Conveniently located 45 minutes from Madison, an hour and 15 minutes from Milwaukee, and two hours from Chicago, Janesville is a great place to live and work. Recharge your spirit as you explore hundreds of acres of tranquil parkland and miles of peaceful trails. Take in the breathtaking beauty of our award-winning botanical garden and discover our 13 historic districts, more than 50 pieces of public art and charming downtown. Explore our variety of shopping and dining, savor a craft beer or locally made wine and relax at one of our welcoming and affordable lodging options. Sit back and immerse yourself in live theater or feel the exhilaration as you watch the most successful water-ski show team in the world perform.
Video courtesy of Drywater Productions
Destinations
Offers both traditional and immersive tours where one can learn about Rock County’s historic buildings and what it was like for citizens to live during that time period. Learn more at Rock County Historical Society | Where Past Meets Present (rchs.us)
A wide variety of local vendors, farmers, and craftsmen sell their goods from 8:00am to 1:00pm every Saturday from May until October. It is located in the beautiful downtown area, where live music and tents occupy spaces on both sides of the Rock river. The following website lists all of the vendors that will be in attendance each week, a map of the market, as well as helpful market hints: Janesville Farmers Market » Conversation
This 20-acre award winning botanical garden is located right next to Lions beach, and is open in both the summer and winter. In the summer, enjoy viewing a wide variety of plant life, with globally inspired exhibits. In the winter, enjoy the popular Holiday Light Show where decorations and holiday lights illuminate the night sky with festive joy. To learn more about the garden visit Rotary Botanical Gardens | Enriching lives through beauty, education, and the arts.
There are several wineries and breweries in the area including Rock County Brewing, Gray Brewing Company, G5 Brewing, Fermenting Cellars Winery, North Leaf Winery, DC Estate Winery, and more! Learn more at Wisconsin Breweries & Brewery Tours | Travel Wisconsin
Recreation
Janesville is known as the city of parks and has earned the Tree City USA designation for 18 years in a row. Janesville has thousands of acres of park space and is focused on park grounds upkeep and improvement.
A multitude of different classes, sports clubs, and community events are offered. Also, the famous Ice Age Trail runs throughout Rock county and has 250 miles of identified trails that accommodate walking, biking, and even horseback riding. Visit Recreation Division | Janesville, WI (janesvillewi.gov) to learn more.
Janesville has over a dozen golf courses fit for both beginner and seasoned golfers. Golf at one of Janesville’s nationally recognized golf courses and then visit Janesville’s 90-acre Youth Sports Complex where there are baseball, football, softball, and soccer fields.
The Janesville Ice Arena, home of the Janesville Jets, offers year-round indoor skating. The Janesville jets offer open hockey practice and league play for adults, figure skating, youth hockey practice, as well as other skating events and celebrations throughout the year. Visit the following site to learn more: https://www.janesvillewi.gov/government/departments-divisions/neighborhood-and-community-services/recreation-division/ice-arena
Finally, many events including the country’s oldest 4-H fair are held at the Rock County Fairgrounds throughout the year. This includes circuses, movie showings, concerts, and more! Visit Rock County 4-H Fair (rockcounty4hfair.com) to see upcoming events.
Entertainment
Janesville Performing Arts Center: Hosts over 100 community-based shows and professional performances every year. Show range from comedy acts, to musicals, to orchestral performances and more! Visit The Janesville Performing Arts Center | JPAC | Janesville, WI (janesvillepac.org) to learn more about upcoming shows.
Provides local high school students from surrounding areas the opportunity to perform together in multiple productions throughout the year. Many of these high-class productions nearly sellout and have semi-professional lighting, props, and staging, as the academy offers a curriculum for students so that they can learn how to act, prop design, stage, and manage shows. Learn more about upcoming shows by visiting Tickets (parker-arts.com)
20-time water ski national champions with their most recent national championship won in August of 2021. The water ski facility also hosts music events, the fourth of July celebration, and more. Learn more about the Rock Aqua Jays at Rock Aqua Jays Water Ski Show - Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (janesvillecvb.com)
This NAHL hockey team has produced many win-filled seasons and talented players over the past few years. In the last five years alone, the jets have placed 45 of their players into division one teams like the University of Michigan, Boston, and Wisconsin. In 2021, a former Janesville Jets player, Colin felix, won a division one national championship just four years after his departure from the Jets. Last year, the Jets finished at the top of the Midwest Division with a record of 13 wins and nine loses. Learn more by visiting: Janesville Jets
Multiple car cruises, primarily through downtown Janesville, take place throughout the summer. Anyone can participate and onlookers often line the streets to watch the magnificent cars pass by. Learn more by visiting Classic Cruzers Car Club Janesville WI | Facebook
See professional bike racers and Olympic gold medalists from around the world compete for thousands of dollars in a beautiful course set up through downtown Janesville. Learn more by visiting Home - Janesville Town Square Gran Prix
This Minor League Baseball team owned by the Miami Marlins provides endless nights of fun throughout the summer at their brand-new stadium constructed in 2021. This space has already hosted famous artists like the ventriloquist comedian Jeff Dunham! Learn more at Beloit Sky Carp | MiLB.com