Downtown Eau Claire Historical Walking Tour

If you like digging up the stories of old cities, then this walking tour of downtown Eau Claire is for you!

The city’s story starts as a small but important logging town, which later grew into a cultural powerhouse. In its early years, Eau Claire’s timber industry was huge, and the town had more sawmills than anywhere in the nation. This tour transports you back in time to those early years when Eau Claire’s first settlers were putting down roots and the town was developing alongside its lumber industry.

Along the way, you’ll hear about other interesting aspects of Eau Claire’s past, including:

• Its steamboat era
• The city’s electric trolleys
• World-famous violinist, Ole Bull’s connection to the city
• Early and as-yet unfamiliar traffic lights
• The oldest brick house in the city
• The flood of 1884

After covering Eau Claire’s early years, you’ll trace the city’s development through to the 1930s when it was the cultural and entertainment hub of Wisconsin. Not only will you learn all about Eau Claire’s fascinating history on this tour, you’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy some discounts on food, drinks and shopping from some of the great vendors we’ve partnered with. Check out eauclairetours.com for more information about this and other tours before you join us in bringing the past to life.

Photo Credit:
The black and white photos are courtesy of the Chippewa Valley Museum