Discover Chippewa Falls

Chippewa Falls offers several reasons to stay, including river trails, brewery history, museums, and historic sites. If you’re looking for a hotel, these themes can help you choose the focus of your trip. Outdoor activities range from a long, paved rail trail to hikes along a creek; cultural attractions include both individual collections and the history of the city.

River Scenery and Trails

The Old Abe State Trail is 20 miles long and paved. This rail trail follows the undeveloped banks of the Chippewa River; Chippewa Falls is one of the communities along the trail. Its length, surface, and riverside setting give you concrete details to consider when planning your trip.

At Irvine Park & Zoo, visitors can hike scenic trails along Duncan Creek. The park is open year-round and free to access. This lets you distinguish between the 20-mile paved rail trail along the Chippewa River and the scenic trails along Duncan Creek. The two options offer different kinds of scenery.

Brewery History and Taproom

The original Leinenkugel's brewery was founded in Chippewa Falls in 1867. Tours of the historic original brewery begin at the Leinie Lodge. This connects the brewery’s history with a specific starting point for tours.

The Leinenkugel's taproom offers more than 15 different Leinenkugel's beers, available seasonally. Brewery history, tours, and the taproom offer different points of interest: the founding places the site in its historical context, while seasonal availability shapes the selection in the taproom.

Culture, Technology, and Regional History

The Heyde Center for the Arts is a historic building that was saved and restored. It opened its doors to the public in 2000. The building’s history, restoration, and public opening are all part of Chippewa Falls’ cultural story.

The Cray Supercomputer Collection at the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology offers another perspective. It is connected to Cray Research Inc., which Seymour Cray founded in his hometown of Chippewa Falls in 1972. The collection is therefore tied to a specific history of business and technology.

Visitors can explore the Chippewa Area History Center. Its exhibits and artifacts cover lumbering, agriculture, the fur trade, early residents, military history, and firefighting. The center also has an extensive research library. While the Cray collection focuses specifically on technology, the History Center covers a broad range of regional history topics.

Historic Downtown and Events

Downtown has a self-guided historic walking tour, the Historic Walking Tour. Another landmark of the city’s heritage is the Bridge Street Commercial District in downtown Chippewa Falls, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tour offers a self-guided way to explore the city’s history; the listing designates the historic district.

The Northern Wisconsin State Fair is also associated with Chippewa Falls. If you’d like to plan your trip around this celebration, check the event dates as you plan.

Discover more destinations: Cadott, Boyd, Stanley, Lake Hallie, Bloomer.

View the main travel overview: Chippewa County.