Austin Nature & Science Center

Austin, United States

4.4

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 512-974-3888
Website:
www.austintexas.gov
Address:
2389 Stratford Dr, Austin, TX, 78746
78704 (South Austin)
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.5 mi2500 Lake Austin
0.5 mi2531 Lake Austin
0.6 miZilker Zephyr
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No

Today

Today 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Austin) 5:41 PM Saturday, May 31, 2025

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

The Austin Nature & Science Center’s focus is Nature exhibits, summer camps, hands on discovery at our Naturalist Workshop/​Trade Counter, connections to hiking opportunities in the nearby preserve, nature based preschool, Scout enrichment experiences, school programs, homeschool programs, and nature based events.

History

Established in 1960.

The Austin Nature & Science Center has provided hands-​on nature exhibits, education programs and recreation activities for countless visitors, teachers and children of all ages that increase awareness and appreciation of the natural environment. Located on the western edge of Zilker Park, the ANSC is dedicated to the exploration of the natural world.

Meet the Manager

Kathy M.

Manager

Kathy is a long time employee with the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department dedicated to the customer experience and providing the best possible setting for learning about and enjoying the natural environment. Please contact her if you have a customer service need or question about the Austin Nature & Science Center.

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20 reviews of Austin Nature & Science Center

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
Our 19-​month-​old son and his cousins had a blast here, especially digging through the dino pit and seeing all the owls and other animals. Considering it was free/​donation-​based, it was a heck of a bargain and a great way to spend a couple hours.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
The kids (5 & 7) loved it. The bee hive was very interesting and the Dino pit was fun. Best of all, it’s free but they welcome donations.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
This is a fantastic place to take kids, we had such a great time and everyone is extremely kind and helpful! I prefer this place over the Austin Zoo hands down!
Place rating: 4
Round Rock, TX
Took my 20 month old here and he had a blast. He especially loved the dino dig area and exploring (a series of large sandpits for kids of all ages to play in). I especially love how it is free to park and visit. Not bad for a sunny day to take the little ones.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
My two boys and I had a blast here! There are two huge rooms to touch and discover bones, minerals, pelts, and all sorts of things! They have magnifying glasses and the like for an even closer look. The pond trail was perfect and very beautiful! They LOVED the animals. I loved the signage on the door to the small wonders that said to be super quiet and sneaky… my toddler played right into that and was shhhh-​ing my whispers the Dino pit was a hit as well. We didn’t even make it down the other tail to the birds of prey! We will be back! We will bring a picnic next time!
Oh and they could watch those bees for hours! We tried really hard to find the queen!
PS the ladies in the front we’re helpful and willing to answer all the questions my curious preschooler asked. Thank you!!!
Place rating: 4
San Antonio, TX
Neat place to see some adorable rescued animals and go for a nice walk on some trails. I loved it!
Place rating: 4
North Richland Hills, TX
We stopped here to kill a few hours with some friends. The dinosaur pit was a big hit. The animals and birds on display were a nice touch, but it is very small (you get what you pay for). There is a skunk, and it had sprayed recently when we came — it was so strong! There are a few things to see and do inside, as well. Overall, this is a good little nature center.
Place rating: 5
Round Rock, TX
My family loved this nature center. We went on a whim not expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised. There is a Dino dig, fossils, rescued animals, butterfly garden, walking trails and more. I loved that it had signs explaining nature facts. We will definitely be going back. And it’s free, but it’s always nice to bring some cash to donate.
Place rating: 5
Katy, TX
This place is a hidden gem for kids of all ages right by Ladybird Lake. There is a dinosaur pit, magnifying glasses, reptiles, animals, a river, butterflies, fossils!!! And it’s free! I’ve taken my 1 year old a few times now and he absolutely loves it (and honestly so do I). Last time, this nice lady working there came and brought him different animal furs to feel and showed him some animal bones. Great spot to mingle with other kids (and parents) too!
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
Fun, educational place with the fam!
Place rating: 4
Dallas, TX
Ya know, I would have loved to have a place like this when I was a kid. Why go to the park when you can go here?
It’s FREE, by the way.
A lovely walking trail with plenty of trees and nature, but an easy walk. They have an educational building where kids can play with various nature-​things (like fossils) and learn (and clean restrooms).
There is an area for rescued animals, with cats, birds, other mammals, reptiles, etc. There is a separate area with the raptors, which was really neat. The dino pit would have totally excited me as a much younger child.
All in all, a wonderful place to take your kids to learn to love the outdoors, respect nature, and generally wear them out so they’ll take a nap.
Place rating: 4
Dallas, TX
A fun little spot in Zilker Park. Free admission. Pretty grounds to take a stroll upon. Would be a great place to bring kids to their nature center and some rescued mammals and raptors.
Place rating: 5
Dripping Springs, TX
The center is beautiful even on a drizzly day like today. The animals are awesome! Please check it out! Oh, and it’s free!
Place rating: 5
Jersey City, NJ
Great place! I came here with my boyfriend to visit some of the local places in Austin. It was really fun and there’s a lot to explore. I only wish I came earlier because some of the walking/​hiking paths were closed by the time I arrived (around 4:30 pm). The nature & science center is free to all and is very educational. It’s more targeted towards kids, but you can still enjoy it as an adult. They had various birds, fish, reptiles and more for you to see, there are hiking paths for you to explore the wildlife yourself and there’s an area that allows you to touch various flora and fauna that’s been collected. Overall, it was very fun and it was a nice way to spend a few hours. Highly recommend to those who live or are near the Austin area!
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
Hey you guys! Austin has a nature and science center! The three people I mentioned this to had zero idea. Good thing I went traipsing in with the almighty Heather F to suss out the sitch.
It’s a weird place. Part rescue zoo, part educational facility, part dinosaur park. Definitely a hodgepodge of things to learn and see and also definitely not updated since like, the 80s. It’s part of the charm I suppose. We did get to see hawks, snakes, frogs, mice, owls & an adorable bobcat. We declined digging in the dino pit for bones however.
It’s kind of a weird fun little thing to do. It’s free so I’m guessing they don’t have much funding to make improvements. All the info placards were potentially printed on a dot matrix. Probably a magical place for kiddos and something to do on a lark on a Sunday afternoon.
Place rating: 4
Benicia, CA
Great place to visit (for free) if visiting the Austin area.
An easy walking (or rolling) path guides you to the different exhibit areas. Parking is across the street in a dirt lot, but handicapped parking is right in the front next to the ramped entrance. Many different things to see and learn– we particularly liked the variety of local animals that had been rescued. The center tries to rehabilitate all animals and release back into the wild when possible. Most of the animals (bobcats, foxes, opossums) were previously neglected pets that are now so humanized that they cannot be rereleased.
There was also a large assortment of disabled hawks and owls. The center is suitable for everyone– classrooms, kids, adults.
Place rating: 4
Dallas, TX
This nature center is a beautiful hidden gem. Fantastic for kids of all ages. There are a variety of sheltered animals and play areas for kids and adults to explore. Unfortunately the sounds of the nearby highway dilutes the nature experience, however it’s still a nice place to spend the afternoon.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
Talk about fun! Not only is this place free, it’s actually really awesome. There is a room dedicated to touching things like leaves, rocks, snake skins, and bugs. They have this room full of bug robots that show the mechanics of how animals and bugs work (how do flies walk up the wall? how do chameleons change color? etc)
There’s a lot of outdoor space to run around, and, albiet a little sad, a good number of animals that have been rescued.
The dinosaur fossil digging section was a huge hit with my daughter. She lost her mind when she started discovering the bones under the sand.
Such a great way to take your kids to learn about native Texas wildlife and to get some vitamin D.
Place rating: 4
Las Vegas, NV
We were walking along the Town Lake trail and stumbled upon this fun find!
It’s a FREE (donations are awesome) place that anyone can come to and I could see this being a super fun place for kids! (we didn’t have any with us besides ourselves lol)
There were Wild Animals and birds from the area along with a fossil area and trails to walk through. We enjoyed the plant life and seeing the animals a lot.
It’s definitely worth stopping in to check out!
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Really enjoyed spending a beautiful Saturday afternoon here :) FALL IS FINALLY HERE! WOOHOO!
What do they have here?
1) A nature center which is pretty awesome. It’s basically a huge room of show-​and-​tell items that kids bring in to get points. Example– you can bring in a dung beetle and get 50 points. Using your points, you can trade for other items that people have left at the nature center. Ex. deer antlers for 500 points. Or lava rock for 40 points. Get more points if you know all about the item you’re bringing in. I’m bringing stuff next time to trade in. FOSHO.
2) Excavation area– looked fun for kids. I mean, I wanted to go dig too… but that will have to wait until I have a child to bring with me so I don’t look super creepy playing with 3 year olds.
3) Small animals, Mammals, and Bird center— think miniature zoo. They rescue animals & keep them here. Loved the owls.
4) Hiking trail out in the back behind the bird center… will have to come back to explore that :)
Go & see & touch & learn.