List of nature centers in Ohio

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This is a list of nature centers and environmental education centers in the state of Ohio.

To use the sortable tables: click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

NameLocationCountyRegionSummary
Adell Durbin Park Stow Summit Northeast website, 34 acres, includes the Harold Welch Nature Center
Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm Dayton Montgomery SouthwestOver 200 acre natural area and educational farm. Operating as an environmental education, sustainable agriculture, and Audubon Center of the National Audubon Society in western Ohio.
Avon Woods Nature Center and Preserve Cincinnati Hamilton SouthwestOwned and operated by the Cincinnati Park Board
Barkcamp State Park Belmont Belmont Southeast1,005-acre park, nature center offers programs during the summer months
Battelle Darby Creek Galloway Franklin Central14,000 sq-foot nature center featuring a living stream and interactive exhibits, 7,060-acre park, operated by Columbus Metroparks
Beaver Creek State Park East Liverpool Columbiana Northeast2,722-acre park, includes the Pioneer Village and the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center with small live animals, natural history dioramas, displays of insects, arrowheads and nature photography
Beech Creek Gardens Alliance StarkNortheast website, a sensory garden for the visually and non-visually impaired is provided and maintained at this location.
Blacklick Woods Reynoldsburg FranklinCentral643-acre park with nature center, operated by Columbus Metroparks
Blendon Woods Westerville FranklinCentral653 acres, nature center, operated by Columbus Metroparks
Brecksville Nature Center Brecksville Cuyahoga Northeast website, operated by Cleveland Metroparks in 3,494-acre Brecksville Reservation
Brown Family Environmental Center Gambier Knox Central website, part of Kenyon College, about 380 acres, gardens, outdoor recreation, programs
Brukner Nature Center Troy Miami Southwest website, 165 acres, hands-on exhibits, live native animals, art exhibits, wildlife rehabilitation
Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center Alliance Stark Northeast website, operated by University of Mount Union, displays on natural history, bird observatory, trails
Caesar Creek State Park Waynesville Warren SouthwestIncludes pioneer village of over 15 log cabins and other structures and the Caesar Creek Nature Center
Caldwell Preserve Cincinnati HamiltonSouthwest website, nature center, operated by the Cincinnati Park Board in Carthage, Cincinnati
California Woods Nature PreserveCincinnatiHamiltonSouthwest website, nature center, 113 acres, operated by the Cincinnati Park Board
CanalWay Center Cuyahoga Heights CuyahogaNortheast website, operated by Cleveland Metroparks in 306-acre Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, live small animals, exhibits on nature, industry and the canal
Children's Schoolhouse Nature Park Kirtland Lake Northeast website, operated by Lake Metroparks, open for programs or by appointment
Cincinnati Nature Center Milford ClermontSouthwestProtects over 1,600 acres in two locations
Dawes Arboretum Newark Licking CentralOver 1,800 acres, 8 miles of hiking trails and a four-mile auto tour, Discovery Center, education programs
Deer Creek State Park (Ohio) Mt. Sterling Madison Southwest website, 2,337-acre resort park, nature center offers nature programs during the summer months
Dillon State Park Nashport Muskingum Southeast website, 3,845 acres, programs offered in the summer
Donald W. Meyer Center at Big Creek Park Chardon Geauga Northeast website, operated by the County, 642-acre park
Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve Colerain HamiltonSouthwest website, operated by the Hamilton County Park District, 22 acres, paved trail, gardens, Ellenwood Nature barn for programs and a gift shop
Ford Nature Center Youngstown Mahoning NortheastLocated in Mill Creek Park, displays of plants and animals of four local habitats, live animals, discovery room
French Creek Nature & Arts Center Sheffield Village Lorain Northeast website, operated by Lorain County Metro Parks, nature programs and exhibits, wildlife observation area, indoor playground
Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center Yellow Springs Greene SouthwestOperated by Antioch College in 1,000-acre Glen Helen Nature Preserve
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park St. Marys Auglaize NorthwestPrograms offered in the summer, 591-acre park
Grange Insurance Audubon Center Columbus FranklinCentral website, operated by Audubon Ohio, located within the 120-acre Scioto Audubon Metro Park on the Scioto River
Harrison Lake State Park Wauseon Fulton Northwest147 acres with 105-acre lake, camping and trails
Highbanks Nature Center Lewis Center Delaware Central website, 1,159 acres, operated by Columbus Metroparks
Hocking Woods Nature Center Nelsonville Athens Southeast website, part of Hocking College, features an interpretive building, wildlife habitats, ponds, walkways, feed stations and seasonal programming
Hueston Woods State Park College Corner Preble Southwest625-acre Acton Lake
Imago Earth Center Cincinnati HamiltonSouthwest website, located in Price Hill, Cincinnati, 16 acre urban nature preserve and education facility at the Earth Center
Indian Lake State Park (Ohio) Lakeview Logan Northwest website, programs in the summer, 800-acre multi-use park
Kiser Lake State Park St. Paris Champaign Southwest website, 531 acres with 396-acre lake, nature center
La Boiteaux Woods Cincinnati HamiltonSouthwest website, nature center, operated by the Cincinnati Park Board, over 2 miles of trails, nature displays, animal mounts, live animals
Lake Alma State Park Wellston Jackson Southeast website, 292-acre park, nature programs in the summer
Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Bay Village CuyahogaNortheast website, indoor and outdoor live animal displays, planetarium, wildlife rehabilitation, located in 103-acre Huntington Reservation
Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center Put-in-Bay Ottawa Northwest website Indoor and outdoor turtle ponds, live reptiles & amphibians, observation beehive, bird watching window, geology display including animation on how the Lake Erie Islands were formed, large taxidermy wildlife collection of North American wildlife with interactive displays. Free programs every Tuesday in the summer
Lake Hope State Park McArthur Vinton Southeast2,983-acre park, includes a nature center
Lake Loramie State Park Minster Shelby SouthwestPrograms offered year round, 407 acres
Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center Crestline Crawford Northwest website, operated by Crawford Park District, interpretive displays, discovery area, live animals
Maumee Bay State Park Oregon Lucas Northwest1,336 acres, Trautman Nature Center open year round, features interactive displays, an auditorium, research laboratory and viewing windows
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve Mentor Lake Northeast website, nature center, 673-acre preserve, features the Carol H. Sweet Mentor Marsh Nature Center, operated by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Metzger Nature Center Stone Creek Tuscarawas Northeast website, operated by Ohio Northern University, 70-acre field station for the biological sciences
Miami Whitewater Forest Cincinnati HamiltonSouthwest4,345 acres, operated by the Hamilton County Park District, visitor center features nature displays and a gift shop
Narrows Reserve & Nature Center Xenia Greene Southwest website, operated by Greene County Parks, 162 acres, features native plant and animal exhibits, raptor aviary and an apiary
Nature Center at Shaker Lakes Shaker Heights CuyahogaNortheast20 acres
Norma Johnson Center Dover Tuscarawas Northeast website, 303-acre preserve, picnic shelter, over 6 miles of trails, environmental education programs
North Chagrin Nature Center Mayfield Village CuyahogaNortheast website, operated by Cleveland Metroparks in North Chagrin Reservation, features educational displays, resource library, auditorium and nature shop
Paint Creek State Park Bainbridge Ross Southwest5,652-acre park, nature center programs offered in the summer
Penitentiary Glen Reservation and Nature Center Kirtland Lake Northeast website, operated by Lake Metroparks, 424 acres, over 7.5 miles of hiking trails, interactive Nature Calls exhibit, wildlife center with native animal ambassadors
Pike Lake State Park (Ohio) Bainbridge Ross Southwest13 acres, programs offered in the summer
Pymatuning State Park (Ohio) Andover Ashtabula Northeast3,512 acres, programs offered in the summer
Quail Hollow State Park Hartville StarkNortheast703 acres, Carriage House Nature Center open on weekends from May through October
Rocky Fork State Park Hillsboro Highland Southwest2,080-acre lake, nature programs offered in the summer at the campgrounds
Rocky River Nature Center North Olmsted CuyahogaNortheast website, operated by Cleveland Metroparks, over 5 miles of trails along the river, nature exhibits, aquariums
Rotary Nature Center Bowling Green Wood Northwest website, operated by the city in 100-acre Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve
Salt Fork State Park Lore City Guernsey SoutheastNature center programs offered in the summer, 17,229 acres of land and 2,952 acres of water
Sharon Woods Centre Sharonville HamiltonSouthwest website, 730 acres, operated by the Hamilton County Park District, features educational nature displays and Adventure Station indoor play area
Shawnee Prairie Preserve and Nature Center Greenville Darke Southwest website, 118 acres, operated by the County
Shawnee State Park Portsmouth Scioto Southwest1,095 acres, nature center open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, live animals
Trailside Nature Center in Burnet Woods Cincinnati HamiltonSouthwest website, nature center, 90 acres, nature library, crafts room, meeting space, exhibits and the Wolff Planetarium, operated by the Cincinnati Park Board
Twin Valley Welcome Center Germantown Montgomery Southwest website, operated by Five Rivers MetroParks, 1,665-acre Germantown Park
Van Buren State Park Van Buren Hancock NorthwestPrograms offered in the summer
Watershed Stewardship Center Parma CuyahogaNortheast website, operated by Cleveland Metroparks in 324-acre West Creek Reservation, citizen science education programs
The West Woods Novelty Geauga Northeast website, 902-acre park, nature center open daily, hands-on exhibits about the geology and hydrology of Geauga County
Wilderness Center Wilmot StarkNortheast619-acre main site with 10 miles of trails, interpretive building, astronomy education building, an observation tower, pier and picnic shelters
William C. Kraner Nature Center Newark Licking Centraloperated by Ohio Nature Education, educational displays about Licking County cultural and natural history
Winton Centre at Winton Wood Springfield Township HamiltonSouthwest website, 2,555 acres, operated by the Hamilton County Park District, displays on pond life, animal characteristics and the water cycle
Woodland Mound Anderson Township HamiltonSouthwest website, 1,066 acres, operated by the Hamilton County Park District, includes the Seasongood Nature Center with nature exhibits, outdoor observation deck and wild bird viewing area