Free 2nd Annual Nature Play Festival July 10
Acton, MA – Discovery Museum will host a Nature Play Festival on Friday, July 10, 2026, 10:00am to 4:00pm, with free admission for all. The Museum will also be open with free admission from 4:00pm to 8:00pm for Summer Friday Night Free.
At Nature Play Festival visitors can explore and learn outdoors throughout the campus and inside, with immersive nature-based activities including Invasive Plant Papermaking, Mud Kitchen, Bug Hunts, Treehouse Yoga, and more. Hands-on activities will be offered in the giant, wheels-accessible treehouse and Discovery Woods nature playscape, and visitors can take a guided Nature Walk on the Great Hill Conservation Land that abuts the campus. The fun will continue indoors with exhibit galleries exploring the properties of air, water, light and color, sound, math, building, making and tinkering, and more.
Local organizations will be on site with activities and information for kids and families, including: Farrington Nature Linc, 350 Mass MetroWest, Boston Area Gleaners, Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, Acton Memorial Library, Kids Naturally, Rockland Trust, Natick Community Organic Farm, First Connections, Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention, Daisy Hill Farm, Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival, Pegasystems, MA Dept of Environmental Protection, The Nature Connection, TimberNook Middlesex County, and the Town of Acton Sustainability Office.
There will be food, games, and fun as we connect with nature and appreciate the wonderful planet we all call home. State and local officials will be on hand to celebrate with the community. The Bees and Thank You and the Chicken on the Road food trucks will be onsite during the festival with food for purchase.
Free admission for all. Rain or shine. More information at https://www.discoveryacton.org/visit/nature-play-festival-2026-free
What: Nature Play Festival
When: Friday, July 10, 11am to 4pm (Museum also open 4pm to 8pm)
Cost: FREE
Where: Discovery Museum, 177 Main Street, Acton, MA
Registration: Not required nor available
Offsite parking only: There will be NO visitor parking on the Discovery Museum campus during Festival hours. Free, continuous shuttle busses will runfrom 9:50am to 8:00pm from lots at 11 Charter Road 133 Prospect Street in Acton.
Rain Date: none, the event will happen rain or shine
Thank you! Discovery Museum’s Nature Play Festival is made possible by Middlesex Savings Bank and Rockland Trust.
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About Discovery Museum
Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum for families that blends science, nature, and play. The museum and its Discovery Woods accessible outdoor nature playscape and giant treehouse blend the best of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning on a beautiful 4.5-acre campus abutting 180 acres of conservation land in Acton, MA, about 20 miles west of Boston. Originally founded in 1982 and expanded to two museums in 1987, the museum reopened in a single, 16,000sf accessible building after a complete renovation and expansion in early 2018. Hands-on, open-ended exhibits developed by professional educators inspire curiosity and exploration, providing a fun and engaging experience for children and adults to discover their world together. Serving families and schools from towns throughout the region, the museum is devoted to informal education that enhances classroom learning. Discovery Museum is committed to accessibility and is a proud recipient of the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the only winner in the Access category, and a LEAD® Community Asset Award from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In 2024 Discovery Museum was awarded a National Medal for Museum Service from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the nation’s highest honor awarded to museums that make “significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.” Discovery Museum is a community-supported non-profit organization.
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