The idea of the Quad-City Labyrinth Project was conceived by Pat McLaughlin, who developed a passion for labyrinths while conducting research on Gothic cathedrals in France in March 2000. Inspired to pursue her interest in labyrinths, she attended the Theater of Enlightenment and Labyrinth Facilitator Training with Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, Founder and Director of Veriditas~The Worldwide Labyrinth Project, in January 2001. Intrigued by what she learned from Lauren Artress, she decided to train with Robert Ferre, Founder and Director of the St. Louis Labyrinth Project (now Labyrinth Enterprises), in March 2001. By this time, Pat's friend Cindy Guinn was also captivated by the idea of the labyrinth, and she decided to attend the training workshop as well. By the end of the weekend, Pat and Cindy returned to the Quad Cities as Labyrinth Facilitators.

After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Pat and Cindy decided that they needed to put their labyrinth facilitator training to by establishing some sort of labyrinth club. In November 2001, they attended their first annual gathering of The Labyrinth Society at the Simpsonwood Retreat Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Inspired by the presence of so many labyrinth enthusiasts, Pat and Cindy decided to establish a nonprofit organization modeled after Veriditas~The Worldwide Labyrinth Project, calling it the Quad-City Labyrinth Project. (The Quad Cities is comprised of four cities that are linked by bridges across the Mississippi River: Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, and Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa.) As they sat on the bank of the famous Chattahoochee River that flowed behind the retreat center, Pat and Cindy crafted the organization's mission statement: to educate the public about the labyrinth as a tool for enhancing community and individual well-being.

When they returned to the Quad Cities, Pat and Cindy had several meetings to discuss the structure of their new nonprofit organization. They decided that the Quad-City Labyrinth Project would be primarily a community service organization that would offer free public walks every month; it would also function like a club for labyrinth enthusiasts; and it would also operate like a business, providing professional labyrinth design and installation consulting services. By mid-December 2001, they were ready to set a date for the inaugural meeting of the Quad-City Labyrinth Project.

The inaugural meeting was held on January 9, 2002, at the Southeast Branch of the Moline Public Library. Pat and Cindy warmly welcomed the 25 people in attendance, noting that they were all taking part in a historic event: the worldwide labyrinth movement had arrived in the Quad Cities! Cindy then explained how she and Pat had developed the idea for the Quad-City Labyrinth Project. Pat then described the specifics of the organization's three-part structure and the many volunteer opportunities that the Quad-City Labyrinth Project had to offer. After their presentation, Pat and Cindy taught the participants how to create a classical seven-circuit labyrinth, using gold mason twine to outline the path boundaries, and then invited everyone to walk the labyrinth. (As they were to discover on many other occasions, the room was too small for a canvas labyrinth; thus Pat and Cindy had to make a temporary labyrinth, using the skills that Robert Ferre had taught them.) After the walk, several people made donations, which became the seed money for the growth of the organization.

On January 25, 2002, Pat and Cindy drove to St. Louis to pick up their new portable canvas labyrinth at the St. Louis Labyrinth Project. They toured Robert Ferre's studio, and he showed them the specialized tools that he had designed specifically to craft labyrinths, including the one that Pat and Cindy had just bought. Afterward, they enjoyed a delightful lunch with Robert and his assistant, Judy Hopen. Robert offered inspiring words of encouragement that sent Pat and Cindy home with great hope for the success of their new venture.

On February 6, 2002, the Quad-City Labyrinth Project held its first World Peace Walk in the Union Arcade Building in downtown Davenport. Penny Woolworth, a local philanthropist and owner of the building, made a generous in-kind donation that entitled the Quad-City Labyrinth Project to the use of the entire first floor for labyrinth events. Miraculously, the new 36-foot portable canvas labyrinth fit perfectly among four support pillars, as if the space had been tailor made for the labyrinth. Twenty-five people attended the World Peace Walk, many of whom had attended the inaugural meeting in January. On February 15, 2002, the Quad-City Labyrinth Project held its first meeting of the Board of Directors, which was attended by Pat McLaughlin, President; Cindy Guinn, Vice President; Christopher Carpenter, Secretary; and Nancy Schold, Treasurer.

In March 2002, the Quad-City Labyrinth Project moved into its new headquarters, a small office space in the Star Cres Building provided by Penny Woolworth at a cost well below the market rate. Pat volunteered to serve as the Executive Director of the organization, managing the day-to-day operations in the office. She also initiated the nonprofit incorporation process that would be necessary to register the Quad-City Labyrinth Project as a nonprofit corporation. In July 2002, the Quad-City Labyrinth Project held its first annual Board meeting, which was attended by Pat, Cindy, and a new Board Member at Large, Sherry Nauman. In October 2002, the Quad-City Labyrinth Project achieved nonprofit status and became a full-fledged nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.