Lakeside Nature Center


Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park 4701 E. Gregory Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64132 816-513-8960 Center Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission Closed Mondays Call about holiday schedule	Looking for volunteer opportunities? Friends of Lakeside Nature Center helps support the center's mission. Call 816-513-8960 for information. Or visit Friends of Lakeside Nature Center
Lakeside Nature Center is one of Missouri's largest wildlife rehabilitation facilities and provides educational and recreational opportunities that focus on the environment. Built in 1999, the facility is one of Swope Park’s newest additions. It typically houses about 75 animals including two bald eagles, two turkey vultures, three barred owls, three varieties of hawks and two Kestrel falcons. The Center even has a box turtle named “Wilma” that is thought to be about 76 years old. If you have a native Missouri animal in need, please call the Center 816-513-8960 and leave a message. You will be contacted shortly and given instructions on what to do. FACILITY RENTAL RATES If you are looking for a unique facility to rent for your special occasion, Lakeside Nature Center may be the ideal spot. Call 816-513-8960 for details and reservations. Facility Rental (capacity, 300 people): $500 (4 hours) Meeting Room (capacity, 69 people): $30/hour Kitchen (refrigerator, stove, microwave, sink): $15/event (also used by LNC staff) Staff Overtime: $35/hour/staff Animal Encounter: $100 Clean-up Fee: $50 Birthday Party Package (maximum of 20 children): $100 Fee includes 2.5 hours time for set-up, party including 30 minute program and clean-up. $25 non-refundable deposit is required to confirm reservation. What's Happening at Lakeside
Breakfast with the Beasts at Lakeside Nature Center 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Saturday, Feb. 4 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $5 per child You’ll meet some of the beasts living in our own backyards and learn what they like for breakfast. Kids can eat with their favorite beast -- skunk, raccoon, squirrel, lizard and much more, all portrayed by our volunteers. The $5.00 fee per child includes breakfast and a photo with a favorite beast – there is no cost for adults. Other activities will include: Live animal presentations throughout the day, Crafts kids can take home, Face-painting, kid tattoos and more… For more information, call Lakeside Nature Center at 816-513-8960. Blue River Rescue Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Saturday, March 31 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Be part of Missouri's biggest one-day clean-up and help us clean the Blue. Stop by the water testing stations and see concrete results. For more information call 816-513-8960. Earth Day Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Saturday, April 14 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Come to the center to learn, watch a puppet show from StoneLion Puppets, make something to take home and see our night-time stars. For more information, call 816-513-8960. BUGS! Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Friday, June 8 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. How do bugs see? What noises do they make? What are their lives like? Lots of cool stuff to see, hear and touch. For more information, call 816-513-8960. Party in the Park Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Saturday, July 21 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join us for a special version of Mother Nature Reads. We'll read stories, make a craft and have a special touch table. There will be other special events all day throughout Swope Park. For more information, call 816-513-8960. Kids, Water, Bugs and Fish Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Saturday, July 21 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. What do Fish Eat? Little Blue River Watershed Coalition and Heart of America Fly Fishers invite you to bring your children and learn all about the bugs in our streams, the fish that eat them and what they can tell us about the quality of the water. Learn from the Heart of America Fly Fishers as they tie flys of those bugs and show you how to cast your fly to attract fish. For more information, call 816-513-8960. Magic Woods Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132 Friday, Oct 12 6 - 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct 13 5 - 9 p.m. Take a walk on the wild side with Mother Nature and her friends. A safe, fun activity for the entire family. Walk our Nature Trail and listen to animal characters tell their stories. Enjoy this enchanted evening at Lakeside Nature Center. See actors from Coterie Theater. Katie the mule will be there and so will Eco-Elvis. $5.00 per person. Children under 3 are free. For more information, call 816-513-8960. Mother Nature Reads Saturdays, 10 a.m. Bring your children for a morning of fun each Saturday. Mother Nature tells stories about the center's "Animal of the Month." Make a craft and take it home. Call the center for more information at 816-513-8960. Hike with a Naturalist April 14 May 30 June 16 June 27 July 21 Aug. 18 Sept. 1 Nov. 3 All scheduled hikes are FREE and open to the public. Severe weather should be considered a notice of cancellation of the hike. Please dress appropriately for the weather of the day( raingear, layers of clothing for cold weather, sunscreen and hats for warm weather, insect repellent, closed-toed shoes or boots). Carrying water with you on the hike is recommended. These hikes are not appropriate for children in strollers as there are rocks and logs to step over and hills and valleys to traverse. Children may hike or be carried. This season, notice that some months the "Hike with a Naturalist" is being offered on Wednesday mornings and some months it is offered on Saturday mornings. This guilded hike also corresponds with some of the public events at Lakeside Nature Center. The Hike begins at 10 a.m. and hikers gather inside the main doors of Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E. Gregory Blvd., Kansas City MO. There the naturalist will meet hikers, give an introduction to the hike of the day and then lead the group on the trail. Some hikes do have "early out" opportunities for those that wish to complete their hike before noon. Some trails require a short drive from Lakeside Nature Center to the trailhead. For more information, call 816-513-8960. Beginner Bird Walks April 21 May 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 10 Oct. 24 All scheduled hikes are open to the public and geared toward beginner birders. The walks are FREE and all fall on Saturdays. Severe weather should be considered a notice of cancellation of the hike - call the Center 816-513-8960, if you aren't sure. Please dress appropriately for the weather of the day( raingear, layers of clothing for cold weather, sunscreen and hats for warm weather, insect repellent, closed-toed shoes or boots). Carrying water with you on the hike is recommended. These hikes are BYOB (Bring Your Own Binoculars). Birds are most active early in the morning, when it's cool. Hikes will end no later than 8:30 a.m.