Free admission to Rookery Bay Nature Center
Published on September 08, 2025
Free admission to Rookery Bay Nature Center
In celebration of National Estuaries Week, all guests will receive free admission during regular business hours on Sept. 20-27 to the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road in Naples. The two-story nature center along Henderson Creek has aquariums, touch tank, exhibits, trails, art gallery, picnic areas, gift shop and more. In addition, the nonprofit is offering a bonus month for all new memberships purchased during September. Benefits include free or reduced price membership at hundreds of nature centers and museums nationwide.
The current art exhibition at the nature center is Through the Lens of Nature: A Celebration of Flora, Fauna and Culture. It features mixed media works by Collective 5 artists Giampaolo Curreri, Jody Futterman, Peggy Keigley, Lisett Llorens and Lin Nesdale. All of the works are for sale.
The Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The nation's 30 national estuarine research reserves annually hold National Estuaries Week to celebrate these incredible ecosystems and the benefits estuaries provide, including recreational opportunities, which are especially important to physical and mental health. The goals include increasing public awareness of estuaries and encouraging people to become involved in the protection of these important natural resources.
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve stretches across 110,000 acres from Gordon Pass in Naples to the western Everglades of pristine mangrove forest, uplands and protected waters. It encompasses 40 percent of Collier County's coastline.
The reserve's mission is to serve southwest Florida as a trusted resource for science-based information fostering connected human and ecological communities. The vision of the reserve is that communities in southwest Florida value nature and prosper in concert with healthy estuaries.
Reserve staff conduct fisheries and water quality research, manage the land from a stewardship prospective, protect sea turtles and nesting birds, engage students of all ages and investigating researchers from around the world, and educate the public about the importance of this part of the Western Everglades.
Learn more at rookerybay.org or call 239-530-5972.