Much larger nature center than expected. Super informative, interactive, and plenty to do with the kids. It's free and great to pair with a hike for the whole family! When we arrived, the very knowledgeable park rangers talked to us and welcomed us into the theater for a 10 minute movie. I would highly recommend this as an activity for anyone who loves hiking/nature or is looking for a free activity with their little ones. read more

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This nature center was surprisingly awesome. It's got way more amenities than I expected: interactive exhibits, various taxidermied and live animals, a small theater, clean bathrooms, a large indoor play/craft area for kids, and an outdoor ampitheater. And it's free! Highly recommend for families. Toddlers, preschoolers, and lower elementary kids especially will love it. read more

Went on Friday with my daughter and we had an amazing time! Fun little hike and craft. read more

This is such a wonderful place to take your family or explore yourself. Admission is free, though donations are appreciated and they even have a free parking lot available. Gorgeous hiking trails, ocean and lake views, so much to explore. They have a small gift shop and animals to observe and learn about. Also a very nice play area for kids, plenty of hands on experience for them. I so glad that places like this exist, my sons had a blast here, highly recommended! read more

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I just took my young Sons here and it was a great experience. The staff were very welcoming and helpful, the center was very clean, and there was lots for my children to do and see. The parking and admission are free with no advance reservations required. If you bring children with you tell the staff when you enter and they will give you a scavenger hunt to complete with a prize at the end. read more

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center - Our sons waving to the fish at one of the exhibits. - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

We love this place! If you are looking for things to do with toddlers to do indoors, this place of great -- and best of all it's free! They are currently renovating a lot of exhibits so when they open it will be even better. They are putting in an indoor touch tank aquarium to mimic the back bay and updating their solar system planets exhibit. The kids room has tanks with frogs reptiles and a fish tank asking with puzzles crayons and books. We came when it rained but are definitely coming back when it's sunny to explore the rooftop viewing area and trails. read more

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Free!! This is a fun, but slightly old and outdated looking nature centre. From the car park you must walk down a dirt trail to get to the centre. It was OK with the stroller, but some parts of the path were easier than others to go down. Possibly there is access for a wheelchair/stroller via the staff car park, so instead of dropping off at the top car park, drive down the road a little further and drop off there. The centre is air conditioned, free and fun for littles. There is a great view of the bay area. There is a large aquarium with about 6 fish in it. The best part is the kids room. It has colouring sheets, snakes, toys, puzzles, nature books and lots more for kids to play with. Probably best for ages 4-10. Although it is a little bit old, it's something fun, free and different to do. Once my little gets a bit bigger we'll definitely return. No baby changing facilities. Water fountain/bottle refilling station. read more

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Visiting the Peter & Mary Muth center is my favorite outing with my two year old daughter. She loves to see the animals and explore everything the center has to offer. The staff are wonderful! read more

So well laid out . Great be design educational and beautiful... no need to drive to bigger ones... great for young family members Don't be discouraged... it's NIT visible from parking lot... need to walk down dirt path towards the bay so only downside is not very access for those with limited mobility... but a call to them Must explain how to open gat to handicapped parking that us adjacent to building read more

Parking here suuuuuuuucks (but free). The place is beautiful and an excellent way to show the importance of maintaining our natural environment. The center is very educational with displays and videos. They also have many events for all ages (look online or at the center). You can definitely spend a few hours here. Come early to get good parking and bring the whole family for the day! read more

Great little gem. I hike the trail almost every day and finally came in to see all that you have going on. The kids loved the displays and all the information. They especially loved the tree house and puzzles in the back room. The snakes and geckos were a favorite, as well as the rays in the aquarium. Picked up a few gifts in the gift shop and enjoyed the chat with the diseños overlooking the operations. read more

Great docents and movie to educate the public in nature and what a jewel that the back bay is Live bat rays in the tank and snakes inside read more

Earth Day 2017. 30+ exhibits, rain barrel distribution, bird watch, , Mustard Madness Restoration. Great time to bring children to the Newport Bay Conservancy. Opportunity drawings, scavenger Hunt and live animal presentations. read more

Love this place! I had been to the trails here (dogs in tow) and we never had a chance to check out the center. From the parking lot at the trailhead, its easy to miss the center as its built into one of the bluffs, and its not really visible except for the signs pointing you in that direction. Last weekend, with the blazing heat out, the Muth Interpretive Center ended up being a great place to cool off with the kids. My son (3) and my nephew (5) had a blast for a couple of hours. One side of the center has a small exhibit area with lots of information on the various animals that can be found at the back bay. The other side of the center has a section with toys, puppets, a big play tree to hang out in, and various amphibians and other creatures in tanks. They have a tables where the kids can do crafts, or do puzzles, etc. Great place to relax before or after checking out the easy trails near the center or, do like we did, and escape the ugly weather outside. Super entertaining for the little ones, very educational, and best of all, its FREE! read more

super informative and fun! my friends and i went for a class and we really enjoyed it!! definitely a great way to spend your afternoon

This is a beautiful nature/learning center for children. They have something for every age group. Older children and adults will like the displays about the wetlands. Younger children can choose from coloring, putting together a puzzle, watching live animals ( snakes, turtles, fish, bearded dragon, tarantula, etc), reading books and more. The center was clean and organized. This would be a great place to visit if the weather was too hot or wet to play outside. Admission is free! The view from the center is beautiful and relaxing. I believe this is the nicest place of its kind that i have ever visited. Next time we are in the are we will return. read more

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PBS and Huell Howser have both reported about the Upper Newport Bay in the past couple of years, which is why I finally decided to check it out. I loved it! Reasons: The Interpretive Center, The FISH jumping out of the water, the walking paths, the bridge, the Jet airplanes flying overhead made it a surreal experience, fresh air, the sound of nature, trees, free and ample parking, etc. read more

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center - View from the roof of the Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center. - Hiking Near Me - Newport Beach, California

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This place is one of the best kept secrets in Orange County for people with little kids. The play room here is open most days and is a perfect place to hang out and chill while the kids play. Most Fridays the ranger is here and does a really fun interactive story time and craft based on one of the many animals inhabiting the back bay. Sadly, this Friday the ranger wasn't there so we didn't get to do the usual activities but, as usual, it didn't matter because my kids still had a blast playing with puzzles, puppets, coloring and reading books in the cool (haunted? *see pic) indoor tree. :) read more

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This center is pretty awesome. Most of the activities and events held here are free and it honestly doesn't get much better than that. ;) Definitely worth it to set up a play date here and learn about the local animals in a fun interactive way. read more

Great place to take the kids for a little hike. Spend some time in the center also

Hidden gem! Should be called a nature center so that it will come up on searches more. Took my three year old here and we kept busy for an hour with the kid exhibits and short (and long) nature trails. You cannot see the building from the street or gravel parking area so this is confusing but take short walk down trail and you will find it. read more

Wonderful place for children to learn and explore nature. Great place for adults to relax and enjoy nature.

This nature center is awesome for me and my little guys (age 1 & 3). First, it's got a small exhibit area that is just about the right size for their attention span. Second, it's a great place to start a very easy walk from. If you park in the lot and follow the path north of the center, it's paved and great for strollers and little feet, as long as your little ones know how to quickly get to the side of the path to avoid being run over by cyclists, runners, horseback riders, etc. Thirdly, it has bathrooms and water fountains, which are very important for diaper changes and the recently potty trained. Also, it's a got a tiny outdoor amphitheater (which I think is covered) that's an excellent location for lunch or snacks and conveniently near the bathrooms for the inevitable visit. And most importantly, at least to us, it has an activity room (I'm not sure what the proper name is) with all sorts of fun stuff for kids to mess around with, including some live snakes, fish, salamanders (not to messed around with, of course). There are loads of animal puppets complete with a little stage to put on your own puppet show. There are great puzzles, books, crafts- all with a nature theme, just waiting to be played with. They have organized classes in this room that are listed on the website (http://www.newportbay.org/progic.htm), so if you just want to play with your kids doing some different nature themed activities in a relatively quiet space, it's best to avoid the classes, which I've never attended, but looked interesting. Overall, this is a great place to visit with the little ones or use as a base for exploring the upper bay. Please note that although the address listed in correct, the location on the map is wrong. It is located at the corner of University and Irvine Ave. Directions can be found at http://www.newportbay.org/maptoic.htm read more

I stumbled on this place after taking my son for a stroll on the trail. I needed to use the restroom and he was anxious to get out of the stroller. They have a really neat childrens area that is free, clean, and full of nature toys and activities. The restroom was also very clean. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

Thank you Carissa for the best morning on the upper bay! We read a cloud book, took a hike, saw beetles and a road runner, splashed in puddles, and completed a cloud craft. Carissa is so knowledgeable and patient. Thank you! read more

This place is awesome!!! A little haven for children and adults. So informative and fun!