Urban Ecology Center of Riverside Park

Raw space venue

The venue will provide just the space. You’ll bring in your own caterer and vendors.

Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing

Starting at $3,000 for off-peak dates, and $4,000 for peak dates

Guest capacity

Up to 150 seated guests

About this venue

Overlooking Riverside Park, the Urban Ecology Center offers breathtaking views of the surrounding forests along the Milwaukee River. Your guests will enjoy taking a stroll in the park, exploring our award-winning, eco-friendly building, and admiring the view from our second-floor deck and tower. Whatever your event entails, the Urban Ecology Center is uniquely equipped to provide the perfect backdrop for your day.

Seated guest capacity

  • 100-150

Venue type

  • Parks, Gardens
  • Urban Locations

Venue setting

  • Indoor
  • Outdoor
1500 E Park Pl, Milwaukee, WI 53211

Our event spaces

2nd Floor

A naturally immersive experience for your guests.

This area features high vaulted ceilings and gorgeous wood paneling and La Lune wooden tables and chairs. The rental consists of the entire second floor with surrounding exterior decks, 60-foot outdoor observation tower, and use of the Camouflage Room and Community Science Labs.

Guest capacity

50-80 Seated

80-100 Standing

Ideal for

Rehearsal dinner, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, After party

Room cost

1,460.00 for 4 hours

Community Room

A spacious and relaxed meeting hall on the lower level, anchored by an impressive wood-burning fireplace.

The Community Room is suitable for meetings, seminars, workshops or luncheons. A pull-down movie screen and wireless digital projector are included in rent of the room.

Guest capacity

50-80 Seated

80-94 Standing

Ideal for

Welcome party, Farewell brunch, Engagement party

Room cost

$480 for 4 hours

Whole Building

Our wooden detailing and split level seating will set your event apart from anyone else!

Perfect for small and large parties, rental of the whole building gives you the flexibility to spread out and host your event in the best way you see fit. You get exclusive access to our both the 1st and 2nd Floor as well as classrooms and outdoor spaces.

Guest capacity

Up to 150 Seated

Up to 200 Standing

Ideal for

Wedding reception

Guests often feel this space is

“Warm and cozy”

Room cost

6,500.00 for a 9 hour window

2nd Floor

A naturally immersive experience for your guests.

This area features high vaulted ceilings and gorgeous wood paneling and La Lune wooden tables and chairs. The rental consists of the entire second floor with surrounding exterior decks, 60-foot outdoor observation tower, and use of the Camouflage Room and Community Science Labs.

Guest capacity

50-80 Seated

80-100 Standing

Ideal for

Rehearsal dinner, Cocktail hour, Engagement party, After party

Room cost

1,460.00 for 4 hours

Available services that can be provided by Urban Ecology Center of Riverside Park

Services & amenities

  • Clean up
  • Dance floor
  • Dressing room / Bridal Suite
  • Event rentals
  • Event staff
  • On-site accommodations
  • Pet friendly
  • Service staff
  • Set up
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Wifi

Transportation & access

  • Self parking - free
  • Wheelchair accessible

Rentals

  • Barware
  • China
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Sound / AV
  • Standard Chairs

Reviews

Write a review

5.0 out of 5

9 reviews

  • SC

    Sophie C.

    •Dec 15, 2024

    Incredibly beautiful venue with incredible people

    The Urban Ecology Center is a stunning venue. The outdoor ceremony area is gorgeous, and the indoor reception is earthy and cozy. Everyone who works at UEC is incredibly friendly, helpful, and communicative. While a few things didn't go as expected (including a massive thunderstorm), everyone at UEC made sure that it was still the most special day of our lives. I highly recommend this venue if you love nature, sustainability, and supporting an amazing cause!!

  • VW

    Victoria W.

    •Dec 14, 2024

    Grateful

    We couldn’t have asked for a better day. The staff at UEC made sure we had all of our questions answered throughout the process and helped us turn ideas into reality in only 2 short months. It felt so good to be surrounded by great people, nature and a beautiful space on such an important day. If you’re going to spend money on a venue, you might as well make sure the moneys being used for good! Thank you UEC for all you did for our day.

  • MB

    Michelle B.

    •Aug 21, 2024

    Beautiful space for a nature-loving queer couple

    The UEC is a wonderful organization that does such great conservation work in our community and it pleased us very much to be able to support them with some of our wedding dollars. The outdoor ceremony space is gorgeous and shady. Inside, we love the beautiful wood paneling and rustic wood furniture, as well as the openness of the space and the big skylight. Danni, our event coordinator, was great to work with and very responsive to our emails and questions. It was great to feel so welcomed and comfortable as a queer couple. The UEC is very LGBTQIA friendly and we felt right at home! Oh and the beautiful natural surroundings made for great photos too!

  • JK

    Jessica K.

    •Aug 20, 2024

    Incredible Wedding Venue!

    The Urban Ecology Center of Riverside Park was the perfect venue for our wedding. The beautiful, open space provided a stunning backdrop for our reception. The staff handled all issues seamlessly, ensuring our day went off without a hitch. They were incredibly helpful in the planning process, guiding us through every detail and making our day very easy. We had so many compliments on the venue from our guests.

  • DO

    Damian O.

    •Aug 9, 2024

    Unique wedding venue

    My partner and I greatly enjoyed having our wedding at the UEC. I proposed along the nearby Milwaukee River Greenway, so it made sense to get married here. The ceremony space is a short walk away, nestled among the trees; well-sized for an intimate crowd, but we made it work for our party of 125 by adding chairs. Especially in the summer, the bridge over the Oak Leaf Trail and the rock arch make great wedding photo spots. The interior of the venue is entirely wood and exposed rafters. A mix of the natural and built environments. The space is split between two floors (with an opening on the second floor overlooking the first) and features an aquatic animals room, camouflage room, an outside-to-inside slide, and lookout tower--fun for kids and adults alike. The staff were incredibly helpful throughout the process, from the initial visit to the day of--including stepping in to help time the procession! They are willing to move furniture and decorations as desired and provide storage space (for rented chairs, decorations, etc.) before and after the event. We are very appreciative of the UEC staff for all their support on our wedding. If you desire a unique space with a focus on "green" and "sustainability," this is a great spot!

Preferred vendors of Urban Ecology Center of Riverside Park

Caterer
Flour Girl & Flame
West Allis, WI
Caterer
Cafe Corazon
Milwaukee, WI
Caterer
Shully's Cuisine and Events
Thiensville, WI
Bar services & beverages
Over The Moon Bartending
Glendale, WI

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