URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER - RIVERSIDE PARK

My students loved the experience, but the bus expectations were too strict as well as some older staff not understanding that kids need flexibility if they cannot walk as fast as the group, or if kids want to explore before hearing a lecture. This is natural kid tendencies, but my students were not treated with as much respect as they deserved. Also, we had to wear other people's snow outfits instead of being offered to bring our own. I was not told and students were not told. I hope they fix this policy to polish it up for next year.

We had our wedding here in October of 2025. It was beautiful and perfect and we are so grateful for how the day turned out. Everything, including planning, went very well with the employees before the big day. The day of comes, and there were some miscommunications but they were figured out overall. The thing that is really upsetting and disappointing is that we left our cake and some leftovers in the fridge there until the building opened up and we could access it. We were never communicated with that we couldn’t, and no one told us that our stuff would literally be eaten. Our wedding cake (the toppers inside the box) was more than halfway eaten by the employees, and our dinner leftovers were either tossed or eaten. When I emailed the coordinating manager, I was given a “whatever is left is usually for the employees to enjoy, sorry for the miscommunication.” When I called the urban ecology, a very nice employee went to look at what was left for us and left a note. She told us very sadly that a big portion of the cake was eaten and that there was only x, y, z of the Mexican food we had. We even had an employee the night of our wedding day say we could store it all in the fridge and they helped. We emailed back and forth with a few employees, and we were offered a reimbursement. The reimbursement was to have a free one year anniversary party there and a new wedding cake. We responded thanking them, but we noted that we would not be able to have a one year party since all of our family flew in from the western US, and we did not need an entire new cake, now that none of our family was around to take leftovers. We kindly asked if we could have a gift card instead to the place our wedding cake was from and that they did not need to give us a free party at the ecology center. We have never received a response. My husband has sent many, many different emails asking for a response and we have been ignored. The problem was never taken care of or at least fixed. We almost weren’t able to freeze a piece of our cake because the employees picked and ate at a WEDDING CAKE and our food that WE paid for. We have been ignored for months. Real professional. Again, great venue, amazing location, beautiful wedding. There are some really kind employees that work there, but some of them really just ended up ignoring us. Pictures below for proof.

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)

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!

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.