Urban Ecology Center – Riverside Park

Located at Milwaukee County’s historic Riverside Park, the Urban Ecology Center’s branch of Riverside Park sits in one of the most populated and diverse areas within Milwaukee.

The building is 20,000 square feet and features a solar power station that produces 55,000 kilowatt-hours each year, with the architect being Joel Kruger of the Kubala Washatko Architects. The community center, which serves as a role model for green infrastructure and the founding branch of the UEC, offers a world of wonder. From a towering climbing wall to a hidden slide entrance, this eco-friendly marvel is filled with surprises.

As the old cream city brick Milwaukee Wursted Mill building is renovated into an eco-friendly Prairie Springs Event Hall, swing by into the park to enjoy the hum of late summer ecology.

Guests can visit the animal room where turtles, snakes, fish, and frogs reside. As well as keeping their eyes peeled for cleverly camouflaged animals on a mural inside a hidden classroom. Visitors will want to attend the art exhibits in the community room and remember to take a stroll on the wrap-around porch made from reclaimed wood scraps of the Atlantic City Boardwalk’s construction. The site also includes 15 acres of wooded land and riparian habitat on the east bank of the Milwaukee River. All of these features and more come together to connect people to nature.