The 13 best free attractions in Eau Claire

A beautiful public park near downtown Eau Claire. I visited on a winter morning. There were very few people around. It was a great place to take a walk along the river.

Beautiful park at the center of Eau Claire right next to Downtown! Always a fun little walk with friends. Especially love how the bridges light up with colour changing lights at nighttime. Only word of caution is to watch out for the drunks wandering from Downtown after sunset especially on Friday or Saturday nights.

Great place for a picnic, photos or walking. We took grad photos here as it's near Sonnetag (where the ceremony is). Cute shops nearby.

Nice park and great Farmers market and craft sale. My wife and daughter bought several favorite vegetables for our families for the week. My grandchildren picked out several trinkets for gifts. From what I understand the farmers market is open on Saturday, spring summer and fall. They often have music here at the park but I don't know what the schedule is.

The City has done a wonderful job revitalizing this area. New infrastructure, old pedestrian bridge, restroom and superb architecture. Did I mention the landscape design? Wowsa! A superb job of designing this park. Wild flowers galore, bumble bees doing there job and lots of color. We went for the weekday farmer market, little thin, but we were told the weekends are the time to go. Did not see any signs prohibiting the consumption of beer, but if they had a big event, can’t see how it would be controlled. The main shelter has a wonderful design and I spent a good amount of time just looking at that. Highly recommend and we will be back.

Beautiful park and well maintained. Must visit when in Eau Claire.

Nice gathering area for Farmers Market, weddings or big family get togethers. Beautiful spots to set along the river, I especially enjoy the benches. Fun rocks and foliage make for a beautiful place to hang out.

Went to my FAVORITE Farmers Market. Even at the end of the season I got some much wanted veggies and THE MOST BEAUTIFUL flowers. I'll drive 2 HRS. there to see family but only on FARMERS MARKET DAY!

What a great market! There's an incredible variety of produce. I visited in late September, and I was thrilled to buy three new-to-me apples, local maple syrup, and local cheddar cheese. Everyone I talked to was so very friendly and happy to discuss their wares.

Farmers Market always has fresh, delicious produce including some unique items like pan squash, daikon and kohlrabi, a family favorite Other highlights are fresh coffee, pastries, honey varieties, kettle corn, fresh hummus and salsas, kolaches and several food trucks. There’s always live music and last time I was there I heard a few Dead and Jerry covers, nice This has become a summer tradition for our community for nearly 20 years

Love the wide variety of wares& food. Got 2 unique birthday gifts! It's fun & a beautiful area as well.

Great market. Dogs allowed outside of the pavilion only. Fun crafts, a variety of produce, and great music!

Lots of fruits and vegetables locally harvested from local farmers. There are usually arts and crafts things to see and buy. It's a little bit touristy but the stuff is really good quality.

You'll be able to find a large variety of both fruits and vegetables! Among with some dinner really cool crafts! The venue is nice and located right around the downtown area and has some convient downtown parking opportunity. There's a ramp very close nearby too for only 50C/hr. There's also a lot of food trucks that will come to the farmers market too!!

This is a great park/playground for the kids when it’s warm, but completely unusable when it gets cold. The playground equipment is fantastic. There is a lot for the kids to do and tons of different things to play with. Unfortunately, if there is ever a freeze risk (and this being Wisconsin, there is a risk half of the year) the bathrooms close. In the end, it doesn’t matter how nice the playground is if the bathrooms are not usable.

Beautiful, woodsy park. Lots of picnic areas spread throughout the park. A few wooded hiking paths. No entrance fee. Cute train ride available. Amazing inclusive playground - perfect for family get-togethers and kids birthday parties. Access to the Chippewa river.

A beautiful park, very clean and cared for. I couldn't find any trails so ended up walking on the road.

My grandson loves the zip line. He's 7 and at first was very scarred, couldn't get on the swing by himself, and wanted someone holding him. This has completely built up his confidence. What a great park! Highly recommend

This park is huge and beautiful, river is gorgeous! Lots of trails a small museum ice cream shop ball parks etc. worth a stop!!!

We love going to Carson park! There is so much to do there. Sunday afternoons during the summer we love the train rides! Cooler summer days we love the playground! It’s great fun for my 2 and 3 year old. We’ve also loved fishing at half moon lake.

Beautiful park and stadium for a football game and literally the best marching band anywhere.

My boys love riding the trains so much we are here almost every weekend during the summer! They were so excited they got to go one more time for Halloween!!! Especially dressed in their costumes!!!

The train itself is neat, especially if you have a train-obsessed kid who’s been asking to ride it for weeks and looked forward to a fun afternoon. And I’m sure some of the folks who work there are nice enough. Unfortunately, the folks who run the trains seem to have lost their mission somewhere along the way. Within the first minute of being there, the man driving the yellow train accosted us - publicly, loudly, and as rudely as he could - while other workers and customers stood by. Imagine what impact that had: a little boy, dressed in his train overalls, holding his model train and little toy conductor, got to watch his dad get bawled out by an 80-year-old who was out for blood at a kid’s ride. According to the man, we had driven through the stop sign leading into the parking lot and which the train crosses in front of. Not only did neither I nor my wife see the stop sign he was referring to, but the train wasn’t even near to where we had been driving. It was an honest mistake, one that he could have handled respectfully. And he almost certainly would have done so if we were locals and it weren’t for the fact that our license plates are currently from out of state. Apologizing multiple time to him for our error didn’t help. In front of a group of 30-40 people, and while I held my soon to be disappointed two-year-old, he proceeded to make an example of me. He referenced my out-of-state plates. He lectured me about how the police wouldn’t even ask questions for “not stopping for a train,” which in this case is the size of a toy car. He clearly watched and waited for us while we parked, making everyone wait in line while he came over to make his point. Rather than simply handle it humanely, he did his level best to make everyone aware that he wasn’t going to let this transplant to Wisconsin leave without knowing I wasn’t welcome here. Noting someone’s mistakes and asking for future compliance is one thing, but this was aggressive and rude - albeit unsurprising given his age and presumed attitude toward non-native Wisconsinites. I’m sure he’ll have a wonderful story to tell his hunting buddies about that time he “really showed a Californian.” His handling of the situation soured the experience and ruined what could have been a fun outing for a small family trying to acclimate and fit into a new community. Throughout the ride, my son kept saying, “The conductor is not nice.” So much for the fabled politeness of the Midwest. Needless to say, this will be our last time visiting Chippewa Valley Railroad, and I look forward to sharing this story with our neighbors with school-aged kids.

Miniature train rides .We visited this memorial day 2021.and again june of 2022 it is absolutely wonderful educational! Cheap prices ,great family fun! Right by carson park in eau claire. This hidden little gem was so much fun! Got a tour of the switch station this year! No age limit. Grown-ups can ride with babies.

This is a place tmo go and ride on 16 Gauge trains. There is a reproduction of a G7 diesel locomotive, along with a 100 year steam engine. You can purchase tickets to ride on cars pulled by these wonderful engines. It is a fun activity and covers a half mile thru the woods.

No train now

Awesome Train ride. Thanks for this unique attraction in Carson Park. I wish they had one that went around the whole park though . That'd be awesome 😎

Great value! Neat train! Kids will love it! Adults too!

Had a fun Friday night. We had the place to ourselves for about 30 minutes as we went in at 4pm opening. Didn't really see people arriving until closer to 5. Didn't get very busy during our visit. I'm sure other days are different. Worth a visit regardless of age but younger kids will probably enjoy it the most. Slides are fun for older kids and the lazy river is good for everyone else.

Water slides are perfect for my little kids, my 3 year old is tall enough to ride them. Place is well maintained, lines move fast so not much sitting around.

You guys are good. Although I would recommend adding more stuff, Since my child got bored easily since there was barely any stuff. The slides are good and so is the pool. A lot of balls which made it good since we played Monkey in the Middle but water themed with my son and others.

Great time swimming...... children had a blast..... was here for about 7 hrs..... pizza for lunch was good..... slushies were good...... hot tub was hot...... lazy river not so lazy but good......

Awesome place! The kids loved it. The only downside is the one slow slide—nobody really uses it and it hurts your back. Otherwise, we had a great time!

Smaller water park but all indoors. Kids loved the lazy river

I really enjoyed this waterpark! It is located inside the Metropolis Hotel in Eau Claire. It's a great waterpark to go to throughout the year since it's located inside. It is perfect for young kids and has several different areas for different ages. It has a smaller play area for the younger kids, a lazy river, a bigger/slightly deeper area for the older kids with a basketball hoop and 2 slides for the bigger kids/adults. It also has tables and chairs everywhere so there's always a place to sit and set your stuff down. There is also a place called Monkey in the Middle Express (pizza) that's located inside the waterpark area so you don't have to leave to get food or drinks if you don't want to. Very pleased with our stay and can't wait to go back and enjoy this waterpark again with our kids!!

Really cute park and beautiful views , wild life also walking around. I was disappointed in the trunk or treat even though . It was very small and only a hand full of cars was present (about 6). It took me more time to get the kids ready than the actual event .

I came here to hike around and to try out my new backpack to see if I like it. I climbed up to Mount Simon and hiked around the top and bottom. The trail from the park to the peak is challenging and not really maintained. There is another trail to the peak that comes out on one of the side roads that is an easier climb.

Very large park with lots of trails and nature to explore. Hiking to the top of “Mt.” Simon is a bit of a trek for those not in the best of shape (myself), but the views are absolutely worth it. The view overlooks the Chippewa River and allows you to see throughout the area. Especially beautiful in the fall

had a wonderful day here,saw deers and squirrels and took many photos for them. Colorful leaves already showed and so beautiful. Hiking around the lakeside,then crossed the hills and woods, we enjoyed.

A beautiful park along the river but be sure to drive out and around to the other access point so you can climb to the peak!

It’s an incredibly unique spot! Despite the abundance of graffiti, there is an undeniable beauty that lies beneath it all. The vibrant, urban art merging into a colossal, nondescript masterpiece is a sight to behold. I couldn’t help but admire the panoramic views around every turn. The outlook from the top was nothing short of awe-inspiring, offering a captivating vista that stretched as far as the eye could see.

This park is nice. Took the dog out to stretch his legs. Beautiful leaves and water scenery. Would love to have explored more but was just passing through on our road trip.

Great place to take my kids 4, 6, and 8 years old. We've gone a couple times and they keep asking to go again and I'd rather go here with them than the Dell's even though it's a bout twice as far as a drive and not as big. Much more reasonable, clean, accommodating and that makes it easier to enjoy.

We decided last minute to go to Action City vs the MOA for a birthday party. Best decision we made. The kids all had a blast and there were even things there for the parents to enjoy! It was a great experience.

We went there Saturday June 14th and the 2 girls had a blast playing in the trampoline park for like 7hrs and my son enjoyed the arcade, we played laser tag, go carts and a ton of other games even mini bowling. he was so excited when he won a x-box out of the big cut the rope game! A little on the pricy side but still worth it if you take the time to enjoy everything they have to offer.

The hotel wasn't bad. Didn't enjoy the people above us stomping so badly that it was literally shaking our entire room constantly and waking us up. The internet was also extremely slow and took forever to load anything on our phones.

Theres a ton of activities for kids over 40 inches. Those that are not tall enough leave really only the trampoline park and arcade area. The zip line was not available today due to wind having to be below 15 miles an hour for safety reasons. Outside go carts are a winner for any age but again there's height restrictions so if you have smaller kids I would not spend the money for this activity park.

Took the grandkids there one morning at 9am. Perfect time! Not busy, no crowds. The kids ran around until they couldn't run around anymore! Played games, ate snacks, and laughed! So fun.

Popular destination for kids, sensory overload for adults. The sixth and seventh graders that I was with has a great time. Fortunately, I brought my ear plugs. I can't speak for the cost as I was with a school field trip, but it seemed as expensive as this kind of place usually is. The pizza we had was better than expected. Bathrooms were clean considering the volume of people there today. Workers friendly.

Wonderful park for all ages! The art sculptures weaved throughout the property is remarkable. The memorial is absolutely lovely and very respectful. The water features are quite neat and it was fun to see the splash pad being enjoyed by the children as we strolled through early in the evening.

Beautifully planned, constructed, and maintained urban space. Do not miss the hiking trails and all the sculptures. Lots of surrounding great restaurants too. The free concerts on Monday and Wednesday nights in the summer are great and very well attended.

We love River Prairie! We’ve gone several times since summer began. Plenty of shallow & slow flowing places in the river for the real little kids and more exciting sections for the older ones. It’s a very safe and happy place for families. There is plenty of space to set up a picnic or bring water toys!

This is a simple little park with a nice little water flow. It is really fun for the grandkids to go here and splash about. This works out well on hot days. There is also a water fountain thing there where there are many little water fountains that shoot water up and spray the kids and everyone. Another way to stay cool.

It is a very unique area, and has all-season areas, tiny amphitheaters, a stream. Great place for a break from road trips for kiddos to just run and explore.

This is an incredible park right on the river. Lots of amenities close by. Great trails, wonderful views, a real gem. There’s great picnic tables under a shelter by the lower parking lot. And there’s a wonderful monument to veterans. Lots of flowers. You won’t be disappointed if you give it a try.

I love walking my dog along the trail! Scenic and well groomed and lit up well for evenings/winter months Sometimes it's busy in the overall park so if you have a dog who gets spooked maybe look at the River Prairie events page beforehand!!

Fantastic street art. Every town would benefit greatly from this concept. Great way to introduce younger generations interested in art. We always have a great time appreciating artists

Very disappointed 😞 took visitors & no brochures! No information plaque! Not impressed! Am not using phone to find information. Why do it if no information for people?! Don't waste your time.

Great variety. Fun date. Love the local flavor!

Very nice and interesting sculptures

Awesome park! The dogs loved all the trails. You can bike there, and there are x-ski trails.

Stumbled upon this place and it has become a weekly hike for our family. We usually only see one or two others if any at all. I definitely recommend bringing bug spray. I got quite a few mosquito bites the first time around... and the second time too. My 2 year old walked it by himself with very little help. Bike friendly. Didn't find any ticks, but still cautious. Lots of overhead tree coverage. Birds singing. Rabbits and squirrels l, which is probably the best reason to leash your dog. Recommendeding this place to everyone

EXCELLENT MTB trails. Signage was light, so read the map online before you go. Nasty Goat is legit

Great trails to follow, plan to be back when the green starts showing more. Enough space without thicket to walk around between trails as well.

This is an awesome park, it's really big, open and in general a beautiful little forest. The mountain bike trails, I think are awesome! I am a total novice but there are plenty of trails to ride. Did not encounter many riders on my time here, when I did they were very courteous. All in all a great place to take a hike or go for a ride!

If you want an adventure and don't wanna travel miles upon miles, this is your spot! It's absolutely beautiful!

Very beautiful and nice positive vibes around here check it out sometime and see what I see beauty all over

Very fun tournament as a beginner

Pay to park. There is a kiosk by the trailhead or you can pay online (QR code on the kiosk). Clean park. Lots of well maintained trails for MTB, hiking, running. There are some benches scattered along the trails, MTB features & at least one bridge that crosses over a creek. Saw a black squirrel & a white squirrel. If mushrooms are your thing, there are many different kinds that I saw along the trails.

Great bike trail. I definitely want to go again. Naps are everywhere and every trail has a name . Obstacles are set up all around the park . For example , there’s wood stacked to make a ramp in multiple locations. Some trails have rocks set up to make it more difficult. There are multiple hills as well for those wanted harder trails. Easy to advanced trails. There is now an obstacle course specifically set up with some park benches . Closest to fair grounds.

One of my favorite parks in the Eau Claire area. Plenty of trails to go on, though the majority of them are mountain biking trails. But there are clear hiking paths through the woods too. Some steep terrain, some flat terrain. They also have a trail that has a mini workout program you can follow as you go. They maintain the bike trails well and have added some courses too.

Great place to take the kids, picnic, walk the dog, play on a playground, play baseball, or play Pokemon Go. This park is huge and has so many uses. I’m here almost every weekend playing Pokemon Go or just walking with the kids. This place is very safe and has lots of things for the entire family to enjoy.

This place is beautiful and has many trails for walks...it's a great place to connect with nature...it also has a trail where you can walk down on and there will be signs of different exercises you can do, I thought that was pretty neat. My favorite spot is the bridge area where there is a little stream of water that goes through there...once you cross over the bridge there will be a little bench that you can sit and watch the stream of water or read...I also notice there are also picnic areas and restrooms....the parking lot is pretty big and makes it comfortable to park and this place is well kept. I would definitely recommend this place for family and friends!

This is a nice park, but most certainly geared more towards mountain biking (at least during non winter months). Entrance fee is $5 per day or $30 for an annual pass. There are multiple miles of trails that range from easy to moderate terrain. There are mature trees throughout the park. You can also walk throughout the park, but the paths can be somewhat muddy after rains. Make sure to bring some bug spray as biting bugs will start coming out soon. There are bathrooms available in the parking lot.

What a great park! Visiting from Houston and happy to find a great place to walk. Wish I had a mountain bike, looks like the trails are fun. If it's summer time, bring your bug spray!

This is a great library! Bright and open. Lots of books and activities. Lots of employees to assist. Safe and inviting. Parking is the biggest challenge.

We love this library! Such a great space for kids to learn through play, and great spaces for adults too! Tons of resources and awesome things to check out. Oh, and the top floor outdoor patio is a great place to sit and relax on a lovely spring day!

I love the public library, there is so much to take advantage of here Books and media, book store and book bag sales, art galleries, activities you can check out. I always stop by the various displays to see what’s been curated by staff. Also a great place to work off site, quiet and has internet

This is one of the best libraries I’ve ever been to. The building is very modern and nice. The staff are super helpful and friendly. They have basically every book you could ever need. As a college student, you can get a library card, even if you’re not from Wisconsin. As an English major, I’ve been able to borrow a lot of my books for college from the library for free. The Phillips library has a much better selection than McIntyre, and it’s much better than paying for books at the bookstore. I am very grateful for this library and I would highly recommend it.

Definitely an oasis in the city. Modern design with huge floor-to-ceiling windows from which you can see the trees outside and leaves falling. Has a good selection of books, even though due to the limited amount of copies available, the ones I am interested in are mostly unavailable at the moment and needed to be placed hold on. It gets a bit noisy when kids roam around but I guess that’s just like any public libraries. Staff are very friendly and helpful, but I wish there are more information or map about the display/organization of books or categories. Overall I’m impressed with the new building.

The remodel gives it a new library look, feel, and value to me. Much more to offer taxpayers. I especially appreciate the Community Resources Specialist/Social worker (Libby) office being placed in the public view. Been visiting our library since 2010, and never knew this resource existed until today (10/14/22). Was and is desperately needed by myself and many others who frequent our library. Then and more so now. If I recognized the lowly people in the library on this day of my visit. I would hope the staff of our library see the same, and reach out to help these human beings. Caring for these are more important than the material of their library, are they not? I love our new library!Thank you to everyone who helped to make this possible!

The business station and printer at your local library in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is a fantastic resource for individuals looking to work or print documents. The second floor offers an extensive business section with books and resources that can be used to enhance your business knowledge and skills. The wireless printer on this floor is also a convenient feature, and the cash-operated system makes it easy to use. In addition to the business resources, the library offers four floors of public space, with each floor dedicated to different activities. The basement floor is a crafting area and shop, providing a creative space for individuals to work on their projects. The first floor is dedicated to checkout kits and a teenager area, making it an excellent spot for young adults to hang out and learn new skills. The third floor is a particular highlight of the library, with its rotating art gallery featuring works from local artists. The Riverview room on this floor is also impressive, with a capacity for hundreds of individuals. The terrace overlooking downtown provides a stunning view and is an ideal location for events or gatherings. Overall, the business station and printer at your local library in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is a valuable resource for individuals in the community. With its extensive business section, wireless printer, and creative spaces, it's an excellent spot to work, learn, and connect with others in the community. The rotating art gallery and Riverview room add a touch of elegance to the library and make it an attractive venue for events and gatherings