About
Hudson Highlands Nature Center Programs include hiking on trails and nature play in Grasshopper Grove. The programs use living collections of native animals, natural habitats, nature play spaces like Grasshopper Grove, and trails to present programs. The Nature Center offers a popular preschool program, weekend nature programs, summer camp, and school programs, including the Young Naturalists program, a science and nature-based preschool located at the Outdoor Discovery Campus.
• Schedule: Hiking trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, Grasshopper Grove is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am–4pm from mid-April to mid-November, and the Center at the Wildlife Education Campus is open on weekends from 12–4, with weekday hours at the Outdoor Discovery Campus from 8:30am–4pm and at the Wildlife Education Campus from 9am–3pm and 12pm–4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Hudson Highlands Nature Center is a nonprofit (501c3) center for nature with a focus on Nature Education and Nature Play. Its mission is to connect children with nature through hands-on education and play, and to inspire active stewards of the shared environment. It is a leading provider of Nature Education experiences in the Hudson Valley and reaches over 30,000 people each year through its programs. The Nature Center began in 1959 as a summer environmental program for young people called the “Summer Science Workshop,” and over the years it added the 1200 square foot Ogden Gallery in 1978, expanded and renovated the Hall of Animals in 1984 and again in 2023, and opened Grasshopper Grove in 2013. The Hall of Animals is named in honor of Joseph Maloney, a longtime supporter and participant since 1960. In 1993, the Nature Center, in cooperation with Scenic Hudson, Inc., acquired the 177-acre Kenridge Farm property, now known as the Outdoor Discovery Campus. The Nature Center has been voted “Best Place to Take Kids in the Hudson Valley” and “Best Nature Center” two years in a row by Kids Out & About, and was a 2019 winner for Best Museum. The Nature Center states that the natural world does not discriminate and that everyone belongs and everyone is welcome. No dogs are allowed on the preserve at both the Outdoor Discovery Campus and the Wildlife Education Campus.
Last updated February 7, 2026.
• Schedule: Hiking trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, Grasshopper Grove is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am–4pm from mid-April to mid-November, and the Center at the Wildlife Education Campus is open on weekends from 12–4, with weekday hours at the Outdoor Discovery Campus from 8:30am–4pm and at the Wildlife Education Campus from 9am–3pm and 12pm–4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Hudson Highlands Nature Center is a nonprofit (501c3) center for nature with a focus on Nature Education and Nature Play. Its mission is to connect children with nature through hands-on education and play, and to inspire active stewards of the shared environment. It is a leading provider of Nature Education experiences in the Hudson Valley and reaches over 30,000 people each year through its programs. The Nature Center began in 1959 as a summer environmental program for young people called the “Summer Science Workshop,” and over the years it added the 1200 square foot Ogden Gallery in 1978, expanded and renovated the Hall of Animals in 1984 and again in 2023, and opened Grasshopper Grove in 2013. The Hall of Animals is named in honor of Joseph Maloney, a longtime supporter and participant since 1960. In 1993, the Nature Center, in cooperation with Scenic Hudson, Inc., acquired the 177-acre Kenridge Farm property, now known as the Outdoor Discovery Campus. The Nature Center has been voted “Best Place to Take Kids in the Hudson Valley” and “Best Nature Center” two years in a row by Kids Out & About, and was a 2019 winner for Best Museum. The Nature Center states that the natural world does not discriminate and that everyone belongs and everyone is welcome. No dogs are allowed on the preserve at both the Outdoor Discovery Campus and the Wildlife Education Campus.
Last updated February 7, 2026.
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