This is one of the marvels of Milwaukee. It's a welcoming, comfortable space, in which to learn about ecology and the environment, get connected to nature and to other people, or even just to sit and read a book or magazine, drink some tea or coffee, or sit in front of a woodstove during winter. The Center provides lots of opportunities for enjoying nature, for volunteering, and for building community. As a member, you can also borrow canoes or kayaks, bikes, and recreational and gardening equipment. It can't be beat -- and additional Centers are at Washington and Three Bridges Parks!

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.

Had our wedding here this past July. It was the most perfect venue. Ceremony outside in the arboretum, reception inside the beautiful building. We are still getting compliments on how beautiful and fun the venue was. MaryBeth runs weddings and events and such and she is a gift from the heavens when it comes to event planning! We had to postpone our event (was supposed to be in 2020) and she helped us handle everything including navigating all the new safety recommendations. 10/10 would recommend everyone get married here. Or just visit - beautiful hiking trails and a fun building (with an animal room!) right downtown is such a treat.

This is an incredible place to visit if you're into hiking and adventuring. What's really nice about this location is you can direct access to the river and some great photo ops. Definitely recommend bringing friends and family here.

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.

Amazing place, I’m so glad that the Urban Ecology Center exists! The space is fun, the events are fun, the work with local schools is super cool(I had a fun field trip here in high school). My favorite feature of the urban ecology center is the equipment rentals. For just $25/year I can check out a kayak anytime Monday-Saturday! The Urban Ecology Center also has a kayak launch that, while a bit of a steep hike from the kayak storage, is pretty convenient and well maintained given the price and location. One of the best parts of living in Milwaukee!

The Urban Ecology Center is a magical place for a wedding. The space is so beautiful, you hardly need any decorations. The staff was so knowledgeable and helpful, I knew things were in good hands. I was worried that my laid back, buffet style, potluck dinner would be complicated or not elegant, but the staff at the UEC had so many great tips and knew just the right caterer for the job. I especially appreciated Mary Beth and her team for being so flexible with a Sunday date and how they went above and beyond to make the day special for me and my family. The park and trails made for amazing wedding photos. You can tell the staff really love the parks and getting people outside.

I love this place. A great place to bring your kiddos to. A great learning experience for them, as far as animals to the outdoors. They also have awesome indoor slides.

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.

The kids have tons have fun here. They describe it as a fantastic place to learn while having fun. The cool thing is that when you become a member, you can check out equipment. Weve borrowed skis and boots, snow shoes, sleds, a canoe...these are really great places and this one at Riverside Park is staffed with super friendly and awesome people.

Nice place to walk. A lot of entertainment for all ages.

My wife Madison and I had our wedding here last month and UEC did not disappoint. MaryBeth was a joy to work with and she ensured that everything worked perfectly for our big day. From communicating with our day-of-coordinator to answering all of our many questions. We received so many compliments on how beautiful the space was; with the ceremony at the outdoor amphitheater, cocktail hour outside under the tent to the reception indoors. If anyone is looking for a venue to host a large gathering, come to Urban Ecology Center – Riverside Park. You will not regret it, can not thank the team there enough for how special you made our day 😊.

Very beautiful and neat. I love it here

"Fun For Younger Generations Interested In The Forrest And All It Has To Offer When It Comes To Humans! "The Milwaukee Urban Ecology Center Has All The Forrest Fun And Activities You Need To Teach Your Young Animals From The Woods Of South East Wisconsin!" "I'm Rating This Ecology Center A Ten On Staff, Atmosphere, & Experience!!!" - Ed` ♥️ Instagram: @ezekieldawan 🇬🇭🇮🇪💪💯♥️ #milwaukeemusic #urbanecologycenter #riversidepark #ezekieldawan #ed

Excellent field trip! Highly Recommended. There is much to see and do. Great sites and sounds. Woodsy place with good views.

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

A hidden gem in the Milwaukee wedding industry. They will work with you to create an eco friendly vision without compromising any of the ideals, ambiance, or wishes for your big day. Plenty of parking, options to bring on any catering we desired, classrooms and spaces to rent for rehearsal dinners, handicap accessible throughout, beautiful la lune tables and chairs included, etc. Truly a dream venue without an atrocious wedding venue price tag.

We recently had our wedding with about 34 guests at Urban Ecology Center. The actual ceremony was outside by their fire pit area and the reception was indoors on the second floor. As it was beginning of August we were able to be outdoors to enjoy the beautiful surroundings that the area provides. There were plenty of great places for photos, a great overlook tower with a view of the city, and a wrap around balcony to hang out. Even though we had catering, there was a fully-stocked kitchen available to us if needed. On the evening of the wedding there were two employees to assist with any last-minute details, and leading up to the event various staff were very friendly and helpful. We also knew that our rental fee for the space would be utilized to support the mission of Urban Ecology Center and its programs, which is a big plus compared to other wedding venues. We live close to the UEC so will continue to enjoy the grounds as we always so, but would definitely recommend the Center for any gatherings.

We had our wedding reception here in October and cannot express just how perfect this venue is. From the start, Facility Rentals & Events Manager MaryBeth was extremely helpful and informative, helping us coordinate with vendors and laying out the floorplan. They allowed us to execute the simple, elegant wedding we envisioned while being in line with their environmental mission as best we could. We nearly had to switch our ceremony location to the UEC due to weather conditions, and while we did not go through with that, MaryBeth was extremely flexible and willing to help us make things work despite the last minute changes. The result of the evening was magical, supported by their wonderful staff. We would recommend the UEC to anyone looking for an awesome wedding!

Beautiful facility, miles of well groomed paths, canoe/kayak rental, educational opportunities, programs for kids and beautiful nature. What more is there to ask for