Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park

"I took my son to a toddler class here. First, it’s a one way road going up to the actual nature center and an Arlington County truck almost ran us off the road. When you get there there’s room for a handful of cars and then absolutely nowhere to park so parked in a no parking spot but wasn't blocking anyone/was only there for a 45 minute class. Was told to load my kids back into the car and park a quarter mile down the road. The class had already started. We would have missed half the class and it was not worth it so we left. Not stroller accessible (no ramp, no strollers allowed inside) so really hard for moms with young kids. We had a bad experience. My toddler left in tears because he wanted to visit the nature center--we won't be back."

"My grandson celebrated his 5th Birthday at the Nature Center. He and his friends had a wonderful time and it was educational at the same time. Jennifer who works at the Center gave a presentation about turtles. Her presentatio.was great and she was wonderful with the children. She had a captive audience! It's a great place to have a child's birthday party."

"Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park is a great neighborhood green space. There's a small parking lot by the small nature center that does programming in non-pandemic times. Attached to the center is an outdoor terrace with chairs and a caged area for an owl. Just outside of the nature center is a small pond, a 1871 restored log cabin and an old blacksmith. This is where the trail starts that takes you into different Arlington neighborhoods and to an area with picnic tables and tennis courts. Benches are along the way and a small bridge over a creek."

"This is an amazing place to bring kids. They have a large variety of local animals on display to include an owl. There is a lot of educational information about the local environment and some of the regional history. There are also a few trails that are open from dawn to dusk. The trails are used a lot by locals for walks to include taking dogs for walks. There is also a historical blacksmith shop that is still in active use. See the blacksmith guild of the Potomac for more info."

"It has live animals that are great for kids to view, a bee hive, a rescued owl, and A great educational area for kids. There is a nice outdoor area for a short interesting walk. It is a great combination of the outdoors and a complimentary indoor education. Plus, the people that work there are kind, informative, and friendly! Great free couple hour activity for kids and even the nature minded adult!"