Keeping up with Kids: Sandoway House in Delray Beach Review

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sandoway House in Delray Beach Review

The Sandoway House in Delray Beach is a great place to spend a few hours with family. The nature center is housed in a 1936 beachfront home and is on the National Register of Historic Places. There is a natural garden area and a small park with a picnic area and it’s located right across from the beach. The whole thing probably won’t take you more than 2 hours, so bring your suits and hit the beach after.

There are several rooms all filled with biofacts (animal artifacts) like skins, shells, skulls etc. The nature center is also home to a variety of Florida native species like a corn snake, slider turtles, and a gopher tortoise. The front porch is also home a blue and gold macaw named Mr. Crystal.

Upstairs you can find more amazing shells, some that you can pick up, touch, feel and try to identify. There is also an upstairs porch with binoculars available and a stunning view of the beach and ocean.

At some point in the 70’s the family who lived in the house put in a pool. Sandoway House has renovated the pool into a saltwater pool that now houses nurse sharks and puffer fish. There are daily feedings of the sharks and this was probably my daughter’s favorite thing about our visit. She also liked following the ray around the circular tank inside, the ray seemed to like it too. The megalodon shark tooth fascinated her and she kept insisting that we should have one at home!

There are two sand tubs full of ocean fossils so that the kids can dig for fossils. For an additional $1 the kids can search through and take 3 fossils home with them. Be prepared to lift the kids up to the tables though they are quite high so I had to hold my daughter up there the entire time.

The shark exhibit will be there until Oct 2. Then beginning October 15, they will be home to the Ice Age Florida Exhibit.

Also, don't forget to bring parking meter money, there are a few free spots in front of the Nature Center, but they do fill up quickly.

Educational programs are offered to the public at Sandoway House including: Shark Feedings, Guided Historic Tours, Nature Walks, guest speakers, Astronomy Nights, Summer Camp and special events such as Earth Day. It is open Tuesday - Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday Noon to 4 pm.

All in all, we love this place and will go back for the next exhibit!

Admission is $4 per person 3 years and up.

http://www.sandowayhouse.org

142 S. Ocean Blvd.
Delray Beach, FL 33483
561.274.7263