grand valley zoological quest - the children's nature center

I loved everything about this place. The reptiles were fabulous and i learned so much about them. Getting a personal tour was a bonus! My son is 3 years old and he loved it as well. Its nice to have a place like this to spend family time and learn cool things :) we will definitely go again..

I love this place! It's in a small building, but packed with opportunities for fun and learning. You get to be nose-to-nose with animals and learn more about them. There is a variety of animals, but you don't just wander through, looking at critters. The staff who work there want your experience (whether for little people or big) to be as interactive and personalized as possible. There is no schedule to keep or recorded track to stay on. Families, friends, birthday parties, school tours, young and old can focus on their interests, and have a great time!

I have been to The Children's Nature several times since it opened and each time it has been educational and enjoyable. And each time they have added more animals or exhibits. The staff and or volunteers are always friendly and courteous and can tell you a lot about the fish, reptiles, insects, birds and other exhibits. Children always have a great time looking for the various animals in the exhibits and doing the interactive things.This is the only aquarium this side of Denver or Salt Lake City. Hopefully with more donations and funding, it will continue to grow and be able to provide even more animals and exhibits.

We went in shortly after opening, it was a warm welcoming experience! The staff was well educated, informative, and very personable!! Loved the fish that spits was very awesome to see. Had a fun time good for all ages, We were lucky that day my Niece got to be on the news they were doing a story on the center!

We learned about fish who catch flies out of the air by squirting them with water. Absolutely amazing.

A fun place to go and the personal tours are cool. However, the size of the place is about the same as a pet store and the admission fees seem high for what is offered.

We were enticed to visit by seeing "Bruce" the Sulcata tortoise who was happily sunning himself in the front lobby as we were walking past... we went in and figured we would be happy just to look at the amazing assortment of animals and critters inside as we had no children with us. Well not only did we get to see all the beautiful, well kept and happy residents, but were welcomed in like old friends and got the tour and learned so much! The ladies are so warm and knowledgable, the pride and dedication they have is so clear as they share each animals story. A lot of thought, love and care is put into the entire place... highly recommend visiting!We had a wonderful visit and now will follow them on facebook and hope they grow and grow and more people visit and learn about all they do!! We live in Florida and were in town a few days and will definitely be back to visit next time we're in the area! Don't miss stopping in to meet Bruce and friends!

I must agree with the other reviewers. The personal attention we received the minute we walked in the door amazing. There were 5 kids in our group, oldest was 11, youngest was 6. They were all spellbound by the all the creatures and what they learned about them from the employees. It is a small nature center but packed with unique and interesting reptiles, fish, snakes and a beautiful rescued parrot. Don't miss this nature center!

This is a very small nature center with mainly invertebrates and marine animals, although there are a few birds. However, pretty much everyone gets a personalized tour, and the animals are often out of their habitats interacting. Volunteers will help you see as much as can be seen without harming the animals and if the animal likes to interact (many of them do) they can help you get very close to them, even bringing them out to say "hi!" There are also a few HUGE snakes; they do come out but only in well-controlled settings. Very fun, different every visit (and I've visited many times!)

We went here in April while visiting family in Fruita. It's pretty small but has a large assortment of animals. Their snakes are especially great! We went with four kids ages 1 to 9 and they all had a fun time. We spent about an hour here looking around. The great thing about this place is how involved the staff are, they are very knowledgeable and did a great job explaining things about every single creature. They were very personable and passionate about it and liked getting the kids involved in other activities.

This place is really great! The staff was there to help my 2.5 year old and 4 year old explore the animals. They were fun and funny. Not only did the kids have a fun time but myself (43yrs) and my Mom (70yrs) were learning and enjoying our time. One of the volunteers also helped me find other cool things in Fruita for us to explore. We were there for about an hour but you could stay longer or shorter depending on what you want to learn.A great addition to Fruita! We will be back on our next visit.

This place is brand new, just opened in January. A bright and cheerful place filled with animals that I've never seen or been close to before: dart frogs, horseshoe crabs, snakes and more.