Address: 13351 Elm Creek Rd, Maple Grove, MN, 55369
Upcoming Events: Jump to Eastman Nature Center Events
Website Eastman Nature Center
Phone 763-694-7700
Mon–Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 12-5pm
Eastman Nature Center is part of Elm Creek Park Reserve in Maple Grove. The recently renovated building contains a variety of things for families to explore. For instance, it includes hands-on exhibits for kids, a puppet theater and costumes for dressing up.
Visiting Eastman Nature Center with kids
Park staff suggest using the nature center as a starting point for outdoor exploring. Families can devise kid friendly outdoor games or escape the elements indoors while still getting a view of nature from their floor to ceiling windows.
Kids will love observing live animals, birdwatching indoors or outdoors, searching the a wildlife mural scavenger hunt, or just lounging on the open-air deck. On quieter days, the can flop in the reading room with a good book.
While visiting, families can get outdoors, hit a trail and, if you’d like to learn more about your surroundings, try out any or all of the cell phone audio stops and interpretive signs that are scattered throughout the park. Kids might enjoy borrowing an exploration kit to tote along. These include things like binoculars, nature checklists, and additional information about the natural elements you might come across. The park staff maintains bird feeders behind the building, this may be a good place to start your nature exploration.
Make sure to stop in the nature play area so they can climb and dig.
Other highlights of the park are the enormous Elm Creek Park Reserve Playground — considered by many to be one of the best parks in Twin Cities — and the sand-bottomed swimming pond. You’ll want to set aside several hours — make a day of it, in fact — in order to see it all.
Birthday parties at Eastman Nature Center
Eastman is one of four nature centers that hosts Wild Birthday Parties. These year round programs are designed for kids ages 4+ with nature subject to match your child’s interest, including insects, birds, snowshoeing and live animals. Twin Cities Birthday Parties for Kids: Party in the Park
For a DIY party, families can rent rooms within the nature center for birthday parties and other private events. Learn more at the park’s website.
More information
Related content
- Twin Cities Spring Nature Play & Programs Guide
- FFTC’s Ultimate Guide to Birthday Parties in the Twin Cities
- Maple Syruping with Kids in the Twin Cities
- Birding Checklist: What to Pack Bird Watching
- Elm Creek Play Area: Minnesota’s Biggest Playground?
Upcoming Family-Friendly Events
- Eastman Winter Storytelling - 02/28/2026 - 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
- Eastman Free Funday Sunday - 03/01/2026 - 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- My Preschooler & Me: Bookworms Story Hour - 03/09/2026 - 10:00 am - 11:00 am
- Journey Into the Sugarbush - 03/14/2026 - 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
- Eastman Maple Syrup Festival - 03/21/2026 - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Fun Past Events We Hope to See Again
- Eastman Big Woods Halloween - 10/25/2025 - 10:00 am - 2:20 pm
- Thankfulness Hike - 11/29/2025 - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
- Hike with Baby (FREE) - 12/09/2025 - 9:30 am - 10:30 am
- Winter Solstice Luminary Walk (FREE) - 12/21/2025 - 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Eastman Campfire Meal: Breakfast Edition - 12/27/2025 - 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
- Eastman Introduction to Snowshoeing - 02/07/2026 - 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
- Eastman Family Valentine Trail Adventure - 02/14/2026 - 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Please Note: FamilyFunTwinCities.com is an independent website run by Twin Cities families for Twin Cities families. We attempt to include the information we find most essential as parents. We make every effort to keep up with changes. However, we are not employed by or connected to this venue, and information sometimes changes without our knowledge. We recommend calling or checking the venue’s website for up-to-date information.
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