Three Lakes Park & Nature Center

05/20/2026

Members of the Three Lakes team got in the outdoor aquarium today to make room for new aquatic plants! These native plants will keep algae down, provide oxygen, and spread naturally as they become established!

Some additional work on the life support system is still needed before fish are introduced. The animal care team is anxious to see native species swimming around for all to enjoy, so we'll keep you updated!

04/29/2026

Its never a boring day in animal care...

Two days ago a staff member noticed water leaking onto the floor around our 500-gallon American eel tank. To ensure the safety of our fish, they have all been relocated to another aquarium behind the scenes while we work on this issue. We appreciate your patience while we work on this very large system!

Additionally, we're excited to announce that water scorpions are now on exhibit in our aquatic invertebrate aquarium! While they arent actual scorpions, their long bodies resemble them.These bugs wait motionless for unassuming prey to swim by and then grab them with their long front legs!

04/28/2026

Meet W***y, the center's Fowler's toad. Willie was raised from a tadpole and always hops towards the staff when they approach his enclosure! W***y can't see out of his left eye but it doesn't slow him down!

04/03/2026

A turtlely important update: paving will take place throughout the day at Three Lakes Park on Tuesday 4/7. Please be prepared for a temporary change in accessible parking for the day.

04/02/2026

03/31/2026

2nd question submitted to our Naturally Curious Box-

Will you get rattlesnakes again?

The animal care team also loves rattlesnakes, but unfortunately there are no immediate plans to exhibit them. However, you will be able to see a copperhead in PHASE 2 of the nature center's renovation project! Copperheads can be found in Henrico Parks, so exhibiting them made the most sense from an educational standpoint.

Other native snake species will also be joining our living collection in the future, so stay tuned for updates!

03/30/2026

We recently received a question in our Naturally Curious Box about the dolphin replica skull in our mini-museum!

"How are dolphins' teeth so tiny?"

Dolphins have small cone shaped teeth that they use to grab onto fish and squid! Dolphins dont use their teeth for chewing, and swallow all of their food whole. Swallowing prey items whole ensures they ingest all the nutrients possible, including freshwater, which they need to stay hydrated & healthy while living in the salty water of the ocean!

03/24/2026

Our tree frogs approve of the new 3D printed enrichment tower recently placed in their enclosure!

03/18/2026

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to help build a butterfly on Learn About Butterflies Day!
Want to see more of Three Lakes out in the wild? Our staff will be at the following community events!

The 3rd Annual Henrico 4-H Farm Graze Event-
It's a family-friendly celebration of agriculture, animals, and all things Henrico 4-H.

Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Deep Run Park & Recreation Center
9900 Ridgefield Pkwy, Henrico, VA 23233

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RAAW: Reptile and Amphibian Weekend: Celebrate reptiles, amphibians, and the science that surrounds them!

Dates: March 21st–22nd
Time: 9am - 5pm
Location: Virginia Living Museum, 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd. Newport News, VA 23601

03/16/2026

The nature center will be open for extended hours during spring break! Come experience the first phase of the center's newly renovated main hall Monday 3/30, Tuesday 3/31, and Wednesday 4/1, 10am-3pm!

The center will also be open as regularly scheduled Thursday 4/2 - Sunday 4/5 10am-3pm.