Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pump House
The local clearinghouse
Pump House Regional Center for the Arts
(119 King St., 608/
785-1434,
www.thepumphouse.org
)isastately19th-centuryRomanesquerevivalstructure,
La Crosse's first water-pumping station. Art galleries within feature revolving multimedia
exhibits and live music throughout the year—folk, mostly.
Riverboat Tours
Mississippi Explorer
(877/647-7397,
www.mississippiexplorer.com
)
has riverboat tours
all along the Big Miss. Tours vary widely, but they generally run Wednesday and Saturday
at 10:30am, two to three Friday evening trips, and cost $20 adults. Boat tours depart from
Riverside Park.
The
La Crosse Queen
(608/784-8523,
www.lacrossequeen.com
)
is, engineering-wise,
truetothepast.Itspropulsionisgeneratedwhollyfromitssplitstern-wheeleddesign.(Most
contemporary takes on the old ships have “free” paddle wheels, which look nice, but the
ship has modern screws underneath for real power.) Fares (figure from $15) and schedules
are fairly complex: call or check online. Boat tours depart from Riverside Park.
City Tours
Downtown La Crosse comprises one of the largest historic districts in the state of Wiscon-
sin.Well-donewalking(anddriving)tourinformationcanbefoundatthevisitorsbureauin
Riverside Park.
Or, just hop aboard the
Historic Trolley Tour
(608/782-2366,
www.explorelacrosse.com
,
$8 adults) which runs Tuesday-Sunday afternoons through the
downtown area, the riverfront, and other districts.
Nightlife
LaCrosseforatimehadsomewhatofareputationforcarousing.Infact,thedowntown3rd
Street district was once a statistic right out of the
Guinness Book
for most bars per capita.
Later on, a debauched annual festival turned violent and was canceled. A stronger arm of
thelawhascurtailedthisabit,butwithaUWschoolhere,you'reneverfarfromawatering
hole or an entertaining bar-time parade of inebriated students.
Pearl Street and environs generally offers something, whether a pub or a nightclub.
Highly recommended by those who know is the jazz aficionado's dream joint,
The Casino
(304 Pearl St., 608/782-1910), an Art Moderne joint with a great long bar and good jazz
