10 Family Friendly Wildlife Sanctuaries to Visit with Kids

Looking for somewhere new to bring the kids, so that they can spend less time in front of screens and more time outdoors? Across Massachusetts, families are taking advantage of the trails, nature play areas, and interactive exhibits at Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries. 

These sanctuaries offer safe, stimulating environments for kids to explore at their own pace. With convenient picnic areas, gift shops, exhibits, and more, each sanctuary promises families an unforgettable day of adventure.  

If you have a little one that loves to look for bugs, care for animals, or build forts, we’ve got just the place for you. 

1. Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (Wellfleet)  

Families flock to Wellfleet Bay for their live animal exhibits and scenic salt marsh boardwalk. Inside the nature center, kids delight at the six fish tanks with close-up views of native fish, crabs, and turtles found on the Outer Cape. Outside in the nature play area, they can go wild making songs on a musical fence, playing in an oversized bird nest, tunneling through a tree trunk, balancing on beams, and jumping over uneven logs. If you visit in the warmer months, take the Goose Pond Trail to see fiddler crabs scuttering around the marsh. 

2. Blue Hills Trailside Museum (Milton)  

Serving as the welcome center for the 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation, Mass Audubon’s Blue Hills Trailside Museum features natural history and non-releasable native wildlife exhibits. Children can explore the museum, then hit the trails for a chance to see the nature they just learned about in action. The otter exhibit, a favorite among young naturalists, captivates visitors with lively swimming and playing.  

3. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary (Easthampton and Northampton)  

Is your child in their artist era? Creative opportunities abound at Arcadia's art house in Easthampton and Northampton. If you plan to visit during the spring through the fall, you’ll find art supplies for drawing, painting, sculpting, journaling, printmaking, and collaging. Let nature inspire your child as you capture the moment through art together.  

4. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary (Topsfield)  

Kids can walk gentle trails, search for turtles and frogs, and catch sight of the wide-winged Great Blue Herons at Ipswich River. Follow the Rockery Trail to visit the popular grotto, a structure built in the 1900’s that is a favorite for climbing and exploring. A nature play area and nearby picnic spots make this an ideal destination for family fun on the North Shore. 

5. Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center & Wildlife Sanctuary (Worcester)  

It’s all about building at Broad Meadow Brook in Worcester. Create mini cities with found bricks or design gnome homes with moss, leaves, acorns, and anything else found near their nature play area. Taking a cue from traditional playgrounds, a wooden two-seater swing lets kids soar like the birds above. Follow the Holdredge Trail to get there; along the way you will also find surprisingly comfortable chairs made from fallen trees. 

6. Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary (Mattapan)  

It can be tough to find nature in the city. Luckily, the Boston Nature Center boasts 67 acres of greenspace and 2 miles of walking trails in the heart of Mattapan. Their 14,000-square-foot Nature Nook hosts opportunities for children to try their hand at gardening, building, climbing, and more. Children can play the akambira (giant xylophone), challenge their balancing skills with the tree stump jump, explore and create in the sand area and overturn a variety of logs and rocks to find hidden critters and invertebrates. Plus, there’s a shaded gathering area with benches for parents looking to relax while supervising.

7. Pleasant Valley (Lenox) 

Lenox’s Pleasant Valley is just that: pleasant! Capture your child’s imagination with ample evidence of the sanctuary’s resident builders—families of busy beavers. Their dams, dens, and lodges, made from sticks and logs harvested nearby, dot Pike’s Pond and the Yukon Brook running through the sanctuary.  

8. Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary (Attleboro)  

Explore 1.5 miles of trails on 75 acres at Oak Knoll in Attleboro. At their nature play area, you’ll find Sid the Snake Stump Jump, an enchanted pathway hidden by foliage, and a fort frame, constantly added to and rebuilt by visiting children. To get to the fort, as well as a magical-home building area, take Puddingstone Trail beyond the photovoltaic panels. Stay to the left at the Marsh Trail and go left again on the Talaquega Trail.

9. Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary (Edgartown)  

Felix Neck features 4 miles of trails through 194 acres of woodlands, meadows, and salt marshes, just waiting to be explored. Enclosed by pine trees, the secluded nature play area invites children to connect to their surroundings. Journey down the woven bittersweet vine tunnel to find benches shaped like caterpillars and cocoons—a picnic area reminiscent of the butterfly life cycle. At the nearby butterfly garden, the lesson comes to life with fluttering examples of nature’s complex cycles.  

10. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary (Lincoln)  

Known for its playful spring lambs, funky chickens, and expansive agricultural fields, Drumlin Farm gives visitors the chance to experience life on a working farm and wildlife sanctuary. Take a trip through the farmyard loop to meet sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, and more. Explore gentle meandering trails through forest, agricultural field, and meadow, then take in the breath-taking view from the top of the drumlin. Stop by the Mass Audubon Shop before you leave for a sweet treat and souvenir of your adventure.  

Nature Play Helps Children Grow—In More Ways Than One 

Playing outdoors in nature promotes healthy, active lifestyles while developing imagination, creativity, and invention. It allows a space for children to navigate risk and provides opportunities to practice adaptability and resilience. And of course, when children are outdoors, they find more connection to the natural world.  

These 10 wildlife sanctuaries are just a sample of the 60+ family-friendly Mass Audubon sites across the state. Plus, Mass Audubon members, EBT cardholders, indigenous communities, active military families, and more receive free or reduced admission. 

So what are you waiting for? Start planning your outdoor adventure today. 

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