Nature Centers in Minnesota

Get ready to explore Minnesota in a whole new way– Nature Centers! They provide lots of indoor and outdoor fun and are free to visit! Keep reading to learn more about our favorite Nature Centers!

Living in Minnesota we are lucky to have lots of beautiful outdoor space to explore and enjoy! Have you visited a local nature center recently? Here’s what I absolutely love about visiting nature centers- they are FREE and super fun to visit! Sometimes when you are busy parenting all you need is to take your kid somewhere new to change up the day to day routine, invite them play with toys they don’t normally see at home and enjoy nature together. They are also great escapes for adults– enjoy some contemplative time in nature during this busy holiday season!

We’ve rounded up a bunch of our favorite nature centers around Minnesota! Did you favorite make the list? Let us know if we missed one in the comments so we can add them!

Tamarack Nature Center– White Bear Lake

Located in White Bear Lake is one of our most favorite nature centers: Tamarack Nature Center! What sets Tamarack Nature Center apart? Well of course they have the typical nature center activities– animals to visit (like snakes, turtles, frogs), a nice building with bathrooms and plenty of open ended kids activities– Tamarack Nature Center has an epic outdoor play area called Discovery Hollow featuring a water stream, sand, rocks, a hobbit house, stick builds and so much more!

It’s also fun to visit in cooler weather! The building is open daily if you want to see the animals and/or need a break from snow. They also host fun activities like bird walks throughout the year, and have cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding with rental equipment available on site!

Carpenter Nature Center– Hastings

Tucked away from the city in Hastings, you’ll find a sweet little nature center called the Carpenter Nature Center. Here you can find animals that are being rehabilitated with the hopes of being back into the wild. During our visit we saw owls, eagles and more. The volunteers were actually feeding the birds while we were there, which was super cool to see up close!

They also have the Apple Shack open from Labor Day to Thanksgiving, filled with tons of apples from their orchard and other apple-goodies. The Carpenter Nature Center calendar is filled with many free events for both kids and adults, including their popular monthly Preschool Story Times.

Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center — Lake Elmo

Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center in Lake Elmo is located at Sunfish Lake Park. The nature center itself is fun to explore– it’s filled with tons of learning opportunities for kids. Displays feature rocks, bees, birds, other insects along with interactive play areas. The outside areas are just as fun– there’s a canoe turned into a sandbox– super cool– along with a fun storybook stroll in the prairie. You can learn more about our visit here.

Harriet Alexander Nature Center– Roseville

We absolutely love visiting Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville! The day we went to explore it was a bit cold so we mostly enjoyed the inside of the Nature Center. There’s so much to do! My daughter’s absolute favorite thing in the nature center was the pretend campsite! She spent quite a bit of time pretending to camp in the tent and making food by the “campfire.” The camping site is a toddlers dream play area!

There’s lots for older kiddos to enjoy as well! There were interesting displays on animal bones, fur, bees and more. Plus a really awesome boardwalk that’s open all year long. We definitely recommend a visit to Harriet Alexander Nature Center for the whole family!

Hartley Nature Center– Duluth

We happened upon Hartley Nature Center in Duluth when we were looking for Thrifty Things To Do in Duluth a few summers ago, and it’s such a hidden gem!

Up the hill a bit, you will find a small, but super fun visitor center with gorgeous trails to explore. It’s built on 660 acres- so there’s literally endless exploration opportunities! We spent the morning at Hartley visiting the animals in the visitor center- like turtles, salamanders, snakes and more! We took a hike through some gorgeous forest trails and had a picnic lunch. We appreciated the AC in the visitors center as well as the clean restrooms, it’s funny how much I think of those things now as a mom with young kids! And it’s free to visit, although they do appreciate donations.

Westwood Hills Nature Center– St. Louis Park

I used to go to Westwood for field trips when I was a kid so this place is truly nostalgic for me!

Westwood Hills Nature Center is a hidden gem located in St. Louis Park. Open year round, with indoor and outdoor options for exploring nature. Throughout all the seasons the beauty of the preserve shines through and provides homes for many animals including deer, fox, mink and owls.

Also year-round, Westwood naturalists conduct programs to increase visitors understanding and appreciation of our natural world. Wood chipped, boardwalks and hard surface accessible trails are open from dawn to dusk year-round.

Springbook Nature Center– Fridley

Springbrook Nature Center is located in Fridley and the perfect mix of indoor and outdoor fun! With 3 miles of hiking trails, you can experience forests, prairies and wetlands before you head inside to visit the Interpretive Center.

You can find lots of animals inside including snakes, frogs and more. Plus the exhibits are very interactive– lots of tables filled with buildable toys and touchable nature items. We always love to visit the birding windows and see what’s at the feeders outside. They recently updated their Nature Play Area outside and it’s epic! Think lots of nature-inspired playground equipment plus the coolest wooden beaver you can actually plan on! This place is a must-visit!

Wargo Nature Center– Lino Lakes

I had no idea how much fun my kids would have here when we stopped at Wargo Nature Center over the summer on a whim. The outdoor playground is amazing! It’s fully ADA accessible and features additional fun beyond the playground structures with a mud kitchen, instrument area and more.

When you head inside, you immediately see the Maple Tree House. Kids are invited to climb up to the top of an 18-foot maple tree. That’s not something you do everyday! There’s tons of other interactive exhibits and animals, but my kiddos were obsessed with the AR Sandbox. This interactive sandbox teaches kids about different landforms and water features. My kids loved playing with this and honestly it was hard to pull them away to do other things!

Richardson Nature Center– Bloomington

Richardson Nature Center is located within Hyland Lake Park Reserve in Bloomington. Floor to ceiling windows along with gorgeous clay creations and mosaics from artist Chris Tully, this space truly feels like you are in nature inside or outside! Don’t forget to visit the resident raptors, reptiles and amphibians while you’re there too!

Mississippi Gateway Nature Center–Brooklyn Park

Last but not least is the Mississippi Gateway Nature Center. This brand new nature center in Brooklyn Park features a cool treetop trail, an amazing new nature center building, a nature playground and so much more. The views of the Mississippi River here are breathtaking and I can’t wait to check it out soon!

Also keep in mind that many of these locations have different equipment rentals for the seasons– think snowshoes, skis, binoculars for birding, kid nature backpacks and so much more. These rentals and equipment vary by location so be sure to check in with your local nature center about availability.

What did you think of our Nature Center Round-Up? Did you pick a few favorites to visit? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments so we can plan a visit and add it to our list!