Woodruff is part of the Lakeland area that also includes Arbor Vitae and Minocqua. It is home to about 2000 residents and is known for having the world’s largest penny, which was created by students in 1953. The penny is made of concrete and weighs over 17,000 pounds. It stands on the grounds of the former Arbor Vitae-Woodruff School and symbolizes one million, seven hundred thousand pennies, which was the first collection that went toward building the Lakeland Memorial Hospital.

Woodruff is home to the Dr. Kate Newcomb Museum. Dr. Kate Newcomb was available any time and she served everyone. She took whatever people could afford to give her for payment, from a check to a beaded buckskin garment, a load of cordwood or a sack of potatoes.

The Art Oehmcke State Fish Hatchery is located in Woodruff and began in 1901. It continues to be one of the only hatcheries still operating in Wisconsin that is responsible for raising and restocking muskellunge, walleye and northern pike in lakes throughout the state.

Woodruff is the center of a flourishing tourist industry and is home to a wide variety of accommodations, attractions and endless four-season outdoor recreational opportunities. Approximately 95 percent of Woodruff is owned by federal, state and county interests and is not available for private sale, ensuring a well-preserved recreational environment for future generations.

Like many of the towns in the north woods area, Woodruff began as a logging community and became a tourist and vacation destination as the logging industry dwindled in the early 20th century. Today highways 51, 70 and 47 pass through or very near the town of Woodruff, making it easily accessible for visitors.