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Westchester’s Nature Centers

Photo via Greenburgh Nature Center

Westchester’s Nature Centers

When the weather warms up and the plants start to  blooms- Westchester families love to head out and get back in touch with nature. Luckily, Westchester is home to some of the most beautiful and educational nature centers and preserves in New York, where families can not only enjoy the great outdoors, but learn about it as well. They are a perfect weekend destination for children of any age. In fact, the whole family will find weekend fun at Westchester’s best nature centers

The Rye Nature Center is a 47-acre wildlife preserve with over two miles of hiking trails, ponds and streams. It has a beautiful natural playground with climbing structures, a slide and an animal museum. Family programming takes place in the museum space, as well as the indoor and outdoor classrooms.

Cranberry Lake Preserve in White Plains is a 190-acre park, which was opened in 1967. It’s a safe haven for migratory birds, turtles and dragonflies—and a wide variety of plants. There is a four-acre lake, cliffs and scrubland, mixed hardwood forest, vernal pools and a swamp. Hike the History Trail to see the remains of a 19th-century farmhouse and early 20th-century stone-mining operation. 

The Croton Point Nature Center, in the 504-acre Croton Point Park, hosts exhibits (often with hands-on activities) about local flora and fauna, and local and Native American history. The park attracts Bald Eagles in winter, and a capped landfill is now a meadow filled with birds and butterflies. 

The Sheldrake Environmental Center in Larchmont offers nearly 60 acres of outdoor space. Explore the woods, stroll past the meadow, relax by the pond and check out the abundant wildlife. Trails are pet-friendly and leashed dogs are welcome. 

The Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale is located on 33 acres and includes an indoor building, woodland preserve with hiking trails, a pond, organic garden, Nature’s Discovery Playground, a native plant meadow and over 100 animals, like birds of prey and farm animals. 

Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining is the largest privately held nature preserve in Westchester — with 15 miles of hiking trails, a two-acre island refuge for over 230 species of native wildflowers, wildlife exhibits and science day camps. The Nature Center and nearby Raptor Loop Trail have birds of prey and animal displays, along with seasonal programs and events.  

Westmoreland Sanctuary in Mount Kisco on 640 acres of land includes both woodland and streams, and an environmental education center which runs conservation and recreational programs in a reconstructed 200-year-old church. There are exhibits of local flora and fauna, live animals — including rabbits (named Skittles and Houdini), birds, frogs and turtles — as well as a bird observation window. 

Muscoot Farm in Katonah is an actual farm that makes history, agriculture and wildlife accessible for kids. Meet cows, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigs — and walk through historic structures like the milk house, the ice house, the brooder house and the carriage house. There are also over six miles of trails for family hiking.  

Westchester’s nature centers can introduce kids to the world’s natural playgrounds, and they offer an ideal setting for a family outing. Before you go, check them out online to find out about current programs and upcoming events.