Roaring Brook Nature Center

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Roaring Brook Nature Center The Center is tucked away in the woods and offers an interactive and immersive natural experience. We offer year-round educational programs for all ages.
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Roaring Brook Nature Center was founded in 1948 by Canton resident Una Storrs Riddle and was originally known as the Canton Children’s Nature Museum. In 1964, as a result of a bequest to the State of Connecticut, the adjacent 100-acre Werner Farm became available to the Nature Center as a wildlife sanctuary and outdoor classroom. A new building in 1966 provided larger exhibit space and allowed for expanded programming opportunities. In 1973, the Nature Center became affiliated with The Children's Museum (formerly the Science Center of Connecticut), providing members with a wider range of programs and services for all ages. These programs range from week-long summer experiences to our school-year Discovery Days series for students. Seminars, lectures workshops and field trips are available to adults on a wide range of natural history topic and environmental issues. For the classroom teacher, we offer a wide selection of educational programs both at the Nature Center and as outreach programs in the schools. Seasonal nature walks for all ages are offered throughout the year. Fall foliage walks, winter excursions by snowshoe, March maple-sugaring demonstrations and early morning bird walks provide year-round entertainment as well as first-rate learning experiences. During the summer months, evening nature walks provide an opportunity to learn about nocturnal creatures. In addition to our regular schedule of nature-related programs, special events include: our annual Hobgoblin Fair, a Halloween children’s event sponsored by the Roaring Brook Nature Center Auxiliary; and special events for members and friends.

09/20/2026
Don'f forget - we have 2 great events today! For the early riser, our Bird Walk is from 7:30 until 9:00am. Meet Jay at ...
09/19/2026

Don'f forget - we have 2 great events today! For the early riser, our Bird Walk is from 7:30 until 9:00am. Meet Jay at the front door at 7:30, no registration or fee, but donations are gladly accepted.
Then from 10am until 4pm, there's our Woolly Bear Fall Festival with storytimes at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Enjoy a self-guided scavenger hunt, crafts and all of our resident animals to visit. Free with admission to the Nature Center.

We are closed Sunday, September 20, for a very special private event. We resume regular hours next week: Wednesday - Sat...
09/18/2026

We are closed Sunday, September 20, for a very special private event. We resume regular hours next week: Wednesday - Saturday from 10am - 4pm and next Sunday from 1 - 4pm.

If you're interested in holding a private event here at Roaring Brook, please call us at 860-693-0263 or email us for all the details:
[email protected]

Registration is now open!What “critters” will appear on our trails this Halloween? Join us for our annual Hobgoblin Fair...
09/17/2026

Registration is now open!
What “critters” will appear on our trails this Halloween? Join us for our annual Hobgoblin Fair held the Saturday before Halloween. The Fair is hosted by The Friends of Roaring Brook Nature Center.

Children are encouraged to wear costumes IF suitable for walking in the woods and participating in the craft activities. Parents should plan to stay with their children. Please note that there are no refunds and participants should attend the session for which they register.

Cost: $10 per person. Fee includes our featured ‘Track & Treat’ walk, take-home craft bags, have your picture taken with Hoot the “owl”, Hunt in the Leaves, and more. Suitable for children ages 3 – 8. Pre-registration required:
https://purchase.thechildrensmuseumct.org/calendar.aspx?EID=167&month=2026-10&view=l

What are you doing Saturday? Not sure? Then come on out to Roaring Brook! If you're an early riser, we have our Bird Wal...
09/15/2026

What are you doing Saturday? Not sure? Then come on out to Roaring Brook! If you're an early riser, we have our Bird Walk from 7:30 until 9:00am. It should be interesting because we are in the midst of Fall Migration. Just meet Jay at the front door at 7:30, no registration or fee, but donations are gladly accepted.

Then from 10am until 4pm we have our Woolly Bear Fall Festival with storytimes at 10:30am and 1:30pm. There's a self-guided scavenger hunt, crafts and all of our resident animals to visit. No registration, free with admission to the Nature Center. We hope to see you!

09/13/2026

There's no better way to end the week than by watching Tomasina, our Grand Matriarch resident Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), play with her tennis ball.

A few weeks ago, we showed you Aya, one of our resident Barred Owls (Strix varia), during his molt (1st photo). We thoug...
09/11/2026

A few weeks ago, we showed you Aya, one of our resident Barred Owls (Strix varia), during his molt (1st photo). We thought we'd give you an update. He's still in the process (2nd photo); but you can see how he's getting back to his normal handsome self (3rd photo). Not that he's not handsome now, just a little disheveled handsome. 😍 We're open tomorrow, Saturday, from 10am - 4pm and Sunday from 1 - 4pm, if you want to check on his molting progress!

Beep, beep, beep! This morning, Conner, our resident Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), heard a school bus arriving and i...
09/09/2026

Beep, beep, beep! This morning, Conner, our resident Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), heard a school bus arriving and immediately flew to the highest point in her enclosure to investigate. She couldn’t see the students from her perch, but once the second graders from Hartford Public Schools headed outside, Conner had a perfect view of her newest visitors!

With the new school year underway, everyone at Roaring Brook (animals included🦉) is excited to welcome school groups for field trips that build real-world connections to the curriculum. Interested in visiting the Nature Center with your class? Visit roaringbrook.org/field-trips/ for more information.

Address

70 Gracey Road
Canton, CT
06019

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+18606930263

Website

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