It seemed like the last half of May was a monsoon here in DC, and then it got terribly hot – so I was desperate for some indoor fun for Cameron that was easy for me to navigate having Violet in tow. My mom mentioned to me that when I was a kid she used to take my brother and I to the Rock Creek Park Nature Center. The Nature Center is located Just off Military Road near St. Johns College High School (5200 Glover Road, NW DC to be exact). It’s a small building with it’s own parking lot…. and it’s free!
There’s an area with flora and fauna on display that you’d find in the park (some of the animals are stuffed, others live – Cameron loves the Turtles). On Friday afternoons at 4pm kids can meet the live animals and help feed them. Check out the Nature Center website for more about the Ranger Led Programs.
Then there’s a children’s playroom with all kinds of fun things the kids can touch and interact with to help them learn more about life in the park. I completely missed this the first time I went! Cameron wanted to spend a lot of time here exploring, coloring, reading the books, and playing with the puzzles.
Finally, there’s a planetarium which I’ve yet to check out because I think Cam might be a bit young still. The planetarium holds regular shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. for children five and older (5-7 year olds must be accompanied by an adult) and at 4 p.m. for children seven and older. Also, on Wednesday afternoons year-round there is an after- school show at 4:00 p.m. Free tickets for the planetarium shows can be picked up at the information desk in the Nature Center.
The Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium is located at 5200 Glover Road, NW DC. It’s open from 9:00 am. – 5.00 pm Wednesday-Sunday. And closed on New Years Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Go check it out and have some fun!
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