River Bend Nature Center - Wichita Falls, Texas - Nature Center and Butterfly Conservatory

River Bend Nature Center is situated at Third Street in Wichita Falls, Texas and is approximately seven and a half miles from Wichita Falls Municipal Airport. A bus takes visitors on the Kemp/Seymour #2 Red Line Route to Lucy Park, which is directly adjacent to River Bend Nature Center. The trail, gardens and office are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

One of the most popular attractions at the nature center is the Ruby N. Priddy Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, where a pathway guides visitors past examples of the different ecological regions of Texas. Each region has displays of plants native to those areas and all features various informative exhibits and animals. There are many different species of butterfly here too feeding off the flowers, and they can be seen in all stages of life right from the egg to their fully grown form as adults.

There are no imports here as this is the only conservatory housing only native species of butterfly and plants from the Rolling Plains and Cross Timbers regions of the Great Plains. This section is open from 10am to 4pm on Friday and Saturdays and from 12 noon to 4pm on Sundays. Reservations can be made in advance for tours any time between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

There is no admission charge to walk the trail through our 15 acres of nature preserve through the woods and down to the pond. Visitors can enjoy the wonderful scenery and enjoy a picnic at the pavilion and terrace, which are open throughout the week. Children can also learn which bird species spend the winter in the local woods or what creatures prowl the trails by night.

The nature center also features a learning center and a children's garden, and encouragement is given to school parties to visit and try the education programs on offer. The learning center has a gift shop where visitors can find all manner of souvenirs to take home. The 6,700 square foot Elizabeth Prothro Pavilion is a covered outdoor gathering area, which can accommodate receptions, parties, family gatherings, class reunions and many other special events.

Visitors taking the bus to and from Lucy Park may want to take a look at this 170 acre site whilst they are in the area. It has multiple paved walkways suitable for walking, running, biking and roller skating as well as a playground, Frisbee golf course, duck pond and places to have picnics. There is a river walk that takes visitors to a re-creation of the original Wichita Falls, from where the city takes its name, and which were destroyed by a flood in the 19th century.

There are numerous hotels in the area including a Holiday Inn, Econo Lodge and Budget Host Inn, which are all within one mile of the nature center. There are restaurants and bars nearby too such as Glass Kitchen in Old Iowa Park Road and Branding Iron in E Scott Avenue.