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Paths to Discovery Capital Campaign:
Building a New Nature Center at Willow River State Park

Every year, Willow River State Park welcomes nearly 1 million visitors—making it one of the most visited natural destinations in western Wisconsin. Yet, thousands of families and students miss out on year-round learning because our current facility can't keep up with that demand. Through our Paths to Discovery campaign, we are building a new, state-of-the-art Nature Center. A space where nearly a million people can discover nature, discover hands-on learning, and discover community in every season. 

We have the visitors—now we need the venue. Help us pave the path to discovery.

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Discover Your Impact

Your gift isn't just funding bricks and mortar—it's paving a path that will inspire generations of environmental stewards.

Discover What's Next for Willow River State Park

  • Discover Nature: Exhibits & Ecology

  • ​Discover Hands-On Learning: Naturalist Education & School Field Trips

  • Discover Community: Year-Round Gathering Hub

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Discover Nature: Interactive & Immersive Exhibits

Today’s kids are growing up in a world of constant notifications and virtual spaces—yet nothing on a screen can match the magic of the outdoors.

We want children to step inside a space designed to uncover the hidden wonders of the St. Croix Valley—where you don't just observe nature, you experience it. Our proposed vision for exhibits include:

  • The Willow River Story: Exhibits detailing the formation of the iconic river gorge, the geological history of the falls, and local rock formations.

  • Tactile Learning Stations: "Touch tables" featuring animal furs, skulls, tracks, and local fossil molds for hands-on, multi-sensory exploration.

  • Live Wildlife Displays: Secure, professionally maintained enclosures featuring native reptiles, amphibians, and fish from the St. Croix Valley ecosystem.

  • Pollinator Gardens & Habitat Demonstrations: Outdoor gardens surrounding the center showcasing native wildflowers, prairie grasses, and monarch butterfly habitats.

  • Invasive Species Education: Clear, action-oriented displays teaching landowners and visitors how to identify and prevent the spread of invasive plants and pests.

  • St. Croix Watershed Protection: Educating guests on how Willow River connects to the Kinnickinnic, St. Croix, and Mississippi River basins.

  • Four-Season Discovery: Experience the changing ecosystems of Western Wisconsin—from spring wildflowers to winter wildlife tracking—all under one roof.

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Discover Education: Naturalist Education
& School Field Trips

Turning nature into the ultimate classroom—providing year-round outdoor learning, school field trips, and adult education for curious minds of all ages.

At the core of our mission is a commitment to professional, naturalist-led education. Willow River is proud to have a dedicated, full-time professional naturalist guiding our environmental programs. However, our educational mission is severely constrained by our current facility.

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Today, our nature center operates out of a 1,300-square-foot single-story house originally built in 1968. Repurposed and moved to its current location in 1987, the structure was never designed for public educational use. Its converted attached garage serves as our primary classroom—offering cramped, inadequate space with minimal storage.

Simply put, this old house has outlived its usefulness for the 800,000+ visitors we serve today.

Currently, students travel from across Wisconsin and Minnesota to learn at Willow River, but class sizes are strictly capped and creatively crammed into a tiny space. Despite our team's best efforts, many school groups are turned away every year simply because we lack the physical capacity to host them. 

 

With community support, a new year-round facility would remove these physical barriers and unlock the full potential of our educational mission. Our future vision includes:

  • Expanded Naturalist Class Capacity: Unlocking the full potential of our full-time naturalist to offer a dynamic schedule of year-round public programs—from youth weekend discovery hours to adult ecology workshops and evening lecture series.

  • Expanded Field Trip Capacity: Envisioned to remove weather dependencies and physical constraints so whole grade levels from Wisconsin and Minnesota can visit year-round—complete with bus-friendly drop-offs, indoor lunch areas, and dedicated student learning spaces.

  • Safe Bus Drop-Off & Accessibility: Proposed dedicated bus drop-off zone and accessible parking, designed to create a safe, seamless arrival experience—so teachers, naturalists, and parents can focus on learning and adventure from the moment they arrive.

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Discover Community: Year-Round Gathering Hub

A welcoming home base for neighbors, visitors, and volunteers—fostering connection, conversation, and shared stewardship in every season.

Beyond education and exhibits, a park needs a heart—a place where community happens naturally. Willow River State Park welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, yet currently lacks a dedicated indoor space for community gatherings, public meetings, or simply warming up after a winter trail hike.

 

With your campaign support, our proposed nature center is envisioned to become a year-round gathering hub that connects people not just to nature, but to one another:

  • Flexible Event & Meeting Spaces: Designed to host local community groups, conservation workshops, volunteer appreciation events, and park partner meetings under one roof.

  • Volunteer & Willow Kinni Friends Headquarters: Dedicated administrative and prep space for our passionate volunteers, giving the team that cares for the park a professional home base to organize, store supplies, and coordinate projects.

  • Proposed Rental Potential & Caterer’s Kitchen: Planned with an attached catering prep kitchen, opening up possibilities for corporate retreats, private meetings, and community gatherings that can generate sustainable, recurring revenue for the park.

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Help Us Turn Vision Into Reality

By modernizing our facilities and creating space for curious minds of all ages, we aren't just building a nature center—we are investing in generations of environmental stewards.

Whether you are a longtime park visitor, a parent, a local business owner, or a champion for conservation, your support today brings us one step closer to breaking ground.
 

  • Make a Campaign Gift: Your tax-deductible donation directly supports the planning, design, and construction of our proposed nature center facilities.

  • Share the Vision: Help us spread the word with local businesses, school districts, and community groups.

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