Watkins Nature Center

Great park with lots of options for kids. There’s a little “zoo,” carrousel, train. The Wizard of Oz themed playground is awesome. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the nature center off the path behind the playground.

It was a nice nature outing and very family friendly. I would highly recommend this place.

Great. I always love going there. Awesome place to take your kids.

Nice and cozy. Loved seeing the lights en route.

I attended my granddaughters birthday party there.It was magical!!

The nature center with its animals and insects immediately captured the imagination of a group of kindergartners.

The staff was present and very professional and willing to help. The highlight of the party was a wildlife show! The presenter was great and really handled a group of 6 year olds masterfully. I highly recommend a visit to the Nature Center and if you are planning a birthday party, by all means call Watkins Nature Center and talk with the staff. Even if you have no children to entertain, the center is a great place to visit.

Great park with lots to do! Very popular destination. Paved walking paths throughout as well as hiking trails in the woods. Nature Center has live animal habitat displays and programs for nature and crafts. Mini-golf, railroad, and carousel closed, but nature Center, park an playground open. Seasonal light shows at night. Very kid and family friendly.

Came here on a second grade field trip and was extremely impressed with the presentation! The staff member who gave it was engaging, helpful, and obviously liked kids. It was a wonderful experience for all the classes.

The nature center is free to enter and has many birds and reptiles on display.

The playground has a lot of fun things for all ages and kept the kids entertained for an hour. There are water fountains and bathrooms as well. We ventured a short way down a wooded trail which was well maintained.

I look forward to coming back to coming back and exploring more!

I loved the “take a mental health walk” signs along the trails. The park and center was very clean and inviting.

Serenity & Peace. To take a walk with nature and all for the entire family to explore its natural beauty. Its Amazing.

Friendly staff. I go one the Senior Hikes through the woods with a Park Naturalist. Besides walking/hiking, we learn about nature, birds, plants, trees. MNCPPC nominal cost. Great Place for kids, there are lots of activities age appropriate, day camps, home school instructions on Nature, wildlife.

Love this place! Great experience, knowledgeable and friendly staff! Located in Watkins Park, Prince George's County. In addition to the Nature Center, Watkins Park has Old Maryland Farm, a carousel, train station, and the Land of Oz playground. Awesome place to take the younger kids for a picnic! Budget friendly!

The Nature Center has great small exhibits of both taxidermy and live animals. One of the greatest assets is the Nature Rangers program through Prince George's County. This is a great place for kids likely ages 2 to 10 or 11 maybe. Just down the road maybe .1 of a mile or so is a fantastic park too. So double win stop, science and outdoor activity. Hiking here looks to be pretty nice as well. I saw rangers and maintenance tending to trails.

Great experience for my granddaughter.

We love visiting here! Friendly and helpful Naturalist and a variety of things to do. We visit to see the animals and other activities. Just an FYI if you have a younger child that wants to work on a puzzle, I think they are ALL missing pieces. The shelves the children's books and puzzles on need cleaned and I have seen a spider or two hiding out there. Not the reason we go, so still gets 5 stars.

Lots of animals on view. Nestled in the woods surrounded by wildlife. The park itself has plenty to do. Carousel, mini golf, big playground, and even a farm you can walk around and get up close to the farm animals. It's a good place to take your kids if you have any, or for yourself if you love nature and want to learn more. They also offer summer day camps.

Watkins Park is my favorite place to wander close to home. The Nature Center and farm are inviting spaces to see animals & insects up close that you wouldn’t come across every day. On my last visit I took my first ever tai chi class - free, outside, amazing. I got into a conversation with a little one as I left the park - his grandparents were telling him the history of the old carousel. I’ll stop here.

Great local hiking spot. Fairly muddy right now due to seasons change. Be careful on the trail bridges. Some have taken winter water and tree fall damage. Nature Center requires appointment to visit. The Visitor Center is closed on Mondays. Masks are required for entry.

Nice nature center with a range of smaller animals; turtles, lizzards, snakes, frogs and birds. My kids liked the "guess what it is" boxes where you have to put your hands through a curtained hole in a box to feel and guess what is in it. And no, no live animals are in it... very helpful staff. My wife does not like snakes and they guided her to the other cages.

My kids and I enjoyed going here very much. It was both educational and interesting at the same time. My kids really liked the live animals and the friendly staff made our visit outstanding. This is definitely a place we will revisit on a regular basis.

The playground is awesome. You have the Nature Center, where you can rent the back room and host nature themed birthday parties, where they bring out the eagles and other animals that aren't on display. They have a reading nook filled with nature themed books and they even have a petting zoo with animals located directly across.from the playground. So much for my little one to do on a Sunday afternoon.