Our Home in Riverside Park
Urban Ecology Center's headquarters are located between the Riverwest and East Side communities, one of the most populated and diverse areas in Milwaukee.
Our “outdoor classroom,” of Riverside Park, includes 15 acres of wooded land and riparian habitat on the east bank of the Milwaukee River, an imaginative and a habitat-themed playground. The “green” building in Riverside Park that houses our main offices, resource areas and classrooms is home to live animals, informational exhibits and user-friendly resource materials about the environment.
Our Green Building
We are proud of our 20,000-sq.-ft. green main building located in Riverside Park. Dedicated in September 2004, the building has won national awards for its use of recycled or renewable materials. With this facility as a base, the Center will continue to be an important conduit between residents and nature. This green facility was built totally with community support.
Click here for a booklet that describes the building’s features.
Be sure to see these highlights when you visit our
earth friendly building in Riverside Park:
- Native Wisconsin Animal Room.
Visit the Center’s painted and snapping turtles, snakes and bullfrogs. Each tank is labeled with the eco-zone it represents, such as Prairie, Oak Savannah, Wetland, etc.,all found in Riverside Park!
- River system tanks.
These 16-ft.-long tanks contain a cross section of aquatic life found in the Milwaukee River.
- Stream slide.
Slide down the river to Lake Michigan! Find the secret entrance to the slide, with its inviting river mural, on the north side of the building.
- Giant puzzle.
Each piece, or 26-inch tile, represents approximately one square mile. When all 50 tiles are placed together you can see 50 square miles of Milwaukee! The puzzle matches perfectly the scale of the watershed of Southeastern Wisconsin which is painted on the Center’s first floor, making the puzzle easier to put together. It is just like being in an airplane, but without the expense! It is elegantly simple, yet remarkably captivating. Many thanks to volunteers Nancy Aten, Theresa Lins, Tom Schrader and Nancy Groethe for creating this exhibit, along with Fast Signs on Port Washington for discounting our printing.
- Crayfish touch tank.
Search this round steel tank for the crayfish that live inside. How many creatures can you find?
- Camouflage Room.
Bet you can’t find this “hidden” classroom.
- Observation Tower.
Study the unique ecosystem found in the forest canopy from this 75-foot tower, plus get a bird’s-eye view of the 258 solar photovoltaic panels provided by We Energies. This 44-kilowatt system will represent the largest solar electricity system in Wisconsin!
- Sustainable Building Exhibit
Learn about the recycled and sustainable materials used in the Center and how you can use these materials in your home. The Exhibit is a joint effort with Solterra Studios, Pragmatic Construction, Green Built Home, Wisconsin Green Building Alliance, and Outpost Natural Foods.
- Art exhibits in the Community Room.
- A huge Milwaukee Aerial Puzzle you can put together!
- Wrap around porch made of wood scraps from the construction of the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
- Rainwater flush toilets - choose between a half tank or full tank flush.
- At a huge 44.4 kilowatts, the solar electric panels now covering the roof at the UEC are the largest such solar installation in the state of Wisconsin. The system, originally installed in 2003 by H&H Solar Energy Services of Madison, started out as a 48 module array. With the addition of 208 solar panels, the completed system now consists of 256 Kyocera solar panels mounted directly to the Center’s metal standing-seam roof. The Kyocera panels are expected to produce over 55,000 kilowatt-hours each year.
Visit Riverside Park
1500 E. Park Place
Milwaukee, WI 53211
414.964.8505
uec@urbanecologycenter.org
Hours: Open 7 seven days a week!
Monday - Thursday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 9 am - 5 p.m.
Sunday: Noon - 5 p.m.
Host your next party at the Urban Ecology Center!
Click here for details or contact Mike Larson at mlarson@urbanecologycenter.org or (414) 964-8505, x126.
