Every summer, our family vacations in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. We enjoy hiking, kayaking, and exploring quiet towns nestled around cool, blue lakes that reflect the splendor of the mountains. This year, we ventured from our home base for a few day trips, including whitewater rafting, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and The Wild Center in Tupper Lake.
The Wild Center is a museum with both indoor and outdoor exhibits, including their famous Wild Walk, an elevated trail among the treetops.
The trail allows you to see nature from a new perspective as if you were a bird, a squirrel, or a spider.
Inside the museum, we found a variety of exhibits teaching fascinating facts about the landscape and wildlife of the Adirondacks.
We loved watching the adorable otters swim around their pool.
Several hands-on exhibits give visitors a chance to learn about North America’s indigenous people and their culture.
We watched a 20-minute documentary about the rusty-patched bumble bee in The Wild Center’s theater, then grabbed a tasty lunch in their café before heading back outside.
The most relaxing part of the day was our walk through the iForest, an immersive art and sound installation. As we walked the 1000-foot iForest trail, we heard beautiful chamber music coming from speakers hidden in the trees. This magical exhibit blends the harmony of music with the majesty of nature for a unique sensory experience.
The Wild Center has an incredible play area. Its appeal is in its simplicity – nothing but trees, logs, stumps, and rocks. My kids could play here all day without getting bored!
We got plenty of exercise (for both our muscles and our imaginations) in the play area, but The Wild Center also has several walking trails to explore. They offer canoe and paddle board trips for an additional fee.
The Wild Center was a fun addition to our Adirondack vacation. The Tupper Lake region has so much to offer, I’m sure we’ll be back in the future! We look forward to spending more time in the Adirondack Mountains next summer!
Eli would love this place. Guess it’s on our “to do” list!
Yes! Put it on your list! If you haven’t been to Tupper Lake, you’ll be impressed. It’s a large ADK town with plenty of stores, restaurants, etc.