The Louisville Nature Center strives to teach people about the natural world and provide a place where people can enjoy nature—without even leaving the city.
Visit the Welcome Center to view our live reptiles and animal specimens!
Address: 3745 Illinois Avenue, Louisville, KY 40213 ( Located across the street from the Louisville Zoo and adjacent to Joe Creason Park) Get directions!
Hours: Welcome Center is open Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm and some Saturday’s 9:00am-4:00pm. Bathroom and water fountain available during these hours. Trails and Nature Play Area open daily from dawn to dusk.
Admission to the Nature Center is always free.
Your support helps us to provide quality nature education and preserve our urban forest.
Take a stroll in our Sensory Garden complete with plants and other features to see, smell, touch, and hear.
LNC’s sensory garden is specially designed to be accessible and enjoyable for all visitors, including those with physical challenges. It provides a variety of sensory opportunities. Stop by and enjoy the wonderful sights, scents, and textures nature has to offer!
In order to maintain the Sensory Garden, The Louisville Nature Center along with the Jefferson County Master Gardeners Association, are selling legacy bricks to raise funds for LNC and the Jefferson County Master Gardeners Association.
This is a perfect way to acknowledge a special person, family, group, or create a memory for someone no longer with you. Stop by our Sensory Garden and see what a lovely tribute these bricks are. Custom engraved bricks are $100 each for text only, or you can customize your brick with clip art for $125 each.
Visit our Rain Garden, bursting with native plants whose roots absorb rainwater from the roof into the ground.
It is located behind our main building and is positioned to catch the runoff from the roof. In this way, it catches the runoff before it reaches the storm drains. Diverting storm water into rain gardens from our roofs and other hard surfaces such as driveways or patios, helps improve the water quality of our local streams and at the same time creates functioning gardens which support biodiversity.
Check out the Bird Blind where you can view birds at the feeders through one-way tinted glass!
Located behind our main building, it is open Monday-Friday, 9:30-3:30 and most Saturday’s. You will mostly observe our key feeder species: Cardinals, Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatchs, Tufted Titmous, Finches, Wrens, Mourning Doves and occasionally migratory species!! Male Cardinal — Photo by Louis Tenney
Take a stroll on nearly 2 miles of hiking trails in Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve!
The Louisville Nature Center manages 80 acres of urban forest, including The Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve. This space offers people of all ages a retreat from the surrounding urban areas. This 41-acre urban forest provides critical greenspace and recreation opportunities in the city. The only urban nature preserve owned by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, the Preserve offers:
Photo by Louis Tenney
About 2 miles of hiking trails (NOT stroller-friendly or wheelchair accessible)
A diversity of plants, including 180 species of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers
Over 150 species of resident and migratory birds documented
At least 30 butterfly species observed
Amazing wildlife viewing opportunities
For the safety and enjoyment of all visitors, the following are NOT permitted in the Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve: Walking dogs, motorized bikes, bicycling, camping, fires, fishing, hunting, collecting and littering. Any person in violation of these regulations may be liable for a civil penalty of $1,000 per day and possible criminal prosecution as provided for in KRS 224.
Engage in imaginative play in our Nature Play Area!
Thank you for helping to protect local wildlife!
Louisville Nature Center manages Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve under an agreement with the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission. Our management goals include preserving biodiversity, restoring habitat quality and maintaining safe trail conditions.