Wausau, WI Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., all city parks
- Enforcing agency
- Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation & Forestry Dept.
- Shelter/event exception
- Stays allowed until midnight or per event agreement
- 24-hour exemptions
- River Edge Trail, 400 Block walkways, boat landings
- First-offense forfeiture
- $10 to $200 under Section 1.01.110
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 61-5983, March 11, 2025
Summary
Wausau closes every city park from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. under Municipal Code Section 9.20.020(3). The Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department enforces the closure, with exceptions for shelter renters, permitted special events allowed to stay until midnight, and travelers on the River Edge Trail, walkways across The 400 Block, and boat-landing traffic at any hour.
No person shall enter or be in any park between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Persons in attendance of an activity involving rental of a shelter or participation in a sanctioned special event shall be allowed to remain within the park until Midnight or as allowed by the event agreement. Persons traveling on the River Edge Trail or on walkways traversing The 400 Block and persons transporting watercraft to and from designated boat landings are permitted at any hour.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
020(3) of the Wausau Municipal Code, adopted March 11, 2025 by Ordinance No. m. The rule applies to every park, boulevard, triangle, swimming pool and privately owned land placed under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Committee, a five-member body that governs Wausau parkland jointly with Marathon County through the Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department under an intergovernmental services agreement and Wis. Stat. 075(1). Three carve-outs keep the curfew from trapping legitimate park users. Anyone renting a shelter or attending a sanctioned special event may stay until midnight, or later if the event agreement says so.
People passing through on the River Edge Trail, on walkways crossing The 400 Block downtown, or hauling watercraft to and from a designated boat landing are exempt at any hour of the night. m. 100(q).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 9.20 sets no separate forfeiture for a curfew violation, so Section 1.01.110 governs: a first offense costs a forfeiture of not less than $10.00 nor more than $200.00, rising to at least $25.00 for a repeat conviction. Each night a person unlawfully remains in a park is a separate offense, and staff can also exclude a violator from future use of the facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stay in a Wausau park past 11 p.m. if I rented a shelter?
Does the curfew apply to the River Edge Trail?
What happens if I'm caught in a Wausau park after curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wausau
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Park Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Marathon County handle park curfew.