Organizers can point to the Guinness Book of World Records as proof that Summerfest, held at Henry Maier Festival Park on the shore of Lake Michigan during the days leading up to the Fourth of July, earns its billing as "The World's Largest Music Festival."

From June 25 through July 5, Milwaukee's Summerfest 2009 will feature headliners like Bon Jovi, KISS, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Keith Urban, Kid Rock, George Strait, Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire, Kenny Chesney and others.

An amphitheater and 10 smaller stages are needed to hold all the talent. Beverages and food abound at Summerfest as you might expect in beer and brat country. The site also includes a marketplace and interactive exhibits.

"(This is) definitely a music festival," said Summerfest marketing manager Kristi Chuckel. "We have a lot of interactive exhibits and lots of food and beverages. But we have 11 stages and really, music is the centerpiece of the event. …It's a really good mix of music as well."

Average attendance is 900,000 each year, she said. Tickets range from $8 to $15 depending on time of day. Hours are noon to midnight every day. Visit www.Summerfest.com. for details.

But if you head north, don't spend all your time on the lakefront. There's a lot to see and do in the Milwaukee area. Here's just a sample of what officials at The Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau and www.explorewisconsin.com say are popular, don't-wanna-miss attractions - along with a few lesser-known ones:

• Summerfest is offering a deal on entry to the festival and the Harley-Davidson Museum. It's called the "Rock 'n Roll 2-for-$20 Ticket Package." Included are a Summerfest general admission ticket good any time any day of Summerfest and one adult admission ticket to the museum, good through Dec. 31. The offer is only available on line at Summerfest Instant Tickets on Summerfest.com.

• After my last trip to the city, the Milwaukee County Zoo will always be one of the sights high on my list of places to visit. Animals and humans are separated only by hidden moats at many exhibits, lending a perfect view of the animals. Kids love the petting zoo and pony rides, and they can even ride a camel. Call (414) 771-3040, or visit www.milwaukeezoo.org.

• Take time to appreciate nature in the home state of Aldo Leopold, father of modern land conservation management. A Milwaukee County park, Wehr Nature Center, was created by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as a living laboratory to raise environmental awareness, tourism officials say. The itinerary includes field trips, tours, lectures and demonstrations where visitors learn about the delicate balance between woodlands, wetlands, prairie and lakes. It's located outside Milwaukee in Franklin, Wis. Call (414) 425-8550, or visit http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/WehrNatureCenter10115.htm.

• The original Lawrence Welk bubble machine is housed at the Lakefront Brewery, a microbrewery where visitors can really pack on the pounds. The menu includes suds and fried potato pancakes plus fried bluegill, perch, cod and shrimp. The fun is held every Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. Take a tour of the brewery at 5:30 p.m. Later, dance the polka to live music. Visit www.cafevecchio.com/palmgarden/

fishfry/.

• Milwaukee also is home to the oldest certified bowling alley in the United States. Located in the basement of Milwaukee's Holler House, the ambiance combines more than 100 years of bowling history and hundreds of "donated" brassieres. Unsure what that has to do with bowling, but there it is. The two alleys feature live pin setters just like the old days. Location is 2042 W. Lincoln Ave.

• Milwaukee was the TV-home of "Happy Days," the once-popular show focusing on life in the rock ''n roll era. Say, "Aaa" (long "a" sound if you please) to a statute of Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli on Milwaukee's popular Riverwalk.

• Not many places in America boast of a building that dates to the 15th century. But Milwaukee can. The St. Joan of Arc Chapel is located on the Marquette University campus. The structure once stood in France where Joan of Arc kissed a stone beneath a statue of Mary. They say that stone is still colder to the touch than the surrounding ones. Visit http://www.marquette.edu/chapel/index.shtml.