The Peregrine Fund's World Center For Birds of Prey

Terrific experience. Big birds (and some little ones) in well-constructed habitats are kept happy by people who care. The programs consist of watching a bird jump around you and fly low over your head while being educated by an expert passionate about their friends. The animals are residents, and the staff all affectionately call them by their names. I happened upon this place through my work as a school bus driver driving a class of kids here, and the staff happily welcomed me to explore the facility, which was delightfully entertaining and educational. My day is made, and I'll be back with friends for sure.

Let me first start off by saying I LOVE the work they are doing there. The facility is excellent. I enjoyed the first raptor show of the day which involved a Barred Owl that was tethered between two rocks. The handler would coax it with meat while it flew back and forth between the rocks as she talked about what they do there and the conservation efforts for raptors across the world. A couple of things that I didn't like. I was the only black person there (not surprising it's Idaho). When you pay for admission, you walk out of the doors and are greeted by and older white woman standing in front of a Peregrine Falcon enclosure. There is a bronze statue of the founder of the Peregrine Fund next to it. I walked out of the door with a friendly group from California. As we approached the Peregrine Falcon enclosure the lady, looked directly at them, greeted them and asked them where they were from. She began a conversation with them while I stood there looking on feeling invisible and ignored. It was so bad that the group directed her toward me to include me in the conversation. They could even tell there was an effort to exclude me from the discussion. It was disturbing. Secondly there were few birds on display. The Peregrine Falcon i mentioned, Turkey Vulture, Egyptian Vulture. Red-Tailed Hawk, Harpy Eagle and a Gyrfalcon. That's it. I was expecting more. They get 3 stars for the work they do and for the location and facilities, but they need to ensure that ALL guests feel welcome and recognized.

Loved it! Always wanted to go but often had a schedule to keep as we were passing thru - this time I had a 1 day layover and finally went. So worth it! Loved the museum and the scenic walks, not to mention the wildlife show.

This is a must for bird watchers and animal lovers. The facility was great. I really enjoyed seeing the Harpy Eagle and the Condors. The views are also great.

Well worth the trip. The docents and student interpreters were knowledgeable. We learned so much. The presentation was great- 100% recommend visiting and learning about raptors.

I had a great time here! all the staff was incredibly knowledgeable about raptors and raptor conservation. I am especially happy to see all the effort they put into helping to repopulate the California Condors (as someone living in California). I would strongly recommend anyone interested in birds or conservation to check it out. It was also great to meet all the birds!!!

Got there pretty late in the day. Luckily, Summer hours just started today (March 1) so the last entry was 1615, not 1515 during winter hours. There were several birds outside, like a gyrfalcon, California condors, etc. Inside the interpretive center, there was a video explaining how some birds had been brought back from the brink of extinction. A barn owl, harpy eagle, and a few others were inside in addition to some cool taxidermy specimens. Workers were walking around answering questions and pointing out cool bits of information about the birds. I really enjoyed my time here at the center and hope to catch it again the next time I am in Boise.

A great place to learn about the birds of prey, the staff are very knowledgeable and patient to our questions. The outdoor class was very educational and interactive, we all had a lot of fun there and learned a ton of new things about birds. The facility is well maintained and organized, there are also a lot of classes designed for kids to get introduced to the birds of prey. Highly recommend to pay a visit.

Up on a hillside, just a little off the I-84, outside of downtown Boise, you'll find this hidden little gem. The staff were welcoming & friendly, they gave us lots of information before we embarked on our self guided tour. Plan to spend at least an hour here if you want to read everything and see all the birds! My 4th grade son was particularly fascinated by all the predatory species. It was really cool seeing so many up close. His favorite...well, OUR favorite, was the Peregrine Falcon of course, followed by the owls! I would definitely suggest this center for anyone who is looking to learn more about the predators of the skies, or anyone who is passing through Boise on a random family road trip :)

Great demo in the showing room with an owl when we were there. Cool spot to learn about birds of prey.

Don't miss the annual "Fall Flights" series... Don't miss the Falconry exhibits! Don't miss the inside as well as outside lectures! Don't miss the chance to walk all the grounds!

This place is well worth the drive. An hour from where we were staying but so much information about all the birds and conservation. I look forward to going back for the beautiful hiking trails. They were doing construction on some areas were closed. Next time we will also drive the area where they have released some if the animals. Some of the birds are sadly perminalty in captivity. The birds are well taken care of and all of the volunteers are beyond knowledgeable.

As mentioned before, very knowledgeable staff and cute gift shop. The exhibit is very educational and my wife and I enjoyed our visit very much.

Beautiful property and worth the trip if you love or are interested in learning about raptors. There were several helpful guides and incredible live birds one may not have the opportunity to see in the wild. Two adults cost $12 each for admission. Cute gift shop and plenty of parking on the weekday we visited. Worth calling ahead or checking their website to see live events and demo times.

A small safe haven for birds of all kinds with some of the most passionate employees I have ever met. Admission was $12 for adults and tickets were available for purchase at the entrance which also served as a gift shop. The souvenirs were a bit pricey but I still bought a magnet for keepsake. Half of the birds were outside while the other half were indoors. We were lucky to come early enough that some birds were still consuming their breakfast. The California Condors were in a corner by themselves and we were impressed by their sheer size. Each area was spacious so it was a bit difficult to see some of the birds as they perched on taller branches. The indoor exhibits focused more on conservation efforts and the effects of DDT on the bird population. There were live demonstrations every 45 minutes where we learned about bird habits and transition into captivity. The volunteers were absolutely lovely and gave excellent fun facts. They were knowledgeable and could answer any questions we had. Although this attraction was out of the way, I loved the passion that went into this establishment.

A small area but worth the trip for sure. Extremely knowledgeable staff and a cute gift area. Live shows are 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

I made a special stop to the Center on a long road trip home and was entirely delighted by the experience. I enjoyed the Ologies podcast episode in advance of my visit and worried that it may not match their great hype--but was thrilled to be proven wrong. The center itself is beautiful and an excellent interpretive perch for the incredible array of bird ambassadors. The show was stunning and made me feel giddy like a kiddo watching the birds soar as we learned more about them and most importantly how to be conservationists ourselves. I'm already planning a return visit to share this great spot with the other fellow bird lovers in my life.

We planned a whole road trip around this center after hearing about it on the podcast ologies. I'm so thankful this wonderful organization exists and allows you to see the birds. I wished we would have had time to stay for a second flight show but, alas, we had to get going. Anyway, if you're in the area for any reason, for sure make a stop and plan around a flaconry demo!

While this is not the largest place ever, it is still an outstanding facility with good staff who very clearly take great care of the birds. I'm happy to see a place like this. The facility really is extremely well maintained. Clean, modern, and well presented. Most importantly, the birds are well taken care of. Glad to see it!

AMAZING a must do we are member and always bring our guests here--Fall flights ar spectacular and the staff is incredible

How old am I? Old enough to have joyfully ridden my bicycle through the diesel mists of the Vernon Texas mosquito abatement program with DDT as the insect neurorotoxin. Old enough to remember when birds, especially Peregrine Falcons could have no chicks because DDT thinned eggshells. Old enough to have an.ornithologist lecture my high school Advanced Biology class about the last 60 California Condors 50 miles miles away in The Sespe who might need to be captured and bred in captivity if the numbers kept falling. Old enough to remember the times when Brown Pelicans and Sea Otters were nearly extinct. That has nothing to do with Idaho and everything to we with "We all can make a difference." In my youth a Cornell University bird scientist (ornithologist) named Morley Nelson made Peregrine Falcon recovery his life work. Work with Rachel Carson and others to hsve Congress make DDT application illegal. To get Bald Eagles, Peregrines, Condors noted in Endsngered Species legislation. To locate Peregrine populations. Mr. Nelson and other bird lovers discovered that the Snake River Canyon region just south of Boise, Idaho has one of the largest bird of prey (raptor) populations on our speck in space. The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area is an area spanning 485,000 acres, and is reserved for the preservation of birds of prey. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/morley-nelson-snake-river-birds-prey-national-conservation-area The Peregrine Foundation is no dusty shack or tent where field scientists make observations. It is no Morley Nelson self-funded attempt to save his favorite bird It is a full-on, #1, high class science and education center devited to the raptor and associated birds on our planet. Personally, I think we should all go to see what science. passion, dedication, teamwork and love can accomplish. And me? I'll take real days in wind, dust and weather of the Snake River Canyon with all it's life over a posh science center any time. But I did my science, my days are numbered, and nature has always been my salvation.

This is place is great, I love what they're doing. All the staff we encountered were very friendly. Jeff, a volunteer, was with us the most and shared tons of knowledge. Rachel did the afternoon demonstration and even though her bird partner was very vocal, she did a great job and it was a fun and educational show. I was so happy to see California condors in person!

This would have been cool if what was shown on the website was actually open and available. However most of it was not. This place is under major construction and is projected to be so for the next 2 years. Due to the construction, the Bald Eagle is not on exhibit. There was 5 total birds of prey on display- 4 in the visitor center and the California Condors outside. $30 for 2 adults and 2 kids and we stretched to spend just under an hour at the center. To be honest it felt more like attending a fundraiser for the endangered birds rather than a good display of the magnificent birds themselves. I would recommend waiting to check it out until after the construction is completed.

Super great experience! Birds seemed very happy and active, watched the Bald Eagle eat, the bird were really cool and curious about humans. They would come pretty close to you just to get a good look at you. It was amazing. Worth the money. And the souvenirs were pretty good priced.

Even amidst some construction improvements, this was such a fun and educational excursion on a recent weekend trip to Boise. The area around Boise is home to the largest nesting birds of prey territory in America, so it makes a lot of sense for The Peregrine Fund to have a home base here. Staff was welcoming and knowledgeable and the birds that are here, are absolutely fascinating. Not only do you get to see such magnificent animals at a close proximity, but you're actively learning out their habitats and the dangers they face. You'll hear about their efforts to revive populations of birds that had been ruled extinct and are now thriving. It's obvious upon your time there just how symbiotic the relationships are, between animal and ecosystem. You can take home knowledge about how we, as humans can lessen our impact on their world and how we can help with the survival of these birds which rest at the top of the food chain for their species. Admission is $10 and it was incredibly easy to spend multiple hours here. Worth it, entirely. Patience is the key to the process, so give yourself time with these animals and even as they show up to you in a captive space, they'll still show you a lot about themselves. Also, make sure you sit in on the interactive session, as a staff member will bring a bird into the theatre for a in person display.

Such a nice way to spend just a few hours. Staff is very passionate and knowledgeable about the birds at the center and it's quite serene.

Review #16 for 2021. I've been to this place twice when visiting Boise, and it's pretty fun! Lots of cool predator birds to see, and there are really great displays to learn more about conservation. I also appreciate the presentation where the staff bring out some birds to teach visitors about them. Grateful that a friend has an annual pass, so visiting is free for me! Fun for kids and families, but also fun for adults who care about animals and the environment. I'd definitely visit again!

This bird museum has quite a few impressive looking birds including but not limited to: - Bald Eagle - California Condor - Harpy Eagle - Peregrine Falcon - Turkey Vulture - Western Screech Owl We loved walking around looking at the variety of large predatory birds- both alive and a section of taxidermy birds. Apparently birds of pray are called "raptors"- so no actual dinosaurs here. Not that I actually thought there were dinosaurs... *uncomfortable laugh* Unfortunately we didn't land at a time of any of the live bird presentations which vary by day. Shack online for the daily schedule and plan your trip accordingly. The friendly and knowledgeable staff told us some fun facts about the birds on exhibit, including their habitats, diet, and that Grayon the Harpy Owl is not allowed out anymore because he thought small children looked a *little* too much like his natural prey of monkeys. He was for sure eyeing my baby in the stroller- see video! Would recommend visiting, unique experience!

The Peregrine Fund is a very special organization! They assist endangered Raptors / Birds of Prey all over the world. They research why specific species of Raptors are failing, and go all-in to help restore them! This special facility in Boise is the one place you can come and see up close and personal Raptors from all over the world. Awesome staff, fabulously knowledgeable volunteers. Definitely worth the time!

Alicia was knowledgeable, her demo (with Jill?) was wonderful! Morgan's demo with the falcon was amazing, wise beyond their years! Jeff was kind enough to share his personal pictures of the newly laid condor egg; we were blessed because of his timing! Mary was passionate (like the rest); she will fly through the 100 hour internship and became one of the caretakers here. We highly recommend this aviary if you visit Boise!

Visited with a friend and the kids. The place is quite small (a few outside exhibits) but are expanding the place. They do show and tell at certain times outside which was very interesting. There are many enthusiastic volunteers that were available to answer any questions. Inside exhibit has several birds, probably the most interesting is the peregrine falcon. The gift shop has many adorable stuffers and other gifts.

What an interesting place! I was fortunate to attend a birthday party here. We had a wonderful time. We were able to see a beautiful owl up close. They have California Condors. They do informative classes and videos you are able to watch. It was surprisingly cool to spend some time at this facility! Worth the drive.

I cannot say enough about our experience at the World Center for Bird's of Prey. It is such an experience an education. The staff is extremely knowledge and the volunteers were so kind and welcoming. If you haven't visited, please do! This is a great experience for all age levels.

Amazing place - don't miss it! Maybe a 30 minutes drive from town but certainly worth it! The birds look like they want to talk to you, and kinda do. Only went once but years later I still miss seeing them. However, do be careful of what looked like a speed trap I saw in 2019 at the end of the long straight road before you turn into the center. I was going under the 30 to 35mph limit, so I didn't get stopped. It would have ruined my day surely if I had been going any faster. Won on that one, hah! Don't miss the birds!

Enjoyed an afternoon exploring the birds of prey zoo/museum. The area of conservation is 580 acres. The museum sits atop a hill in the area. They have indoor/outdoor live bird exhibits with a nice sampling of birds. It's a small museum with a great variety of exhibits and 66 live birds. My favorite part of this museum is the live show. They will bring out one live bird for viewers by along with showing a movie. Afterwards, you may choose to join the volunteer for a guided tour of the falconry wing where they teach about the sport of falconry. Well worth a visit!

I'm a fan. My mom was in town...so grandma wanted to take my boys some where different than the zoo. It is a beautiful drive up to the top of the hill where the center is. Parking is free and there is a huge lot. The little gift store where you buy the tickets was kind of congested - it is a pretty small shoppe. The girl working had to take care of people buying souvenirs & people just trying to get in. You leave the little gift shop and inter the conservatory. It is a beautiful grassy area with trees, benches, and is surrounded by the bird cages. There are 6 birds in these cages where you can walk up close like a zoo. Follow the path back to the big space where the Condors are. Make sure you hang out for a bit by their cage because you have to witness their immense wing span. It is truly amazing. We walked across the pond into the barn like structure. It is like a discovery center. All sorts of displays, maps & interactive stations. Really Cool! More birds on the back side of this. We were lucky enough to catch Lucy, the Turkey Vulture in action at 3:30. It was really cool! She walked around, did tricks, and I really did learn a lot! I don't think we would come back here all the time...but it was def. worth it. I would say give yourself about an Hour. Maybe more if there is a live show going like we got to see. Enjoy!

Yes! Yes! Yes! A great place to go bird watching. Learning about the Californian Condors being brought back from extinction and seeing some in the huge outdoor cages, plus camera shots of eggs ready to hatch...priceless. There are many other birds, plus lots of info of bird species and their numbers in the wild. Loved visiting here.

This is one of the many gems in Boise. It's a very serene place with the most amazing views from the top. This center has gorgeous birds of prey and 2 California Condors. The people who work here are so friendly and they really care about these amazing birds. Their hearts are truly invested in the care and well-being of these birds. Highly recommend!

This is a great place to see many times of birds of prey in one location. It's a good sized museum and the volunteers are very helpful. For $7 adult admission we were able to see many varieties of owls, falcons and eagles. They have some outdoor exhibits and some indoor exhibits. We managed to time it just right to take the tour of the falconry which had many interesting artifacts. It's located across the parking lot from the main museum and also houses their research library. We were able to view a six month old owl with the aid of a handler up close. It was quite interesting. This place will give you a whole new appreciate for birds. We spent about 2 1/2 hours just going through the exhibits and taking the tours that were included with the admission fee. I also fell in love with the koi pond that was near the entrance to the museum. This place is very kid friendly and it appears that they routinely have tours from the neighboring schools. They also have the all important drinks and snacks in the gift shop. Check out the local Dream chocolate that they sell that all proceeds go to help conserve the birds of prey in nature. I would completely recommend this place.

Excellent place to be! Love the falcons, owls, eagles, hawks, condors, and more! We enjoyed learning so much about these beautiful birds of prey. Some birds were 50 years old and loved learning how the condor was almost extinct and this center saved them. Learning more about falconry was amazing as well. Allan gave us a great falconry and hawk lesson and we even got to meet a beautiful hawk named Griffin. Paiton and Valerie were wonderful teachers informing us about the birds. Judy at the gift shop was amazing making us feel invited and welcomed as well. Thank you for this well needed birds of prey sanctuary and learning environment.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here, I was impressed with both the facilities and the staff I encountered. It was very interesting, highly educational, and lots of fun. The staff is very informative, friendly, and willing to answer all questions. Take your time as they have several different birds used in demonstrations, and a nice museum/information center to look through. Additionally they are working to help repopulate California condors in the wild. They're very impressive birds, which you can view in thier "condor cliffs" exhibit. So much to see, I will definitely revisit The World Center for Birds of prey again when in the area.

This place was really clean and the animals are well cared for here. We loved how they would bring the different bird of prey out to educate everyone. The bald eagle was my favorite - Sky was very interactive and it was interesting to hear her call. I learned a lot about bird of prey and the threats they face.

This is a super cool bird rescue that does some wonderful work. They have many birds available to view, moreso than just about any other rescue or zoo I have ever visited. Admission is only $10, and there was a significant amount of activities and galleries to view. We were lucky to arrive when there was a presentation, and got to see an American Kestral up close with an experienced bird handler. Afterwards, they allowed us to go to the Archives of Falconry; the largest in the world, with many books and collections in regards to the art of falconry. I have nothing negative to say about this organization, and will gladly return the next time I am in the Boise area.

Very cool place to visit. We'll be visiting here a lot more with kids and grandkids. Love the work they do with endangered species.

A short drive away and worth it! Staff was very friendly and passionate about what they do! The live birds on display and the informative falcon presentation with a display bird was awesome. Such magnificent creatures. Highly recommended!

Love this place!! Staff is great and knowledgable. We got to meet Oliver (the owl) and it was such a sweet experience! 10/10 recommend

The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. Lucy the turkey vulture is very friendly. They have hourly presentations with the birds, but if you're coming to handle a bird sorry, but no. For the safety of the birds only staff can handle them, but you will be able to get pretty close. All in all a great place to spend a few hours and learn about some very incredible birds!

Fly high, and aim to come here! I saw this on TV not even a month ago. They are the WORLD center for birds of prey! What makes a raptor? They will tell you. Sharp talons, curved beak, huge eyes! Owls are now my favorite raptor! We got the chance to take the time to go here. They are affordable and not as big as you think. To be that says they have their money invested in the birds. Right now their excitement over the 13 young new vultures they are raising. They are bringing these birds back from the brink of extinction. Www.peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors. They have a live show 4 times a day. We made it in time to meet Winston, an western screech owl. So cute!!!! Learned a lot about of him. He really was active and really wanted to fly around. All the birds had great looking habitats. They can hear through the glass and when we were talking to the presenter earlier one falcon was dancing in her cage with excitement thinking she was going to get out for a bit. The birds looked amazing and I wish lived closer to come back in October for the flying demonstrations! If you are here in October the show on tv showed that the flights are amazing! Keep up the great work! Thank you for all you do.

This place is amazing! We put off going here for three years, but finally went when my mom was in town. UNBELIEVABLE! Waaaaaay better than going to the zoo. There were a few live bird demonstrations, including a very cool owl with lots of personality (someone already posted its picture). The bigger birds of prey, like some of the eagles, were amazing to see. If you go at the right time, you get to see them disgustingly tear apart fish and other small creatures. I'm never a fan of the signs and videos and stuffed creatures at exhibits like this, but these were relatively good. Plus, we got a pic of my wife dressed up as a bird (will post if she gives it and her permission to me). Fun fact: What does a vulture do for self-defense? Projectile vomit!

A great place to visit for bird lovers. It's not a huge facility by any means, but within it, they have a nice variety of birds and there is also a tour of a building across the parking lot that houses nice bird-themed artwork from around the world, with a cool exhibit on Middle East falconry as well. We saw some of the birds during feeding time, which was unique to watch. They offer flight demonstrations at certain times of the year, though not in May. Overall, we enjoyed our visit here (about 2 hours total). It's only $7 for adults and $5 for 16 and under. The parking lot is free and there are some cool items in the gift shop too.

I took my kids there and we loved it a lot .Not pricey at all. There are a lot of birds , but also live performance , we saw Wally the owl being fed and there is a lot there , not just to educate adults , but to keep the kids entertained. There are guided tours and live performances. People , who work there are very knowledgeable and enjoy what they are doing. We had a blast , kids got tired by the end , but kids will be kids and we are definitely coming back.

Great place to bring the kids, neat to see the birds of prey. Kids had a good time. Blah..blah...blah Had to make review longer

As promised, I came back for the live flight demonstration I mentioned in my last review and boy was it worth it! Several times I had a near brush with one of the soaring majesties which is par for the course in their outdoor amphitheater called Raptor Ridge. I think I'll come back next Oct for another!

Falconry is awesome. Raptors are awesome. The staff here is knowledgable and really do solid presentations. All for the price of a beer. Don't miss it if you enjoy nature. Shoutout to Fancy the Ornate Hawk Eagle, Baldy the, well, bald eagle, Winston the Screech Owl and Bob the Kestrel for being such good sports about having us at their homes (roosts?).

This place is really cool. I would for sure say it is more adult centered as there isn't really much for kids to do here. It was awesome seeing a falcon up close but that was kind of it. This is an under an hour type of place. In and out. We did walk out on the trails and look at views which was nice but again, there are limited things to see here. Plan to spend and hour seeing some cool birds of prey up close. Support this place because their cause is a great one and the work they do is incredible. Just wish they could fancy up the experience.

We went on a very windy day and there was still plenty of things for the family to do inside. Make sure to watch the live bird presentations as they really enrich the experience. It's amazing to see the conservation efforts and the fund's success in breeding and getting birds off of the endangered species list. It's a great place for some education, some entertainment and a chance to support a great cause. PS check the site for the detour as there is construction on Cole Rd.

Very interesting & informative! I mistakenly thought this was a rescue facility. But it's not! It's a breeding facility bringing raptors & birds of prey back from the endangered list. Amazing progress with California Condors. A must see - even (especially for) families. They'll love the interactive Interpretative Centet.