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 763/694-7700
13351 Elm Creek Road, Dayton, MN 55369
9 am-5 pm, Monday-Saturday |
Noon - 5 pm, Sunday
Elm Creek Park Reserve
Nestled in the sugar maple and basswood flood plain forest of Rush Creek, Eastman Nature Center offers visitors a peaceful
retreat to the natural world.
What Can You do at Eastman Nature Center?
The 6,800 square-foot center features lots of opportunities to explore nature. The talented staff is eager to share its knowledge of the natural world
with inquisitive visitors of all ages.
- Interactive exhibits with a kids nook
- Stream diorama, glass-sided beehive with working honeybees, pioneer artifacts, interactive computer kiosk with pictorial park maps, syrup game and matching tracks game.
- See live turtles, snakes, frogs, toads and salamanders
- Floor-to-ceiling picture windows to view birds up-close at the feeders and a backyard wildlife pond.
- 4 miles of hiking trails that meander through forests, fields and along side creeks
- A 307-foot boardwalk crosses a pond along a hiking trail
- Self-guided trails, booklets, and exploration kits
-
 Observation blind for watching birds and wildlife
- Explore the restored prairie
- A small outdoor amphitheater with a fire ring
- An orienteering course for learning to use a map and compass
- Wildflower photo display
- Demonstration garden beds for spring wildflowers, herbs, ferns and attracting butterflies.
- Elm Creek's 19 miles of paved trails, a 5-mile packed snowshoe trail and 11 miles of cross-country ski trails are connected to Eastman.
Rooms in the nature center are available to rent for meetings or special occasions.
 Programs
Learn about the natural world in year-round, fun and educational programs for people of all ages. We offer a variety of programs for the public and schools. Groups may also hire a naturalist for a wide range of fun and hands-on programs. View the program calendar listings.
Here's a sample of some of our popular programs:
Nature Center History
 The nature center was dedicated on Oct. 27, 1974. It was named for Whitney H. Eastman, fundraising chairman for Metropolitan Nature Centers Inc. Eastman was an avid, nationally-known bird-watcher whose dedication to conservation helped create nature centers for the enjoyment of all people.
The nature center's location was chosen due to its proximity to Rush Creek and to a large Great Blue Heron rookery, which was active from the 1930s to 1979. A drought in 1976 severely impacted the colony. The last few birds tried nesting in 1979, but the rookery was abandoned the next year. The nature center is located at the edge of the Rush Creek floodplain forest, and is close to upland marsh, upland forest, shrubby succession, and meadow communities. A large classroom and remodeled lobby addition was built in 1992.
New Schwanden
In the east central section of what is now Elm Creek Park Reserve, early pioneers established a settlement in the 1850s. In 1853 the Blesi, Hosli, Paul, Schmidt, Tshudi, Wild and Zopfi families embarked upon a two-month transatlantic voyage to America from the Schwanden area of Glarus, Switzerland.
They arrived in the United States in 1853. In 1855 they settled in Minnesota and named their settlement New Schwanden, after their home town, and the nearby stream, Elm Creek, after another Swiss village, Ulm. The families built both the St. Fridolin Cemetery and the German Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Fridolin’s Church of New Schwanden in 1866. The cemetery exists still today and accommodates Civil War veterans. The original log church was replaced by a brick church in 1897 (above).
The spinning wheel pictured (right) dates back to 1798 and was brought over from Switzerland by Margurite and Peter Blesi. The wheel, along with other Blesi family artifacts and stories are preserved and on display in Eastman Nature Center.
Prior to the Swiss settlement, the land of Elm Creek Park Reserve was home to the Winnebago tribe and earlier pre-Dakota people who left behind burial grounds.
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