Photo from Polk County Tourism 2025
When was the last time you played tourist in your own town? Polk County Tourism has launched a campaign promoting the hidden gems of our area, inviting you to “Experience it All.” It’s time to explore Polk County like it’s your hometown. We even have a new digital guidebook for our guests which will help you feel like a local.
Every week when I update our event calendar, I am awed by the special things that are happening here. From educational programs at the magnificent Interstate Park to musicians from the Twin Cities coming up here to perform. This is a great reminder about why we chose this area to live and start our business. And a great reminder about why you should visit the St. Croix River Valley.
Outdoor Fun
Experience it all through: “Agritourism” at our farmer’s markets and orchards. Athletic endeavors from golf to rock climbing. Water sports of all kinds: canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding here on Poplar Lake or the wild and scenic St. Croix River (a National Park treasure.) Plus, St. Croix Falls is called the City of Trails for a very good reason. Check out Six Hikes to Try in Polk County. If you are not up for planning your own outdoor adventure, we have resources for guides who will lead you.
Indoor Fun
Experience it all with activities that are not dependent on the weather. Visit our art galleries and maker spaces, our museums from art to history, and several live theater companies, including the St. Croix Festival Theater, now performing in the newly restored St. Croix Falls Historic Auditorium.
Find retail therapy for all your needs. Cute, locally-owned boutiques like the Unique Boutique in a lovingly restored old bank in St. Croix Falls. Vintage stores like The Looking Glass in Osceola with two floors of everything vintage, classic candy, and ice cream. Chocolate lovers will have to stop at Valley Sweets in St. Croix Falls for delicious treats made on-site. We are even home to “Northwestern Wisconsin’s premier motorcycle leather store,” Croixland Leather Works, in Osceola.
And of course, we have restaurants, wineries, and tap rooms to satisfy every taste: classic Wisconsin supper clubs, cafes with sustainable comfort food crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, bars with fries cut from the potato right at the fryer.
Your Hometown
I had a college friend who lived in suburban St. Louis and when I visited, I wanted to go to the Arch. When he told me that he hadn’t been there in 15 years, I was surprised. A marvel of architecture right in his backyard and he never went? When we lived in the Twin CIties, our family welcomed the opportunity to visit all the statues when the “Peanuts on Parade” occurred each summer in St. Paul from 2000 to 2004. The kids were young and we traveled the city by bus and car to photograph them with every statue. What better way to see the city!
Wherever you live, take a look around and find your own hidden gems and “Experience it All.” See your hometown through the eyes of a tourist. You will be surprised what you find.