I first read about this museum and nature center in Stamford, CT years ago. It’s a short-enough distance from our home to merit a day trip – as long as I timed things right around traffic – but the opportunity never seemed right to go. When I learned that the center would be hosting a special maple syrup workshop, I booked tickets and drove us the 90 minutes there.
We arrived early so we would have ample time to explore the rest of the nature center before the program began. First up was the museum, which features rotating exhibits.
Older children will enjoy the well-curated but manageable size of the exhibits, and the nature themes will appeal to younger children. We were just in time for the opening of an exhibit about birds in art!
Next we headed across the white bridge and pond, both beautiful even in rainy weather!
I decided then and there that we’ll have to come back in other seasons. This place would be beautiful in summer and autumn! There are nature trails to walk, but our day was a bit too cold and drizzly. There is also a “nature playground” for children to explore, including a kid-sized bird’s nest, but rainy weather preempted the play.
Instead we headed just up the hill to visit resident farm animals, including a shaggy cow Travis fell in love with…
…guinea hogs…
…and the biggest horse we’ve ever seen.
At the top of the hill was the maple syrup house. We not only learned about how the center collects maple sap from the trees on its property…
but also got to collect our own!
Kids were fascinated by the maple syrup boiling apparatus.
In sum, the nature center is a fantastic outing for the kids – you could easily spend several hours here. As mentioned, I would make it a priority in a season other than winter, when children can fully enjoy the outdoor spaces.
Trip Date: February 2018
Ages: All
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