BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center

I visited the swamp a month or so ago. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect upon arriving but it turned out to be a great experience. The nature center was pretty big with quite a few displays of live animals. The employees were very nice as well. The actual nature walk was relaxing and beautiful. I love the fact that the majority of the trail is on a wooden walkway. We all know how muddy south Louisiana can get so that was very welcomed. Overall this is a great place to go and «be one with nature». It also would make a great setting for some beautiful family pics!

What a lovely place to spend an hour when the weather is nice! Adult tickets are $ 3 apiece, which I think is a fair price. They have a variety of snakes and turtles to look at inside the center, and I did see several turtles throughout the swamp, but no snakes. It look us about 40 minutes to do all three trails (inner loop, outer loop, library trail), since we didn’t really stop to look at much. There was only one very small decline on the library trail, so it is not a rigorous set of trails for those who might have physical limitations.

Nice calm trails with a lot of swamp land to see. The main building had some nice groups of reptiles to check out, the displays weren’t terrible but a revamp would be rad, have the cages a little higher. Staff gave us the advice to do trails first and then check out the reptiles which allowed us plenty of time for it all before they closed for the day! So many snakes!

On my quest for inexpensive adventures I located the Bluebonnet swamp which I’ve driven past millions of times. It truly brought out the city-​slicker in me. This is an authentic swamp with real bugs and animals. Great scenery but not for those who are shy at heart with nature…

It’s a little ways away from the I-​10. We decided to come here in hopes of holding a baby alligator. There is ample parking way out in the front. Then, you walk to a wooden deck path all the way to the entrance of the Nature Center. Along this deck, there are little lizards! Take your time and look for wildlife! (
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There is a $ 3 donation per person to enter. So, we paid up and went directly to see the alligators. There are three baby alligators in the tank. They were a bit difficult to see since they were under the small branches and there was a screen over the top as the protective cover. (
) We did see them and were disappointed that they weren’t for holding. So sad! At this point, we were still in search of a place that would allow us to hold one.
This center is pretty cool. They have cleaned up turtle shells, pelts, the molted skins from snakes & skulls.
There was a pretty Starling with cool specks in its feathers. It was chirping up a storm. I was enthralled! There are live snakes to view also.
This place has walking trails outside and the center gives you a map of the area.
We only stayed about 20 minutes because we were travelling and there were no baby gators to hold. As we got to the parking lot, we stopped to look at the pond which has lots of turtles living in it. Most of them are red-​eared sliders, but we did manage to spot a different turtle (not sure what it was). (
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If you have some time and want to explore, this might be a good place for you!

I’ve been looking for things to do with a one year old around Baton Rouge and was surprised to find this little gem so close to where we are staying. It’s right off Bluebonnet and yet seems like your out of town. It’s a nice, quick little escape for a couple of hours. There’s a little nature center with various snakes, turtles, and reptiles in aquariums to view and then 2 short trails about .5 miles each that wind through some forests and swamp Eco-​system. We needed to bring our big-​wheeled jogging stroller to get over some terrain, but it was nice to just get a breath of fresh air so easily accessible from town.

This is a cute little swamp center, perfect for a day trip. My twin and I had a great time, we were lucky to be there when the bird got his weekly bath. Such an enthusiastic bather. We also took some awesome pictures that I used for a journal book I designed. I can’t wait to go back.

Had a good time here. It’s pretty small, but my Texan boyfriend finally got to see a real swamp lol. I’m from Baton Rouge, but never visited Bluebonnet Swamp when I lived here. The staff was very friendly and it was quiet and peaceful here. It was nice to enjoy the outdoors. We saw some snakes and even got to see some crawfish shooting through the mud in some shallow water. There was a guy who looked like he frequented the area who showed us a lot of cool stuff. He was a very nice retired gentleman who seemed to like the area :)
PS. It did not stink or smell like «a swamp» as my bf thought it would. It was very clean and fresh smelling. Yay Baton Rouge!!!

Cute, small visitor center with tons of reptiles/​amphibians to look at! I saw some snuggling baby alligators that were most definitely the cutest things I had ever seen. I didn’t get much of a chance to explore outdoors, as I was there for a teacher workshop and we were inside most of the time, but it seemed pretty enough even if it was a bit small.
All in all, a nice place to stop by and get some nature in the city! And maybe see some cute snuggling baby reptiles. A small gift shop will also give you something cool to take home – and several of the items include a donation to a nature-​related charity if you purchase. Stop by and bring the kidlets!

If you like all things scaly, this is the place for you. The nature center building has live animal exhibits; mostly snakes, turtles, and some baby alligators. They’ve got several nice walking trails too. The swamp is alligator-​free, but depending on when you go, you can see lots of critters hanging out around the Baldcypress and Tupelo trees. The path is mostly raised boardwalk, so you get the experience of a swamp with minimal «ewwww» factor. All of the trails are stroller and wheelchair accessible too, which is pretty sweet.
They could do a lot more with the nature center, but they do have a touch-​table for the kids, and if you ask the staff you might get to have a «close encounter» with one of their resident reptiles. Good for a couple of hours of entertainment, at a very reasonable price — adult admission is only $ 3.
They also offer special programs throughout the year (monthly bird walks, a toddler class, Rockin’ at the Swamp in the spring, and Haunted Hikes in the fall) as well as a summer camp program. Overall a pretty cool place to visit — thumbs up!