About
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Education Programs offer topic-based sessions such as “A Monarch's Journey,” “Backyard Birding,” “Bison on the Brink,” and “Endangered Texans.” Other programs include “Gator Talk” with live American alligator specimens, “Lone Star Bats,” “Nature's Pollinators,” “Neighborhood Wildlife,” “Radical Reptiles,” “Reading the Wild,” “Skullduggery,” “Texas Scavengers,” “Texas Wildlife,” “Turtles are Terrific,” and a “Career Day/Info Booth” where an education naturalist discusses conservation careers.
• Schedule: Refuge hours are October–April, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and May–September, 7 a.m.–5 p.m., with no entry after 4 p.m.; the Hardwicke Interpretive Center is open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and the Nature Center is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and on Thursday, January 29, 2026, and open with normal hours on Thursday, January 1, 2026.
• Price: $6 Adults (13–64); $2 Children (3–12, under 3 free); $3 Seniors (65+); $1 discount per person with Military ID (Active/Retired); $1 Dogs (dogs free with Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge membership); membership includes an annual pass and program discounts.
The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Education Programs take place within a larger natural area that includes forests, prairies, and wetlands, covers 3,621 acres, and has over 20 miles of hiking trails. The area was first purchased around the West Fork of the Trinity River in 1914 when Lake Worth was built, was designated as a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve in 1964, and was named a National Natural Landmark in 1980 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The mission of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is to enhance the quality of life by enrolling and educating the community in the preservation and protection of natural areas while standing as an example of these principles and values in North Central Texas.
The inception of the Nature Center & Refuge was based on protecting the local watershed and the quality of drinking water for the Fort Worth community, and local citizens, including the Fort Worth Audubon Society, advocated for creating a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve. The Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC), a 501(c)3 organization, provides financial support for projects, professional development for staff, and other operational needs, and membership in FONC includes an annual pass and program discounts. The Nature Center has been recognized with a Lone Star Land Steward award in 2009 by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and resource management staff manage a bison herd and use prescribed burns to preserve ecosystems. Visitors are required to keep dogs on leash at all times, dispose of dog waste appropriately and not on trails, and obtain a permit for all professional photography.
Last updated January 29, 2026.
• Schedule: Refuge hours are October–April, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and May–September, 7 a.m.–5 p.m., with no entry after 4 p.m.; the Hardwicke Interpretive Center is open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and the Nature Center is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and on Thursday, January 29, 2026, and open with normal hours on Thursday, January 1, 2026.
• Price: $6 Adults (13–64); $2 Children (3–12, under 3 free); $3 Seniors (65+); $1 discount per person with Military ID (Active/Retired); $1 Dogs (dogs free with Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge membership); membership includes an annual pass and program discounts.
The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Education Programs take place within a larger natural area that includes forests, prairies, and wetlands, covers 3,621 acres, and has over 20 miles of hiking trails. The area was first purchased around the West Fork of the Trinity River in 1914 when Lake Worth was built, was designated as a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve in 1964, and was named a National Natural Landmark in 1980 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The mission of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is to enhance the quality of life by enrolling and educating the community in the preservation and protection of natural areas while standing as an example of these principles and values in North Central Texas.
The inception of the Nature Center & Refuge was based on protecting the local watershed and the quality of drinking water for the Fort Worth community, and local citizens, including the Fort Worth Audubon Society, advocated for creating a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve. The Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge (FONC), a 501(c)3 organization, provides financial support for projects, professional development for staff, and other operational needs, and membership in FONC includes an annual pass and program discounts. The Nature Center has been recognized with a Lone Star Land Steward award in 2009 by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and resource management staff manage a bison herd and use prescribed burns to preserve ecosystems. Visitors are required to keep dogs on leash at all times, dispose of dog waste appropriately and not on trails, and obtain a permit for all professional photography.
Last updated January 29, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.