Rock Creek Park Nature Center050

Rock Creek Park Nature Center consists of six locations: The Nature Center proper, Peirce Barn Visitor Contact Station, Old Stone House, Dumbarton Oaks, Military Field, and Glover-Archibold Parks. Most listed programs occur at the Nature Center, which also features the National Park Service's only Planetarium.

The Nature Center is a great place to start a visit to Rock Creek Park. Take advantage of the exhibits that tell about the park's wildlife and forest. The Discovery Room encourages hands-on activities, and kids are drawn to the observation beehive, located on the back wall of the exhibit room.

Pick up a Discovery Pack before you head out to test the hiking trails - you'll find binoculars, a field microscope, and a magnifying lens.

Guided nature walks and curriculum based environmental education programs take place daily, and two-day summer camps are offered for children ages seven through twelve. Programs attempt to teach the concepts of ecology, to identify the local flora and fauna, and to understand man's interrelationship with nature. A wheelchair-accessible, self-guiding nature trail is nearby. The Center and all programs are accessible to wheelchairs.