Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center

Located within Cape Girardeau's North County Park, the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is a place where families can have fun while exploring the rich cultural history and wildlife of Southeast Missouri. Admission is free. Exhibits begin with a collection of Native American artifacts including primitive tools that were used to harvest plants and animals hundreds of years ago. Interactive exhibits encourage exploration of the forest, marsh, swamp, and big river habitats of Southeast Missouri. Outside, "White Oak Trace" features two miles of nature trails allowing visitors to traverse rolling river hills with sinkholes, deep hollows, and ravines covered with prominent stands of poplar and oak. Native plants featured in the Nature Center's landscape provide habitat for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife species. The nature center also has a gift shop, with a wide variety of educational books, videos, and nature-related items.