The attraction at 300 Tower Road in Naples features aquariums, touch tanks with marine critters, natural history, environmental and wildlife exhibits, an art gallery, picnic area, guided walking trails, butterfly garden and a scenic overlook bridge. Special events and activities for all ages are held year-round including watercolor and photography classes, gallery nights, presentations about wildlife and conservation, birding field trips, marine science camps and more! The hours are 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages four to 12, and three and under are free.

Rookery  Bay Boat and Kayak Eco-Tours 

Rookery Bay Research Reserve also offers guided boat tours or kayak adventures into the tranquil waters of Rookery Bay Reserve. Guests can choose from a variety of tours, including shelling trips to deserted white sand islands, sunset tours, or bird rookery excursions. Visit RookeryBay.org or call 239-530-5972 for more information. 

April and May 2025 Events 

Signature Rookery Bay Research Reserve Event 

Rookery Bay Community Day, Saturday, May 3, 2025 

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM 

FREE Admission All Day 

Mark Saturday, May 3rd on your calendar for Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s FREE Day of coastal fun – Rookery Bay Community Day! The annual FREE event will feature family fun for everyone. Rookery Bay is yours to Explore, Enjoy and Protect! There will be something for everyone in the family - kayak demos on the water, boat rides, art, kids’ crafts, and activities, face painting, photo booths, food trucks, nature and wildlife exhibits, marine-life touch tank, boat tours, art gallery exhibit and FREE admission all day to the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about the coastal environment as well as the research and conservation taking place at Rookery Bay including sea turtle monitoring, shark research, shorebird monitoring, water quality, natural history, Indigenous peoples, and pioneers that inhabited the area long ago.  

Essentials of Digital Photography Workshop 

April 19 and May 17, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM 

$55 

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar 

If you want to get the best pictures possible and a true understanding of your camera’s features, this camera workshop is for you. The class covers the essentials of your digital camera. You will learn how to use your camera's shutter, aperture, ISO control and the drive modes to create images with impact and creativity. Sonny Saunders has over 35 years of experience in photography and instruction and is renowned for his ability to communicate to a wide variety of students. 

No previous camera or photography experience is necessary, just a desire to learn.  

Forest Bathing at Rookery Bay 

April 5, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM 

$50 

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar 

Enjoy a slow, quiet, guided-sensory and meditative experience in nature at Rookery Bay Research Reserve. A Certified Forest Bathing Guide will conduct a guided meditation session and offer a series of invitations to use your curiosity and senses to connect with nature and yourself. Look, listen, smell and feel what the forest is offering you. 

Lunch & Learn Lecture Series: Spotlighting Rookery Bay’s Environmental Partners 

12:00 PM  – 1:00 PM 

$20 includes buffet lunch from Carrabba’s Italian Grille and complimentary admission to the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. 

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/events 

Please join Rookery Bay for one or all of the 2024-2025 Lunch & Learn Lecture series presented in Rookery Bay’s auditorium. This year’s series spotlights environmental partners who work together with Rookery Bay Research Reserve staff to preserve and protect the land, water and wildlife of Southwest Florida. 

April 10, 2025 — “Burmese Pythons” by Ian Bartoszek, Science Coordinator, Conservancy of Southwest Florida. 
May 1, 2025 — “Preserving Archaeological Sites” by Natalie A. De La Torre Salas, MA, RPA, Public Archaeology Coordinator, SW Region FL Public Archaeology Network (Florida Atlantic University Anthropology Department). 

Watercolors & Wildlife: Painting with Jan 

Apr 8 – Sea Star 12:30 – 3:00 PM 

Apr 17 – Sea Star 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM 

May 13 – Mangroves 12:30 – 3:00 PM 

May 15 – Mangroves 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM 

$85, (includes all materials) 

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar 

Paint the beauty of coastal Naples and the wildlife of estuary waters in this watercolor painting class. Local artist Jan Deswik offers simple step-by-step instructions and creative support perfect for beginners or anyone inspired by the coastal environment and wants to bring it to life in a one-of-a-kind painting. Each class spotlights a natural theme, from shells to birdlife to local waterways. Held in classrooms at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, all materials are included. Participants will complete a painted piece with matte at each session. 

Birding with Biologists Workshop – (For Beginners) 

April 3, 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. 

$30 

Registration is required www.rookerybay.org/calendar 

Enjoy this fun and informative class designed to help you identify birds around you. Oriented toward the beginning birder, this workshop explores how to use birds’ plumage, shape, behavior, and habitat to recognize various species. Practice using your binoculars and field guides as you tour the paved paths of Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park, led by local expert biologists from Audubon Florida, and Rookery Bay Research Reserve. 

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples, 34113. RookeryBay.org