Irvine Park Zoo

About Irvine Park Zoo

Irvine Park Zoo sits inside Irvine Park, a 318-acre city park in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, founded in 1906 by William Irvine. The zoo within it dates to 1909, when it began as a single bear pen, and it remains a free public attraction today. It is home to tigers, bobcats, cougars, black bears, deer, bison, and other wildlife, alongside a museum and two historic markers, the Sunny Valley School House and the Norwegian Log Home.

The zoo is not AZA accredited and is supported in part by the Friends of Irvine Park Zoo, a volunteer group formed in the 1990s to raise money for animal habitats. Over roughly a decade, that group put more than $250,000 toward the construction of the bear and large cat exhibits, along with animal enrichment, educational material, and repairs that fall outside the city's budget for the park. A bequest of $166,000 from the Geraldine Forchette Estate has also been designated toward building a small-animal and aviary exhibit.

History

The bear exhibit, the zoo's original attraction, was built in 1909. A cat exhibit followed in 1971. The current 5,200-square-foot bear exhibit was completed in a rebuilt form in spring 2005, with a cougar exhibit added in 2008 and a bobcat exhibit in 2009 — all funded in part through the Friends of Irvine Park Zoo's fundraising efforts, including commemorative bricks sold and installed along the exhibits.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's core exhibits house tigers, bobcats, cougars, and black bears, along with bison and deer elsewhere in the park. During the summer months, the Red Barn Petting Zoo offers a hands-on animal encounter. From Thanksgiving through New Year's, the park hosts the Christmas Village, featuring around 100 lighted displays and more than 100,000 lights, though this is a seasonal park event rather than a zoo exhibit.

Animal highlights

The zoo's collection, as described in available materials, centers on tigers, bobcats, cougars, and black bears, plus bison and deer within the wider park grounds. No published species count or total animal count is available for Irvine Park Zoo.

Planning your visit

Irvine Park Zoo is free to visit, consistent with its identity as a city park amenity rather than a ticketed attraction. The Red Barn Petting Zoo operates seasonally in the summer months. Beyond the animal exhibits, the park includes two historic buildings open to visitors — the Sunny Valley School House and the Norwegian Log Home — and hosts the seasonal Christmas Village light display each winter.

Because the source material available for this page doesn't include current hours, parking details, or accessibility information, confirm all visit specifics on the zoo's official website before making the trip.