Armand Bayou Nature Center — Attraction in Pasadena

Had a blast with my family at ABNC today. We attended one of their ECOtots classes with my 2 year old son, and he had so much fun. Story time with Miss Rebecca was inclusive and educational. Children had the opportunity to pass around stuffed animal eagles and real eagle feathers. The crafting portion of the day was well put together and allowed the children to build eagle themed hats to wear the rest of the day as well as play in a makeshift ball pit masquerading as an eagle's nest. Kids were also afforded the opportunity to play with a rainbow parachute, catapulting the aforementioned stuffed animals into the air and running underneath the fabric. The children were then taken on a guided nature walk into the bayou, stopping at key points to look at different exhibits. There was a covey of bobwhite quail, a water feature with various wildlife, and some turtles and a possum. The children were then lead into the educational learning center where there were several more exhibits, including tree frogs, turtles, tarantulas, lizards, snakes, and even a baby alligator. There were also some animal bones for children to play with and examine at their leisure. The day ended with a final little walk up to a prairie viewing platform where the kids got some stamps and were the lead back to the entrance area. All the workers and volunteers were very nice, knowledgeable, and helpful. This is a somewhat hidden gem in the Pasadena area and will be the site of many future trips...

Where to even begin… this is such an amazing and magical place. Perfect to take your little ones (or even just yourself) to reconnect with nature. They offer programs for the children that can be daily or weekly. I actually attended a few ecocamps as a little girl myself here and had the best time. Remember to stay on the trails and be careful around the water, there are big spiders, snakes, and alligators, after all you are in their house, not the other way around. The staff is always super friendly and we were told they will be opening up their library for everyone to read books outside on the porch, members can check out the books. So educational and like a blast from the past. There is a lot of history there and they have the set ups of old barns and how things looked back in the prairie days. Signup for the newsletter and you will get weekly emails with events coming up and even free events hosted by various companies around Houston. Definitely recommend to bring yourself or your family for a fun day of hikes and exploring in nature. Bring bug spray and make sure to wear proper shoes. Also if you are looking for a refreshing way to give back to nature, they are always looking for volunteers who are ready to give back! Seriously the coolest place to volunteer, so many different...

This place is really fun. In today's modern society, you do not often get a large nature area like this right in the middle of the city. As soon as you walk through the gate you are fully immersed into nature as you walk on the wooden path along the bayou. At the first pond you get to you can often see turtles hangings out and can often see some very distinct species of birds. At the end of the path they have an amphibian room with energetic frogs, turtles, and many alligators that you can see. The turtles often follow you around which is fun. Outside of this room are a series of trails you can walk on, for a mile or more, to explore more of the nature center. They also have a Butterfly garden for the kids to run around. At the end of the trail is a huge lookout tower where the rest of the park can be looked at. There also is an old farm ground where you can see how our ancestors used to live. The last stop and one of the best habitats is an area with two Bison. I have never seen Bison before and to this day I have never seen them anywhere else. In conclusion, the Armand Bayou Nature Center is a fun place to visit for friends, families, and kids and should be a spot for...