WELCOME TO THE WEST END
Discover the West End of Geneva Lake
Across the lake from the active city of Lake Geneva, lie the communities of Williams Bay, Fontana, Walworth, and Linn. Peaceful walks along the lakeshore, relaxing rounds of golf and distinctive resorts and spas grace the hillsides of Geneva Lake’s West Shore.
Charming bed & breakfasts and treasure-filled antique stores await those who seek a retreat to the quiet side of the lake. Our merchants and business owners await your visit with a smile. We are proud of our reputation for unequaled hospitality.
Don’t allow our country charm to fool you! With the Midwest’s largest resort spa in Fontana, adjacent to world class boating and elegant cuisine, we have the finest life has to offer. One look at our European-style supermarkets and gorgeous homes will reveal the ongoing development of our area. Thrill seekers can find action on the lake, at the resorts, friendly pubs, or the local bowling lanes. Whether you are here for a short visit, considering a vacation, or plan to relocate here permanently, there are plenty of ways to enjoy West End life! #ilovethewestend
Fontana
Situated on the west end of beautiful Geneva Lake with a background of tree-covered, glacier-formed hills, Fontana welcomes you. As in the time of the Potawatomi, Fontana is the friendly village with a myriad of opportunities for a memorable vacation or to live with nature’s beauty.
Fontana is home to The Abbey Resort & Avani Spa, one of the only full-service resorts on Geneva Lake and heaven to fishermen and water sport lovers. It is enriched with three churches, an excellent school system, a comfortable library, and is home to the Geneva Lake West Chamber of Commerce. There are parks for relaxing and a beautiful sand beach. There are small shops with shopkeepers eager to assist you. The modern, efficient police, fire and rescue departments keep order and minimize emergencies.
Walworth
For over 150 years, Walworth has been known for its tree-lined streets and relaxed pace of living. The charm of the downtown square, with its beautiful fountain, adds to the pleasure of spending time in the Village with friends and family. People come from miles around for a variety of local shopping venues and restaurants & bars. Daniel’s Foods, a fifth generation Grocery Store located in the Village will soon celebrate its 100th year in business. Since 1973, Walworth has been the home to Kikkoman Foods, international producer of naturally brewed soy sauce and other sauces.
Local residents are proud and supportive of their education system, recently completing an $8,000,000 project to revamp the outdoor athletic facilites. The renovation features a world class quadplex for baseball and softball, and is a new driver for economic growth in the Village.
Williams Bay
Owing to its location along one of the finest lakes in the state and its award winning lakefront development, Williams Bay is an attractive summer resort. It is the home of Yerkes Observatory, a facility devoted to research in astronomy and astrophysics and the world’s largest refracting telescope ever constructed and used for astronomical observations. Gage Marine, which runs the excursion boats on Geneva Lake, is headquartered here. George Williams College of Aurora University, offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs including professional development courses and workshops; year-round conference facilities; golf course and the Music by the Lake summer festival series.
In the summer, Williams Bay grows to nearly double its population with tourists ready to enjoy swimming, boating, fishing and leisure walks around the lake. Winter brings ice boating, ice fishing, and snowmobiling to “the Bay,” helping to create a village for all seasons.
Linn
The Town of Linn, at various times, had a saw mill, a grist mill, several cheese plants, two general stores, a lumber yard , a ski hill, Northwestern Military and Naval Academy, and a blacksmith shop. Linn is still home to The Lake Geneva Country Club, the first golf club in Wisconsin, as well as The Lake Geneva Yacht Club and Geneva Lake Sailing School, which began in 1872. The Town is a mixture of residential areas, clustered along the lake shore, and large tracts of farmland. While some of the historic structures still stand, none of the grand, rambling estates that made this area famous remain intact.
