Loxahatchee River Center » Loxahatchee River District

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The Loxahatchee River Environmental Center 'River Center' opened August 23, 2008. It traces the Loxahatchee River from its headwaters in Palm Beach County, through the cypress dominated floodplain in the Wild & Scenic segment, into the central embayment, and finally out through Jupiter Inlet into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream. Explore the history of the watershed, its majestic environmental value, the modifications and problems associated with ever-increasing human population and development, and programs and projects underway to help preserve and restore this valuable and unique system.

The River Center has a combination of static displays, interactive exhibits, live tanks which trace the river system from a freshwater cypress swamp to seagrass-dominated estuary to marine ecosystems. The center provides an opportunity for school children, adults, visitors, and long-time residents an opportunity to learn about Florida's first federally designated Wild and Scenic River.

The River Center hosts traveling exhibits in order to provide other agencies and organizations an opportunity to further educate the public about the Loxahatchee River, our valuable community asset. The Center continues a well developed focus on school children, our leaders of tomorrow. The elementary school program remains a key educational venue at the Center. In addition, we offer programs to attract middle and high school students, special interest groups, and non-traditional and informal learning groups.

The River Center is located in Burt Reynolds Park on US 1, just north of Indiantown Road.

805 N. US Highway 1

Jupiter, FL 33477

(561) 743-7123

OPERATING HOURS

Tuesday - Saturday

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Admission is free for the public. Your donation helps to keep the River Center open to the public. Special programs may have small fees. Please call for details.

Sponsorship of the following exhibits presents an exciting and interactive way to show that you and your business are behind preserving the natural beauty of our community. For more information please contact jocelyn@loxahatcheeriver.org Jocelyn O'Neill at 561-743-7123 or 561-262-2991.

Historical Overview
From the moment of arrival, visitors are engaged with an impressive timeline which dates back to prehistoric times and illustrates the history of the Loxahatchee River Watershed.

We Love our Donors!
A donor signs reflects a community in support of environmental preservation and conservation.

Our Changing Watershed
Impressive satellite and aerial photos lead visitors on a visual tour of the watershed over the past century.

Interactive Cypress Tree
A magnificent, seemingly real cypress tree in full glory greets visitors as they enter the exhibit rooms. Adorned with life-like wildlife, this tree of knowledge details the exhibits to come and provides an overview of the experience.

Aquarium
A naturalist exhibit details three zones of the wild & scenic river - wetlands, main channel and flood plain - with vegetation and live aquatic tanks featuring indigenous reptiles and fish.

Critters
Reminiscent of Trapper Nelson's Zoo, this showcase of biodiversity in the watershed features terrariums housing spiders, frogs and colorful snakes, as well as fossil cases and a magnification activity to identify the river's tiniest creatures.

Floodplains: Wetlands that Work
The constant cycling of water is represented in an entertaining interactive exhibit which allows visitors to explore and control the hydrology of the river throughout its seasonal changes.

Balancing our Water Budget
This exhibit challenges the visitor to become a water resource manager. The scales of balance are never more pertinent than in this live demonstration where the hands-on task is to allocate a limited water supply to meet the competing demands of urban, agriculture and the environment.

Aquarium
This magnificent tank details two critical habitats - oysters and mangroves - found in the estuarine portion of the Loxahatchee River, both above and below the water.

Aquarium
A stunning 360-degree sectional of a mangrove communicates the importance of this species as a nursery for juvenile fishes, a feeding ground, and a natural shoreline stabilizer.

Water Use and Reuse
Just how we obtain drinking water and what happens to our wastewater? These important questions are answered and the innovative solutions of local environmental managers are showcased.

Aquarium
Crystal clear waters reveal beautiful seagrasses, seahorses, shrimp, and juvenile fish, and impart the message that healthy seagrasses signify a healthy estuary.

Our Terrific Touch Tank
The strong shell of a horseshoe crab, the spongy texture of a sea cucumber, the sleek design of a skate - a supervised touch tank invites visitors to touch and hold the watershed's aquatic life.

Coral Reef Aquarium
Large aquaria, hydrophones, magnifying activities, interactive videos, and trivia games encourage visitors to explore the wonders of the marine environment.

Dock Piling Aquarium
Staged as a dock setting with a boat suspended from the ceiling and moored to a piling, this water exhibit allows an insightful glimpse at the colorful ecosystem found on a local dock.

What Can I Do? Room
Individually and collectively we can make a difference toward the preservation and restoration of the watershed. Here, visitors are offered opportunities to participate and additional sources of information about local environmental outreach efforts.

Gift Shop
Retail space displaying a unique selection of books, clothes, gifts, music, DVD's, toys, educational items and low-cost jewelry related to the Loxahatchee, nature or environment. The interior and exterior of the room is themed in cabin style and contains a point-of-sale area, hanging racks, display shelves, display counter, video monitor and DVD controller.

Multi-Function Room
The Flex Space is intended as a multi-use room for classroom learning lab, local seminars, meetings, celebrations, ceremonies or exhibit openings. All the furniture and other items in the room are mobile and easily stored or relocated. An adjacent prep kitchen can be utilized to service any event.