All You Need to Know About Walter B. Jacobs Nature Center Reopening Saturday

I was only a kid, but I remember being there that day in 1976 when the Walter B. Jacobs Nature Center opened in Blanchard.

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While I'd like for people to think that it was all about my "outdoors nature spirit", the reason I remember the day is because it was there that J.W. Carraway, a gospel/country singer and minister, gave me my very first 8-track tape of his new album. That kind of thing sticks with a young, impressionable thirteen year old.

Of course, it didn't hurt that this place was literally in the heart of my whole world on the Blanchard-Furrh road just west of downtown Blanchard.

Since that day, thousands of people have been exposed to the incredible exhibits at Walter B. Jacobs, but with the old place nearing its 50th birthday, it was decided that a new facility was in order.

Voters approved funding for the new facility back in 2022 and now that all the dust has settled from construction, this Saturday, January 17, 2026, Caddo Parish is inviting the public out for the grand reopening of the Walter B. Jacobs Nature Center.

The celebration will begin with a special ribbon cutting and announcement at 9:30 am, followed by the official opening of the facility’s doors at 10:00 am. The event will feature a special statewide announcement from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Once doors open, visitors will have the chance to tour the incredible new 24,000-square-foot facility, which includes interactive exhibits, live animal displays, a birds of prey aviary and five miles of outdoor hiking trails.

Exhibit Center Admission: (All outdoor spaces, hiking trails, and the birds of prey aviary are free to the public)
$8 – Adults (ages 19–64)
$5 – Seniors (65+)
$5 – Active Duty Military and Veterans
$5 – Students (ages 3–18)
Free – Children 2 and under