'''Eau Claire''' (pronounced: ''O'Clare'', French for ''clear water'') is a city of about 62,000 in Northwest Wisconsin.

Get in

By bus

Eau Claire is served by Greyhound.[http://www.greyhound.com/home.asp] The bus "terminal" is located inside a McDonalds restaurant at the far outskirts of town, so you will need to hire a taxi from there to your accommodations.

By car

Eau Claire is on Interstate 94 and State Highway 53 which is 90 miles (145 km) East of the Twin Cities.

By plane

'''Chippewa Valley Airport''' [http://www.cvairport.com/] ({{IATA|EAU}}) ({{ICAO|KEAU}}) is on the north side of town. This is a public airport which has 4 commercial flights daily, operated by Mesaba Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines under the Northwest Airlink banner, to Northwest's chief hub at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. Most U.S. destinations are available within 2-3 hours of transfer.

Alternatively, you can fly into Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and take one of two shuttle services to Eau Claire:

  • Airport Passenger Service. ttp://www.airportpassenger.com/. Terminal in Eau Claire is at the far western end of town.

  • Chippewa Valley Airport Service. ttp://www.chippewavalleyairportservice.com/. Terminal in Eau Claire is the Ramada Hotel (downtown).

    Get around

    Like most U.S. cities of its size, all Eau Claire offers by the way of mass transit is a relatively anemic [http://www.ci.eau-claire.wi.us/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.10 municipal bus] system. The buses have bike racks.

    The downtown and Water Street areas, and most of the University academic buildings, are located within a river valley. Other parts of the town are located on higher ground. Walking and biking is an option in and between downtown, Water Street, and the University lower campus. However, for most folks (particularly in the winter) travel to other parts of the city will be by auto, taxi, or bus.

    ==See== <!-- for examples of what goes here, go to http://wikitravel.org/en/Wikitravel:Where_you_can_stick_it-->

  • Chippewa Valley Museum. ocated next to the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp in Carson Park. 15/834-7871. nfo@cvmuseum.com. ttp://www.cvmuseum.com/. Award-winning exhibits, beautifully preserved historic structures on the grounds, fun activities, a working turn-of-the-century ice cream parlor, and more.

  • Idea Gardens. 530 Fairview Dr.. t Eau Claire County Expo Center, across from Action City. Presented by Eau Claire Master Gardeners and UW-Extension.

  • Paul Bunyan Logging Camp. ocated next to the Chippewa Valley Museum in Carson Park. ttp://www.paulbunyancamp.org/. A museum.

  • Schlegelmilch-McDaniel House. owntown. ttp://www.eauclairehpf.org/HomeTour-SchlegelmilchMcDanielHouse.htm.

  • Waldemer Ager house. ttp://www.agerhouse.org/.

    Nearby towns

  • Chippewa Moraine Interpretive Center. ew Auburn, Wisconsin. miles (11 km) east of New Auburn and 1.9 miles (3 km) east of State Highway 40 on County Highway M. ttp://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/chipmoraine/. Glacial history - exhibits, videos, live and stuffed animals.

  • Crystal Cave. pring Valley, Wisconsin. bout 45 miles (72 km) west of Eau Claire. ttp://www.acoolcave.com/.

  • National Eagle Center. abasha, Minnesota. bout 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Eau Claire. 51/565-4989. ttp://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/. 0-5 daily.

    Do

    For a fairly complete '''listing of current events''', pick up a copy of ''Volume One'', a free magazine available at more than 200 locations throughout the area. Another listing can be found in the Thursday edition of the local ''Eau Claire Leader-Telegram'' newspaper.

    General

  • Action City. ttp://www.actioncityfun.com/. Indoor/outdoor amusement center, including a climbing wall, arcade, laser tag, go karts, mini bowling, bumper cars, and mini golf.

  • Cinema
  • :*<do name="Cameo Budget" alt="" address="" directions="downtown" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.ecmovies.com/Cameo/default.asp" hours="" price=""></do> :* <do name="Gemini Drive-In" alt="" address="" directions="On the west side of town, near the Hwy 312/I-94 Interchange (exit 59)" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.ecmovies.com/Gemini/" hours="" price="">The only drive-in theatre in the region. Three sound options, AM, FM, or nostalgic speaker boxes.</do> :*<do name="London Square" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.ecmovies.com/LondonSquare/" hours="" price=""></do> :*<do name="Oakwood Mall 12" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.carmike.com/showtimedetails.aspx?theatrenumber=408615" hours="" price=""></do>

  • L.E. Phillips Planetarium. hillips Hall on UW-Eau Claire Campus. ttp://www.uwec.edu/planetarium/.

  • Ski Sprites. ttp://www.skisprites.com/main.asp. Water ski shows offered in the summer months.

  • Wise Nature Center. all Creek, Wisconsin. ighway 12 east to Fall Creek (about 12 miles, 19 km), then north on County Road K (about 4 miles, 6 km). ttp://www.beavercreekreserve.org/naturecenter.htm. Hands-on learning stations, interpretive displays of local fauna and flora, live animal exhibits, and a butterfly house.

    The Arts

  • State Theater. ttp://www.eauclairearts.com/. Plays, musical performances, occasional headline acts.

  • Fanny Hill Dinner Theater. ttp://www.fannyhill.com/dinnertheatre.htm.

  • Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild. 02 W. Grand Ave. ttp://www.cvtg.org.

  • Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra. 16 Eau Claire St.. ttp://www.cvsymphony.org/. Performances at the State Theatre

  • University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Theatre and Arts. aas Fine Arts Building, 121 Water Street. ttp://www.uwec.edu/mus-the/.

    Younger Children

  • Children's Museum. owntown. ttp://www.cmec.cc/.

  • Chippewa Valley Railroad. ocated in Carson Park. ttp://www.2719.com/pages/cvrr.html.

  • Eau Claire Children's Theatre. 814 Oxford Avenue. est Madison Avenue, north on First Ave. ttp://www.ecct.org.

  • ''See also'' the '''Fairfax Pool''' listing in the "Recreation" section ''below'', and the '''Crystal Cave''' and '''Wise Nature Center''' listings in the Northwest Wisconsin article.
  • Festivals and Events

    ''These listings are presented in chronological order.''

  • Sawdust City Days. arson Park. ttp://www.sawdustcitydays.com/. A family festival. Third weekend in June.

  • Country Jam. ttp://www.countryjam.com/. A country music festival. Third weekend in July.

  • Summerfest. owntown. ttp://www.downtown-eauclaire.org/summerfest.html. Celebration of the 1950's and 60's featuring food, live music, chalk art, and classic cars. Fourth Saturday in July.

  • Pioneer Days. 15/834-5983. Tractor pulls, antique cars, steam engines, etc. Second weekend in August.

  • Western Wisconsin Pride. iverview Park. ttp://www.westernwisconsinpride.com/. A family (traditional and otherwise) festival. Third weekend in August.

  • Festival in the Pines. arson Park. ttp://www.festivalinthepines.com/. A family festival. Fourth weekend in August.

  • International Fall Festival. owntown. hird Saturday in September. ttp://www.downtown-eauclaire.com/iff.html. Bazaar, performances, and parade.

  • Coalition Blues Festival. 15/577-4197. ttp://www.cvblues.com/. hird Saturday in September. 11am-8pm. ree.

    Nearby festivals

  • CountryFest. adott, Wisconsin. bout 24 miles (36 km)) northwest of Eau Claire. ttp://www.countryfest.com/ official site. A country music festival held in the fourth weekend in June.

  • Rockfest. adott, Wisconsin. bout 24 miles (36 km) northwest of Eau Claire. ttp://www.rock-fest.com/. A rock music festival held in the third weekend in July.

    Recreation

  • City Parks. 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.

  • Bowling. Two public bowling alleys, Wagner's (South Hastings Way, East side) and Bowlwinkles (North Clairemont Ave, West Side)

  • Chippewa River State Trail. rail head is located at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers in downtown Eau Claire. ttp://www.chippewa-river-trail.com/. 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

  • Disc golf. ttp://www.chippewavalleydiscgolf.org/projects/. Two courses, one in town at Mount Simon City Park, the other just a few miles east of Eau Claire at the Tower Ridge Recreation Area.

  • Fairfax Municipal Swimming Pool. ttp://www.ci.eau-claire.wi.us/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.83. 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.

  • Golf. ttp://www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/WI/EauClaire.htm. 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)

  • Riverside Bike & Skate. 37 Water Street. t the end of the Water Street district. 15-835-0088. 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.

    Sports

  • Chippewa Valley Predators. ttp://www.chippewavalleypredatorsfootball.com/. Great Plains Football League (April - August).

  • Eau Claire Cavaliers. ttp://www.eauclairecavaliers.org/. Wisconsin State Baseball League(May - August).

  • Eau Claire Crush. ttp://www.eauclairecrush.com/index.cfm. Great Plains Football League (April - August).

  • Eau Claire Express. ttp://www.eauclaireexpress.com/. Northwoods League Baseball (May - August).

  • University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Athletics. ttp://www.uwec.edu/athletics/scripts/composite.asp. Collegiate sports events.

    Buy

  • <listing name="Oakwood Mall" alt="" directions="south of town near the intersection of Interstate 94 and Highway 53" address="" phone="" email="" fax="" hours="" price="" url="http://www.oakwoodmall.com/html/index18.asp">The Oakwood Mall commercial area includes Target, Walmart, and Best Buy stores.</listing>
  • Water Street District. Small shops primarily catering to the nearby University population.

    Farmers Markets

  • <listing name="Downtown Farmers Market" alt="" directions="downtown" address="" phone="" email="" fax="" hours="May: Saturdays 7:30am-1pm / June through October: Wednesdays & Saturdays 7:30am-1pm, Thursdays 1pm-5pm" price="" url="http://www.ecdowntownfarmersmarket.com/"></listing>
  • <listing name="Festival Foods Farmers Market" alt="" directions="" address="3007 Mall Drive" phone="715/838-1000" email="" fax="" url="http://www.savorwisconsin.com/AllListings/farmdetail.asp?recordid=590&table=farm" hours="May - October: Sundays, 7am-2pm" price=""></listing>
  • <listing name="Oakwood Mall Farmers Market" alt="" directions="" address="" phone="715/878-4328" email="" fax="" url="http://www.savorwisconsin.com/AllListings/farmdetail.asp?recordid=579&table=farm" hours="mid-June through late October: Wednesday & Saturday, 7:30am-1pm" price=""></listing>
  • <listing name="Winter Farmers Market" alt="" directions="" address="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.ecdowntownfarmersmarket.com/winter.php" hours="December through April: second Saturday of the month, 9am-1pm" price=""></listing>
  • Eat

    Eau Claire has its share of the usual chains. For more unique dining try:

    Downtown

  • Acoustic Cafe. arstow Street. ttp://www.theacoustic.com/eauclaire/. Coffee house and sandwich shop.

  • Dessert First. 10 S. Barstow. 15/833-8440. ttp://getdessertfirst.com/. M-F 7:30AM-5PM / Sa 8:30AM-3PM. Bakery and cafe.

  • Grand Avenue Cafe. est Grand Avenue. ear the courthouse.. Coffee house and cafe. Sidewalk seating available.

  • Haymarket Grill. 01 Graham Avenue. ear State Theater. 15/552-3400. nfo@haymarketgrill.com. -Sa 11AM-Midnight; Su 4PM-10PM. 10-$30. ttp://www.haymarketgrill.com. Fresh made from scratch food. Upscale casual. Best waitstaff and best vegetarian dining in Eau Claire as voted by ''Volume One''.

  • Houligans. outh Barstow St.. 10-30. Steak and seafood. Upscale casual.

    Oakwood Mall Area

  • Northwoods Brewpub. 560 Oakwood Mall Drive. 715) 552-0510. ttp://www.northwoodsbrewpub.com/. Eau Claire's only brewpub! 10 beers and seasonal brews crafted on the premises. Norske Nook food and pies

  • Hmong Noodle Wrap. 509 Gateway Dr. 15-552-0525.

    Upper Campus Area

  • Randy's Family Diner.

  • Shanghai Bistro. ttp://www.shanghaibistro.com/. Chinese and Japanese (sushi and sashimi.)

  • Sweetwaters. Upscale casual.

    Water Street

  • El Patio. ater Street. Mexican food.

  • Mona Lisa's. ater Street. Upscale casual.

  • The Nucleus. am - 2 pm, Thursday - Sunday. ttp://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=161394895. Casual. Serving breakfast (until closing on weekends) and lunch. Unique variety of sweet and savory breakfasts, including daily varities of quiche.

    Other

  • Draganetti's Ristorante. lairemont Ave at Hwy 53. 15-834-9234. pens at 4PM, M-Sa. ttp://www.dragonettis.com. Italian cuisine. Patio seating available.

  • Fanny Hill Supper Club. ttp://www.fannyhill.com/dining.htm. Restaurant and dinner theater. Outdoor seating available.

  • Fischer's on the Green. illcrest Parkway (Hwy 12). ust minutes east of Eau Claire on Hwy 12 in the City of Aloona, at the Hillcrest Country Club.. 15-834-9234. Legendary steaks. Restaurant and Lounge open to the public. Live music in lounge throught the week.

  • Mike's Smokehouse. 235 North Clairemont Ave. ear Westridge Center. 15/834-8153. -Th 11AM-9PM; F,Sa 11AM-9:30PM. Bar-b-que.

  • Monkey in the Middle Pizza Co.. 402 Lorch Ave.. nside Action City amusement center.

  • Olympic Flame. ondon Road. Gyros and a few other Greek specialties. A long time Eau Claire favorite.

  • Tokyo. ondon Road. Japanese. Dinner is grilled at the table. Lunch is table service from the kitchen.

    Nearby Restaurants

    For restaurants near Eau Claire click here.

    Coffee houses

  • The Coffee Grounds. wy 93. cross from the Saturn dealership. 15/834-1733. ttp://www.thecoffeegrounds.com/. 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.

  • The Goat Coffee House. 08 Water Street. Sidewalk seating available.

  • The Living Room Coffee House & Drive Thru. 006 Cameron Street. ff the Clairemont intersection. 15/831-0245. M-Th 5:30AM-6PM; F 5:30AM-9PM; Sa 7AM-5PM.

  • Racy D'Lene's Very Coffee House. 04 Riverside Drive . ust off Water Street. Behind the Nucleus cafe (connected), Faces the Chippewa River and bike trail. Outdoor bench seating available.

  • Seattle Pride. rackett Avenue. pper East Side. Locally owned. Drive up window.

  • Coffee Traders International. outh Hastings Way. n the East Ridge Center. ttp://www.coffeetradersinternational.com. Coffee roasted on the premises. Live music on some Friday nights.

  • Gloria Jeans. akwood Mall and at Menards West. locations.

  • Seattle's Best Cafe. nside Borders bookstore, near Oakwood Mall.

  • Starbuck's. ocated in Target, one on Hastings Way, one on Clairemont Ave (near Shopko). locations. Drive up at Hastings Way and Clairemont Ave locations

    Drink

    Downtown

  • The Stones Throw. 04 Eau Claire St.. n the corner of Eau Claire and Barstow streets. 15/552-5882. ttp://www.thestonesthrow.com/. Live music venue in one of downtown's most distinct historic buildings

  • The Mousetrap. outh Barstow St.. Live Music

  • Clancy's Irish Pub. 14 South Barstow St..

    Water Street

    The primary bar scene in Eau Claire is on Water Street, near the University lower campus. There are roughly 10-15 bars within a few blocks. Highlights include:

  • Dooley's Irish Pub. orner of 5th & Water, on the ground of the former Camaradarie. ttp://www.dooleyspub.com/. The only non-smoking bar for miles. Food available. Private room available.

  • The Joynt.

  • Mogie's Pub. Burgers and Chicken Wings, and other food available.

  • Brother's Pub.

  • The Pioneer.

  • The Brat Kabin.

  • House of Rock. ttp://www.house-of-rock.com/.

    Upper West Side

  • Tailgates Sports Bar. cross from Bowlwinkle's Bowling. orth Clairemont Ave. Food menu. Outdoor sand volleyball court. Patio seating available. Live music on weekends.

    South Side/Upper Campus Area

  • O'Learys Pub. est Clairemont Ave. Live music on weekends.

    Sleep

    Downtown

  • Green Tree Inn and Suites.

  • Ramada.

    Upper Campus Area

  • Days Inn.

  • Exel Inn. udget. Closest to campus.

  • Hampton Inn.

  • Holiday Inn. 703 Craig Road. '+1 715'' 835-2211. ttp://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/eaucl.

  • The Plaza. ttp://www.plazaeauclaire.com/.

    Other

  • Antlers Lodge.

  • Best Western Trail Lodge Hotel and Suites. 340 Mondovi Road. outh of the upper campus area.. '+1 715'' 838-9989. ttp://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=50126. Easy access to the Chippewa River State Trail.

  • Econo Lodge.

    Bed & Breakfast

  • Atrium. ttp://www.atriumbb.com/.

  • Fanny Hill. ttp://www.fannyhill.com/Bed%20&%20Breakfast.htm.

  • Otter Creek. ttp://www.ottercreekinn.com/.

    Get out

    <!-- This section is for other towns to visit, not listings. -->

  • '''Augusta''', Wisconsin.
  • '''Altoona''', Wisconsin.
  • '''Chippewa Falls''', Wisconsin, is about 12 miles (19 km) to the north.
  • '''Menomonie''', Wisconsin, is about 24 miles (38 km) to the west.
  • The Twin Cities of '''Minneapolis''' and '''Saint Paul''' in Minnesota are about 90 miles (145 km) to the west.