The Highground in Neillsville is a 155-acre manned veterans memorial park that pays tribute to the dead, and honors the survivors, their service, and their sacrifices. The Highground fulfills its mission of healing and education by bringing past lessons into our hopes for the future. We seek to have The Highground continue to be a focus of healing for all who come, regardless of the name of the battle which left the scars. The park includes tributes to veterans of WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Persian Gulf (Desert Storm to present), as well as, a National Native American Vietnam Memorial, a Meditation Garden, a handicap accessible Treehouse, an exact replica of the Liberty Bell, Effigy Mound, a Learning Center (with a library) and 4 miles of hiking trails. Coming soon is the Military Working Dog Tribute! The Park continues to grow as history unfolds. Located three miles west of Neillsville on US Hwy 10, the park is lighted and open to visitors year round 24 hours a day.
Visit the Historic 1897 Clark County Jail Museum and take a memorable trip back in time. Placed on the National and Wisconsin Historic Registers in 1978, the Museum is open each Sunday from 1-4 p.m. (Memorial Day – Labor Day). This one-of-a kind building is noted for its “castle-like” appearance, complete with turrets and a formidable 3-story fortress-like architecture. As you walk through the front door, you enter the residence portion of the building. Each sheriff and his family lived in the two-story Victorian home during each term of office. The period furniture, ornate staircase, formal parlor with original Italian marble fireplace, and original virgin pine woodwork are highlights of the residence. Each room features a collection of items unique to the time period and Clark County: a child’s bedroom, an authentic jewelry store, the Listeman family music room, and a room filled with photos and records, to name a few. The jail portion of the museum houses old law enforcement equipment and two floors of six cell blocks. Each block features a glimpse back in time to such places as the barbershop, the mercantile, the doctor’s office, and a rural school house. The final floor houses our extensive display of flags, military artifacts, and uniforms from the Civil War to present day. Bus tours and/or other group tours are available by appointment.
The museum houses a collection of over 400 items which include both tools and equipment used in the early dairying and lumbering days, along with over 170 photographs of early Greenwood depicting people, places and events. Visitors will enjoy collections of antique miniature cars, coins dating back to 1934, toy tractors from 11 different manufacturers, a stamp collection, an American Legion display, a grade school classroom, an old-fashioned kitchen, and a quilt celebrating Greenwood’s Centennial (1890-1991). Many items in the museum have been donated by local residents as well. The Museum is located at 600 South Main Street on the south edge of Greenwood and is available for touring. Special appointments for events such as reunions, tours, and school groups are available.
The Loyal Area Historical Society has two museum buildings – a replica of the Soo Line Railroad Station and a replica of a 1940 era gas station which was located on Main Street in Loyal. There is a third building on the property which the historical society hopes to convert into store fronts of earlier days. Future plans include building a country school house. Housed in the two present buildings are many photographs and artifacts of earlier days, as well as a great deal of railroad history and artifacts. Two quilts made in the late 1800s are also on display. It’s an interesting photo trip into the past that is especially enjoyed by folks from the area. Donations of photographs or articles from the past are welcome. The museum buildings are located on Highway 98 as you enter Loyal from the east at 501 E. Elm Drive. The museum is open for private individual or group tours by appointment. Donations are welcome.
Built in 1915, the Reed School served as a one-room country school through 1951. It provided a first- through eighth-grade education with only one teacher. The school is typical of the more than 6,000 one-room schools that dotted the landscape of rural WI. Reed School offers visitors a unique interpretation of country school life by focusing on the first half of the 20th century, specifically 1939. Open Weekends: May-Oct 10am to 4pm. Arrangements can be made for weekday tours year round for groups of 10 or more. Located along US Hwy 10 about 2 miles east of Neillsville on Cardinal Avenue. Free Admission.
On the north end of Colby, along a spur of railroad that brought civilization to the territory, is a collection of buildings filled with stories, artifacts, and memories of middle Wisconsin. The Rural Arts Museum is home to the original Colby Train Depot, built in 1872, and moved to the site in 1972. The history of the railroad is complemented by dairy industry memorabilia. A 1-room country school was added, including an extensive book collection. It helps recall how knowledge was shared in the days past. The jewel of the Rural Arts Museum is the Schopper Log Home. The Heritage Building features a historical rural main street displaying artifacts. The Rural Arts Museum is operated by volunteers and benefactors and is open on Sundays from 1-4 p.m., from Memorial Day to Labor Day and also by appointment.
Located 5 miles west of Neillsville on Hwy. 10, the Silver Dome Ballroom is listed in the National and State Registers of Historic Places for its unique architecture and its rich entertainment history. Built during the Great Depression and operating since 1933, the Silver Dome features many original fixtures, a floating maple dance floor and a beautiful arching Lamella truss design. Many famous entertainers have appeared at the Silver Dome: Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Grassroots, Tommy James & The Shondells, Herman’s Hermits, George Jones, Pee Wee King, Johnny Paycheck and Six Fat Dutchmen.
The Thorp Area Historical Society collects and displays history, genealogies, and artifacts of the area and world which have affected the local way of life. It also has a growing collection of early period farm equipment, machinery, clothing, household items, books, and war memories. It also includes the Telephone Heritage Room. Visitors will see over 100 telephones from around the world, dating back to 1894. The museum portrays the history of individual telephone companies in the state, preserving the stages of development and displaying the progression of the telephone industry from the late 1800s to the present. It is the only museum of its kind in the state of Wisconsin.
The Stanley Area Historical Society Museum is located at 228 Helgerson Street in Stanley. The extensive collections include exhibits on the Northwestern Lumber Company, music, churches, toys, military education, wildlife, industries and businesses, logging, farming and carpenter and blacksmith tools. The most recent addition to the museum is a 1906 Cadillac in pristine condition.
In 1885, Emery Bruley built the original Tufts’ House in Neillsville. The house as it stands today reflects the changes of that period, as well as the personalities of each succeeding Dewhurst family. During this time the house took on a Victorian appearance. At Mr. Dewhurst’s death in 1895, his daughter Mary and her husband, Wallace Hemphill, became the new owners. Reportedly, Marshall Fields did the interior decorating for their daughter’s wedding in 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stoll then owned the house until 1961, when it was purchased by Colonel and Mrs. William B. Tufts, who did extensive remodeling. After their death, the home was given to the city for use as a museum. In 1996, the museum was purchased by Joseph and Stacie Boe. They restored much of the home’s original charm. In the spring of 2004, they sold the mansion to James and Dawn Voss who opened Tufts’ Mansion Bed and Breakfast. Tufts’ Museum is open for tours in summer, Sundays, 1-4 p.m. or by appointment.
A landmark of the Neillsville community for over five decades, WCCN’s Wisconsin Pavilion originally served as the main entrance and basic exhibit for the State of Wisconsin at the 1964 and 1965 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow. Discover the story behind the Wisconsin exhibit at the Fair when you visit the Pavilion. Inside the Pavilion you will find central studios for three radio stations; 107.5FM WCCN “The Rock”, 1370AM WCCN “Timeless” and 92.7FM WPKG “Today’s Best Hits” and Pavilion Cheese & Gifts. At Pavilion Cheese and Gifts you will find an assortment of exceptional artisan and specialty cheese. Find boutique wine carefully selected from around the world including Munson Bridge Wine crafted right here in Clark County. Enjoy delicious treats like cranberry pancake mix and cranberry syrup, fudge, beer cheese soup, Door County caramel corn, maple syrup and honey -- all created in Wisconsin. Browse through Wisconsin keepsakes, sweatshirts, T-shirts or choose a Wisconsin custom-made basket full of Wisconsin creations. On the lower level of the Pavilion, you can view a private collection of New York World’s Fair memorabilia, and outside, listen to Chatty Belle, the World’s Largest Talking Cow, who stands 16 feet high at the shoulders and is 20 feet long.
The Woodland Hotel was designed by Claude & Starck and built by the John S. Owen Lumber Company in 1906. The 27-room hotel was billed as one of northern Wisconsin’s finest hotels when it first opened, featuring running water, central heating, electricity, and a public telephone. It had a restaurant and a writing room on the main floor, a ladies parlor on the second floor, and a billiard room, a barber shop, public bath, and salesman sample room on the lower level. In later years, the Hotel introduced its widely acclaimed “Smorgasbord”, a homecooked buffet extravaganza that was second to none. A popular night club style bar with live entertainment was introduced in the lower level of the Woodland in the 1940s. The Woodland Hotel is listed on the Wisconsin and National Registers of Historic Places and located on the historic Yellowstone Trail.
