Family fun at The Wild Center, Natural History Museum of The Adirondacks

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On our recent visit to The Adirondacks, we made a stop at The Wild Center, the Natural History Museum of the area. It was a beautiful Saturday and the sun was shining bright. Normally on days like these the last thing you want to do is be inside, but the museum is designed in such a beautiful way that you can enjoy all it has to offer, while still being surrounded by sunlight. From the moment we entered the museum we were greeted with continued sunlight coming in through the awesome windows of the Great Hall and by a cheerful and helpful volunteer who provided us with maps and a list of events for the day.

This 4 year old museum is located on 33 acres of lush and tree-filled land, some of it donated by the local school. It has marked trails for hiking, or snow shoeing in colder weather, as we did. In the Summer, on Thursdays, they host a Farmer’s Market featuring local farmers.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Sally Gross, the Groups Coordinator for the museum, who shared with me some more fun activities that families can enjoy while at the museum.

“During the Winter we have Winter Wildays. We have speakers or workshops on Saturdays, and then on Sundays we have family art projects, which incorporate the arts with a nature theme and has become really popular with kids and their families”, Ms. Gross stated.

We walked through several exhibits which displayed and explained some of the local terrain and river and pond wildlife found in the area.  The boys loved the otter and could have stayed there all day just watching him swim around.

There are films, some of which we watched as well, and interactive play materials in one of the rooms which we all had fun with. I wouldn’t have guessed it, but we were having so much fun that we literally spent the entire afternoon there.

And it seems the fun has caught on, as the popularity of the place has started to grow. Ms. Gross said they host about 6,000 students from visiting schools every year. “People are finding out about us and coming back and bringing their kids”, says Ms. Gross. And I can see why. I would say of all the things we saw during our stay in Tupper Lake area, our visit to the Wild Center was definitely the highlight. The last weekend in March they have an Otter Birthday party, and “Ottie, The Otter” comes around and partakes in the fun with the kids.

We loved visiting the museum. We had an amazing, fun time snow shoeing down to the river. It was truly a family fun-filled day for us and I would highly recommend stopping by, even driving a bit out of your way, any time of year, for a visit. If in the area also check out their events listing to see what seasonal activities they have going on, and stop into their cute shop and convenient cafe as well. The staff is courteous and helpful, and will surely add to your experience.

Disclosure: This review is based on a complimentary access to the Wild Center. I received no other compensation and no requirements that I express a particular point of view.

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