River Bend Nature Center

This place is awesome!! There are tons of fun indoor and outdoor educational activities for kids! I love the variety of animals and activities! There’s high tech stuff: video/digital microscopes, wind tunnels, etc., and low tech options: building with magnets/wood, tangibles like turtle shells/rocks/fossils, coloring/etc. there’s a fossil digging sand pit outside and a mud kitchen. So much fun for kids and adults. Not gonna lie, I’m afraid of rats but the rats named Cookies and Cream were adorable. I also think there was a toad named Gladys or Velma or something? Adorable. You can tell they really love and care for their animals.

Pretty cool spot to stop by if your in the area, with or without kids. We ended doing a tour for a possible wedding venue and Mary was great! Super helpful but not overbearing like some wedding venue tour hosts can be. We ended up staying after the tour to look around and really enjoyed it. Grounds are very well kept and the trails are super clean & pretty.

Great experience, there are trails out back and animals to see indoors, also microscopes to play with indoors. Accessible paths in the back and short dirt paths but main path is paved fully wheelchair accessible. Nice gift shop as well. Only $5 for students and military.

Such a fun place to visit! They had a lot of kid activities to do for free once inside. Several cool things to see inside as well as informative signs. Kevin (I think was his name) was so informative and shared information with us that we didn't know. The butterfly area was really cool! We liked learning about the ferrets and watching them play. There is a paved and non paved trail, both are just as fun to walk on. The signs along the trail are very informative. Tons of squirrels along the trail and it was fun looking for animal tracks in the dirt part of the trail. Be cautious if there has been a lot of rain recently, the wild side trail looks as though it gets rather wet and muddy. The children's garden is nice as well along with the dino dig area.

My Fiance and I stopped here on a road trip to Utah, we are originally from Michigan. It was a lovely place. The employees were incredibly kind and friendly. An older employee, stopped to talk to us about some of the animals they have. They rescued some or all of their animals which is amazing. The trails were so cute, and I really love how the proceeds go back into the exhibits AND child education programs.

A great place to visit even if you aren't with your children, or grandchildren. The staff are knowledgeable and so happy to help and explain everything to you. So much fun to see animals up close. While there on this visit, I saw the bull snake preparing to shed it's skin and when touched acted like a rattlesnake. Even saw a roadrunner up close. The butterfly enclosure was also great to be able to go to even though it was a cool day and the butterflies were all settled and resting.

Visited with our 9 month old. It was extremely affordable and worth the money. The glass building was under construction but they’ve done a great job at modifying the exhibits. My husband and I enjoyed tapping into our inner kiddo and exploring with the microscopes! The bathrooms are extremely clean and all the enclosures were beautiful. The animals were out and about. The gentleman who helped us was very informative and walked us outside to see the pink bluebonnets which was so awesome! The nature walk is partially paved or you can go on the unpaved part. We stayed on the concrete and thought it was the perfect amount of walking and reading about animals. We discovered new bugs and learned things about animals we see every day. Ended with a trip to the gift shop for a cold Coke, tshirt, necklace, magnet, and stuffed animal for less than $70. Would come again!

What a gem! This is definitely a place worth visiting if in the area. The staff was knowledgeable and eager to share information, lots of local wildlife, and a butterfly area. Nice short walking trail through the woods with lots of educational signs.

I'm happy it was only $6 to get in. Overall we weren't impressed. One of the guys there told us all about the snakes, rodents, bugs, etc. which was nice and informative but the rest of the place was boring. Even the grandson was ready to go before we walked too far. They had the landscaping crew there not caring if anyone was around or not. Slinging rocks and dirt on you. Would we go back? No. Sadly.

Great stop for passing travelers with kids. Easily a few hours of indoor STEM entertainment including a video microscope work station, lots of live reptiles and interactive staff to help your kids explore their curiosities. Cute butterfly garden including awesome chrysalis display with various stages. Well maintained lots to entertain kids of many ages. Very reasonably priced, children under 2 are free.

Had a great time here! We had seen this on Groupon and super glad we came! It's very kid friendly, educational, fun, I can go on .. they have live animals to teach you about and tons of rocks and exhibits! They staff was friendly and I'll definitely would come back if I was in the area and had some kids by then :) Tip : check Groupon for like cheap admission, we paid like half price :)

I came here with some friends thinking it would be a good way to burn time and just enjoy looking at some nature stuff, but it turned into a full blown tour with the help of Kevin. Kevin is amazing and passionate about his job. He is full of knowledge and fun facts. He made our experience so much fun and he took out a bunch of animals so we could touch them and learn about them. If you see this Kevin, THANK YOU! You're a rockstar!

This place was a really cool place to spend our Memorial Day. The weather wasn't very compliant but that did not matter cause of how beautiful they displayed nature. They had prairie dogs, rabbits, chickens, butterfly's and birds. Also many cool plants. Definitely can see why people come here for weddings.

my daughter and i are visiting my sister in allen tx. we are from cali and we all decided to visit wichita falls. the falls werent on, which was a small disappointment, but we found this nature center and it made up for what we missed! the staff was super informative, very hospitable and took their time showing us everything. our kids had a blast and you can see they truly care for their animals. we definitely would come back.

We loved the river bend nature center! It was more geared towards children with many interactive displays. I think our favorite part was the butterfly room where you could view the cocoons and chrysalis. There are trails and even a small rock wall! Perfect for families to enjoy!

I like how lot of the animals are rescued animals, their staff were very friendly and told us a lot of about the animals they care for. They also have a scavenger hunt available for the kids to look for during your visit.

The River Bend Nature center was very cool. I went with my 14 year old son, my parents, and my sister. My son's favorite part was the snakes. Vinny was our tour guide and he was very informative. My son liked him and thought he was a good tour guide and he was funny as well. My parents enjoyed all of the nature center. I did too, but my favorite part was the butterflies and taking pictures and slow motion videos of the butterflies. Glad we went. Totally worth it. Make sure you get Vinny as your tour guide!

We were visiting Wichita Falls and we decided to look online and check out what kind of museums and local entertainment there was around. We went to Lucy Park and as we were leaving, we saw this "center" and at 4$ a person, we were stoked! When you first walk in, you are greeted by a very friendly older man who asks you to sign a guestbook and invites you to look around the very pricey shop which has things such as butterfly ceiling decorations, books, pens, key-chains, mugs, etc. We weren't very impressed. Then you are in the reptile room which houses a few different kinds of snakes, poisonous spiders, pinned butterflies, and beautiful frogs. My husband was allowed to hold some of the snakes. We then went outside and met the cutest praire-dogs I have ever seen! We got to tickle and pet them and then when they were put back in their cage, they greeted each-other with a "bark" which we thought was ADORABLE. The butterfly rooms were magnificient with unique and colorful butterflies landing on you and flying above your head the entire time. I was amazed at how much our tour-guide Kevin knew about them. The staff was excellent and allowed us to take pictures and stay as long as we liked. We were very pleased and learned so many new things. We will absolutely return. P.S. They also sell cold drinks for 1$.

if you live in WF or are visiting the area, you need to visit the nature center! i went with my bf because we were looking for something to do for my birthday and i'm so glad we went! the staff was so kind and there's so much for kids to do and interact with. only wish i took more pictures

It was a fun time and prices are cheap. We didn't really get to interact with any animals like holding them or petting except for one prairie dog who really liked the attention. There was also a random chicken walking around and a quail. Also a few turtles. Everything else was behind glass so you couldn't so much. It was super fun though.

Came for the Electricritters event and was better than I expected. The walk is a little long for the younger kids, and I'm glad we came on a warmer night. Lots of fun photo ops.

What a great place to kill some time with the family. Loved this place. The staff is helpful kind and courteous. Defiantly recommend it for the whole family.

I absolutely love the people here. We were in town for my husband's work twice the past couple of months. Both times while he worked, I took my children here to have fun. They love it and can spend a whole day here. The craft room is really neat. I love how the people who work here are passionate about their jobs. They love to share their knowledge with my children who are eager to learn it. I love the trails out back which are great for exercise. Last time we went, we walked around on the trails for at least an hour and a half. The butterfly room makes us all smile. My children love nature and I find it's value important to their growth. Kids these days spend too much time on phones and inside. So I am pleased to have stumbled upon this gem of a place. I plan to return in the future should I return to the area.

Wow... this place is so fun. We went in and was blown away by Kevin who showed us so much. Snakes eating mice, glowing scorpions, he was so knowledgeable. Then he took us out into the bigger area and showed us a good time. He got all lovey with the Prairie Dogs and showed us the wiggling cocoons. The outside children's garden is neat too... we saw some frogs out in the little pond. You don't need kids with you to have a good time here. Seriously Kevin rocks and should become a professor someday! The price is almost too cheap to go here. Nice place in a small city.

This was an amazing tour with Kevin as the tour guide! The other review here is spot on. Kevin was amazing explaining all the different species of animals. The price has gone up - it's now $5 instead of $4 but well worth the time and price. The nature trails behind the building were amazing too. This is definitely somewhere to take the kiddies.

Wonderful experience! We were looking for something fun to do in Wichita Falls, and had a fun, entertaining visit as we learned all about the local wildlife. The butterfly sanctuary was amazing. Jeremy told us all about each of the center's "guests", and we left feeling a little closer to the flora and fauna of the area. The center is non-profit, so I found it noteworthy that, on such a hot day, they sell bottled water for just $1, when they could easily double that price. I fell that this speaks to the integrity of the center, and recommend a visit to anyone interested in learned about the local environment.

River Bend Nature Center is great for the whole family. It has nature trails, a butterfly garden, and excellent science programs for children on the weekends. This is a great spot for enjoying nature.

We have come here once a year or so while visiting grandparents for several years. For the price, and given the size, they pack a TON of experiences in. The proctors are really knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful -- you think they would get tired of approaching people looking at the small animal exhibits and talking to them, but no, every time we go they are eager to discuss even the most minute details of these critters. They also have activity and craft tables. To go into the greenhouse-looking area you have to have a guide with you (usually the same person who helped you in the first room), and, again, they go out of their way to answer all of your questions and make sure you have a good experience. Ask to feed the quail -- she is adorable! On our last visit they were down to only one prairie dog, which is a little unfortunate (they only take animals that have been rehabilitated and can't be re-released into the wild), but Rocco the roadrunner was still there letting everyone know that he owns the place. And of course then there is the butterfly habitat. For a nature center in a small town, this place is great. If you're visiting with kids, it's an absolute must-do. You really can't beat the experience for the price.

My friend and I took our 3 year olds to a nature day, we were told to wait and someone would direct us where to go. We waited over 30 minutes and none of the staff said a word after we had just paid for our girls to do all these activities. At this point we asked someone where we were supposed to go and we were told "wherever you want" so at that point we were feeling frustrated because we had paid to do quite a few activities. Finally my friend asked another person and they told us that it was going on in the library the entire time and no one said a word to us, so our kids missed half of the day and when we mentioned just leaving and getting our money back a staff said "well you can do the last 2 activities" no apologizing or anything for not telling us where we should be. It was a very disappointing experience and I wouldn't waste my money here again. The staff was very uninterested in anything and didn't seem to care that no one directed us where to go. We decided to let the girls do the last activities at that point and the leader acted like we were literally ruining her life and completely in the way. She was very rude to my friend. We are not confrontational people in any way. This place is not professional at all. Spend your money somewhere else.