Mosinee's industrial roots giving way to a welcoming environment
The small town of Mosinee was once a lumber and paper mill community in the center of Wisconsin. The old mill still sits along the Wisconsin River, now next to riverside parks and trails in a growing community. “We put on a lot of different community events, so we see a lot of the same people and the entire community gets involved,” says Toni Jolin, administrative director for the Mosinee Chamber of Commerce. "It's just a great way for people to come together." New construction is especially prevalent on the edge of town. Further, Mosinee is home to regional airport, so residents don't have to drive out to Green Bay or Milwaukee to connect to bigger cities in the Midwest.
Riverside parks and trails and other ways to get outside in Mosinee
The Wisconsin River goes down the center of the community, creating the Mosinee Flowage and Armory Bay just north of downtown. “I don’t want to call it a reservoir, but the river juts out towards a lake and then continues out beyond the city. There’s a lot of fishing and boating,” Jolin says. However, she also emphasizes that the retired paper mill still takes up a good portion of riverside real estate, preventing recreational development in its current state. River Park is along the shoreline, offering two public boat launches and a fishing pier. On land, there’s also volleyball and horseshoe courts, a playground and a nature trail through the woods. The Purple Circle Multi-Use Trail for pedestrians and cyclists stretches for 1.5 miles along the river. Mosinee City Recreation Center includes a football field, two baseball diamonds and an indoor hockey rink. Indianhead Golf Course is an 18-hole course that’s open to the public.
Historic 1900s homes close to downtown through new construction
Historic homes from the early 1900s, like Nationals, huddle closer to downtown, where older trees hug the street and cast shade over front lawns. Spreading out from the center of town, ranch-style homes built in the 1950s and ‘60s line the streets along with younger trees and saplings. On the outskirts and eastern side of town, new construction featuring 2024 and 2025 New Traditionals are becoming more common. Homes across Mosinee range from $160,000 to $420,000, with the newer homes representing the higher end of the range.
Mosinee's local restarants and ice cream parlors
On the far side of the river from downtown, Pinewood Supper Club overlooks Half Moon Lake. The building is historic, dating back to the early 1900s, but today it serves seafood and steak. In town, Pit Stop Bar and Grill offers typical American pub fare, like burgers and pizzas. It also has its own sports leagues, from darts and pool to horseshoes and softball. In the summer, people can cool down with a 1-pound soft-serve cone from Briq’s Soft Serve. “A lot of the local businesses that have been started by local people stay and they keep getting passed on to more locals,” Jolin says. For grocery pickups, Piggly Wiggly is in town, but Sam’s Club, Aldi and Walmart are about 11 miles away in Wausau.
The Chamber of Commerce's summer and winter traditions
For the 4th of July, the community gathers in River Park for live music, food trucks and activities for the kids. Horseshoe and cornhole tournaments bring a fun, competitive vibe. At dusk, the town shoots off fireworks over the lake. “And then we do a Christmas vendor market in the high school, and it’s a day-long thing,” Jolin says. “People do last-minute Christmas shopping.”
Mosinee's public schools offer a way to connect with the community
Mosinee Elementary School teaches prekindergarten through third grade students. Both it and Mosinee Middle School receive B ratings from Niche. Mosinee High School receives a B-minus and offers plenty of clubs, from drama and yoga to forensics and trapshooting. “There’s a lot of involvement in the schools — it’s very kid friendly,” Jolin says. “You’ll meet people at the high school sports or the arts, like dance and community theater.”
Interstate 39's connectivity and flights at Wisconsin Central Airport
While most of what residents need is on the western side of the Wisconsin River, Main Street has the only bridge over the waterway. Interstate 39 is on the other side of the river from the majority of Mosinee, connecting the community with Wausau, about 16 miles north. The nearest medical facility is also here, where Aspirus Wausau Hospital is about 15 miles away. On the other side of the interstate, an industrial park sits along Mosinee’s airport — Central Wisconsin Airport. The hub offers American Airlines flights to Chicago O’Hare and Delta Air Lines flights to Minneapolis.
Written By
Caroline Ernst
