Great Bay Discovery Campus

The Great Bay Discovery Center campus is our headquarters and a wonderful place to start your exploration of the bay. It’s also a gathering place for scientists, community members, and our partners. Open to the general public, with no entrance fee, this is a great spot to explore outside and inside-all while learning about Great Bay Estuary!  Groups larger than 10, and any formal group (such as a summer camp, scout group, senior group, etc) should contact us before they visit.

Inside the visitor center, you’ll find interpretive exhibits about the estuary, plankton, tides, and research on the Bay. At the Discovery Tank, children have the chance to touch estuary animals such as horseshoe crabs, oysters, mudsnails, and more! Please see the website footer for hours.

The Hugh Gregg Coastal Conservation Center is a modern education facility with a meeting space and natural history exhibits. Built in the old New England post-and-beam style, this facility has several sustainable design features, including composting toilets. Currently it is not available to rent for meetings or workshops. The lower level of the HGCCC houses our Special Collections exhibit, a look back at the history of hunting, fishing, and trapping on Great Bay.  It is open seasonally, with limited summer hours, July 7th-Aug 29th, Tues-Sat, 10am-3pm. Please check social media for any last minute updates, or call the Discovery Center at 603-778-0015.

Outside, a universally accessible, interpretative trail and boardwalk invites you to explore the surrounding hardwood forests, freshwater wetlands, and salt marshes. You can stand on the deck of a 19th century Gundalow replica, explore a replica Native American camp, or wander through the native gardens, and don’t forget to visit the natural play area near the parking lot!  If you start at the parking lot, head to the waterfront, then explore the boardwalk and woodland walk trails, you will walk about a mile.  For more info on the property, see the Sandy Point pages of the Great Bay Passport here.

Birders find this spot an excellent place to watch for wintering eagles migratory warblers, waterfowl, and nesting osprey. Many of our monitoring programs are conducted in the marsh in front of the center and there is a water quality monitoring station less than a mile (by boat) away.

Looking for an activity to do while exploring?  We have a couple of options:
1) Audio Tour-scan the QR code on the Audio Tour sign on the front door and listen to educational information as you explore.  You can also find it here.

2) Nature Scavenger Hunts (great for Spring through Fall)-We have this one for kids or new nature explorers, and this one is a little more specific/challenging.

3) Winter Bingo-there are 4 different Bingo cards you can use to explore with family and friends! Each person should download a different card, and then use your phone photo editor to mark off what you find (or print a copy and bring it with you). Card 1, 2, 3, 4.

4) Download the scat card and track card from NH Fish & Game, and then explore outside to see what you find!

5) In Winter and Summer we have a self-guided StoryWalk that is accessible dawn to dusk, every day.  There is a signpost in the play area with a map that will show you where the story starts!

6) Pop Up-Be sure to follow our social media for occassional and/or pop up events like Stroll & Story, Waterfront Naturalist, and more!

With the exception of service dogs, pets are prohibited on the boardwalk and in the facilities, but they are permitted at the boat launch/waterfront area. Please be a responsible pet owner and scoop the poop and dispose of the bag properly.

Bikes are not allowed on the boardwalk, please leave them on the bike racks near the flagpole.

We are a non-smoking property, and a carry-in/carry-out property.  Whatever you pack in, please pack out and bring any recycling and trash home with you to dispose of properly.  Thank you for helping us keep this wonderful place clean, inviting, and well protected!

Please contact Kelle Loughlin for more information about the campus.