A day outdoors is a day well spent, that’s why this week’s Road Trip: Close to Home is checking out the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum in Cornwall-on-Hudson.

“We are a center for nature, and we bring in about 30,000 children every year to learn about nature and animals and really spend time getting hands-on with the world around them," says Joanna Marvel, of the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum.

The museum is made up of two locations, the Outdoor Discovery Center and the Wildlife Education Center. Marvel says the kids just love playing outside at Grasshopper Grove! "Grasshopper Grove is a really special place where kids can come and reconnect with nature and just be kids again and get dirty and have a good time."

Splash around, climb some stumps and reach new heights -- the sky is the limit in this natural play space! “177 acres make up the Outdoor Discovery Center and trails allow you to discover different kinds of scenery-- like goose pond which is a popular spot for visitors and wildlife.”

If animals are piquing your curiosity -- the Wildlife Education Center is where you'll need to be! "We have two owls on-site and we have a handful of turtles…we have representation of every animal kingdom, we have fish and amphibians, the whole nine," says Taylor Ouellette, at the Wildlife Education Center.

You can get up close and personal with about 50 native animals that you might even find in your own backyard. "My favorite part of this position is the education aspect and kind of getting people to leave -- even if they're still a little bit timid about an animal -- to have respect for that animal," says Ouellette.