About the Discovery Cabin

The Discovery Cabin at Minnetrista is located in Oakhurst Gardens. Oakhurst, built in 1894, was the home of George and Frances Ball and their daughter Elisabeth.  After her parents passed away, Elisabeth occupied the property as a single woman.  Having great appreciation for her backyard, Elisabeth had a cabin from Brown County, Indiana installed on the back portion of the property (originally closer to the Formal Garden).  This new addition provided Elisabeth with a weekend getaway where she could mount butterflies and moths, write poetry, or simply reflect on the beauty of the surroundings. The Discovery Cabin, a replica of Elisabeth Ball's original cabin, now houses regional animals and acts as a classroom for natural heritage programs.

   At the Discovery Cabin you can:

• Share a story under the Bass
• Create your own puppet show
• Dissect an owl pellet
• Grab a pair of binoculars and search for the Cooper's Hawk nest in the gardens
• Enjoy a carefree afternoon relaxing in the rocking chairs on the cabin's front porch
• Use one of the butterfly nets to try your hand at catching a Monarch butterfly
• Meet our turtles, toads, frogs, salamanders, snakes, and fish
• And much more...