Twig’s Museum and Gift Shop Shawano, WI

Twig’s Museum and Gift Shop in Shawano, Wisconsin, is a fun stop if you enjoy local history, vintage advertising, old soda memorabilia, and small-town flavor. What looks like a simple gift shop from the outside opens into a nostalgic collection of signs, bottles, crates, old equipment, and displays tied to regional soda and dairy history.

We were exploring the area around North Star Mohican Casino Resort in Bowler and wanted to include a stop that felt a little different. Twig’s turned out to be a nice mix of museum, tasting room, and gift shop, which made it an easy place to spend some time indoors while still feeling like part of the local experience.

Twig’s Museum and Gift Shop Visitor Guide

Twig’s Museum and Gift Shop in Shawano, Wisconsin

One of the nice things about Twig’s is that it appeals to a few different kinds of visitors at once. If you enjoy old signs, soda history, and local memorabilia, there is plenty to look at. If you prefer shopping and sampling flavors, the tasting room and gift shop side of the experience make it easy to take something home with you.

When I called ahead, I was told gluten-free tasting options were available, which made this stop especially easy to include in our day.

A Journey Through Local History

Walking into Twig’s feels a bit like stepping into a collection of small pieces of Midwestern history. The museum displays vintage advertising, beverage memorabilia, old crates, bottles, signs, and artifacts that help tell the story of soda, dairy, and local commercial life in the region.

It is not a large formal museum in the traditional sense, which is part of the charm. It feels more personal, nostalgic, and closely tied to the everyday history of the area.

As you move through the displays, you get a better sense of how regional brands, local businesses, and older advertising styles shaped the look and feel of small-town Wisconsin over the years.

What You’ll See Inside

One of the strengths of Twig’s is that there is a lot to notice in a relatively compact space. If you enjoy looking closely at objects and details, this is the kind of place where you will want to move slowly.

• Vintage soda signs and bottle crates
• Dairy memorabilia and old containers
• Classic advertising displays
• Old vending, bottling, and concession items
• Regional beverage history, especially Sun Drop and Twig’s products

Sun Drop Girl

One of the more eye-catching pieces in the museum is the Sun Drop Girl imagery. It is one of those displays that immediately gives the space a strong vintage soda feel and helps tie the collection together.

Sun Drop Collection

A large part of the museum centers around Sun Drop memorabilia, including signs, bottles, crates, and older advertising pieces. If you grew up seeing Sun Drop in the Midwest, this section is especially fun to browse.

The museum includes a strong collection of Sun Drop signs ranging across several decades, which gives the displays a nice sense of visual timeline and changing advertising styles.

One thing readers often appreciate at places like this is simply knowing that it is not only about one brand. While Sun Drop is a major highlight, the larger collection includes plenty of soda and dairy industry pieces that broaden the experience.

Bottles, Crates, and Old Packaging

Beyond the signs, there are plenty of smaller pieces that help make the museum feel layered and interesting: old crates, bottles, cartons, and packaging styles that would probably otherwise be forgotten.

That kind of everyday commercial history is part of what makes this stop enjoyable. It is not just the big display pieces — it is the accumulation of smaller objects that makes the place feel rich in detail.

NASCAR Memorabilia

The Sun Drop collection also branches into racing memorabilia, which adds another layer for visitors who enjoy vintage motorsports advertising and sponsorship history.

For readers who may not care much about soda history, this section helps broaden the appeal and gives the museum another angle of interest.

Twig’s Soda & Seltzer Tasting

One of the nicest practical features of Twig’s is that it is not only a museum. There is also a tasting room where visitors can sample available sodas and seltzers before buying bottles in the gift shop.

That makes the stop more interactive, which is especially nice if you are visiting with a group and want something that feels a little more hands-on than just browsing displays.

During winter, live bottling can sometimes be viewed Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm. In summer, live bottling may be available Tuesday through Friday and select Saturdays. Check the Twig’s website before visiting in case times have changed.

Historic Advertising and Small-Town Nostalgia

Another enjoyable part of the museum is how it preserves the look and feel of older local businesses. Signs like the old Ideal Ice Cream Parlor display help connect the museum to Shawano’s own past rather than making it feel like a generic collection.

That local angle is what gives the stop a little more meaning for visitors who enjoy regional history, not just branded memorabilia.

More Vintage History

In addition to beverage displays, the museum includes other vintage items from everyday life and older commercial spaces, which helps the whole place feel broader than a soda-only museum.

Dad’s Root Beer

One of the other recognizable pieces in the collection is Dad’s Root Beer memorabilia, which adds to the broader vintage soda feel of the museum and helps show that the displays go beyond a single regional brand.

Plan Your Visit

If you find yourself in Shawano, Twig’s makes a nice stop for a slower-paced hour or two. It works well for people who enjoy old signs, local history, gift shops, or unusual small-town attractions.

It is also a good indoor stop to pair with other nearby outings, especially if you are already exploring Shawano County and want something a little different from the usual nature-focused stops.

Places Within 30 Minutes

• Glimmer Falls
• North Star Mohican Casino Resort