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Austin Nature & Science Center

4.6 (147 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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Kristen M.

I wish we had planned more time for this place on our itinerary because it was SO cool! There are live animals you can see, a trading post with fossils/ bugs/ bones, a whole pond and creek where you can take your shoes off and get in to explore/ catch little things with the bucket and net you get when you check in. Theres even a dino dig and a nature trail! Truly such a neat experience! My kids are 6 and 9 and we could have stayed here all day! Make sure this is a stop in your Austin itinerary- and its free!!

Lisa K ..

FREE!!!! Nice little hike around the center! Check out the Dino Pit, visit the porcupine in its cage! Sit and relax in the center and use your creativity... be your own archaeologist. Bring the kids to explore! Worth the visit!

Nicki C.

Great place for family (small children specifically) fun! Center is run off of donations in the main building. The center is a ways away from parking, and is best during open and non-peak hours for a good parking spot (other places in the area that share the same parking lot). Accessible to all, with a lovely path leading to the center that exhibits living and non-living things. They have wildlife plants and animals that are cared for (due to physical and health issues), a large water area, a dinosaur bone digging area, and many more! Definitely recommend!

Charmaine S.

They had kid camps for the summer. Different indoor and outdoor sections. Helped with the heat! They have cold water fountain in the recreation center. Different sections helped. They provide maps and info leaflets too. Will come back when it's cooler. They had a section were kids can play in the water. Nice touch in this hot texas weather.

Emily R.

We were looking for something fun to do with our toddler that wouldn't break the bank. We originally wanted to go to Zilker Park, but it wasn't very stroller friendly, so we found this place instead. The Nature and Science Center is free for admission. It is not very big and mostly outside, so don't expect a huge science museum, but it was perfect for my toddler and exactly what we were looking for. The entrance isn't grand, it's actually a little hidden; however, we were able to find it from the parking lot. The entrance is a little museum that has some animal fossils and insects in amber for kids to interact with. There was a little tree kids could crawl around and a huge picture window to look outside into nature. There weren't many displays, just the one little room with a few things for kids to do. Going outside there were more. You could see a handful of forest animals like a barn owl and they had a little reptile/aquarium house. The part my daughter had the most fun in was the little creek. It is shallow, so kids were able to walk around with water shoes using pails and sifters to find trinkets. Be careful though! The rocks are slick and it can be easy to fall. Another cool exhibit was the dinosaur exhibit where you are able to "dig" for fossils. It was pretty neat. My daughter really enjoyed herself and the best part is it was free. It isn't an all day thing, so if you want something fun to kill an hour or 2, this is your place.

Family outing!!
Brett J.

This is an Austin treasure! A beautiful nature trail with native plantings, buildings filled with natural sciences, a number one great staff, and many rescued animals. There is so much to talk about and it is all free! They have a trade in program where your children can bring in things they have found: rocks, plants, bones, or even school projects they have done and earn points. These points are used to buy things that they have for sale... like other rocks, bones, or science stuff. What a fantastic way to get kids excited about science and nature! My son just loves it. He brought in some of his rock collection and got bunches of point for which he picked up a beetle, a monarch, and a different Rock. He was completely thrilled! We came with our whole family, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents and everyone had such a great time. There are fields and play areas, there is a huge dino dig sand pit, nature trails, water areas, and of course animals. Snakes, turtles, frogs, bobcats, vultures, ravens, ducks, opossum, owls, a huge active bee hive and my favorite... hawks. All of them have been rescued from some area and saved here to live out their time. It is an amazing effort and wonderful to see. There is also marked plantings... trees, perennials, shrubs, and more. Of course I could just go through all of that all day! The place survives on donations and state funding... (please donate... every little bit helps) it is fantastic what they have here... truly something for all ages. I enjoy this place so much! Every time I come here it amazes me what they are doing. Just the attempt to bring awareness to children about science and nature... it seriously fills me with joy...

Gabi S.

Love this place!! Great for families and children. It's free to the public and have a lot of educational interactive activities. They have a Dino dig, where kids can look for dinosaur "bones" in the sand. They have wildlife exhibit with animals, like owls, bob cats, and alligators. They also have a nice pond where you can go fishing for small fish they provide buckets and small nets. Over all a great educational experience. Would definitely recommend and come back.

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Love it! Super cool...they have trails in this back by the animals . Lots of interesting and fascinating things to look at and do.

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It's was amazing.....it's just hot bring plenty of water n dress cool I would go back..............................

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Ask the Community - Austin Nature & Science Center

Is this park free of charge?

Yes, Austin Nature & Science Center is free to visit!

Does this place let you hold certain animals? If so, which ones?

Hi Samantha, thanks so much for your question! While we do not allow visitors to hold our animal ambassadors for safety reasons, visitors can observe nearly 100 live animals native to Central Texas at ANSC in our exhibits and programs!… Read more

Is this place stroller friendly?

Danielle, it is indeed! As you approach the Visitors Pavilion, there is a ramp to the right of the main stairway as well as an ADA path around the pond to reach the Dino Pit. Everywhere else is easily accessible with a stroller. Thank you and we… Read more

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Austin Nature & Science Center

The 6 yr old especially loved the dino pit and could have spent hours digging to her heart's content.

Mentioned in 23 reviews

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Austin Zoo - Keep your hands clean, just not in the petting zoo

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3.9(499 reviews)
9.8 mi

Manage your expectations if you choose to visit the Austin Zoo. It is a very small zoo - more like…read morean animal rescue. I knew this going in so was prepared for what to expect and really enjoyed my experience. I visited on Presidents' Day holiday with my daughters (6 and 2). Tickets were under $20 which I found reasonable and felt good to know that the money is going back to maintaining and preserving the zoo. I thought the size of the zoo was perfect for younger children. My daughters loved seeing the animals without massive crowds, within a restively small space. They particularly loved seeing the Galapagos turtle, lions, and snakes in the tiny reptile house. There are gorgeous peacocks roaming the grounds. They have the option to feed some animals (goats, farm animals) which we did not do this time. They also offer tours, educational programming and some extra cost activities. What I think could be better - - Their website doesn't mention that their train has been down for a long time, and requires major repairs. This was disappointing to find out there. My girls were looking forward to it. - No cafe or proper concessions stand - Parking can get crowded and require long walks to the entrance

Horrible service!! As I was walking around with my grandchildren I saw several workers on their…read morephones, so unprofessional. I've heard rumors they treat the animals poorly and when I saw the animals I'm starting to believe them. I've also heard about what they do to the animals dead bodies and I'm DISGUSTED. I saw serval cages empty, really makes you think why is that? What are they doing to these poor animals because from my own knowledge you're not supposed to put an animal that been held CAPTIVE back into the wild. Even with that one of the workers told me that evil place is their forever home more like forever prison or death sentence. I also saw rust in the water the animals were drinking and this is what they claim is an animal sanctuary?? On top of all of this I saw a worker with no bra on and nearly got flashed, MY GRANDKIDS were with me. On top of all of this I met a woman Kim and she was SO RUDE and made my grandkids uncomfortable. That woman immediately gave me predatory vibes and I felt like I needed to get them out of there as soon as possible. I will NEVER return.

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Austin Aqua-Dome

Austin Aqua-Dome

4.3(152 reviews)
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I visited this store today (3/13/26) and was genuinely excited because I had heard nothing but…read moregreat things about it and how knowledgeable the staff was. My daughter recently received a betta fish for her birthday, and I wanted to upgrade her tank with driftwood and plants. Since I'm new to this, I was looking forward to asking the "experts" a few questions. Unfortunately, that excitement disappeared the moment I walked in. As soon as I entered, the older gentleman behind the counter looked directly at me and then immediately turned away without saying a word. He wasn't helping anyone at the time. I walked around the store for a while and noticed a young woman cleaning items nearby. Not once did she greet me or ask if I needed help. When I was looking at the driftwood display, she walked by, so I asked a question. She gave me what felt like a dirty look, gave a very quick answer, and walked away. I initially thought maybe she was busy helping other customers, but that didn't seem to be the case. What made the experience worse was what happened next. While I was still browsing near the entrance, several other customers walked in. Every single one of them was greeted by the gentleman behind the counter. I hate to even bring this up, but it left me wondering why my experience was so different. I'm a Hispanic male with tattoos, and every other customer who was greeted appeared to be white with no visible tattoos. I truly hope that wasn't the reason, but I honestly can't think of another explanation for the difference in treatment. Either way, it was disappointing. I had specifically chosen to visit a local specialty shop because I wanted the advice and expertise that comes with it. Instead, I left feeling unwelcome and will likely just go to a big box store instead--something I was hoping to avoid. I hope this isn't the normal experience for customers, but it was certainly mine today.

Cool spot to bring the kids (on a budget). Also, nice activity to do on a rainy or cold day. The…read morefish were colorful and unique and fun for the kids to look at. There are also some turtles outside (back of parking lot). Located in an interesting dome structure (saltwater fish is on the second floor). Parents: I'd avoid a stroller, if possible. It's a bit cramped in here plus it can get crowded. Also, there are stairs to get to the top floor. Small parking lot in the back but also additional parking in the strip mall. Check out Uncommon Objects (interesting antique store) next door.

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Austin Aquarium

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3.2(1.1k reviews)
12.3 mi

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Capital of Texas Zoo - Rust in one of the many rusting bird cages.

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Personally I think this zoo should be closed down and the animals should be rescued. There was…read moredebrie all over the place chemicals and bleach everywhere. Rotting wood on the animal enclosures. Turtles so dirty they had moss growing in them. The owners dog growled at my five year old myself and my mother. When I told her she said it was a nice dog just don'tapproachhim becausehe can ne naughty and he was laying very close to the exit gate. The bear enclosure was so overgrown it's hard to believe it was there. The deer pen was held shut by literally a screw. The monkey cage wasn't even locked. A breaker box was opened with wires exposed. Outlets at baby level also with exposed wires. Bathroom house had rotted floors and sinks. The entrance ramp to the park was rotted and falling apart. It honestly is lawsuit waiting to happen. Enter at your own risk.

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We came here for Pumpkin Nights, and it was a fantastic walkthrough Halloween light show. There…read morewere different themed exhibits including Harry Potter, Forbidden City, Dia de los Muertos, pirates, and coral reef. The visuals were beautiful with themed music and the occasional smells that fit well with the exhibits. We were really impressed by how long it was. It was about a one mile walk on a dirt trail, and it took us over an hour to go through at a leisurely pace and take some pictures. Our shoes got extremely dusty, so make sure to wear shoes that you can wipe off afterwards. We were thrilled to see seesaws at one point on the trail. There were so many kids here, but I think it's enjoyable for all ages. I would even take my parents here. They advertise weekday night tickets on their website as $22, but after all the fees, it was $28.24 per ticket for a Tuesday night. It was surprisingly worth it though. I just wish they were more transparent in their fees. I am really glad we didn't come on a weekend because it would have been even more crowded. Parking was an additional $10 in a dirt lot. There were some vendors with extremely overpriced food. My friend got a cute ghost T-shirt from their official merch store for $25, which was surprisingly reasonable.

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Inner Space Cavern - StalagTites. The "T" stands for "The". They start at The Floor. Or the Ceiling. I forget.

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4.4(422 reviews)
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We took the adventure tour today to do something special on Valentine's Day…read more It was so very busy! Our tour guide was Tom and he was so informative and fun and kind. He had sweet little stories for all the children. He was very knowledgeable. I learned that he has been going to that cave his entire life, he even took his dates there and he's probably a grandpa now. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Our group was probably 25 people. They had a group descending every 20 minutes. It was quite interesting. The cave actually goes underneath the 35 freeway! We paused and listened and it sounded like lightning as the cars passed over the top. There's an old ladder inside where explorers used to climb down into the cave. That same ladder is on the side of the freeway just like a half mile down inside of a black shed. Nobody knows what's there without taking this tour. They have a beautiful gift shop with lots of wonderful things to buy. They take a photo of each party along the tour and to buy that photo is only $13! They have three different tours to choose from. The adventure tour was one hour. Then they have a 90 minute tour and a 3 1/2 hour tour. The one hour tour that we took was 1 mile long. The terrain is up and down and sometimes slippery so wear your good walking shoes with tread. When you get down to the very bottom, it's pretty warm so don't overdress. Layer with a hoodie that you can tie around your waist. This is not a place for anyone who can't walk a mile on varied terrain--No wheelchairs no strollers, nothing like that. I look forward to going back and taking the longer tour. Every employee that I spoke to was so very kind and helpful. I really like this place. I highly recommend you visit!

This was more interesting and fascinating than I thought. I enjoyed my tour with Myles…read more The parking lot is very large. Plenty of parking. The tour to the cave is about a mile round trip. I don't think you can take kids strollers on the tour. And you should be in capable condition to walk the distance. The walk back is more upward, some areas are steep. It is humid as you get down, which I thought it would be cool underground. I had curly hair going in, came out with straight frizzy hair. The tour guide stops along the way and talks about the rocks, the forms, and some extra surprises along the way. The guide will also take a photo of you and your group, and you can purchase the picture at the end when you go back to the gift shop. Myles was a great tour guide. He explained everything so well. Answered questions we had. Friendly and knowledgeable. Was a very nice hour or so tour. Well worth the time and drive there. Happy I did something new and a little adventurous.

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Austin Nature & Science Center - zoos - Updated May 2026

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