Hurstville Interpretive Center
Discover Hurstville Interpretive Center in Maquoketa
Welcome to the headquarters of Jackson County Conservation. The Hurstville Interpretive Center offers visitors a chance to explore natural resources at their leisure. Step inside to better understand the story behind our natural and historic resources through the many exhibits. Enjoy the beauty of nature as you step outside to discover the prairie and wetland. In the restored native prairie you can search out reptiles, colorful wildflowers, and a world of insects. Visit the pollinator garden to view native plants as well as our many pollinators. Take your binoculars and see what you can find living or visiting the wetlands during the different seasons.
Features Available at Various Facilities
- A/C
- Cooking / eating utensils
- Electricity
- Handicap Accessible
- Heating
- Kitchenette
- Microwave
- Picnic Table
- Pressurized water
- Refuse cans
- Restroom
- Table with chairs
- Wi-Fi
- Staff on hand to assist visitors
- Information on attractions in Jackson County
- Information on natural resources
- No entrance fee, donations welcome
- Handicap accessible
- Clean Restrooms
- Over 20 indoor and outdoor exhibits and activities for the whole family including:
- Enclosed bee hive (with live bees!)
- Live reptiles
- Dioramas of Iowa ecosystems - wetland, prairie, and woodland
- Walk through cave exhibit
- and more.....
- Natural Playscape: catch a frog or tadpole in the pond using nets and buckets provided, balance on logs and stumps, find your way through our prairie maze, build with sticks, bricks and rocks, play checkers or tic-tac-toe with colored rocks and more! Playscape is located throughout pollinator garden on the west side of the building.
- 1/2 mile hiking trail
- 15-acre restored prairie
- 18-acre wetland with boardwalk, observational deck, and bird blind
- Fishing pond
- Bird blind
- Picnic shelter
- Pollinator garden
- Frog pond
- Public programs
- Group tours
- School trips
- Community Room - available for reservation
- Solar array - producing ~100% of electricity for the Center, click here to view production
Featured Events
- Upcycled Painted Vases September 5 - September 7, 2026 12:00 AM
- Monarch Tagging September 6, 2026 2:00 PM
- Homeschool Series: Nature Tales September 9, 2026 10:00 AM
- OWLS Birding Paddle September 10 - September 10, 2026 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Wild Edible Jam/Jelly Workshop September 12, 2026 1:00 PM
- Monarch Tagging September 13, 2026 2:00 PM
- Homeschool Series for Middle & High School Students September 14, 2026 10:00 AM
- Fall Hike September 17, 2026 5:30 PM
- Archery September 19, 2026 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- Monarch Tagging September 20, 2026 2:00 PM
- Codfish Hollow (Hamilton) Hill Prairie Walk September 23, 2026 6:00 PM
- Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW) September 26 - September 26, 2026 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
- Monarch Tagging September 27, 2026 2:00 PM
- Cave Tour October 10 - October 10, 2026 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
- Homeschool Series for Middle & High School Students October 12, 2026 10:00 AM
- Bats of Iowa October 17, 2026 2:00 PM
- Homeschool Series: Nature Tales October 21, 2026 10:00 AM
- Halloween Hunt October 24 - October 25, 2026 12:00 PM
- Vermicomposting Workshop November 1, 2026 2:00 PM
- Wild Edibles - Tree Nut Foraging November 8, 2026 2:00 PM
- Upcycle T-shirt Rug November 14, 2026 2:00 PM
- Homeschool Series: Nature Tales November 18, 2026 10:00 AM
- Grapevine Wreath Workshop November 19, 2026 10:00 AM
- Cordage Workshop November 21 - November 21, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
- Soap Making Workshop December 10, 2026 10:00 AM