That changed, however, when the canal linking Green Bay and Lake Michigan opened to shipping in 1882. Today, Sturgeon Bay has a charming downtown area that is home to unique shops, galleries, fine restaurants, and meticulously restored bed and breakfast inns. Greater Sturgeon Bay includes a fully staffed hospital, two excellent golf courses and a regional airport. Sturgeon Bay's waterfront is in the process of a major face-lift. A spectacular new Door County Maritime Museum, DJ's on the Bay restaurant and other developments have revitalized the waterfront.
More improvements are under way.
Located in the public library, the Miller Art Center treats visitors to the works of fine artists from across the country, the state, the region, and the county. Consider getting a visitors' library card while you're there. Available at libraries throughout the county, this little card gives visitors full use of library services. Potawatomi State Park, located on the waters of Sturgeon Bay, offers vacationers biking and hiking trails and groomed cross-country ski and snowmobile trails. Be sure to stop at the observation tower for a view of Sawyer Harbor that will take your breath away.