About Us

scenic hillside view of the Nature Center

Our mission is to inspire environmental learning and interpretive connections with our community.

Staff Directory

Anna hoover

Anna Hoover

  • Nature Center Director
  • ahoover@arvada.org
Jessica Colby in garden

Jessica Colby

  • Assistant Nature Center Director
  • jcolby@arvada.org

Mindy Debner

  • Nature Center Specialist 
  • mdebner@arvada.org
Marissa Copan

Marissa Copan

  • Program Coordinator
  • mcopan@arvada.org
Brett Hodges

Brett Hodges

  • Site Specialist 

Jacob Clabby

  • Environmental Educator
  • jclabby@arvada.org

Jess Fangman

  • Environmental Educator
  • jfangman@arvada.org 

What We Do

The Nature Center is the City of Arvada’s environmental education facility. We offer many school and group programs to engage kids with nature. Using the nature trails, wetland areas and prairie ecosystems to explore, we connect thousands of kids with Arvada’s parks to better understand nature.

We also provide programs for everyone with our public programming, from toddlers to adults, to connect all ages in our community with the wonder of nature. From nature art, to drop-in discoveries, to conservation presentations, you can find most nature topics available for a variety of ages. 

Our facility also has 3,000 square feet of hands-on displays, wildlife exhibits, a kids’ activity area, classrooms and meeting spaces. From our augmented reality sandbox to our mounted gray wolf, all ages can learn to explore nature. And just outside the Nature Center is 25,000 square feet of a beautiful water-conserving demonstration garden where visitors can discover native and regionally appropriate plants and wildlife. We work with City park maintenance and Master Gardeners to provide information on invasive plants and updated plant recommendation lists, habitat-friendly choices, and best practices to ensure a sustainable and beautiful garden.  Connected is the Majestic View Community Park, with over 80 acres to explore.

Available Services

Public Hours, Directions & Maps

Discover almost 2 miles of trails within this 80 acre park, with gorgeous westward mountain views at sunset. Or visit the Nature Center during our public hours and see what wildlife you can see in the park. To view our map and brochure, or view Google maps visit the Directions & Maps page. 

Land Acknowledgment

For centuries, Indigenous peoples lived and traveled across the land now known as Arvada. The Tsétsėhéstaestse (Cheyenne), the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho), Nuche (Ute), and Oceti Sakowin (Lakota) nations have and continue to care for the land that many of our site-based programs utilize to inspire environmental learning and create meaningful interpretive connections. With that understanding:

  • We offer our respect to the Indigenous Peoples both past, present, and future, their Elders and Knowledge Keepers, who have cultivated such care for this land that has connected many generations across time.
  • We acknowledge the injustices that separated these Indigenous Peoples from this land and recognize our responsibility to continue learning from and steward the ecosystems of Arvada.
  • We honor the indigenous cultural perspectives and traditions that helped shape, and continue to be a part of, the community and physical landscape of Arvada to where it is today.

Majestic View History

Majestic View Nature Center opened June 1, 2002

Majestic View Park is one of the 30 parks voted on in the City Bond election of 1974. It was named for Majestic View Avenue (now Garrison Street) and the original Majestic View subdivision, now Huntington Heights. The land was first part of the parcel belonging to Charles Rand, an original Fifty-Niner.

The area was broken into properties that later made up the Majestic View Park sold to the City of Arvada over several years from the Hanson family, the Fox family, and the Kennedy family. In 1984 the park was expanded to include the Harder family estate, about 10 acres which brought the total park acreage to 75.  Many locals remember growing up in the park with these families and several of the original structures still stand in the park. 

The Majestic View area used to be near the hub of the Town of Oberon, hence why the main lake is called Oberon Lake.  It was constructed by the Oberon Land and Water Company in 1887. The water is obtained from Clear Creek via the Farmers Highline Canal and Oberon Lateral. 

In 2001, the City of Arvada renovated the 1980’s floorplan of the previously “Harder house” to become the Nature Center facility. June 1, 2002 Majestic View Nature Center began offering programs starting with the Annual Arvada Trails Day event. You can view the original masterplan that helped guide the creation of the Nature Center. 

Majestic View Celebrated 15 Years in 2017

Over the years, Majestic View and City of Arvada has created a 25,000 square foot demonstration garden with native and regionally appropriate plants, an outdoor classroom, new displays, and continual improvements to the park and trails. Connected to the Nature Center is 80 acres of wetlands and prairies, wildlife resting areas, and almost 2 miles of paved and gravel trails. 

Majestic View Nature Center celebrated 15 years of successful programs with over 26,000 people just in 2017. Throughout the 15th anniversary year, the Nature Center presented 15 “Grand Tour” events, which featured free, family-friendly events on different nature topics. 

Majestic View Keeps Moving Forward

The Nature Center continues to innovate and improve our programs and displays. In 2020, the Nature Center debuted new school and group program curriculum to meet the updated Colorado state science standards. During the COVID-19 closure, the Nature Center also updated some of their displays to create a new water education exhibit, including a water pollution display and a watershed AR (augmented reality) sandbox display, which is available during public hours. 

In 2022, with over 20 years of environmental education is cause for celebrating our ecosystems, our trails, our pollinators, and our community. In addition to these celebrations, 2022 brings focus on updates to exhibits, programs, the certified habitat demonstration garden and the interpretive opportunities throughout the park to provide inclusive, engaging and impactful experiences available for all visitors.

To read about our future plans and our strategic recommendations to go beyond the 1998 masterplan, click the button below. 

oberon lake and Hanson property historic photo
Hanson House Historic Photo
Harder house-historic photo
Harder House Historic Photo
demonstration garden 2016
Demonstration Garden 2016
Nature Center back entrance 2019
Nature Center Back Door and Picnic Tables

In addition to the Nature Center, you can find in the park:

  • A playground
  • Tennis Courts
  • Horseshoe court
  • Basketball courts
  • Picnic tables
  • Wildlife Resting Areas
  • Sports field
  • About 2 miles of Trails (paved and soft)
  • Horse Pasture (leased from City of Arvada)
  • Community Supported Agriculture group-CSA Farm; For Majestic View Farm information, visit their website at www.frontlinefarming.org.
  • Oberon Lake (in/out trail access)
  • Hayes Lake or the “overflow lake” (not yet accessible to public, wildlife resting area)
Majestic View park playground and tennis courts

The Majestic View Park is dog friendly (leash laws in effect), and open from dawn to dusk. There are no pavilions, but several picnic tables are first-come-first-served. To reserve the sports field, visit Arvada’s parks and fields rental webpage.

If you still have questions about Majestic View, view our FAQ or contact us. 

Nature Center Sponsors

City of Arvada, long term partner organizations and groups that can support the Majestic View Nature Center can be found on Our Sponsors list.