Worcester Natural History Society

Programs: Museum and grounds: the ecotarium is an indoor/outdoor, family-oriented cultural institution. General admission is available at individual and group rates and includes access to a three-story science and nature museum with a mix of educational interactive semi-permanent and traveling exhibits, free-floor programming daily, a curator's workshop featuring historic collections, and a pre-school area. Admission also includes access to the museum's 55-acre campus inclusive of nature trails, a restored new england meadow, ponds, landscaped grounds, a playground, wildlife trail, river otter habitat, and assorted outdoor exhibits. In addition, the ecotarium owns 320 acres in rutland, under a conservation easement, that are used for summer camp programming. 167,461 guests visited the ecotarium in 2016.

educational programs and community events: in addition to general admission, schools and organized groups can purchase interactive educational science programming suitable for prek through twelfth grade that meets massachusetts state curriculum frameworks, and overnight stays as part of our night journey educational program. Individuals and organized groups can also purchase access to shows in the museum's digital planetarium (which also meet massachusetts state curriculum frameworks), seasonal access to our tree canopy walkaway and skywatch astronomy program. The ecotarium also offers a seasonal science focused day-camp with its summer discovery camp.

visitor services activities and community events: the ecotarium offers a variety of additional services for purchase, including rides on a narrow-gauge explorer express train, hosted birthday parties, purchases from our museum shop, seasonal food service, and food vending machines. We also host special year-round seasonal community events including earth day, the great pumpkin fest, and a christmas journey.