The Lakeshore Nature Preserve’s Picnic Point, hiking trails and small Lake Mendota beaches provide an easy-to-access natural oasis just steps from downtown Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
And soon, the thousands of students, Madisonians and others who visit the spot each year will be welcomed by a new “front door” when they arrive at the 300-acre natural area.
The university announced last week that Madison philanthropist and UW-Madison alumnus Jerry Frautschi ― husband of American Girl founder Pleasant Rowland ― donated $14.3 million to help build a 9,000-square-foot visitor and education center at the preserve.
“The Lakeshore Nature Preserve Frautschi Center will showcase UW-Madison’s commitment to sustainability and support hands-on experiential learning and research for more than 25 academic programs, in addition to serving as a new asset to environmental education for the community,” the university said in a press release.
Construction is expected to begin next year, and the center should open in 2026.