Discover Westwood Hills Nature Center

Location, Hours, and Contact

Location:
8300 W. Franklin Ave
St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Hours:
Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Sat – Sun: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Contact: 952-924-2544

A Four-Season Nature Preserve

Westwood Hills encompasses a 160-acre natural area of marsh, woodland, and restored prairie. Its more than 3 miles of trails and walkways offer excellent opportunities for leaf peeping, birdwatching, and wildlife spotting. The preserve remains beautiful in every season and shelters animals such as deer, turtles, fox, mink, and owls.

Nature Center trails are accessible every day, year-round, from sunrise to sunset. The posted hours apply to the Interpretive Center; trails remain available from dawn to dusk throughout the year.

Features & Amenities

Westwood Lake

Westwood Lake occupies 64 acres within the preserve and is stocked with bluegills. During summer, visitors can rent a fishing pole at the Interpretive Center and try their luck from the fishing pier. A resident pair of swans may also be visible. Children can run across the floating boardwalk spanning the lake.

Winter Activities

When winter arrives, visitors can travel the trails by snowshoe, with rentals available from the Interpretive Center. Snowshoes come in every size, beginning with preschool sizes, allowing even the youngest family members to participate.

Traditional Norwegian kicksleds offer another way to experience the snow and ice. These wood-and-metal sleds let visitors alternate between driving and riding while exercising and enjoying the outdoors.

Water Garden

The Westwood Hills water garden is a tucked-away attraction featuring over 100 native Minnesota plants that bloom during the summer season. Streams, waterfalls, and a pond complete the setting.

Interpretive Center

The eco-friendly Interpretive Center invites visitors to explore interactive exhibits, including a display explaining pollinators and the important role they play. Live animals on view include a flying squirrel, a chipmunk, a red-tailed hawk, an American kestrel, and a barred owl.

Within the city, the Nature Center provides an unusual outdoor classroom for multiple generations. Professionally trained naturalists conduct engaging, informative, hands-on programs in environmental education and outdoor recreation throughout the year. These experiences are suited to families and groups of all types.

The Interpretive Center is closed on certain holidays, including New Year’s Day, MLK Day, President’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Event Space

Interpretive Center

The newly constructed interpretive center includes a multi-purpose space for as many as 130 people. It can host meetings, wedding receptions, galas, company events, birthday parties, family reunions, and other gatherings.

The multi-purpose room can be divided into three smaller rooms: Willow, Aspen and Oak. Available amenities include a caterer’s holding kitchen and audio-visual equipment. Events serving alcohol may require an additional $295 fee to retain a police officer. A refundable damage and kitchen cleaning deposit may also apply.

Individual rooms are rented by the hour with a 2-hr minimum. The entire facility is available for a 12-hour rental.

• Maple Conference Room – 16 guests
• Willow – 23 guests
• Oak – 48 guests
• Aspen – 56 guests
• Entire Facility – 128 guests

Room reservations require completion of the Westwood Hills Nature Center facility rental application.

Lower Park Building

Situated near the parking lot, the Lower Park Building accommodates up to 25 people. This fully accessible building has windows on three sides overlooking the Nature Center grounds and playground. Restrooms and a sink are also available. The space works well for meetings, parties, and other gatherings, with a 2-hr rental minimum.

Upper Picnic Shelter

The Upper Picnic Shelter sits next to the water garden and provides seating for up to 48 people at picnic tables. Six 8′ tables are available. The shelter includes restrooms, drinking fountains, electrical outlets, and a sink. As an open-air facility, it offers cover from sun and rain while overlooking Westwood Lake.

Waterfall Observation Deck & Outdoor Water Garden

The Waterfall Observation Deck & Outdoor Water Garden can provide a picturesque setting for a small wedding, photo shoot, or outdoor meeting. The water garden forms a scenic backdrop as water moves over the 6-foot-high waterfall and down the hillside.

From the accessible Observation Deck, visitors can take in the waterfall, water garden, Westwood Lake, and surrounding woods. The Outdoor Water Garden features accessible crushed rock paths, bridges, and a pond where fish can be viewed. Rock benches offer places to take photos or pause and enjoy the surroundings.

These areas may be rented individually or combined into one outdoor event setting. Reservations for the outdoor spaces require completion of the Outdoor Facility Rental Application. For additional information, call 952-924-2544.