Squam Lakes Natural Science Center — Attraction in Holderness

This place is great for kids. Stroller & wagon friendly. We took our Veer and I saw others easily cruising around with strollers. The animal exhibit trail is crushed stone, but well compacted so use your best judgement about your particular stroller (a BOB would handle with ease, I am not so sure about Graco, etc.)

About the facility: I was very impressed. Having an undergraduate degree in environmental sciences and a focus in biology, I have seen my fair share of "environmental education centers" in the northeast. This tops any I have seen and I live across the street from conservation land that specializes in outdoor education. It is clear that a lot of time and money were put behind some very creative people. The exhibit presentation was absolutely lovely, the trail well-maintained (we just did the animal trail due to having two littles closing in on nap), overall very clean. The COVID requirements made sense (!) and everyone seemed very respectful of following them. Automatic hand sanitizer everywhere. I cannot say enough good things about this place!

Animals: I give every place that has captive animals 4 stars or less just on principle; however, this place was really clean, the animals seem well cared for (none of the animals appeared dirty or hungry), and their enclosures were representative of their natural surroundings given they are all native to...

I can not say enough about this place! Having received an undergraduate degree in Recreation and Parks, I have a good understanding of what it takes to be successful. This park checks all of the boxes! Most of the animals there (if not all) are rescues, and it is very obvious how much the staff love them! They are in their natural habitats, which allows visitors to better understand how they live. There are a lot of hands-on exhibits, both physical and auditory, so that everyone can learn in the style best suited for them. The signage is well done and informative, and they also had 3 different animal encounters throughout the day. Furthermore, there are 3 trails you can hike, as well as a garden, and everything has signage that makes sure everyone can learn as much about something as they would like. With the fact that they have a nice picnic area just outside the exhibit area, plus a playground further into the park, you can easily find yourself spending anywhere from 2 hours to a full day there. My family and I are visiting from out-of-state, but if we lived nearby, we would definitely buy...

Our daughter is 4 and loves this place, and has since she was 2. There's plenty of shade for hot days and everything's laid out so that even when the parking lots are full, the trail never feels over crowded. It is a science center, and not a zoo. Quite often, the animals are hidden from view. More often, though, quiet patience brings you face to face with NH's amazing residents.

I strongly recommend a stroll through Kirkwood Gardens while you're there. This area is technically outside the Science Center, so free to enjoy, but it's immediately adjacent and offers a nice mid-visit break for kids to potty and eat snacks (food and drinks, other than water, not allowed on the trails).

The gift shop has gift shop prices, but they also have low cost options for kids to enjoy gift shop victory.

If you live local enough to visit more than once or twice a year, get the membership. Not only can you get in free, but just about every public activity the Center offers comes with a perk for members, including 10% at...