Interpretive Center
Features fun and interactive exhibits with live animals, touch tables, mounted animals, nature puzzles and games, a preschool play area, and a children's library. Learn about the history of the area, local wildlife, the history of Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, and more!
School Programs
Hands-on structured environmental education programs are offered to all ages with emphasis on grades K through 7. The staff is willing to adapt to your specific curriculum needs.
Summer Adventure Classes
When school is out, learning at the nature is anything but over! Course offerings throughout the summer provide students of all ages opportunities to learn about everything from water conservation to the migration of the monarch butterfly.
Free Programs
Generous support from the Austin, MN, community allows the Nature Center to provide world-class programs to the general public at no cost to participants! Check the Programs & Events page or the Calendar of Events to see what's coming up!
Equipment Rental
During the summer, visitors can rent canoes and kayaks to take on the pond and Dobbins Creek! Exploring on the water is a great way to experience the Nature Center and to see wildlife you might miss while walking the trails. When the snow arrives, the Nature Center rents cross country ski equipment as well as snowshoes.
Bus Tours
Fun, interactive educational programs developed for all ages, includes seasonal offerings such as maple syruping and apple cidering. Consider contacting the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau to plan a full tour of Austin.
Sola Fide Observatory
See the objects in our solar system and beyond through a 16-inch reflector telescope. Volunteers offer viewing opportunities twice a month on Saturday evenings.
Panache Restaurant
Local
See and Do
- Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Austin (0.0 miles) - Interpretive Center Features fun and interactive exhibits with live animals, touch tables, mounted an...
- Jay C. Hormel Nature Center Austin (0.0 miles) - The Nature Center features restored and remnant prairie, forests, wetlands, meandering streams and a...
