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Agricultural Attractions
Farms and orchards surrounding the Wausau Area produce potatoes, corn, strawberries, apples, ginseng, and Christmas trees. During the summer, you can pick fresh vegetables and fruit for eating or preserving at several area farms. In fall, there are orchards with tree ripened apples and beginning the day after Thanksgiving, your family can take to the fields with a saw to select the perfect Christmas tree from one of the many tree farms nestled among the wooded hillsides of the surrounding area.
Andrew Warren Historic District
Center for the Visual Arts
Center of the Northwest HemisphereHighway 29 West, follow the signs Visit Poniatowski in the Town of Reitbrock, Marathon County where the exact geographic center of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere is located. It is there that the 90th Meridian of the Longitude bisects the 45th Parallel of Latitude. Meaning it is exactly halfway between the North Pole and the Equator, and is a quarter of the way around the the earth from Greenwich, England. This is one of only four places like this in the entire world with two being under water and the other in China. The site has been marked with a geological marker in a small park. The Wausau/Central Wisconsin Visitors Center now has the visitor book once found at Gesicki's tavern. People who have visited the marker can come into the Visitor Center (located at Exit 185 on Hwy 51) sign the book and receive a commemorative coin. The Visitor Center is open Monday - Friday from 8AM to 5 PM, and Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM. The Grand Theater415 Fourth Street, Wausau
Historic Athletic ParkAthletic Park is located at East Wausau Avenue and North 5th Street and is the home of the Wisconsin Woodchucks Northwoods College League 2001 Champions. You can catch a baseball game in the afternoon or evening from June through August. For Wisconsin Woodchucks games times and special promotions call 845-5055 or 877-WI-CHUCK.Historic Downtown Wausau
Retail businesses, professional and government offices, the county library, museums, attractions, churches, and parks make up the landscape of the downtown along the Wisconsin River. Many of the churches boast a range in architectural designs from Tudor Revival to High Victorian Gothic styles. The Grand Theater built in 1927 is located in the heart of downtown, and recently the city acquired the block in front of the Grand Theater for a city park. Special celebrations, concerts, festivals, and events are held in this park throughout the year. Downtown features over sixty stores located within the Wausau Center Mall and along the Pedestrian Mall down Third Street to adjacent side streets. The Pedestrian Mall is a brick paved walkway extending from the front doors of the mall where you will find the beginning of specialty stores, attractions, pubs, businesses, and restaurants housed in historic buildings unique to the downtown. A great example of this is the historic Washington Square building at 300 Washington Street. I. S. Horgen Antique Farm Machinery Museum
The Ingwal S. Horgen Farm Museum was established on July 31, 1965. Ingwal S. Horgen, Park Commissioner at the time, began collecting farm equipment, hand tools, household utensils, and other related items. In 1974, the present facility was constructed to house the collection. Success in Central Wisconsin has come from the soil. This fascinating collection of artifacts from the agricultural history of Marathon County is intended to be educational and entertaining. The display is well organized and labeled for easy viewing. Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum700 North Twelfth Street, Wausau715/ 845-7010 Tuesday-Friday: 9 am-4 pm Saturday-Sunday: Noon-5 pm. Closed Mondays and major holidays Free Admission Web Site: www.lywam.org
In 1976, John and Alice Woodson Forester transformed their English Cotswold-style residence into a museum to display her mother's collections of Royal Worcester porcelains and Victorian glass baskets. The stunning new sculpture garden is a work of art in progress. Follow brick pathways through this ever-changing, ever-growing natural exhibit. You'll enjoy exploring this outdoor gallery set against the backdrop of the changing seasons. Year-round changing exhibitions provide a wide variety of fine art experiences. Educational opportunities abound for visitors of all ages through guided tours and demonstrations, lectures, storytelling, and hands-on activities. Consult the schedule of events section for specific exhibition and program information. Marathon County Historical Museums403 and 410 McIndoe Street, Wausau In 1995, the Society purchased the home of A.P. Woodson and Leigh Yawkey Woodson, located across the street at 410 McIndoe Street. The house was built in 1914 and designed by Prairie School architect, George W. Maher. The Woodson House contains the Historical Society’s library, archives, administrative offices, artifact storage, and the educational exhibit area. Pine Grove Cemetery The
Wausau Cemetery Association was established in 1859 shortly before the Civil
War. It began with forty acres of land from the Hinton Property. More land
was purchased at later dates, and the cemetery now is approximately 96 acres.
Some of the original settlers to the city were buried on the Southwest corner
of Grand Avenue and Strollers Lane (Thomas Street). Due to fire and floods
the remains of these settlers were relocated to a section of Pine Grove
Cemetery known as Pioneer Park.
A brochure called "Voices from the Past, A Discovery Walk through the Pine Grove Cemetery" was produced by the cemetery and the Marathon County Historical Society to allow visitors to identify the prominent followers of those first settlers as they stroll through the cemetery. Many of the beautiful memorials are made from the famous Marathon Country red granite quarries and are works of art. The grounds are landscaped with majestic pines, maples and over 100 other varieties of trees and bushes. The brick entrance itself dates back to 1912 and has recently been restored and now houses the cemetery office. In 1995, local volunteers and staff began restoring areas of the cemetery and are continually making improvements. If you have family connections to the Wausau area, it is likely you will find many of your own resting in this beautiful historic cemetery. Pine Grove Cemetery is a wonderful place to "come home to". There are conventional grave spaces available as well as in the new "Baby Land" and recently dedicated "Cremation Garden of Rest". For information on the cemetery or for a brochure contact the Pine Grove Cemetery office at 1501 Grand Avenue, Wausau, WI 54403 or call (715)842-4560. Rib Mountain State Park Location:
Four miles southwest off of Highway 51, Exit 188 to Rib Mountain Drive (follow
signs) Contact: Department of Natural Resources. 715-842-2522. Services:
30 Sites (primitive) Children's, Playground, Picnic Area, Hiking Trails.
Open mid April - late October. Open daily, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. No reservations.
State Park Fees apply Special hourly sticker available at park entrance
from mid-May through August
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In
addition to the natural beauty of the landscape, the climate and terrain
permit a diversity of crops to be grown in the Wausau Area. In contrast
to the level plains that permit large acreages of wheat and corn, central
Wisconsin soil provides excellent growing conditions for many fruits,
vegetables, and evergreens. You can taste fresh-picked goodness by doing
the work yourself or by visiting the Farmers Market located at 400 River
Drive, Wausau on Wednesday and Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. from mid-May through
mid-November.
Marathon
County is also well know for ginseng, a root used for 5,000 years for
health benefits in beverages and food. Central Wisconsin exports 95% of
the ginseng root from the United States. Ginseng farmers tend a crop for
4 years, and in the summer tarps cover the fields from direct sunlight.
One of the larger ginseng wholesalers is 
Originally
opened in 1927 as an opera house, the Grand Theater located at 415 Fourth
Street in downtown Wausau is a beautiful Classical-Revival structure containing
stunning examples of colonnades, marble statuettes and a solid Bedford
limestone facade. In 1987, a community-sponsored restoration project brought
the theater back to its past glory. Included with that, a fully computerized
lighting and sound system and extensive stage rigging were added to the
structure. At present, the theater is undergoing a $13 million ArtsBlock
expansion project to build a performing and visual arts center. ArtsBlock
will connect the Grand Theater, the Performing Arts Foundation and the
Center for Visual Arts buildings that currently exits with public lobbies,
galleries, and meeting rooms. The first phase will be complete in the
Fall of 2002.
The
theater hosts Broadway shows, national touring acts and local productions
and concerts. Hours and admission prices vary with performances. For information
about upcoming events at the Grand Theater, contact the 
Marathon Park, Wausau
In
1954, Leigh Yawkey Woodson and her daughters donated the home of her late
parents, lumberman Cyrus C. Yawkey and Alice Richardson Yawkey, to the
Historical Society. The house was built in 1900 in the Classical Revival
style and later remodeled in the Prairie School style. In 1974, the house
was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Yawkey House
is currently being renovated to its original rooms, an authentically furnished
music room, dining room, and parlor give a taste of gracious living of
a bygone era. The formal gardens displaying a colorful array of native
wildflowers, perennials, annuals, and herbs and carriage house are open
throughout the summer.
Covering
over 860 acres, Rib Mountain State Park boasts a well-maintained network
of hiking and nature trails that allows visitors to enjoy many wildflowers
and other plants growing throughout the park. On rare occasions, the quiet
hiker may even come across deer grazing along the pathways. Campsites,
picnic areas, an interpretive center, scenic overlooks, and a 60 foot
observation tower provide a spectacular view of the Wausau Area and surrounding
countryside. During the summer you may enjoy one of the “Concerts
in the Clouds” at the amphitheater and in the winter ski down one
of the many runs at 
Salem Lutheran Church Pipe Organ
Wausau Area Events creates and manages a series of events, including:
When
you think of Wausau you probably envision the railroad depot created by
