Support the Only Living Museum of WILD Life in a
250-Mile Radius! The Children's Nature Center (CNC) in Western Colorado provides lasting educational memories through fun, safe interactions with unusual living things. Staff biologists lead visitors and school groups through the amazing stories of 150 unique creatures onsite.
"Amazing Experience in a Small Package"
Read the other TA reviews, so we dropped in after visiting the dinosaur museum. We loved this so much! We payed $30 for our family of 5, and spent a little over an hour. It is a small nonprofit animal rescue that is staffed by volunteers. They guide you through all of the animals, sharing more information that what is posted on the tank. If you don't have a guide, it won't be nearly as exciting. They take many of the animals out for you to touch. We touched several snakes, a chameleon, a bearded lizard, tortoises, starfish, rays, sea urchins, horseshoe crabs, hissing cockroaches, and I'm probably forgetting something. My favorite animal was the archer fish. Our guide held a cricket over the tank, and the archer fish would accurately shoot it with water. Amazing!!
We couldn't help but chuckle at Bruce the tortoise wandering all over the facility, and Issac the pig-nosed turtle that likes to have his photo taken.
Go support this excellent facility. We will definitely be back again when we return next summer!
Visited July 2016 Trip Adivisor
Our friendly and knowledgeable tour guide gave us lots of fun information on all the fish, crabs, shrimp, turtles, tortoises, lizards, snakes, birds, frogs, spiders, scorpions, and cockroaches! They don't have a ton of space, but they've done a great job with what they have to work with. We loved being able to touch and feed some of the animals! I hope they have a lot of success and can expand someday and add some mammals to their exhibits. Great job, Children's Nature Center! Facebook
"With all the outdoor adventures in Colorado, you wouldn't expect to find this. It is a hidden gem! The staff provide a special treat by telling the science and history of each animal. (Do NOT turn down the offer for a tour!) Don't let the free wandering turtles out the front door. Give the parrot plenty of attention or else he will let you know you are neglecting him. Make sure to see the Archerfish get fed. Go ahead and try a little pretend honey harvesting (with the goggles and all!). Check out Michael Jackson's snakes. And oh so much more! They even have visions of expanding...I can't wait to see what else they add. I wish they had more souvenirs, but I doubt that's what they are there for...they are there for the animals and sharing of the science and animals' personal stories." Sarahblove - Trip Advisor
"In a word, awesome! If you want a totally interactive experience, this is the place for you and your kids or grandkids! Took my grandson and we both had a great time. The hosts are obviously intimately connected with the animals. We got a guided tour of each of the animals, aquariums and habitats from a very knowledgable guide. Very enjoyable! And there's a giant free-range turtle named Bruce roaming around. We loved it!
Visited June 2015" mariawN6776BN - Trip Advisor
"An amazing and surprising adventure. All staff is A ++++. The small space is surprising and absolutely enjoyable. Looking forward to expansion. Believe every family should take a hour or so and look in for sure!!!!!!"-Steve Dangler
"I am going to update this review. But I am leaving my original review below just for historical purposes. Doesn't matter either way, you guys have always been 5 stars in my opinion. Since my first visit to this place on 1 Feb 14, there have been so many additions to the center. The bee hive is complete, there is lots of new critters there. My daughter literally begs me to bring her there every weekend. Anytime you ask her what she wants to do on the weekend, almost always her answer is go to the nature center. We have been there at least a dozen times easily. The staff has gotton to the point where they know my daughter and love her. This place is amazing and as my first review states well worth the admission and a wonderful place to bring children. As my first review mentions it had room to grow, and it certainly has, they do not dissapoint. Each time we go there, there is something new and exciting to look at. I particularly love the aquariums. Especially the Cow fish, they are my favorite. Keep up the good work, and I am sure I will see you again in the very near future if my daughter has anything to say about it hahaha."`Jason M. Moore
"This place is really great! The staff was there to help my 2.5 year old and 4 year old explore the animals. They were fun and funny. Not only did the kids have a fun time but myself (43yrs) and my Mom (70yrs) were learning and enjoying our time. One of the volunteers also helped me find other cool things in Fruita for us to explore...
Children's Nature Center is a center devoted to education, research, conservation, reproduction, and the enrichment of fauna and flora exhibited in comparable natural habitats as well as the education, enrichment, and recreation of those who visit.
Janet Gardner, a native of Grand Junction, Colorado, incorporated Grand Valley Zoological Quest (GVZQ) in June of 2010 as a 501(c)(3). A long-time animal lover, Gardner pursued a master's degree in animal behavior, spending 9 months in Jakarta, Indonesia, studying the Komodo dragon at the Ragunan Zoo and on Komodo Island. Her interest expanded into avian studies, and she has acquired numerous avian management certifications and started her own aviary with eight rehomed parrots. Gardner is a professional member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a member of the AZA's Research & Technology Committee. She is the only USA FrogWatch Coordinator on the western slope of Colorado.
Gardner saw a need for a zoological education center in the Grand Valley of Colorado, realizing the nearest zoological center was either in Denver, Colorado, or Salt Lake City, Utah, at least 250 miles east or northwest. She met with the Small Business Incubator in Grand Junction, wrote a business plan, performed a feasibility study, research land, and formed a board of directors in fall of 2010. The GVZQ Feasibility Study concludes that the Grand Valley and its visitors can support a twenty acre educational zoological center.
In January 2011, GVZQ implemented a series of educational programs highlighting the State of Colorado Life Science Standards written by licensed educators and zoological professional. To date over 16,000 students of all ages have participated in our educational programs, more than any other extracurricular programs all without a building to call home.
GVZQ received a grant from the National Science Foundation through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, January 2013, to document amphibian populations in the Grand Valley as part of USA FrogWatch conservation program.
As an initial step towards the future zoological center, GVZQ is leasing a 3,000 sq. ft. building in which to create a children's nature center. GV Zoo Quest's Children's Nature Center will be a hub of life science education featuring living animals in realistic immersion exhibits and interactive educational stations; achieving our goal connecting students with nature.
January 4, 2014, GVZQ opened the Children's Nature Center(CNC) in Fruita, Colorado. The 3,000 square foot building is home to more than 130 animals from all over the world displayed in their natural habitats. In the two and half years the CNC has been open over 330 educational field trips have taken place. Some students traveling as far as 250 miles to participate in our educational programs.
October 2016, we moved into a 8,200 square foot space located at Mesa Mall in Grand Junction, Colorado. This new location allows our educational and animals exhibits to grow as well as providing programs to a larger population.
Organization name
The Children's Nature Center
other names
The Children's Nature Center, ZOO Quest; GVZQ; The Children's Nature Center; GV Zoo Quest; Nature Center, Grand Valley Zoological Quest
2010
Tax id (EIN)
80-0621059
Category
Animal-Related
Address
Mesa Mall 2424 Hwy 6 & 50Mesa County, CO, US