WonderTrek Opens: New Outdoor Museum Welcomes Families in Baxter
The 9-acre facility launched with mudpie stations and a trail system, though a $400,000 gap remains to complete the first phase of construction.
By Rafael Delgado ·
Families in the Brainerd lakes area now have a dedicated 9-acre site for unstructured play, with the WonderTrek Children’s Museum opening its doors on Thursday, Nov. 5. The facility is located at 12170 Ironwood Drive, just off Highway 371 in Baxter. Visitors on opening day built mudpies, roasted marshmallows, and utilized natural terrain as part of the experience.
The project began in 2015 when Chad Coauette, CEO of Sourcewell, read a magazine article about the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato. He questioned whether the local area could replicate the model. Coauette noted that having a vision without others seeing it is often considered a hallucination, but the Sourcewell Board supported the concept. A $5 million investment from the board provided the initial capital to launch the project.
More than a decade of planning culminated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. Peter Olson, the museum’s executive director, stated that children were central to shaping the space from the start. Shannon Wheeler, a board member and early visionary for the museum, cut the ribbon with her children before they explored the site. Wheeler described the museum as a place where her four children, aged 3, 6, 10, and 12, could all engage and play for hours.
The current exhibits include a mudpie station and the Robert and Rachel Nystrom Trail system. This trail connects to Roots and Rigging sites where children use natural tools to build contraptions. Wheeler emphasized that the museum observes children to adjust the environment and offerings. She added that the site provides access to natural elements like ponds and woods that not all children experience in their daily lives, creating a safe space for parents to trust.
The museum is not yet fully complete. Approximately $400,000 is still required to finish the first phase of development. This remaining funding would build a 36-foot-tall treehouse with six levels and a play pavilion designed to function as an outdoor classroom. Olson indicated that the 9-acre campus allows for continued expansion as long as community support continues. Information on donating or sponsoring is available at wondertrekmuseum.org/donate.
The WonderTrek Children’s Museum is scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. The event is a free outdoor adventure day. The facility will remain open to the public with the current exhibits available for use.
