The Mississippi River Learning Center is a city-led project combining a mixed-use, river-focused campus, strengthened connections to nearby neighborhoods, a trailhead for the Sam Morgan Regional Trail, and a new, universally accessible canopy walk from the bluff to the river. Taken together, the design will create an accessible, welcoming national gateway to the Mississippi River with year-round river learning and outdoor recreation on and along Saint Paul’s stretch of river. The new learning campus will knit together two isolated sections of the Hidden Falls Crosby Farm regional park, creating a unified stretch of learning, recreation, and relaxation along the Mississippi River.

The project includes comprehensive community engagement and identification of programming and opportunities at the site. Targeted outreach, public surveys, on-site tours, and Dakota engagement were meaningful feedback mechanisms throughout the design process and in determining appropriate programs for the site.

W regularly met with several city and state agencies and stakeholders to ensure the design met Mississippi Region Critical Corridor Area regulations (MRCCA), Capital Region Watershed District (CRWD) stormwater management goals, city zoning height restrictions, and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulations.