Visit Rice Creek

No matter the season, there's always a reason to visit Rice Creek. As a field station dedicated to research and education, our facility and grounds are open year-round to the general public free of charge. Ongoing attractions include our indoor exhibits, trails, and herb garden. We also host public programs and events throughout the year. Additionally, we work with K-12 schools, college classes, and non-profit youth/community organizations to arrange field trips and special programs free of charge.

Hours

Building Hours
Our building hours are:

Monday–Friday, 8am - 4:30pm
Saturday, 9am - 3pm

Trail Hours
Dawn to dusk

Events

We offer nature education programs and special events for children and adults, ranging in topic from astronomy to art to ecology.

See upcoming events

Virtual Visit

We are building a portal to help you experience Rice Creek Field Station from anywhere.

Visit the portal

On-going Attractions

Nature Trails

Visitors can explore four trails around Rice Creek Field Station while hiking, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing (biking only on the Orange Trail). Each trail allows you to discover different landscapes and habitats. Trails are open year-round during daylight hours.

Learn more about our Trails

Wildlife Viewing

Relax on the patio and see what animals are at our bird feeders, the water garden with plants for butterflies and hummingbirds, and the row of shrubs planted for wildlife located between the water garden and the pond.

Natural History Displays

Displays in the Field Station include butterflies, a rare Harlequin Duck, student research projects and more. Located in the library area at Rice Creek are photograph binders about bird banding at Rice Creek and local butterflies.

John A. Weeks Murals
Limited edition prints, one for each season, were painted by local naturalist John Weeks while he gazed out the gallery windows of the former building.  An interpretive guide walks you through the season, describing the changes in plant and animal life in each mural.

Thomas C. Ecklersley Lepidotera Collection
Tom Eckersley, professor emeritus of the SUNY Oswego Art Department, donated his extensive collection of 719 butterflies and moths to Rice Creek Field Station. His specimens are highly documented and contain examples from all regions including Nearctic, Neotropical, Palearctic, Africo-Ethiopean, and Indo-Australian.

 

Ruth Sachidanandan Herb Garden

With over 70 species of herbs, the garden thrives annually, which is best on display for seasonal blooms from June well into the fall. The herb garden was named after Ruth Sachidanandan, chair the original herb garden committee, and was planned by the Rice Creek Associates committee. 

Herb Garden Booklet

Herb Garden Photo Guide

Geocaching

Our Geocache Jackpot is hidden along a trail at Rice Creek. Be on the lookout for a regular plastic container placed by adventurous 11-year-olds during the Exploring Nature program. It includes geo-coins they made, other fun items and a logbook. A nice outing for families; a moderate hike.

There's so much to see at Rice Creek

With over 718 species of plants, 61 types of fungi and 218 species of animals, you'll always see something new when you visit.

Directions

Rice Creek Field Station is located at 193 Thompson Road, Oswego, south of the main entrance to the SUNY Oswego campus.

View map

Green Shuttle

The Green Shuttle offers free transportation to students from the main SUNY Oswego campus during the Fall and Spring semesters (Monday-Friday).

View shuttle schedule 

Parking

Parking is free and open to the public, no permit needed.