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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Wolf center to mark one million visitors

Keith Vandervort
Posted 4/12/17

ELY - The International Wolf Center here achieved an important milestone on March 25, when the one-millionth visitor passed through its doors during the weekly “What’s For Dinner?” …

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Wolf center to mark one million visitors

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ELY - The International Wolf Center here achieved an important milestone on March 25, when the one-millionth visitor passed through its doors during the weekly “What’s For Dinner?” program.

 “We’ve been incredibly excited for this day,” said Rob Schultz, executive director. “For the past several weeks our staff have been anxiously watching the attendance records as we anticipate our one-millionth visitor.”

 To celebrate reaching the one-millionth visitor mark, the Center will hold a special Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 22, with half-price admission, refreshments, family activities and special programs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 The International Wolf Center has been welcoming visitors to its Ely Interpretive Center since opening in July 1993. During its first few years, attendance numbers were very high as people came to see the new facility. But by the late 1990s, attendance began to decline.

 Recent efforts to increase promotion and offer new exhibits each year have had a positive effect on bringing more people to Ely and through the center’s doors, with last year’s attendance increasing by 27 percent to 44,381 guests - making 2016 the largest attendance year at the International Wolf Center since 2004.

“It hasn’t been easy to turn things around,” said Schultz. “While pup years bring more guests through the door, we’ve had to find other new ways to promote ourselves, to draw excitement for our programs and ambassador wolves, and to expand the kinds of special exhibits to attract new audiences.”

Grant funding from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) helped promote a collaboration with local northern lights photographer Heidi Pinkerton, which resulted in increased attendance. This upcoming summer, the Center’s advertising campaign will feature Axel and Grayson, two arctic wolves who have grown significantly over the winter months after arriving from Canada last spring as three-pound pups.