Helen Brower Visitor Center
Wildllife Viewing Area 
Maple Sugar Time at the Historic VanRaalte Farm
Two Weekends in March - Saturday, March 13, 11 to 4 and Sunday, March 14, noon to 4 as well as the 20th and 21st.
The sap will be flowing and the sugar shack steaming for this fun and tasteful spring ritual. Participants may help tap a tree, gather sap, see how the Native Americans made sugar and then see the nature center’s new evaporator steaming away down in the sugar bush. In the old barn, we will be serving ice cream with our own maple syrup topping. Maple candy, granola, nuts and syrup for sale too. Admission is $1 per person. No registration is needed. Please park in the 16th Street parking lot and walk up to the Barn to check in.
For program details, click on SERVICES to the right. Register by calling 616-355-1057
Free Admission Daily to the Brower Visitor Center and Trails- Tuesdays Thru Saturdays
- TEACHERS Call Today to reserve a spot for your classroom visit to the DeGraaf Nature Center on Graafschap Road or the VanRaalte Farm on 16th street. Go to the Service Link on the right to see our current line up of offerings for pre-school through sixth grade students or higher. NOTE: January and February are great months for us to come to your classroom with a variety of nature programs.
- Remember - we can design a program to fit your needs as well. Our student fee is only $2.25 for most programs.
- Click on SERVICES to the right for information about wildlife programs, educational offerings, nature tours, events, volunteer opportunities and more.
- Visit the DeGraaf Nature Center's Mini Theatre featuring SkyWatch- images of earth and the universe brought to you from the Hubble Space Telescope and the space telescope science institute. This program was made possible by the Holland Garden Club.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side at DeGraaf Nature Center. You don’t need to drive out of town to get in touch with nature. If you have 20 minutes or 2 hours, you will enjoy exploring the woodland, shrub, marsh and pond trails of this18 acre nature preserve located within the city limits of Holland. The Brower Interpretive Center is brimming with informative and hands-on displays and live animal exhibits. So don’t leave town. Come to DeGraaf Nature Center any time of the year to reconnect with nature. In the Brower Interpretive Center find: The DeGraaf Nature Center Programs are often held at the Historic VanRaalte Farm located on the city’s east side at 1076 16th Street, just a half mile east of Meijers.
• Maple Syrup made each spring by the staff at the Historic VanRaalte Farm
• Field Guides of all kinds
• Bird Feeders and Homes – We can give you advice on the best choice for your property.
• Puppet and Toys of all sorts for fun gifts for children
• Endangered Species Chocolates
• Nature T-shirts for Youth
• Wildlife Mugs and Canteens
• Butterfly and Aquatic Nets
• And Much More!
Click Here for a Map to the DeGraaf Nature Center
Click Here For a Map of the Nature Center Trails
Click Here For a Map to the VanRaalte Farm
