Wehr Nature Center is a nature preserve located in

Hales Corners, Wisconsin Hales Corners is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,692 at the 2010 census. History The land in the area that would eventually encompass the Village was first claimed as French, then British, and even ...

: it is part of

Whitnall Park Whitnall Park is Milwaukee County, Wisconsin's largest park and it is located in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. The park was named for Charles B. Whitnall and planning for the park began in 1924. Major work in the park was completed during the Great ...

. It was named for philanthropist

Todd Wehr C. Frederick "Todd" Wehr (April 14, 1889 -September 28, 1965) was an industrialist and philanthropist. He was co-founder of the Wehr Steel Company and founder of the Todd Wehr Foundation, Inc. Biography Wehr was a graduate of West Division High Sc ...

whose foundation donated $200,000 USD to help build the center.

History

The center opened in 1974 and was made possible by a $200,000 USD grant from the Todd Wehr Foundation along with federal and state grants. The nature center was built on the site of a livestock trading center. In 2018 organizations raised funds to update the nature center to accommodate people with disabilities. Bathrooms, a boardwalk and a viewing deck were included in the updates to make the center more wheelchair accessible.

Description

The nature center is 220 acres of protected land inside of

. The

Milwaukee County Park System Most parks in Milwaukee are owned and maintained by Milwaukee County as part of a county-wide system. However, some parks are administered by other entities, such as the state of Wisconsin, the city of Milwaukee, or neighborhood organizations. P ...

states that visitors may not ride bicycles, or fish, or use any watercraft within the nature center. They also do not allow pets. There is a 2.8 mile trail for hikers which goes through the center. The trail passes Mallard Lake and passes a boardwalk and observation deck. The trail is made of wood chips and it passes the scenic elements of the park.

References

{{coord, 42.9252, -88.0360, type:landmark_region:US-WI_dim:2000, display=title Nature centers in Wisconsin Protected areas of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin