Oxbow Park's New Nature Center

As of February 2023, major construction of the building is nearly complete and small items are being address before sign-off from contractors. Split Rock Studios is coming on board to install exhibit hall features and live animal exhibits.

Construction on the new Nature Center kicked off in spring of 2021 with excavation, foundation, and utility work, including a groundbreaking celebration in Mid-May.

In 2021 and 2022, Oxbow Park will be under construction to make way for a new nature center that will connect even more people to the outdoors and provide programming that showcases Southeastern Minnesota’s natural resources, including Zollman Zoo’s 30+ species of native animals. The building is anticipated to be open in early 2023.

In 2023, after opening the new Nature Center, the second phase of the project will commence with the original nature center building's demolition and the completion of an expanded entry plaza.

Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo have been beloved destinations for residents and visitors to the region for more than 50 years and are Olmsted County's #1 attraction. But the park’s nature center, built in 1981, was not sized to accommodate the tens of thousands of visitors that the facility sees in a typical year. Field trip classes and daily visitors encounter a cramped facility with lengthy queues for the restrooms and little space to relax or explore exhibits.

In 2018, following a broader master planning effort for Oxbow Park, Olmsted County began thinking about the future of the nature center. After examining three distinct alternatives that considered various development approaches and levels of investment, it was decided that a new Nature Center should be designed that better meets the needs of park-goers and Olmsted County's growing population. Schematic Design followed in 2019 and construction documents for the new Nature Center were developed throughout 2020.

At 13,000 square feet, the planned nature center triples the amount of space available, and will vastly expand the number of people that can be served, the programs that can be offered, and the quality of the visitor experience.

The new Nature Center is sited north of the existing Nature Center, tucked in between the Path of Imagination and the north edge of Zollman Zoo. This location allows the existing Nature Center to remain open during construction of the new building, and provides easy access to both destinations. Construction of the new Nature Center is one of two phases of the project, and includes the building, a large raingarden, and partial construction of a plaza that connects the Nature Center to a new Zollman Zoo entrance north of the current nature center building.

The second phase of the project will complete construction of the entry plaza between the new Nature Center, Zollman Zoo, and the parking lot, and will feature a new seating and gathering area. A savanna berm will be built on the site of the current nature center, providing a backdrop to the new plaza and screening views of the maintenance buildings.

Visitors to the new Nature Center will be welcomed into a more spacious entry with easy access to restrooms and drinking water, features that will better support the many groups that come to Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo for fieldtrips. An exterior access restroom will provide a convenient facility for zoo visitors.

The entry connects to Oxbow Nature Center’s expansive new Exhibit Hall, which will showcase the geology, flora, and fauna of southeastern Minnesota. Live animal displays, educational exhibits with prompted activities, and areas for exploratory play will excite minds of all ages and offer hours of discoveries. A wildlife viewing area offers a relaxing place to spend time.

Beyond the Exhibit Hall, a large flexible event space can be divided into three separate classrooms, each with access to the nature center’s “prairie terrace,” which will include a firepit and seating for outdoor gatherings. The event space can accommodate groups of more than 150, and has access to a catering kitchen and its own restroom.

The Nature Center also includes staff offices that support the day to day operations for the park, storage spaces for event setups and programming, and an equipment rental station to get folks out exploring the park's trails.

Since the 1980s, Friends of Oxbow has raised more than $750,000 to support education, recreation, and other improvements at the park. With the new nature center on the horizon, they’re working harder than ever to build support for the new facility, and have set an ambitious $1,000,000 fundraising goal.

Oxbow Park Nature Center will serve as a hub for the community, and with your help, we can extend the park’s programs, activities, and educational impact far beyond what it’s currently able to offer.

To learn more about this exciting project, or to contribute to the new Nature Center at Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo, visit:  FriendsofOxbow.org