General Description

The Loxahatchee River Environmental Center 'River Center' opened August 23, 2008.  The beautiful aquariums trace the Loxahatchee River from its headwaters in Palm Beach County, through the cypress dominated floodplain in the Wild & Scenic segment, past the sand bar, and finally out to the coral reefs through Jupiter Inlet. 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 features live aquatic tanks, interactive exhibits, and a touch tank that represent 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 National Wild and Scenic River.

• Starfish & Coffee Story Time - Every Thursday at 9:30 a.m.  *FREE* Children ages 0-7 enjoy stories about nature, sing songs, and meet critters from the touch tank.  No RSVP required.  Adults can enjoy fresh brewed coffee from Oceana Coffee.
• Public Tour & Fish Feeding - Every Saturday from 2pm-3pm River Center visitors will have the opportunity to have a staff lead tour throughout the facility, touch tank presentation, and view the feeding of some our resident animals. All ages, no RSVP required. Call the River Center at 561-743-7123 for more details!
• Friends of the Loxahatchee River - First Friday of every month at 12 p.m., join us for a light lunch and an engaging presentation given by local professionals about research, restoration, education, and cultural aspects of the Loxahatchee River and south Florida environments.  RSVP Required.  Please call (561) 743-7123 or send an email to: rivercenter@loxahatcheeriver.org. Donations appreciated.

Directions & Map

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

Hours of Operation

805 N. US Highway 1 Jupiter, FL  33477 (561) 743-7123   OPERATING HOURS Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Admission

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.

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Loxahatchee River Journey

Click below to launch our interactive journey down the Loxahatchee.

General Brochure

[ Download River Center General Brochure ]

Exhibit Floor Plan

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Exhibits/Highlights

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 our staff at rivercenter@loxahatcheeriver.org or at 561-743-7123.

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.

River Center News

• XF500 Teams Up with the River Center for Loxahatchee Paddle Adventure
• WPTV's Steve Weagle to Talk on 2013 Hurricane Outlook
• River Center Talk & Book signing with The Cross & the Mask author, historian James Snyder
• Join The River Center For The Great American Clean-Up On April 27
• Night on the Loxahatchee "River to Reef" Raises Funds for River Center
• Community Turns Out to Celebrate River Center's 4th Birthday
• River Center Partners with Jupiter Farms Elementary on Creative Environmental Learning Experience
• Loxahatchee River District Recognized by The School District of Palm Beach County as Gold Medalist Business Partner
• River Center Named Nonprofts Going Green Winner, Awarded $1,500 from Community Foundation

Contact Information

805 N. US Highway 1 Jupiter, FL  33477 (561) 743-7123   OPERATING HOURS Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Please contact our staff at rivercenter@loxahatch eeriver.org for further information about the River Center.

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