Public welcomed to tour WPS Powerhouse at open house event

Community members in the Greater Wausau area are invited to visit Clarke Island in downtown Wausau to tour the renovated WPS Powerhouse property from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 24. The open house event is open to the public and will be held to the south of the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce’s historic train depot headquarters at 209 West Washington Street on Clarke Island. Registration is not required.

The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce's Transformational Leadership program kicked off it's 2026-2027 this month with meetings held at the newly reinvented WPS Powerhouse property in downtown Wausau.

This historic Wausau building has been transformed into the Chamber's new Business Innovation Center and Phase 1 of the project is complete.

“We're throwing open the doors so the community can tour the space, learn what's ahead for future phases and celebrate this next chapter of revitalization for downtown Wausau,” said Dave Eckmann, President/CEO of the Chamber. “Whether you're a longtime business owner, a curious neighbor or just love a good historic building comeback story, we'd love to see you there. Bring a friend, take a look around and help us celebrate a piece of Wausau's industrial history, reimagined for the future.”

Several years ago, the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce began a journey to preserve a historical property in downtown Wausau. The WPS Powerhouse on Clarke Island was built in 1904 and faced, like many historical properties in the area before it, a likely demolition.

Many in the community and among the Chamber’s membership encouraged the organization to save this property and a long-standing lease on the building was secured. The first phase of renovation at the WPS Powerhouse is complete and the building’s Workshop event space has already hosted a variety of Chamber programs.

“This is more than restoration, it’s reinvention.” said Eckmann.

Members of the Chamber are invited to attend a Member Appreciation Picnic to be held on Clarke Island on Thursday, September 17. Registration is required for this picnic, not the open house. To learn more or to register, visit WausauChamber.com.

Attendees can park in a limited number of spaces at the depot and the WPS Powerhouse. Additional parking can be found in the downtown library's lower lot, the lots located at the county buildings to the east of the Whitewater course and in the former JCPenney parking ramp.

Visit WausauChamber.com to learn more.