# Urban Ecology Center — Riverside Park

> Place to go for families in the Milwaukee–Waukesha area (WI). Times are Central Time.

- When: Building: Tue–Thu noon–6 p.m.; Fri noon–5 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sun and Mon…
- Where: Urban Ecology Center — Riverside Park, 1500 E Park Pl, Milwaukee, WI 53211
- Ages: All ages
- Price: Admission is free
- Schedule: Building: Tue–Thu noon–6 p.m.; Fri noon–5 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sun and Mon. The park and trails are free to explore.
- Organizer: Urban Ecology Center
- Official page: https://www.urbanecologycenter.org/branches/riverside-park
- Last checked: Sat, Oct 24

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/activities/urban-ecology-center-riverside-park--listing-2f028879102acdaf6e5f4756

## About

The Urban Ecology Center's East Side branch sits in Milwaukee County's Riverside Park between Riverwest and the East Side, on the Oak Leaf Trail with an observation tower. The 'green' building has environmental exhibits and resource materials, and the park around it holds 15 acres of woods and river habitat on the east bank of the Milwaukee River plus a habitat-themed playground. Kids can follow the Three Billion Year Walk, a path of rock cairns up to seven feet tall that leads from the building to the canoe launch, from 390-million-year-old Devonian dolomite to nephrite jade perhaps 3 billion years old. Families can borrow activity backpacks, look for animal tracks and birds, and warm up by the fireplace in winter.

## Similar picks in Milwaukee

- [Scarecrow Lane at Retzer Nature Center](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/activities/scarecrow-lane-at-retzer-nature-center--listing-944019f65f4d2179aa514832) — Oct 24 – Oct 31 · Retzer Nature Center, Waukesha · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. A self-guided fall hike past more than 42 creative, one-of-a-kind scarecrows set up along Retzer's trails by the Friends of Retzer Nature Center. Start near the Discovery…
- [Fall Story Hike: The Acorn and the Oak — Retzer Nature Center](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/activities/fall-story-hike-the-acorn-and-the-oak-retzer-nature-center--listing-fd4aaafb0293c15dd66d564f) — Oct 24 – Oct 31 · 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Retzer Nature Center, Waukesha · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. A self-guided story walk on Retzer's roughly 0.6-mile White Trail: read Rhonda Accardo's picture book The Acorn and the Oak page by page and learn about oak trees and their…
- [Urban Ecology Center — Menomonee Valley](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/activities/urban-ecology-center-menomonee-valley--listing-b3dc984ad93fa5bf2a151cc9) — Building: Tue–Thu noon–6 p.m.; Fri noon–5 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sun and Mon. · Urban Ecology Center — Menomonee Valley · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. The South Central branch, a 'green' community center in a former tavern at 37th and Pierce, beside Three Bridges Park and the Hank Aaron State Trail along the Menomonee River…
- [Urban Ecology Center — Washington Park](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/activities/urban-ecology-center-washington-park--listing-b4d59251a3a798cea08b8457) — Building: Tue–Thu noon–6 p.m.; Fri noon–5 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sun and Mon. · Urban Ecology Center — Washington Park · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. The North Central branch of the Urban Ecology Center in Washington Park, recently expanded. Inside, kids can climb the tower to look over the park and neighborhoods, ride the…
- [Operation Recon Nature – Veterans and Families](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/activities/operation-recon-nature-veterans-and-families--listing-bbc480158d683be8cf919ffd) — Sat, Oct 24 (+2 more dates) · 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM · Wehr Nature Center, Franklin · Free · checked Oct 24. A free monthly nature walk for veterans from every branch, including active duty, reserve and retired personnel, and their families. Participants share camaraderie on Wehr's…
- [Lakeshore State Park](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/activities/lakeshore-state-park--listing-110df261e9fbbf2fef9fe9ca) — Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. year-round. · Lakeshore State Park · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. A downtown Milwaukee state park on the Lake Michigan shore, next to the Summerfest grounds and connected by bridge to Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin. It has a small beach and…

## More for families

- [This weekend in Milwaukee](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/this-weekend) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee/this-weekend.md)
- [Things to do with kids in Milwaukee](https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/milwaukee.md)
