Watch this report tonight on TMJ4 News at 10 p.m.
DOOR COUNTY, Wis. — A Wisconsin tradition is back in business and it is a bigger hit than ever.
Eagle Tower has been a part of Door County for more than 100 years.
Until this year, it was a place off-limits to anyone unable to climb to the top.
That has now changed, giving people of all abilities a wonderful way to see the beauty around them.
Eagle Tower re-opened in May with the addition of an 850-foot long ramp.
That makes this tourist stop accessible to those with mobility issues for the first time.
The first Eagle Tower was built in 1914 and stood 76 feet tall.
Conceived as a fire watch tower, it eventually became a tourist attraction.
It was re-built in 1932, one foot shorter than the original.
This one lasted for generations - until 2015, when it became unsafe and was closed.
Today's Eagle Tower is 60 feet high and built of engineered lumber, concrete and steel.
The ramp means someone in a wheelchair does not need to wait at the bottom.
Getting to this point took six years and $3.7 million.
The payoff is easy to see.
This tourist stop is more popular than ever, welcoming buses from senior living centers and all those mini-vans full of moms and dads and kids.
Eagle Tower is now so popular the DNR is looking to expand parking.
