Nature centers, gardens and parks for families on the Main Line

Five of the places below say admission is free and are open most days: Riverbend and Saunders Woods in Gladwyne, Stoneleigh in Villanova, Jenkins Arboretum in Devon and Valley Forge National Historical Park. Chanticleer in Wayne and Tyler Arboretum in Media charge adults and let young children in free or at a lower price. Dogs, restrooms and stroller paths vary more than the hours do, so the table puts them side by side. Every fact comes from the place’s own page, checked October 6, 2026.

At a glance

“Not listed” means the place’s page did not say. Call ahead before you plan around it.

Lower Merion

Riverbend Environmental Education Center, at 1950 Spring Mill Road in Gladwyne, keeps a 30-acre preserve with trails open from dawn to dusk every day of the year, free. Leashed dogs may use the trails, and picnics are allowed if you carry out what you bring. Its Budding Naturalists class for ages 2 to 5 with a caregiver costs $175 a child for an eight-week session. This fall the class meets at Stoneleigh and Saunders Woods, because Riverbend’s barn is under renovation.

Saunders Woods Preserve, at 1020 Waverly Road in Gladwyne, is 25 acres of forest and meadow run by Natural Lands. It is closed on Wednesdays, unlike most preserves. The trails are unpaved, with rocks and roots, but a quarter-mile grassy loop starts at the 12-car lot and is mostly flat. There are no restrooms, no drinking fountains and no picnicking, and deer management runs until January 24.

Rolling Hill Park, at 1301 Rose Glen Road in Gladwyne, is a 103-acre township nature park with hiking and horse trails. Township rules open it from sunrise to sunset, require leashes of 8 feet or shorter, and bar bicycles from township parks other than the Cynwyd Heritage Trail.

Stoneleigh, at 1829 East County Line Road in Villanova, is Natural Lands’ public garden of native plants. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM, free, with a free 63-car lot. The paths are mostly flat, a mix of porous pavement, bluestone and mown grass, with a loop of more than a mile. Restrooms in the Pool House are open during garden hours. Dogs, bicycles and scooters are not allowed, and picnics are allowed only in the pavilion near Catalpa Court.

Appleford, at 770 Mt. Moro Road in Villanova, is a 24-acre estate the township owns, kept as an arboretum and bird sanctuary with a duck pond. Its posted grounds hours are Monday to Thursday from 7 AM to 5 PM and Friday to Sunday from 7 AM to noon. The grounds close for private events, mostly on weekends from April to November. It has no restrooms and allows no picnics. Appleford’s rules allow leashed dogs, while the township’s list of parks that allow dogs leaves Appleford off.

Haverford and Radnor

Haverford College counts its whole 216-acre campus as an arboretum, and its 2.2-mile Nature Trail roughly follows the edge of the campus. Leashed dogs are allowed, though not on the athletic fields. On weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM, visitors park in the visitor lot off Woods Road. Restrooms are on the ground floor of the Whitehead Campus Center during business hours. Children may climb one tree on campus, the one the arboretum calls the climbing tree.

Chanticleer, at 786 Church Road in Wayne, is a 35-acre garden open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM until its season ends on November 8. Admission is $15 for ages 13 and up, and children 12 and under get in free. Radnor Memorial Library cardholders pay $8. Parking is free, but the garden requires a free parking reservation at busy times. Its visit page lists Saturdays and Sundays until 1 PM through November 8, and its home page lists other times, so book one for any weekend visit. A one-mile paved loop suits strollers, restrooms have changing tables, and four picnic areas are first come, first served. There is no cafe, dogs are not allowed, and children must stay in sight.

The Radnor Trail runs 2.4 miles from Radnor-Chester Road to Sugartown Road, part paved and part crushed stone, with signs at the sites of former railway stations. It is open from dawn to dusk for walking, biking and skating. The main lot is at 492 Conestoga Road in Wayne, where there is a temporary restroom, and the township’s trail page requires dogs on leash.

Skunk Hollow Park is 93.7 acres of undeveloped land along Little Darby Creek in Villanova, open from dawn to dusk. Its own lot on Darby-Paoli Road is closed until further notice, so park at Saw Mill Park on Earles Lane or at The Willows. Children and adults may fish in the creek. Saw Mill Park’s nature trails are accessible, and it hosts Radnor’s Youth Trout Derby each year.

Tredyffrin, Easttown and Willistown

Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens, at 631 Berwyn Baptist Road in Devon, is 48 acres of woods and gardens on a steep hill, free and open every day. From October 1 to March 14 the gardens are open 9 AM to 5 PM. Children can borrow a free Explorer Vest at the Education Center and use the Explorer Garden, a nature play space. Picnics are allowed on the Tree Canopy Deck and in the picnic grove, and dogs are not allowed.

Wilson Farm Park, at 500 Lee Road in Chesterbrook, is a 90-acre township park with an All Abilities playground, a reopened tot lot, paved walking trails, pavilions, restrooms and water fountains.

The Willistown Conservation Trust opens three preserves to visitors. Rushton Woods, at 911 Delchester Road in Newtown Square, has 86 acres of meadow, wetland and woods with 3 miles of trails, and no dogs. Its page lists both sunrise to sunset and 8:30 AM to 6 PM. Kirkwood, at 855 Grubbs Mill Road in Newtown Square, is 102 acres of grassland with more than 4 miles of trails, open from sunrise to sunset. Its page allows leashed dogs on set trails part of the year, and the trust’s FAQ says dogs are not allowed, so ask before you bring one. Ashbridge, at 1691 East Strasburg Road in West Chester, has 1.7 miles of trails with stepping-stone stream crossings and allows leashed dogs. None of the three has restrooms, each lot holds only a few cars, and the trust does not recommend strollers.

Larger parks nearby

Valley Forge National Historical Park, at 1400 North Outer Line Drive in King of Prussia, has 3,500 acres and 35 miles of trails. The grounds open at 7 AM and close 30 minutes after sunset, and the visitor center is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Entry is free. The Junior Ranger program, designed for ages 7 to 12, takes one to two hours: pick up a free booklet at the visitor center, finish the activities and get a badge from a ranger. Washington’s Headquarters is closed for restoration until 2027. Leashed pets may use the grounds and most trails but not the buildings.

Ridley Creek State Park in Media covers more than 2,606 acres, open from sunrise to sunset, with restrooms in picnic areas 7 and 17. The park runs free programs from April through November. The Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead inside it charges its own fee.

Tyler Arboretum, at 515 Painter Road in Media, has 650 acres and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hours are 9 AM to 6 PM through October and 9 AM to 4 PM from November to March. Adults pay $18, ages 3 to 17 pay $10, and children 2 and under get in free. Some paths are paved and others are grass or mulch with steep grades, and Tyler suggests strollers with larger wheels.

Several libraries lend passes to Chanticleer and Tyler Arboretum. See Museum and garden passes from Main Line libraries.