where the St. Croix and the Mississippi Rivers meet
 Prescott was settled in 1840 and was described as the "mouth of the St. Croix." It received its official name in 1851 apparently in honor of Philander Prescott, a fur trapper who built a cabin on the site where the City of Prescott now stands. He held claim on 1200 acres for soldiers from Fort Snelling, MN at the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Prescott became a center for river shipping, steamboat transportation and milling. Immigrants arrived via the steamboats and settled lands in MN and WI.
 Prescott offers a variety of parks and places of public interest. Freedom Park, the biggest in the city, added the Great River Road Learning Center in 2006. The Public Beach is located on Lake Street, and Minnesota entertains another one just outside of Prescott on Highway 10. Areas along the rivers invite strolls and picnics, other places such as Bell Park and two public beaches are available to the community. A public dock sponsored by the City of Prescott offers easy access to downtown and the public boat launch has adjacent parking for vehicles with trailers. The St. Croix is designated a National Scenic Waterway, administered by the National Park Service.
 Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy boating, canoeing, golfing, hiking, biking, shopping and swimming. In the winter, snow-mobiling, skiing and snowboarding are favorite past-times. The public beach is located on Lake Street on the St. Croix River. There are lifeguards on duty during the summer season. The hours the beach is open and lifeguards are on duty will be posted. A public handicapped accessible fishing dock is maintained in Prescott, and a boat launch is convieniently located on Front Street.
The renovated Welcome and Heritage Center houses the Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce and Prescott Area Historical Society. A multi-dimensional center, it offers exhibits highlighting local heritage, along with maps, brochures, and traveler information about Pierce County and its surrounding areas. The displays depict aspects of the rich history of this river and farm community which was the earliest European settlement in the county. The building housing the Center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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