Photo by Allison Perrine
By Allison Perrine
MIDDLETOWN – Renovation work to the Reptile House in Huber Woods Park is about 80 percent complete, officials said. It is expected to re-open by late fall.
The Reptile House is a popular spot in the park, located at 25 Browns Dock Road. Its rustic wooden exterior with green, blue and tan painted stucco at the top sits next to the park’s environmental center. It is home to a variety of reptiles and amphibians, including snakes, toads, tree frogs and turtles.
“We know visitors are anxious to get back into the building, but so are we,” said Gail Hunton, supervising historic preservation specialist with the Monmouth County Park System.
Work began in 2016 and the exterior is now complete, giving it a fresh new feel while maintaining its historic charm. The interior is nearing completion and will feature new reptile habitats and displays, reproduced with environmental themes to mirror natural habitats.
There will be 11 displays in the new Reptile House as opposed to the original 13 in the former building, said naturalist Sam Skinner, who has been in his position with the Monmouth County Park System since 2004.
“We have sacrificed a few displays to allow for a more accommodating public area and more spacious habitats for the animals on display,” he said. “We are looking forward to the opening of the renovated Reptile House. The new habitats are truly professionally designed and will be more suitable environments for our animals.”
Animals have been housed in a safe place within Huber Woods Park during renovations and, according to Skinner, they have been doing just fine in their temporary accommodations.
Renovation work was delayed after the original contractor became ill and was unable to finish the project. Hunton said it took about a year to find a new contractor, Bob Frizell, who picked up the work.
“Exhibits, as it turns out, are just as complicated as building work,” Hunton said with a laugh.
But the building may not house reptiles in the future.
According to the park system, the interior wall partitions and exhibits of the Reptile House are being built to allow for a possible use change at a later date, which would result in the relocation of the reptiles to another part of the park.
According to the Monmouth County Park System, the Reptile House was originally built in 1927 by the Huber family as a garage for the Hans Huber House, now the environmental center. It has housed reptiles since the 1990s.
The park system manages and preserves over 17,000 acres of land in Monmouth County. For more information, visit monmouthcountyparks.com.
