Highlands Nature Center

Highlands Nature Center Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Highlands Nature Center, Museum, 930 Horse Cove Road, Highlands, NC.

☀️ Summer hours begin Memorial Day!Starting Monday, May 25, the Highlands Nature Center will be open:🌿 Monday–Saturday🕙 ...
05/22/2026

☀️ Summer hours begin Memorial Day!

Starting Monday, May 25, the Highlands Nature Center will be open:

🌿 Monday–Saturday
🕙 10 AM – 5 PM
🚪 Closed Sundays

Stop by to explore exhibits, pick up trail guides and activity sheets, join a program, and enjoy the beauty of the Botanical Gardens all summer long. We can’t wait to welcome you for another season of discovery!

Plan your visit: https://highlandsbiological.org/nature-center

🌿 We’re in the final stretch of our Spring Giving Campaign — and we need your help to reach our $20,000 goal!So far, gen...
05/21/2026

🌿 We’re in the final stretch of our Spring Giving Campaign — and we need your help to reach our $20,000 goal!

So far, generous supporters like you have helped us raise $11,744 to support free environmental education at Highlands Biological Foundation. If you’ve been meaning to give, now is the time.

This week, we’re highlighting Nature on the Go! — our outreach program that brings hands-on environmental education directly into the community. Each month, our education specialists visit libraries, after-school programs, homeschool groups, and community organizations with interactive lessons that connect kids and families to the wonders of the natural world.

Through partnerships with organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Highlands and Cashiers, Hudson Library, the Gordon Center, and more, we’re able to reach children and families beyond the walls of the Nature Center and inspire curiosity about the Plateau we all call home.

Your gift helps keep these programs free, accessible, and growing.

Every dollar makes a difference as we work toward our goal before the campaign ends. Thank you for helping us inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. 💚

Learn more + give today!
https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

🪱 Registration is NOW OPEN for our upcoming Millipede Night Crawl!Creep into the nighttime world of one of the forest’s ...
05/20/2026

🪱 Registration is NOW OPEN for our upcoming Millipede Night Crawl!

Creep into the nighttime world of one of the forest’s most fascinating decomposers as we explore the forest floor in search of millipedes. Learn how these many-legged creatures help keep our ecosystem healthy and thriving during this fun evening adventure with our Naturalists.

📅 Tuesday, June 9
🕗 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM

FREE | All ages welcome
Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration is required. Sign up today!
https://highlandsbiological.org/naturecenternights/ -2

Free Nature Center programming is provided by Highlands Biological Foundation.

⚠️ The Highlands Nature Center will be closed tomorrow (Saturday, May 16), but there’s still plenty to explore in the Bo...
05/15/2026

⚠️ The Highlands Nature Center will be closed tomorrow (Saturday, May 16), but there’s still plenty to explore in the Botanical Gardens and along the nature trails!

Families can enjoy self-guided activities with our ecoEXPLORE challenge and Herpetology Habitat Hunt activity sheets. Hop, slither, and slide your way through a Saturday of discovery while exploring the outdoors! 🐸🐍🌿

Activity sheets are available near the front entrance of the Nature Center and at the kiosk at the gardens’ entrance.

These free family activities are made possible through the support of our community during our Spring Giving Campaign. 💚 If you’d like to help us continue providing accessible nature education and programming, please consider making a gift.

https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

We are open today until 4 PM if you’d like to stop by before tomorrow’s closure. We hope to see you there!

Summer nights just got a little wilder 🌙✨Join us every Tuesday from June 2–August 4 for Nature Center Nights—an after-ho...
05/05/2026

Summer nights just got a little wilder 🌙✨

Join us every Tuesday from June 2–August 4 for Nature Center Nights—an after-hours adventure in the Highlands Botanical Garden! Explore alongside our Naturalists during hands-on, family-friendly programs like salamander searches, millipede crawls, bat walks, and even live owl and raptor encounters.

From spotting bats in flight to meeting fascinating nocturnal creatures, each week offers a new way to experience the natural world after dark.

Programs are FREE and open to all ages, but registration is required and opens two weeks in advance. (All programs are weather-dependent.)

👉 Learn more and plan your visit on our website!
https://highlandsbiological.org/naturecenternights/

Your support through Highland Biological Foundation's Spring Giving Campaign helps keep programs like this free and accessible for our community.
👉 Give today! https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

🐍 Mis-Snaken IdentityLookalikes in nature can be tricky! This week at the Highlands Nature Center, we’re exploring the f...
05/01/2026

🐍 Mis-Snaken Identity
Lookalikes in nature can be tricky! This week at the Highlands Nature Center, we’re exploring the fascinating similarities and differences between common venomous and non-venomous snakes found right here in Western North Carolina. (See photo 👀)

🎨 Make a Snake Craft
May is all about herpetology—celebrating the snakes and salamanders that make Highlands so special! Stop by the Nature Center to create your own “Make a Snake” crayon rubbing craft. (Swipe for a peek!)

The Highlands Nature Center is open Thursday–Saturday from 10 AM – 4 PM. We hope to see you there!

Free nature programs provided by Highlands Biological Foundation.

🌿✨ Support free Nature Center programming through HBF’s Spring Campaign: https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

Highlands Biological Foundation is making progress, but we’re not there yet 🌙Our Spring Giving Campaign has raised $3,79...
04/29/2026

Highlands Biological Foundation is making progress, but we’re not there yet 🌙

Our Spring Giving Campaign has raised $3,793 toward our $20,000 goal, and we need your help to close the gap. Every gift supports free programs that connect our community to the natural world.

Programs like Nature Center Nights, where families explore the Botanical Garden after hours, search for salamanders, listen for bats, and meet birds of prey, are made possible by supporters like you. We’re looking forward to bringing these experiences back again this summer.

Help keep these moments free and accessible for all.

Make your impact today: https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

♻️ Got cardboard? Save it for us!This summer, campers at the Highlands Nature Center will be turning everyday recyclable...
04/24/2026

♻️ Got cardboard? Save it for us!

This summer, campers at the Highlands Nature Center will be turning everyday recyclables into creative, nature-inspired projects, and you can help us prepare!

We’re collecting:
• Paper towel tubes
• Toilet paper tubes
• Egg cartons

If you’ve got some at home, set them aside and drop them in the blue donation bins out front of the Nature Center next time you’re in town.

It’s a simple way to support hands-on learning, creativity, and sustainability 🌿

BIRD SURGE! 🦆The peak of the spring bird migration is just ramping up! Last night, there were more birds in flight than ...
04/23/2026

BIRD SURGE! 🦆

The peak of the spring bird migration is just ramping up! Last night, there were more birds in flight than the entire US population! While you were sleeping, more than 410 MILLION birds were flocking north, according to data from BirdCast. This data uses NEXRAD Doppler Radar to track and estimate bird migrations and flight patterns. It’s likely that in the next 1-2 weeks, the nightly surge will reach over 1 BILLION birds! The heaviest migrations are now pushing into the Midwest and Great Lakes.

Many unique birds have been spotted around Highlands over the last few days, like the Blue-winged Teal seen just off of Sto Pavilion! Be sure to bring your binoculars when you come for your stroll through the botanical gardens, you never know what you may see!

Highlands Nature Center is open Thursday - Saturday from 10am - 4pm. We hope to see you there!

Support free Nature Center programming through HBF's Spring Campaign 🌿✨
https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

Celebrate Earth Day by making an impact right here at home 🌎Highlands Biological Foundation's Spring Giving Campaign rai...
04/22/2026

Celebrate Earth Day by making an impact right here at home 🌎

Highlands Biological Foundation's Spring Giving Campaign raises support for free environmental education programs like our Nature Center Daily Programs. All summer long, these offerings invite visitors to connect with nature through animal encounters, story time, garden tours, ecoEXPLORE activities, and hands-on crafts that spark curiosity and discovery.

This Earth Day, we invite you to support free learning experiences that make nature accessible for all. Every gift helps these programs continue to grow and inspire.

Learn more + make your impact today: https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

Free nature education starts with you 🌱Highlands Biological Foundation's Spring Giving Campaign is here, and your suppor...
04/15/2026

Free nature education starts with you 🌱

Highlands Biological Foundation's Spring Giving Campaign is here, and your support helps keep environmental education free and accessible across the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.

From hands-on programs at the Nature Center to ecoEXPLORE, outreach through Nature on the Go!, and community favorites like Nature Center Nights and the Zahner Lecture Series—every gift helps create opportunities to explore, learn, and connect.

Be part of something meaningful and make your impact today: https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/2026-spring-campaign/

Address

930 Horse Cove Road
Highlands, NC
28741

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+18285262623

Alerts

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