Chippewa Falls: River Trails, History and Brewing Culture

Chippewa Falls can be explored from many different angles: a paved rail trail follows the undeveloped banks of the Chippewa River, while historic buildings, museums and the history of a long-established brewery offer more to discover. You can tailor your stay to your travel group’s interests—with time outdoors, excursions into local history or insights into technology and beer culture.

River Landscapes and Outdoor Trails

The Old Abe State Trail is 20 miles long and paved. Chippewa Falls is one of the communities along this rail trail, which follows the undeveloped banks of the Chippewa River. Its length and paved surface give you a concrete reference point for planning your day, without requiring you to estimate a specific walking or riding time. If you want to include nature and exercise in your trip, you can make the trail a focus of your visit.

Irvine Park & Zoo offers another way to spend time outdoors: visitors can hike scenic trails along Duncan Creek. The park and zoo are open year-round and free to visit. This gives you a dedicated place for walks in addition to the long rail trail. Which option best suits your stay depends on whether you want to focus on the trail or the paths along the creek.

Local History and Technological Discoveries

Chippewa Falls’s history can also be seen in a variety of ways. The Heyde Center for the Arts is a historic building that was saved and restored; it opened its doors to the public in 2000. Downtown, the Bridge Street Commercial District is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For an independent exploration, there is a self-guided historic city tour, the Historic Walking Tour. The buildings, district and walking tour each offer a different way to discover local history.

Those interested in the region’s past can visit the Chippewa Area History Center. Its exhibits and artifacts cover the lumber industry, agriculture, the fur trade, early residents, military history and firefighting. The Center also has an extensive research library. The range of topics means history is not limited to a single area: it spans everything from economic activities to community and military history.

At the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology, the Cray Supercomputer Collection is connected to Cray Research Inc. Seymour Cray founded the company in his hometown of Chippewa Falls in 1972. This connection also makes the city of interest to visitors interested in the history of technology and the development of computers.

Brewing History and Local Celebrations

The original historic Leinenkugel's Brewery was founded in Chippewa Falls in 1867. Tours of the historic original brewery start at the Leinie Lodge. More than 15 different Leinenkugel's beers are available seasonally in the Leinenkugel's Taproom. The brewery’s history and the taproom offer two different reasons to explore local beer culture; seasonal availability applies to the beers in the taproom.

The Northern Wisconsin State Fair is another celebration associated with Chippewa Falls. Together with the museums, historic sites and outdoor activities, it offers a range of themes to explore during your stay. When looking for a vacation rental, you can start by considering which experiences matter most to your travel group: the river and trails, history and technology, or brewing culture.

Discover More Places

Other places at the same level: Lake Hallie, Stanley, Bloomer, Boyd, Cadott.

Return to the higher-level travel overview: Chippewa County.