Frolic

In 1857, John Woodhouse, with his wife Harriet and their five children, moved from the relative comforts of Boston to 160 acres of rugged Dunn County wilderness. One of the children was Caroline Augusta, who inspired "Caddie Woodlawn" in a book written by her granddaughter, Carol Ryrie Brink. The book won the 1935 Newbery Award for children's literature. It is considered a classic and is still a popular story read by thousands of children throughout the world.</p> <p>In 1970, the Dunn County Historical Society dedicated the Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park. The actual house in which Caroline Woodhouse lived has been moved to the park from a nearby farm. The wayside includes a covered picnic area, fresh water, and restrooms. Stop by soon for a visit.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hours</span></p> <p>Open during daylight hours, spring through fall</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Admission</span></p> <p>Free</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Location</span></p> <p>Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park and wayside is located nine miles south of Menomonie on Highway 25.</p>

Welcome to the Children's Museum of Eau Claire offering an interactive environment for children and their grown-ups in the Chippewa Valley that inspires imagination, discovery, creativity, and the love of learning!&nbsp; With so much to see and do, the Children's Museum of Eau Claire is a great place for family and group visits!&nbsp; Everything in the museum is designed with "learning through play" philosophy.&nbsp; When children take part in the activities of the museum, they are entering a world created just for them.&nbsp; They are developmentally most appropriate for children up to age 10, although older kids visiting as part of a family group have been having a great time, too!</p> <p><br />Admission: $5<br />Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Sunday: noon to 5:00 p.m. (from Memorial Day to Labor Day)</p> <p><br />Body Smarts<br />Body Smarts invites you to join others on an adventurous journey through the human body.&nbsp; Immerse yourself into our enlarged gastro-intestinal tract.&nbsp; You will begin by entering through the mouth via a giant tongue.&nbsp; From there you will go around the uvula, slide down the esophagus to the stomach and then crawl around in the small intestines.&nbsp; Your journey will be complete when you land in a huge toilet seat bowl.&nbsp; Body Smarts provides a fun, scientific look into the anatomy, physiology, health and nutritional aspects of the human body. <br /><br />Bitty City<br />Bitty City includes a post office, bank, grocery store, diner, magazine stand, corner market and an orthodontist office.&nbsp; Visitors to this community will find ample opportunities for role-playing.&nbsp; Perhaps you'll find yourself working as a bank teller or as a bookseller in the street-style magazine stand.&nbsp; Or maybe you'll be stocking supplies from the delivery truck located behind the diner, corner market, and grocery store.&nbsp; The opportunities are endless in this creative community.<br /><br />Kidstruction<br />Guests here are welcome to a place where they can crawl and climb through structures deep in the midst of construction.&nbsp; Here you will find and use building materials, solve electrical problems and work together with other guests to finish a variety of projects.&nbsp; Play the materials matching game to learn what natural resources the building materials come from or take on the challenge of plumbing a sink.&nbsp; Try all of the construction activities!<br /><br /><br />Show Business<br />True creative expression is sure to take place and performances are encouraged here.&nbsp; There is a stage and various sets to illustrate a real theatrical experience.&nbsp; A theater marquee beckons guests to step inside where they will find such attractions as the Foley Room, stage, Green Room, and a shadow room.&nbsp; In the Foley Room guests can create sound effects for a video and listen to the audio projected back through a monitor.&nbsp; You are welcome to use your imagination and create your own play on our stage, or use the scripts provided.&nbsp; Feel free to customize the stage by sliding in various set pieces and don't hesitate to choose from the selection of short audio clips to enhance your production.&nbsp; You are sure to find imagination, creativity and lots of fun in Show Business!<br /><br />Toddler Park<br />Younger children and their grown-ups will uncover a world of activities in an enchanting city park that offers an enclosed play area just for kids three and under.&nbsp; The park is complete with ambient nature sounds, a pond, a garden and an eight-foot aquarium.&nbsp; Here imaginations will run wild with a suspension bridge, a waterfall slide that emerges from a two-dimensional stream, a boggy area surfaced with a cushy material suitable for bouncing and jumping and a hollowed out oak tree that spans three levels!<br /><br /><br />Water Works<br />Water Works, CMEC's newest permanent exhibit, is making a big splash!&nbsp; Since opening in April 2009, children and grown-ups alike have enjoyed exploring the power and properties of water through interactive play with pumps, valves, wheels, pipes and other elements.&nbsp; The features include:</p> <ul> <li>Ball Launch - This component begins the main watercourse.&nbsp; Here, children drop balls into a series of clear plastic tubes.&nbsp; By turning valves to increase or decrease the pressure inside the tubes, they can send their ball all the way up the trackway that runs above the pipe play area.</li> <li>Pipe Play - Children can build free-from water sculptures with a series of connecting pipes that spray water out the top.&nbsp; They can also connect the pipes to nozzles that take aim at playful chimes and other contraptions.</li> <li>Falling Water - As balls feed out of the overhead conduit about the pipe play area, they travel down a maze of troughs that direct them into the water table below.</li> <li>Archimedes Screw - As balls feed down the watercourse channel, children turn a hand crank that moves the water and balls up an Archimedes Screw and down into another water table.</li> <li>Buckets &amp; Conveyers - Children turn a large crank to start a series of buckets that scoop water and balls along a vertical conveyer, carrying them upwards to a trough which spills them down into a swirling vortex.</li> <li>Toddler Table - This stand-alone for toddlers features a playful water flute that shoots water from its center, floatable boats, and other water toys.</li> </ul> <p>IMPORTANT NOTE: For safety reasons, children must be supervised by an adult at all times.&nbsp; Also, kids will get wet!&nbsp; Waterproof smocks will be provided and hand dryers have been installed, but packing some extra clothing isn't a bad idea!</p>

One of the best ways to discover the exciting and intertwining stories of Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley is to visit Eau Claire's nationally recognized Chippewa Valley Museum, open year-round.</p> <p>The museum offers award-winning exhibits, beautifully preserved historic structures on the grounds, fun activities, a 1950's ice cream parlor, a museum store, and more.</p> <p>The Chippewa Valley Museum sits beneath towering pines in Eau Claire's beautiful Carson Park, a 134-acre peninsula nestled inside horseshoe-shaped Half Moon Lake.</p> <p>Cost: $5 - adults; $2 - ages 5 - 17; Free - under 5; UWEC Students with I.D. - $2</p> <p>Length of Tour: Varies</p> <p>Comp for Escort & Driver: Yes</p>

<P class=MsoNormal>Located in Menomonie's Wakanda Park, the Heritage Museum is home to the Dunn County Historical Society and the Dunn County Genealogical Society. &nbsp;Visitors enjoy an award-winning display of local history using sophisticated and interactive exhibits. &nbsp;Artifacts and photographs chronicle Dunn County's history from pre-historic to present, including the 1931 Kraft State Bank Robbery, the world-famous Tainter Gate, Caddie Woodlawn and Tinker Frank Folk Art. &nbsp;Recent expansion includes UW-Stout Exhibits, a medical center exhibit, local brickyard exhibits, and a transportation exhibit which features Oscar Brekke's Bicycle Shop, a livery stable and a 1930s-era gas station complete with a 1931 Nash. &nbsp;Open year-round Wednesday through Sunday: May 3-September 28: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. &nbsp;Off season: noon to 4:00 p.m. &nbsp;Group tours are available anytime. </P> <P class=MsoNormal>*October 2009 Top Ten - Family</P>

The Empire in Pine Museum earned the State Historical Society's "Distinguished Service" award in 1982, and was extensively updated in 2004. The award winning display exhibits the rich logging and sandstone quarry history of the Red Cedar Valley. The exhibit includes:</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li>Knapp, Stout & Co., Company</li> <li>Blacksmith Shop</li> <li>Muzzle-loading bunks</li> <li>Rare up-and-down saw</li> <li>Quarry tools</li> <li>Stonecutting examples</li> <li>Dead Man's Corner</li> <li>1865 Louisville Post Office</li> <li>Village Jail</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hours and Season</span></p> <ul> <li>Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day</li> <ul> <li>Saturday and Sunday, Noon – 5pm</li> <li>Open late spring and early fall, weather permitting</li> </ul> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Admission</span></p> <ul> <li>DCHS Members = Free</li> <li>Adults = $2</li> <li>Students, Grade 1-12 = $1</li> <li>Children 5 & Under = Free</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Location</span></p> <p>The Empire in Pine Museum is located six miles south of Menomonie on State Highway 25, turn on County C at Downsville</p>

Hilkrest - Originally situated in Sherman Township, the 19th century Hilkrest School is a classic example of the one-room country schools that were common in Dunn County until the 1960's. It was moved to the Dunn County Fairgrounds in 1962–63 where it was open through the 2006 fair. Today the school is located next to the Rassbach Heritage Museum in Wakanda Park.</p> <p>Tainter Playhouse -The Tainter Playhouse was used by the children of Andrew Tainter, who was one of the founders of the Knapp, Stout & Co., Company lumber empire. It was moved to the Dunn County Fairgrounds in 1965 where it was open through the 2006 fair.</p>

The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library offers public computer stations and free WI-fi access; iPads to check out; activities for kids and teens; art exhibits; and books, movies and music for the entire family. Located in downtown Eau Claire at the corner of Eau Claire and South Farwell Streets, it is the largest public library in west central Wisconsin.</p> <p>The library is open Mondays through Thursdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays during the school year, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.</p> <p>A Place for Kids and Teens - The public library in Eau Claire invites kids to enjoy the newly remodeled space that includes Discovery Stations with computer games, interactive toys and books for toddlers and preschoolers, craft activities and story times, and comfy lounge seating for moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas. Teens can relax with magazines and computers in the updated Young Adult lounge on the second floor.</p> <p>Events for Everyone - The library sponsors and coordinates a broad spectrum of programs for all ages, including story times for kids and babies, poetry slams and film nights for teens, concerts, author visits, poetry readings and speakers. Each year, thousands of library visitors view the library's art exhibits, which feature the work of local and regional artists, as well as many displays of interest to children and adults.</p> <p>Get the Answer - The library's reference staff is always on hand to answer questions through a quick phone call to 715.839.5004 or email to librarian@eauclaire.lib.wi.us. Reference service is available 24/7 via the library's website at www.ecpubliclibrary.info. The library also has free WI-fi as well as dozens of computers with internet access, Word and other basic programs.</p>

The Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts - formerly the Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater - has brought cultural excellence to the Chippewa Valley since it was commissioned in 1889 by Captain and Bertha Tainter to honor their daughter Mabel, who passed away in 1886 at the age of 19.</p> <p>The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Theaters and is a Wisconsin Historic Marker destination. The 123 year old "jewel box" Victorian theater presents a diverse season of music, theater, dance, and comedy. The Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts also offers visual arts exhibitions, an annual fine arts and crafts fair, arts education, and cultural activities.</p> <p>For further information or to learn about upcoming events, visit www.mabeltainter.org.</p>

Experience the rugged life in an authentic 1890s logging camp complete with cook shanty, bunk house, equipment shed, blacksmith shop, and barn. Take a photo with larger-than-life Paul Bunyan and Babe, his faithful blue ox. Open daily, 10 am - 4:30 pm, May 1-September 30.

Headquarters of the Dunn County Historical Society, the Heritage Museum interprets the history of Dunn County through its extensive collection of artifacts and new exhibit areas. Located in Menomonie's Wakanda Park near the Wakanda Elementary School, the Lions Club Game Park, and the water park, the facility features a gift shop and new exhibits, including:</p> <ul> <li>The Golden Age of American Auto Design:<br /> The Doane Collection</li> <li>Settlement: pre-historic to present</li> <li>Kraft State Bank Robbery (interactive)</li> <li>Harry Miller -- "King of the Race Car Builders"</li> <li>Tinker Frank -- Kinetic Folk Artist</li> <li>Caddie Woodlawn children's discovery room</li> <li>Lumber and other industries</li> <li>Famous Personalities</li> <li>Victorian Rooms</li> <li>Inventions and Industries</li> <li>Dunn County in the Civil War</li> <li>Woman's Work is Never Done</li> <li>James Huff Stout -- Maker of Models</li> <li>Making a Difference: Robert Swanson and Stout&nbsp;</li> <li>Rivers, Routes, Rails &amp; Roads</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Facilities include:</span></p> <ul> <li>Lou and John Russell Auditorium</li> <li>Headquarters for Dunn County Genealogical Society<br /> and Ranney Family Research Library</li> </ul> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hours</span></p> <ul> <li>Summer (May 1^st - September 30^th)</li> <ul> <li>Wednesday &ndash; Sunday, 10:00am &ndash; 5:00pm</li> </ul> <li>Winter (October 1^st &ndash; April 31^st)</li> <ul> <li>Wednesday &ndash; Sunday, Noon &ndash; 4:00pm</li> </ul> </ul> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Admission</span></p> <ul> <li>DCHS Members = Free</li> <li>Adults = $5</li> <li>Ages 13-18 = $3</li> <li>Children 6-12 = $1</li> <li>Ages 5 &amp; Under = Free</li> <li>*Special Family Rate of $12</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Location</span></p> <p>The Heritage Museum is located in Wakanda Park in North Menomonie. From Highway 25 (<em>exit #41 south from I-94</em>) turn east on Pine Avenue and proceed into the park past Wakanda Elementary School and the Water Park. Turn left on Game Park Drive, then left on Wakanda Street.</p>

Built in 1871 as one of the city's first brick homes, the Schlegelmilch House is filled with furnishings typical of the early decades of its long history. Tour information is available from Chippewa Valley Museum, 715-834-7871.

This one-room school served grades 1-8 from 1882 until 1961. Located near the Chippewa Valley Museum and included with Museum admission. Open mid-April through mid-October.