Three Lakes Park & Nature Center: Discover Virginia Wildlife Just Minutes From Glen Allen
Three lakes, wooded trails, fishing, playgrounds, and a newly renovated Nature Center filled with Virginia wildlife make this Henrico County park much more than a place for an afternoon walk.
Discovering Three Lakes Park & Nature Center
Just outside Glen Allen is a park where you can take a walk around the water, cast a fishing line, bring the kids to the playground — and then step inside to come face-to-face with some of Virginia's native wildlife.
Three Lakes Park & Nature Center, located at 400 Sausiluta Drive in Henrico, combines a traditional community park with something you won't find at most local recreation areas: a dedicated Nature Center focused on Virginia's ecosystems and the animals that inhabit them.
And if you haven't visited in several years, it's worth another look.
The Nature Center reopened in September 2025 following a major renovation that introduced new wildlife exhibits, interactive displays, accessibility improvements, outdoor educational areas, and a redesigned visitor experience.
Additional exhibit renovations are continuing in 2026.
That makes now a particularly interesting time to rediscover Three Lakes.
Three Lakes Park & Nature Center at a Glance
FeatureInformationLocation400 Sausiluta Drive, Henrico, VA 23227Attraction TypeNature Center & public parkMain FeaturesLakes, Nature Center, trails, fishing & playgroundNature Center FocusVirginia's native ecosystems and wildlifeWildlife ExhibitsLive animals, bioactive habitats & interactive displaysOther AmenitiesPicnic areas, shelter, open play space & restroomsPark HoursDaily from dawn to duskNature Center HoursSeasonalBest ForFamilies, nature lovers, wildlife education, walking & fishing
Why It's Called Three Lakes
The name doesn't require much explanation.
Water is at the heart of the park.
Three Lakes provides a landscape of ponds, wooded areas, trails, and wildlife habitat that gives the property a very different feel from Henrico's athletic complexes and more developed recreation facilities.
Visitors can walk through the park, enjoy views across the water, fish, have a picnic, or simply spend some time outdoors.
But unlike Echo Lake, which we explored earlier in this series, the outdoor park is only half of the reason to visit.
The real feature that separates Three Lakes from most other Henrico parks is waiting inside the Nature Center.
A Nature Center Dedicated to Virginia
The mission of the Three Lakes Nature Center is to connect visitors with the past, present, and future of Virginia's native ecosystems.
That means the focus isn't on exotic animals brought in from around the world.
The exhibits are designed to help visitors understand the wildlife and environments found much closer to home.
Inside, you'll find:
Live animal enclosures
Native Virginia species
Bioactive habitats
Interactive displays
Touch-and-listen exhibits
Digital educational displays
Rotating exhibits
Information about local freshwater ecosystems
It's especially interesting for children because many of the animals represented inside the building are species they could potentially encounter elsewhere in Virginia.
The Nature Center helps explain what those animals are, how they live, and why they're important to the ecosystem.
Meet Some of Virginia's Cold-Blooded Residents
Reptiles and amphibians are an important part of the Nature Center experience.
Visitors can encounter species associated with Virginia's ecosystems while learning about the habitats they need to survive.
The renovated Nature Center uses bioactive enclosures.
Instead of placing an animal inside a simple display tank, these habitats incorporate living elements such as:
Real plants
Invertebrates
Small insects
Beneficial bacteria
Natural materials
Together, they create a miniature functioning ecosystem inside the enclosure.
It's a more natural environment for the animals and gives visitors a better picture of how these species actually interact with their surroundings.
And yes — that means some of the bugs you see inside an enclosure are supposed to be there.
Meet Ursula the American Eel
Every nature center seems to develop at least one animal that becomes a visitor favorite.
At Three Lakes, that distinction currently belongs to Ursula, an American eel living in the Nature Center's main indoor aquarium.
American eels are native to Virginia's waterways and have one of the more fascinating life cycles among local fish.
They spend much of their lives in freshwater but migrate all the way to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean to reproduce.
Young eels eventually make the long journey back toward rivers and streams along the East Coast.
Seeing an American eel inside the Nature Center provides an opportunity to learn about a species that may live in local waterways but that most people rarely get a chance to observe closely.
Step Back Into Virginia's Prehistoric Past
Not everything inside Three Lakes is alive.
One section of the Nature Center explores Virginia's prehistoric past.
Visitors can learn about some of the enormous mammals that once lived in this region during the Ice Age and see how fossils help scientists understand environments that disappeared thousands of years ago.
The exhibit also connects prehistoric animals with species that still exist today.
It's an interesting reminder that Virginia's natural history didn't begin with the forests and wildlife we recognize now.
The landscape — and the animals living within it — has been changing for an extraordinarily long time.
The Outdoor Aquarium Is Being Reimagined
Longtime visitors may remember one of Three Lakes Nature Center's signature features: its large outdoor freshwater aquarium.
That feature is currently undergoing renovation.
Henrico County is rebuilding the aquarium to showcase a variety of Virginia native freshwater fish when it reopens.
The updated system is being designed to function more like a natural ecosystem, including a wetland filtration component that helps clean the water while creating additional wildlife habitat.
Because this work is continuing during 2026, visitors should check the Nature Center's current information if seeing the aquarium is a major reason for their trip.
Once completed, it should again become one of the Nature Center's signature attractions.
More Nature Center Improvements Are Coming
The 2025 reopening wasn't the end of the renovation.
Henrico County is continuing with another phase of improvements during 2026.
Plans include reopening two renovated exhibit halls focused on some of Virginia's misunderstood and threatened native species.
Additional concepts associated with the renovation have included:
Conservation-focused exhibits
Animal ambassador programs
An observation beehive
Behind-the-scenes views of animal care
Additional native wildlife exhibits
The goal is to create a Nature Center that doesn't simply display animals.
It helps visitors understand how those animals fit into Virginia's ecosystems and why conservation matters.
A $4.6 Million Transformation
The changes at Three Lakes represent the facility's first major upgrade since the 1990s.
Henrico County invested approximately $4.6 million into the project following funding approved through the county's 2016 bond referendum.
The improvements included much more than the exhibits inside.
Visitors approaching the Nature Center will find:
Improved accessible walkways
Additional seating
Outdoor lighting
Native landscaping
An outdoor educational space
A deck overlooking the lake
Improved accessibility
A new restroom facility
The Nature Center reopened to the public in September 2025, and the new restroom building opened in March 2026.
The result is a much more modern visitor experience while keeping the park's natural setting at the center of it.
Follow the Life Cycle of a Frog
One of the more creative additions is located outside the Nature Center.
Along the walkway, children can follow a series of interactive play features representing the life cycle of a frog.
The sequence moves through:
Frog eggs
Tadpole
Froglet
Adult frog
Rather than learning about the process only from a sign or display case, children can physically move through the different stages.
It's a small feature, but it's a good example of the approach Henrico County has taken with the renovated Nature Center.
Education doesn't necessarily have to feel like sitting in a classroom.
Walk the Trails
Once you're finished inside, there's still plenty to explore outdoors.
Three Lakes includes nature trails that take visitors through the wooded park and around the water.
Recent improvements included approximately one mile of newly paved trail, making portions of the park easier to navigate.
Walking the trails after visiting the Nature Center also gives families an opportunity to put some of what they've just learned into practice.
Look around.
What birds can you hear?
What insects are near the water?
Are there turtles basking?
Can you spot evidence of animals even if you can't see them?
The Nature Center provides the lesson.
The park provides the field trip.
Bring a Fishing Rod
Fishing is another popular activity at Three Lakes.
The lakes provide an easy local option for visitors who want to spend some time fishing without traveling far from northern Henrico.
As with other public fishing locations in Virginia, visitors should follow current Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources fishing-license requirements and regulations.
Even if you aren't fishing, the lakes provide much of the scenery that makes walking through the park enjoyable.
Playgrounds, Picnics & Open Space
Three Lakes also works perfectly well as a traditional family park.
Amenities include:
Playground equipment
Picnic areas
A reservable picnic shelter
Open play space
Restrooms
Trails
Fishing
That flexibility is one of the park's strengths.
A visit doesn't have to revolve entirely around the Nature Center.
You could spend an hour inside looking at wildlife exhibits and then spend the rest of the afternoon outside having lunch, walking, fishing, or letting the kids play.
Designed With Accessibility in Mind
Accessibility was a major focus of the recent renovation.
Improvements include ADA-compliant parking, upgraded walkways, additional benches, and improvements to how visitors move through the property.
Inside the Nature Center, exhibit signs are presented in both English and Spanish.
The Center also offers sensory bags for visitors with sensory needs.
The bags are available at the front desk and contain tools designed to help create a more comfortable sensory experience while visiting.
These details make the Nature Center accessible to a broader range of visitors and families.
Programs That Bring Nature to Life
Three Lakes isn't limited to self-guided exhibits.
Nature Center staff also offer educational programs throughout the year.
Programs can include:
Animal keeper talks
Wildlife education
Hands-on science activities
Seasonal programs
Family activities
Programs focused on individual species
Ecology and conservation topics
Because the programming changes seasonally, it's worth checking Henrico Recreation & Parks before visiting.
You may find that there's much more happening than simply walking through the exhibits.
Why Three Lakes Is Worth the Short Drive From Glen Allen
Technically, Three Lakes Park isn't located within the Glen Allen mailing area.
And that's worth being clear about.
The park is located at 400 Sausiluta Drive in Henrico, southeast of much of Glen Allen.
But when we're talking about attractions available to someone living in the Glen Allen market, drawing a hard line at a ZIP code doesn't make much sense.
This is exactly the kind of nearby amenity residents can easily enjoy.
And because Three Lakes combines a public park with a dedicated Nature Center, it offers something substantially different from most recreation options we've covered in this series.
Why Three Lakes Park & Nature Center Is Worth Discovering
Three Lakes is one of those places that can work differently every time you visit.
Come for the Nature Center.
Come to fish.
Bring the kids to the playground.
Walk the trails.
Pack lunch.
Attend an animal program.
Or simply spend some time beside the water.
And now, after years of closure and a major renovation, the Nature Center gives people who haven't visited in a long time a good reason to return.
You may remember Three Lakes from years ago.
But the Three Lakes Nature Center you'll find today is entering an entirely new chapter.
Planning a Visit
Three Lakes Park & Nature Center
400 Sausiluta Drive
Henrico, VA 23227
The park is open daily from dawn to dusk.
Current Nature Center hours are:
April through October
Thursday–Sunday
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
November through March
Friday–Sunday
10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Because the Nature Center continues to undergo exhibit renovations during 2026, check Henrico County Recreation & Parks for current exhibit availability and programming before making a special trip.
Discovering What's Around Glen Allen
One of the goals of this series is to show that living in Glen Allen isn't only about what's located directly inside a particular ZIP code.
It's also about what's easily accessible around you.
Within a relatively short drive, residents can explore historic properties, parks, arts and culture, trails, sports facilities, museums, and places like Three Lakes Nature Center.
That's part of what makes exploring an area before buying a home so useful.
A map can show you where the house is.
It doesn't necessarily show you what you can do once you live there.
And sometimes one of the best local attractions is sitting just beyond the neighborhood you were originally exploring.
Thinking About Moving to Glen Allen?
If you're considering a move to Glen Allen or northern Henrico County, exploring local destinations like Three Lakes Park & Nature Center can help you understand what everyday life in the area has to offer.
Glen Allen provides convenient access to a wide variety of parks, recreation, history, arts, shopping, restaurants, and family activities throughout Henrico County and the greater Richmond region.
As a local REALTOR® with Long & Foster Real Estate, I help buyers and sellers navigate Glen Allen and the surrounding Richmond communities with local knowledge, market insight, and personalized service.
If you'd like to learn more about living in Glen Allen, explore its different neighborhoods, or discuss buying or selling a home in the Richmond area, I'd be happy to help.
Matthew Cooper, REALTOR®
Long & Foster Real Estate – Grove Ave Office
Serving Glen Allen, Henrico County, and the Greater Richmond Region
