The home built by George Mitchell in 1912 has been converted into a nature center. The park, which is located on 98 acres of land that was originally a farm owned by Ronald Donaldson, existed in the suburbs of Arlington before the creation of the Nature and Park Regional Overlook Potomac. Several buildings were constructed on the farm to serve as the nature center.
To access the nature center, park near the playground and picnic area.
The Donaldson farm’s original foundation is visible from the road. Educational displays can be found along “Planet Walk.” The nature center is just a five minute stroll away from this location.
I do not possess an electric automobile and I discovered this to be unusual and disheartening. Solely sanctioned automobiles are permitted to utilize the road that leads to the facility, yet there is an electric vehicle charging station located outside.
What We Didn’t
The nature center needs some major renovations to spruce up the building overlooking the Potomac. The space appears to have an unorganized hodgepodge of items on the computer desk table.
Through the microscope, one can observe animal and human specimens that are faded and not visible to the naked eye.
The space itself was boring, but I enjoyed the mock habitat of the bear, owl, and forest. At the very least, they had a fountain with water, but the areas were changing without bathrooms, giving off a strange odor. There were storage boxes outside the utility closet.
My child was greatly disappointed when we went downstairs to the Kid Cave. The doodle boards for cave art were unusable due to missing pen balls, and the buttons that control the cave sounds were non-functional.
The space is diminutive and lacks amusement, but in general, it contains a few books and stuffed animals. Among the discoveries are various animals, such as an armadillo, and there is also a wooden alphabet.
What We Liked
The Birds of Prey exhibit, located just a few stops from the nature center, houses a Barred owl, Great-horned owl, and Red-tailed hawk in captivity.
The hawk has been a resident of the park for 20 years. In its natural habitat, these birds cannot survive injuries and were actually rescued. Some may think that these birds should be free while others were sleeping when we arrived and saw these beautiful birds.
You can hear a sweet high-pitched sound made by a hawk. There is a small display of raptor talons and facts.
On the main floor, there is a small hands-on exhibit where kids will enjoy seeing American Native artifacts and Galileo’s thermometer. Additionally, there is a turtle box and fish display. However, during the spring, you can also observe the bees outside.
After seeing me snapping photos at the window, the naturalist helped us learn about some of the birds we saw. We observed Purple Finches, Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and Downy Woodpeckers.
Downstairs at the nature center, you can observe mosquito fish and an American toad, as well as three varieties of turtles, including the uncommon Northern Pinesnake and venomous Northern Copperhead. Additionally, there are six species of snakes to be found.
Older children and adults will delight in observing tools and other relics discovered on the farm. They can examine animal skulls and the bat’s skeleton, feel snake skin, acquire knowledge about various reptile species, and uncover which countries are devoid of snakes.
Hours
The Nature Center Overlook on the Potomac is closed on Mondays. It is open from 5pm to 10am from Saturday to Tuesday. The timing on Sundays is from 5pm to 1pm. It is also closed on major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Birds of Prey and other animals were the sole redeeming qualities that made the nature center worth visiting. There is no charge for admission. “Meet Me on Sundays” is a weekly event organized by them.
Getting There
The park can be found at 2845 Marcey Rd, Arlington, VA 22207.
Things to Do Nearby
The Bottom Line
Have a delightful day at the nature center with your children. After your visit, you can either take the young ones to the playground or go for a hike on one of the trails.