La Crosse's central business district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and included 96 buildings. Take a self-guided walking tour of the commercial historic district by picking up a map at the La Crosse Visitor's Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, or any hotel.
In addition to character-filled downtown structures, La Crosse residences display a variety of architectural styles including Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Victorian Queen Anne, Elizabethan-Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Neo-Classical Revival--just to name a few. The four buildings listed below are the most popular historical sites in the city.
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Christ Episcopal Church
111 N. Ninth St.
www.christchurchlacrosse.org
Built in 1898, this church is a beautiful mash up of European styles. It features Romanesque Revival architecture, Gothic cruciform shape, and Italian Renaissance interior. Notable features include an elaborate Tiffany window depicting "The Transfiguration of Christ," a bishop's spire, and a bishop's throne.
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Hixon House
429 N. 7th St.
www.lchsweb.org
The Hixon House is a beautiful look back in time at an authentic Victorian home. Begun in 1859 by lumber baron Gideon Hixon, this Italianate house features beautiful woodwork and lavish interior decoration. His wife, Ellen, decorated the Hixon House in the Aesthetic fashion, and it has been preserved much as it was after its last remodeling and redecoration around 1900. The Hixon House has approximately 90‰ of its original furnishings, making it unusual among historic houses. It is a National Historic Landmark.
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St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral
530 Main St.
www.cathedralsjworkman.org
This traditional Gothic cathedral is the church of the bishop. It contains 12 burial vaults for city bishops, two chapels, and a 1,500-pound bronze canopy over the Bottician marble altar. Also of note are beautiful stained-glass windows depicting Wisconsin's Catholic heritage and a relief carving of St. Joseph the Workman above the main entrance.
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St. Rose Convent
715 S. Ninth St.
www.fspa.org
The Chapel of Angles is recognized as one of the most beautiful chapels in the United States. The Convent is one of the most popular historical sites in La Crosse. St. Rose Convent has been the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration since 1871.
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