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Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Locust Grove Nature Center, Montgomery Parks

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Locust Grove Nature Center, Montgomery Parks

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Locust Grove Nature Center is a facility of Montgomery Parks, which is part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Conveniently located in Cabin John Regional Park, Locust Grove Nature Center provides a natural sanctuary from the surrounding urban bustle. While designated the outreach center for area schools, Locust Grove continues to offer quality public programs for all ages. From homeschool to preschool to adults and seniors, our programs will delight and inform. You’re also welcome to come and wander our trails, enjoy our observation deck, explore our exhibits indoors and out, or discover the wonder of the Center’s natural playground. The Park is open from Dawn to Dusk, Nature Center program room hours are afternoons seasonally for the public as we run pre-registration programs every day of the week.

10/29/2026

Learn to capture the beauty of nature with pencil and paper in our nature drawing program. Our November session will be on Friday, November 6, from 4:30pm to 6pm.

This month we will be learning how to draw rocks and fossils.Nature walks will be apart of this program so participants should be able to walk on natural surface trails, which may have some steep inclines. This program is meant for beginners. Registration is required. We encourage you to bring your own sketchpad and materials to this program.

To learn more, check out the following link: https://mocoparks.org/4sqwm95

10/28/2026

Join us for the last Nature Center Pop-Up on November 8, from 12pm to 3pm at East Norbeck Local Park Playground with the Nature on Wheels.

Come talk with a naturalist about the park, ask questions and try out the pop-up exhibits, then explore the nature around you. This is a walk-up event providing a 20 to 30 minute experience. Stay to play or hike in the park!

To learn more about the Nature Center Pop-Up check out the following link: https://mocoparks.org/4Bkz0kG

10/20/2026

We had an excellent nature journaling program this past weekend, our adult participants got to discover the world beneath the leaves on the forest floor. The picture below is a nature journal entry that a participant shared with us. You truly never know what you will discover in our nature journaling programs.

If you are interested in observing the wonders of nature then check out our upcoming nature journaling programs on November 14:

Nature Journaling Club for Adults https://mocoparks.org/3WrWTXq

Nature Journaling Club for Kids
https://mocoparks.org/4etJy75

10/17/2026

Come to our Spooky Story Campfire program this month. Join us for an evening of spooky stories and roasting marshmallows around the campfire. Please note that these stories will have a scary elements, so please make sure both you and your child will enjoy these tales. Costumes encouraged! Inclement weather will cancel this program. Each registration is for one child and their adult.

This program will run on Friday, October 30, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm:https://mocoparks.org/4hU60Ya

10/14/2026

Join us for our Little Creepy Critters Costume Campfire programs this month.

Snakes, spiders, and toads... do these critters give you the jitters? We'll celebrate nature's creepiest with a special presentation featuring our live animal ambassadors. Then come around the campfire to roast a sweet marshmallow treat. Costumes encouraged! Inclement weather will cancel this program. Each registration is for one child and their adult.

We will have two sessions, register for either one:

October 24, from 11am to 12pm: https://mocoparks.org/3Umaxe2

October 31, from 1pm to 2pm
https://mocoparks.org/4e7zfWf

10/03/2026

Nature Journaling Club is meeting this month on Saturday, October 10, from 4:30pm to 6pm. We will be focusing on observing the forest floor for this month's meet-up.

There will be two sessions going on at the same time, one for adults and one for kids. Registration is required for both, fee is $10.

To register for the adult session, check out the following link: https://mocoparks.org/4z5CFAT

To register for the kid session, check out the following link: https://mocoparks.org/4hEluPP

09/18/2026

The Fall Native Plant Sale is this weekend, September 19 and 20, 10am to 2pm each day.

Beautify your backyard with native plants! Ask the experts your questions about growing low-maintenance and pest-resistant varieties that help attract wildlife to your garden. Shop a unique selection of the highest quality local ecotype plants. Free Admission. No registration required. Sales support educational programs at Locust Grove Nature Center.

The Live, in person sale will be held at Pope Farm Nursery 7400 Airpark Rd. in Gaithersburg (only one greenhouse will only be open to the public for these sale hours - Pope farm is closed the rest of the year)

09/16/2026

The Fall Native Plant Sale plant list is up, check out the link below to see what we will be selling at the plant sale this weekend, September 19 and 20, 10am to 2pm each day.

Please note that the list is subject to change based on our inventory numbers and what has emerged or gone dormant by the time of the sale and the list will be updated again Friday evening

https://mocoparks.org/3IxAix0

09/12/2026

Join us at Pope Farm Nursery on Friday, September 18, 5pm to 7pm for a Native Plant Presale Party.

This special presale party is for our VIPP "Very Important Plant People" who want to shop ahead of the Saturday morning crowd for the Fall Native Plant Sale while helping raise funds for our educational programs at Locust Grove Nature Center.

Registration includes a one quart size plant.Registration is required- limited spaces available to create a better shopping experience. https://mocoparks.org/4ysuEpc

09/12/2026

Join us this Sunday, September 13, 10am to 11:30am for our Fall Wildflower Walk at Locust Grove Nature Center. This weekend only we are accepting drop-in participants for the program, we do encourage drop-ins to make a donation at the nature center when they arrive for the program.

To learn more about this program, check out the following link: https://mocoparks.org/4iZIniQ

Address

7777 Democracy Boulevard
Bethesda, MD
20817

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

(301) 765-8660

Website

http://www.LocustGroveNature.org/

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