"Free, fabulous, fun. If you want the place to yourself, check to make sure an event is not happening on site. The location is an educational complex with a large auditorium, classrooms and library."
Within the reservation, you'll find a well-maintained playground and park area with plenty of play spaces for children, including a small rock climbing area surrounded by sunflowers. There are also several lovely trails nearby that kids will enjoy as they venture through the lush woods. The trails are teeming with birds and insects, making for an exciting nature experience.
One of the highlights is a small lake with a trail that encircles it. However, the lake is not very clean, so it's best to keep your distance from the water. The end of the trail shows some signs of wear and lacks flowing water, which might be a bit disappointing.
Overall, it’s a lovely spot for a weekend afternoon with...
This is a fantastic spot to take your kids for a brief visit. We haven’t explored the trails yet, but the facility itself is impressive. It features an indoor fish pond, snakes, a wigwam, sparkling rocks, and a lovely view of the bird feeding station. The nighttime sounds theater might be a bit too loud for younger children. The space is air-conditioned, perfect for hot days, and public restrooms are available on both the basement and third floors.
It really is such a great place! I took my kids on the weekend and it wasn't crowded. I really like that it was a great education experience, and enough hands-on activities to keep my kids engaged. It's completely free and once done seeing the center and playing in the play room, there's a trail and a playground.
The restaurant features stunning nature exhibits and is a great place for children to have fun! I picked up some charming items from the gift shop, and the staff were friendly and helpful throughout my visit. Be sure to check out the impressive Night Vision display—it's definitely not to be missed!
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Fantastic place to bring your kids!!! Totally recommend it and it’s free. Lots of trials I didn’t get to walk yet. A playroom for kids. Fossils they can touch. Glowing rocks. Animals all over. Indoor and outdoor activities. We brought our toddler and he loved it
Great place for the kids to learn a lot about animals and nature and perfect for a rainy day. If you take your time looking at all the exhibits on the inside, it takes about an hour. If you come on a nice day there are plenty of nice trails to explore as well.
Excellent trails and kids play area. Very good nature and science trails. Lots of area for picnic so you can spend quality time with family and friends. Visited again after two years and it is fantastic...they added many things during pandemic
Daughter and I went there today, it is a great educational field trip. She really loves the rocks and minerals exhibits and their crystal displays are really cool. We went first thing in the morning so no one else was there.
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What a cool place to learn more about the Watchung Reserve! It's a really nice facility and a great place to take kids when the weather isn't great outside. I love that we live so close by. We will be back to explore more!
Free, fabulous, fun. If you want the place to yourself, check to make sure an event is not happening on site. The location is an educational complex with a large auditorium, classrooms and library.
