Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)

This has to be the very best place to bring your family to learn about nature and history of the area. I had the honor of volunteering with some very special people. I learned so much about the native people, native plants, and gained hands on experience of how to preserve the enviornment. The staff is the best i've ever worked with. If you have the time to lend a hand at there events, donations of all types are welcome. I have worked with other Non profits but this one you can see the impact your help does. To the entire staff I thank you for allowing me to work with you and teaching me so much.

Over the years, they have added many interesting features for children and adults. Besides educating people about the local Flora and fauna. They have chickens, tortoises, pigs, and other farm animals for the children to interact with. They are also a sanctuary now for raptors that can no longer be released back into the wild after injury. They also have a top-notch fairy garden with a postal system that will return fairy written letters if a child posts a letter to them..

Last here several years ago with a grandchild who had a great time (3 years old) and it's grown and blossomed so much! Worth a visit whether you're a senior citizen or a kiddo. We came on a Tuesday and there was a group of kids on a field trip having a great time. The employees and volunteers are friendly and helpful and informative. The exhibits include reptiles, birds, and aquatic life and you can even touch some of the critters with staff help. There is also a cool chicken coop and a separate enclosure for the cute mini pig and his tortoise buddy. And a very cute fairyland. Original sculptures and art pieces adorn the outside. An easy walking path, several benches to sit and enjoy the wonderful views, lunch tables are also available. Great place, worth the visit, donations are gratefully appreciated.

such a nice cool experience! staff was amazing! I went with my daughters class as a volunteer parent. The way all the staff engaged with the kids was amazing to sit back watch. thank you all

Small and conservation oriented. The staff is delightful and there are plenty of animals to say hello to. I even bought a Bingo Bag to feed the sweet piggy!

Great place to take little ones, they have a small chicken coup with turtles that your able to purchase a small snack bag and feed them. A small tide pool with shark to touch. Plenty of outdoor space to roam for little ones.

Super fun. Great for kids & curious nature people. We got to hold all kinds of reptiles, pet underwater creatures, dig for fossils, & go on a nature hike. Super friendly knowledgeable staff.

Very fun place for children of all ages! My kids loved all the animals and the staff are so helpful and even let them pet a lot of them.

I took my kids here for an outing when my wife was out of town. This facility is an educational center for the Lagoon, but also has a number of live lizards, animals, insects, birds, and arachnids that kids can observe and (in some cases) handle. Our 4- and 7-years olds had a great time feeding the rabbit, pig, chickens, and guinea pig. They also had a chance to handle a snake and some lizards. There is no admission fee, but donations are graciously accepted. That noted, the Foundation has a noble mission in that they promote conservation of the Lagoon, from hiking trail cleanup to invasive weed removal. Folks can actually volunteer for these activities if they so desire. For Foundation members that are involved in the community, they get together every Wednesday to talk about local infrastructure and city projects that will impact the local Carlsbad environment. They do that over a happy hour with optional ice cream too. This Foundation is a humble local gem that I highly recommend.

This little nonprofit spot was such a hidden gem! While they do ask for a $15 donation at the entrance, it's totally worth it for the experience. Once you're inside, there's a nice variety of animals for little ones to see--pigs, fish, small sharks, chickens, bunnies, guinea pigs, owls, and more. It's a great setup for young kids to explore and learn. Right from the start, the staff were incredibly kind and welcoming!They took the time to explain what they had to offer and helped guide us through the process since it was our first time there. You could tell they really cared and wanted visitors to have a good experience! They also had a cute scavenger hunt that you can do as you make your way around the property, which kept the visit interactive and fun. One of the highlights was being able to buy small feeding bags--getting to feed and interact with the animals up close made it even more memorable. Before leaving, we stopped by their gift shop which had some adorable items if you want to take something home or support the organization a little more. Overall, it was a super sweet and family-friendly outing, and knowing it's all supporting a nonprofit made it feel even better. Definitely worth a visit!

After consistently driving past this place and always wondering what it was, I finally decided to stop in and check it out. After walking around outside and seeing the interesting areas featuring chickens, various birds of prey that were rescued and cared for, I ventured in and spoke to Sam, who was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about this terrific local resource that serves Carlsbad and North County. There are so many different areas of wildlife conservation at work here, from recycling, educating about the local environment, caring for the animals and wildlife here and the area surrounding the reserve. There are opportunities for volunteer work and seminars offered to those who are interested in getting involved in helping out. Not to mention a really fun place to visit and bring family and friends, too!

Cool little spot to witness some animals, even when the spot is closed! You can catch some animals outside like a tortoise, pig, and chickens. Our baby LOVED looking at them. We also took the little hike around the Lagoon. It was a short mile or so and an easy hike for families. I'm excited to come back and check this place out during business hours, but in the meantime - don't hesitate to swing by do the hike and enjoy the animals outside!

This place is really cool! Plenty of parking. Great place for kids, plenty of animals to interact with. Great views of the lagoon. Staff is helpful and kind and will assist you on holding animals. They do ask for $15 group donation and I had no problem paying for this great educational experience.

Decided to start exploring our new neighborhood and get a breath of fresh air even thought this spot is closed on Monday's I saw they had a small hiking trail so popped in anyways! The good news is that there's some small exhibits to see outside (pig, tortoise and chickens!) and the hiking trail is open. We couldn't quite figure out the circle path, I think it might've been closed so we only went a short ways which was good enough for our curious toddler who stopped to touch everything, even took a short stroll with some of the stones on the path before rehoming them further down the path. The only downside was that we caught a lot of small black flies? No bites but rather annoying as we walked down the path. There is a smallish parking lot and not sure if there's street parking on busier days but can't wait to check it out when it's open!

Nice nature and quiet retreat from the overstimulating activities in the area. (Legoland, zoo, etc). Really nice for all ages, would be most fun when weather is nice since there are mostly outdoor displays.

FUN PLACE ! On Tuesday my wife and I had one of our regular dates with our 2 young grand daughters. That meant driving from Irvine to Oceanside to pick them up at 11am. My wife had picked out this discovery center in Carlsbad...the girls had been here before with their Mom. We took a home prepared cut lunch and other goodies for us all....no food available here just drinks and ice creams. We pulled into their parking lot around midday on another quite hot day. FIRST UP ! We spotted a Tortoise and a cute Pig inside a little fenced area. The girls enjoyed the interaction. Then we headed inside to get out of the heat and see more stuff. A sweet young lady at reception welcomed us and asked if we would make a $15 donation....kind of the price of admission. We saw a number of snakes, a Chameleon, Starfish, Central Bearded Dragon ( from Australia ), Tropical Fish and more. VERY CLEAN RESTROOMS ! We used the 2 restrooms opposite each other inside. My wife bought 2 cute wallets for the girls and 2 bags of lettuce to feed the Tortoise & the Pig. Then we headed back to our car to gather our lunch sandwiches and other snack stuff. We found a shaded area ( a number of tables with umbrellas ) below the main building where we sat and enjoyed our lunch. After lunch we headed back up to the main building where we saw a Swallow's nest, a Great Horned Owl, a Peregrine Falcon and an American Kestrel....all of these raptors had suffered some sort of permanent injury which prevented them from being able to survive in the wild. We took the girls over to feed some lettuce to the Tortoise and the fat little Pig. The girls loved hand feeding the little guys and then headed inside to wash their hands in the restroom. WE HAD A FUN TIME ! NOTE - Of course with 20 million views of my Yelp reviews and pics world wide in 2023 I can tell you what is great !

I saw this place while driving and wondered what it was. I also saw that it looks over the lagoon and I could see my house. What a fun place to visit especially if you have kids. They have history on the founder, Mr. Kelly, and of how this section of Carlsbad started, which I found so interesting. They have a few animals that the kids can look at. I loved that you could touch real dinosaur bones. They have a Mastodon Bone found right here in the Carlsbad/Oceanside area. They have a couple of bearded dragons with cute names. They have activities for the kids. I guess you can also walk the trail. I did not because I didn't have the proper shoes but how fun. They accept donations and the staff is wonderful and wants you to have a good time. Bring your kids, and if you don't have any stop by and support this place. Tell your neighbors with grandkids so they can bring them. 7/13/23

The people working are always so nice!! Love their things they let kids play with and see. Before my son I haven't been around children much so I've been looking for things to do with him (1.5years old) that are age appropriate and a good setting where he won't cause a scene if he fusses. They can be closed on random days/times if they have a field trip, but it's conveniently located enough that I can always go to the outlet mall or the botanical garden if so. I've been twice w my kid now and it's just big enough he doesn't get bored, he can see some animals close up that are used to seeing kids and it's not too overstimulating. My first time here was actually years ago my husbands aunt had her wedding here and it's an amazing view if you decide to do that! Plus it's inexpensive for what you get and you know the money is going to a good cause. $15 for the group and we paid for some food to feed the animals they have and we have a good time! Definitely recommend for kids probably up to 5 and even my own parents like looking at the rescue animals they have and the wild rosemary in the garden!

This place was an absolute gem! Kids loved holding, petting, and feeding animals! Beautiful views for adults! Places to sit, watch, picnic. Such a nice chill vibe. I can't say enough about how wonderful this place is.

For the short time my grandkids and I visited one day, they had a very eventful or I should say fun day. We didn't get to explore everything since they were busy with other kids and spending more time in one spot than the other. That's ok, since I purchased a family membership this will give us plenty of time to explore everything at our leisure. This place gives the children the opportunity to learn about plants some reptiles and to be creative. You have the chance to enjoy time indoors with some learning tools/games and a chance to be outdoors on the trail or feeding the pet turtle and don't forget the secret garden. The staff is very friendly and helpful. This will be a nice little couple of hours getaway for the grandkids, even myself, to discover and learn. They do have some trinkets as well as snacks for purchase at the front. Come check the place out with your littles.

This place was so cute! I originally looked up "hiking" and stumbled upon this place on Yelp. Once arriving I was blown away at this hidden gem! They have lots of animals you can check out, falcons, owls, turtles. Then walking into the building (free) they had more animals! Lots of reptiles, guinea pigs, and star fish, all whom you can hold. It was so fun! The hiking trail isn't much of a hike, it's just a short walk down to the lagoon and back up. WARNING be careful if you decide to walk down there as my friend and I came across a bobcat who was stalking us (see vid). Other than that super fun and cute place!

I didn't know this place existed until my parents told me about it when we went down to SoCal for a weeklong family trip (in addition to attending a HS friend's wedding). The kids had a SUPER fun time - the staff was extremely nice and friendly & we even got to HOLD/PET all the animals on display (mainly reptiles + a guinea pig)...it was quite an experience for both kids + adults alike! There's also a nice short hiking trail outside + they have scheduled educational/informational sessions. Definitely will be coming back here again in the future whenever we're in town!

Our son loved it! Small indoor area with a gift shop that had fish and small animals in terrariums. Outside they have two gated areas for the pig, turtle, and chickens and enclosed gated areas for the owls. The staff were so nice. We bought a bag of lettuce from the shop and our son had so much fun feeding the animals. I'd maybe pack a lunch or something next time so we could hang out at the picnic tables a bit longer.

This place is small, but is the only place in San Diego where you can get upfront and personal with the animals that they have. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful as well as knowledgeable about all these animals. Some animals that they are able to bring out you can touch and pet. Some you cannot. But where else are you going to go to be able to go upfront and personal with animals in San Diego. this place is free to go in, but does appreciate donations. Please be helpful and donate. This is a hidden gem. A very good learning experience for children.

This was wonderful for a grandma with lots of grandkids.i made a small donation. The kids really enjoyed feeding the tortoises and the chickens. The reptiles are very cool too. My youngest grandkids, 5, had fun knocking on every door in the fairy garden! All in all a really fun time.

What a cool little find! One of the things I really dig about Yelp is the way it can enrich the time that would otherwise pass unnoticed. We'd made the obligatory trip to the mall to buy the bathing suit someone forgot to pack for San Diego, and now we had, oh, maybe 90 minutes before we were due somewhere else. What to do? I Yelped "childrens activities" and this random thing popped up. Shall we discover? Sure! This Center serves mainly as a daycare educational facility, but they'll give you a tour, and you should donate, it's worth while. Alongside caring for all sorts of orphaned animals, they staff the place with kids on various spectrums -- that was our impression, anyway -- who are super informative and dedicated to their conservation and research efforts. Our eleven year-old wasn't terribly engaged, but she enjoy petting sharks and handling coral, and the hike around the property was memorable. If you have younger kids, definitely visit, there's plenty to discover around here.

A wonderful little discovery center for kids. We have been bringing the kids here for a few years now. They are much bigger and they still enjoy looking and touching the reptiles and taking a look at all the new animals year after year. They have a very cool bee hive that is outside you can see how the bees enter and help create honey. They also have a small pond that houses a few water turtles and they are fun to watch as well. The staff there is great. My daughter was inspired that one of the staff members was a high school student. As she is beginning her high school years, she was excited to see that working at a discovery center is something she can do while going to school. Little kids will love all the touch and feel activities that the discovery center has to offer. You can easily spend a few hours there with little ones.

Stopped by during our vacation. There's various animals (i.e. tortoises, guinea pig, gecko, snakes, the bearded dragon, birds, starfish, horn shark, falcons, owls, hamster, bee observatory) you can see and some to touch too. You can also pay for some veggies to feed the tortoise. There's a nature trail to walk on, sand trays to play in and dig for prehistoric animal teeth, scavenger hunt, fairy houses to look at, a play section, and other exhibits. The staff are knowledgeable so you can ask them questions in addition to the information posted around the center. Its a suggested donation of $10 per group to visit. We had fun visiting with our toddler for 1+ hour. There is complimentary hot chocolate and coffee and restrooms inside.

I stopped by and found they house 2 owls , this was worth the stop for me, but than, chickens , tortoise, shade, sandboxes-great little place to take small children! Highly recommended! One owl needs to be sponsored as he is disabled. Putting this out to boost

Fabulous place to visit! Great for young children who might be interested in animals. Lots of great activities and fun things to do.

So many well cared for animals. We bought a succulent arrangement. Lots of events to choose from.

This was a fun place for my 2-year old. They have a wide variety of animals to see, learn about and some even pet. My daughter had a great time looking at everything. The lobby has some kids activities such as coloring, chalkboard drawing, playing with sand, toy trucks, etc. Staff is friendly and are happy to tell you all about the animals. There are a few trials you can take. We walked up close to the lagoon through the back of the center (1/4 mile) but didn't do any other hikes as we weren't wearing proper footage. I appreciated the free education and activities for my daughter. They don't charge but happily take donations. Also, a small gift shop with few drinks, snacks and ice cream is available.

Lions, tigers and bears! Ok, more like Macaws, bearded dragons and Sharks. We love coming here with our son. He is always excited to see Vlad the Russian tortoise. The center has a great selection of wildlife to interact with. The kids can touch a shark swimming in the aquarium or the bearded dragon that's walking around. They also have a bee viewing glass where you can watch a hive hard at work making honey. The staff is friendly and will answer all of the kids questions. Definitely worth a stop if your in the area or just looking to get the kids out of the house. You can also access the trail that leads down to the lagoon. It's a fun and easy trail the whole family can enjoy.

Awesome little hidden gem!! Quaint nature center and hiking trails. They have free roaming tortoises and other cages reptiles and tarantulas, owls, falcons/hawks, and some pretty cool hens, and other live exhibits for the family to enjoy. You can also enjoy the views and walking trails (west closed shoes). You can also reserve for kids birthdays parties, or home school enrichment. Quick little local getaway and family fun. Works in donations.

What a cool spot to check out if you are in the area! Jeff the volunteer was super nice and knowledgeable : helped us and let us spend time touching various reptiles and geickos.

This place is a hidden gem. I found it on my way to running some errands with my kid a 3 year old. And let me tell you. The views from this place are amazing. Also, it's free. I will definitely come back every now and then to have my kids learn and play around with some of the many activities they have. Also, the staff is super friendly. I would 1000% recommend. Some of the animals they have, and that the kids can interact with are chickens, lizards,shark, owls,and others. They also have a bunch of activities for toddlers, like a sandpit, tables for drawing and some toys.

Nice spot to learn about the lagoon history and other local flora and fauna facts. Easy walking. Good educational center for the kids with a few tactile and learning areas.

First time here We actually pulled into Legoland and we accidentally came on a Blackout date. We are all super bummed to drive over 30 miles just to turn around. I went to Yelp to find a fun museum or someplace to stretch our leg before making the track back home. We came upon a non-profit educational center which was home to: -pig -tortoises -snakes -birds -small shark -sea stars They were so accommodating and patient with us, as the boys wanted to touch and hold everything. It was so beautiful outside and I appreciated the quick stop that turned the boys frown upside down.

Such a hidden little gem in our city. Beautiful walking paths, lots of little animals that they will take out and let you pet, touch and learn about. Our kids love coming here. They also have a wonderful school program. They offer fun events and also believe they do water rentals for the lagoon. A fun local way to explore with kiddos for a couple hours.

Very cute little preserve with lots of animals and a few little trails. The predatory birds are amazing!!

My daughters and I had such a fun time at the discovery center. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We got to see many animals, pet a few, and feed some as well. Highly recommend!

This place was a wonderful way to get out after the rain with the kids. We experienced a close up education with a screech owl, Tecalote, saw a peregrine falcon eating, and fed chickens! I have three children, 16f, 12m, and 7f. They ALL LOVED IT. Small, quaint, and educational. So amazing!!!!

I love this place. It's wonderful for children, but even the adults had a great time. It's just a laid-back, educational, and wonderful place to go.

A hidden gem! There are various reptiles that a volunteer Jeff helped introduce us to. He took them out and let us touch the reptiles (bearded dragon, python, boa, leopard gecko, albino gecko). There's also a little water touch pool, a couple sulcata tortoises, owl, falcon, finches, and a nature trail. They have a suggested donation of $10 per group.

Lovely little local gem - perfect place for the kiddies to explore with hands-on interaction with cute reptiles and closeup views of beautiful birds. The peaceful view of the lagoon out to the ocean is nice too! Highly recommend checking out this educational and interactive discovery center!

This is probably one of my favorite areas to hike him, every single time ago it has always been extremely clean and the people I encounter are always very, very friendly. There is a decent area to hike in as well along with some very pretty scenery to see you on the way. If you have not been here before I would highly recommend checking it out, even if you had been here before I would also highly recommend coming back and visiting again as it is one of those places you can go to multiple times without getting sick and tired of it. This is also a very family friendly place and your kids will love it! Finally, bring a light snack and some water as you will definitely want it on a hot day after a long walk.

Just have to thank all of the wonderful volunteers at Aqua Hedionda. They work so hard and are rarely thanked. This facility depends on their generosity and hard, but I'm sure rewarding efforts. Great place, great people who have the utmost respect for our many blessings of our glorious nature!!

Very cute little venue with a trail in the back. *Carlsbad Rotary was having an event there tonight so I did the short trail just before it started. *Trail is short unless it continues on elsewhere *The pig is the cutest thing ever and is seen just as you enter. Apparently you can feed it. *Looks like they have fun things for the youngsters to get their hands into. Fun learning experiences etc. *Staffers are super friendly & glad I discovered this center. Oh and say hi to the Parrot inside. ~wish the trail was a tad longer...other than that it's a neat little place.

Very informative with small reptiles and aquarium to see. Staff is extremely helpful and informative. My kids loved everything about this place. Hiking trails next to area also. Kids are able to hold and touch some of the animals. Please donate a few bucks when visiting. Free to enter. It's small but great.

What a great find. We are always looking for new places for our toddler to visit. We stopped by and there were so many animals and activities for the kiddo to do. It's also kept so clean and It's overall a welcoming environment. We loved it so much we signed up for their family membership when we got home (can be done online) which is $60 a year and tax deductible. I love that we could support a place like this. My kiddo loved it and we will be coming back to explore some more. Thank you to the staff who took the time to show him some of the animals.

A great beach, with less people, calmer water and super chill vibe. Lots of paddle boarding and great for little ones! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is bc they lack bathrooms.

What an awesome place!!!!! So many activities for kids. So much wildlife to see and learn about. I'm in love with Hank, the male guinea piggy who gives kisses and popcorns! Only temporary downside is Governor Nuisances edict you close the inside part but, after the election all will return to normal .

Beautiful little hidden gem with lots of animals for kids to learn and touch. We are from Las Vegas and I wanted my kids to have some kind of education during our vacation. Found this hidden gem and my kids loved it! Best of all, it free! They loved feeding piper the pig ($2 for the food) and touching the starfish and even the hornshark. Staff was very friendly and helpful! They even gave free coffee! Which I really needed! Definitely would recommend other tourists to come and stop by!

If you just want your kid to be entertained seeing and touching a little bit animals. Just stop by at this place. Just try not to put your finger where the tiny birds are. There's no sign to put your finger in it cause it scares the bird. Just watch out on the lady who watches everybody like a hawk. I understand that she's worried about the little kids but the parents are with them watching them. I liked the lady by the water where u can touch the star fish and a small shark. She's friendly and really entertains the kids who asks too many questions lol

Our family had a great time learning about the lagoon and the opportunity to touch some their animals they have on display. Very friendly staff. I highly recommend them!

A short visit is all that's required here but it's a good place for kids to see / sometimes interact with lizards and snakes. The breeze is refreshing from this vantage point of the marshland. Keep in mind the water isn't anywhere close to you but that doesn't mean there isn't a beautiful view. - If you have young kids, they do have a small trail (Discovery Center Trail) that goes behind the Discovery center. There is a small waterhole to check out. - If you want some more adventure, across the street is Veterans Memorial Park Hill. There are some mild trails for the whole family and will also give you some nice views and exercise.

So took my family for a visit after Legoland- Wow, this place is a true little Gem. So nicely decorated and all the exhibits are very interesting. It definitely looks like it's taken care of. The staff was very friendly, especially a girl named Gigi. She was very helpful and patient, even when it got busy with a lot of kids. It's staff like Gigi that want to make me become an active member of this foundation. See you again soon.