As I sit at the welcome desk at our amazing Great River Road Visitor and Learning Center, I look out of the windows onto the opposing bluffs to see the change of seasons happening. The beautiful fall colors are starting to pop with the red, yellow, and orange-colored trees. I am again reminded of how spectacular our setting is, located on a globally rare bluff line overlooking the majestic Mississippi. As the weather season changes, so does our center’s season, the season of travelers. We are nearing the end of our busy tourist travel season, having seen and visited with over 10,000 people from over 40 states and countries. It always amazes me how many foreign travelers we see travel through our center. Just recently, two different sets of travelers from Germany stopped in, only two days apart.

We are still running strong and preparing for some exciting upcoming events such as Rita Zawislak Brandt’s art exhibit and reception in our River Room, Grandma and Grandpa’s Great Loop Adventure book overview and reading by author Kelly Johnson and illustrator Jean Halverson (Prescott residents), volunteer thank you dinner, a meat raffle at Scab’s Place, and the “Shop Small Business Saturday” in our gift store. All the event details can be found at: www.freedomparkwi.org.

As our center’s hours shift to the “off season,” that doesn’t mean that our center closes up. We are still open and vibrant on the weekends starting on Nov. 1 and running until May 1. Starting on Nov. 1 we will be hosting a variety of family friendly free activities on the weekends. We have a cozy fireplace, a coffee machine, and a beautiful space to come and engage in.

Not only is our center a great place to come shake off the cabin fever that starts to set in, Freedom Park is always open and waiting for you to come and take a stroll. Come and sit on a bench, relax and just soak in what we have here. Sometimes I think that we take for granted the beauty that lies around us. The land, the water, and the wildlife that is so abundant in our area. 

The Great River Road Visitor and Learning Center – Freedom Park is our “Gem of Prescott.” Come and continue to enjoy what it has for you!

Great River Road Visitor and Learning Center – Freedom Park is located at 200 Monroe St., Prescott.