Things to do in Menomonie

Written by: Marissa Steele

Edited by: Annalise Parks

The town of Menomonie is fairly large especially during the school year due to the growing population of the University of Wisconsin Stout and all of its students. Stout is a great place to go to school and most students enjoy their college experience here but always find themselves saying, “there’s nothing to do” or “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do”. Menomonie seems to have a lot to offer such as parks, historic landmarks, and restaurants but still students would rather spend their weekends in the Twin Cities or Eau Claire. My goal is to find the top three things to do in Menomonie and will achieve that by getting feedback from the students themselves, conducting a survey and face to face interviews. I, a student at UW-Stout, am also interested in seeing what this town has to offer and why students don’t take advantage of what there is to do here in Menomonie.

Red Cedar State Trail

This trail is one of Wisconsin’s earliest rail-trail conversions. The 14.5 mile Red Cedar State Trail is built on the former corridor of the Red Cedar Junction railway which served Knapp and Stout & Co. in the 1880’s, then shortly after, the world’s largest timber producer. Since the late 1970’s, the trail has offered a serene experience for trail users from Menomonie to Peru where it meets with the southern end of the Chippewa River State Trail, just south of the Dunnville State Wildlife Area. (Siewere “Find Trails.” 9 March 2020). This trail allows snowmobiling in certain areas, biking, hunting, and of course hiking. This trail is very unique with the crushed sandstone trail, bridges, peaceful riverside, and sandstone cliffs.

My survey based on things to do in Menomonie was given to students that attend school in this area and since this park is very close to the campus of the University of Wisconsin Stout, out of the 30 people that took this survey, 26 of them have visited this park and majority said it was the attraction that they enjoyed the most in Menomonie.

When I visited Red Cedar Trail, I felt excited to explore all around the park and the adventure seemed endless. This place is perfect for any level of activity. There are runners, walkers, bikers, and people that will sit on benches by the river. I walked down by the river and it was very peaceful, a great place to sit, think, and put your mind at ease while listening to the sound of the water running and birds chirping with a light breeze. It is the perfect place to enjoy the nice weather for any of these activities

Govin’s Farm

Govin’s has 3 seasons at the farm. In the spring you can experience all the farm babies, they have lambs, chicks, goats, piglets and much more. You might even be able to witness a birth or hold the baby animals. In the summer, there are 6 acres of Strawberries, that either you can pick yourself or just enjoy already picked starting sometime mid-June to early July.  (Loritz “Govin’s Farm” 10 March 2020) Finally, in the fall they have an 11-acre Corn Maze along with our 3 acres of pumpkins and lots of fun fall activities like apple and pumpkin cannons, wagon rides, and a haunted corn maze.

Govin’s is a very family friendly environment, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy while there. It is the perfect place to spend a Saturday or Sunday. My survey showed again, 28 out of the 30 students surveyed from UW-Stout have been to Govin’s and enjoyed their experience. It is most popular in the fall when the students are coming back to campus and the haunted corn maze is open.

When I went to Govin’s, I was there with a group of friends to attempt to tackle the haunted corn maze. The atmosphere was very relaxed as you would expect a farm to be. There were children and families picking out pumpkins, farm dogs lounging in the grass and the barn, and a chilled breeze to give a spooky vibe in the corn maze. The whole experience is something my friends and I will never forget and would definitely do again in the future.

The Mable Tainter

The Mable Tainter Theatre is located in the heart of downtown Menomonie, Wisconsin overlooking Lake Menomin with restaurants and shopping just steps away. The theater was built in 1889 by Andrew and Bertha Tainter as a memorial for their daughter, Mabel, who had passed away due to a ruptured appendix at age 19 in 1886. Mabel’s parents decided to build a theatre for not only the good of the community, but also in tribute and memory of Mabel, because she loved the dramatic arts. This Memorial symbolizes Mabel’s love of music and the arts. (Doane “Mable Tainter Memorial” 11 March 2020) The Mabel hosts over 60 events a year featuring the best entertainment from around the region and across the country including comedians, classic rock, holiday favorites, and four featured productions presented The Menomonie Theatre Guild.

When you walk into this theatre its beauty almost takes your breath away and always gives a great atmosphere for a wonderful performance. Knowing the interesting history of this building makes the experience even more special because of the meaning it has. In my survey, only 16 out of the 30 people have been to The Mable Tainter and 4 of those 16 said it was their favorite place in Menomonie.

In conclusion, Red Cedar State Trail was the most popular attraction for students at the University of Wisconsin Stout. I would have to agree with those students as Red Cedar was also my favorite spot in Menomonie with Govin’s farm coming in at a close second. Finally, the last question in my survey asked these students what they wished Menomonie had to offer that it didn’t already. The most popular answer was a Chipotle or Canes, target, and shopping places. One answer I found intriguing was that they wished things were in walking distance from campus because you need a car to get to most of these places. This is mostly true, two out of these three locations are within walking distance and are even cost friendly which is music to all college student ears. I would encourage everyone to go out and experience these top three attractions Menomonie has to offer that should help solve students’ problem of “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do.”