Meigs Point Nature Center

Fantastic experience: Love this beach!

Fantastic experience: My go-to spot to recharge.

Positive experience: Worth spending time checking out this nature center and its gardens while visiting Hammonasset natural area. It’s small but it is inviting on inside with unbeatable free admission cost.

Fantastic experience: It gets better every year. Was there over the 4th just a couple days ago and before that August 2021. 3 years ago the butterfly bushes were full of Monarchs. maybe it’s early, but I saw only 2 black swallowtails. It’s an all around dearth of insects, butterflies and moths. Damn

Fantastic experience: Great little nature center and easy to walk trails. Bring your kids ! After that , have a dip in the water at the beach.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful nature! It is worth to visit Meig's Point Nature Center.

Negative experience: Was extremely sad, the animals were severely restricted in very small containers. Almost no amenities in the fish tanks, the turtle had nothing in his tank And was trying to find a way to get out or climb on anything. When asking about the lobster tank, staff said they came from Stop & Shop. I suppose that’s a positive that they were rescued from Stop & Shop. It was unnecessary animal cruelty, don’t see any educational value in seeing animals in tiny cages

Fantastic experience: Very nice nature center with interesting exhibits about the surrounding ocean, marsh, beach, and forest. Worth a visit.

Fantastic experience: The beach was wonderful , the weather was amazing

Positive experience: If you have a car with a CT license plate, you get in to the beach for free. The Nature Center is donation based and takes care of lizards, snakes, turtles, fish, etc. There is a bathroom and picnic tables outside. Park and walk across the street to the beach. Bring a blanket, chairs, umbrellas... just be respectful of others. Seagulls will steal your food if you leave it out, be careful. Depending on the season, water is nice, flies like to bite humans, and seashells can be sharp for those with tender feet. Kite flying depends on the wind and the crowds. Don't forget sunblock.

Fantastic experience: One of my favorite beaches in CT. Always clean, has multiple bathrooms and changing rooms, food and drink machines, and food booths.

Fantastic experience: Meigs Point Nature Center at Hammonasset State Beach is a true gem for nature lovers of all ages. Although some may remember the old building, the new one, built in 2016, offers a fresh and inviting space for visitors. What's even better is that it's free! The center provides fun and educational experiences, perfect for families looking to learn more about the local environment. Whether you stop by before or after hitting the beach, it's a fantastic way to enhance your coastal getaway. My nieces absolutely loved it, and I'm sure yours will too! Marisa Balletti-Lavoie

Fantastic experience: The center is closed on Mondays so we toured the gardens and surrounding areas. Stunning. Gorgeous. Just beautiful!

Negative experience: They say it's free to go here but that's because it costs $22 for parking. So that was a waste of a trip. No way were buying into that scam.

Negative experience: I’m sure that most people don’t notice this when they visit this nature center. Being that I am an avid bird lover, watcher, and parrot owner, it was obvious to me during my visit today that these Blue Jays are not being properly taken care of. They are not receiving the same type of “natural grooming” as they would out in their innate habitat and being that they are in captivity, they require extra care. These Bluejay’s nails were so overgrown that his nails were overlapping which Is extremely uncomfortable for any bird. It almost looked deforming. You can tell it’s been years since they’ve been groomed. This is so disappointing to see, especially due to the fact that these poor birds have been locked up in a cage for years, when they appear to be perfectly healthy, and have no restrictions that would prevent them from living out side of those doors. They didn’t ask to be there, but at least give them the most consistent & adequate care they deserve considering they are being held hostage in a cage. This is a big deal. Shame on Meig’s point, do better!

Fantastic experience: Great source of information. And live animals on site.

Fantastic experience: A beautiful, and easy, loop along a vast marsh, with an unusual coastal forest along the inward side. We hiked it in winter: it was very peaceful and open; but the size of the parking areas suggested it's a lot busier in summer. The nature center is informative and the staff are pleasant and helpful.

Fantastic experience: We have been to the beach so many times and walk on the trail so often. I do not know how I have missed this treasure! In plain sight! Absolutely wonderful little museum. Completely free. They accept donations. The sections are beautifully designed. The displays are wonderful and lifelike. The volunteers are very knowledgeable and helpful. The staff are genuinely committed to taking care of the animals. The tanks and bird enclosures are so clean! The entire facility including the restrooms are very clean. The hours differ by season. There is plenty of parking. The displays are very thoughtful. There are some excellent movies playing in the theater. There are several activities (listed on the online calendar) throughout the year- nature walks, displays, talks. They also host birthday parties. There is a wonderful little gift shop to support the friends of Hammonasset as well. Absolutely wonderful center. Stop by. :) You will be wowed like we were. :)

Fantastic experience: Very nice little nature center. The Blue Jays in the entry are so cute. Very clean tanks and habitats.

Fantastic experience: Great nature center - building and surrounding grounds. It is also near the beach.

Fantastic experience: Always a nice visit. I wish it was a little more wheelchair friendly.

Fantastic experience: Very relaxing and great spot to just sit and stare out into the ocean. We were where all the shells were and it wasn't overcrowded.

Positive experience: I enjoy just being at the beach. It's a fairly short walk.

Fantastic experience: Big beautiful beach with plenty of space for anyone with spectacular views of the sound

Fantastic experience: Hammonnassett is one of the most beautiful beaches in CT!!! ⛱️

Fantastic experience: My family visited last week. Let me just say, KYLIE did an amazing presentation about the ocean and creatures that are found in Connecticut. She had our attention from start to finish. She was so knowledgeable. We were so impressed and learned alot! Glad we decided to stop in. The kids even had a great time and enjoyed holding various crabs.

Fantastic experience: Awesome place. The fish and animals are great. Rangers are great . Great place to camping, there so much to do here. Went for a walk. They even got fountains for dogs. That awesome

Fantastic experience: Beautiful area, friendly guides, and cute creatures! We really enjoyed the nature center. The animals were all so lively. The beach was clean and had a mixture of sandy and rocky. The views were phenomenal. I’m from the West Coast and I love seeing the East Coast beaches. They are very different, but in the best way. This area was clean and I loved all of the wildlife. Great place to take your kids for a weekend get away!

Fantastic experience: Good amount of birds and sometimes seals to photograph.

Fantastic experience: Needed this! So beautiful. I don't want to leave! :)

Fantastic experience: What a beautiful area, and you would never really know it was there. Most people just go for the beach, but if you explore around a bit there are great walks, lots of scenery, and tons of wildlife.

Positive experience: Free nature/science center. There are several aquariums with local fish & crustaceans. Great to teach kids about our local ocean environment. Friendly informative staff

Fantastic experience: Went here for kids Birthday party- awesome job showing off turtles, fish, birds etc!

Positive experience: apparently no dogs off leash even when they're well behaved and there's no one else there

Fantastic experience: What an amazing place. Great collaboration between Friends Group and State. What a resource to have in this great state. Another Blessed place in CT.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful space to visit and sit by the sound.

Fantastic experience: This is an amazing aquatic experience amidst a public park. While it is not a full aquarium, it offers a lot of info on local aquatic and aviary animals. It also covers some geology and even discusses green energy. The petting pool is one of my favorite aspects of the nature center. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I will mention they are very punctual so be sure to arrive in plenty of time. You should plan to arrive at least an hour before they close to have sufficient time to enjoy each of the displays and maybe even revisit your favorite. There are also outdoor garden plots. These feature groups of flowers or plants along a theme. For example one has a water fountain making a gurgling river. Another features the classic mix of vegetables grown by the Plymouth settlers: peas, squash, and beans known as The Three Sisters. There are also patches for attracting butterflies. I have often spotted monarch butterflies there. There are also signs overlooking the purple Martin nesting grounds and I formational signs about endangered ospreys nesting in the park to make a comeback. Those with a keen eye and a bit of patience may well spot these birds. Bri g your binoculars. Meigs Point Nature Center constitutes a valuable educational and aesthetic addition to the beach experience for children and grownups alike. Enjoy the indoor displays and interact with staff during the business hours, or stop by for a stroll or picnic I the gardens any time the park is open. You are sure to learn a new fact while taking in all Hammonasset State Park has to offer. Make it part of your visit plans along with going to the spectacular beach.

Fantastic experience: Well worth a visit. We took a quick trip to the beach. It has a lot of shell remnants. Very quiet on a Monday afternoon. Has a snack shack. Lots of parking in four areas.

Positive experience: This beautiful state park is free to any Connecticut residents. They have huge pavilions that are well shaded and can have a nice breeze through even through bad heat. Has life guards on duty till 5pm and the place is closed at 830.p.

Fantastic experience: Just literally got here. Very crowded both the beach and parking lot. But the weather is nice and the beach is really relaxing.

Fantastic experience: Very educational and the staff is very friendly.

Fantastic experience: A bit small, but I enjoyed seeing all of the local frogs, turtles, and fish.

Fantastic experience: Such a wonderful center. The docents there were engaging, kind, and knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: I love it there all year 'round. My dog always has the best time!

Fantastic experience: Love that you can bring your dogs in the off season. Lots of people enjoying the warm weather the day after Christmas

Fantastic experience: Great exhibits and a friendly, knowledgeable staff. Call to reserve a time slot while they are managing capacity due to covid.

Positive experience: Small, but well done nature center with displays of information and several live animal exhibits. Currently entrance is by reservation only and you move through the center in one direction with different zones identified and only one family group per zone.

Fantastic experience: Perfect to tour before hitting the trails and shoreline. Beautiful uncrowded in the fall.

Fantastic experience: A great place for a walk and some time by the beach.

Fantastic experience: Quite crowded today, it was nice to see so many people outside enjoying the park. The pollinator garden and Purple Martin garden attracted so many monarch butterflies, bumble bees, and the like. In the distance there were a few Osprey near the nesting sight. I found a great egret in plain sight in the brackish marsh near the restroom. He was capturing lots of fish. Upon exiting I found a small great egret perched in a 15ft tall tree. The admission fee is free for CT residents, as the DMV collects $ through registrations. Out of state visitors are supposed to be paying through paper forms in parking areas. The restrooms at the Nature Center were very clean, although the nature center was closed Sundays. The Nature Center is a must see and great learning venue for all ages. The solar panel is a positive benefit for using natural energy sources.

Fantastic experience: There’s a small garden with a pond and some duck decoys. A lot of native plants attracted butterflies, several interesting sculptures, the whole place is beautiful.

Fantastic experience: We stopped by during a camping trip a few weeks back, glad we did! Staff was incredibly friendly, they have worked out a great system to see exhibits and still socially distance groups. The staff were really knowledgeable about the critters they house and have a great variety of marine life. We almost wanted to do the tour again, there was so much to see. The hoodies in the gift store are super soft and comfy, money goes to a great cause! There are also awesome hiking trails nearby. Definitely plan to stop in and explore the area, it'll make for a great trip.

Positive experience: Meigs Point is a nice little nature center in the lovely, huge Hammonasset Beach park. It's free to get in, and they are doing orderly tours, one group at a time, masks required. The facility is lovely and some of the tanks and displays give you a rare chance to see animals up close that are rarely seen, and often too "common" for a zoo or aquarium. Real critters that live locally! We even got to see how they feed the large whelks in the tank! Great experience, definitely recommend. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is that some displays are unlabeled, and need to be refreshed, because they're faded. An update is needed in a couple of rooms.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful beach clean and not overly crowded. Nice day all together.

Positive experience: Was just passing by and found it. It has some good information about the marine animals on the sound, it also has show a tell learning experiences for children.

Fantastic experience: A free nature center that has a lot of interesting exhibits that focus on local wilderness. Explore Indoors and out in this fun and interesting area. It's the prefect way to break up the beach for 30-60 minutes as you and your family learn more about the world around you.

Fantastic experience: Lots of beautiful monarch butterflies and purple martins

Fantastic experience: Love Hammonasset! The beach was wonderful today and I even found a lifer bird! :)

Positive experience: Easy access and educational

Positive experience: Lots of shells.

Fantastic experience: I believe Meigs Point Nature Center is closed due to Covid-19, but once things return to normal, it is worth the trip for a great family experience. Hammonasset Beach park is an amazing resource with biking, hiking, bird watching and walking on the beach all worth the visit.

Fantastic experience: The views of the sky from the beach are awesome. Were those Purple Martins flying around at sunset?

Fantastic experience: Beautiful beach and it’s great from family outings.

Fantastic experience: Meigs Point is the place to go. Great facilities and quiet beach space.

Fantastic experience: To M...who "arrived late and felt very rushed by staff". Maybe don't arrive late next time.

Fantastic experience: Great free nature center . had lots of aquariums featuring CT native fish and turtles . also a giant 10 pound lobster . doesn't get any better especially considering the great price of $0.00

Fantastic experience: This is a gem in the sand.. Russ gave me an extensive presentation.. I had no idea this facility had so much to offer.. This is a must see and it is free. I was totally impressed.. So kick the rugrat off the couch and experience the real Connecticut.. This is a must see. I'm sure they except donations.. Sooo If you have a few extra bucks to chip in..... I write reviews for Google and I have no affiliation here... Enjoy

Fantastic experience: Very educational with great views of the Sound

Positive experience: This place is incredibly fun and amazing place to go with your kids. My 2 year old nephew loves this place and if it had a membership they would award him a lifetime membership. Also it is very educational and interesting at the same time. I just love it!

Fantastic experience: Lots to learn! Very interesting experience for all ages. Awesome learning experience about the wildlife and nature in our own state! Variety of animals and pictures to inform yourself about wildlife and how to preserve our planet

Fantastic experience: I think Connecticut beaches are no the best but they do a good job maintaining them. Let’s not bring down our beaches. We have amazing view of sunsets here and if you walk a little bit more at the end you will find a secret spot that you will enjoy the view in a romantic date.

Fantastic experience: Great learning place offers such up close to nature educational!!!awesome stop after nice walk on the beach front desk people were so friendly and offered use of facilities....explained up coming activities

Fantastic experience: Available for birthday parties/events, lots of parking (even on busy weekend beach days). Friendly and knowledgeable employees, great family destination!

Positive experience: First time here. It won't be my last.

Fantastic experience: Everyone was very nice, and was knowledgeable. It was fun, I saw kids at the touch tank, full of delight... Even my friends from South America were excited to see the camouflage and defenses, of the ocean life, horseshoe crabs, skates, flounders... And we touched the snakes too.

Positive experience: Nice little nature center where children can learn about the local aquatic wildlife. There is a room where the kids can touch various seaside (lobster, skate, horseshoe crabs, etc). Volunteer at the touch tank to explain the different ocean life in the tank. Front desk staff watched us like hawks which made me feel a little uncomfortable .

Positive experience: Arrived late and felt very rushed by staff. I do not understand the need to inform the public every few minutes you close at 5. Simply telling people 'we're closed' when the time comes should suffice. Otherwise, was very informative.

Fantastic experience: It's a must-do long with camping at Hammonasset every summer. The new building is amazing and the events that they do for the kids to learn about science and nature are well worth our time.

Fantastic experience: If you go to Hammonasset you must stop at the nature center. Wonderful collection of labeled animals, history of Hammonasset, knowledgeable staff and so much more.

Positive experience: Great beach, tons of seashells

Positive experience: The beach at the Meigs Point Nature Center is nice. There is a pavilion with restrooms, showers, picnic tables and vending machines. The water is good, WATCH OUT FOR JELLYFISH. Overall, nice place to go wading in the water.

Fantastic experience: My kids love going here every time we go camping. They love to see the animals and touch the ones they can.

Fantastic experience: Always something new to see at the Meigs Point Nature Center! Free admission. Open all year round!