Worcester Natural History Society

Educational programs: the ecotarium offers interactive, hands-on, educator-led programs that align with massachusetts curriculum frameworks for pre-k to 12, as well as hosted birthday parties with fun, educational components. In 2024 the ecotarium's educational programming inside the museum and in the community at public schools and youth-serving agencies provided in-person education at the museum for 7,741 youth and adults, as well as traveling programs in the community and schools for 9,088 youth. Since 1885, the ecotarium has offered seasonal science and nature day camps for children during vacations and summer. In 2024, camp programs engaged 763 campers during vacations and summer camps. 19,653 guests participated in free, daily, educator-led, museum education programs, including, science discovery, early learning, animal discovery, afternoon astronomy, and collection connection.

Guest services: the ecotarium offers a variety of visitor services, including special activities, hosted special year-round, seasonal community events, purchases from our museum shop, seasonal food service and food vending machines.

Wildlife: the ecotarium's outdoor zoological park is home to native, non-releasable, new england wildlife, most of which could not survive in the wild due to injury, illness, imprinting, orphan status, or captive birth. Inside the museum, ambassador animals represent new england and exotic species from around the world. Zoo-to-you programs facilitated by zoological and education departments aim to nurture a greater connection to and understanding of species located in new england while providing educational and entertaining encounters withresident animals. The ecotarium demonstrates leadership in conservation and restoration of endangered turtle populations, animal welfare, enrichment, and training programs.. Regular animal programming includes both informal and formal, virtual and in-person, zoo-themed camp programming, birthday parties and behind the scenes tours.