This place is such a gem!! We absolutely love it. The staff is soooo friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We are so lucky to have this near our house. My kids love visiting all the animals, the turtles, snakes and bearded dragon are the favorites! W elige that they have a pretty big variety of toys available to play with and the dress up options are always a hit! It's a great place to visit during the winter and rainy days! But also so fun when the weather is great and you can walk around the trails. The only downside is the limited parking, but if weather is good the parking by the playground makes it a fun all morning adventure! read more

This such an incredible gem for families and nature lovers a like! 1) Trails are easy to navigate and you will almost always see some type of wildlife whether it is butterflies, bugs, or deer. 2) The recently renovated playground is large and accessible for both small and big kids. There is a covered shelter nearby which makes it the perfect spot for a birthday party. 3) The nature center is a great place to explore on cold or rainy days. You can see turtles, a bearded dragon, play with toys in a little nature nook that looks like it came straight out of the Berenstein Bears, or climb up and down their little play structure. The people who work here are extremely friendly and the price for all of this is Free 99. 4) They host field trips and birthday parties that are fun and informative for kids and adults alike. My three year old STILL talks about the frog who peed on the floor last year at her class presentation. We are so lucky to have a gem like this in our area. read more

Hidden Oaks Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

See all

Nice little nature center with cool things to see on the inside and cool things to see on the outside. It's free and it helps you explore the nature around you that sometimes you don't see. I've seen a lot of the critters around my house and I got to learn about them here. I'm glad we have a place like this and it's great for kids. The day I came, they had a Fairfax county police man give a guided hike. read more

I highly recommend this for kids birthday parties, nature walks, and animal presentations. I recommend planning far in advance because this place fills up fast. The volunteers and staff are wonderful. A special shout to Alex who kept 16 kids attention thoroughly focused using live animals, simulated animal parts, and preserved animal parts. Also parking nearest the Nature Center is in short supply so I recommend arriving early or late. For information on how to schedule your event here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sites/parks/files/Assets/documents/nature-history/hiddenoaks/hidden-oaks-nature-center-birthday-parties.pdf read more

This review is for the Playground and not the actual center. It was such a great playground in the area with plenty of challenging parts to the equipment. We often have a hard time finding playgrounds that are challenging and fun enough for our 7yo. The equipments state that it's for 5-12yo. I also live the nature theme of the playground with many of the equipments resembling bugs. read more

Hidden Oaks Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Annandale, Virginia

See all

Nice nature center. First off love the employees here. They are so friendly! Great with little ones especially. I like seeing this patience and kindness. Well done Fairfax County on the hiring process! This nature center has a few exhibits. There's a nice trail to walk as well. For something so close to the beltway, you feel far from the hustle and bustle. Yet I think a renovation could be done. This plus some parking spots are showing their age. Other than this a good place to learn about nature and wildlife. read more

This place is awesome - I wish I had discovered it earlier! There is an indoor nature center with animals to check out, and there are tons of (for-fee) activities on the calendar. From an outdoor perspective, there is a cute hiking trail around the center. It winds around with 2 loops so you can choose the shorter half mile loop or the longer 1 mile loop. The center prepared some trail markers where you can guess what animal made the footprint at each trail marker. This can help keep toddlers interested in the walk. If you take the outer loop, you can take a side trail to a big playground and tennis court in the woods. (The tennis court has lights for nighttime playing!) The playground has a lot of unique structures that my kids hadn't played on before, and it's on a hill in the woods so it has a scenic view for the parents. read more

Disclaimer: This review is for the trails outside of the actual nature center. My toddler and I visited during the coronavirus pandemic. With the center closed, we could only explore the trails. Hidden Oaks Nature Center is a small center with animals and educational programs for children about nature. The campus is spacious with several trails leading to a stream and ponds. Along the path, you'll find birds and markers highlighting other potential animal sightings. My toddler loved finding the markers! Since my daughter is three, we spent the majority of our time along the stream playing in water. The trees along the path provided shade on the hot summer day. read more

Great for toddlers. There's and outdoor play area with a covered seating area for a picnic. The indoor play area is also ideal for toddlers with an animal themed play area - complete with live animals, dinosaur figurines, and a climbing tower. read more

While we visited during the COVID-19 pandemic and, therefore were unable to visit the actual nature center, don't count out visiting here just for the hiking trails and Nature Playce. Also a brand-new playground with a nature theme opened here so that's a must-do as well. We spent time hiking both closer to the center and down near the creek. The paths are shaded-perfect for a summer day. Nature Playce is fun too. They have logs to build things, areas to dig, teepees, and a collection of books to read. Combined with the playground, you can easily spend a few hours here. We didn't see any animals on our hike (but heard some birds and a woodpecker). We will definitely return once the nature center reopens! read more

See all

This place is awesome. I brought my one-year old twin daughters here and they had an absolute blast. The nature center is nestled in between neighborhoods and is manned by volunteers. The property itself is really nice, and pretty large! The nature center itself is not too large, but has a lot going for it. There are a number of live animals on display, including turtles and snakes when I was there. They were more active than at the zoo, and their cages are very easy for kids to view. Each animal has a sponsor, which is really cute and a great way to involve the community in supporting this hidden gem. There are several rows of bookshelves with natural exhibits like bones inside of little discovery drawers. The only strange item was a taxidermy fox on display, which none of the kids understood. They wondered why it didn't respond to them. But it was a nice touch somehow at the same time. Inside the nature center there was a climbing "thing", basically an interior kids playhouse. There was also a play area and tunnel. My kids loved all of it, and to be honest I didn't have to hover over them because everything was safe for exploration. It was phenomenal. I cannot wait to bring them back! The outside trails were equally fun. I guess we must have walked for about a mile, doing the longer of the trails. It was pretty muddy, but my kids (only 14 months old) walked the whole way, loved all the birds and animals along the way, and had a great time. The trails are pretty steep so keep that in mind. Overall, I was thrilled with this place. I found it to be well maintained. When you consider that entire boy scout troops come through here on a weekly basis, it's incredible that it is as nice as it is (under such wear and tear). I loved the parking lot, so conveniently located. I don't know how to choose between the trails or the center itself--both were so much fun! read more

See all

It's a sweet small park, but problems with signage. I went to the small lot near the nature center. My family texted that they were at the larger lot near the playgroud. There are no clues/signs how to get to that lot. Also the website said the nature center was open, but that info is out of date. Still Covid closed. We did enjoy the facilities - playground, woody trails, picnic area with shade. read more

The indoor nature center here is a real treasure, with lots to learn and do - even for very young ones. The outdoor "Playespace" concept is fun and I would revisit with a group of 3-8 yr. olds who love the outdoors, as opportunities to dig and get messy abound. But the playground needs a lot of help. We drove down the road to find it, opting out of the nature trail that day. We were disappointed by how unkempt and trashy the playground is. On the other hand, the two baseball fields, tennis courts, and basketball court were clean and in good shape. read more

See all

When the kids were little this was our home away from home! You HAVE to go explore it if you have little ones!!!! PLAY IN THE POND, dig up Dino bones, walk the trails,kit the playground, go insiide for a story time, dress up in continues s, explore the conservation toys. read more

I have been here several times. The staff is always friendly. Kids LOVE playing here. Plus it is FREE and educational! I have walked on the trails many times and always enjoy myself. I love this place read more

This is a very cute place for kids to play and learn. The nature center is interactive and has a variety of snakes and turtles for kids to look at and learn about. Right behind the nature center is an outdoor area full of sand and mud and sticks for the kids to play with. We opted to skip this. And about a half mile from the nature center is a small playground, which has clearly seen better days. I wasn't too impressed with their outdoor space but the nature center is well-maintained and great for rainy or cold days. read more

See all

I volunteered here as a kid so maybe I'm biased, but I love Hidden Oaks and now I bring my kids here. They renovated the inside a little over ten years ago and the outside not long after. It's a great, engaging place for kids to play and explore. They have a variety of reptiles and amphibians native to Virginia, and like other nature centers in the area, they do programs and events on occasion. read more

We recently held our four-year-old daughter's birthday party at Hidden Oaks. It was an excellent experience from start to finish. Staff clearly communicated throughout the planning process, including arranging a make-up date because of a major snow storm on the original date. On the day of, staff were super helpful, cheerful, and totally accommodating. The dinosaur presentation, reptiles meetings, nature walk, and craft were all engaging, and the preschoolers were interested and engaged throughout. I am happy to support the center and encourage parents of other small children to visit the center and have events there. read more

See all

Sorry to be a downer of such a great gem in Annandale. We love the outdoor trails and it's fun to see the indoor center. However, the past three times we went inside, my toddler ended up projectile vomiting within 24 hours of leaving. All at different times of the year. The most recent occurrence was last week during Spring Break. No signs of fever or discomfort before or after our visit. I was hesitant to go indoors due to the previous two times, but made sure we thoroughly washed our hands before getting in the car. That night, he vomited at least five times. I really thought it was a fluke, but now not so sure. Has anyone else had this experience? read more

This is a cute little nature center that has snakes and frogs on display and they can host kid's birthday parties where they do a fun activity along with a nature walk. I recommend the birthday parties as they are less expensive than most kid's gyms, plus, the kids get to take the craft they made home with them. On a separate note, that also have the last expensive picnic shelters out of all the Fairfax County picnic areas you can reserve ($55 full day on the weekend) and it's covered in case of rain. read more

This is great any season, rain or shine. It's our favorite "indoor" nature center because even if you can't get out to the trails and pond, there's a ton to do indoors. There are small animals like snakes and turtles to see inside, lots of toys and books, interactive exhibits, a "tree house" to climb, a log tunnel to crawl through, costumes to play with, etc. There's no way to play with everything here in one visit. read more

This is such a cute nature center for kids to explore and play. Although there is limited space, it's a fun place for small birthday parties and such. My little nephew loved the animals here! read more

My daughter had her preschool end of year picnic here and I was blown away by the cool offerings at the nature center. In addition to animals they have a tree house the kids can climb around, dress up and other fun games. We were only here for 30 minutes, but could easily have spent more time playing around and exploring. read more

Great park for those with a preschooler or kindergartener, with activities and fun things to do. Its also a nice green area in the heart of Annandale, but, due to limited space, you can never hike far enough to escape the roar of traffic. The park next door has a couple of tennis courts, a basketball court, and a pair of baseball fields. Nice, solid park overall. read more

Overall, this park is pretty good. This park is perfect for all ages----- with exhibits (for all ages), a costume/stuffed animal area (for pre-k/toddlers), and nature trails (For adults and teens)! It's a small, nice area....but for a 45min drive...not worth it. read more

Easiest and most fun birthday party we have put on yet. My 5 year old loved the dinosaur party, the program was fun and engaging for toddlers, and they did a good job of letting the birthday boy be the volunteer and making him feel really special. And so easy for me! I actually enjoyed myself! read more

trying to entertain a toddler on a rainy day brings out the crazy -- no -- creative person in yourself. So on a recent drizzly day, my daughter and I headed over to this little nature center in Annandale. It has a nice size kids area with some live turtles and snakes to look at as well as some stuffed animals perched high. There is also a microscope to look at some slides and a cute reading nook. Looks like there is an outdoor nature space that we did not explore. Our trip lasted more than an hour and my 16 month old would have love to stay longer. read more

Great play area for kids in the nature center as well as nice trails. I have attended several programs (swamp romp, dinosaur fossils, Chinese new year, close encounter with Owls, etc) and all have been well done with interesting experience (both in nature and crafts) for kids to explore. I especially enjoyed the Bat Fest that we attended this past weekend that was wonderful!!! High marks for the programs and dedicated staff!!! read more

I think this would be my first visit but the rest of the family has come here several times a year for about 5 years. Nice natural trail with hidden nature animal pop up questions. They also have an outdoor play area of Mother Natures naturals. Sand, Indian teepee, stumps and such. Great for kids to experience, learn and having fun doing it sort of thing. The indoor center has small male &female restrooms. They are clean but way out dated. Think filters/ vents need cleaning or replacing. There are real snakes &turtles. You may catch them feeding and can watch how it works in real time. They have all sorts of information about their center and park. You can smell the air being a little stale. read more

Great place for rainy days, like a mini reptile museum. Really great lil gem nearby for kids to explore inside ands outside

Can't say enough good things! Love this place. Didn't know about it until last year.... guess that's why they call it "hidden".. anyway, so glad a friend introduced me. We just had my son's 5th birthday party this past Sunday. I highly recommend it! Love this place! Thanks Val and Justin! read more

Cute place where they have activities/classes that are directed towards nature or animals. Friendly staff.

We used Hidden Oaks Nature Center for my daughter's 4th birthday and I cannot express how HAPPY we are with the result!! We visited 3 weeks ahead of time and she got to look at all the animals and they helped her choose the animals she would get to show and pet during her party. All of the staff were SO helpful in answering any questions we had in the days leading up to the party. What I thought might be a short meet and pet with each animal was in reality an incredibly fact-filled and fun presentation by Victoria who held the kid's attention so well! The nature hike was awesome, and Victoria showed the kids (and the adults) so many things we always miss on hikes! As people were leaving, I had so many parents tell me this was the best party they have ever attended!! I am so happy we chose this -- if your kid is into reptiles and bugs this is a great option. You supply the food, and they do all the rest. I can't say enough great things about the staff, and especially Victoria. Thank you Hidden Oaks!! read more