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Owned and managed by the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, the original purchase of 782 acres in 1974, which was funded by Lillian Annette Rowe of Trenton, NJ, included 2.5 miles of river channel, wet meadows, and some agricultural fields. Additional land acquisitions have increased the current size of the sanctuary to 3,000 acres and 5 miles of river channel.  Along with preserving habitat for wildlife, nature-based education is a major focus at the Iain Nicolson ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Center, where year-round education opportunities exist for local schools and the general public.

The newly renovated Visitor Center not only provides office space for the staff, but also has the Anne. M Hubbard Education Center, volunteer spaces, conference room, educational displays, a viewing area of the river, and much more. This multi-purpose building is available for rent for business meetings or special events. 

In 1967, Lillian Annette Rowe, Ph.D. and psychologist in the Army during WWII, left much of her estate to ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡; for the purpose of establishing a bird sanctuary anywhere in the United States.  In 1974, the Lillian Annette Rowe Sanctuary was established. The sanctuary started with 440 acres and increased to 764 within a year and included one part-time warden. The land was purchased from Louis and Margaret Triplett, Donald and Margaret Nutter, and Rose Jacobson.  

The site was considered one of the most pristine Sandhill Crane habitats along the Platte River with its wide channels, few in-stream trees and unobstructed views. The longest running wildlife conference, first known as ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s Spring River Conference and then as Rivers and Wildlife Celebration and later as Ì½»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s Nebraska Crane Festival, was held in Kearney every March since 1971 and provided impetus for conservation work of the Platte River ecosystem. The Crane Festival ended in 2019 and events are now expanded throughout the spring migration season. The first crane viewing blind trip on the sanctuary occurred in 1975.  

In 1988, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ purchased the 362-acre farm and buildings where the Center is now located. As visitation grew, the office space became too small. With the generous support of many donors, the construction of the education center took place in 2002. It was named the Iain Nicolson ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Center in honor of volunteer and donor Margery Nicolson’s late husband.  Construction was completed in mid-January of 2003, by that time the sanctuary had grown to 2,900 acres and seven full time staff members. 

The Center was constructed with sustainability in mind, at the time it was the second largest straw bale construction project in the country.  

In 2024 renovations were completed for an expanded visitor's center to provide additional capacity for the 30,000 crane season visitors who come to Rowe Sanctuary annually.  This project renovated the existing straw-bale construction and expanded the building footprint. 

Features of the project include:

• Expanded community space and education space to provide additional indoor crane viewing locations, meeting area, and event space. 
• Reconfiguring the building’s offices for a growing staff and volunteer program  
• 1,400 sq foot interactive exhibit hall   
• Fully-accessible trails, viewing deck and wetland exploration deck 
• Relocated parking lot to shield birds roosting on the river from headlights
• Creating native plant landscaping; energy-efficient, wildlife-friendly lighting