DOWNINGTOWN, PA — Pennsylvania dedicated a $7.5 million visitor center at Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County on Friday, adding a net-zero-energy facility at a park that draws more than 1 million visitors annually as the state continues a broader infrastructure investment across its public lands.
The 5,300-square-foot center sits along the southern shore of Marsh Creek Lake and provides space for visitor services and park administration. It includes offices and staff areas, a multipurpose room and an education porch.
A geo-exchange heating and cooling system, high-performance building envelope and other sustainable design features are expected to qualify the center for LEED Gold certification. It would become the 19th LEED-certified building managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The project also added roadways, walkways, landscaping and rain gardens for stormwater management. A new solar array — the 38th installed on DCNR-managed land — brings the park’s energy use to net zero and is expected to save taxpayers nearly $30,000 annually in electricity costs at the site.
“This new visitor center is a win for present and future generations of Marsh Creek visitors,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. She described the building as part of the department’s effort to develop modern facilities that serve both employees and the public.
The investment is part of a larger state capital program for Pennsylvania’s parks and forests. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has committed more than $238 million to infrastructure improvements since taking office, according to DCNR, including more than $168 million in projects currently under construction and approximately $70 million expected to be awarded in 2026.
Those investments come as outdoor recreation represents a significant segment of Pennsylvania’s economy. The sector generates $20.4 billion annually and supports more than 177,000 jobs, according to figures cited by the department.
Marsh Creek State Park spans 1,784 acres in north-central Chester County and includes the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake. The park supports boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking and birding, along with winter activities including ice skating, sledding, ice fishing and cross-country skiing.
Michael Twigg, director of DCNR’s Bureau of Facility Design and Construction, said the department incorporated sustainability into the project while addressing the park’s infrastructure needs.
“The result is a state-of-the-art building and self-sustaining energy production at Marsh Creek,” Twigg said.
DCNR has at least seven additional solar arrays in design or construction at state parks and forests, including Keystone, Hills Creek, Maurice K. Goddard, Tuscarora and Shawnee state parks and Elk and Moshannon state forests.
The department manages Pennsylvania’s 125 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forestland, all of which are free and open to the public.
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