Riverside Park

Riverside Park is gem nestled between the Mississippi River and downtown La Crosse. This 14-acre park has open space as well as ample places to sit and enjoy the beautiful river view. The park hosts many local festivals including Riverfest, a July 4th celebration started in 1983, and the Rotary Lights winter lights show which began in 1995. The Wendell A. Anderson bandstand is the site of many summer concerts. The La Crosse Queen is currently docked at Riverside Park for river tours.

On May 15, 1908, the La Crosse Common Council passed an ordinance creating two park districts and establishing a Board of Park Commissioners, which were to be appointed by Mayor Wendell A. Anderson. This Board selected John Nolen, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as the landscape architect to design the City’s parks. One of the first parks to be developed was Levee Park, which was built by landfilling the area west of Spence Park. Spence Park was named after Thomas H. Spence, who had given the land to the City. Levee Park was created with material dredged from the Main Channel of the Mississippi River. It was dedicated in 1911 and later renamed Riverside Park.

Historical additions to Riverside Park include a cannon placed in the park in July 1918 as a memorial to the USS Maine, and trees planted near the cannon to honor World War Veterans from 1917-1919.

A US Fish Control Laboratory (associated with the Bureau of Fish & Wildlife Services Bureau of Sport Fisheries) was built at the north end of the park in 1924. The Fish Control Laboratory is now called The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) and has moved to French Island.

A memorial bandstand was built to honor Dr. Wendall A. Anderson in 1930. Mayor Anderson was instrumental in creating the parks and playground system in La Crosse and appointed the first Board of Park Commissioners. The bandstand has undergone recent renovations and a band shell was added in 2020.

A fountain in the south end of the park was donated by Jake Hoeschler in 1981.

The eagle sculpture designed and sculpted by local artist Elmer Petersen was placed at State Street by the Mississippi River’s edge in 1986.

Local artist Mike Martino created sculptures of children (2006) and their dog (2009) that can be found overlooking the Mississippi River.

Riverside Park is also the site of the International Friendship Gardens, representing each of La Crosse’s Sister Cities. Certain areas of the Friendship Gardens are available for reservation.