Rain or shine, hot or cold, the Wausau Area is full of fun things for you to do as a family.

Located within the tall pines of Marathon Park, the Junction has been a favorite summer stop for 50 years. Take a spin on the carousel or book passage on the Coca-Cola Choo Choo, a miniature-train ride. Test your skills on their video games or challenge the windmill on the miniature golf course.

Not just pools, these are water parks complete with slides, fountains and all kinds of cool water fun. Choose from the Rothschild/Schofield Aquatic Center or the Weston Aquatic Center. For year round fun, the Lodge at Cedar Creek offers day passes to the 50,000 sq. ft. water park!

You're probably familiar with the red barn type of operation. Meet the Dairy of the new Millennium at the Van Der Geest Dairy Farm. Home to 3,000 cattle, this state-of-the-art facility milks the cows three times daily with the help of only five pairs of hands. Take a self-guided tour of this amazing dairy farm located northwest of Wausau on County Highway A. Open seven days a week from 8 AM to 6 PM. 715-675-3953.

If you're in Downtown Wausau, treat yourself to a local summer favorite that visitors and residents have enjoyed for more than 50 years. Located on Third Street is the famous red wagon where you can find freshly popped popcorn. Chip's Popcorn wagon can cool you down too, with a special Hawaiian Shaved Ice or hand-scooped ice cream.

Grab the lawn chairs, load the cooler, and stake out your place early. From June through August you can enjoy great music served up in open-air concerts. On Thursdays, the Wausau City Band presents an evening of well-known favorites. The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum hosts several concerts in their outdoor sculpture garden. Weekly concerts are held in Downtown Wausau, and a few special concerts will be held at the amphitheater on the top of Rib Mountain. Check with the Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau for a current schedule.

Help Woody the Woodchuck cheer the home team on to victory! The Wisconsin Woodchucks play afternoon and evening games throughout the summer in historic Athletic Park. Woody keeps the crowd entertained and, of course, there's plenty of hot dogs, peanuts, and cold beverages. It's the Great American Pastime - and we're passionate about our home team! See ad on page 8.

See Mother Nature at her best high atop Rib Mountain State Park or on the Mylonite cliffs of The Dells of the Eau Claire Park. There's plenty of room to picnic at our county parks and the great views come complimentary with each table. In addition to play areas for the kids, most parks offer additional activities like hiking, biking, fishing, or swimming.

Now here's something you don't see everyday! A world competition level whitewater kayak/canoe course right in Downtown Wausau. Settle down on a bench and watch one of the many competitions that take place each summer at Whitewater Park.

Each season the Grand Theater hosts several productions designed to be fun for the whole family. Touring shows and local talent light up the stage from August through June each year.

When the weather is bad, take the fun indoors to one of our many bowling centers. 

Art Park is a new activity-filled learning area for children and families at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. In this new area you will find art and nature-based activities set into trees and rolling hills that invite downtime with a book or playing a game of I Spy. Try on bird costumes, make puppets come alive, check out the mystery of the unfinished paintings, see if you can build a bird's wing, and much more!

Crunch through piles of leaves and witness our spectacular Fall Colors in late September and early October. Find your way through a corn maze or drop a line to catch the last fish of the season. Don't pass up your chance to become German for a day at Octoberfest or sample one of our other fall events.

Up here in the Northwoods, we're at our best in the winter. Learn how to ski at Granite Peak, 9 Mile Forest, or go tubing at Sylvan Hill. Bring the snowmobiles and explore the 750 miles of trails in Marathon County. Not enough? See page 50 for snowshoeing, sledding, and ice-skating.