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City and county seat of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin
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Eau Claire (pronounced: O'Clare, French for clear water) is a city of about 62,000 in Northwest Wisconsin.
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Award-winning exhibits, beautifully preserved historic structures on the grounds, fun activities, a working turn-of-the-century ice cream parlor, and more.
Presented by Eau Claire Master Gardeners and UW-Extension.
A museum.
Glacial history - exhibits, videos, live and stuffed animals.
Indoor/outdoor amusement center, including a climbing wall, arcade, laser tag, go karts, mini bowling, bumper cars, and mini golf.
Water ski shows offered in the summer months.
Hands-on learning stations, interpretive displays of local fauna and flora, live animal exhibits, and a butterfly house.
Plays, musical performances, occasional headline acts.
Performances at the State Theatre
A family festival. Third weekend in June.
The largest kubb tournament in North America. Held in mid-July.
A country music festival. Third weekend in July.
Celebration of the 1950s and 60s featuring food, live music, chalk art, and classic cars. Fourth Saturday in July.
Tractor pulls, antique cars, steam engines, etc. Second weekend in August.
A family festival. Fourth weekend in August.
Bazaar, performances, and parade.
Jousting, juggling, comedy, minstrels, magic, stage shows and more! You’ll find gourmet delights and entertainment fit for a king! Our artisan village is filled with merchants offering pottery, stained glass, jewelry, costumes & finery and other handmade wares. Plenty of fun for the wee ones too!
A country music festival held in the fourth weekend in June.
A rock music festival held in the third weekend in July.
Magic, music, mayhem & more. Unlimited carnival rides every night. One price for all attractions. Friday and Saturday nights late Sep-late Oct.
Eau Claire has many city parks. Carson Park is in the center on the city, surrounded by an oxbow lake. Home to Eau Claire baseball and football teams, Chippewa Valley Museum, Chippewa Valley Railroad, and Paul Bunyan Camp. Phoenix Park is the newest park at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. It is home to the Eau Claire Downtown Farmer's Market and features free concerts on Thursday evenings in the summer. Other city parks include Mount Simon, Rod & Gun, Boyd, Owen, and Riverview.
Two public bowling alleys: Wagner's (South Hastings Way, East side) and Bowlwinkles (North Clairemont Ave, West Side).
Bicycling, walking, running, in-line skating, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Connects to the Red Cedar Trail to the south, and planned expansion will link it to Chippewa Falls to the north, and eventually to the Old Abe State Trail.
Three courses, one in town at Mount Simon City Park, another just a few miles east of Eau Claire at the Tower Ridge Recreation Area, and the final located in North Star Middle School.
The facility includes a main pool with zero depth entry and an Olympic size, eight lane, 50 meter swimming area. A stationary waterslide, 22 feet high with a flume extending 150 feet, is one of the main attractions of the pool. The pool also features a "Raindrop" in the zero depth area of the pool. A separate diving well includes both a one meter and a three meter diving board. Also located on the grounds are a sand volleyball court, a concession stand, and a covered pavilion.
Six public courses. Pine Meadows (Par 3 course), Mill Run, Wild Ridge, Lake Hallie Golf, Hickory Hills (a few miles south of town, on Hwy 93), Princeton Valley Golf. Two private clubs, Hillcrest Country Club and the Eau Claire Country Club (both in nearby Altoona)
Offers rental bicycles, canoes, kayaks, rollerblades, child trailers, and ice skates. It also offers one to four hour canoe and kayak trips on the Eau Claire or Chippewa Rivers.
Great Plains Football League (April - August).
Wisconsin State Baseball League(May - August).
Northwoods League Baseball (May - August).
Collegiate sports events.
Hot beefs and hot ham sandwiches, and Ray's hot horseradish mustard.
Coffee house and sandwich shop.
Bakery and cafe.
Coffee house and cafe. Sidewalk seating available.
Steak and seafood. Upscale casual.
Eau Claire's only brewpub. 10 beers and seasonal brews crafted on the premises. Norske Nook food and pies.
Chinese and Japanese (sushi and sashimi.)
Upscale casual.
Mexican food.
Upscale casual contemporary Italian and Mediterranean
Casual. Serving breakfast (until closing on weekends) and lunch. Unique variety of sweet and savory breakfasts, including daily varieties of quiche.
Italian cuisine. Patio seating available.
Barbeque.
Gyros and a few other Greek specialties. A long time Eau Claire favorite.
Japanese. Dinner is grilled at the table. Lunch is table service from the kitchen.
Coffee roasted on the premises. Sandwiches. Also sell bulk coffee, craft beers, wine, fine spirits, teas, chocolate, gourmet foods. Walk-in cigar humidor. Outdoor seating available.
Sidewalk seating available.
Behind the Nucleus Cafe (connected), faces the Chippewa River and bike trail. Outdoor bench seating available.
Locally owned. Drive up window.
Drive up at Hastings Way and Clairemont Ave locations
Live music.
Food available. Private room available.
Burgers and Chicken Wings, and other food available.
Easy access to the Chippewa River State Trail.
The Oakwood Mall commercial area includes JCPenny, Hobby Lobby, Scheels, and Home Furniture stores. Also has Micon Cinemas, Eau Claire Children's Theatre, and a virtual reality roller coaster.
Small shops primarily catering to the nearby University population.
By car
Eau Claire is on Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 53 and is 90 miles (145 km) east of the Twin Cities.
By plane
Alternatively, you can fly into Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and take the shuttle service to Eau Claire:
Like most U.S. cities of its size, all Eau Claire offers by the way of mass transit is a relatively anemic municipal bus system. The buses have bike racks.
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Eau Claire · Regional · EAU
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