Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center is an amazing destination for history and nature lovers of all ages. The center sits within the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which covers more than 110,000 acres of mangrove forests, upland habitats, and estuarine waters. In addition to board walks and hiking trail it has a two-story, 16,500-square-foot facility that combines research, education, art, and conservation. Start your visit inside the learning center where there is a 2,300-gallon mangrove aquarium with a sculpted 14-foot red mangrove tree. Another highlight is the touch tank where visitors can hold sea stars, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, and more. There are also exhibits on local ecology and ongoing research in the estuary with emphasis on human impact on nature. A favorite stop on the first floor was the Palmetto Patch Nature Store which featured a variety of nature themed and local made gifts. They also sell water which you will need for a hike if you forgot to bring it. Proceeds from the store go to the Friends of Rookery Bay and their mission to provide resources for Rookery Bay Research Reserve's education, research, and conservation programs. Behind the center there are three half mile walking trails including a boardwalk over Henderson Creek. Thousands of years ago this was the home of the ancient Calusa people that thrived on seafood from the estuary. Although they are extinct you can still see the shell mounds they built. Several Calusa mound complexes are protected within the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve's 110,000 acres. From the observation bridge, you can sometimes spot manatees, tarpon, or even sharks. The trails also passes through native plants and historic sites like the remains of the pioneer settlement Little Marco that lay between Marco Island and Naples. The community was sparked by the Homestead act and pre dated the City of Naples. People lived off the estuary, catching fish, harvesting shellfish, and also growing small plots of winter vegetables. A historic cemetery remains near what is now known as Shell Island Road. The Rookery Bay Environmental Reserve is doing important ecological research and conservation while providing public education about coastal ecosystems, climate impacts, and habitat preservation. If you're a nature lover, looking for an inexpensive family friendly activity, or someone curious about coastal ecosystems, the environmental learning center is well worth a visit if you are in the area. read more

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What a great experience. They do a great job sneaking in education while having fun. Kids loved the scavenger hunt.

After doing the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve tour with Rising Tide Explorers and lunch at Island Gypsy, we came here for the exhibits and nature tail. A good museum with interactive exhibits. And great art in the courtyard entrance. And if you do a Rookery Bay tour, entrance is free. read more

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I've driven past the Rookery Bay every time I head home to Marco Island, but never really looked into what it was until friends and family were coming for a visit, and I needed things for them to do. Though my expectations were low, the Rookery Bay was a really interesting way to spend a hot summer morning. It's ideal to go in the earlier hours of the day before the trails become too oppressive. But before you head outside to explore nature, there is a two-story learning center with an aquarium of local fish, including a touch tank. Once outside, you head over the bridge where manatees can be spotted passing along the river. Follow the bridge and boardwalk to the end and take note of the BEWARE sign detailing all the dangerous Florida things that you may encounter on the three well-worn trails. I honestly thought we'd be on protected boardwalks the whole time, but this is no joke and you really are just out in the wild with bears, snakes, panthers, alligators, poisonous plants and lots and lots and lots of bugs. When you finish the trails, head back to the building but stop by the butterfly garden and the riverside floating dock. I hope you spot some amazing Florida animals and fish! read more

Amazing docent! He taught us so much! Great place to visit while we were in town on vacation!

Terrific place. Critically important conservation work, beautiful grounds, fun small aquarium, and amazing excursions. One can paddle with rising tide, there are carefully planned and executed camps for tweens and teens, boat trips, and a touch tank. The volunteer led tours of the nature trails bring you through beautiful trials while educating about the local ecology and history. The small aquarium has a boat for kids to play in and a large tank with a tunnel. The membership is a great deal if you plan to visit more than one visit. read more

Just went to a workshop of the "Essentials of Digital Photography" with Sonny Saunders at Rookery Bay. I expected some class time with hands on work doing nature photography in this great facility. Mr. Saunders announced that it would be all classroom and no actual photography. When I asked about that, he rather arrogantly said, "There was nothing in the write up about that!" The attitude was really upsetting and totally unnecessary. Photography is like learning to ride a bike or drive a car. Some class time is necessary, but one learns it by going out and shooting photos. Then back in the classroom, the instructor can look at people's photos and makes suggestions about what he or she likes or what needs improvement. I have many years of experience in photography and have attended workshops with top magazine photographers in the U.S. That is how they do it. So the bottom line? If you're new to digital photography or have recently upgraded your equipment, this might be for you. If you have experience, skip Mr. Saunders' workshop. There are many better options for you. read more

Plenty of natural land to hike, walk and water pathways to canoe or paddle. They have much to offer as far as exploration and wildlife. I didn't go to school here but I was told that it is a common field trip that the schools go to. So check on line and see if there are any programs that interest you. It is a great place to visit and learn about nature and our mangroves. Geneneral tips, As usual give a hoot don't pollute. Flip flops or prison slides offer no support or foot protection at all. Wear good shoes for trail and if going on a canoe or paddle wear water boots since the oyster beds can be razor sharp. Pack drinks and snacks since this is not a restaurant. (They do have a drink vending machine). Clean up after yourself!!! Your mom doesn't work here. And if she did she doesnt want to deal with your trash either. The canoe, kayak small boat launch has specific hours 9-4?? Also foursquare app is offering a check special. Discount. For up to 4.and if you have a printer you can go to http://rookerybay.org for a dollar off admission. Admission to the learning center. Adults $5.00 Children Ages 6-12 $3.00 Children Under 6 No Cost read more

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This is a lovely spot, about five minutes from where we live. It's especially good for kids if they need to burn off some energy, and for five dollars that's a good investment. We particularly enjoyed the docent-I called him Mr. Philadelphia because I forgot his name, who gave us some information about the local marine life. We hope to get more involved with some other activities, or maybe even volunteer ourselves! read more

We visited this center recently while staying on Marco and we found it to be a nice experience. Michael was very nice and informative and welcoming, and Marilyn was very informative on the sea turtles and other the Florida Everglades wildlife and history and development of the area. We took a walk on the half mile trail next to the center and we would definitely recommend using mosquito repellent prior to going. If it has rained recently, you may want to not proceed on the trail as it has a lot of wet areas. The center definitely is a great experience for us and I'm sure for any families visiting. What a great educational opportunity. read more

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Interesting place to go while in the area since it is kind of an aquarium but also a nature center. $5 to get in and they have a nice touch tank display and also a pretty good sized tank with various fishes in it and also some smaller other tanks. Also have a walking trail that goes over Henderson creek where we saw some wild manatees! Would be a good place for kids to learn about the wildlife around them read more

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I was lucky to visit Rookery Bay while it had free admission... unfortunately, I was unable to go on the boat or kayak tour because I had to fight with other sweaty bodies. Meanwhile, it's crazy to think that less than a mile away is a Wal-Mart. Nature is the trend here. The trails bring you through insanely thick trees and you can already see wildlife in the watery backyard. Inside the tiny museum there's touch tanks and little aquariums showing the local wildlife. The staff is very knowledgable and friendly. I can't give this place too much props because of how tiny it is... but I guess that can work for some people because the experience can be more personal. PYRA SAYS: This is definitely the place you bring school groups to. read more

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We stopped in to check out the educational center. It was a fun, informative place. The nature trails outside were good to walk through, too. read more

The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Learning Center is a great place to visit. The staff members are very good and will answer any questions you may have. Tours of Rookery Bay will help to broaden your current experience with nature, whatever your current experience may be, and will give a "hands-on" touch to your visit. read more

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The employees were all very nice and eager to give us information about the area. The animals seemed well cared for and the workers gave us great facts on them. They informed us about three hiking trails and warned us of bugs. read more

Fun little excursion for the kids and a break from the sun. Orlando and Alex were great and very knowledgeable. The touch tanks were cool and a fun experience. We didn't make it too far on the paths due to the mosquitoes... def a rain activity if your kids are cooped up. read more

Nice place. Good information along with art, history, touching pools and trails. Very enjoyable for $5

This place is open very inconsistently and the staff was not friendly. An older woman was very condescending while giving me directions and walked up to me so closely that I backed up against the door trying to get her out of my face. Will not be bringing my family here. Also not pet friendly, which I understand but the rude staff is inexcusable. read more

This is a great place to visit if you like being out in nature a bit, especially for marine life. I went out in a boat on a tour and our leader dragged the bottom to see what he could dredge up. The results were remarkable. He brought what he found into the boat & put them into tanks to show them to us. We had 3 different kinds of crab, silverfish, very cool batfish, squid and quite a few other things. This would be especially neat for schoolkids, although it's certainly interesting for all... read more

We set out to see some birds and do some kayaking. We didn't really see either. But that didn't stop us from really enjoying this place. Warning: Bring mosquito repellent. Before you plan your trip, check their events calendar for kayak tours, movies, and guest speakers. I might actually plan a trip all the way back out here just to do their kayak tour. This place is also fairly small. I'm a museum junkie (re: It's what I do for a living), but we were in and out of here in 3 hours (including a mile hike) and we *seriously* took our time. Be sure to visit the cowfish in the main lobby for ALL your cute fish needs (I literally can't even). Their open-top tank (also in the lobby) is also really cool.. they have some "ambush predator" ugly fish thing that is cool to watch. When they feed it, they'll be having you thank God those things can't survive on land. Be sure to fully capitalize on the oral history corner in the upstairs. It's nestled on a fake little porch. Hit the buttons and prepare to explore the history of the 10,000 islands on the West coast of FL. If you are even remotely open to it, the recordings and tales are of high quality. And my husband and I still joke about a couple of them--including the tragic tale of a historic freeloader. RIP, dude. Wrap up your visit with a hike. They have three different hikes of different lengths. While we didn't see any birds on the short hike, we were able to see a bunch of cool jelly fish, a monstrous Snook, and a ray going about her daily business. It was magical. But be sure to wear good shoes and bug spray. read more

Excellent, pretty place with great walking trails, photo gallery, and some history upstairs. It was a little muddy, because of their very wet January. Saw some birds. It was a quiet walk, nobody else won the trail with us . A very lovely young lady at the desk told us all about several other trails and nature walks, including Shark Valley, which we then visited on her recommendation, and that was the coolest thing we did all trip. This place is lovely, and the people working there are the best. read more

Definitely a good place to take the kids to learn about the Rookery Bay. Not sure if you really need to pay the $10 to walk on the trail though...probably wouldn't pay to go again but I really enjoyed the hike! Definitely bring bug spray read more

Great place for the kids to hang out and learn about the local environment and animals. They have classes and a nice nature walk. This is not a full day activity. Nice air conditioned exhibits when it is hot out and some exercise (walking) in the fresh air. Very knowledgeable people here will teach the whole family some great tid bits. Highly recommended for the kids. read more

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center - Entryway of the Learning Center - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Naples, Florida

Great displays and wonderful learning experience. Great walkway. You can learn a lot about the area environment. read more

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My girlfriend and I love the outdoors and everything to do with nature. This was a great stop for us, a lot if information inside with knowledgeable staff and some hands on exhibits. One caution: BRING INSECT REPELLENT. We bought the repellent they sold and I can't imagine what would have happened if we didn't put anything on...we still got eaten alive. I would recommend bringing some heavy duty repellent for the trails, which by the way were very cool...when we weren't swatting Mosquitos. read more

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Naples, Florida

Solid 4.5 stars! This place is wonderful! As soon as we arrived we saw a pileated woodpecker searching for lunch in the palms along the walkway. The staff here is great; super friendly people. They greeted us immediately upon arrival and informed us of all of thr things they had to offer. There is a 10 minute video we enjoyed and some local artwork as well. The aquariums included some fish that we have never seen before in other larger aquariums. One of the staff members fed the fish while we were there. That was exciting for the kids. (I teased them that it was just like Seaworld.) There are several hiking trails. The trail we chose was easy. It had a crushed shell surface that leads you to a nice dock, an old cistern and then loops back around to the research center. We ran into a trail guide as we were admiring a family of raccoons feasting on some palm berries and he was very knowledgable. He answered our questions and pointed out some interesting plants. Downstairs seems to be the marine biology/ecology level while upstairs is the local history/geography level. I was disappointed at the Global Warming Propaganda Exhibit but absolutely adored the Storytelling Bench Exhibit in front of the elevator. I wish the gift shop had some nice Christmas ornaments that said Rookery Bay Reserve. Our family likes to collect them from special places we visit on vacation. I highly recommend planning to spend an afternoon here. It's especially great for home educators and anyone interested in marine biology. read more

I've been here four times, one time in 4th grade, twice through my Living Ocean class at FSW, and once on my own with my little brother to do some exploring of my own. It's a really interesting place and where I found my love for marine animals. It was exciting to go trawling for my field trip and learn about all the different types of animals that live in the estuary. When I went exploring on my own, I went down some of the trails. Even though I didn't find anything, it was still a relaxing walk. I love this place and I hope to be able to volunteer here someday! read more

Really lovely spot to visit when near Naples and Marco Island. Great video talking about their fabulous work and the fragile econsystem in the area. The day we went, a few of their paths were closed due to storm damage, so I can't wait to come back and take a nice, long hike! read more

Today was Darwin Day, so we got BOGO entry! Nice learning center with a small gift shop. We enjoyed walking the Snail Trail and while checking out the water from the viewing platform, we saw a manatee! Nice way to spend an hour or two; kids would love it. read more

Excellent experience learning about the health and life in the estuary! We took a boat out with a educational ranger and he brought up a ton of amazing creature from the sea floor for our small group to look at in a tank, touch, and learn about for a few minutes before returning them back to the estuary. We were fortunate enough to get a bonnet head baby shark (extremely rare to pull up), catfish, jellyfish, and a stingray among other very interesting and unusual wildlife. Our park educator was extremely knowledgeable; his love for nature and promotion of conservation in Florida is so important. Rookery Bay really helped me have a better understanding of the challenges Florida is facing with invasive species, topics surrounding the issues of freshwater mixing with salt water and how it all impacts the animals and our environment. I highly recommend a visit to Rookery Bay for everyone, veteran and novice alike! For boats and special educational trip you need to call and book in advance. read more

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Great educational experience. We enjoyed our two hours at the learning center and trail. Very informative. We later booked a boat tour of the mangroves and learn so much of the history in the area. Boat captain, Randy, was extremely knowledgeable about every subject we talked about. Boat tours are limited to six passengers so it's very conversational. There are several different boat tours and we are looking forward to taking one of the others learning more about the area. Would highly recommend to people who care about our environment. read more

I am really reviewing the whole Rookery Bay area itself as we did not go to the building. The boat launch is outstanding for kayaking, canoeing and boating in general. The canoe trail is a nice couple of miles in the ocean in a protected bay, but paddlers will have to watch out for boats and on windy days, this is probably not the place for anything other than a sea kayak or maybe a sit on top. If you paddle around anyone fishing, chances are you'll see dolphins up close as they angle to steal fish and they will come right up to your kayak to check to see if you might possibly have a fish to share. This is a very nice paddle in a quiet bay right smack up against the madness of Marco Island. If you want to paddle away from the beach madness but be close by, this is 15 minutes up Collier Blvd and miles away in attitude. This is a great place for solitude, although you will find it is popular with paddlers. There are ranger led kayak tours available for those that want to paddle with a guide. The Shell Island canoe trail is marked with numbered PVC pipes and is easy for anyone to follow. This would be a great trip for a family. read more

Wonderful nature preserve, great for kids, adultts, birders and nature lovers. Nice hikes both short and long. Informative and helpful staff. Many scheduled activities and trips if interested. Nice educational center. read more

I highly recommend this as a stop over for those that enjoy nature. There is plenty of free parking and the interior of the building is loaded with exhibits and friendly staff. We got to sit in a classroom-like room with a naturalist, Patrick Higgins, who discussed all about shells. Patrick is an excellent speaker - clear, concise, well organized and answers everyone's questions. The room was packed but Patrick was able to keep everyone's attention from young to old - a difficult thing to do with a lecture type of setting. I enjoyed his session very much. I wish we were able to visit the Rookery Bay during the beginning of our vacation so we could see the full schedule of events to plan around it. They also have an outdoor trail for anyone to freely walk around and a couple of paid tours / sessions like kayaking, boat ride, etc. Go here early as they close around 4 / 5 pm. Entry is $5 per person to explore the building and walk the grounds and free learning sessions. read more