Council Grounds State Park
Things to See and Do in the Area

On your visit to Council Grounds State Park, take some side trips to the many nearby natural and cultural attractions.

State Trails

Bearskin State Trail, Tomahawk to Minocqua. Bicycling, hiking, snowmobiling.

Mountain-Bay State Trail, Wausau to Green Bay. Bicycling, hiking, snowmobiling.

Parks and Forests

Rib Mountain State Park, Wausau. Camping, hiking, vistas, downhill skiing at Granite Peak, snowshoeing.

Lincoln County Forest [exit DNR]. Mountain biking, cross-country skiing, all-terrain vehicle trails, canoeing.

Museums

Merrill Historical Museum [exit DNR]. Call (715) 536-5652 to check on tours and hours.

Brickyard School Museum [exit DNR], Third and Sales Streets, features a country school display typical of early 20th-century schools. Hours by appointment. Call 536-5652 between noon and 4 p.m.

Merrill Heritage Driving, Walking Tour: Historic districts and sites along Highway 64, two blocks from 64 and along Business Highway 51. Guides available at the Historical Museum or Chamber of Commerce office.

National Register Landmarks

Lincoln County Courthouse [exit DNR], Intersection of State Highway 64 and Business Highway 51. Features palatial dome and rotunda. Special exhibits. Open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Merrill’s Old City Hall [exit DNR] (now City Loft Apartments), on Highway 64, 715 Second Street.

Three-Arch Stone Bridge [exit DNR], Highway 64 over Prairie River. Only remaining three-arch stone bridge in Wisconsin.

Center Avenue Historic District [exit DNR]. Two and one-half blocks of 24 homes running from Third to Seventh streets on Center Avenue and two blocks east off Center Avenue. Homes built circa 1885 to 1930s. Queen Anne, Italianate, Prairie School and Georgian Rival styles.

Other Historic Sites of Interest

East Side Historic District Along Highway 64 and River Street. 1500 to 1700 numbered blocks.

Scott District In the museum area. The 800 to 1000 numbered blocksof Second, Third and Fourth streets.

Merrill Post Office Federal style building by Henry Wetmore. Historic display in lobby. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Highway 64, west of Old City Hall.

Historic Churches on Third Street. St. John’s (1940s.), Center Avenue and Third Street; Christ United Methodist Church, 300 Mill and Third Street (1891); Ascension Episcopal Church, Third and Pier Street (1894, Gothic style, housed Monastic Order of Saint Francis Seminary 1918 to late 1920s); Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church (1963); Bethlehem Lutheran Church (1930s).

Scott Mansion [exit DNR] South Business 51. Reputed to be haunted. Part of famous Holy Cross Sisters complex and headquarters in United States.

Many buildings from the 1920s are found along O’Day Street.

West Side Historic District. Along Highway 64 and State Street. Includes Candlewick Inn, a colonial revival; Trinity Church, built by architect Henry Van Rhyn; and lumber baron homes of the Ewing and Anson families.

West of Highway 64. Reputed to be largest Pomeranian immigrant settlement in the world, this area has lovely forebay barns unique to Lincoln and Marathon Counties. See them from Highway 64 west for about five miles and side roads off Highway 64.

Father Menard Monument [exit DNR]. On Nine Mile Hill, Highway 107, five miles north of Council Grounds. A memorial to the well-known missionary.

River Rat Wood Sculpture: Depicts the life of a logger who guided and sorted logs for the eight sawmills. Located in Stange’s Park on Highway 64.

More Information

Pick up tour guides at the Merrill Historical Museum [exit DNR] or the Chamber of Commerce.

Lincoln County [exit DNR]—Accommodations, activities, dining, events, and more.

For more information, ask Council Grounds State Park, (715) 536-8773.