New facility greets visitors to historic Walden Pond

CONCORD, Mass. (AP) - If Henry David Thoreau were around today, Massachusetts officials think he'd probably be happy with the new visitor center at Walden Pond.

The 5,680-square-foot facility powered by renewable solar energy officially opened its doors to the public this past week, part of a recent $7.2 million upgrade of the Walden Pond State Reservation.

Thoreau's observations on nature while living for more than two years in an isolated cabin near the pond were published in his famous 1854 book, "Walden; or Life in the Woods."

The new visitor center will include interactive exhibits about Thoreau, who is often viewed as a founder of the modern environmental movement.

Roughly half a million people from around the world visit Walden Pond each year.

___

Online: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/walden-pond-state-reservation.html