I love taking my kids to one of the nature centers near me year-round but especially when the weather isn't perfect! It gets us out of the house, learning a little and exploring. And the best part is that most of them are free! In fact, 18 out of the 20 below are free.
Table of Contents:
- Northern Virginia Nature Centers (Fairfax-5, Arlington-3, Alexandria-1)
- Maryland Nature Centers (Montgomery-5, Prince George's-2, Anne Arundel-1)
- DC Nature Centers (3ish)
- Google Map
Northern Virginia Nature Centers
Arlington Nature Centers
- Potomac Overlook Nature Center - Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 1 - 5 PM
- Long Brand Nature Center - Park is open sunrise sunset. Nature Center is open on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Saturdays 10 AM - 5 PM
- Gulf Branch Nature Center - Park is open sunrise sunset. Nature Center is open on Thursdays through Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM
Alexandria Nature Centers near me
- Buddie Ford Nature Center - Open Wednesday to Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM. And check out Dora Kelley Nature Park that shares the same parking lot!
Fairfax Nature Centers near me
- Hidden Pond Nature Center - Springfield, VA: Open Wednesday - Monday 11 am-4 pm (closed Tuesdays)
- Hidden Oaks Nature Center - Annandale, VA: Open Wednesday - Monday 11 am-4 pm (closed Tuesdays)
- Huntley Meadows Nature Center - Alexandria, VA: Open Mon-Sun, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (closed Tuesdays). And check out the beautiful wetlands park too!
- Walney Visitor Center - Chantilly, VA: Located at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. Park is open dawn to dusk and Center is open Mon & Wed-Fri 9-5 p.m. and Sat-Sun noon-5p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
- Walker Nature Center - Reston, VA: Open Mondays and Wednesdays - Fridays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Maryland Nature Centers near me
Meadowside Nature Center. Courtesy of Montgomery Parks, M-NCPPC.
Montgomery County Nature Centers
- Locust Grove Nature Center - Bethesda, MD: Park is open from sunrise to sunset. Nature Center is open on weekends 1 - 6 PM in January and February 2023. Updated hours on their website.
- Robinson Nature Center - Columbia, MD: Open Wednesday-Saturday: 9am-5pm; Sunday: Noon-5 pm; Closed Mondays & Tuesdays. This is the only one that has a fee. $5 For Adults And $3 For Kids Ages 3-17 Years
- Brookside Gardens Nature Center - Wheaton, MD: Monday – Closed. Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm. Saturday and Sunday 1-5pm. Outdoor park areas and trails are open from dawn to dusk daily.And check out the beautiful Brookside Gardens and Adventure Playground nearby at Wheaton Regional Park.
- Meadowside Nature Center - Rockville, MD
- Croydon Creek Nature Center - Rockville, MD: Open Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Right by the Rockville Civic Center with gardens, playground and trails!
Prince George's County Nature Centers
- Watkins Nature Center - Upper Marlboro, MD: Monday: Closed, Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm, Sunday: 10am-4pm. And check out the Wizard of Oz themed playground at the regional park!
- Patuxent Research Refuge (aka National Wildlife Visitor Center) - Laurel, MD: The Visitor Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – closed on federal holidays. The grounds are open sunrise to sunset every day. Fishing and hunting is available seasonally.
Anne Arundel County Nature Centers
- Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary - Lothian, MD: OPEN: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (Closed Sundays Dec-Feb) 9:00am - 5:00pm CLOSED: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. Cost is $6 per vehicle. I wrote about our walk on the wetlands here but the nature center was closed when we visited. And the Glendening Butterfly Garden is just a mile or two away!
DC Nature Centers near me
- Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium - The Visitors Center is open Wednesday to Sundays 9 AM to 5 PM and closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Great loop trail from the Nature Center.
- Kingman & Heritage Islands - is not an indoor nature center but more of an "outdoor classroom" with great signs sharing the birds and plants of these two man-made islands in the Anacostia.
- Natural History Museum - Since I could only find one Nature Center in DC, I wanted to highlight the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as another option! It has nature from all over the the country and world but also a Bug Zoo and great Dinosaur exhibit. Free and no ticket required. Open daily 10 AM to 5:30 PM.
