Schedule a Program

Audubon Community Nature Center offers classroom, schoolyard and field trip lessons to schools throughout Chautauqua and Warren Counties.

If your school participates in BOCES Co-Ser 438.010, as many Chautauqua County schools do, your field trip may already be in the budget. Check with your principal.

Classroom programs are indoor, at your site, and you may choose from a list of topics. Schoolyard visits are outdoor, at your site, and guide the students through hands-on exploration of the natural space around the school. Field trips are outdoor, at Audubon, and can be a guided walk, or a sampling of what Audubon offers: exhibits, play areas, learning opportunities, and hands-on discovery time.

Click here to learn more about scheduling a school program with Audubon.

Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC) is pleased to offer Discovery Walks and fun patches for Scouts. Please call Chelsea Jandreau at (716) 569-2345 or email cjandreau@auduboncnc.org to arrange a program that fits your needs and schedule.

On Your Own
You are welcome to bring your troops, packs, and dens to ACNC during normal hours for self-guided activities. Regular admission fees apply.

Discovery Walk
When you bring your Scouts to Audubon, Discovery Walk leaders provide a guided walk for about 1.5 hours, pointing out highlights along the way that prompt nature exploration. You may also schedule additional time for lunch and self-guided activities.
$9 per scout with a $90 minimum.

ACNC does not have a public badge program scheduled. If your scouts are working on requirements of a nature-related badge and could use the help of an ACNC naturalist, please call to schedule a Discovery Walk for your troop. We may be able to cater a walk to fit your needs. Specialized Discovery Walks are $12 per scout with a $120 minimum.

Fun Patches
Fun Patches are available for purchase in the Blue Heron Gift Shop. These patches include a list of suggested ‘requirements’ to earn the patch and have different themes such as butterflies, natural night life, turtles, or winter recreation. Not all patches are available during all seasons.

Overnights at Audubon
Audubon Community Nature Center is currently not scheduling Scout overnights. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Celebrate at Audubon!

Birthday Party Programs can be scheduled on Saturdays from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. or 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. You may arrive a half hour prior for set up and stay until a half hour later for clean up.

Birthday Parties are for children ages 4 – 12. There are three nature-based themes to choose from, including:

• Live Animal Encounter: Audubon is home to many different types of animals, including some that live right inside the Nature Center. Learn about some of the animals that call Audubon home and visit with one of Audubon’s animal friends. This party includes a hike and a visit from one of the live animals. Choose from:
  • Scales and Tails (turtle or snake)
  • Feathered Friends (bird of prey and backyard feeders) – not always available based on behavior, participants will not be able to touch or handle the bird; backyard feeders always an option
  • Incredible Insects (Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches)
• Nature Wonderland: Deep in the woods fairies and other woodland creatures hide and play between the trees. Learn about some fairy friends, create a magical fairy finder wand to help you spot them and then head outside to search for these secretive woodland creatures and their friends. This party includes a craft and a hike.

• Creature Clues: Deep in the woods and along field edges, animals live, hunt, sleep, and play. Learn how to decode the clues with tools like magnifying glasses, track finders, and hole sizers as you search for these secretive woodland creatures and their friends. This party includes a brief program about animal signs and then a hike outdoors to look for creature clues.

Please call for more information and to reserve your date (716) 569-2345 or email cjandreau@auduboncnc.org.

Search for clues and solve puzzles throughout the Nature Center to rescue the fledgling Screech Owl before the time runs out.

The Audubon Escape Room is available to be scheduled by appointment. Escapes take place on Thursdays and Fridays from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. with an optional rental until 7:15 for food. Other times may be available, call to inquire. Reservations must be made in advance, and must be made at least one week prior to the Escape date. Please be sure that your group members arrive on time, so that your “escape” can begin promptly. Times are limited and are on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Audubon Escape Room is designed for up to 10 children ages 8 – 12, but children of all ages are welcome to participate. It is designed for children to complete on their own, without adult participation. However, we ask that each group has a minimum of two adults that will remain on-site to assist with supervision. During the Escape Room, the Nature Center will be closed to the public and only available for use by the people who are a part of the group participating in the escape.

Thursday/Friday Evening Escape Timeline:
5:00 to 5:15 p.m. Guests arrive, and are given the Escape Room story to get them started.
5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Group members have exactly 1 hour to work together to solve the escape.
6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Optional: The group is welcome use the small auditorium for a post-escape meal (food and drinks are to be provided by the group, and plates, napkins, and cups to be provided by ACNC).

After your guests arrive, an Audubon staff member will provide the Escape Room story that participants have to solve. A staff member will remain with the group throughout the escape, and will provide three clues if the group gets stuck and asks for assistance. Adult supervisors will act as time keepers, and may also become a part of the escape story!

Escape Room Costs:
Escape with a suggested minimum of 5 and a suggested maximum of 10 participants = $120. Please note your group size when calling to reserve. The optional rental after for food is $75.

Nature Center Members receive a 10% discount. Please note that if you cancel less than a week ahead of the date, ACNC retains the non-refundable deposit of 50% of the cost. Any amount paid beyond that is refunded. If ACNC cancels the event due to emergency or weather, you will receive a full refund. 

Please call for more information and to reserve your date (716) 569-2345 or email Joanne Miller at jmiller@auduboncnc.org.

This opportunity is made possible thanks to a collaboration with Escape Rooms Jamestown who provides adult focused escape room adventures.