Chippewa Falls is a beautiful city, nestled along a valley next to the Chippewa River. The city’s beginnings date back to the lumber rush of the mid-to-late 1800’s, where lumber companies came to make their fortune in the deep Northwoods. Plenty of evidence from that era remains, including many wonderfully-restored homes and buildings. However, much of Chippewa Falls’ charm is produced by the very same thing that drew the lumber barons here in the 1800’s and the indigenous peoples well before them – the breath-taking abundance of nature enveloping our city. Amongst these beautiful woods and waters, you will find much to offer including parks, golf courses and water activities. Additionally, there are a host of festivals, parades and special events held in Chippewa Falls all year round. Listed below are some truly “standout” features within minutes of McGilvray’s. For a more thorough exploration of the Chippewa Valley, please visit some of the sites created for that very purpose, accessible from our links page.
In 1906, local lumberman William Irvine donated land to the city of Chippewa Falls for a park to be used by all. Over a century later, Irvine Park remains one of the premier features of our fine city. The park encompasses 318 acres and includes a zoo, pavillions and picnic areas, numerous playgrounds, Glen Loch dam, a 100-year-old schoolhouse and miles of hiking/skiing trails. There is no better place to spend a beautiful afternoon.
A resevoir formed by the damming of the Chippewa River in 1917, Lake Wissota is a large (9 sq miles) recreational lake just a few minutes from downtown Chippewa Falls. The lake is a popular spot for swimming, boating, water-skiing and fishing in the summer and an ice-fishing destination in the winter. The north end of the lake houses
Lake Wissota State Park. The Chippewa River, south of downtown, is also a great fishing spot and a popular stretch for floating down the river, as evidenced by the annual FATFAR event.
All around the “West Hill” of Chppewa Falls, where McGilvray’s is located, one can find numerous old Victorian-era houses built by the lumber barons who help populate our city in the latter half of the 19th century. No better example of this can be found than The Cook-Rutledge Mansion, located mere blocks from McGilvray’s. This beautiful, fully-restored home, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the finest examples of High Victorian Italianate architecture left in Wisconsin. Tours are given in the summer and over the holiday season. Please see the
Cook-Rutledge website for more details.
