Urban Ecology Center - Riverside Park

This was the most breathtaking place we could've ever imagined getting married at! The colors of trees and overall forest feel gave us the most perfect magic forest wedding! The team was really helpful in making sure the day went perfectly. The ability to not only decorate the whole space but have the freedom to bring your own vendors was amazing! Lots of places lock you in to a crazy expensive meal/drink plan. So the fact they don't is underrated! The inside of the building is almost as beautiful as the venue it's located on! The slides were a huge hit with kids and adults alike! The 2 levels were also great for balcony viewing and space to really spread out and dance!

Urban Ecology Center - Riverside is a fantastic and unique wedding venue. Surrounded by nature and strongly committed to environmentally sustainable practices, the venue combines warm wooden tones with a modern twist. In addition to the beautiful forest grove for ceremonies - there is a striking walking bridge and observation tower that provide great opportunities for photos and frivolity! It is the perfect background for wedding celebrations!

The Urban Ecology Center is an amazing mulit-use location tucked away in a super peaceful nook of Milwaukee. As an Milwaukee Wedding Photographer, I've had the privilege of working there a handful of times, and what has highlighted my experience has been the down-to-earth nature of the staff and the space itself, as well as the variety of nature-first locations around the premises. With easy access to the Oak Leaf Trail and the river, it serves as a great starting point to begin an adventure on foot, whether you are taking photographs or not. Because it is a relatively small venue, it works perfectly for smaller celebrations and really works to provide a cozy space to have an intimate event. There is always more to explore at the Urban Ecology Center, and I always look forward to going back. -Patrick (Betcher Photo)

Beautiful, accessible nature trails. Accessible building with local reptiles to look at. Nice venue for gathering or weddings. It was especially lovely with the fall colors. Various programs to get involved, including crafts, adult evening walks and drinks, sewing, etc.

Great place for the community. They also have summer camp. My grand kids has been going there for over 5 years.

Thoroughly enjoyed my day. The paths are well marked & the riverwalk is beautiful. It's free, or join and rent all kinds of equipment canoes, tents/camping equipment, kayaks, bikes, tennis rackets, ect for only $5 Great place for bird watching too. Hard to believe this place is in the middle of the city.

First time there as a MKE noob. We are now members and will surely be back. Highly recommend. Great space. Uber friendly staff. Lots to see.

Awesome community oriented facility. Great place for kids to learn about conservation in an urban setting.

All year around they have educational events here, it's a good visiting spot before a casual hike or a friendly way station on an urban bike ride. Volunteer workers are enthusiastic about ecology, as one might suspect. It's also a nice place for an event, last time there was a reception of some sort being set up. There's a nice patio to relax and sit, the garden like surroundings are very peaceful and inviting. Make it a a point to visit and make use of the Oak Leaf Trail.

Winter candlelit hikes in Riverside Park with the Urban Ecology Center is what Wisconsin winters are made of. I love going to the Urban Ecology Center for different events and to forest bathe and learn more about Urban ecosystems.

Great group of people here getting things done I've seen changes in 6 months with plenty of improvements to help educate an train all ages of the importance of preservation and land management. The area will continue to improve as the valley is filled with nutrients and wildlife. The tree planting program is quickly becoming popular as the community involvements increasing. They plan to plant saplings week to week till the ground becomes frozen. I hope to do more in the future. Sadly they need to work on communications with the volunteer program. As a few friends of mine were notified that certain programs were cancelled at the last minute. 39/2016

Awesome facility. Great trials and surrounding land. Also a super cool 3 story lookout over downtown and the Milwaukee river. Always free to anyone!

Doesn't get much better than having a place like this in the city. They are the " all things nature spot" and have a decent chunk of land locked up to claim so. The amount of involvement they have with the community is second to none and the facility is truly a thing of beauty. I have enjoyed winter snowshoeing and summer hikes around the Oak Leaf Trail whcih buts up to the river. I've volunteered here trying to pay it forward to this great city and institution. This place holds so many events for those young and old(er) alike. Always something going on in the community. They also have community gardens and it just is a stellar addition to the Milwaukee landscape. This place is a place for learning and adventure!

My bike reached the crest of the hill on the oak leaf trail west of riverside high school and followed the paved path into a semi cleared area of forest a la the 100 acre woods. What is this magical series of gravel and concrete trails that travel through forests, meadows and the river bank? Is it the Urban ecology center, the Milwaukee rotary club arboretum, the east bank trail, or riverside park??? And more importantly, how had I not known about this before? Its hidden in plain site--next to the river in the middle of the eastside, a short distance from downtown. You can enter from the oak leaf trail, at the north end of Warren, or on the north east side of the river at the north avenue bridge. The trails only tell part of the story though. There's also a physical 'center' that offers programming and is surrounded by a climbing wall, community gardens, and a huge tower. Pretty sure you can rent kayaks and canoes here too. This is one place that Id like to volunteer or donate too. "Kids, when I was in college there were no trails here...we walked miles through the snow along the river to get to north avenue...." Ha...sorry, that last part is just what I'm thinking every time I come through here....

Enjoyed the monthly nature walk. The guide was fantastic. Would definitely recommend this place if you enjoy nature and want to learn about native plants.

Volunteered with my work team for half the day. Megan was super awesome to work with planning and coordinating the event and was super helpful answering our questions. We had a mix of varying athleticism and one of my teammates is full term preggers, and Megan was especially thoughtful when picking our tasks. They gave an assortment of activities, we had an inside activity and outside activity. The outside was watering baby trees, weeding (serious weeding), watering plants and transporting plants. I feel like we accomplished a lot and there is always something to do. I can't wait to volunteer here again it was so fun working with different types of people helping the community.

Five stars, again. I can't imagine not giving the Urban Ecology Center five stars. This location? The OG, and it's so so great. It's an impressive space that's been forged of reclaimed and sustainable materials. You can rent the place (hold your next event here, and you'll be the coolest elf in town!), and industrial kitchen, a wood shop, educational spaces, and more. Become a member and get your snowshoe/cross-country ski on the Oak Leaf with their lending program. Wayyy cool. In the summer? There's a gorgeous patio/tower, teepee, beekeeping facilities, and more. Check them out, for real. UEC is a fab, community-centric organization that's doing it right, folks.

Went here for a wedding reception Friday night, this was my first time going here and got to know a little more about it. It's really a beautiful place and the wood is a must see to know that they recycle and reuse is awesome. The outside patio is really nice you can watch the sunset just sitting out there which is nice, overall great time at the wedding reception there. I will be looking into taking a class there

What the Urban Ecology Center does is just amazing! Such a needed resource in the city. We were there for a wedding, and it makes a very nice venue as well. It was a fairly cozy atmosphere, but I think many of the guests enjoyed wandering around the building and the grounds just to see what this place is about. Although it was fairly chilly out, the area was abuzz with people working in the gardens and connecting to the Oak Leaf Trail. I used to live only a few blocks from here and honestly didn't even know it was here. :( I would have been there all. the. time. Now that I live farther away, I still think it'll be worth the trip to stop by to see what's going on.

The urban ecology center is a treasure in Milwaukee. A one time fee to become a member gives you access to tons of outdoor equipment. Snow shoes, fishing poles, kayaks, canoes, and tons more (just be aware that you need to take their water safety course to use kayaks and canoes). Their facility also has a rock wall and the center hosts tons of events to teach locals about our environment. From wildlife to gardening, urban ecology center is clearly dedicated to helping local Milwaukee get engaged with our natural environment.

Long time fan, recent UEC member. From attending weddings here to hiking through Riverside Park, I've realized the huge impact the UEC has on our community. Stars go to the equipment rentals. Not all equipment is reservable, but call to check because predictably kayaks are popular on summer weekends and snowshoes and skis during winter. Having cancelled my gym membership, my UEC membership helps fulfill the gap during winter. I enjoyed using a canoe to paddle the river with a friends and we registered/paid for canoe pick up so we didn't have to be out all day or worry about shuttling the canoe back up the hill to the center. I have attended one class at the UEC as well as the water safety training that is required before using the canoes and kayaks (attended at the Menomonee Valley location).

In all honesty, no words I write here can amount to the greatness of the Urban Ecology and its major impact/influence on the Greater Milwaukee area. It is establishments exactly like these that continue to genuinely educate the community on the importance of environmental principles by setting an example. UEC does this by embracing what modern eco-design has provided contractors and architects for years. Only, it takes the people and community themselves to really complete what this area represents by putting forth enough passion for the well-being of the area and the future of the environment. Aside from providing such an amazing location for children, young adults, and the elderly to learn and exercise their "green-thumb," the UEC has done a fantastic job at advocating what it means to live environmentally friendly outside of their Park Pl. location and into the urban community. Speaking by experience, I commend them for this! The location itself, as others have mentioned, runs completely "off the grid," meaning it runs entirely on energy obtained through the sun, wind, and water. In total, the UEC contains 246 solar panels, providing 44-kilowatts. As as a result, it is known as Wisconsin's largest solar power system. The sun provides the electricity for the building and only rain water runs through the toilets. In addition to that, the outside sees one of the most amazing rain gardens I've ever seen in my life. To my knowledge, the UEC has the capability to become LEED certified, but they choose not to only because the money itself can be put to better use, like you know, keeping the place running and doing all the great things they do. A wise choice, in my opinion. In addition to cutting-edge design, UEC contains themed rooms where students and adults can learn about solar energy, Aquaponics, composting, and nature. Notable areas include a small area of reptiles and turtles, "secret door," composting room, slide that leads to the outdoors, rock-climbing wall, and tower. Throughout the year, UEC provides equipment to those interest and even hosts a festival to commemorate the summer solstice. They run summer camps for children and hold so many workshops + events it's ridiculous. I, myself, have volunteered several times with other students to clean invasive greens around the area - an event that happens several times during the week. Not only that, but it also is situated alongside the Oak Leaf Trail which parallels the Milwaukee River. Can it get any better than this? If there is one place I BEG everyone to go to, it's here. Major love for the UEC. I totally fan-girl 4 u.

The Urban Ecology Center might actually be the coolest thing Milwaukee has to offer. I can't say much that others haven't already said, so this will be short. I love the trails they have back here. They're so accessible to East Siders and rival those provided at some of the state parks. Having grown up in the Madison area I used to love the UW Arboretum, and though this is substantially smaller it has the same feeling as the place back home. It also has great connectivity to the Beer Line and Oak Leaf trails. The perks of membership? Can't be beat. Easiest five stars I could ever give.

I love this place. It's got a cool rock wall and there's lots to learn here. It's a nice little green space in the middle of the city. As a future teacher (hopefully in MPS) I will certainly take my students here. The best part is the passionate and knowledgeable staff:) Ps. It's really cool how they "live off the grid..." check it out!

5 stars for teaching kids about the Earth and Environment! This place ROCKS - literally! They have a rock wall in the back! Take the time and volunteer at their next event. You won't regret it.

How have I not written a review for the UEC yet?! Its only my favorite place on the east side. They do so many wonderful things for the community. Becoming a member was the first thing I did when I moved to milwaukee. I love being able to use their facility and rent equipment. I got to go snowshoeing on the trails this way! Everyone who works here is so very nice. What a great place to have in my own backyard!

Became a member this past year. Really great price, $25 for a year, which includes a guest membership. You can also borrow all of their equipment as a member. My wife and I have borrowed their bicycles (new Trek bikes, very nice), canoes, and cross-country skis. All the equipment is in great shape and easy to borrow. We hope to try out more equipment and explore more of Milwaukee. Their building in Riverside Park is a great location next to the bike path and the river. They have a climbing wall which I haven't tried yet but would like to. The building is great to look around in and would be a good place to take children or even just hang out. They have games, animals, musical instruments, coffee and pastries, information on anything "green." They have classes and events you can participate in as a member. There is so much that the center offers. I hope people check it out, take advantage of it, and support the environment by supporting such a great center.

This place simply can't get anything less than 5 stars. I have been here only a few times. The first time about 4 years ago for my nephew's birthday party in the "hidden room". Since then I have walked my brother's dog through the back area by the river and have biked and hiked through the grounds. Just this past weekend, I became a member (only $12 for a student for a year!). I am looking forward to coming out and hiking around, renting the kayaks, and going to do snowshoeing or cross-country skiing one of these weekends (all part of membership). They even rent tents and camping accessories! I am going camping with the girlfriend over the summer and they said just put my name on the list and we can rent the tent for free for up to 3 days. I still want to check out the classes they have here and get involved with volunteering, which will happen soon enough. Definitely, even if you don't have younger children with you, check this place out as they have a ton of activities and cool stuff to do and see.

Wonderful place with wonderful services for a wonderful cause. Did I mention I think they are wonderful? I first visited the UEC in 2012 for the CSA Open House where I attended a seminar on CSAs and met several local farmers. I did use this resource to make my summer CSA selection and had a wonderful summer and fall full of produce. The UEC also offers membership which gives you access to a variety of items you can check out from their storage area: cross country skis, camping equipment and even kayaks. Rates run from $12.00 annually for students (including college) and up. You may have seen some of their other projects - a section of gardens next to the Oak Leaf Trail. They help out more than just their members and the center -- they help our entire community with outreach and education. They even rent their space for special events. I'm looking forward to a friend's wedding at UEC in 2013. Stop by, join or volunteer today!

Pretty cool place. Learned alot. Staff was helpful and facility was nice.

When you take part in any UEC activity, you'll feel like Thoreau...like you are soaking up the healing powers of nature. Their amazing staff provides such knowledgeable and kind guidance to the children and adults of our urban neighborhood. -Lora DeWan Dental Wellness

A nice spot for encouraging community to experience nature--I've have good times as a member borrowing equipment. But, I do NOT recommend them as an event venue. They seem a little in over their heads, as evidenced by inconsistent pricing and shoddy customer service. For big events, those are costly mistakes. Stick to professional spaces and let this little guy grow up some more.

The Urban Ecology Center is a wonderful idea. I appreciate what they are doing for the community. That being said, every time I go here, I feel like there is an exclusive club that I am not allowed in but they will tolerate my visit. :(

Unless you hate the outdoors AND the environment AND providing entertainment and learning for you or your kids, WHY HAVEN'T you been here yet???? Seriously, there is nothing to dislike about this place. Here are a few of the highlights: - Get a membership. It's cheap and when you are a member you have the ability to use most all of their gear for little or no cost. So, you want to give snowshoeing or cross-country skiing a shot...become a member. - Have a birthday party there. Our daughters last two birthday parties have been held at UEC (this location and their Washington Park location (another gem)). My daughter's birthday is in December. They put on one of the most memorable birthday parties ever, complete with stories around a campfire in a real tee-pee (did I mention the tee-pee is on their green roof???). - Explore Riverside Park. They have great access to the trails which traverse Riverside Park which is an amazing place along the Milwaukee River, a great urban waterway. - Check out the animals. They have a bunch of turtles, fish, snakes, etc. where you can learn more about the native species in our area. - Sip coffee by the fire. Their facility is AMAZING. Here is how you enjoy it. If you have (a) kid(s), bring them. Walk in the door, let the kids explore, go pour a cup of coffee and then sit in the big couch by the fire. RELAX. - Learn about the environment. There are little signs everywhere which speak to many different environmental concerns and things you can do about it. - Learn about green buildings. Again, more little signs. They even offer design consultants to help you plan your next building or remodeling project. Also, they are right on the Oak Leaf Trail, so make a stop (they have bike racks) on your next trip around the trail. You'll not regret it. Have I mentioned that I LOVE THIS PLACE!?!?

Fabulous place to take city kids to get outdoors. My boys are always up for a romp through the woods to get to the kids entrance door. And a secret room, they could not be more excited. I am looking forward to getting involved and borrowing some of their equipment. The building is phenomenal and the staff has been super welcoming. Definitely a hidden gem in Milwaukee.

I visited the Urban Ecology Center as part of a service project with my coworkers, and my first thought was, "Wait, this awesome place has been here all this time? Why hadn't I visited sooner?" The facility is beautiful, featuring lots of group spaces and unique decor. Visitors can enjoy their time indoors or outdoors, and the UEC hosts a variety of great community events and classes. I was really impressed with the staff and the organizational mission; I'm looking forward to exploring some membership options for next year to support the center and take advantage of the awesome equipment lending program.

Does this place actually exist? Or did I slip into the eco-center of heaven? I'm only exaggerating just a very little bit. The building is lodge style on the inside and quite pretty and terribly interesting to look around in. Every nook and cranny has something to inspire! How can I properly express my gratitude to Gretchen, who at a plant-starting workshop last weekend, showed me and many enthusiasts how to get seeds sprouting in February. FEBRUARY! Winter Cabin Fever: DESTROYED.

I love this place. They have so many things going on all the time ranging from adult programs to kid programs. Personally, I really enjoy the citizen science projects. The training workshops are always very thorough and the project leaders are helpful. I've been a consistent Bird Banding volunteer and my skills grow every season. I've recently trained on doing bat surveys and look forward to helping out with that over the summer when bird banding isn't happening.

Phenomenal space, helpful staff, absolutely love.