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Awesome Places to Learn About Nature
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items Whether you can bring nature to life through the power of your pen, pencil, or paintbrush, or barely draw stick figures (I fall somewhere in-between), there’s no denying that the natural world has a profound effect on our lives. Nature is presented w...
Note: This list may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission (at no charge to you) if you make a purchase using these links.
Note: This list may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission (at no charge to you) if you make a purchase using these links.
Map
Sections
4
Aquariums
Arboretums & Public Gardens
Natural History Museums
Wildlife Parks & Zoos
Aquariums
Almost 75% of Earth is covered by water – and yet we still know so little about this vital element. Public aquariums dazzle me with their stunningly rich variety of marine and aquatic organisms; not being of Atlantean origin or possessing Bajaun (“No...
Opened in 1993, Italy's largest aquarium exhibits 600+ species and 12,000+ animals that span the globe, from the tropics to the poles. It actively promotes awareness, conservation, and research of marine ecosystems. EAZA accredited.
Acquario di Genoa (Italy)
Opened in 2012 and housing thousands of aquatic lifeforms across 7 major galleries in 11 million gallons of water (including a 6.3-million US gallon whale shark exhibit), Georgia Aquarium is the largest public aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. AZA ...
Georgia Aquarium (Atlanta, U.S.A.)
Built on the grounds of a former sardine cannery, the award-winning Monterey Bay Public Aquarium has pioneered many conservation and animal husbandry firsts since its 1984 opening. With a stunning 20,000 square feet of observation decks that look out...
Monterey Bay Aquarium (California, U.S.A.)
Europe's largest aquarium, L'Oceanogràfic boasts Arctic, Mediterranean, and tropical exhibits in 110,000 square meter facilities, plus a dolphinarium, mangrove swamps, and even an underwater restaurant. AZA accredited.
The Oceanographic (València, Spain)
Making its public debut in 2013, Canada's largest aquarium houses 20,000+ exotic sea and freshwater specimens from 450+ species, living in 1.25 million gallons of marine and freshwater habitats from around the world. Interactive and immersive experie...
Ripley's Aquarium (Toronto, Canada)
Located in Darling Harbour and inaugurated in 1988, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium gives visitors a look at 700+ species of aquatic life, many unique or endemic to the land (and waters) down under, with eight themed zones, including the Great Barrier Reef ...
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium (Australia)
My introduction to the wraparound design that would become de facto with many other aquariums around the world. Located on Sentosa Island and formerly known as S.E.A. (South East Asian) Aquarium, the rebranded Singapore Oceanarium (the second largest...
Singapore Oceanarium
BC's largest aquarium is still one of my personal favorites for its Pacific sea nettles (which mesmerize me like large, living lava lamps!), otherworldly blooms of moon jellies, and lively assortment of anemones, caimans, cephalopods, corals, fish, r...
VanAqua (Vancouver, Canada)
Arboretums & Public Gardens
I love me a walk through nature's green, because trees, forests, plants are--poetically and literally--the lungs of earth. Without vegetation, life could not emerge from the seas, and many air-breathing land-based lifeforms could not exist. Public ga...
Established in 1872, this is the oldest (and free!) public arboretum in North America, with 17,000+ plants in its massive collection. Its 281-acre grounds focus primarily on eastern North American and eastern Asian vegetation.
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
A tropical ecosystem in the heart and highest point of Metro Vancouver that's open all year round, the Bloedel is an ode to thousands of trees, hundreds of exotic and colorful birds, and even mason bees, all housed under one magnificent triodetic dom...
I was privileged to visit several years ago when (as an added bonus) the corpse lily (populary dubbed Uncle Fester by the public) flowered for the first time!
I was privileged to visit several years ago when (as an added bonus) the corpse lily (populary dubbed Uncle Fester by the public) flowered for the first time!
Bloedel Conservatory (Vancouver, Canada)
I visited Vancouver Island's iconic Butchart Gardens in my youth. Its lively and vibrant assortment of flowers, plants, trees, and fountains, artfully laid out over 54 acres, makes this National Historic Site and multi-generational, family-run operat...
Butchart Gardens (Brentwood Bay, Canada)
This is one of 9 butterfly houses in Canada. In addition to thousands of free-flying lepidopterans in this climate-controlled greenhouse, you can also see turtles, fish, tropical birds, plenty of plants, and waterfalls.
The highlight of my visit was having a pale yellow butterfly perch on my sneakered foot as I sat down to take everything in!
The highlight of my visit was having a pale yellow butterfly perch on my sneakered foot as I sat down to take everything in!
Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory (Canada)
Shades of Avatar, anyone? Watch the world-famous supertrees during the day (or night when they put an awesome light show), and explore the exquisitely designed Flower Dome, the largest glass greenhouse in the world. Don't miss the Cloud Forest, eithe...
Gardens by the Bay (Singapore)
Nicknamed “The Garden of Europe, the 79-acre Keukenhof Gardens is an ode to botanical joy and one of the largest floral gardens in the world (7 million bulbs are planted every year and 1.4 million people visited in 2025). For 8 weeks in early spring ...
Keukenhof Gardens (Netherlands)
This UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrates its 267th birthday in 2026. Not only is it one of the oldest gardens in the world, but--at a whopping 330 acres--it is also the biggest, possessing one of the largest botanical and mycological collections. V...
Kew Gardens (London, England)
The palace and gardens were built over 400 years ago as an opulent and hedonistic retreat for the well-heeled, but today, Schloss Mirabell and Mirabellgarten are one of Europe's most popular tourist attractions. If you're a fan of the 1965 release of...
Mirabell Palace & Garden (Salzburg, Austria)
A national heritage site and one of the most significant botanical institutions in the world, the Royal Botanic Garden celebrates its 210th birthday in 2026. Positioned in the Sydney Harbor with the Sydney Opera House in the background, this 74-acre ...
Royal Botanic Garden (Sydney, Australia)
Ooo la la! A man's home is his castle, and the gardens of this Gallic castle are equally impressive. If I lived here, I would need an army of gardeners!
The Gardens of Versailles (France)
I have enjoyed many a walk in here over the years, during the spring, summer, and fall months. Opened in 1975, VanDusen is home to an old-growth forest and various zones that emphasize the BC/Pacific Northwest clime. The labyrinth is always good for ...
Expect to see plenty of songbirds, hummingbirds (and even the odd osprey, if you're observant).
In the winter months, the VanDusen Festival of Lights turns this 55-acre public garden (formerly part of a private golf course) becomes a stunning spectacle of lights.
Expect to see plenty of songbirds, hummingbirds (and even the odd osprey, if you're observant).
In the winter months, the VanDusen Festival of Lights turns this 55-acre public garden (formerly part of a private golf course) becomes a stunning spectacle of lights.
VanDusen Botanical Gardens (Vancouver, Canada)
Natural History Museums
The past (and the distant past) can teach us a lot about the path that we are on, let us see the footprints/pawprints left behind by ancestors long past, and even teach us how we can make a (positive) change to our course for the future.
If you are fascinated by the flora and fauna that inhabited the Americas millions of years ago, the AMNH--built over 150 years ago on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and widely regarded as one of the top natural history museums in the world--is defi...
American Museum of Natural History (New York City, U.S.A.)
This popular attraction is unique for its open air natural history museum, zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden. It's so many adventures, wrapped up in one place!
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Tucson, U.S.A.)
Located on the grounds of the UBC campus, Vancouver's only natural history museum lets curious minds of all ages as well as budding young scientists explore thousands of well-preserved wildlife specimens and hundreds of exhibits from prehistoric time...
I was exploring for hours!!
I was exploring for hours!!
Beaty Biodiversity Museum (Vancouver, Canada)
I hope your curiosity trumps any squeamishness that you may have about exploring plastinated cadavers, because a Body Worlds exhibit is all about getting under your skin! I was lucky to have visited a Body Worlds traveling exhibit when it came to Van...
Body Worlds (Amsterdam, various places around the world)
That this was the filming location of David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive 2014 documentary just adds to the my interest in the British Museum. Said museum has also figured into several other films (fictional and nonfictional) over the y...
British Natural History Museum, (London, England)
It's not just dinosaurs that will grab your attention here; the award-winning Melbourne Museum features the largest IMAX theatre in the Southern Hemisphere, an indoor rainforest, and the Phar Lap exhibit, which showcases highlights from the life of t...
Melbourne Museum (Australia)
With a breathtaking backdrop of the badlands (which aren't as bad as they sound – in fact, they're pretty awesome looking) sculpted by the ancient whims of Mother Nature, the Dinosaur Capital of the World is the single most fascinating place I've fou...
Royal Tyrrell Museum (Drumheller, Alberta, Canada)
Admission is free to the largest and most visited natural history museum in the world.
Make a date with the stunning blue Hope Diamond; be inspired by a 13-foot tall taxidermied African Bush elephant; and discover millions of paleontological specim...
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington, D.C., U.S.A.)
With a Renaissance-inspired building that showcases many attractions, including the largest public collection of natural history artifacts in the world; a 29,500 year-old limestone figurine; and a hall that lets visitors explore the history of Earth,...
Vienna Museum of Natural History (Austria)
Wildlife Parks & Zoos
Zoos can be great places to learn about the natural world – and how some animal species are still considered living fossils, having evolved very little from their ancestors hundreds of thousands or even millions of years ago.
Founded by the Irwin family more than half a century ago, this popular 110-acre zoological garden houses 1,200+ animals and a rich diversity of fauna (many of whom are native to Australia), with an emphasis on conservation and rehabilitation efforts ...
Australia Zoo (Queensland)
One of Europe's oldest zoos, and the most visited one in Europe. the 86.5 acre Berlin Zoological Garden--which also includes a 25,000-litre aquarium--lets visitors see 20,000 animals and almost 1,400 species from every continent. Like the Australia Z...
Berlin Zoo (Germany)
Making its appearance at the tail end of the 19th century, the 265-acre Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the U.S. Among its many past and present accomplishments is the creation of the American Bison Society (and the successful reintroduc...
Bronx Zoo (New York, U.S.A.)
Who would have thought that the San Diego Zoo got its start as the repository of abandoned exotic animal exhibitions in 1915? Today, this 99-acre zoo--which pioneered open-air, cageless exhibits--showcases 12,000+ animals from 650 species onsite.
San Diego Zoo (California, U.S.A.)
This was a much-anticipated adventure for me when I vacationed in Singapore. One can see a dazzling variety of nocturnal wildlife during their waking hours (and during the cooler hours of the night).
Singapore Night Safari (Mandai Wildlife Reserve)
Opened in 1752, the Schönbrunn Zoo is the world's oldest active zoo and a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boot. It is one of 27 zoos in the world to have giant pandas. This 42-acre zoo houses 6,200+ animals, 500+ species, and features indoor exhibits t...
Vienna Zoo (Austria)