Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is all about raptors. Here you will find an array of various birds that are being rehabilitated or can no longer return to the wild for one reason or another. These birds are remarkable to see in person due of their generally distant encounters and beautiful characteristics. Thus making for a wonderful place to visit with curious kids and animal-loving families.
WHat can I find at VINS?
Visiting the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is a treat for the entire family especially the kids. Everyone will love the canopy trails, bird exhibits & shows, giant “hammock” spiderweb, overlook view to the Ottauquechee River, song bird aviary enclosure and nature playscapes. One of my personal favorites is the bird show. There, raptors actually fly over the audience showcasing their gorgeous feathers and wingspan. All the while, educators are explaining fun facts about each species. On top of the aforementioned, there is an indoor area of reptiles, forest exhibit, and an immersive educational/ play space. This space exhibits a treehouse but it was designed to make participants feel as though they are in an actual forest from an animal perspective. There are stairs to go up and overlook ground level below and a slide to journey down to exit the forest exhibit.
Upon visiting there is a posted daily schedule of events such as feeding time, raptor shows, animal encounters and more listed for visitors to participate it all the activities that interest them. This can be found on-line as well ahead of time.
When to visit the VINS:
Our family visited during the end of summer and it was comfortable due to the shadiness of the tress throughout the property. But, I am yearning to explore this gorgeous location in the fall with the beautiful foliage. I am sure it’s just the most perfect place to enjoy Vermont’s fantastic leaf peeping!
The VINS also offers kids camps and various seasonal events for families to enjoy. For instance, their is a winter lights event “Forest of Lights” with illuminated grounds from November 22nd -January 4th. This festive activity is fantastic to enjoy with the kids after dark. We hope you get to visit this worthy nature center with the kids and learn all about the beauty of our local birds and what makes them so special
So many informative signs about the birds found at this location
the bird educational show was phenomenal, they flew over our heads to showcase their wingspan and beautiful feathers
The VINS also has a small reptile area on displayThis vast enclosure has all types of native birds with identification cards to location each speciesHear is the natural playscape area for the kids to enjoy. Theres a few different activities such as a small rock climbing wall, a tunnel and balance beam along with this spider web hammock like climbing structure.Here’s the top of all those stiars to overlook the Ottauquechee River -pictures just don’t do this location any justice, you need to see it for yourself!We just kept going up and upThis raptor show was my absolute favorite with bigs flying over the audience to the front and back so everyone could have a great view of each speciesWe were in the back row so now you know if you want a great photo op that’s where you should sit!
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The Skinny:
Weather : Best to visit on a day when the weather is dry as this location has incredible views, natural paths, stairs, a canopy trail, nature playgrounds and more. Visiting is mostly an outside experience.
Parking : FREE parking
Admissions: Adults: $19.50 Youth (4-17): $16.50. They offer various memberships and host birthdays and private events too.
Location : This Natural Science Center overlooks the Ottauquechee River in Vermont with a strong focus on raptor education and rehabilitation. It is a nature lover’s dream to be immersed in such a beautiful, panoramic, lush location. This is a non-profit organization and donations are always appreciated.
Hours : Open daily from 10-4
Duration : We stayed 2.5 hours but ventured off exploring on our own and not as much with the scheduled events.
Tips and Recommendations : Definitely dress for comfort as this location involves a fair amount of walking and some stair climbing to enjoy the lovely views. Check out their events page for classes and camps so you can make the best of their unique offerings.
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