Attenborough Nature Reserve will receive £200,000 to develop plans to improve its nature centre, facilities and accessibility.
The funding from East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward will allow Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to commission studies and build a case for further investment.
The reserve now attracts around 500,000 visitors a year. Its nature centre opened 21 years ago and was designed for about 70,000 annual visitors, but received around 160,000 in its first year.
Potential improvements include work to access tracks, bridges and the centre, alongside options to expand facilities or make better use of community space.
Ms Ward visited the reserve on Friday 11 September to mark the funding announcement.
She said: “You can see how popular the place is, how beautiful it is. We want this not just to reflect the past, but to reflect how we preserve it for the future and enhance it.”
She also called for more opportunities for young people to access the reserve, including through volunteering, apprenticeships and skills development.
Paul Wilkinson, chief executive of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, said the funding would help the charity plan improvements and seek financial support from external funders.
“The buildings are starting to get a little bit tired, so we want to look at how we rejuvenate and regenerate the building,” he said.
“This site is incredibly popular, so we want to future proof that design, we want to make sure that what we’re designing now can last for at least another 20-to-30 years to cope with the increase in footfall.
“There are developments on the doorstep of this nature reserve, more housing, more infrastructure, so there will be more people potentially coming.”
Mr Wilkinson said making the reserve welcoming and accessible was a priority.
“What I want is that everyone, when they get here, they feel welcome, they feel it’s accessible, they know they’re going to see and experience nature, either quietly or they can come with groups of friends and family and they just feel this is a place for them.”
The reserve, south-west of Nottingham, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, having been opened by Sir David Attenborough in 1966. More than 250 bird species have been recorded there.
By Lauren Monaghan, Local Democracy Reporter