Together with Club Prior, this once-a-month ski club is a friendly cross-country ski group that celebrates movement, wellness, nature and community during the Minnesota winter. We will meet at the Cleary Lake visitor center to ski, enjoy fresh air and connect on the trails, ending in front of the fireplace with a warm drink. Free ski rental included.

Join us for a presentation by Andrew Tri, a research wildlife biologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. From an era of persecution to conservation and management, Minnesota’s black bears are truly a conservation success story. We’ll discuss bear ecology, management, conservation, how to coexist with these amazing critters and why rivers can be corridors for range expansion. This program is part of the 2026 Big Year of Rivers Speaker Series.

Join us for a presentation by Lee Hendrix—pilot and riverboat captain. Learn about the exciting and dangerous work that accompanied a five-decade career of working on America's river with Lee Hendrix, pilot and former captain in the US Army Corps of Engineers. Lee piloted commercial towboats and the last three overnight passenger steamboats on the Mississippi—the Delta, Mississippi and American Queen. Through engaging storytelling, Hendrix sheds light on his rare experience along one of the most powerful and important waterways in the world. This program is part of the 2026 Big Year of Rivers Speaker Series.

Join us for this Big Year of Rivers program where we explore how water cycles through our environment. Walk along one of our trails and play an interactive game where you become a drop of water. Gain a better understanding of how water moves and changes as you move through the game. Where will you start? Where will you end up? Every drop's journey is different!

See wild songbirds safely trapped, studied and banded with numbered rings. Find out what scientists learn from these banded birds.

Stop by Lowry any time between 1–4 p.m. to practice your observation skills on our camouflage trail. There will be wooden cutouts of animals hidden along the acorn trail. Stop by the front desk to pick up a checklist and see if you can find them all!

Celebrate Earth Day by making a difference—for your wardrobe and the planet! Silverwood Park and St. Anthony Village Community Services are teaming up to bring you a clothing swap, where sustainability meets style. By swapping instead of shopping, you’ll help reduce waste by keeping clothes out of landfills. Join us for this community-focused event and take a step toward a more sustainable future! How It Works: • Donate: Drop off gently used women’s clothes, shoes, and accessories starting at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, April 13. • Swap: Take home your favorite finds, no donation required! • Give Back: All unclaimed items will be donated to local charities after the event.

Join us for an evening that flows where art, ecology and technology meet. Explore the living systems of rivers and watersheds through a creative lens—combining natural history, hands-on art-making and board games for an immersive and relaxed night out. Play tabletop games that explore ecological balance and environmental strategy, get inspired by river science and create artwork that reflects the ever-moving currents. Celebrate the beauty and complexity of water—both on-screen and in the landscape—at this one of-a-kind event.

Evergreen trees not only offer up year-round color, they offer protective factors that benefit human health like phytoncides: natural oils emitted by pine, fir, spruce and cedar trees that boost your immune system. We will find, identify and smell two different evergreen species on a 45-minute hike. Returning to the warmth of the fireplace, we will make evergreen sachets for you to take home while we sip evergreen tea.

Join a naturalist in the Wildlife Viewing Room as we learn about the birds visiting the bird feeders. View birds through a spotting scope and binoculars, while using bird guides to identify the birds you are seeing. Other activities include bird-themed coloring sheets, puzzles and puppets. No reservations needed; drop in anytime.

As our summer birds start to return, welcome them back by playing some bird games! Try your hand at migrating, see if you can guess the weight of Minnesota raptors and see if you can compete with world record holders in events like flying speed.

Celebrate Earth Day with us. Make an earth-like seed bomb, filled with wildflower seeds, to bring home and spread pollinator-friendly plants in your own space. Explore the park on your own, take a hike, play in the Nature Exploration Area or view Richardson's animal ambassadors indoors. No reservations needed; drop in anytime.

Drop in anytime to search for tadpoles, play frog games and meet a live frog.

Tromp in the forest and explore the Nature Exploration Area! Make slushy smoothies in the mud kitchen, balance over muddy snow and work together to build a fun fort. Use a variety of loose parts like sticks, stumps, kitchen utensils, and other items that can be moved, arranged and used in creative ways. Drop in anytime.

Kicksleds have been described as chairs with ice skates or dogsleds without the dogs. Try this unique way of moving across the frozen pond by yourself or with a partner. Drop in anytime.

Learn about the maple syrup process from start to finish at this informal demonstration. Explore different tools used to collect, and hold and boil sap into sweet syrup. Ask questions, learn how to identify a maple tree and sample real maple syrup. Use your newfound knowledge to tap a tree at your home. Syruping kits are available for purchase during the program. No reservation needed; drop in anytime.

Celebrate the Big Year of Rivers by exploring a group of animals that rely on clean water throughout their life cycles. Meet Richardson Nature Center’s resident amphibians up-close. Learn about their natural history, explore and examine a variety of animal artifacts and get a chance to touch live amphibians. No reservations needed; drop in any time.

Drop in any time to meet our live animal ambassadors up close!

Discover what makes mammals so unique. Observe and touch pelts and skulls of Minnesota mammals, try matching skulls with their correct furs, and learn to decipher if an animal is a predator or prey by looking at its skull. Hike on your own with a scavenger hunt sheet and search for animal tracks and signs. No reservations required; drop in anytime.

Watch some kooky animal puppets as they stop Trasher the Trash Can from trashing nature. Performance begins promptly at 1 p.m. After the show, try your hand at making an art project related to the show until 3 p.m. or join a naturalist led exploration from 1:30–2 p.m. Join Walk with a Naturalist at 2 p.m. for a longer nature hike or stay and make art throughout the afternoon.

Spring is popping up all around us, come see what’s blooming! Learn about Minnesota’s early-blooming wildflowers and explore plant biofacts up close. Take a self-guided hike to look for ephemerals and other signs of spring along the trail. No reservations needed; drop in anytime.

Join a naturalist for a walk along the trails. Observe seasonal changes happening across the habitats and landscapes. Bring binoculars if you have them or some will be available to borrow at the park. Drop-ins welcome. Hike departs shortly after 2 p.m. from in front of the visitor center.

The ice is thawing and birds are migrating north along the Mississippi River! Use binoculars and a spotting scope to look for ducks, mergansers and other water birds. All materials provided.

Are you looking for new trails to explore in 2026? Do it while connecting to the rivers and waters in the Park District, as part of our 2026 Big Year of Rivers. First, a naturalist will be available to suggest trails at Eastman that meet your needs and goals. Then, keep the momentum going with a list of trail suggestions for the other Three Rivers' parks you can to visit this year. The possibilities are endless! Free. No reservations required.

Did you know some of the maple trees at Eastman are over 100 years old? Learn how to use math to age a tree and see if you can find the oldest tree in our maple sugarbush. Enjoy a self-led walk through the woods and taste a sample of our delicious syrup. On-going, drop in anytime.

Spring is a time when animals look for a mate, and frogs do it by singing. Come discover the different sounds frogs make, which frogs live in Minnesota and what makes frogs unique. Meet our animal ambassador frogs. Drop in anytime.

Venture off-trail to our Chickadee Landing bird feeder station with a naturalist. Learn about birds in the winter, then sit with birdseed in hand to see if any birds visit up close. For all ages but best for those that can sit still and quiet for several minutes. Small groups will be brought out at 1, 1:30, 2 and 2:30 p.m.

Stop by and learn the process of turning maple syrup into sugar. Sample the final result.

Step into spring and the maple syrup season by helping to collect sap from our maple trees! Visit the boiling cauldron and learn how we turn sap into the sweet syrup that you can taste before you leave. This activity is perfect for all ages. Drop in anytime.

It's maple syrup season and the work has begun. Join staff for a short tree-tapping demonstration out among the maples. Groups will be taken off-trail into the sugarbush to watch the tree-tapping at 1, 1:30, 2 and 2:30 p.m. Drop in at one of those times to observe the process.

Get ready for a series of maple syrup programs that take you from maple tree identification to tapping, collecting and sugaring. Each Sunday we will highlight a different part of the maple syrup process. This first session will focus on how to identify maple trees in winter for tapping before leaves emerge. Drop in anytime.

Create some art using a pipette, baking soda, vinegar and special PH paper. Explore acidic and basic properties and see what colors they reveal on the paper. All supplies provided. Drop in anytime.

Enjoy a fire in our fire pit and explore what makes cottontail rabbits unique. Check out furs, skulls, and other rabbit artifacts and learn how they survive in the park. Drop in anytime!

The great blue herons have returned to the Upper Mississippi River! Learn about herons and their lives on a geocaching course, pretend you’re a great blue heron migrating along the Mississippi Flyway by playing a game. Gain experience using binoculars as you take a walk in search of herons and look for their distinctive blue eggs.

Celebrate International Sculpture Day at Silverwood Park. Learn about the sculpture trail during a guided tour from 10– 11:15 a.m. with park staff. Meet at the Visitor Center. Participants ages 11 years and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Celebrate International Sculpture Day and make art inspired by the work on view in the gallery. Materials and instruction provided. See respective gallery exhibitions by Ben Moren and FotoMatter on view through April 30. Participants ages 11 years and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Drop in anytime.

National Alliance on Mental Health Minnesota (NAMI MN) and Silverwood Park partner to offer a monthly arts-integrated support group for anyone experiencing a mental health condition. This support group is dedicated to helping participants build resilience through creative experiences, facilitated peer discussion and reflection, and connection to the natural world. Phone Number to register (651) 645-2948

Start your Monday mornings with fresh air, movement and good company! Developed in partnership with Club Prior, Morning Stretch and Stroll is a casual, quick walking club for adults ages 55+ looking to boost their health by walking outdoors on a peaceful paved path at a distance of a little over a mile. Halfway through, we stop to focus on activities to enhance balance and agility. These 45-minute guided walking sessions will help you maintain your mobility and cardiovascular health. Nordic walking poles are available upon request.