MacArthur Beach Nature Center

About

Hiking trails wind through coastal habitats at this state park nature center, where your kids explore mangroves, seagrass beds, and dune systems. The center itself holds live exhibits including a resident loggerhead sea turtle, a 1,900-gallon mangrove aquarium, and tanks showcasing local marine life. Rangers and volunteers staff the information desk and lead guided walks that go deep into the park's ecology and history. MacArthur Beach runs structured field trip programs for grades 1-12, with hands-on activities matched to each age group. Your kids can hike trails, ride a tram to the beach, or book a kayak rental. The nature center is open daily and worth exploring before or after hitting the trails, especially if your family enjoys interactive exhibits and live animals.

Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park is a non-profit corporation with a mission of generating supplemental resources to preserve, restore, and interpret the natural and cultural assets of John D. MacArthur Beach State Park for present and future gener

Programs (1)

• Year Round Programs

  Camp
  · Saturday, Sunday· Free

  The Nature Center at MacArthur Beach State Park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., making it a perfect spot to visit on weekends with kids of all ages. Your family will get to explore interactive exhibits about the park's habitats and history, check out the sea turtle tank with a resident loggerhead ambassador, and peek into the mangrove aquarium filled with local fish and creatures. The center also shows short films about the park's ecology and environmental topics like microplastics, so there's plenty to learn together. It's completely free, and a ranger or volunteer at the information desk can help you figure out what to see based on your kids' interests and answer any questions as you explore.