Welcome to Downtown Rhinelander!

Visitors to our historic downtown may enjoy the many retail and entertainment venues downtown, or may begin their visit with a historic walking tour to view and read the history of the fine architecture represented by these beautiful structures.

Once you’ve been downtown, you’re bound to return to enjoy shopping and dining in any one of the over 200 businesses downtown or to enjoy one of our many special events and festivals downtown.

The City of Rhinelander, the “Home of the Hodag”, was founded in 1882 as the county seat of Oneida County, Wisconsin. The city, originally known as Pelican Rapids, was built at a site located at the confluence of the Pelican and Wisconsin River.