Graphic designs for new interpretive center exhibit gallery. Image courtesy of Formations, Inc.
The Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center delves into the history of the area and details the cleanup process that resulted in construction of the 41-acre engineered disposal cell. The interpretive center is a result of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management’s continuing commitment to maintaining a strong community partnership, and it serves to communicate the legacy of the Weldon Spring Site to future generations.
The Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center offers occasional public programs and events in addition to the trails and disposal cell areas that are open seven days a week. All events are free of charge.
Private programs specifically designed to meet your organized group's needs may also be requested with advanced notice.Call (636) 300-2601 or email us for additional information.
Fall Schedule
History and Science Tour
Saturdays at 2 p.m.*
Learn about the history and science of the Weldon Spring Site with a guided tour of the interpretive center’s exhibit gallery. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes. Registration is not required.
*Not offered Sept. 19 due to a special event.Planning Your Native Garden
Saturday, Sept. 5, 10 a.m.-noon
Fall is a great time to plant before plants go dormant and you can take advantage of plant sales.. Attend this planning session to match what you want your garden to provide with the habitat you have to offer. Arrive with ideas, leave with a shopping list. Registration required.Sunset Moonrise Hike
Saturday, Sept. 26, 6-8 p.m.
Enjoy the sunset from the highest publicly accessible point in the county, followed by the full moonrise. Registration is not required.Weldon and the Second World War
Sunday, Oct. 4, 2-3 p.m.
Ever wondered how Weldon Spring became what it is today? Or why this very location was once home to one of America’s largest TNT and DNT factories? Stop by for a crash course that dives into these questions, offering a brief overview of World War II and highlighting the critical role the Weldon Spring Ordnance Works played during this pivotal era. Registration is not required.Beginner Bird Walk
Saturday, Oct. 17, 8-10 a.m.
Hosted in partnership with St. Louis Audubon Society. Join others who share your interest in nature, birds, and wildlife on a short walk (up to two hours) through the site’s prairie and surrounding woodland to find and identify nearby birds. All experience levels are welcome. Registration is
required through St. Louis Audubon Society.Puzzling History
Sunday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Test your knowledge of the Weldon Spring Site history by exploring a variety of brain teasers that challenge your problem-solving skills. Start at the beginning with the towns of Hamburg, Howell, and Toonerville, then travel through the site history all the way to the clean up, solving puzzles along the way. Registration is not required. Activities will be available all day.Nuclear Science Week
Monday, Oct. 19-Friday, Oct. 23
Celebrate Nuclear Science Week at the Weldon Spring Site! Enjoy special daily drop-in activities in the interpretive center that focus on the fascinating world of nuclear science. Activities will be available Monday to Friday the week of Oct. 19 during the interpretive center’s public hours. Registration is not required.Sunset on the Cell
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
It has been 25 years since the last rock was placed on the Weldon Spring Site disposal cell. Join us to commemorate this achievement at the highest accessible point in St. Charles County for sunset views, stars, and storytelling. A telescope will be available to view the night sky. This come-and-go program is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to
wear sturdy shoes and bring a flashlight.
Registration is not required.Girl Scouts in STEM Series: One Small Step
Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-noon
Great achievements are made up of many small but important achievements. Humans first set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969. Learn about the history of the Cold War as it relates to the Space Race. Learn about the challenges of leaving and reentering the earth’s gravity through a series of STEM challenges. Registration is required and will open on October 1.Beginner Bird Walk
Saturday, Nov. 21, 8-10 a.m.
Hosted in partnership with St. Louis Audubon Society. Join others who share your interest in nature, birds, and wildlife on a short walk (up to two hours) through the site’s prairie and surrounding woodland to find and identify nearby birds. All experience levels are welcome. Registration
is required through St. Louis Audubon Society.
Adjacent to the interpretive center is the 75-foot-high Weldon Spring Site disposal cell. Stairs to the top of the cell provide visitors with access to the top of the 75-feet high disposal cell during daylight hours. Visitors can also walk around the cell's 1-mile perimeter base or visit the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center.
The engineered multi-layered disposal cell covers 41 acres and is a highlight of the Weldon Spring Site. A viewing platform on top of the cell and viewfinders mounted in four directions, offer visitors a panoramic view of St. Charles and St. Louis counties, and the surrounding Howell Prairie.
The old “haul road” that used to carry waste materials to the disposal cell site during remediation is now part of the Hamburg Trail. This 6-mile multiuse trail through the Weldon Spring Site links to the historic Katy Trail State Park, and a network of trails through Missouri Department of Conservation areas and the Great Rivers Greenway. Historical markers help connect visitors to the history of the Weldon Spring Site and its purpose, then and today.
The Weldon Spring Site is free and open to the public.
Howell Prairie is a 150-acre area seeded with more than 80 species of prairie grasses and wildflowers surrounding the Weldon Spring Site in St. Charles County, Missouri. This emerging prairie, named for the leader of a group of early settlers, is one of the largest native plant gardens in the St. Louis area. Warm season grass prairie was historically a dominant natural community in this area.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is revitalizing the Weldon Spring Site to a natural and native ecosystem as part of its long-term commitment as a responsible steward of the land. The design for the prairie began in the early 1990s when native grasses were deemed to be the best solution for restoration of the site following remediation. In spring 2002, the first prairie grasses and forbs were planted. Development of the prairie as an outdoor classroom continued in 2004 with the planting of approximately 80 species of native forbs and prairie grasses, overseeding activities, and measures to control invasive exotic weeds.
The Jeannie Moe Memorial Native Plant Educational Garden is an inviting 8-acre area of plants native to Missouri. Walking paths with benches meander through the garden where occasional signs identify various plants. The area is often used for school programming as well.
Visitors, local residents, and students hike and bike the Hamburg Trail through the site, go to the top of the 75-foot-high disposal cell to view the prairie in bloom at various times of the year, and travel the 1-mile loop around the disposal cell to view the prairie at eye level.
Prominent Prairie Forbs Planted at Howell Prairie
What’s Blooming? – A Guide to Wildflowers in Bloom at the Weldon Spring Site
- The Weldon Spring Site’s new interpretive center in St. Charles County, Missouri, opened its doors April 14, 2022. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a brand new exhibit gallery, educational opportunities, and amenities available for the community. The exhibit gallery tells the stories of sacrifice and service for national defense, of commitments to remediation and monitoring, and of restored landscapes for wildlife and recreation.U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management
The Weldon Spring Site’s new interpretive center in St. Charles County, Missouri, opened its doors April 14, 2022. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate a brand new exhibit gallery, educational opportunities, and amenities available for the community. The exhibit gallery tells the stories of sacrifice and service for national defense, of commitments to remediation and monitoring, and of restored landscapes for wildlife and recreation.
New Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center and Office Complex – Construction Complete!
Previously, the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center was housed in a refurbished temporary building established during remediation. The newly constructed building features a new exhibit hall, 4 state of the art classrooms, and a new auditorium. In the future, spaces will be available at no cost to community and non-profit organizations.
A one-minute time-lapse video captures the construction of LM’s new Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center in Missouri. Under the expert management of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) St. Louis District, construction of the building began in May 2019 and was completed in February 2021. The new center is an example of LM’s continuing commitment to maintaining a strong partnership with the community.U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy ManagementA one-minute time-lapse video captures the construction of LM’s new Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center in Missouri. Under the expert management of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) St. Louis District, construction of the building began in May 2019 and was completed in February 2021. The new center is an example of LM’s continuing commitment to maintaining a strong partnership with the community.
