The Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center is an outstanding example of reuse for community benefit, featuring an exhibit hall that informs and educates the public on the historical legacy of the site as well as LM’s ongoing work as stewards and protectors of public health and the environment.

Since opening in 2001, the Interpretive Center has served more than 346,000 visitors, program attendees, meeting room users, and event attendees. Interpretive Center staff engage with students throughout the school year, providing innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational programs.

As an additional service to the community, meeting room space is made available to groups, including: naturalists, hobbyists, crafters, special interest and civic groups, trail users and many others.

Located outside of the Interpretive Center is Howell Prairie, the site’s highly diverse 150-acre restored native prairie and on-site native plant garden, both of which serve as ideal habitats for various types of wildlife and pollinator species and more than 200 species of native plants. Visitors to the site can learn about regional plants and animals, climb the stairs to the top of the disposal cell and enjoy a 360-degree view, and take advantage of the hiking and biking trail system, including a remediation-era haul road repurposed into the 6-mile Hamburg Trail.

The site’s favorable position in the center of two large conservation areas showcases the importance of creating and maintaining recreational and ecologically rich greenspaces in proximity to major metropolitan areas.

The Weldon Spring Site is an excellent example of LM’s service to the community and commitment to environmental stewardship. The site will become an even greater asset with the construction a new, state-of-the-art Interpretive Center and administrative office space scheduled to open in 2021.