Didn’t See This Coming! Finch Hollow Nature Center Closes Suddenly

Here in the Southern Tier, if you were wanted to take a walk in the great outdoors, one of the places that you could go was the Finch Hollow Nature Center on Oakdale Road in Johnson City. Finch Hollow began as a flood retarding dam and outdoor environmental teaching laboratory in 1969.

Finch Hollow Nature Center Closes

But earlier this month, they announced that they would be closing and that their programs would be moved. This came as a surprise to many when the announcement was made.  Broome County says that the building needed many improvements including a fire alarm system, electrical upgrade and isn't ADA compliant. All of the repairs and upgrades would cost around $330,000.

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Many of the Finch Hollow 4-H programs had already been moved outside anyways because of the pandemic. These programs will be moved to county parks. The good news is that their nature trails will remain open and you will also still be able to hike and fish but the trails won't be be supervised.

If you are looking for their animal collections, they have been moved to various locations including the Discovery Center, the Roberson Museum, Ross Park Zoo, and the Waterman Center.

Who Owns Finch Hollow Nature Center

The Johnson City School District  owns the building and front portion of the property. They found out about the closure at the last minute and haven't decided what to do with the property yet.

So what will happen with the summer programs that are coming up? That will be announced soon.