We started our Maymont outing at The Robins Nature Center. After learning about the ecosystem of the James River, we headed out the back door of the nature center to explore the 100-acre grounds of the historic estate.
The Maymont Mansion is the centerpiece of the park. Built in the 1890s, the house was turned into a museum after 32 years of occupancy by the original owners. A well-preserved example of the Gilded Age, the estate is a step back in history to a time when millionaires’ homes had a level of opulence that was simply breathtaking and almost unbelievable. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 the mansion was closed to visitors while we were there. But there is so much else to explore on the grounds. From gardens to a farm to wildlife habitats, Maymont has something for everyone.
The grounds are sloping and expansive. My kids rolled down the hill (literally) to the path below the nature center. There were a few fall leaves still clinging to the trees as we crossed the creek and headed over to the farm, passing some of the wildlife habitats on the way.
But before we came to our first wildlife habitat, we saw some actual wildlife in the wild. A deer was wandering through the wetlands area and stopped to check us out (while we checked him out).
We came upon the red fox’s habitat first and I think he was our favorite. He ran around for a while and then sat down and posed for us.
The bobcat enclosure was next on our way to the farm. The bobcat was out but pretty much just sticking to the bottom of his habitat and not climbing around. We didn’t stay here long because it was one of the few places where people couldn’t really spread out and it got a little crowded while we were there. We continued our climb up the hill to get to the farm and spotted the sika deer off in the distance.
Set on top of the hill, the farm was pretty and had a lot of sheep, goats, and cows grazing in the fields. There was an indoor barn area where you could peek in on some of the younger animals. There was also a cute little playground area for younger kids, although it appeared to be closed due to covid. We walked around the farm for a while before continuing the loop back to our starting point, passing some bison along the way.
We had plans to meet my husband for dinner and were starting to run short on time. We had hoped to see the remaining wildlife habitats and check out the Japanese Garden, but unfortunately we didn’t have time to do both. Since the gardens were at the furthest point in the park from where we were, we decided to just try to make it to the bears and then head back.
We doubled back along the same path and then crossed over another creek, turning just before the fox enclosure. We took a stroll through Raptor Valley, where we got close up views of several different kinds of owls and falcons, as well as an eagle and a vulture. I really liked this section of the park. It was well designed, quiet and peaceful, and it offered great views of the raptors.
We had to hustle over to the bear habitat to try to catch a quick glimpse of them before rushing back to the car. Maymont has two bears, one significantly smaller than the other. I thought he was a young bear but it turned out that he was an adult who was rescued by the Virginia Game Department after being found undernourished and unable to survive on his own. All of the animals in the wildlife habitats at Maymont came here as a rescue, unable to live on their own due to injury, illness, or other circumstances.
We definitely rushed through the end of our visit to Maymont because we were short on time but long on interest. We really enjoyed the nature center, the grounds and the animals. I would have loved to stay for a few more hours, but it was getting dark and we were late for dinner. I’m especially sorry that we missed the Japanese Garden and would love to make a return trip one day. I imagine mid-November is not the ideal time to visit there anyway, so this gives us an excuse to come back another time.
All in all I was really impressed with all that Maymont had to offer. I struggled to explain to my husband what it was – a park? gardens? an estate? a nature and wildlife center? Really it was all those things rolled into one location and experience. We thoroughly enjoyed it on a chilly, dreary day. I imagine it would be a wonderful way to spend an entire day in good weather in the spring, summer or fall.
