School may be out for the summer, but the learning continues at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve. There, children and adults alike can find plenty of ways to explore the grounds and educate themselves both indoors and out.
Set on 46 acres of a ravine forest and wetland habitat, the preserve is home to hiking trails, landscaped garden areas, a visitor center and the Heritage Village, made up of several restored historical structures.
The preserve stands at the intersection of local history and environmental exploration, offering a well-rounded, place-based approach to learning and fun. It’s a living cross-section of Johns Creek — surrounded by nature, rooted in local history and shaped by growing diversity — with many ways to visit and explore.
Spend time with animals
Inside the Visitor Center are rows of animal exhibits, including lizards, snakes, turtles, salamanders, tree frogs and fish. Interactive displays encourage hands-on learning, with baskets of rocks and other natural objects for kids to touch and examine. Educational boards throughout the space outline information and fun facts about local wildlife and ecosystems.
Pebbles, an African spurred tortoise, can often be seen in his enclosure taking his afternoon nap. Later, he will nibble on dandelion stems — one of his favorite snacks.
Just outside, visitors will find goats, chickens, ducks and bunnies in the Animal Farm.
On the sunny day that we visited, Avery, 24, was feeding the goats. She started at Autrey Mill as an intern and is currently the animal care manager at the preserve, working with all of the animals, including chickens, goats and reptiles. She said the most rewarding part of her job is being able to help nurse animals back to health or improve their living situation after rescue from exploited conditions.
“I just love seeing them thrive, being taken care of,” Avery explained, “because a lot of animals that we get are from not-so-good situations. So being able to give them this is what makes it all worth it.”
Executive Director Lizen Hayes shared that one of her favorite parts of her day is waking the animals up, including “the girls” — the three chickens, Morticia, Binx and Adelaide.
“Typically I get here in the morning, and sometimes I get to let the animals out, and I talk to them all like they’re my children,” Hayes said.
Family fun: hiking trails, picnics on the green, lazy Sundays
At Autrey Mill, visitors can hike more than two miles of scenic wooded hiking trails. They also offer Bird Walks twice a month on Wednesdays, as well as guided daytime hikes and a Family Night Hike program.
With greenery stretching in nearly every direction, the preserve offers plenty of space to spread out a picnic blanket, roll out a yoga mat or kick a soccer ball around. There are also picnic tables and wooden swings for guests to enjoy.
For a break from the sun, parents can take their children to play in the creek, which is regularly chemically tested for bacteria.
Childhood magic: A fairy garden, gnome homes and bug hotels
Gardens, each with distinct characteristics, are woven throughout the preserve. A small English-style garden decorates the front of Summerour House, and near the forest is a woodland garden. The preserve also has two vegetable gardens, which grow food to feed the animals during the summer.
The Butterfly Garden follows a gentle circular path with flora and fauna, including bug hotels for pollinators and whimsically decorated fairy houses. They were inspired by memories of fairy houses Hayes saw growing up camping in the Pacific Northwest.
“I just thought, we need to do that here. I would love to do that as a way for really little kids to be engaged. I saw moms down here [in the garden] all the time and, because it’s fully closed, they could sit on a bench and let their two- or three-year-old kind of run around a little bit, and they knew they were safe,” Hayes said.
With its gardens, trails, animals and kid-friendly layout — each space is just a short distance from the next — you might imagine how the preserve could easily transform into a land of imaginative exploration for young children.
Walk through the historical buildings in the Heritage Village
Autrey Mill lives on land that previously belonged to the Cherokee. In 1832, it was sold to settlers. Over the years, various owners took over the property, including Ransom Autrey —owner of the grist mill that operated until the early 1900s — and the last private owners, the Debray family.
Today, historic buildings from the time are preserved on the site, saved from development by relocating them to the preserve. The Summerour House and Tenant Farmhouse even have furnishings that include period furniture and household items that represent an early 1900s farm, such as butter churns and a cast iron stove.
The Tenant House was originally built as a one-story, two-room house for the Summerour farm and served as housing for workers. The Summerour House, named for the Summerour family, is a Georgian cottage with folk Victorian styling, believed to have been constructed in the late 1870’s.
At the Farm Museum, guests can take a self-guided walk to look at vintage tools and farm equipment. The Warsaw Church is still used for weddings and community events, and stands out with its distinctive stained glass windows.
The Green Store is a preserved 1920s general store owned and operated by the Green family from the 1920s to 1950s. It sold food staples and farming supplies. The shelves inside are lined with original items from the 1900s, including beauty products, dishes, glass bottles and vintage pamphlets. To its left is a building that held a Delco-Remy generator providing electricity.
Hayes explained that one of the reasons why this little community store was so important is because it was the very first building in the community that had electricity. By consequence, it became a sort of community center.
“The farmers would come off the fields, and they would come into the store and maybe get a Coke. And they would sit here on the porch and catch up on the town gossip,” Hayes said.
When the store was first moved to the preserve, the inside was filled to the ceiling with black trash bags. As docents went through each bag, hundreds of historical artifacts surfaced — everyday items from the 1900s, as well as many letters, stacking up to a pile of 600. They were put into chronological order and found to be love letters written to Callie Green, who was the youngest daughter of Mr. Green from her future husband.
As part of a current project, volunteers read each letter chronologically, and then verify the real-life events in the community at the Atlanta History Center, to put together a narrative.
Volunteering and community connection
In addition to visiting, Autrey Mill offers opportunities for volunteers of all ages to help with garden work, maintenance, landscaping, historical cataloging and animal care. Volunteers are also encouraged to come up with their own projects if they feel inspired to.
On Saturdays, the preserve fills with activity as volunteers arrive throughout the day. Hayes, who helps oversee many of them, said the atmosphere is often bustling and full of connection.
“My friend described it as my own personal Mr. Rogers Neighborhood when she came to visit, which I thought was actually kind of accurate,” Hayes said.
For Hayes, that sense of community is part of what brought her to Autrey Mill in the first place. She and her wife had just adopted their 11-year-old daughter and were looking for ways to connect with the community. Hayes began her journey at Autrey Mill as a volunteer, helping to care for goats.
“I thought, what a great way for us all to do an activity together,” she said. “I wanted to be a part of the community, and I found that here, and my daughter found that here, and it really helped us grow and connect as a family. I think that’s why I feel so connected here.”
Hayes hopes Autrey Mill offers that same sense of belonging to others.
Upcoming summer programs and events
Classical Remix Music Festival
On June 21, Autrey Mill Nature Preserve will host the Classical Remix Music Festival, a free outdoor concert featuring a string quartet of professional Atlanta musicians performing selections from the Bridgerton soundtrack.
The evening will close with a collaboration between Classical Remix and students from the William Pu Music Academy, performing Mendelssohn’s String Octet.
Older adults: Ageless Adventures
In the spirit of creating a space for community across age groups, the Ageless Adventures program, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, offers activities for older adults, including Yoga with Joan on Wednesdays, Guided Ecology Hikes on Fridays and social events on Saturdays.
Though some of the programs only run through mid-May, the free, weekly yoga classes are set to continue in June and July. Registration is available on the Autrey Mill website.
Summer Camp at Autrey Mill
Summer months at Autrey Mill find the preserve transformed into a full summer camp experience, with weekly sessions offering time outdoors, a range of hands-on, nature-based programming, guest speakers and more.
At Camp Autrey Mill, a combination of crafts, games and other activities are used to educate and connect participants with nature, animals and history. Weekly themes keep it fun and include things like Fairy Fun, Mad Science and Wildcraft Survival.
Sessions are geared towards campers ages 5 to 13:
• The Camp Adventurer: Ages 5-7
• Camp Explorer: Ages 8-11
• Camp Imagination: Ages 5-11
• Camp Jr. Counselor: Ages 12-13.
This year’s Camp Autrey Mill takes place May 26 to July 31. Spaces are still available and registration is open now. Visit autreymill.org/programs/summer-camp for more information.
