The Chippewa Valley Museum (Carson Park, Eau Claire) aims to connect people to the community and inspire curiosity by collecting, preserving, and sharing our region’s historical and cultural resources. The Chippewa Valley Museum also coordinates with community members to create unique exhibits, allowing residents to tell their own stories with help from professionals. The region’s second favorite museum, according to this year’s poll, is the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire (220 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire), an educational and interactive environment for kids and grown-ups. It’s a venue that features non-traditional learning opportunities, activities, exhibits, and play spaces for toddlers. The Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum (Carson Park, Eau Claire), which snagged third place, is a replica of an 1890s logging camp where visitors can explore lumber history through exhibits and authentic artifacts. — Nealy Corcoran