Riverside Reptiles

8/10Mommy Approved Smiling Faces

132 South Road

Enfield, CT 06082

https://www.riversidereptileseducationcenter.com/

(860) 207-9335

Why you should visit Riverside Reptiles with the kids :

Riverside Reptiles is mostly an indoor educational center for kids, families and adults that are interested in learning about and seeing reptiles and amphibians. They have a diverse selection of animals that were surrendered, rescued or purchased and now call Riverside Reptiles their home. The owner and staff members are very knowledgeable about their resident animals and tailor their enclosures to meet each animal’s unique needs.

Causal Feedings with question and answer sessions are staggered throughout the day on the weekends.  In some cases, visitors can pet and even hold the animals depending on their temperament and visitor’s safety.  Safety is very important to everyone at Riverside Reptiles as is education and conservation.  They strive to teach visitors about all their reptiles and thus provide people with a better appreciation for them.   

Some of the animals housed at Riverside Reptiles include an American Alligator, various turtles, frogs, snakes (even venomous ones!), lizards, fish and everything in between. Many are exotic species my family has never even heard of and others are native to New England making them more familiar to us. The kids especially enjoyed when they were able to touch and hold the animals which happened with a couple of various sized snakes.  Another exciting part of visiting is watching the staff go around feeding the animals and maintaining their habitats. During our visit we saw the Dart Frogs, Dwarf Caiman and Chameleon all eat which was fascinating.

As mentioned before, Riverside Reptiles is mostly an indoor location but, it does have an additional 4,000 sq / ft outdoor area called Turtle Haven. There we saw various turtles that are local to the area overwintering in the ponds where they will stay for several months underwater-very cool!  In the warmer months, there are flower gardens and turtles get to dwell outside soaking up the sun all day.  Once a year in July / august the owner actually swims with one of the Green Anacondas in the turtle pond for all visitors to see! 😁🫣

About the Owner and history of Riverside Reptiles :

We met the owner of Riverside Reptiles, Brian Kleinman, who has been working with animals since he was a child. He studied biology and created Riverside Reptiles in 2003 as an educational outreach company, with the goal of opening up his own “reptile zoo” someday.  In 2019 his dream came true when he started building Riverside Reptiles Educational Center.  His knowledge about reptiles and their habitats is vast.  Brian made all the animal enclosures himself. They have misters and lights ideal to keep humidity and temperatures optimal for each animal.  A tremendous amount of effort and thought went into creating natural habitats for each animal.  Brian is very passionate about what he does and friendly being a father of three children himself.  

Through COVID, he struggled, but managed to survive the hardship.  Brian gave us a personalized tour of his operation where he shared fun facts about all the animals they have.  He explained specifics about their ages, names, potential growth and how he received each one.  His dream to expand the facility with a bug cave is his latest addition.  This consists of various millipedes, tarantulas, grasshoppers, spiders, beetles, stick bugs and more.  At a recent visit new habitats were being built and growth continues at Riverside Reptiles.

Brian is constantly getting contacted about reptiles in the area in need of a home or that have health issues. He does what he can but can’t take every animal that he comes across due to capacity and funding issues. He is able to relocate many of these creatures due to his contacts in the animal community.  Because of this, he started a nonprofit called Conservation and Education Reptile Rescue (CERR). If you would like to help Brian provide aid and support for animals in need, for insight on how you can donate to his nonprofit click here.

Stand out points: The cleanliness of Riverside Reptiles was notable upon walking in the front door. There was no odor noticeable as with other animal locations we visited.  It was immaculate. Very impressive and challenging for sure.  Well done Riverside Reptiles!

Riverside Reptiles is a progressive and modern business trying to be aware of their environmental impact and encourage sustainable solutions when possible.  For instance, they feed some of their reptiles with food sources that they grow themselves.  Depending on the availability, they also sell excess mealworms and super worms in their gift store for reptiles, amphibians, and bird owners.  They also ask purchasers to bring their own containers to reduce plastic waste.

Riverside Reptiles is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10-4.  They offer outreach programs, host birthday parties, field trips, group rates, memberships, virtual programs and in-person workshops.  Let them know what activity you have in mind and they will do their best to accommodate your needs.  As they have a long history of providing programs to students of all ages.  Contact them for more information.  Their most recent updates can be found on their facebook page.

We stayed here while visiting Riverside Reptiles due to the indoor pool and affordability.

 

Planning to visit Riverside Reptiles but it’s too far for a day trip?  check out affordable family stays here.

 

The Skinny :

• Weather : We visited during late November which was chilly outside. We were therefore able to check out some native turtles overwintering in the pond.  Brian says the warmer months are filled with a different scene entirely. They bring flowers, turtles in all the outside enclosures with butterflies and hummingbirds that visit often.
• Parking : FREE plentiful parking
• Admissions : Ages 2 and under -FREE ; ages 3-11 -$16; ages 12+ -$18; Seniors ages 65+, Veterans with ID, Teachers with ID -$16
• Location : Mostly an indoor space that is educational and in some cases, hands-on where patrons can learn about and see an array of reptiles.  They have a reasonably priced gift shop onsite.  It has various items including, books, toys, candies, stuffed animals and jewelry all reptile themed of course.  There is a beautiful outside enclosed yard for turtles.
• Hours : Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Duration :  We spent 2+ hours here observing the animal feedings and the informative gatherings with question and answer sessions and viewing all the animals on our own.
• Tips and Recommendations :  Get the memberships for savings throughout the year.  Here you will receive various levels of discounts tailored to fit your needs.   From individual membership to family and add-ons.   If you want to ensure your visit is extra special you can add on a reptile encounter.  Use the promo code KIDFRIENDLYNE for 10% OFF a tortoise feeding at checkout.  You can also inquire about birthday parties for your reptile-loving kids.

Jewel : 👍🏼

Jamison : 👍🏼

If your family loves animals, be sure to visit Southwick’s Zoo in Massachusetts for an amazing time.  If the aquarium is more of your thing, check out Mystic Aquarium for a fabulous family day out.  Another option is the informative, hands-on educational center Biomes which is small but great for kids that like to touch and learn about marine animals.