Great River Road Interpretive Center

Established in 1932, the Genoa National Fish Hatchery has as its core mission the preservation and restoration of aquatic resources throughout the Great Lakes and the Upper Mississippi River. Even without a visitor center, the hatchery attracts an annual visitation of 5,000; a combination of self-guided tours and larger scheduled events. The new LEED-rated interpretive center will provide a focal point for education and interpretation of the Great River Road, the hatchery, and the history of the area. In partnership with local tribes, the center will feature exhibits telling the tragic story of the Blackhawk Massacre which took place in 1832 at the mouth of the Bad Axe River where the present day hatchery sits.

The proposed building strives for deep integration not only with the site but with the hatchery itself, using an innovative geothermal HVAC system that utilizes process water from the hatchery instead of a traditional ground source heat exchanger. The integration continues in the selection of native limestone and reclaimed barn wood as primary exterior materials, native plantings as landscaping. Through this integration of building to site and site to region, the new interpretive center will provide a model of sustainable design and a meaningful destination on the Great River Road.