About
Hudson Highlands Nature Center Programs include weekend nature programs, a summer camp, school programs, a preschool program, and the Young Naturalists program. Children and families take part in nature play in Grasshopper Grove and go hiking on trails. The programs use living collections of native animals, natural habitats, nature play spaces like Grasshopper Grove, and trails to present hands-on, experiential education programs.
• Schedule: Hiking trails and Wildlife Education Campus trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, Grasshopper Grove is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am–4pm from mid-April to mid-November, the Center is open on weekends from 12–4 unless otherwise noted, and phone or office hours run on weekdays and weekends at the Outdoor Discovery Campus and Wildlife Education Campus.
The Hudson Highlands Nature Center began in 1959 as a summer environmental program for young people called the “Summer Science Workshop.” By 1962, the program had become too large for its space, and over time the Center added the 1200 square foot Ogden Gallery in 1978 and renovated the Hall of Animals in 1984, adding 1500 square feet of habitat exhibits. The Hall of Animals was renovated again in 2023 and named in honor of longtime supporter and participant since 1960, Joseph Maloney. In 1993, the Nature Center, in cooperation with Scenic Hudson, Inc., acquired the 177-acre Kenridge Farm property, and in 2013, Grasshopper Grove opened.
The Nature Center states that 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 nonprofit (501c3) center for nature with a focus on Nature Education and Nature Play and reaches over 30,000 people each year through its programs. The Nature Center describes itself as a leading provider of Nature Education experiences in the Hudson Valley and has a vision to be known and recognized as the leading provider of nature education and play in the Greater Hudson Valley, to be a hub of nature interaction and recreation for the region, to reach diverse audiences and embody the ideal that nature is for everyone, and to model sustainable infrastructure and environmental stewardship. Its stated values include promoting nature education, finding joy and having fun outdoors, engaging and including all communities, working collaboratively, leading by example, encouraging resourcefulness and resiliency, and pursuing sustainability. The Nature Center notes that the natural world does not discriminate and that everyone belongs and is welcome, and that regardless of who someone is or where they live, its fields and trails are there for everyone to enjoy.
The Young Naturalists program is described as a science and nature-based preschool. Grasshopper Grove is described as an enclosed natural play space that encourages children to use their imaginations, take appropriate risks, and play with natural materials. The Outdoor Discovery Campus is a 177-acre property with 10 miles of trails and a 5-acre mitigated wetland and is home to the Nature Center’s administrative offices and its Young Naturalists program. The Wildlife Education Campus includes the 1200 square foot Ogden Gallery and the Hall of Animals with 1500 square feet of habitat exhibits. The Nature Center notes that it was voted “Best Place to Take Kids in the Hudson Valley” and “Best Nature Center” two years in a row by Kids Out & About, and it was a 2019 winner for Best Museum. The Nature Center specifies that no dogs are allowed on the preserve at the Outdoor Discovery Campus trails and Wildlife Education Campus trails.
Last updated May 28, 2026.
• Schedule: Hiking trails and Wildlife Education Campus trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, Grasshopper Grove is open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am–4pm from mid-April to mid-November, the Center is open on weekends from 12–4 unless otherwise noted, and phone or office hours run on weekdays and weekends at the Outdoor Discovery Campus and Wildlife Education Campus.
The Hudson Highlands Nature Center began in 1959 as a summer environmental program for young people called the “Summer Science Workshop.” By 1962, the program had become too large for its space, and over time the Center added the 1200 square foot Ogden Gallery in 1978 and renovated the Hall of Animals in 1984, adding 1500 square feet of habitat exhibits. The Hall of Animals was renovated again in 2023 and named in honor of longtime supporter and participant since 1960, Joseph Maloney. In 1993, the Nature Center, in cooperation with Scenic Hudson, Inc., acquired the 177-acre Kenridge Farm property, and in 2013, Grasshopper Grove opened.
The Nature Center states that 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 nonprofit (501c3) center for nature with a focus on Nature Education and Nature Play and reaches over 30,000 people each year through its programs. The Nature Center describes itself as a leading provider of Nature Education experiences in the Hudson Valley and has a vision to be known and recognized as the leading provider of nature education and play in the Greater Hudson Valley, to be a hub of nature interaction and recreation for the region, to reach diverse audiences and embody the ideal that nature is for everyone, and to model sustainable infrastructure and environmental stewardship. Its stated values include promoting nature education, finding joy and having fun outdoors, engaging and including all communities, working collaboratively, leading by example, encouraging resourcefulness and resiliency, and pursuing sustainability. The Nature Center notes that the natural world does not discriminate and that everyone belongs and is welcome, and that regardless of who someone is or where they live, its fields and trails are there for everyone to enjoy.
The Young Naturalists program is described as a science and nature-based preschool. Grasshopper Grove is described as an enclosed natural play space that encourages children to use their imaginations, take appropriate risks, and play with natural materials. The Outdoor Discovery Campus is a 177-acre property with 10 miles of trails and a 5-acre mitigated wetland and is home to the Nature Center’s administrative offices and its Young Naturalists program. The Wildlife Education Campus includes the 1200 square foot Ogden Gallery and the Hall of Animals with 1500 square feet of habitat exhibits. The Nature Center notes that it was voted “Best Place to Take Kids in the Hudson Valley” and “Best Nature Center” two years in a row by Kids Out & About, and it was a 2019 winner for Best Museum. The Nature Center specifies that no dogs are allowed on the preserve at the Outdoor Discovery Campus trails and Wildlife Education Campus trails.
Last updated May 28, 2026.
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