We had a blast with our toddler. The exploration started with outdoor story time with the opportunity to pet turtles. Our little loved the outdoor space. The 2nd half of our trip consisted of viewing snakes and various animals within the indoor space. The bathroom facilities were spacious and family friendly. There is also enough space for kids to walk around and to play with puzzles and toys. I noticed a play area with hoola hoops etc, which is a nice addition for bigger kids. We will add this place to our monthly rotation. read more

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A fun, nature place for a 3rd Birthday Party. Maybe better for a little older crowd. Included a a hike, petting lizards & turtle. The hike was a little too long for some 3 year olds. Some kids were too young and fearful to touch critters. It was around 75 degrees between 10-12am. There were many fans in the huge tent area. Erin was wonderful with the kids and adults. She was very helpful. A bit expensive at $375. read more

What a neat little place! They have a huge outdoor playground and an aviary. It was neat to see all the different raptors in the aviary. They have a map that showed the place has a lot of different trails. We will definitely come back in the summer to explore all the tails and ponds. read more

Irvine Nature Center - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Owings Mills, Maryland

fantastic nature center with some great guides! first i want to say how great of a nature center this is. free to use with clean rest rooms and a few turtles and frogs inside aquariums to observe and ask questions about. There's an aviary outside where birds are being rehabilitated. read more

I can only write a review based upon my experience for my son's 3rd birthday party which frankly, should make you reconsider hosting any event here in general. I booked a party at the Irvine Nature Center on July 26, 2024 to take place on 11/9/24 and made a deposit for my spot. There was clear communication right up to the day before the event. The information sent to me a few days before the party said that I should come to the nature center 15-20 minutes before my party time to set up so everything could get going. Well I showed up 30 minutes before the party and no one was there. Everything was locked and not a light on. I thought no big deal I'm ten minutes early. Then 10 minutes went by Still no one to be found. I tried calling into the building and kept getting a voicemail. 20 minutes went by and still no one in sight. Then at 9:55am when all the my guests for my son's birthday started showing up the people at Irvine also showed up too. It was a mad scramble to get everything in order. Apparently the girl who was supposed to be my party planner did a no show, leaving me high and dry. So a bunch of volunteers and the event manager were all running around trying to help me set up and keep 20 small children entertained because of their mess up. They managed to get everything in order but it was overwhelmingly stressful I couldn't even focus on what was supposed to be a great event. Literally it set the tone for me for the entire party. The kids had a great time, but I was so SO ANGRY. The event manager kept apologizing to me and trying to explain what happened, but frankly, I just didnt want to hear it. We had an email confirmation from the nature center from weeks ago when everything was to happen and they did not hold up their end of the deal. She also tried to explain they had a wedding that day as well. Ok I know my 3 year olds birthday party isn't as big of a money maker as that, but why is that wedding party's time more important than mine, when I have literally had this planned for months. They are refunding me my money, but my opinion still stands that this is NOT a place to hold a birthday party. It was a disaster and completely unacceptable. We will not be returning to hold any events and not will we be returning to do any of the activities and stuff they have there. Which is a total bummer because this place was nice and I thought they had their act together, but obviously they do not. Miss Cecilia was great though. She is a great educator for small kids and I appreciate her for her professionalism, care and kindness. This place doesn't deserve her! She should pursue another location to teach nature stuff. read more

This hidden little gem has been around the corner from me for years and I sadly knew nothing about it. I was searching around for something to do with my daughter on a Saturday. I found the Pumpkin Festival at the Irvine nature center and it seemed like a good idea. The tickets ran $15 per child with the accompanying adult free. When we arrived they had ample parking in a large lot in front of the main building. When we walked up there was no line and the check in process was quick. We first decided to check out the interior of the building. They has a small area with local wildlife and educational activities. Outside they had so many stations set up for the kids. They had a hay maze, corn pit, face painting, and several arts an crafts stations set up. Of course my daughter would make some new friends and spend most of her time playing in the mud with them. After a few hours we went out and picked up a pumpkin that was included in the price of the event. They allowed the kids to paint the, and leave them up front to dry. Then we headed back in for lunch and more time in the mud. We ended the day with a pony ride before picking up her pumpkin. We both had a great time and she was completely tired out. She fell asleep about 2 minutes into the ride home. This place is great for kids and I will be looking to get a membership. read more

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This is a great piece of nature goodness! Booked an event here for work and it was fabulous. The guest loved the center with the trails, and education of animals. Clean and organized and a great escape! Hope to return to check out the trails more! read more

Irvine Nature Center - Inside the tent! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Owings Mills, Maryland

This place is so cool - who knew it was just steps away from the city in Owings Mills? I am so grateful for having a work meeting here - the grounds are just so amazing - they have an outdoor learning center that encourages kids to climb on trees, build things with rocks and sticks and just enjoy the outdoors! It is seriously a cool place. They not only have an indoor center that has classrooms you can rent but they have exhibits that show you how animals live in the wild - I love the dark room they have so you can see life from nocturnal animals points of view! Oh and did I mention that they have a gift shop? I absolutely love gift shops and this one gets most of their wares locally or on Etsy (which I can get behind for sure) and just think everything that you purchase in the store goes back to the Nature Center. This place is great for people with kids but even if you don't have children - stop by and check out this outdoor haven just outside of the city!! read more

My daughter had her wedding and reception here in May and although we missed the original event organizer we were able to have a wonderful event. The memories we made will last a lifetime. read more

This was my first official Yelp event and had so much adult FUN.. The beautiful grounds would be a perfect back drop for an outdoor wedding or any special occasion where you rather be outdoors then in a air condition hall. The trails are beautiful and so many nature things to see and be part of for your whole family. They even have a butterfly room, WOW! read more

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Beautiful center. Knowledgable staff that really cared for the animals. They don't name the animals because they are not pets. The staff is super imformatibe and I learned a lot on my visit here during a yelp event. read more

Irvine Nature Center - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Owings Mills, Maryland

I took my niece here a while back. This place is free and its a great place to take your children to learn about nature. I highly recommend this place. Some times if you come during the day there may be field trips from schools. I came on a day with nothing going on so we had the whole place to ourselves. Young kids with curious minds will love this place. Plus it sure beats walking around the mall and playing video games. read more

Irvine is like having a huge backyard. My two year old can spend hours playing in the sand area. Beautiful meadow and trails. A great place for families to play and learn about nature. Do not miss the center. read more

Irvine Nature Center - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Owings Mills, Maryland

A beautiful place no matter what season with a super friendly and helpful staff. For adults, toddlers and everyone in between!! Wonderful classes (and reasonably priced!) for all ages - or just go for a visit. They also are going to offer gift cards soon for classes which is the perfect gift for kids. Check out their website for all the different things they offer. Nature is their passion for sure. I will do everything I can to get my toddler in here for pre-school when she's ready! Hidden gem of Owings Mills for sure! read more

Irvine Nature Center - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Owings Mills, Maryland

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Yelp threw an amazing Yelpaway Camp - A Summer Solstice Celebration! ..... Irvine Nature Center is a great place to take family and/or kids to learn about exploring, protecting and respecting nature. I can't wait to go back with family. Memorable attractions from the experience, I enjoyed the cool camp fire area and unique outdoor animal walking discoveries. This is also such a cool space to throw parties and events with so many attentive hangouts options indoor and outdoor. Irvine Nature Center has great outdoor architectural theme uniquely build in the woods with walking trails for nature discovery. Keep in mind they have a cool fire pit outdoor sitting space for nature storytelling and s'more making. read more

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I work in the Nature Preschool here and there's really nothing like it around. Parents and students seem very happy with their experiences! Come on down, something for everyone at Irvine! :) read more

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My family loves it here. We live in the city but are very willing to make the trek out to Owings Mills. We have hosted a child's birthday party in the nature center, and my 6yo and 8yo have been to summer nature camp and absolutely loved their experience. The staff are wonderful and the summer program is really wonderful. read more

Great walking trails for everyone. There is an indoor reptile/amphibian room and the staff was eager to recommend which trail to do. Has a kid play area with nature learning games. read more

This place is sooo dang cute! I love it and my girls love it! Everything about this place is dreamy and we go there 1-2 a week. There is a little play area w books for the kids, they can go outside and dig, there's trails to go on and their is a lot to learn about the wildlife here at this little nature center. read more

The park and hike is excellent. That's the reason for the three stars. However the staff is hit and miss. Our ranger was amazing. However the front desk staff (Ashley) was extremely rude. There is a classroom at the back where my kids were playing. She came in screeming that her supervisor sent her due to complaints- Are you members? YOU HAVE TO GET OUT AT MY 4 year old son. When I asked to speak to her supervisor regarding her behavior she said her supervisor is busy and cannot be reached. She even threatened to call the police. --- Clarification- On my way out, we noticed the area was for members, but visitor day passes are also issued. She was just rude to the kids. read more

First time here after Bussiness hours for a YELP party it was JUMPING. Finger foods,Apple Jim Beam