The StoryWalk® Frame

One frame. A StoryWalk anywhere.

Powder-coated aluminum, weather-sealed pages, and five ways to mount it — on a trail, a sidewalk, a fence, a railing, or somewhere no one has put one before.

A StoryWalk frame installed in a garden setting

Why Barking Dog

We’ve done this a few thousand times.

For more than fifteen years, we’ve helped libraries, parks, schools, and nonprofits put stories outside — and we stay close from the first site photo to opening day. When you order from Barking Dog, you get more than hardware: you get answers to the questions you haven’t hit yet, about siting, spacing, mounting, and what actually holds up after years in the weather.

2,600+

StoryWalks installed

15+

Years building for the outdoors

Nationwide

Shipped and installed coast to coast

See them installed

Out in the world, doing their job.

Riversides, fence lines, guardrails, garden paths. Every one of these is the same frame — just mounted for its site.

A sequence of StoryWalk panels along a riverside walking path
A full walk along the river — Grafton, WI
A family reading a StoryWalk panel mounted to a chain-link fence
Fence-mounted frames along a neighborhood path
An angled StoryWalk frame on a single post beside a pond
A single in-ground post at the water’s edge — Mauston, WI
A StoryWalk frame rail-mounted to a wooden guardrail beside a sidewalk
Rail-mounted to an existing guardrail — Simsbury, CT
A close-up of an angled StoryWalk reader frame on a wooden post
The angled reader, up close — Hartland, WI
A family reading a StoryWalk panel mounted to a fence
Story time, outside

Mounting options

A mount for every site.

The frame stays the same; the mount adapts to your site. Pick one below, or send us a photo of the spot you have in mind and we’ll recommend one.

A StoryWalk frame on an in-ground post beside a pond

In-ground post

The classic trail installation. Posts set into soil or a concrete footing, spaced along the route your visitors already walk.

StoryWalk frames surface-mounted along a sidewalk

Surface mount

Bolts to existing concrete or pavement — sidewalks, plazas, patios — no digging required.

A StoryWalk frame mounted directly to a chain-link fence

Fence & wall

The frame attaches directly to a fence, railing, or building wall. No post at all — perfect for playgrounds and schoolyards.

A StoryWalk frame mounted to a wooden guardrail

Rail mount

Brackets clamp the angled reader to an existing guardrail, boardwalk, or deck railing — the structure you already have does the work.

The fifth option

Custom mounts for one-of-a-kind sites.

Decorative headers, historic districts, boardwalks over water, a boulder where a post should be — we’ve mounted StoryWalks on all of them. If your site doesn’t fit a standard mount, that’s our favorite kind of project.

A custom StoryWalk structure with a decorative shaped header on timber posts

What’s included

Everything but the story.

A standard order arrives ready to install. You bring the book; we bring the rest.

The frame, ready to read

Powder-coated aluminum frame with your page protected between two sheets of clear polycarbonate.

Post & mounting hardware

The post, brackets, and every fastener for the mounting style you choose — nothing extra to source.

Install guide & real support

Step-by-step instructions, and a phone call with our team if you want one. Most crews finish in an afternoon.

Frame features

Built for a decade outside, opened in a minute.

The frame’s only job is to keep a paper page readable through rain, snow, and summer sun — and then get out of the way when it’s time for a new story.

Powder-coated aluminum

Rust-proof aluminum construction with a durable powder-coat finish. No flaking paint, no corrosion streaks down the post.

Weather-sealed pages

Your printed page sits protected between two sheets of clear polycarbonate — readable in any season, dry in any storm.

One-tool story swaps

Each frame opens with a single common tool — quick for your staff, not for passersby. Rotate stories seasonally without a work order.

Fits an 18″ × 24″ page

Designed for an 18″H × 24″W page with a 17″H × 23″W viewable area — room for a full picture-book spread.

Where they live

At home wherever people walk.

A StoryWalk frame installed in a planted garden bed outside a library

Libraries & lawns

A reading garden, the strip of lawn by the entrance, the path to the book drop. A StoryWalk turns the ground your library already owns into programming that runs all day, every day.

StoryWalk panels installed along a paved park path

Parks & trails

Trailheads, walking loops, greenways. Frames spaced along the route give families a reason to finish the walk — and a reason to come back when the story changes.

Schools, hospitals, senior communities, and nature centers install the same frame. If people walk there, a story fits there.

How ordering works

Three steps to opening day.

01

Count your stations

A typical children’s picture book uses 15–20 frames — about one per page spread. Walk your route and note the natural stopping points.

02

Request a quote

Tell us your frame count, preferred mounting style, and a little about your site. We’ll send pricing and a mounting recommendation within a few business days.

03

Install and open your walk

Hardware ships ready to install. Set your posts, hang your story, and invite the community.

FAQ

Common questions.

What size pages do the frames hold?

Each frame is designed for an 18″H × 24″W page, with a viewable area of 17″H × 23″W.

How do we change the story?

Each frame opens with a single common tool. Lift the polycarbonate, swap the page, close it up — a full walk can be changed in an afternoon.

Is the printed story included?

Your order includes everything but the story itself: the frame, polycarbonate protection, post, mounting hardware, and install guidance. Ask us about panel printing when you request a quote.

What if none of the standard mounts fit our site?

Send us photos. We build custom mounts all the time — decorative headers, unusual surfaces, historic districts — and we’ll recommend something that works.

Ready when you are

Put a story where you walk.

Tell us about your site and how many frames you’re thinking. We’ll send pricing and a mounting recommendation within a few business days.