Hasler Lab Open House This Friday, June 21!

A man on a boat holding a net

Calling all lake lovers! (Or wetland enthusiasts, river runners, pond explorers, etc.) This Friday, June 21st, you’re invited to Hasler Lab’s Annual Open House.

Each summer we pick a Friday afternoon to open the doors to our lab so that anyone in town can come learn about the world-class research going on right here in Wisconsin waters.

This free public event offers the opportunity for guests of all ages to:

  • Ask aquatic scientists about the waters of Wisconsin and the world.
  • Meet some of the plants and animals living in our lakes.
  • Hunt for aquatic insects and get an up-close look at them under our microscopes.
  • Make your own freshwater-themed arts and crafts.
  • Try their hand at using some limnological tools to take samples.
  • Take a boat ride with a freshwater researcher on Lake Mendota*
  • Enjoy free Babcock Dairy ice cream.**

Visitors can stop at several stations featuring current research, lake science demonstrations and examples of all sorts of fishes, insects, plants and plankton living in our lakes.

The event is free and open (rain or shine) to the public. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon for kids, parents and grandparents alike. There will even be a chance to meet Wisconsin’s most famous mascot – Bucky Badger!


Hasler Lab is located at the start of the Lakeshore Nature path at 680 N. Park St. Parking is available at the State Street Campus Parking Garage – 430 N. Francis Street – or some limited public parking is available under Helen C. White library – 600 N. Park St. NOTE: there is no public parking available in our small lot next to the lab.

The Center for Limnology is committed to the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Our Hasler Laboratory facility in Madison was built before the Americans with Disabilities Act and is not fully ADA accessible. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any department event, please email limnology@mailplus.wisc.edu AND monet.hutchins@wisc.edu or call 608-262-3014. Accessible restrooms and most stations will be available during the event. 


Questions? E-mail: limnology@mailplus.wisc.edu or call 608-262-3014

*Boat rides limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

**Ice cream is free until we run out!