Shopping in Ellison Bay
5 places, each with a quick take from us — kept current as hours and seasons change.
Clay Bay Pottery & Gallery
David and Jeanne Aurelius have thrown pots in Ellison Bay since 1976, and they still make the functional stoneware and tiles that fill the shelves — landscapes, water, birds, and florals. Come Thursday afternoons in summer for a throwing demo, and browse the printmakers and jewelers they show alongside their own work.
Henriksen Fisheries
A working whitefish fishery first, retail counter second. Charlie Henriksen has sold boneless whitefish fillets and fish-boil chunks to Door County restaurants since 1987, and the family's Fish House in Ellison Bay now puts that same catch in a retail case where the smoked boneless whitefish is the thing to take home.
Summer Camp Antiques & Gifts
Vintage with a north-woods, lake-cabin lean, up in Ellison Bay — nautical pieces, cabin furniture, and nostalgic finds mixed with gifts. A good stop if you're headed toward Gills Rock and the ferry.
The Vault Door County
Set inside a former Nicolet Bank branch in downtown Ellison Bay, where the original safe and teller stations still stand. Owner Curt Bawden kept the vault and filled the rest with gourmet popcorn and soft-serve ice cream; Wisconsin law bars a non-bank from putting "bank" in its name, so the slogan became "Bank on Goodness" instead.
Uncle Tom's Candy
Small-batch candy made from century-old family recipes since 1973, set inside the historic 1918 Newport schoolhouse on the road out to Newport State Park. Get the peanut brittle: it's the best seller and the thing to build a bag around, with chocolate barks close behind.