Peninsula State Park’s Tennison Bay Campground in Door County (Wisconsin) is set for a long-anticipated upgrade to its aging restroom and shower facilities following approval from the Wisconsin State Building Commission. The work will address failing infrastructure in five buildings that have served visitors since 1967.
The commission authorized more than $3.5 million for the project during its Aug. 6 meeting, part of over $110 million in state-funded infrastructure improvements.
The Tennison Bay project will renovate two combined toilet and shower buildings and three flush toilet facilities. All five structures are original to the campground and have exceeded their intended service life.
Tennison Bay is the largest of Peninsula State Park’s campgrounds, with 188 sites, including 97 with electrical hookups and two designated for campers with disabilities.
According to an article published by Green Bay Press Gazette on August 13, Park Superintendent Eric Hyde said the buildings are experiencing significant deterioration.
Tile is coming loose from walls and floors, and plumbing components, including sewer lines, are in poor condition.
“It’s definitely a necessity,” Hyde said. “There’s a lot of failing infrastructure going on in those buildings. It’s definitely a project the Legislature and governor knew needed to be done.”
Hyde noted the renovations will not involve entirely new construction. Instead, each building will be gutted, with new fixtures, partitions, flooring, and mechanical systems installed. Electrical, water supply, and sanitary sewer infrastructure will also be replaced.
The project’s current schedule calls for bid openings in January 2026. Construction is expected to begin in May 2026 and reach substantial completion by May 2027, with all work finished by June of that year.
Previous park projects have also modernized restroom and shower facilities in other campgrounds. The Tennison Bay upgrades will bring these buildings in line with those improvements, adding accessible restrooms and family-friendly facilities.