Overview
Ripon is a town in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States.
Ripon is a town steeped in history. It is the official birthplace of the Republican Party in the United States, and was a hotbed of idealistic thought in the 19th century. The nearby settlement of Ceresco was a communal experiment that ultimately failed, leading to Ceresco being absorbed by the town of Ripon in 1851. Unsurprisingly, Ripon was a strongly abolitionist enclave.
These days, Ripon hosts Ripon College and the Little White Schoolhouse, the latter of which is the place where the Republican Party was created.
1 sights · 2 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Ripon
The Little White Schoolhouse
Open 10AM-4PM every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day; weekends in September and October. Over 150 years old, this small building is where the Republican Party was formed in March 1854. The volume of the visitors i…
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.
- ATW Appleton International Airport, Appleton — 31 mi away. Directions
- GRB Austin Straubel International Airport, Green Bay — 55 mi away. Directions
- MKE General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee — 79 mi away (major hub). Directions
Ripon is quite close to the cities of Oshkosh and Fond du Lac. You can take US 41 North or South to reach Oshkosh or Fond du Lac, and then take either WI 23 or WI 44 to Ripon.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
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Food for you
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Photos
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Get in
By car
Ripon is quite close to the cities of Oshkosh and Fond du Lac. You can take US 41 North or South to reach Oshkosh or Fond du Lac, and then take either WI 23 or WI 44 to Ripon.
See
See The Little White Schoolhouse
Open 10AM-4PM every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day; weekends in September and October. Over 150 years old, this small building is where the Republican Party was formed in March 1854. The volume of the visitors it has seen in the century and a half since then, and the fact that it has been moved at least six times, has created some wear-and-tear on the facility.
Sleep
Nearby
Green Lake
City / town · 7 listings · 6 mi away
Oshkosh
City / town · 45 listings · 18 mi away
Fond du Lac
City / town · 14 listings · 20 mi away
Horicon Marsh
Park · 22 mi away
Beaver Dam
City / town · 8 listings · 28 mi away
Appleton
City / town · 19 listings · 35 mi away
Waupaca
City / town · 36 mi away
Coloma
City / town · 5 listings · 36 mi away
My experience
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