Apostle Islands Visitors Center
Bayfield and Ashland Counties, Wisconsin
The Apostle Islands are one of the National Park Service’s jewels in the Great Lakes region, and a region rich with human history. For centuries, the area has been home to the Ojibwe people and the lakeshore was a hub of activity for European settlers over the last two. Vireo worked with the National Park Service to entirely redevelop the gateway to help people understand the natural beauty of the area, and learn about the breadth of its human history.
The original visitor center, housed in the site’s original general store, had reached the end of its life after being battered by the elements from Lake Superior and was in need of replacement.
The newly redeveloped Little Sand Bay Visitor Center helps visitors learn about the economic and settlement activities of the Lake Superior region in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the indigenous history. Interpretive signage on the site was even created in the Ojibwe language.
Vireo’s was deeply involved in the design at all phases, from concept development to construction documents. The design of the new facility included a concerted public input effort and focused on improved access, pedestrian connectivity, and site design. The new center features an exterior covered space for wayfinding and interpretive exhibits, and a permanent cradle and canopy for the Twilite, a historic fishing tug and catalogued museum object.
