The Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center in Newport Beach is a GEM of a find; best part is admission is FREE (but of course a small donation is always appreciated!) My girlfriends and I take our joggers and walk the trail around the Back Bay and stop into the center for some exploration. There are hands-on learning exhibits and an awesome kids’ room with puppets, books, crayons, nature activities and displays of small spiders and snakes. They also offer fun kid programs for kids 2 – 7 for only $5/ class along with family nature walks and other organized events. Check out the website for details and upcoming dates. Note: The building is hard to see and there are not a lot of signs. When you turn onto University Drive, there is a large dirt parking lot. The Nature Center is direcly adjacent to the parking lot (across from the YMCA.) The entrance is on the lower level facing the bay.
Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center
2301 University Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949)923-2290
The interpretive center is a great find! I have taken my daughter there a couple of times and she loves the interactive playroom. Definitely worth checking out.
What a fantastic place for the little ones! So many great, fun things in the kids playroom – puppets, books, coloring, live snakes, spiders, etc. The back bay is also a fantastic place for a walk or jog after visiting the center.
I took my niece there and it was a really fun outing! She especially loved the owls and (stuffed) birds they have on exhibit. Beware if they are feeding the snakes though! We had to distract her for that one! :0)