of the big restaurant chains are near the Fox River Mall -- T.G.I. Friday’s, Chili’s, Qdoba, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Machine Shed, Bennigan's, Outback Steakhouse and so on. Inside the mall, Fox River Brewing Company is accessible from the food court. Outdoor seating is available.

Other places are Wooden Nickel, Spat's, Dick & Joans and Old Bavarian.

Downtown Appleton is packed with bars, each with different atmospheres. If you are in town and looking to go out for a few drinks, the entire stretch of College Avenue from Richmond on the west to Drew Street on the east is lined with bars and clubs. There are a few bars to be found within a block north and south of College Avenue too. Plan your night ahead though, as parking on the streets anywhere within the city is illegal from 2 AM to 5 AM.

The Stone Cellar Brewpub brews several standard beers and seasonal beers. They also have a wide variety menu selections and a great atmosphere in the cellar of Appleton's first brewery (built in 1858), or if the weather cooperates you can sit outside in the beer garden.

On St. Patrick's Day, or any day if you're Irish, be sure to visit McGuiness Irish Pub or The Durty Leprechaun.

If you're staying downtown at the Paper Valley Hotel and you don't feel like venturing far, The Clubhouse just off the lobby has plenty of beer, sandwiches, pizza, and 20 big screen TVs.

Like most cities, Appleton features a wide range of hotels from very affordable budget options to 3-star hotels that charge a small fortune. This is a really small list of the hotels in Appleton.

• Cambria Suites Appleton Hotel, 3940 N. Gateway Dr, ☏ +1 920 733-0101. 
• Comfort Suites Appleton Hotel, 3809 W Wisconsin Ave, ☏ +1 920 730-3800. All-suite hotel with indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, fitness center and game room. Free hot breakfast buffet and a lounge onsite. 
• Microtel Inn & Suites, 321 Metro Drive, ☏ +1 920 997-3121. Budget hotel. (updated Jun 2017)
• Candlewood Suites, 4525 W College Ave, ☏ +1 920 739-8000. Extended stay hotel with full kitchens, free High-Speed Internet, free shuttle service to/from the airport, a great fitness center, a business center and free guest laundry. 
• 🌍 Hilton Appleton Paper Valley (former Red Lion and Radisson Paper Valley Hotel), 333 W. College Avenue (downtown Appleton, across the street from the Copperleaf Hotel), ☏ +1 920 733-8000, toll-free: +1-800-333-3333. Connected to the Fox Cities Expo Center. Most famous as being the hotel where many VIP's stays when they visit Northeastern Wisconsin, it's the only hotel in the Appleton/Green Bay area to fulfill the NFL requirements, so the hotel hosts all of the visiting teams who are coming in to play the Green Bay Packers. (updated May 2018)
• 🌍 Copperleaf Hotel, 300 W College Ave, ☏ +1 920 749-0303. 300 W. College Ave. Appleton's most expensive hotel, built in 2003. Located in the heart of downtown Appleton, a short walk from many restaurants, bars, and one block from the Performing Arts Center. (updated Mar 2016)

Burglaries and thefts of unlocked cars and properties occur occasionally throughout the city, so be sure to hide your valuables.

Appleton is conveniently located alongside major interstate and intrastate highways, and also has a Greyhound office for people seeking long-distance travel.

Out of state visitors can use the public airport Appleton International Airport.