Neillsville Memorial Home in Neillsville, WI

Pros

• It is one of the best places to honor those who gave their lives for freedom.
• The memorial is beautiful, serene, and peaceful.
• The Highground is a moving and humbling experience for veterans and visitors alike.
• It is a must-see experience for veterans and their families.
• The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming.
• Admission and parking are free.
• It is a wonderful tribute to veterans and a healing, beautiful site.
• Ringing the bell is a memorable highlight for visitors.
• The setting is beautiful with numerous memorials honoring servicemen and women.
• The displays are impressive and expansive, with nice landscaping and views.
• It is an awesome, powerful experience that honors those who served.
• It is a memorable and emotional place to visit.

Cons

• The reviewer found the bell to be loud.

Review

This community is best suited for veterans and their families, along with anyone who values a contemplative, patriotic experience that blends history, architecture, and natural beauty. The Highground Veterans Memorial Park in Neillsville, Wisconsin, functions as a powerful, non-residential tribute rather than a care facility. It offers a thoughtful walk through memory and meaning, with a collection of war memorials set in serene grounds that invite quiet reflection, education, and a sense of reverent connection to those who served. Visitors consistently describe it as beautiful, moving, and surprisingly expansive, with the added bonus that admission and parking are free, underscoring its community-driven ethos.

Who may want to consider alternatives? Those seeking a place to house a loved one or provide ongoing daily living assistance should look elsewhere. This is not a senior living community, nor a campus that delivers caregiving, structured programming, or medical supervision. While most monuments are ramped and handicap accessible, the park's outdoor, expansive layout and solemn tone can be demanding for individuals with limited mobility or those who require predictable daily routines. For families exploring residential options or care plans, prioritize options that offer staffed assistance, social activities, and robust on-site services rather than a destination whose primary mission is remembrance and education.

The strongest pros here offset the potential drawbacks in meaningful, tangible ways. The park’s beauty, scale, and carefully curated memorials create a profoundly somber and uplifting experience that resonates long after a visit. It is volunteer-funded, with no government money involved, which many find affirming because the care and maintenance come from a community invested in honoring service. Accessibility is a clear asset, with most memorials designed to accommodate visitors who rely on wheelchairs or walkers, and the grounds prize sort of meditative calm that makes it easy to linger. A living element that amplifies the impact is the museum addition in progress and the presence of informed staff and a retired Marine-led tour, which helps visitors engage deeply with each memorial’s story. The combination of free access, open grounds, and a focus on healing through remembrance makes the experience far more than a simple monument tour.

To maximize the experience, approach the day with time to absorb. Plan for a visit that can range from a brief 30-minute stop to several hours, depending on the pace of reflection desired. Take advantage of guided offerings, whether a docent-led tour or a veteran-hosted explanation, to gain context for the displays and the significance of each memorial. Ring the bell, as many guests say, to honor those who served; explore the museum addition when open, and don’t miss the thoughtful presentation that juxtaposes different conflicts, like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, alongside older memorials. The grounds are well-kept, with ample benches and landscape views that invite contemplation, and the gift shop offers mementos for lasting remembrance. The overall experience is described as solemn, uplifting, and deeply personal.

From a decision-making perspective, the park’s key attractions are affordable access, a highly moving environment, and a strong, volunteer-driven sense of stewardship. The absence of government funding speaks to a grassroots commitment that many families find reassuring; it also means a potential for variability in scheduling or staffing, so checking ahead for guided tours or museum hours is prudent. For seniors or families weighing options, this site is an ideal one-day or multi-visit adjunct to other activities, especially for those who want to honor veterans, deepen historical understanding, or provide a quiet, reflective excursion. It is not a substitute for assisted living or aging-in-place services, but it is an exceptionally meaningful supplement for those who value memory, honor, and community contribution.

In the final analysis, The Highground stands out as a premier, virtually unique tribute that honors service with beauty, dignity, and a palpable sense of national gratitude. It is a rare destination where veterans, families, educators, and history enthusiasts converge to reflect, learn, and pay tribute in a space that feels both humbling and inspiring. For those looking for a cost-free, accessible, emotionally resonant experience that honors those who sacrificed for freedom, this is a top-tier choice. It is less suitable for anyone needing a living environment with caregiving supports, ongoing daily programming, or indoor residential amenities. When the goal is meaningful remembrance and peaceful contemplation, The Highground delivers with authority, clarity, and the quiet power of a community that continues to honor its legacy through hands-on generosity and careful stewardship.

Hospitals

• Memorial Medical Center (0 miles)

Places of Worship

• Calvary Lutheran Church (0.1 miles)
• Wels (0.2 miles)
• St John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Wels (0.2 miles)
• General Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists (0.5 miles)
• Assembly of God Church (0.6 miles)
• Hillside Community Church (0.6 miles)
• Jehovah's Witnesses (1 miles)

Transportation

• Abby Vans (0.2 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (0.8 miles)
• Badgerland Taxidermy (2.4 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (2.6 miles)
• Neillsville Municipal Airport (VIQ) (4.5 miles)
• Neillsville Taxi Cab (4.7 miles)
• Stoiber Plumbing (18.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Green Lantern Tavern (0.5 miles)
• A&W Restaurant (0.6 miles)
• Schmitty's On Main (0.6 miles)
• Drippy Creek Saloon II (0.6 miles)
• Donna's Cozy Kitchen (0.6 miles)
• Subway (0.6 miles)
• King House Chinese Restaurant (0.6 miles)

Parks

• Neillsville Recreation Department (0.6 miles)
• Cliff's Park (0.8 miles)
• The Highground (2.9 miles)
• Snyder County Park (5.7 miles)
• Greenwood Park (15.5 miles)
• Greenwood County Park (15.5 miles)
• North Mead Lake County Park (18 miles)

Pharmacies

• Sniteman Pharmacy (0.6 miles)

Cafes

• The Thirsty Bookworm (0.6 miles)
• Kow Kickin' Cafe (14.7 miles)
• Wilemans Cafe (20 miles)

Physicians

• Marshfield Clinic Greenwood Center (14 miles)
• Memorial Medical Center (14 miles)