Harry C. Barnes Memorial Nature Center

Open Thursday through Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 12-4. Admission is free and donations are encouraged. Located at 175 Shrub Road in Bristol, Connecticut, the original 40-acre parcel, purchased in 1969, and  where the Harry C. Barnes Memorial Nature Center now sits, was the first landholding of ELCCT.  The Nature Center was built in 1972 and additional property was acquired in 1974 increasing the property to its current 68 acres.

The original goal of the nature center, and one that continues today, was to be a community center where people of all ages learned about the importance of the natural world; a place that was open to the public on a regular basis with exhibits and activities facilitated by a knowledgeable cadre of staff and volunteers; a place that inspired conservation and the love of nature.

The nature center was recently updated with new exhibits and activities. View our extensive collection of reptiles and amphibians, meet Ruby the Red-tailed Hawk, try your hand at one of our many interactive exhibits and by all means, explore our trails!

The extensive network of trails are open dawn to dusk free of charge. There are loop hiking trails and a trail-head of the Tunxis “Blue” Trail for your hiking pleasure.