WAUSAU — Wausau will host its third annual Downtown Open House this weekend so residents and visitors alike can experience and explore the city’s social, historic and architectural history.

Downtown Open House, which will be held Saturday, May 19, has nearly doubled in size since it began in 2016, according to a Wausau River District press release. Wausau hosts 13 sites, with various tours and activities including:

  • Andrew Warren Historic District, self-guided tours starting from the Marathon County Historical Society
  • Center for Visual Arts, tour provided by Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks
  • Downtown Grocery, self-guided tour of the re-built building after the fire
  • First Universalist Unitarian Church, talks about the building’s history
  • Marathon County Historical Society, displays related to the 150th anniversary of the fair with History Speaks talk on that topic at 2 p.m. The garden club is hosting a plant sale in the Carriage House in the morning.
  • St. John’s Episcopal Church, tours
  • St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, tours
  • St. Stephen’s Church, tours
  • Stewart Inn, tours
  • Wausau Center mall, exhibit on the mall’s opening day in 1983 and tour provided by Wausau Paranormal Research Society
  • Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, tour provided by Wausau Paranormal Research Society
  • Yawkey House Museum, tours available for purchase
  • YWCA, tours provided by Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks

Maps of all locations can be picked up at the Marathon County Historical Society.

The event is designed to be a family-friendly event, suitable for all ages. It also coincides both with National History Month and Wisconsin’s Creative Economy Week, highlighting the diverse historic and creative heritage in the state.

An interactive map of participating communities, sites and events can be found at https://wedc.org/openhouse/.

A list of participating local sites and activities can be found at the Downtown Open House Facebook Event Page (www.facebook.com/events/576318362748675) and on Wausau River District’s website: www.wausauriverdistrict.org/downtown-open-house.