Beloit, Wisconsin travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Beloit is a city of 37,000 people (2018) in Southwest Wisconsin. Its downtown is anchored by a core of historic buildings and the Ironworks office and industrial campus. Beloit's riverfront park system, mainly Riverside Park, extends north of the downtown along the east bank toward the Town of Beloit.

5 sights · 4 things to do · 4 places to eat · 3 bars & cafés · 2 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Beloit

Fairbanks Flats

Beloit Water Tower

Beloit College

Logan Museum of Anthropology

Wright Museum of Art

Beloit Civic Theatre

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 12°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and Jul. (climate data from nearby Madison)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
RFD Chicago Rockford International Airport, Chicago/Rockford — 22 mi away. Directions
MSN Dane County Regional Truax Field, Madison — 46 mi away. Directions
MKE General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee — 65 mi away (major hub). Directions

Interstates 39, 43, and 90 serve Beloit.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 2-day itinerary

Day 1

Morning Beloit College, Fairbanks Flats, Wright Museum of Art
Lunch The 615 Club
Afternoon Beloit International Film Festival, Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra
Dinner Lucy's #7 Burger Bar
Evening The Rock Bar and Grill

Day 2

Morning Beloit Water Tower, Beloit Snappers
Lunch Zen Sushi and Grill
Afternoon Logan Museum of Anthropology, Beloit Civic Theatre
Dinner Little Mexico Restaurant
Evening Jersey's Bar & Grill

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

Cuisine (tap to filter)

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Photos

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Understand

Beloit lays claim to such inventions as the speedometer, Korn Kurls, and John Francis Appleby's twine binder. Korn Kurls, which resemble Cheetos, was the original puffed cheese snack.

History

Twelve men in Colebrook, New Hampshire created the "New England Emigrating Company" in October 1836 and sent Dr. Horace White to find a suitable region of Wisconsin in which to settle. The level fields and the water power of Turtle Creek and the "unlimited gravel" in the area around what is now Beloit fixed the site of the intended village and farms. White purchased the land. At the same time as the Colebrook settlers, six families from Bedford, New Hampshire arrived and settled in the region. They said that the Rock River Valley had a "New England look", which made them feel at home. The village was platted in 1838 and was planned with wide streets which built on the New England model.

Beloit was founded as New Albany (after Albany, Vermont) in 1837. The name was changed to Beloit in 1838. The name Beloit was coined to be reminiscent of Detroit.

Tourist information

Visit Beloit website

Get in

By car

Interstates 39, 43, and 90 serve Beloit.

By bike

To get to Beloit by bicycle from Chicago, take the Union Pacific/Northwest METRA from Ogilvie Station to Harvard, Illinois ($7). At Harvard, make a right onto W. Diggins Street/Ramer Road; 1.5 mi. Enter the bike path from Ramer Road at Lawrence Road. Take the bike path to its terminal at Maxon Road; 2 mi. Take a left on Maxon Road/Right on South Oak Grove Road; .5 mi. Make a right on IL-173 (careful: no shoulder); 2.3 mi. Make another right on Boone/McHenry County Line Road; .5 mi. Enter Long Prairie State Trail; 14.4 mi. Enter Stone Bride Trail (crushed limestone); 4.5 mi. Make a left on a bike trail and follow it until it ends; .5 mi. Take a right on the Hononegah Bike Trail and follow it to a second wooded section; 2 mi. Turn right onto a bike trail that leads into Kelly-Meyers Park, follow the road to the front of the park, and turn left out of the park. Turn right in one block on the Dorr Rd. bike trail and follow it until it ends; 3 mi. Right at Elmwood Avenue/Lathrop Terrace; 1 mi. Left at Wheeler Avenue; .25 mi. Right at Gardner Street; .25 mi. Left at Park Avenue; .25 mi. Enter Beloit at Turtle Creek bridge/Wisconsin state line.