When you’re walking above the trees, it’s easy to see why one “wild” Upstate New York nature center was named America’s best science museum.
The Wild Center in Tupper Lake was recently voted the best science museum by readers of USA Today. It was selected from museums across the country, beating out The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and Exploratorium in San Francisco.
To celebrate the recognition, The Wild Center is holding a Community Free Day on March 9, opening the campus with free admission. Reserve your tickets on The Wild Center website.
The campus is situated on 115-acres in the Adirondack Mountains and is home to more than 900 live animals. There is a 54,000-square-foot building which houses the center’s main exhibits, including popular Otter Falls where you can watch three playful otters, just a few of the many ambassador animals which live at The Wild.
Outdoors you’ll find trails, a private pond, and their main attraction: the sky-high Wild Walk. Guests can walk along a winding trail of bridges and platforms from ground level to the treetops of the Adirondack forest. The paths are filled with interactive exhibits such as a four-story treehouse, a larger-than-life spider web, and an oversized eagle’s nest at the walkway’s highest point, 42 feet in the air.
Prefer to stay closer to the ground? There are naturalist-guided canoe trips on the Raquette River as well as guided hikes and animal encounters.
This year The Wild will also be host to a solar eclipse festival from April 5-April 8 as the path of totality will span across much of Upstate New York.
Plan your day in Tupper Lake, a hidden gem in the Adirondack park, by catching a view from the summit of Coney Mountain, grab a cold one at Raquette Brewing Company and eat a Northern NY classic — a Michigan dog at Skyline Ice Cream.