BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) -- Want to explore the outdoors and interact with animals for an affordable price? BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center offers that and more. 

The swamp located off North Oak Hills Parkway in Baton Rouge contains about 400 different species of both plants and animals, according to Harper Martinez, educator at the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.  

“This is a multipurpose facility that first has 103 acres of natural conservation areas, along with an education building and an exhibit building,” she said. 

Exhibits showcase all types of Louisiana animals from snakes, turtles and even baby alligators. 

“We work with the Louisiana fish and wildlife to keep anywhere from two to three baby alligators with us as they start to grow. We'll go ahead and contact them and swap them out,” Martinez said. 

The facility has been part of the capital city since the early 1990s. Martinez emphasizes that the center brings all sorts of family fun with areas catered to young kids and nature enthusiasts.

From one-on-one experiences to even group gatherings. The center is home to everybody, especially those wanting to learn and explore without having to leave Baton Rouge.

“They’re not having to drive an hour out or half an hour out,” she said. “Our trails, along with our nature center, are built around outreach and education.” 

But the most important thing catering to everybody, is the budget-friendly costs, said Martinez. 

“Our prices are really affordable and so we only charge $3 per person for adults, $2 per child, and then seniors will be $2.50,” she said. 

For those wanting to visit the BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, the facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Click here for more information on the center.

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