Seaside Nature Center

0 miles
Closed
  • Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Wednesday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
  • Tuesday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

This staffed nature center offers year-round environmental education programs and recreational activities for all ages. Marine aquariums and displays intorduces visitors to ocean creatures face-to-face. An auditorium for audio-visual programs and a gift shop complete the attractions at this popular facility. Located at Cape Henlopen State Park. Fore more information, call 302.645.6852 or visit www.destateparks.com

Recent Reviews

Seaside Nature Center
Kara : 4 on 9/13/2024 10:21 pm
So nice and relaxing. If you aren't a resident it's $10 entrance fee for the day. Many things to do! Biking trails and bike rentals, hiking trails, basketball court, youth center, beach with a nice access, bathrooms are clean and well kept.
4 5
Seaside Nature Center
Savannah M : 5 on 8/6/2024 2:36 am
Small and cute. My kids loved the touch pool which had horseshoe crabs, baby flounder and other local fish. They also had a series of other beautiful aquariums show casing local fish and habitats. Also, some wonderful staff that answered lots of great questions from kids and adults about the local wildlife. Definitely worth a visit!
5 5
Seaside Nature Center
David Lieu : 5 on 9/6/2023 7:29 pm
We visited on Friday morning Labor Day weekend. We arrived around 8AM and brought our bikes to ride. We parked here and got on the loop trail and went most of the way down to Gordon's Pond trail, turned around, and came back. When we got back around 10AM, there were a ton more people here.

Not many in the visitor center itself. They do rent bikes out for free, and all you need to do is fill out a formal. There is a 2 hr maximum rental time. It's in a giant shed/garage in the parking lot, but forms are inside the visitor center.

The visitor center has a few wall exhibits and half a dozen aquariums, with each one representing different ecosystems around the ocean/bay. Lots of variety and large animals to look at. They also have a fairly large touch tank. Make sure to wash your hands before and after handling the marine life. Also, make sure to get all the soap off your hands before dipping them in. They have hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs and fish and snails you could touch.

If you walk further to the right, there is another room with seats that shows a video about the park on a loop. There are also 3 more tanks in here with snake and turtles.

There is also a gift shop with a good variety of goodies, including but not limited to appearal, pins, hiking medallions, patches, and key chains.

Right outside the front is also the seaside nature trail. We were planning to do the trail but it was very sandy. We didn't have the right shoes because we were biking the park.

You probably wouldn't need to visit it again unless you're a local and are here all the time. There are so many other things to do in this park.
5 5
Seaside Nature Center