Carolina Raptor Center

The walking path is nice & shady and the birds are wonderful. The cages do seem small for the individual birds. Also, I do agree that the gift shop people were less than helpful. If I can visit again, I’ll try to come when I can go to their hospital, as I am more familiar with that end of raptor and bird rehab.

Great learning experience for the kids. It's about $45 for 2 kids and an adult. Also 100% outdoors and shaded so bring your off or prepare for mosquitos. My kids spent about an hour and a half but slowing them down to read all the info didn't happen the whole time. I'd say you could make an easy 2 hours if you walked through and read everything. When the kids are a little older I think it'll be better bang for the buck with their attention spans being what they are.

Well worth the price as the birds are awesome. Really beautiful habitats and love how its built into the forest. Felt like you were hiking a trail and had a wide range of different raptors. If you love seeing birds of prey, this is the place to go.

Best raptor center this year by far. So close to the birds. Cages are not long and narrow. They are big but set up so bird is close to viewer. The birds were so active and wasn't to busy. Cool trails through the woods also

Loved this ! Amazing folks who know their birds and will walk the extra mile to make sure every visitor is happy. The whole area is small but has whatever it takes to attract families.

The Carolina Raptor Center helps treat over 800 sick and injured birds per year. The facility is small, with a walking trail and enclosures that can be completed in less than an hour. Your visit supports wildlife, the price is reasonable, and it is worth stopping by if you are in the Charlotte area.

Excellent family activity. All staff are professional, friendly, knowledgeable. All raptors are upclose where you can actually see them. Cages are maintained and animals look happy! You walk a trail too view raptors so it's like a hike through the woods. There is a show that the staff put on. We were very surprised as the show was the highlight. Definitely will return, perfect family activity for all ages. Thank-you Carolina Raptor Center..special thanks to Alex for spending extra time with my 8yr old that asked a million questions. 🙂👍

The highlight of our trip to Charlotte. The staff was so amazing and the birds were spectacular. Our 1-year old was super tuned in to the “show” /demo they do as were the rest of us. That demonstration is really remarkable. I was also very impressed with the amount of signs and descriptions, and nods to the donors and builders of the enclosures. Looks like the Boy Scouts have been hard at work building things. Just a note, if you can afford to donate, please do, as these birds eat upwards of $100K of special mice and rats and things annually. Makes sense, because most of them are giant birds and have lots of space to move around. They seem happy and well cared for. The paths are easy to walk.

Absolutely beautiful raptor center. There is never a time that I will not support a place like this. All the beautiful feathery friends you see here are well kept as they are unable to survive in the wild on their own. Tremendous variety and lots of information posted about each. Great place to come visit and be educated about birds and how we can help make the world a better place for them.

Visited North Caroline over the summer, and got to see this beautiful rapture center! Very informative, each cage has fun facts! My family enjoyed it, really friendly staff.

Aesthetic: Incredible Raptor sanctuary with a wide variety of beautiful rescue birds to learn about. My Favorites: The informational shows were the best, I loved watching the raptors eat, fly, and interact with the crowd, they were the coolest! Experience: This is one of my new favorite places to enjoy in the Charlotte region. The workers were knowledgeable and excited to teach. The birds had interesting personalities, and some were hamming it up when we visited. The park is a great value for how much of an experience you get just walking around and learning. I highly recommend checking this center out if you have kids, need a fun date idea, or you just want to get away in nature and take a mini hike around the trail.

Took the kids here for a fun day outing and they loved it! I never even realized this was in our backyard. We saw a variety of birds, many I didn't even know existed. Pricing was reasonable and it was entertaining for the little ones.

What an incredible experience! Beautiful location in Latta Park. There was such a variety of raptors! Lots of personality! The facility was peaceful and tame. The trainers and caregivers were friendly, enthusiastic & educational! We were able to see a few feedings, including the Bald Eagles, African Fish Eagle, and Black-Billed Magpie. We were able to see the Mississippi Kite being weighed. It was quite affordable (prices on website) and we enjoyed the center for about 2 & 1/2 hours, including the "Fly-By" Show! There is a gift shop, education area, and fun facts in each area. Thank you for the experience & for the care for these amazing birds at both the center & the hospital!

Definitely worth visiting. Simply stunning birds and a great knowledgeable staff. Looking forward to returning again and again.

Nice place to bring the fam if you want to go near Charlotte but not into the city itself. This is a tucked away refuge for injured wild birds, and looks like they also hold events and educational activities as well. Saw a good variety on site of hawks, owls, crows, eagles, and more. They also have picnic tables, and the path outside is mostly well shaded from sun. It is free to get in with EBT.

A very special place! My grandkids& I loved every minute being there. The live show was the best!!

I was in between 4-5 stars because initially when we started the trail within the aviary there were quite a few birds missing from their enclosures. However, upon looping back around a while later, the missing birds were back, so a 5 star experience! We came on a weekday as a family of 3. 2 adult tickets came out to about $25. Our infant was free. Everything is self guided and you can go at your own pace. There are numerous "rest spots", benches, and photo opportunities sprinkled throughout. Nice wide trails so we never felt like it got congested. There were close to 30 raptors to see. Each had a couple bullet points of information outside of the pen. A great variety of owls, hawks, eagles, and others feathered friends. The trail took us about an hour. We were going at a leisurely pace. Definitely kid friendly and educational for all!

We had a blast at the Raptor Center! They had come to do an educational exhibit at my son's school and so he had a free pass and begged us to come. We went first thing when it opened so it wasn't too hot under all the tree shade. My boys (5 &2) had so much fun going from exhibit to exhibit looking at the different birds, reviewing the maps of where they came from etc. The staff was very friendly and informative as well. We all learned a lot and got to enjoy nature in the process. Will definitely be back again!

An interesting way to spend an hour if you're in the area. It's a little sad to see them all in cages, but It's also interesting to see these beautiful birds up close, especially some of the hawks and owls I see soaring above or in my backyard. There are quite a few non native raptors as well, from Africa, Asia and South America; no idea how they made it here, but exciting to see for sure! Also a great place to bring young ornithologists so they can see these birds up close.

Nothing on the website about being closed for a private event soooo drove an hour for nothing. ‍ The Latta Plantaion was also closed.

Really cool out of the way place. Lots of raptor birds there. Beautiful property. It's about 3/4 of a mile to walk it. Take some time and appreciate the beauty of the woods you are walking through. Be quiet and listen to the sounds of the birds. The Boy Scouts have built for you to sit on. And there are lots of interesting facts about the birds along the way. The gift shop is really nice. And they have educational programs as well.

Nice place, nice staff and awesome owls.... And other birds of course! We visit a couple times a year, and always enjoy the time.

Have not been there in many years but since it is so close to where we live now, we will be visiting again this summer

We got the family membership after our first visit. Our daughter (and my husband) had an absolute blast! It's a bit difficult to manage the trail with our double stroller (especially when it's just me with the kids) You can pick up a junior ornithologist backpack before you hit the trails. Our daughter loved it! Our entire household is neurodivergent. They offer quiet areas now which is great! It is NOT handicap accessible. I have some accessibility issues and have trouble lifting my feet. There are many roots and little curbs. They added more places to sit along the trails which has been great!

I enjoyed it. Would come back in the future! They had a wide assortment of birds and my favorite are the owls. Pretty much the only reason I went

COVID made it a bit more challenging to find things to do while visiting the area, but this was something a little different from your average, run-of-the-mill zoo situation so we thought it was a good place to give a try. Staff was very friendly, which is a key reason that I went three stars here instead of two as there honestly isn't all that much to see and the place hasn't been kept up sufficiently in terms of signage and the grounds themselves. The "gift shop" was very underwhelming as well, I really wanted to purchase something to lend a hand, but the pickings were so slim, there wasn't anything I could find to accomplish that goal. I understand that part of that is the challenging times we live in, but there isn't another opportunity to give another first impression. On the plus side, there is a decent variety of birds to see, and many of the facts about them were new to me. I do hope they can bounce back from COVID better than ever!

Carolina Raptor Center is somehow kinda undercover. I don't remember how I found out about it but I am glad I did. This is a great place to visit for adults and kids of all ages, especially right now during COVID. This is great place for outdoor social distancing. It's a beautiful green shaded area and was cold even during the middle of summer. The paths are easy to walk on even for people with mobility issues. The birds are wonderful and it is a nice place to sit and have some peace while observing them.

I visited the Carolina Raptor Center with my family this weekend during a visit to Charlotte, and we all enjoyed our visit! The Center is located on a 1,500-acre nature preserve, and it provides homes to over 30 species of birds. Their hospital rehabilitates birds injured in the wild. Walking along their .75-mile Raptor Trail, you'll see owls, vultures, hawks, eagles, corvids, and more. The highlights for us were owls, bald eagles, and the King Vulture. We learned a lot (crows are SMART) and enjoyed walking around and seeing the various birds. It was a great visit on a nice day. Worth the drive outside Charlotte.

Enjoyed an incredible and educational hike yesterday on the Raptor Trail. 3.5 hours to be exact. Worth the $12 and if you will, please consider an additional donation. I cannot imagine the costs to help and sustain these raptors. The staff, and doctor care for, nurse and rehabilitate these raptors on site. It's sad to learn our buildings, cars, highways and power lines are among many of the reasons these birds are brought in to CRC. I highly recommend checking out the events calendar. On weekends at 2:00, a volunteer or keeper will give an informative talk. I would love to come back for one of the bird show flights. The volunteers and keepers are very knowledgeable about the birds and on the trail to share information and answer your questions. Wow, do they know their stuff!! Some of the volunteers are very young. It is wonderful to see the many benches on the trail made by The Boy Scouts. Lots of activities for children in the warmer months, including a vet camp. They will have a new spectator center called Quest which will open later this year in 2020. These are only a few pictures of the over 30 species at CRC. Wear comfy shoes for the walk, carry a small backpack with water. Definitely bring your fancy camera or a smartphone (be sure it's charged).

This place is awesome . They have a great setup in the Latta Plantation, and they have continually adapted to the changing environment to ensure visitors have a great visit. We got to visit during an experience where they brought a King Vulture out (really cool looking raptor!) And an Owl. The trainers are fantastic and did a great job speaking. Love the work they do and feel great supporting their sanctuary and hospital.

This is my number one recommendation when people ask me what there is to do around the Charlotte NC area! I've been visiting the CRC for 7 years now and I always experience and learn something new every time I visit, and it's totally worth the 2 hour trip from my hometown in Virginia. I recommend the CRC to anyone regardless of how interested in birds they are, but for absolute Bird Nerds and Birders like me it's a must see experience. The whole trail is less than a mile and is easily accessible so you could potentially see everything in an hour, or if you're like me, you can spend a 5 hours easily. There's plenty of local species to get up close with and maybe even practice identifying (bald eagles, crows, ravens, barred owls, barn owls, red shouldered and red tailed hawks, turkey and black vultures, American Kestrel, and so many more!) They also have a variety of birds most of us only enjoy during migration watch (broad wing hawks and peregrine falcons come to mind). The center also offers the opportunity to see and learn about birds from other parts of the country (such as ferruginous hawks and harris hawks). Most exciting though is the center's increase in birds you would normally only see abroad! During my last trip which included the PhotoWild experience, I got to enjoy a Red Legged Seriema, kookaburra, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Spectacled Owl, King Vulture, Lanner Falcon, and so many other fantastic birds I've never had to opportunity to see up close before. The tickets are insanely cheap and even if you just come to walk the trail and see the birds you usually get to experience a handler with a bird on the glove, a flight show where the birds are flown right over/around you, and educational tables set up. Over the years they've also held a lot of additional opportunities/events (ranging from $25-50 usually) and they have always been worth the price. I participated in an Eagle encounter a few years back and got my picture taken with a Golden Eagle, got to go into the enclosure, and even sprayed one of the Bald Eagles with a water hose (to help with the extreme summer heat). Every one of the additional events I've participated in here has been more than worth the money because it's experiences I'll likely never get anywhere else and are always sincerely enriching. It's also a great feeling because I know the money I spend goes back into the center and all the work they do from supporting the veterinary center and rehabbing injured birds, training ambassador birds, and feeding and caring for all of the fantastic species they house. Overall, unbeatable prices, one of a kind experiences, an easily accessible trail, a family friendly set up, and one of the most deserving conservation-minded organizations there is. I can't recommend enjoying and support the CRC enough!

Wonderful place to spend an hour or so walking. The exhibits are informative and entertaining. They do their best to educate while also being a force for conservation. Recommend.

Friendly staff; great info on each bird; kids loved walking around outside - be sure to go on a nice day!

We visited today for the international vulture awareness day. It's a small park with a big mission. It made my mom really happy to see the eagles! I wish the cages were larger and the birds had a partner with them, some were alone. If your child can walk I suggest not taking the stroller, the paths are unpaved and the walk isn't too bad. You can finish the loop in less than an hour.

What a fun place to go!!!! They are taking precautions for Covid-19- wear masks, have shields, signs posted around the park. I love how interactive the exhibits are with art areas, volunteer talks, visuals, and more. There is something for all learning styles. I was also proud of all the information of conservation efforts and steps that people can take to help. They have a large variety of raptors, the Spectacled Owl was my favorite on exhibit! I definitely want to come back and recommend this place to anyone!

Wonderful place to spend hours at and a great organization. Lots of exhibits and great docents and employees. They do daily programs, such as bird art and educational programs.

Amazing facility to experience the beauty of birds of prey (both local and global). Wonderful way to educate the next generation on their beauty and the importance of preserving an ecology that supports all the animals even the ones that we may not see in our every day lives. (There is also a avian hospital so the center does a lot more than provide a home to those who can no longer live in the wild.)

I would definitely suggest this place for a family outing. I wouldn't recommend coming in the late spring or summer due to the smell of the animals however learning about the Raptors was a interesting experience to say the least. The trails for Horseback Riding are awesome. We started taking our daughter there to go hiking at the age of 18 months because they have a trail that goes for maybe a mile it is great for beginners especially small children she's now 10 and she loves hiking. They also offer other types of things such as fishing, and other activities. So I would suggest this place

Really nice place to visit and learn!! I loved seeing all the birds. It's a nice little trail and the employees were all very friendly. I can't remember the girls name feeding some of the vultures but she was absolutely so kind and answered all of our questions without hesitation! I highly recommend going when they start the shows back up (they've been not doing them bc of covid) because then I really feel like you will get your money's worth. It's a wonderful place to visit and picnic at the lake down the road.

Eh, not much to see since covid, but if I'm being honest I also I feel very sad for these birds. I wish they had a larger habitat for them to freely fly in. Beautiful location though

This is the coolest place ever. So much fun working around with the virtual tour. Birds actually interacted with us. Highly recommend for an enjoyable day.

I would really love to give the Carolina Raptor Center 5 stars. They have a dedicated staff to a very specialized mission that I truly respect. The staff was very knowledgeable, even if not particularly available. My 3 stars are for the physical venue. The information signs where very informative, clean and readable. But there were so many roped off unused areas, even the important large aviary at the end of the trail. The 3/4 mile trail is a bit treacherous, not at all stroller friendly, dusty, debris, exposed roots and drainage tubes...look down while you walk! Even the bricked walks were hazardous. Demonstration areas were roped off and unused, maybe due lack of staff? I love their mission and of course the raptors, but this place is definitely in need of some grounds and functional management. Maybe... with so many areas and activities rope off, discarded and unavailable... they could adjust the admission price to compensate?

It's been awhile since I treated myself for my birthday to the PhotoWILD day, and to this day it's one of the best things I've ever done. From the website: Each day highlights over 20 different raptors in unique settings each day. The day starts with an early-bird breakfast at 7:30 am, followed by six, thirty minute sessions -- we'll have lots of birds each session to choose from. The final hour of each day features some of our flight show superstars in free-flight! http://www.carolinaraptorcenter.org/experience/photowild Take your camera and treat yourself, or a loved one.

They have a good selection of birds and staff was friendly. My problem was with the amenities being so dirty, spider webs all over the benches, bird cages, everywhere.

Quick one. After reading Kathy's review I remembered how amazing this place is and how lucky we are to have it so close by. My first encounter with Owls. Its been a while, so I definitely need to go back, and will do whatever I can to bring others with me. $10 at most to get in, but I'm sure some donations and/or sponsoring a bird would be greatly appreciated. For $45 bucks a year you can you can go whenever you want and bring a friend. Great for kids! Will update upon my next visit, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Great place for raptor lovers. My son's and I visited for spring break. If I had realized it was so close to my home I would have gone sooner. The birds are beautiful and I think it's great what they are doing for them! Can wait to return after memorial day to see a flight show!

What can I say? Giant, meat eating birds within feet of your eyeballs. It's like Jurassic Park but 50 million years into the present. It's a great place with a great mission and so far the modern day dinosaurs haven't escaped and eaten any of the visitors

My son and I had a lot of fun. We loved learning about each bird. It is very informative.

Definitely worth visiting with your kids, very convenient outdoors place to see interesting species of birds and keep social distancing. My two year old asks me to take him back everyday

We visited while on vacation in Charlotte. My boys enjoyed seeing the owls and eagles up close in person. We completed the entire trail in about 40 minutes.

I always enjoy the Raptor Center. I have been multiple times with different age groups. The amount of time you will need various by age as older kids will move through a little quicker. The staff is always very nice and knowledgeable no prefer a guided walk versus on your own. As the staff has way more information to give. If able I would definitely attend or ask for one of the sessions where they speak to the group about particular Raptors with a possible feeding. The kids seemed to enjoy that the most.

I love birds, they are really cool, and this place is awesome, iv'e been here three times, I just don't like that the poor birds are trapped in a small area just for human entertainment.

My husband is really into raptors, his favorite animal is a peregrin falcon. We had never been here and it was so worth the entrance fee. The weather was beautiful, and there was hardly any other people this past Sunday. We got to see nearly every bird, they were all out happy about the sun! The employees were all extremely friendly. We took our 10 month old son, only because he didn't have a choice but to come with us...but using the stroller was pretty simple. Only a few times did we have to lift it up a small step in a trail. Very baby friendly in that aspect. So many activities for kids who are a bit older, and we will bring our son back for that fun as soon as he's able to understand it! It was really interesting and beautiful. I am not really knowledgeable about birds, but it was still really fun and I learned quite a bit. I think the "encounter" prices are very steep however, and I wish they were a bit more affordable so we could try that out and do it more than once!

This place is so cool. I'm not even really into birds that much, but seeing these animals up close and learned about them is so indescribably cool. I always feel a little torn about places like zoos. Most animals are pretty shy or they don't like humans (who can blame them, really, considering how awful we are to them), so for them to be on display and caged up has got to be horrible. I was so pleased to learn that the Raptor Center is actually a rescue center, rehab, and sanctuary for these birds. Injured raptors get fixed up and either get set free or they get to live out their days in safety and relative peace. From what I can tell, they try to make the birds as comfortable as possible. They have dark hiding places for the nocturnal guys; lots of stuff to climb and sit on for the ones who like that; and the bald eagle sanctuary was spacious and had little ponds. It's not ideal, but as I understand it, these birds wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. This way they at least get to live. Be prepared for this to be a really mild hike. Wear appropriate shoes for dirt paths and a teeny bit of rocky terrain. It's quite a long walk if you stop and look at all the birds, so be sure to bring some water especially if it's hot out. Please also try and donate before you leave. I came in with very low expectations, but I ended up super impressed. These people are doing a beautiful thing and making their work accessible to the public. Please support their work and keep places like this going.

The Carolina Raptor Center may be a bit of a drive, but it's totally worth it if you're looking for something different to do on a Saturday afternoon. When you first arrive (parking can be a little tough, so go early), you walk into the main building where you can pay admission and they give you a map. Everything is self guided along a trail, and the birds are grouped together (i.e. Hawks, Eagles, Owls). Within a grouping, you can see a variety of different birds up close. It's not every day that you can walk up to an area and literally look a large hawk in the eye from less than 10 feet away. You can really see the detail on each bird being that close! The part I like most about the Carolina Raptor Center is that each bird has a story and a name. It gives the visit a bit of a more personal experience. I enjoyed seeing how long the birds were there (two birds have been there since 1987!!!), what happened to the bird and how they were helped to keep them alive. Some of the stories are a bit sad on how the birds got there, but the happy ending of knowing that they have a safe home at the Raptor Center (when they are unable to survive on their own in the wild). This is perfect for a 1-2 hour trip on a weekend if you want to go by yourself, with a friend or with kids. I personally took my parents there and they loved it...was their favorite part of their trip to Charlotte.

Fun for the whole family!! My 8 year old son loved this experience. Nice walk through nature and educational!

This is a great little gem. I applaud the work they do here, they really do seem to care a great deal about the animals and ensuring species survival as well. We did the flight show, and unfortunately the first bird was being rather stubborn and flew off into a tree. Much to my disappointment, but also earning the staff a great deal of respect, they quietly cleared the amphitheater and closed off the entire area until the bird came down of its own accord. They gave a refund to those who wanted it. I was impressed with the animals. They seemed to show very few, if any, signs of stress. Besides which, walking around there was absolutely pleasant given the trees, shade, nature, and the pathways.