Donations and pledges are tax-deductible and can be made at the Viroqua Area Foundation website or by mail to:

Viroqua Area Foundation
P.O. Box 262
Viroqua, WI 54665

Completed Pledge Forms may also be emailed to: info@ViroquaBathhouseWelcomeCenter.org

Viroqua is the county seat of Wisconsin’s Vernon County. It is a growing tourist destination with no clearly visible visitor information center. The unique, historic bathhouse building, when renovated, will function as a community information center and it will welcome visitors to discover all that the area has to offer.

By providing community and visitors with more information about what’s here, local businesses and organizations will have increased visibility and a better chance of attracting those people to their shops, services, and other offerings.

Viroqua is also a central connection point for 50-plus miles of multi-use recreational trails. The proposed community information center will function as a trailhead and recreational information center for those who come here to hike, bike and explore a range of activities and attractions. 

The 1936 limestone historic building with 16-inch outer walls and 12-inch inner walls will last decades, if not centuries, according to Preservation Architect, Marc Zettler, who evaluated the building in 2022. The restoration and creative use of the historic building, and the welcoming space and information services will speak volumes about the type of community we are.

The City of Viroqua owns the property.

The Viroqua Historic Preservation Commission (VHPC) is in place to identify historic buildings and sites within the City of Viroqua, make recommendations regarding their significance to the community and facilitate opportunities to enhance public knowledge. The VHPC, in cooperation with the Viroqua City Council, formed a volunteer WPA Building Task Force to explore how to best address the future of the WPA Bathhouse Building.  

Aaron Van Loo, a Architectural Technology student at WTC, contacted the VHPC in the fall of 2022 and made his capstone project, a renovation plan for the WPA Bathhouse Building, available to the commission. Aaron’s project design, complete with floorplan and computer images, showed the WPA Bathhouse renovated into a four-season building.

Christina Dollhausen and Karen Innis, members of the WPA Building Task Force, conducted surveys of community members in the spring of 2023 to determine how the building could best serve the community. The results were that there was a need for accessible public restrooms, a visitor and community information center, a Bike Trailhead, and a space that could accommodate small public or private events.

Mike Adler of River Architects of La Crosse was then asked to visit the site. Based on the survey results, he provided plans, a cost estimate, and the computer images that are on the website. Aaron Parker, architect and member of the WPA Building Task Force, made some additions to Mike’s floorplan, which is shown below.

The WPA is the most famous of the post-depression era work-relief programs implemented by Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. It employed more than 8.5 million skilled and unskilled people in projects across the country—many of which were public works such as creating parks and building roads, bridges, schools and other public structures. Viroqua’s Bathhouse was built by local WPA workers from limestone quarried just outside of Viroqua. We would love to hear from local families whose present or previous generations took part in this building’s history.

The pool was closed in 2004. A portion of the shallow end of the pool and the land north of the pool was sold to the Eagles Club in 2009. The entire pool area was filled in in 2015. Rebuilding the pool is no longer an option.

This project is focused on restoring and repurposing the existing historic building to best serve the community. (Those seeking a pool should check out the Bigley Pool, located adjacent to the Viroqua Middle School. It provides the community with a number of classes and aquatic activities.)

This project is focused on restoring and repurposing this existing historic building to best serve the community. A splash pad, gardens with a fountain, paths with picnic tables and benches, an amphitheater—all are possibilities for the future.

The Community Garden is a program developed by the McIntosh Memorial Library in partner with several organizations to provide educational experiences for children and benefits for local elders. This program is supported by grant funding and may continue to grow. We look forward to working in concert with the library to support preexisting and future programs to better serve the community.

We estimate that $730,000 would cover the projected cost to restore and repurpose the building for year-round use, including furnishings, technology, programming and service needs. The City of Viroqua has allocated $238,500 for the project; the WPA Building Task Force will apply for a Community Development Investment (CDI) grant, requiring another $242,000 in local matching funds to be eligible for an award of $250,000; and we continue to seek grants and gather pledges or donations from individuals, businesses and organizations to reach the overall goal. The Task Force would like to see construction begin in 2025.

The City of Viroqua has allocated $238,500 for the project. WPA Building Task Force members and other individuals have already made pledges or donations toward our goal.   See Fundraising Update for more information.

SPREAD THE WORD – Tell everyone you know what you have learned about this project and keep checking the website for updates. If you hear a rumor, don’t let it spread—check facts with a Task Force Member and send others to the website, too.

DONATE or MAKE A PLEDGE – Make your individual tax-deductible donations or 3-year pledges of any amount toward the $242,000 goal to fulfill the project vision.

VOLUNTEER – There will be many opportunities to participate in the project, so let us know how to reach you and what you like to do.

SHARE YOUR STORY - We would love to hear why you are excited about this project and from all whose present or previous generations took part in this building’s history. Tell us your stories! Share photos and artwork (link to download stories/images) to share with us as we bring the building back to life!