We’re continuing our look at Our Town Chippewa Falls with a look at some wildlife, the water and everything else Irvine Park has to offer.

In 1906, William Irvine had a dream and the 300 acre Irvine Park was born.

The park has been a huge part of Chippewa Falls for more than 100 years. It has playgrounds, and a place to splash around, but it's certainly not your small town park.

There aren't too many places for kiddos to go nose-to-nose with a black bear.

"It's cool because you don't get to see bears much!"

"The bear habitat is awesome. Children love it and so do adults."

And so does Bill Faherty.

"The heart of the park is the zoo," Faherty says.

He's the longtime director of parks and recreation in Chippewa Falls.

The bears moved into their new home a couple years ago, and in a couple months, the cougars will have a fancy new pad to call their own.

"It's scary when I see the cougar!"
“It’s great to see the animals!”

"I just hope they don't have a heart attack! They'll come in here and go 'wow, we can climb.' A cougar can climb on this rock and climb up there and do things they can't do over there. So, I think it'll be very exciting for them," Faherty says.

But, if you're looking for a more friendly face...

"I like to pet the bunnies. I think they're real cute."

...there's always the petting zoo.

"It's fun to see how excited the kids are with the animals. Even something as small as a bunny, they get so happy," says Seasonal Zookeeper Jeffrey Jankowski.

There are bobcats, a baby monkey, and a little ways away a baby buffalo, too.

"It's fun to bring the kids, fun to let them run, fun to let them take their shoes off."

But, there are also plenty other places to explore.

"I enjoy bringing my roller-blades and driving up and down and seeing all the beautiful trees."

There are trails, a cave, an old school house and

"Glen Falls looks like a waterfall by the dam," Faherty says.

All that for a very reasonable price.

"William Irvine had in mind for a facility for the community to come to every day at no cost," Faherty says.

So, 100 years later and 100 years from now, Irvine Park will remain 100 percent free of charge.

The cougar and bear homes didn't come cheap. Faherty says it cost more than a million and a half for the two of them, all thanks to donations. Next up, a new bobcat abode.

If you’d like to make a donation, you can call (715) 723-8125 or e-mail comfdn@comfdncc.org.