History Attractions

[PHOTOS] New Chippewa Area History Center Preps for Opening

brand-new Chippewa Falls museum houses community’s history

photos by Andrea Paulseth |

After several years of fundraising and construction, the new Chippewa Area History Center will hold a “soft opening” on Friday, Feb. 3, from 11am to 5pm. The museum is at 12 Bridgewater Ave. in Chippewa Falls, near the entrance to Irvine Park. Volume One was lucky enough to get a peek behind the scenes as the museum make final preparations for opening. Here’s a little more about the museum from its Facebook page:

February 3rd is a symbolic date for Chippewa County history. Chippewa County separated from Crawford County on Feb 3, 1845 — a little more than three years before Wisconsin became a state — and started its journey toward the present. Exactly 177 years later, the Chippewa Area History Center will open its doors to tell that story and many more. So the big news — the bottom line — is that the new History Center will open to the public Friday, February 3 from 11 am to 5 pm. It’s a date too important to the county to miss. Regular open hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5pm. A whiz-bang community welcome grand opening is planned for this Spring.

Learn more about the museum and the organization on its Facebook page or website.

Elizabeth Peterson, collections manager at the Chippewa Area History Center.
Frank Smooth, executive director of the Chippewa Area History Center.

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