Stage Nature Center — Attraction in Troy

First time here, and we LOVED IT! There is so much to do, you could easily spend the day here. There are giant climbing rocks right outside the entrance to the building (I didn't get a pic but the kids climbed for 30 min! My 10 year old wished she had worn tennis shoes, not flip flops). Then we entered the building. There is a toy corner for younger kids, a digging pit (plastic fossils covered with rubber mulch and plenty of shovels to share). There are many "stuffed" animals on display, along with some creatures in cages (rats, turtle, few others). There is a little library (the kids spent tons of time in here to my surprise). There is a bee hive (they are currently awaiting a new queen, the old one died). There is a room for crafts and parties. The staff came out and made sure to introduce us to all things nature center as soon as we told her it was our first time. Then, exit the building to the right and there is an owl enclosure! 5 owls live here, and each has a story about why they are in captivity (good for my huge hearted girls). Last but not least, there are awesome trails- some short for tots, some longer for those with bigs. They hold paid programming with crafts and snacks. We will be here many...

I live next to Stage and walk over there at least once a week with my 3 young children. Overall it's a very nice nature center and it's worth repeat visits especially during different seasons! It's fun seeing how the plants/trees change from season to season along with the animals.

The Nature Center building itself is on the smaller side but packed with interesting and fun things for the kids! The live reptile tanks are fun to look at and the kids love the hands-on area including the dress-up costumes! Don't forget to head down the hall and check out the indoor beehive with live bees. We've spent a lot of time trying to find the queen (we'll keep trying).

The trails are a lot of fun to stroll along (wear boots if it's been wet recently, it gets a bit muddy in areas). There's a ton of wildlife including deer and turkeys and they're definitely not shy. Go early in the morning or before they close at dusk and you're likely to see plenty! They're currently working to replace some of the wood boardwalks and re-mulching the trails to make for easier walking.

Bonus: Stage has several geocaches hidden around the area. Download the official "Geocaching" app ahead of time and bring a pen! A little added fun...

Let me just say first off I’m from Ohio so I know nothing of the Michigan area however, when looking to find stuff to do in the Rochester Hills/Rochester/Troy area so I had no idea what I was walking into but, I’ll tell you I walked into the most beautiful trail I’ve seen in a long time. The employee was so sweet she gave me all the advice on current programs for children and for volunteering. The animals seem so happy including the owls they have (which are too injured to be in the wild) and they really seem to care about this place. My toddler had a blast lol and I couldn’t get her to leave! The play area is so cool and the toys are so addicting for a toddler. Thank you guys so much for letting me experience this, if I lived here in the Rochester area I’d be volunteering and here all the time! I loved it and also was really easy to navigate through and push a...