“Quick connection between a drive-in and foxes to sculptures, a brewery, and the prison“
Quickie Summary: Wisconsin Highway 68 is a brief drive that lasts only 9 1/2 miles between Fox Lake and Waupun, staying in Dodge County the entire time. Honestly, there isn’t too much along this route between the two cities it connects, but both towns are cool. It’s been this short connector with basically no changes since 1931!
History Note: Originally, Highway 68 ran along today’s Highway 33 from West Bend to Port Washington and was further extended west to Beaver Dam and then Fox Lake – the route 33 runs on today, back in 1924. Highway 33 at the time originally went from Waupun through Fox Lake and west to La Crosse. In 1930, the routes were swapped and Highway 33 ended up going east from Fox Lake and Beaver Dam to Port Washington and west to La Crosse while Highway 68 just got the little tidbit between Fox Lake and Waupun. Little has changed since on this route!
Wisconsin Highway 68 Drive (West to East)
The Drive (West to East): The drive begins in Fox Lake where Highway 33 switches from east-west heading westerly to Portage and La Crosse to a southeast-northwest trajectory to Beaver Dam before going east-west again to Port Washington on Lake Michigan. Highway 68 runs just a few blocks in town before veering northeast (a busy County A heads southeast towards Juneau, the Dodge County seat) and right the heart of some prime Wisconsin farm scenery.
Fox Lake
Fox Lake (pop. 1,604) was founded in 1838 as the first settlement in Dodge County. It’s a pleasant little town on the banks of its namesake lake, and while Highway 33 is the main drag through town, Highway 68 begins on the eastern edge of downtown. In Fox Lake, the Depot Museum on Cordelia Street (920-296-0254) sits in a building constructed in 1861 just off Spring Street. Along with information, it features about one block of no-longer-used railroad track and an adjacent walking trail that winds through and describes the native vegetation. Adjacent is an historical marker noting Fox Lake as the birthplace of noted jazz musician “Bunny” Berigan, who played with Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, and Bing Crosby. Louie Armstrong was a big fan, too, as the marker indicates.
You can start with a snack or meal during the summer at Mullin’s Drive-In (102 Spring Street/Highway 68, 920-928-2040), which features car hops for food and drink service, although they don’t hang trays from your window. It’s been a Fox Lake institution since 1934.
Highway 68 veers northeast a few blocks east of Mullin’s, with County A branching southeast towards Juneau with this highway’s northeastern trajectory heads through rural Dodge County. Along with pleasant farmland and rolling hills, you will spot a few eye-catching features, including this cow.. statue? Hood ornament? Either way, it grabs your attention as you drive past.
Waupun
Highway 68 enters Waupun (pop. 11,344) shortly before it ends. While Waupun has been long associated with hosting Wisconsin’s primary state prison, it is also billed the “City of Sculptures.” Waupun is the home of famous sculptor Clarence Shaler and a series of his works. Sculptures like End of the Trail, Who Sows Believes In God, Dawn of Day, and Morning of Life grace the city in various parks and streetsides.
Waupun has held Wisconsin’s primary state prison site since 1851, when it was selected due to its “proximity to transportation and readily available building materials in the area”, according to the Department of Corrections’ historical site. Back in the day, Wisconsin’s justice system was considered so efficient, a popular chant in Milwaukee was once “crime on Sunday, Waupun on Monday”, indicating that infractions would be met with swift action. This was before a lot more lawyers showed up. The Wisconsin Historical Society page on the Waupun Correctional Facility reports that in 1878, sales of the goods manufactured by the prisoners produced enough revenue to run the prison without drawing from the state’s treasury. Wouldn’t that be nice now? You can find the State Prison south of Highway 49 along Madison Street, also known as County M.
Waupun is also home to Hoya Hop Haus Brewing (514 E. Main Street, 920-345-1500), which opened their doors along Main Street in January, 2025. At last count, they were crafting 17 different beers in styles from light lagers, IPAs, and Oktoberfests to less common ones including a jasmine rice lager called Obake, a coffee kolsch named Joe Dirt, and a pastry sour called Soft Core. Along with their beers, they serve a variety of snacks and flatbreads, all in a tap room that is big and airy, with a view of the brewing facilities and space for live music, games, and other activities. They are along Business U.S. 151/Main Street in Waupun, about two miles east of the end of Highway 68.
So there you have it! Highway 68 is a short drive through pleasant Dodge County farmland between two pleasant Wisconsin towns. A brief one, too, but this route connects you with plenty of other great roads and places to explore. Give it a go one of these days! The cow thing on top of the barn will be waiting.
CONNECTIONS
West Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: Highway 33, Dodge County A
Can connect nearby to: Highway 73, about 3 miles west
East Terminus:
Can connect immediately to: Highway 49
Can connect nearby to: Highway 26 and U.S. 151, both within a mile or two
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