Eau Claire Travel Guide

Eau Claire, situated at the junction of the Eau Claire and Chippewa River, is a modest university town with a high student population. Eau Claire is home to leafy green parks and outdoor areas, great golf courses, and museums.

Things to Do in Eau Claire

Eau Claire, with its abundant green space, is home to plenty of outdoor recreation and parks. Visitors can admire Half Moon Lake from the shores of Carson Park, walk along the river in Phoenix Park, or go biking and challenge themselves to the fitness course found in Lowe's Creek County Park. Tower Ridge Recreation Area offers its visitors 36 holes of disc golf, horse riding trails, and cross country skiing during the winter months.

Art aficionados can benefit from a stroll through the various galleries of the 200 Gallery, while historians find great joy in a tour of the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum. The museum features an assortment of historical items, old buildings and bunkhouses, an ice cream parlor, stories of how the museum started, and exhibits surrounding the life of a lumberjack.

Best Places to Stay in Eau Claire

The available rentals in Eau Claire are equipped with full kitchens, scenic views, and are within walking distance of many amenities. Some, on the other hand, is located just outside of the city and provide guests with privacy and starry night skies.

Best Time to Visit Eau Claire

For warm weather, the best time to visit is from July to September. For winter weather and snow-related activities, the best time to visit is in March when the snow is powdery.

Best Events in Eau Claire

Attracting hundreds of people to Eau Claire each year, the Let It Glow lighting ceremony is one for the books. It features 30,000 Christmas lights and 18 trees, as well as refreshments and tons of holiday cheer. A few of the other notable events in Eau Claire include the International Fall Festival, Chalk Fest, Country Jam, and the Blue Ox Music Festival.

Things to Do for Families in Eau Claire

Families from all over the country visit Eau Claire for the chance to spend the day at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire which features a firefighter, water activity, and music area, and a variety of science demonstrations surrounding DNA and planets. The Eau Claire Children’s Theater provides wholesome entertainment for the whole family in the form of live plays and musicals put on by the city’s talented youth. Alternatively, many families opt to spend a few hours shopping at Oakwood Mall, browsing its array of stores which include the likes of Sears, Yankee Candles, Younkers, and Bath and Body Works, as well as a theater and food court.