People gathered near a waterfall with a stone building - historic mills

Self-guided · metro area, Wisconsin

Historic Mills in Wausau, WI

Gristmills, sawmills and textile mills near you, many on the creeks that gave the towns their start.

The Wausau, WI metro area has about 139,432 residents, ranking 305th in the country. Some of these sites are open to visitors, some are private, and some are ruins. All of them are on the record, and all of them can be seen from the public way.

Old wooden mill with water wheel by rocky stream - historic mills — Photo: Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash

A water mill with a waterfall in the background - historic mills — Photo: Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

Old gristmill by a waterfall in autumn - historic mills — Photo: Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash

On the record near Wausau, WI

The 12 nearest

15 listed sites on the record match historic mills within 120 miles of Wausau, WI, out of 31 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Rising Star Flouring Mill36 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Nelsonville · listed 2018National Register of Historic Places
Crescent Roller Mills50 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Waupaca · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
Dells Mill76 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Augusta · listed 1974National Register of Historic Places
Courtney, J. B., Woolen Mills77 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Appleton · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
Appleton Woolen Mills77 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Appleton · listed 2016National Register of Historic Places
Eagle Paper and Flouring Mill82 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Kakauna · listed 2015National Register of Historic Places
Reedsburg Woolen Mill Office100 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Reedsburg · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
Rock Mill102 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Maribel · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Kiel Mill107 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Kiel · listed 2022National Register of Historic Places
Paramount Knitting Company Mill111 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Beaver Dam · listed 2011National Register of Historic Places
Robinson-Herrling Sawmill112 miles from the center of Wausau · Site · Greenbush · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
Glenbeulah Mill/Grist Mill112 miles from the center of Wausau · Building · Glenbeulah · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Wausau, WI. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historic Mills in Wausau, step by step

1
See every listed site of this kind in the area
2
Sort by distance and pick the closest few
3
Read the record for the year, the builder and the use
4
View from the public way and note what has changed
5
Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Wausau, WI ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Wausau, WI?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Wausau

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Wausau, WI the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Wausau, WI are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.