Camp Eden Wood in Eden Prairie – formerly Glen Lake Children’s Camp – will hold an open house Tuesday, Sept. 9, to mark its 100th anniversary. The event is hosted by True Friends, a Minnesota nonprofit that operates camps on the site for children and adults with disabilities. It will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public, although RSVPs are requested.
Camp Eden Wood, 6350 Indian Chief Road, is a 51-acre camp on Birch Island Lake, just west of where Interstate 494 meets Hwy. 62 in Eden Prairie. Campers choose their activities – including a multisensory environment, gross motor room, arts and crafts, hiking trails and a ropes course – and determine their own level of participation.
“Our campers and their families tell us that camp is their favorite time of the year,” said John LeBlanc, president and CEO of True Friends. “It’s a place that creates belonging for people of all abilities. It’s a place where they can relax and be themselves – and that’s something we all deserve.”
The celebration will include tours, live music, a traditional camp food dinner and beverages. Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case and Eden Prairie Historical Society President Kathie Case will greet attendees.
The original facility was established in 1925 as the Glen Lake Children’s Camp for children with tuberculosis. Its history was recently profiled in an EPLN article.
Now on the National Register of Historic Places, Camp Eden Wood hosts respite, retreat and team-building programs in addition to camp experiences.
RSVPs may be sent to events@truefriends.org.
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