Lorain County Metro Parks has a variety of indoor activities this winter

Lorain County Metro Parks has an array of activities, both outdoors and indoors, for anyone wanting to fighting off the cold for the remainder of the winter.

While there are many outdoor trails and parks as part of the Metro Parks system, there is a fair share of indoor ones as well, according to Mariah Deitz, public information officer at the Lorain County Metro Parks.

This includes the Carlisle Visitor Center, French Creek Nature Center in Sheffield Village, the Vermilion River Carriage Barn and two recreations centers: Amherst HealthPlex and Splash Zone in Oberlin.

The Carlisle Visitor Center,12882 Diagonal Road, and the French Creek Nature Center, 4530 Colorado Ave., both are home to indoor play places for children, as well as trails and meeting rooms available for rent, according to Dietz.

“The Carlisle Visitor Center offers an indoor children’s play space, the Dino Room, the Discovery Den for wildlife observation and the Raptor Center, which is home to seven non releasable raptor animal ambassadors,” she said.

Similarly, the French Creek Nature Center features an indoor play place as well as The Classroom, where many animal ambassadors are on display, Dietz said.

“A patio behind the center, features views of the creek valley and the walking trails which meander through the forest,” she said.

The Miller Nature Preserve Conservatory will be closed January and February while necessary maintenance and upgrades are made that, according to Dietz, the organization is excited to share with visitors.

“We are confident this minor inconvenience will allow visitors to enjoy this tropic oasis for many more years to come,” she said.

While winter may seem like the “off-season” in terms of the Lorain County Metro Parks, Dietz said some of the organization’s largest events take place in the winter with sell-out crowds and registrations that fill up in no time.

Some events to come include Fire & Ice at Vermilion River Reservation on Jan. 20, and the Hearts A Glow event at Schoepfle Garden in Birmingham on Feb. 10.

The program lineup for January and February has over 200 programs including outdoor hikes, painting classes, swim lessons, craft programs, fitness classes and the brand new Research and Conservation Symposium on Feb. 3, according to Dietz.

“This first-ever symposium will feature presentations and displays from the numerous groups that conduct research projects within Lorain County Metro Parks,” she said.

For more information or a list of programs, go to loraincountymetroparks.com.