In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Mauston
Give Mauston one night as an I-90/I-94 halfway stop between Chicago and Minneapolis, or skip it if you are not driving through.
Mauston is a small Juneau County seat on the Lemonweir River, roughly halfway between Chicago and Minneapolis on I-90/I-94. It works as a one-night road-trip break with a cheese stop, a county park and a downtown brewery, not as a destination in itself. Two nights only if you are using it as a base for Buckhorn State Park or the Juneau County Fair.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, snow), and winter storm days on I-90/I-94
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–170 excl. bed · High $170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Poison control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Bar burger or fish fry | $12–20 |
| Pint at a local brewery | $5–8 |
| Cheese from the Carr Valley counter | $6–15 |
| Motel room, one night | $70–170 |
| Gas, per gallon | $3–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MSN · Dane County Regional (Madison)
- About 1 h 15 min by car via I-90/I-94; the practical commercial airport for Mauston.
- 82C · Mauston–New Lisbon Union Airport
- Municipal field about 4 mi northwest of town; small planes only, no scheduled service.
Typical fares
- Mauston Taxi, minimum fare
- about $3.75 per adult, appointment only (check)
- Drive Mauston → Wisconsin Dells
- about 25 min on I-90/I-94
- Drive Mauston → Madison
- about 1 h 15 min on I-90/I-94
Get around
A car is the default: on-street parking is free and plentiful, but watch posted hour limits and winter alternate-side rules. Mauston Taxi runs in town and up to about 5 mi beyond the city limits, by appointment only, daily roughly 6:30am–10pm (check).A car is the default: on-street parking is free and plentiful, but watch posted hour limits and winter alternate-side rules. Mauston Taxi runs in town and up to about 5 mi beyond the city limits, by appointment only, daily roughly 6:30 AMam–10pm (check).
See and do
Known for
- I-90/I-94 halfway point between Chicago and Minneapolis
- Carr Valley Cheese
- Gravity Box Brewing in a former opera house
- Buckhorn State Park and Castle Rock Flowage
- Juneau County Fair
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Dells | I-90/I-94 southeast, about 25 min by car | About 30 min |
| Buckhorn State Park (Necedah) | US 58 and County G north-northwest, about 20 min by car | About 25 min |
| Bass Hollow County Recreation Area | US 12 and County K south-southeast, about 15 min by car | About 20 min |
| Elroy | WIS 82 west, about 30 min by car | About 35 min |
| Camp Douglas | I-90/I-94 northwest, about 25 min by car | About 30 min |
| Prairie du Sac | I-90/I-94 southeast then WIS 78 south, about 1 h by car | About 1 h 10 min |
Sleep
- I-90/I-94 exit strip (Gateway Ave / State Hwy 82)
- Motels and the full-service lodge cluster near the interchange; easiest for one night with a car.
- Downtown Mauston (State St)
- Brewery, coffee shop and the historic main street; a short drive from the highway.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the highway entrance? | Where is the I-90 entrance? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Is the kitchen still open? | Is the kitchen still open? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter driving on I-90/I-94: snow, ice and closures; check road conditions before you set out.
- Ticks in the county parks and state natural areas — long grass and woods, May–Oct.
- Small-town hours: several kitchens and taprooms close by 8–9pm and some shut early in winter; call ahead.
- Mauston Taxi is appointment-only, so do not count on a curb hail after a late dinner.
Mauston is a quiet small town; the real risks are winter road conditions on I-90/I-94, ticks in the county parks, and walking dark highway shoulders after a drink. Lock the car and keep to lit streets downtown.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mauston yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- I-90/I-94 halfway point between Chicago and Minneapolis
- Carr Valley Cheese
- Gravity Box Brewing in a former opera house
- Buckhorn State Park and Castle Rock Flowage
- Juneau County Fair
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources — Buckhorn State Park: dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/buckhorn
- Juneau County parks: www.co.juneau.wi.gov/parks.html
- Mauston–New Lisbon Union Airport: 82charlie.com/
- Juneau County Fair: www.juneaucountyfair.com/
- Carr Valley Cheese: carrvalleycheese.com/
- The Lodge at Mauston: thelodgeatmauston.com/
- Wikivoyage: Mauston, revision 5244986 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244986
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Mauston
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Poison control1-800-222-1222
No embassies in Mauston; consulates sit in Chicago and Minneapolis. US travellers: your state department of motor vehicles and insurer are the useful contacts.
Area code 608; dial it before every local number.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mauston). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.