Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium

8/10😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Mommy Approved Smiling Faces

1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI 02809

(401) 949-5454

https://asri.org/hike/wildliferefuges/claire-d-mcintosh-wildlife-refuge-environmental-education-center.html

Rhode Island’s Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium is super cool! The kids and I visited several times outside but due to COVID-19 their indoor space was closed for a while. Now it is open and a great place for the kids to learn and enjoy. My kids being 3 and 5 then had just learned about pollinators so the pollination garden was exciting for them! We did see a lot of pretty butterflies and bees while here. Also the garden itself is great! It has various fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs. My favorite part is the natural arbor that has a bench under it. It is such an amazing display of beautiful, twisted, artistic plants with the only downside being that now my husband wants one for our house-haha! You can also find a pond where we actually saw a frog. I was shocked to see the two Ravens in the back of the building (Lucy and Zach), they were much bigger than I expected and seem like friendly birds. They were very curious about us and engaging to watch. They can actually been seen on this live webcam.

The Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium is a fantastic place to enjoy a short walk especially for young kids. The reason I say that is because, I wanted a longer hike personally (it is only a quarter of a mile ) because I’m the type of person that can stay out all day exploring. My kids however, especially my daughter, was completely content with the length of the hike and ready to get to the next activity. She just gets bored fast and doesn’t appreciate lengthy hikes at her young age. Hopefully that changes so she can be my partner in crime forever ; ) . They both, however, DID appreciate the hike itself with many happy birds swooping and gliding nearby and singing loudly, the wooden walkway of the trail, the ocean view looking into the Narragansett Bay and the Osprey nest! Having recently gone to Osamequin Nature Reserve and Bird Sanctuary we were familiar with these birds and the kids pointed them out excitedly. It was so cute. They are proud of their newly-found knowledge.

Another convenient thing is that the East Bay Bike path runs across this trail so if you are in need of more adventure, like myself, you can always take a turn onto the bike path from the nature hike.

Inside the Audubon Nature Center and Aquarium, you can learn about local Rhode Island habitats and animals, discover animals found in Rhode Island tide pools, and see a replica of a whale. The Rhode Island Audubon also offers guided walks, birding classes, lectures, camps birthday parties and family activities throughout the year. The gift shop sells binoculars bird feeders and eco-friendly goods. We found some very informative activity books there as well as some animal souvenirs the kids enjoyed that were very reasonably priced.