Outdoor Discovery Center
Outdoor Discovery Center
5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
About
The Outdoor Discovery Center is part of a 501 (c)(3) non-profit education and conservation organization that was founded in the year 2000. Our parent organization is the ODC Network. Our purpose is to advance outdoor education and conservation in West Michigan. More than 75,000 people annually visit ODC Network sites to walk the trails and view the wildlife. The Outdoor Discovery Center is free and open to the public and offers many diverse programs that help foster the concepts of wildlife management, conservation, outdoor education and preservation. The 155 acre nature preserve has 4 miles of trails and several distinct habitats. The 2015 addition of a visitor center makes the facility ideal for visiting during any season. The building boasts a diverse taxidermy collection of North American wildlife with other wildlife exhibits. It also has a collection of wildlife and nature-themed canvas prints by local photographers.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
31 within 5 kms
Attractions
46 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
70 reviews
Excellent
58
Very good
12
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Maria A
Allen Park, MI24 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
We decided to bring our 4 year old here for an “adventure day”. It did not disappoint! The trails were wonderful. Our daughter especially liked the boards thru the woods. The swings, all the logs and fun things to climb on. The beautiful fall tree colors. We spent about 3-4 hours walking the trails and checking out the visitors center. My daughter never complained once she had a great time in the great outdoors. My husband and I enjoyed ourselves immensely as well. Great place for the FREE price! We made a donation as we left because we couldn’t believe how great it was! Can’t wait to return when we are next in the area.
Written 19 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review! We are glad you had such a wonderful time as a family. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written 22 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
195508Anonymous
256 contributions
Aug 2022
This popped up on my Google page when I was searching for something else. I had never seen any advertising for this Center anywhere and we come to this area annually. It is a DO NOT MISS. It is completely free and has a wonderful Nature Center, animals who have been saved from car accidents and would not have survived in the wild are cared for and on display and there are walking paths and play structures including 2 zip lines. Do not miss the Birds of Prey exhibit which is along one of the hiking paths. There are picnic tables scattered about and beautiful wild flowers along the paths. This is a place to take children from ages 3 to 12 and they will find something new every time! Highly recommend!
Written 21 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MSue
Michigan288 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
I've been wanting to bring our girl's here for a long time. Glad we finally decided to check it out! The outdoor play areas were so much fun! Our 12 yr old can not wait to bring her fishing pole next time. This is half way between our house and Grandma's, so the perfect meet up spot when the girl's want to spend a weekend with Grandma. We visited on a Sunday, so unfortunately the buildings weren't open. But we are planning on a Saturday visit soon! I imagine during the summer, there will be frogs and turles galore!
Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review! During the summer months (between Memorial Day and Labor Day) our Visitor Center will be open from 12-4 pm as well. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
Written 3 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BlackSun
Saugatuck, MI27 contributions
Jul 2020
I come to this place all the time, and there is always something for everyone. For the more active I would suggest one of the many events they have, or go on the trails. For a more relaxing experience, take a look at the beautiful displays in the visitor center, or go to one of the many fishing spots. For those with children, the outdoor play areas and the stunningly accurate Native American campsite. I would also highly recommend this place for field trips.
Written 18 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for a wonderful and descriptive review!
Written 20 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DF67
Troy, MI22 contributions
Aug 2021
A fox, a porcupine, a possum, a skunk, some rabbits, owls, eagles, falcons, and various other birds of prey, turtles, frogs, fish are all living creatures you will get to observe there. A large and mesmerizing visitor center, lots of trails, fishing ponds, play areas (with zip lines!) complete this must-see, completely free, attraction. We routinely stop there twice when visiting Holland MI.
Written 24 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine S
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States54 contributions
Oct 2013
My grandsons and I have enjoyed the Outdoor Discovery Center! I loved taking them there as toddlers to age five for some great one-on-one time. Wide open nicely groomed spaces for running and imagining. Animals, birds and taxidermy are fascinating for them. I recommend a nice pair of children's binoculars to give it a safari feel. Great place for peaceful adult nature walk too!
Written 28 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the review. We hope you visit again soon! There have been a number of things added since your visit in June of 2014.
Written 28 November 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
gwkelley
Raleigh, NC672 contributions
Oct 2013 • Family
We visited on a semi-rainy Saturday. We were able to see taxidermy in the main building and were told that most of the other buildings are closed on Saturdays. I did not get to walk the entire property but plan on a return visit based on wanting to walk around here. If traveling Holland on what I consider their “off-season” this is a place to visit for all ages. I was given a map and the woman in the main building is friendly and very knowledgeable. She really seemed to care about the facility and surrounding areas of Holland. I wish I could mention her name because she made me want to visit the area again! This is also an Education Gem and wished I lived closer so I could plan a field trip here!
Written 20 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the 5-star review! We hope you have been back lately. There are a lot of new things to find and experience.
Written 28 November 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
hannah_mi_16
Okemos, MI39 contributions
Jun 2018 • Family
The nature center was smallish but very nice. They had some live snakes, turtles, frogs, etc. and lots of stuffed animals. There was also a tiny gift shop (gift corner really) that had some reasonably priced fun items for kids The trails were nice, clear and well marked. The whole place, including trails is probably more accessible (wheelchairs, toddlers, anyone who needs wider flat trails) than any trails I've been on recently. There is also a birds of prey sanctuary for injured birds, which had over a dozen birds.
Written 15 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review!
Written 21 June 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
schumacherkathy
Wyoming, MI9 contributions
Mar 2018 • Family
After hearing about the Outdoor Discovery Center through several other friends, I added it to my list of places to visit last summer...but the months flew by without presenting an opportunity. When the forecast for the first Saturday in March promised sunshine and mid-40s, my three sons and two of their cousins were more than ready for a picnic/afternoon adventure! I scoped out the website, outdoordiscovery.org, beforehand to decide where to begin our experience, and settled on the Fillmore Discovery Park. Upon arrival, it was challenging to get everyone settled in at a picnic table because they were so eager to try out all of the natural playground elements! We spent almost two hours enjoying the space and its inviting playtime challenges...very foreign territory to the two who are known to spend a little too much time on their tablets. None of them wanted to leave! Eventually we drove back to the main visitor center, and spent half an hour inside marveling at the taxidermy displays (and while the "stuffed" animals are hands-off, there are a few stations which actually encourage "touch" exploration, such as the collection of animal skins...and we voted for the red fox as the softest) before beginning our journey to the DeWitt Birds of Prey exhibit. Again, the kids delighted in the play features located along the route, such as the zip-line swing and bridges. Everyone was surprised upon reaching the building which houses the birds that all of the enclosures offer a full-length view to the outside, and even more so how close-up of an encounter with these incredible creatures is presented! The walk back to the visitor center was filled with excitement at the prospect of checking out the turtles inside one more time...and then upon arrival, the volunteer at the front desk at the time even gave one of the kids an apple core to feed to Chestnut, the resident rabbit in a hutch just beyond the main porch. When a place so inspires children (and adults) to engage in nature and piques their interest in being in the great outdoors in such amazing ways even before Spring blossoms, it is certainly worthy of a return visit! The next day, the kids were already asking to go back! We easily spent four hours here; next time we hope to venture further along the trails in addition to revisiting favorite spots from this trip.
Written 15 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderful review, we are glad you and your children were able to thoroughly enjoy your first visit! We hope to see you again soon!
Written 19 March 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CDTrip72
Arlington Heights, IL261 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
We were visiting Holland for the day and are very glad we did! We arrived on a weekday after a rainfall so we almost had the place to ourselves. We started in the visitor center and there was a helpful staff member to introduce the center and give us advise on where to go. The center has some exhibits and items you touch such as animal skins and our five year daughter liked.
There are a handful of trails but I don’t think any are more than a mile so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. We forgot to bring our bug spray and while it wasn’t bad, I would still recommend using that. We probably enjoyed most the birds of prey center, where they take care of birds such as eagles and falcons that can no longer survive in the wild. We spent probably 2 or so hours in total at the center.
The best part of all of this? It was free! We still made a donation afterwards as the place is worth a visit if you are into nature.
There are a handful of trails but I don’t think any are more than a mile so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. We forgot to bring our bug spray and while it wasn’t bad, I would still recommend using that. We probably enjoyed most the birds of prey center, where they take care of birds such as eagles and falcons that can no longer survive in the wild. We spent probably 2 or so hours in total at the center.
The best part of all of this? It was free! We still made a donation afterwards as the place is worth a visit if you are into nature.
Written 23 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the wonderfully thought out review! We love to hear the favorite part of visitors' visits, many times it is the De Witt Birds of Prey Facility, so we are glad you made it out there with your 5 year old daughter. Thank you for making a donation before you left, we appreciate it.
We hope you'll stop by next time you're in town!
Written 25 July 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is there an entry and/or parking fee?
Written 8 January 2021
Is the outdoor area dog-friendly?
Written 3 February 2015
Hi Marissa, I just checked their website, and yes, they are allowed on leashes:
"Pets are only allowed on 6 foot leashes and are to be kept at least 50 feet from the captive animal enclosures."
That makes sense so a dog won't scare a bird or other animal. There are lots of paths for walking - a very nice place to visit.
Enjoy!
Written 4 February 2015
Showing results 1-4 of 4
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing