Patuxent Visitor Center | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

National Wildlife Visitor Center

Lots to see and enjoy including...

Kids Discovery Center
Monarch Magic
Wildlife Images Bookstore
Hollingsworth Art Gallery
Family Fun
Visitor Center Bird Blind
Pollinator Gardens
Story Trail

The Visitor Center, located on South Tract, is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. – closed on federal holidays.

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Kids Discovery Center

Located in the Patuxent National Wildlife Visitor Center - 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708

Daily, Wednesday through Saturday: Sessions start at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 12:00 pm.

Duration: 35 minutes, each. Larger group special arrangements are possible when scheduled 2 weeks in advance. Lots of exciting learning activities and crafts await you at the KIDS DISCOVERY CENTER! New themes are presented monthly to engage kids (ages 3-10) * and adults in nature-related fun.

Registration Required. Call the National Wildlife Visitors Center front desk 301/497 5772 to reserve a 35-minute time slot for you and your child.

Children, with parent/guardian support, explore and learn about nature and the environment through engaging, age-appropriate activities, crafts and games. Older siblings are welcome to join with parents and work with younger siblings to help them understand and complete the activities.

NOTE: The Kids’ Discovery Center is neither baby-proofed nor appropriate for children younger than 3 due to small items featured in the exhibits and activities. Parents are required to work with their child at each of the parent-led activities.

If interested in volunteering to work with KDC and/or to help develop curriculum activities for children, please call the front desk 301/497 5772 and ask for Barrie!

Program Themes:

APRIL - TURTLES
Who carries their house around wherever they go? A turtle, of course!! Come and explore the fascinating lives of these magnificent creatures!

MAY - INSECTS / ANTS
100 species in Maryland, alone! They visit our picnics and sometimes our kitchens, but what else do they do? Come explore!

JUNE - REPTILES / SNAKES
Some climb, some swim; they eat whatever their mouths can fit in. But what else can they do? Come discover!

Registration strongly urged: Call 301-497-5772.
Large groups email Jason: michael_cangelosi@fws.gov.

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Monarch Magic

The monarch butterflies departed our area in the fall and made their way to Mexico for the winter. We look forward to their return north, generation by generation, this spring and summer. Meanwhile, you can come to the National Wildlife Visitor Center to visit our Monarch Magic Station, learn more about these incredible and beautiful migratory insects, and enjoy a full-color educational video about them. (The video runs continuously during Visitor Center public hours.) Ask at the Visitor Center for our 2025 monarch-release data.

Monarch Magic Opportunity:
Explore volunteering with the Monarch Butterfly Team! Call 301-497-5772 to ask about & sign-up for the next “Monarch Butterfly Team Overview Presentation.” These presentations are for adults, and ages 16-17 with adult registration on file, to learn about what volunteer Monarch Magic docents and Butterfly-Care Providers do

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Wildlife Images Bookstore

The Wildlife Images Bookstoreis operated by the Friends of Patuxent. Proceeds from sales made at Wildlife Images are devoted to supporting the environmental education at the Patuxent Research Refuge and research missions at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. The Bookstore is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 3:30 PM; closed on federal holidays.

Wildlife Images has an extraordinary selection of:

Wildlife books
Wildlife art items, created by some of the world's best wildlife artists
Wildlife-theme tee-shirts, Children & Adult sizes, and caps
Songbird box kits
Posters
Educational, and one of a kind items
Many other exciting wildlife-related items suitable for everyone who loves the outdoors and cares about the wildlife of the world.

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Hollingsworth Art Gallery

Each month the Hollingsworth Art Gallery exhibits wildlife-themed art by local and by nationally-known artists.

April 2026
Artist of the Month - Barbara Dahlberg

Barbara Dahlberg was born in New Jersey, but lived as an adult in northwestern Pennsylvania where she learned to quilt. She was a teacher for years in both public and private Montessori schools but retired early - and has now spent 25 years in quilting and art exploration. She has long been a member of the Southern Comforters Quilt Guild and exhibited with them and on her own in several states including Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, California and Maryland. Look online at www. barbarasartquilts.com to open-up her galleries of gorgeous traditional and art quilts. She writes that her favorite themes are the beauty of nature and changing seasons.

Check out her YouTube interview Go Tell it at the Quilt Show! that is sponsored by the Quilt Alliance to see beautiful quilting and learn about Monarchs. Also, visit her Etsy site. Barbara often offers classes. Check out her schedule at the Quilting Parlour, 2120 Priest Bridge Drive, Suite 12, Crofton, Maryland.

Please Note: Meet & Greet the artist - Barbara Dahlberg
Reception at the gallery: Saturday, April 4th 1-3 PM.

May 2026
Artists of the Month - Nishanth E. Sunny and Isha A. Sunny

Exhibitors are Nishanth E. Sunny, Patuxent Volunteer, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and Isha A. Sunny, Patuxent Volunteer, Severn Run High School, Severn MD.

Theme: Nature's Wonders - Let's Preserve Them!

This exhibit features beautiful photographs of butterflies, birds, and local flora and wildlife, mostly from Patuxent Research Refuge, by Dr. Sunny, along with some of his daughter Isha’s pencil drawings. Update: They have generously decided to have this exhibit be a fundraiser for Friends of Patuxent and this refuge!

Enjoy their exhibit, then choose your favorite print and purchase it in Friends of Patuxent's Wildlife Images Bookstore & Nature Shop (open Wed.-Sat., 10am-3:30pm). Your purchases will be available for pick-up from the shop once the exhibition concludes*. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the work and mission of this refuge through the refuge's partner nonprofit, the Friends of Patuxent!

*Accommodation may be possible for customers traveling through the area and unable to return for purchase pick-up.

Dr. Sunny has also collaborated with experienced educator-volunteers at the refuge who will offer special children's programs on three Saturdays in May at the Patuxent National Wildlife Visitor Center: 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop, Laurel, MD 20708. Each day's activity session, designed for children ages 4-12 years, will be followed by light refreshments and a Meet & Greet reception with Nishanth and his daughter Isha. Adults are welcome to participate in the activities with their children but not required to do so. To participate, please meet at the front desk on the scheduled day and time. No registration required.

Saturday, May 9th – 11:00AM to 12:00PM: Dennis Hartnett, Patuxent volunteer, will lead an interactive program, "Wolves and Other Predators." This activity will provide an overview of various predators in nature and how their behavior can impact the surrounding species and environment.

Saturday, May 16th – 11:00AM to 12:00PM: Barrie Hershkowitz, Patuxent volunteer, will lead an interactive program, "Monarch Butterflies and their Magical Migration." This activity will provide an overview of the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly and how they prepare for their 3000-mile southern migration.

Saturday, May 23rd – 11:00AM to 12:00PM: Diana Ogilvie, Patuxent volunteer, will lead an interactive program, "Nature Walk." This short walk through the trails will highlight some common species of interest and their interactions and impacts on the nature around them.

June 2026
Artists of the Month - Bowie-Crofton Camera Club

According to the records of the Washington Council of Camera Clubs, the Bowie (Crofton) Camera Club was formed in 1965 by a local newspaper photographer. He gathered a group of "photo enthusiasts" interested in field trips and discussions. Between 1973 and 1980 the name was changed officially to the Bowie Crofton Camera Club and has flourishedwith the current membership over 150. As with the Maryland Photo AIliance, this group provides group shooting opportunities, mutual assistance, education, inspiration and interesting challenges.

Co-presidents of the club are Roz Kleffman and Stefan Kaben. They set policy, connect with other clubs in the Maryland Photo alliance and plan meetings. Meetings are held weekly at All Saints Lutheran Church in Bowie on Monday evenings from September through May in person or via zoom. Speakers cover topics that can be appreciated by novices as well as "seasoned" pros. The club sponsors monthly challenges to its members with a special theme. In October, it was night images; December, close ups; January, the art of imperfection; February, travel and March, soft focus in landscapes. Members describe the club as active and friendly. For more information about the club check out their web site - https://www.b-ccc.org/ or

Join us at our reception at Patuxent Hollingsworth Gallery on June 20th from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

Family Fun

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The Family Fun section offers self-paced hands-on activities and crafts for all ages, typically volunteer-staffed two days per month (dates, below), and available all month long for independent exploration. Test your knowledge with the Quiz Board or the Match Game. Make-and-take a fun craft project. Learn about nature, the plants and animals at Patuxent Refuge, and what you can do to help wildlife and the environment. There is something for everyone!

This is a drop-in program: come when you wish and leave when you're ready. Look for the Family Fun section in the hallway to the right as you face the reception desk.

Themes

March-May theme: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Did you know that, on average, every American throws away almost 5 pounds of trash each day? That's a LOT of garbage! And it's causing problems for wildlife and for the earth. Come enjoy hands-on activities and games for all ages while you learn how you can reduce, reuse and recycle in order to generate less trash.

June-July Theme: Colors in Nature
There are so many pretty colors in nature! But why? Are they just to make the world more beautiful, or do the colors serve a purpose? Come find out the answer through hands-on activities, games and crafts for all ages.

STAFFED (Volunteers) Dates: May 29 & 30; June 12 &13; July 17 & 18 from 10AM to 1:00PM.

Come explore your questions with us on our volunteer-staffed dates, or come on your own to explore all month long!

Visitor Center Bird Blind

Wish there was a convenient way to view birds at South Tract without intruding into their lives?

Try our bird blind located near the Visitor Center trail door. The slanted viewing port design allows people of all heights to view without revealing their presence. .The blind overlooks an open field with ground modification to mimic a forest floor. A variety of bird feeders have been added to attract a variety of species. Being located on a paved trail allows individuals with limited mobility to use the blind.

Birds seen in the blind’s first month include downy woodpecker, goldfinch, house finch, red-bellied woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, northern mocking bird, chipping sparrow, doves, red-winged blackbird and humming bird.

Funds for construction were provided by the Friends of Patuxent.

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Pollinator Gardens

The Patuxent Research Refuge has large pollinator gardens of native plants at the South Tract Visitor Center and at the North Tract Visitor Contact Station. Other small pockets of pollinator plantings are near the Fishing Pier at the north end of Cash Lake and at the Wildlife Viewing Area near Merganser Pond at North Tract. Volunteers help design and maintain these gardens, which provide food and shelter to butterflies, native bees and other insects that pollinate native plants and thus support the local wildlife populations. The gardens are beautiful and bring joy to their many visitors, and are especially appreciated by children and photographers.

Since the seeds choose where they like to grow, the gardens are an ever-changing landscape. As one of the gardeners noted, part of the fun of native plant gardening is enjoying the evolving display that changes with both the seasons and the successional stages of plant species as the landscape matures.

The gardens give visitors a chance to see pollinators in action in their natural habitat. They create an awareness of the beauty of native plants in home landscaping, and demonstrate the vital role they play in attracting beneficial insects as well as birds and other wildlife. The gardens are essentially an outdoor classroom, promoting good environmental stewardship by showing visitors what they can do in their own gardens.

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Story Trail

Location: Our paved Loop Trail is just off the Visitor Center parking lot, near the outdoor bathrooms.

Walk our paved outdoor Loop Trail on your own; enjoy the current children’s storybook display. The Story Trail for April/May features the dual language children’s book: “I Know the River Loves Me; Yo sé que el río me ama,” by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Beautifully illustrated, this poetic tale is of a young girl’s appreciation for a river and for all that this river provides for wildlife, for her, and others.

More about the April/May Bilingual English/Spanish storybook:

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Listen... Can you hear the river calling you? Rushing and bubbling, splashing or still, the river has so much to teach us.

Whenever Maya visits the river, the river jumps up to greet her. It cools her down when the summer sun is too hot, and holds her up when she dives in. It keeps her company in the quiet of winter. The river takes care of Maya and Maya takes care of the river.

In this gentle story of love and respect for nature, Maya Christina Gonzalez combines her award-winning talents as an artist and storyteller. Young readers will be inspired by the joy and wonder of being outdoors, and learn powerful lessons about their environment and themselves."