Once on the verge of disappearing, the bald eagle was removed from the federal list of endangered species in 2007. That same year, the National Eagle Center in Wabasha opened a beautiful brick interpretive center on the bluffs of the Mississippi River.
For more than two decades the Eagle Center (first established as EagleWatch) has been devoted to eagle conservation, research and education. The interpretive center shares the story of these majestic birds, their struggle to thrive and their status as a national symbol through educational exhibits, research efforts and more.
I visited the National Eagle Center a few years ago on the way back up to the Twin Cities from Rochester. Before exploring the exhibits, I sat in on one of the center’s informative sessions, in which I learned all about the flight, eating and breading patterns of these animals, as well as how the center uses the eagles to help struggling veterans.
Inside the center, visitors can get up close to four rescued bald eagles (Harriet, Columbia, Angel and Was’aka) and one golden eagle (Donald) as well as explore informative displays. To view even more eagles, visitors may head out on the Eagle Center balcony to see the wild bald eagles that nest nearby (fall/winter is a particularly great time to spot these visitors).
Wabasha, located 70 miles southeast of the Twin Cities, also is known as the setting for Grumpy Old Men and features more than 50 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
