See an ornate box turtle, red-eared sliders, a bearded dragon, hissing cockroaches, an anole, salamanders, toads, a hedgehog, snakes, a tarantula, fish and more!
Topography sandbox
NEW for 2023! The augmented reality sandbox from Breeze Creative is a great way to learn about topography. We have 5 themes; Ocean, Safari, Fossils, Dinosaurs & Bugs.
April-September watch the osprey nest and how they interact raising their chicks in Kenue Park. Also, keep an eye on the pond. We have two trumpeter swans that live in Kenue Park year-round.
Wallace collection
Other than the Smithsonian Museum, the Dickinson County Nature Center is the only public entity with rights to photos from Alfred R. Wallace's collection, found in an antique cabinet by an Okoboji native.
Kids Play area
Follow a trail of moon boots and stars, jump on the moon, view lighted constellations, play with nocturnal animals and create constellations on a magnet board!
Interactive, children's museum-quality exhibits include a life-size apple orchard with blossoms you can pollinate, a play food truck, a human-sized honeycomb climber and so much more!
Nature Store
Find unique gifts such as honey sticks, Explore Nature T-shirts, stuffed animals, pollinator costumes and more in the Nature Store! Conservation Foundation of Dickinson County members receive 10 percent off purchases.
Public programs
In addition to free admission, nature center educators also provide free programming year-round to the public.
LEARN MORE WITH THESE EDUCATIONAL HANDOUTS
Outside the center
In addition to the wonderful educational opportunities inside the Dickinson County Nature Center, Kenue Park also features geocaching, mowed trails through the prairie and around the wetland that is home to two rehabilitated trumpeter swans, an 18-hole professional level disc golf course, a fantastic Nature Playscape and paved trails that are a part of the Dickinson County Trails system.
