Events
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Christmas in Town Square: Whoville
Dec. 6 | 4:30-6:30
Crosslake Town Square
Join us for the lighting of the Legacy Gardens and the town square's Who-Village featuring the Grinch, Mayor Augustus Maywho, and other Whoville characters!
Business After Hours: Holiday Extravaganza
Dec. 10 | 4 - 7:30pm
Madden's on Gull Lake
Join the festivities at the Jingle & Mingle Business After Hours Holiday Extravaganza at Town Hall of Madden's Resort. Meet 50+ area businesses and organizations, including the NLC!
Christmas in Town Square: Whoville
Dec. 28 | 4:30-6:30
Crosslake Town Square
A holiday celebration for the whole family featuring the Who-Village, beautiful lights & decor, a scavenger hunt, gingerbread house party with all the Whoville friends, snacks, crafts & games!
Loons & Lakes Trivia
Jan. 30 | 6-8pm
14 Lakes Brewery
The looniest night of trivia hosted by NLC & WAPOA returns to Crosslake! Grab a drink and test your loony knowledge with the perfect kick-off to WinterFest weekend. Teams that bring in old lead tackle receive bonus points!
WinterFest in Crosslake
Jan. 30 - Feb. 1
Crosslake
Visit The Nest during Crosslake's annual winter festival! Three days of indoor and outdoor activities throughout Crosslake for all ages to enjoy!
The National Loon Center's Progress
2023
The National Loon Center announces an enhancement to the original site plan that placed the building on federal lands managed by the USACE. While maintaining programming and amenities at the Cross Lake Recreation Area, the NLC acquired nearby private lands to build the world-class facility and develop a sustainable natural campus with parking on-site. The nearby site spans nearly 10 acres between CSAH 3 Swann Drive and CSAH business trip. The Minnesota legislature allocates $2.5 million to the City of Crosslake to support the Center's construction as part of the bonding bill.
2022
In collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Loon Center, completed a shoreline restoration project near the boat landing at the Cross Lake Recreation Area. A floating dock system was also installed at the bay to prevent further erosion of the shoreline, with dedicated mooring stations for visitors of the campground and public use. An outdoor exhibit on loon calls was installed near the recreation area entrance.
2021
Archeological reviews and site planning at the Crosslake Recreation Area were completed and outdoor site enhancement began. In June of 2021, the NLC opened a temporary information center, called The Nest, in Crosslake Town Square, engaging around 4,000 visitors in its first year.
2019
Minnesota lawmakers approved $4 million to build National Loon Center in Crosslake. National Loon Center finalized a 25 year land lease with US Army Corps of Engineers at the future site location of the facility: the Cross Lake Recreation Area.
2018
The National Loon Center Community Input and Master Plan are developed by the University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Building Research. The University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Department of Applied Economics and the National Loon Center Foundation produce a Market Feasibility Study and Impact Assessment
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