Chippewa Valley Museum
Chippewa Valley Museum
4.5
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Have your own adventure in history at Eau Claire's nationally recognized Chippewa Valley Museum, open year-round. The museum offers award-winning exhibits, beautifully preserved historic structures on the grounds, fun activities, a 1950's ice cream parlor, a museum store, and more. A visitor favorite is the multi-media object theater "This Day." The Chippewa Valley Museum sits beneath towering pines in Eau Claire's beautiful Carson Park, a 134-acre peninsula nestled inside horseshoe-shaped Half Moon Lake. The Chippewa Valley Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
68 reviews
Excellent
39
Very good
25
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0
rrgeniusz
Cedarburg, WI259 contributions
Dec 2019
I have been to this museum several times and always enjoyed the exhibits, many of which are interactive. You can place yourself in northwoods settings, a great place for selfies. Upon my last visit, I got to see their annual Standard Gauge Christmas Layout. The Museum sets this up every year. While it is open during much of December, Santa is there prior to the 25th. There is a Scavenger Hunt thar challenges visitors to find and check off various small details in the layout.
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Larry M
Eau Claire63 contributions
Sept 2013 • Family
Chippewa Valley Museum is located in beautiful Eau Claire's Carson Park. Exhibits Like Settlements & Survival, Paths of the People, Farm life, Object Theater, Art & Children Gallery Make for a wonderful time at this Entertaining and Enriching Museum that "Tells Stories" about American History. I really liked "The Glenn Curtis smoot Library" Thousands of Historic Images, Documents and More. The Kids Loved The Historic Buildings and the Ice Cream Parlor that sit on the Museum Grounds.(love the Malts). And they have a Museum Store With Gifts,Cards,Postcards and Photo's. This is a Good sized Museum for a medium sized Town, Come and see,Do that, And Discover Everything, From Exhibits to Ice Cream. Go online to get Museum Hours and Admissions. tell Them Larry sent You!
Written 18 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heba777
Eau Claire, WI3 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
Nestled in a beautiful natural setting called Carson Park surrounded by the waters of Half Moon Bay - This museum has the small-town charm, but big on Chippewa Valley history! I grew up in the Eau Claire area as well and enjoy visiting the Museum for an afternoon of history and reminiscing. My mom loved the farm/Milking Parlor since she grew up on a farm south of here. It's a great place to take the kids and teach them the valuable history of our cities founding fathers and what made it great. I heard that they will be updating the major exhibit hall next year - I can't wait to see and explore the new attraction inside. Be sure to visit the old-time Ice Cream Parlor before you leave - so yummy!
Written 10 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Donnagay A
Kaysville, UT144 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
This museum was close to the Paul Bunyan logging camp which could be combined for lower fee. The museum's galleries were well done. We enjoyed the farm section most. The movie/slide/diorama was well done. We enjoyed an ice cream sundae at the Old fashioned soda fountain. It was a very informative, pleasant couple of hours.
Written 8 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara
Sonoma County, CA166 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
I loved visiting the chippewa valley museum. Its mostly run by volunteers and they do a great job! I has some great history about Eau Claire and the surrounding areas.
Written 12 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
awp621
Maple Grove, MN1 contribution
May 2015 • Friends
I was very impressed with the museum; I am a bit of a museum snob, having been to many in this country and in Europe, and was quite pleasantly surprised. It is very informative and professionally displayed; I was also not expecting it to be so big. I very highly recommend it!
Written 7 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Terri S
Eau Claire, WI26 contributions
Sept 2014 • Family
The kids love it and can go back time after time and still learn more about the Chippewa Valley. The staff keeps it fresh and inviting. Best spot to take out of town visitors.
Written 23 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacqueline
Eau Claire, WI10 contributions
Sept 2019 • Family
The day started with the Friendly volunteer at the front desk, explaining to us all the fun things for our 4 yr old and for Daddy. He loved all the hands on activities and that he could touch and explore things. He loved being able to fish and play with the trains while daddy was able to read and learn more about the Chippewa Valley. We even had ice cream from a real ice cream parlor. The volunteer, Donnie was so friendly and accommodating to our 4 yr old. We bought him a train whistle that he thinks is the coolest because we road the trains this summer. We will definitely be back!
Written 21 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave C
Illinois1,701 contributions
Aug 2019
The Chippewa Valley Museum is a good place to spend an hour to get a sense for local history. It starts with the arrival of the Frenchman; continues through the logging heyday; moves to the peak days of small town factories; then into the present. There are things to read; artifacts to see; and a couple play areas for kids. Works for all ages. Takes about an hour to get through - unless you read everything. At the end, there's an ice cream parlor - for a nice treat.
I found it an interesting lesson on how the locals adapted to changing conditions (forests, lumber, factories, modern times) to keep Eau Claire from becoming a ghost town.
There's a one-room schoolhouse adjacent.
I found it an interesting lesson on how the locals adapted to changing conditions (forests, lumber, factories, modern times) to keep Eau Claire from becoming a ghost town.
There's a one-room schoolhouse adjacent.
Written 7 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randy P
Eau Claire, WI56 contributions
Mar 2019 • Family
The Chippewa Valley Museum is a must see for anyone interested in the history of Eau Claire. They also have a great ice cream shop inside.
Written 11 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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