Chattahoochee Nature Center

Visit Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell.

Monday Reviews - Chattahoochee Nature Center

The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a lovely nature preserve in Roswell, easily accessible from GA 400 at exit 6. They have great trails around ponds, through woods, and along the Chattahoochee River boardwalk. You'll enounter turtles, a beaver, and bird of prey like hawks, owls, and even a bald eagle. The Center recently built a visitor's center with some hands-on exhibits and displays, as well as a gift shop (of course!). I love that they have preserved its natural beauty while offering many possibilities for fun and education.

If you visit on your own, you will find plenty to do. Ask for a scavenger hunt list at the front desk, and meet the animals when the handlers feed them or give talks about them. You can bring a picnic lunch to eat outside.

But don't miss the scheduled events. Each year there are festivals: Earth Day, Butterfly, and Halloween. Get out on the Chattahoochee with naturalist-led canoe trips. Little kids can sign up for preschool adventures, storytimes, animal breakfasts or infant walks. Older children can visit Starlab, a portable planetarium, or experience nocturnal animals on night hikes. CNC is also a popular place for birthday parties, and their summer day camp, Camp Kingfisher, is immensely popular.

Good to know: Chattahoochee Nature Center is open from 9:00-5:00 M-Sa and 12:00-5:00 Su, except for Christmas, New Year's Day, and Thanksgiving. The cost is $8.00 for adults; $5.00 for ages 3-12; and free for ages 2 and under. A family membership costs $75, which includes 10 guest passes. If you plan to attend many scheduled events or live close by, membership would be well worth it.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

There's no shortage of fun events all over Atlanta on this beautiful Saturday! The parks will be filled with baseball, softball, and soccer games - we'll be cheering on our son's baseball game. If you aren't already committed to birthday parties or sports, here are some great outings for families.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival - April 17-19 in Piedmont Park. This 70-year-old Atlanta tradition is FREE! Visit the kids' village from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday for art projects, games and activities. There are kids' entertainment shows at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00. Plenty of festival food is available to purchase. Be sure to check the website for parking/shuttle details, because you really can't park, um, at the park.

Georgia Renaissance Festival begins (through June 7). It's located in Atlanta - south of the airport; check the website for directions. Early Bird online tickets for opening weekend are a bargain: $16.95 adults; $6.95 children; free five and under.

Lemonade Days - April 16-19. The Dunwoody Preservation Trust's annual fundraiser is free to enter, but you'll purchase tickets for rides, food, etc. Some of the highlights are inflatables, rides, games, petting zoo, food, face painting, and horseback riding. Don't miss the skate park exhibition in the afternoon. Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Earth Day Kids Fest - Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell. Hours are 10:00-3:00. Admission is $5.00, and ages 2 and under are free. The CNC is really a beautiful preserve; don't miss it this spring!

Good to know: Be warned: they have a very dangerous gift store. Like most museums, you have to go through it with your kids. Be sure to ask for a scavenger hunt list to take with you as you walk.

The Earth Day event at CNC is full of great stuff for kids: smoothies, interactive booths, animal demonstrations, performances by Laughing Pizza (wow!) and Lil Peppi, puppets, canoes for ages 5 and above. And Captain Planet is flying in from his last gig at Georgia Tech!