We’re on a tight budget on our 5 year, 50 state road trip but have been spending too much recently.
As a result, we try to find as many free and low-cost things to do while having as much fun as possible. During our time in Wisconsin, we spent six nights in La Crosse, a city on the southwest edge of the state which borders Minnesota.
Our budget for the month was looking a little more healthy by the time we left thanks to all the free activities we found. So here’s a list of 10 free things to do in La Crosse, Wisconsin for when you visit this city on the Mississippi River.
1) Grandad Bluff
On the east side of La Crosse there’s a cliff overlooking the city called Grandad Bluff.
If you’re not a hiker, don’t worry – you can drive to the top of Grandad Bluff to take advantage of the views over the city, sparing you an uphill hike.
Address: Grandad Bluff, 3020 Grandad Bluff Road La Crosse, WI 54601
2) Pettibone Beach
La Crosse isn’t by the ocean or a large lake, but you can still go to the beach. That’s because in Pettibone Park, there’s a small beach area along the edge of the Mississippi River.
The beach has a roped-off swimming area and a lifeguard, so it’s suitable for people of all ages. We visited mid-June and the water temperature was warmer than expected.
Address: Pettibone Beach, 374 South Pettibone Drive La Crosse, WI 54601
3) World’s Largest Six-Pack
On our way out of town, we stopped by City Brewery. That’s because outside their brewery they have the World’s Largest Six-Pack – a set of brewing tanks made to look like cans of beer.
Each “can” holds almost 115,000 fl oz, or this much beer:
Address: World’s Largest Six Pack, Corner of 3rd St S & Mississippi St, La Crosse, WI 54601
4) Riverside Park
On the opposite side of the river to Pettibone Park is Riverside Park.
With large grassy areas, a riverfront boardwalk and more, it’s a lovely place to take a walk. In the summer, the park is home to all kinds of events, including free concerts on Wednesday evenings.
Address: Riverside Park, 100 State St, La Crosse, WI 54601
5) Hixon Forest
On the outskirts of La Crosse, you can find Hixon Forest which contains several hiking trails, most of which are 3 miles or shorter. The forest backs up to a neighborhood and the parking lot at the trailhead doesn’t cost anything, so hiking in Hixon Forest is completely free.
We hiked the Bicentennial Trail which was a great route through the forest. Keep an eye out when hiking in there as you might get lucky like we did and spot some deer.
One downside was that the trail had sooooo many bugs – gnats and mosquitoes were everywhere. Our bug spray didn’t offer much respite, so be prepared for that. The hike did offer some beautiful views though.
Address: Hixon Forest, 800 Milson Ct, La Crosse, WI 54601
6) Herons Of La Crosse Sculptures
Back in 2008, the Pump House Regional Arts Center arranged the creation of 36 heron sculptures, known as the Herons of La Crosse. The public art exhibit was subsequently taken down, but in 2018 – a month or two before we visited – many of the herons were put back on display.
Of the original 36 herons, 21 can now be found by Riverside Park. A 22nd heron can be found in the Pump House, with the 14 others now being owned privately. Each Heron of La Crosse is uniquely decorated, with one of my favorites being Heron Potter.
Address: Herons of La Crosse, Corner of 2nd St N & Main St, La Crosse, WI 54601
7) Sculptures
The herons aren’t the only sculptures you’ll find in downtown La Crosse – if you wander around, you’ll find several more.
As you drive into Riverside Park, you’ll be greeted by a bald eagle which has a wingspan of 20 feet:
If you park your car just outside of Riverside Park, you’ll instead be greeted by King Gambrinus, Patron Saint and guardian of beer:
Over by the herons, there’s also a sculpture of some Native Americans playing lacrosse. That’s how the city got its name – Zebulon Pike called it that after seeing them play the game using sticks that looked like a bishop’s staff, something which was also known in French as ‘la crosse’.
There’s a similar (and larger) statue you’ll see if you drive into the city from the north.
Addresses:
Eagle – Riverside Park, 100 State St, La Crosse, WI 54601
King Gambrinus – Corner of State St & Harborview Plaza, La Crosse, WI 54601
Native American Lacrosse Players (pictured above) – Corner of 2nd St N & Main St, La Crosse, WI 54601
Native American Lacrosse Players (not pictured above) – Opposite 2120 Rose St, La Crosse, WI 54603
8) Hear Here
Dotted all throughout downtown La Crosse, you’ll see signs for Hear Here. Simply call the toll-free number on the sign and you’ll hear a history of that particular part of the city.
Address: There are too many to mention, but you can find a map of them all by clicking here.
9) Riverside International Friendship Gardens
Riverside Park is home to a few things on this list and here’s another. About 100 feet away from the La Crosse Visitor Center in the park, you can find Riverside International Friendship Gardens.
At the time of writing, there were six gardens based on relationships the city has with countries around the world, including the Chinese Garden pictured below.
Address: 345-, 405 E Veterans Memorial Dr, La Crosse, WI 54601
10) Pettibone Disc Golf Course
Since we set out on our 5 year, 50 state road trip, we’ve found ourselves in several parks containing a disc golf course. We never had anything to play with though, so for my birthday this year Shae got me a couple of sets of discs.
On one muggy afternoon in La Crosse, we went to Pettibone Park to play on their disc golf course. It was a lot of fun, but the gnats and mosquitoes were out in force which made it less fun, especially as we’d left our bug spray back at the hotel.
We therefore only made it through 7 of the 18 holes before the bugs chased us away, but the course itself is worth using if you enjoy disc golf.
Address: Pettibone Park, 700 N Pettibone Dr, La Crosse, WI 54601
Question
Those are 10 free things to do in La Crosse that we enjoyed while staying in the city, but do you have any other suggestions? Let us know your ideas of La Crosse activities that don’t cost a penny in the comments below.
Cassie says
I’m thinking riverside park is home to a very nice Christmas light display in December. Can’t remember if that’s the exact park but my friends and I always drove up to see the light display during finals week!
stephen says
Nice! I can imagine it being really pretty there.
Dayton says
That is Riverside Park! The rotary lights go on all holiday season, and are beautiful. The whole park has different unique light displays. There’s also the human powered trails by the weather tower close by grandad bluff. Those are fun to hike around.