outdoor discovery center macatawa greenway

MeredithImages

In the area for a photography conference. We had a private visit in the evening with many raptors brought out for us to photograph. The staff are extremely knowledgeable about the birds and reptiles that they care for, and are eager to share that knowledge with visitors.

3ChristineS

My grandsons and I have enjoyed the Outdoor Discovery Center! I loved taking them there as toddlers to age five for some great one-on-one time. Wide open nicely groomed spaces for running and imagining. Animals, birds and taxidermy are fascinating for them. I recommend a nice pair of children's binoculars to give it a safari feel. Great place for peaceful adult nature walk too!

gwkelley

We visited on a semi-rainy Saturday. We were able to see taxidermy in the main building and were told that most of the other buildings are closed on Saturdays. I did not get to walk the entire property but plan on a return visit based on wanting to walk around here. If traveling Holland on what I consider their “off-season” this is a place to visit for all ages. I was given a map and the woman in the main building is friendly and very knowledgeable. She really seemed to care about the facility and surrounding areas of Holland. I wish I could mention her name because she made me want to visit the area again! This is also an Education Gem and wished I lived closer so I could plan a field trip here!

RCcrest

Well worth a morning or afternoon. Lots of taxidermy in the main building. Lots of good trails and the aviary center was great. The elk is cool.

carpoolqueen

Visited this center to see what it is all about. They put on many programs for the community and are very good at what they do. Worth the trip on a lazy afternoon to see what you have been missing.

CarolJA

The walkway is easy and the birding is great. The raptor center has a big selection of birds, eagles, hawks, vultures, etc.

374PW

I went because I had too, but had fun learning. The staff was great and volunteers were knowledgeable!

acujen

What a wonderful little patch of nature. Besides the shooting range that must be close by, we really enjoyed the peace and solitude of Discovery Center. The elk were amazing...my boys loved watching them.

drdjd

We stopped by to see this place based on trip advisor. The visitor center was really cool. They had a lot of animals that were taxidermied (or however you would say that!) There was also a sweet little owl in there. Lots of reptiles as well and a touch table for children. We walked around but honestly didn't see much wildlife. There were some Elk that were nice to watch. Finally, we visited the birds of prey exhibit and really liked that. I felt terrible for the birds though, seeing all the horrible things that had happened to them and why they were stuck in cages for the rest of their lives. They were beautiful animals though and you don't get the chance to see bald eagles or perigrin falcons up close like that. Overall, we were pleased but it would have been nice if we saw any signs of people working there whatsoever. Nobody to show us the wildlife and tell us any interesting things about them. Kind of a bummer!

StephanieJ422

Our kids loved playing in the Children's play area and taking walks in the property. They like to look for frogs and turtles in the ponds. It is a great place to take a walk in the West Michigan area. All of the trails are level and easy to maneuver with a stroller or wagon.The Bird's of Prey facility is very educational. I would recommend the Outdoor Discovery Center to everyone!

Cinnilouwho

Loved seeing the Eagles, though they are injured and cannot survive in the wild any longer, they have wonderful homes here and the public can enjoy them and see just how large they are!!!

archar

This is a great place to spend a couple of hours birding with well-maintained, level-ground trails. As other reviewers have mentioned, the birds of prey exhibit is great. There is a wonderful variety of vegetation-grasslands, swamps, hardwood forests, etc -within a relatively small area. I hiked several nature areas in the Holland area recently and this was by far the best. Be sure to leave a few dollars in the donation boxes, they definitely use their donations wisely and this site is worth it!

chicagodave15

Neat place to take your kids. The birds of prey were very cool..... a collection of eagles, owls and hawks in large enclosures. The birds had all been injured and could no longer survive in the wild (almost all of them had been hit by cars). The golden eagle and the 2 bald eagles were amazing. They also had a large fenced in area with large elk. Fun place to walk around.

watergirlMi

The NEW Discovery Pavillon is wonderful. The knowledge of the naturalist is amazing. Many trails to walk, fishing in the ponds, Raptor rescue.

cumquad

My kids love this place. I love animals. After all I am one at heart