Pewaukee's Beach is a nice spot for a little fun in the water and sand. And best of all, it's free!
Directions: From the interstate, exit onto Highway 16. (It only goes north.) Follow Highway 16 until the second exit onto Capitol Drive. Take a left onto Capitol and go straight toward Pewaukee's downtown. When Capitol has a fork in the road, take the left, which means the road becomes Oakton. When you reach the stop sign, turn right onto Main Street. The beach is in front of you to the left.
Parking: There is limited parking right across the street from the beach by the businesses. Some of this parking is only good for 15 minutes or one hour. For more public parking, drive to the end of the beach and find the parking lot located behind the gas station on your right. When events are in the area, expect all these parking spots to be filled and park on the few side streets or in the lot for the Pewaukee Village Park behind the stores and across the railroad tracks on Capitol Drive.
Pewaukee Beach is a family friendly area. The beach is often crowded with young children. The sand is a bit pebbly and the area is not very large, but it is FREE. Lifeguards keep an eye on the beach in summer. The swimming area is roped off and buoys beyond it keep the boats away. Right next to the swimming area is a fishing area. Swimmers should not be in the fishing area and vice versa. The actual name of the park is Lakefront Park, but everyone refers to it as Pewaukee Beach.
There is an extensive list of items and activities prohibited at the beach. And although there is a sign that signs Floatation Devices Allowed, this does not convey the actual rule. Only coastguard approved vests are allowed at Pewaukee Beach. This does not include water wings, rings, tubes, and other floating toys. Lifeguards have to enforce this rule daily, sometimes many times in a day, so it is best to know before you go that these items should just be left at home.
Some of the other rules at Pewaukee Beach include:
- Children less than 5 must be accopmanied by an adult in the water
- No pets allowed
- No alcoholic beverages without a permit
- No loud music or loud radios
- No open fires or grilling allowed
- No feeding of waterfowl
- No littering
- No parking outside of designated area
- No watercraft allowed
- No swimming outside of designated area
- No trespassing on railroad tracks
- No glass containers
- No fishing in swimming area
The park is open from 7 am to 10 pm.
Shops
Across the street from the beach are some charming buildings hosting a variety of businesses, including:
- Transition (a cycle shop)
- Brewers Two Cafe
- Piano Blu
- Seester's Mexican Cantina
- The Chocolate Factory
- Beachcomber Salon
- Pilates on the Lake
- Affiliated M.D. Rejuvenation Center and Spa
- Lakeview Center Growth and Leadership Development
- Cakes While U Wait
More new construction is planned for some of the older and run-down buildings nearby.
History
A sign put up by the Waukesha County Historical Society tells about the history of Pewaukee Village. It was incorporated in 1876 and the name comes from "Pe-wauk-ee-wee-ning," which means "Lake of Shells". Pewaukee was once a Potawatomi village. When Asa Clark came in 1836 he built a dam, sawmill and gristmill. The little area grew, and by the 1880s it had developed an ice industry, harvesting frozen chunks of water from off the lake. Later the area became a place for summer resorts, with many hotels, including the 110-room Oakton Springs, which was eventually destroyed in a fire.
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