Get High on La Crosse

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Mention the city of La Crosse to anyone who’s ever visited or lived in the Mississippi River community and their first thought—if not the first words out of their mouths—will be “Grandad Bluff.” The 600-foot-high promontory overlooks the city of 51,000 as well as the entire Mississippi Valley beyond, with glimpses of Minnesota and Iowa on the opposite shore. Many travelers consider it to be the best view in Wisconsin.

As the area’s largest natural feature, the Mississippi gives its character to La Crosse. The river also played a significant role in the development of the city, situated on what was once Ho-Chunk land. First visited by French explorers the Rev. Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673, the settlement’s river location made it critical to the development of area commerce. The community’s very name is rumored to have come from an activity of the indigenous people that was at once a game, a religious ceremony, and a battle exercise similar to the modern sport of lacrosse. The wooden sticks are said to have reminded the French visitors of la crozier, or the French bishop’s staff. However, there may be more fancy than fact to that origin story.

So what is here to do in La Crosse and its environs? Quite a bit, no matter whether you are there for the history, the natural surroundings, or the present-day community. As home to one the Universities of Wisconsin, the college influence complements the casual small-town ambience, creating a destination both appealing and unique.

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• Once the home to the now defunct G. Heileman Brewing Co. and four other major breweries, La Crosse still maintains an active brewing scene. As of last year, it once again became home to the World’s Largest Six-Pack of legacy brand Old Style beer, with six individual 54-foot-high brewing tanks wrapped to resemble Old Style cans. The flagship brand is once again being brewed in La Crosse in what is now City Brewery, hence the homecoming of its iconic symbol. 

Joining the brewing legacy these days are craft brewers Pearl Street Brewery, 608 Brewing Co., Turtle Stack Brewery, La Crosse Bierhaus, Rockstar Brewery, and several others. As with most Wisconsin communities, there is no shortage of beer here.

• Riverside Park, located on the Mississippi’s shoreline, is a draw in and of itself. It’s also the docking spot for the La Crosse Queen, an old-fashioned paddlewheel boat that takes visitors on scenic river tours and dining cruises in a style reminiscent of days gone by. Book passage and plan to watch the world float by. The park also features the picturesque International Friendship Garden.

• La Crosse also has a surprising number of fine arts alternatives for a city its size. The Pump House Regional Arts Center, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, offers a variety of arts and entertainment. The Pump House is joined by the Capella Performing Arts Center, which is the home classic film showings and music, including the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra. There also is the Viterbo University Performing Arts Center, which rounds out a full cadre of fine arts performance venues.

Given its spot on the Great River Road, which follows the Mississippi River in Wisconsin for 250 miles, La Crosse can be the jumping off point for tripping to the river’s headwaters in Minnesota or ambling all the way south to Louisiana where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a great place to start or finish what could be one of your most memorable vacations. 

Oh, and mark your calendar! The La Crosse Oktoberfest – one of the oldest and largest celebrations in the Midwest – convenes Sept. 26–29. Put on your drinking hat and we’ll see you at the World’s Largest Six-Pack!