I take my 2 year old son here at least once a week. There is a wonderful Discovery Room filled with toys, puzzles, books, costumes and aquariums. We very much enjoy the other offerings including a helicopter video game tour of the Chesapeake Bay area, a history of the region, and a two level exhibit detailing the local flora and fauna. There is a NatureSphere Planetarium that frequently hosts science talks from nearby JHU Applied Physics Lab scientists and physicists. The outdoor activities include walking trails, gardens, and much more. The Center frequently holds educational programs for small children, is environmentally friendly and promotes green living and conservation.The staff is friendly and courteous and may of the volunteers are retired educators. We are proud members of the Nature Center and feel it is a wonderful resource in Howard County.
I did not find it to be much a natural Nature Center. The technology did not work for me. And I was surprised by the entry fee for taxpayers and children.
I have been to many "nature centers"/planetariums.. For a local place, and for its size, the Robinson Nature Center is exceptional! It has/does something special for each season and for every age.Hiking?Yes. Fun learning experiences? Yes. Facilities? Wonderful! Planetarium? As good as any. If you live nearby, you could go every week and not be bored. A great place for visitors (of any age) from out of town!
Great things to discover outside and inside. Bring the kids to learn and not really learn. View the stars. Look for special events. Just always a place to go on a cold day, sunny day or a day to connect with the kid and nature. Stop in.
I went to a birthday party for a child with severe Autism and it was ok. I only liked the part with the trees and the darkness. The boy liked the educational experience. I would not return.
Love this little nature center. The entire place is super-eco-friendly, even the parking lot, and everything is explained. Inside there are beautiful, engaging hands-on exhibits. The center offers art classes.Outside you'll find some easy trails for short walks with kids or older folks (not paved, so these are not for disabled folks).A nice day out with kids and grandparents.
Great place for an hour or so with children. I went there primarily to see an advertised photo exhibit and stayed to enjoy the nature exhibits. It is extremely convenient to reach, about half mile north of Rt 32 on Cedar Lane. Nicely done, warm, inviting, good parking - all in all a worthwhile stop.And the photo exhibit, done by the Central Maryland Photographers Guild, was excellent also.
It's not a big place and, unlike most nature centers, there is really no trail worth walking. However, I have taken my grandkids there a number of times and they never grow tired of playing with all the educational toys therein. We have to practically drag them away after a while. Whoever picks out the toys know what they are doing. There is also an indoor walkway with stuff animals set in dioramas, which children also find quite entertaining inasmuch as they have to search hard to find all the animals and fish in their "natural habitats."
We enjoyed it because my daughter loved it. Definitely for kids but they will be engaged. Many great programs for kids. Did I mention that this place is for kids? Because it is. For kids, that is. The new addition is nice. The bees are cool and creepy at the same time.
We were visiting our son and daughter in law in Columbia, Maryland for Thanksgiving and carefully researched local attractions in order to find something appropriate to do with our grandchildren on the Friday following Turkey Day. The Robinson Nature Center was very highly rated on TripAdvisor and it seemed to be a perfect choice.Well, we got our grandchildren all excited about visiting the Center, packed them into their child seats and drove off with the idea of spending an interesting couple of hours with them at the Center. Silly me! I had not focused upon the fact that the Center is a state institution run by Howard County and, of course, these guys don't work the day following Thanksgiving. You would think that they might have something on their website to alert out of town bumpkins like me to the fact that they are closed on this day, but you would be wrong.This sort of disregard for their public is unforgivable and earns this outfit a well deserved "Terrible" rating.