Stoughton

Stoughton

Stoughton is the birthplace of the coffee break, community television and the world famous Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers. Located on the scenic Yahara River, Stoughton is just 15 miles south of downtown Madison. Stoughton is a beautiful community with its many historic neighborhoods, and its gorgeous historic downtown with the spectacular Stoughton Opera House.

It's charming downtown is reminiscent of days when horse drawn carriages were driven over brick roads. Most of the buildings on Main Street in Stoughton were built in the 1800's and remain from that period. The historic Opera House at the east end of Main St is the pinnacle of the historic downtown. People come from all over the midwest to attend concerts at the Opera House by local, national and international music acts.

The growing downtown corridor is home to many locally owned small businesses including Wildwood Cafe, my favorite spot for coffee & espresso drinks, breakfast treats and meals as well as a curated selection of gifts and pantry staples. Other wonderful shops include Fosdal's, a classic small-town bakery with sugary donuts and cookies, Dune Gift + Home - vintage and artisan homegoods, clean beauty products, jewelry and clothing, Grasshopper Goods - Madison-, midwest- and Wisconsin-themed and locally made gifts and fun finds, Next Generation - a small town toy shop and children's resale clothing, Yahara Chocolate - tea and chocolate from around the world, and the newest additions to Main St: Sun + Lace - handmade baby gifts (adorable leather slippers and bows) and Overt Space - art from the local artist & owner and lots of fun gifts, stationary and more.

Stoughton is also home to lots of great spots for recreation. Many neighborhood parks are tucked into each unique part of town - Criddle Park in the Northwest historic district is a favorite for it's "natural" park elements. Nordic Ridge is home to a splash pad and new accessible playground. Viking County is a huge park with trails just north of Stoughton's east side and has a large dog park with Yahara River access. Lake Kegonsa State Park is also just north of Stoughton and runs alongside Lake Kegonsa with a public beach. There are several local boat access points to Lake Kegonsa as well, which is much quieter for boat traffic compared to the Madison lakes.