Photos of the Chippewa Valley

Each of our four seasons offers its own special beauty and flavor. From winter cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and sleighing to autumn harvesting and apple-picking, the seasons parade their unique personalities and opportunities for enjoying life in west central Wisconsin.

Chippewa Falls has the purest water in the world, determined by comparative tests by an independent laboratory. Each year the community celebrates this designation the second week of August with a parade and weekend of fun activities. The Chippewa Springs Corporation bottles the water of Chippewa's famous Big Eddy Springs for worldwide distribution.

This view shows the main street of Chippewa Falls with the Chippewa River in the foreground. The population is 13,515 and it was incorporated as a city in 1869. Their mission statement is "The City of Chippewa Falls has much to offer to its citizens and visitors. We enjoy an outstanding environment to raise our families, work in and retire to. The mission of the City of Chippewa Falls, Mayor, Council, Commissioners and employees is to enhance this lifestyle. We want to continue to foster a healthy quality of life, provide a safe, vibrant, caring and sustainable community through municipal services and legislative actions. Chippewa Falls is truly a great community! Take some time to enjoy what we have to offer!"

The beautiful Chippewa Valley is highly diversified with many agricultural, industrial, residential and recreational areas. Combined with excellent educational facilities and a low crime rate, it is an advantageous location for family living.

Chippewa Falls is known as the Christmas City. The Christmas Village display in Irvine Park, one of the finest in the state with over 25,000 lights in its Christmas scenes, draws spectators from miles away. A Christmas Parade is held in the downtown area the first weekend in every December.

Experience the Grand Life-Style of the Lumber Era with a Guided Tour of the Cook-Rutledge Mansion. This 1887 restored and furnished lumber baron's home is truly unique. The Cook-Rutledge Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the finest remaining examples of High Victorian Italianate architecture in Wisconsin. Cook-Rutledge Mansion Online

Glen Lock Dam provides one of the many beautiful scenes in Irvine Park, over 300 acres of natural beauty, historical displays, zoo, and picnicing and camping facilities within the city limits. The park also has playground, softball and baseball, basketball, and tennis facilities. The Bernard Willi Pool is adjacent to the park along with the only public rose garden between Madison, WI and the Twin Cities.

Chippewa Falls has many residential areas, from restored old homes on the West Hill to upscale developments on Summit Avenue and lakeside homes on Lake Wissota and the Chippewa River. Residents appreciate the high quality of life combined with some of the lowest construction, utility and food prices in the United States.

Beautiful Lake Wissota has a surrounding population of about 7,000 people. Its 6,300 acres of water provide superb recreational activities. Along the upper reaches of the lake, Wissota State Park offers swimming, hiking, snowmobiling and cross country skiing trails, and camping facilities.

Leinenkugel's Brewery Co., Chippewa Falls' oldest industry founded is 1867, works at capacity to produce a fine line of specialty beers. Their Hospitality Center and brewery tours draw many tourists each year. Fine woolen goods available at the historic Chippewa's Woolen Shop and the offerings of Chippewa's arts and crafts and antique stores also draw discriminating shoppers. Leinie Online

Chippewa Falls' historic "Main Street" offers safe streets, friendly gathering places, and small town ambiance. The city won the "Great American Main Street" Award in 1996 and was chosen by Time magazine as one of America's top ten small towns in 1997. Main Street Online

The historic "Main Street" area of Chippewa Falls is a friendly, picturesque, traditional "old-time downtown" comprised of over 200 stores, restaurants, churches, banks, government buildings and other businesses which is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Flowers bedeck the area during summer months.

Chippewa Falls has one of the finest school systems in the country, from daycare and preschool programs through both public and parochial middle and high school to one of the finest technical schools in the state. Wisconsin State University campuses in nearby Eau Claire and Menomonie also provide programs and activities for Chippewa Falls children and youth.

Though maintaining its historical heritage, Chippewa Falls also reflects contemporary architecture, technology, industry, and services. The city police station provides the security our smaller mid-western communities are renowned for.

There are over thirty churches in the Chippewa Falls area. The Presbyterian Church pictured here, the oldest Protestant church in Chippewa Falls, opened in 1857. The first Catholic church opened in 1856. The Chippewa Valley provides worship opportunities for a variety of faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Unitarian and Islam.

The many small professional offices in the community provide a high level of professional and commercial services. Residents are proud of the city's and county's high level of health care provided by area practitioners, clinics, and St. Joseph's hospital. Chippewa Falls also maintains a high degree of volunteerism facilitating community service and humanitarianism.

This restored Soo Line engine was part of the history of the railroads in the Chippewa Valley

The Chippewa Falls area offers many year-round recreational activities for the entire family, including several golf courses (with more than thirty in the Chippewa Valley region), bowling, YMCA, Wissota State Park, and tri-county biking paths. The Bernard Willi Pool provides a six lane competitive swim area, a water slide, and a special activities area for small children.