Disclosure: I received complimentary passes to Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are honest, my own, and may differ from yours.
Are you a nature lover? Then you need to visit Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center! This museum was started when two teachers, Stanley Edward Wulkowicz originally from Put-in-Bay and his wife Joan from North Dakota, moved to Put-in-Bay after teaching for 27 years in Alaska. They brought their collection of taxidermy animals with them and opened the museum to school tours. Today the collection can be viewed by all. People donate or loan their taxidermy animals to the museum too.
The mission of the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center is to promote conservation and education of the flora, fauna, and lands of the Lake Erie Islands ecosystem. It is such an interesting place to visit! The guide doesn’t really lead you through a guided tour, but she tells you interesting facts about different animals and answers your questions. I learned a lot while visiting. For example (see pic below), a raccoon is waiting to attack you from above!
We also learned that you should not mess with the predators…like Molly and my dad! Did you know that black bears can be brown or even gray? We learned differences between foxes and squirrels. We learned that what we have been calling Canadian geese all of these years are really called Canada geese after the man who named them. Sorry, Canadian friends, for blaming you for the geese.
If you missed any of my other Put-in-Bay posts, you can find them below:
Visit Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center from Memorial Day through Labor Day daily.
Rates
Adults $3
Children 6 – 11 and Seniors $2
Children 5 and under free if accompanied by an adult
Family Rate $8
So much to see and do. My kids would love it there and the price is totally affordable!
Besos Sarah.
Yes it is! The fee is the only way they make money to keep it running too.
It would be cool to learn about all the wildlife in these exhibits. There are a lot of people who don’t know much about animals in the wild. This would be a great place to learn about them I am sure.
I even learned stuff and I think I’m pretty knowledgeable lol.
I would absolutely love to take my kids here. They love learning about nature, and this place is just filled to capacity with interesting things!
It is! Nature stuff is the best.
What a great place to visit! I love that you can get so up close and personal and really see what certain animals look like!
It was very cool!
As close as I live, I have never been to put in bay. I hear it is alot of fun. I will have to add that to the list for next years summer fun.
You really should! It is great!
This is a kind of place that my family enjoy visiting. We have never been there but hopefully someday, we can.
It is a really fun place!
my kids love nature.. we live only 5 miles away to San Diego Zoo!
That is so nice! You’re really fortunate!
What a great place to learn about nature. How cool that two teachers created it to help others learn about conservation. Looks like a fun and informative place to visit for kids and adults.
I thought that was so cool!
Wow, this place looks really fun! I’d love to visit. We have a nature center nearby that we visit and it’s the best place ever.
I love fun places where you can learn too!
This sounds like such a fun, family orientated place to experience! is there nothing better that having family memories that last a lifetime!
It is great making memories while I can! They grow up too quickly!
Living in Florida we have a ton of wildlife centers like this, and it is so WORTH the trip! I would love to see this one.
Yes, it is! I’d like to see some in Florida!
Sounds like a really fun time. I LOVE being out in nature and teaching my kids about it. I’m sure my whole family would enjoy the Lake Erie Islands!
Yes, I am sure they would! It is so pretty!
What a fun adventure at the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center. There’s just so much to see, learn and do.
Fun learning is the best!
I did not know black bears could be any other color than black. 😉 And LOL on your predator comment!! 🙂
You learn something every day! 🙂
That place reminds me of the museum that we visited in Gastonia, NC. It was really amazing to see all the different animals. Our son was equally amazed as I was.
Yes, it is so fun seeing the animals and learning things you never knew.
Wow! Looks like you guys had an awesome time! I know my little guy would love this!
It was so much fun!
Looks like a fun and educational place to visit in Lake Erie. I’ve never been there but would love to one day.
It is worth the visit!
What a fun place to visit! I would love to bring my boys here.
It was really cool!
I know the whole point of taxidermy is to preserve an animal… and that the critter keeps it’s characteristics, but wow – these creatures look totally alive.
I know they totally did!
COOL! I haven’t visited Lake Erie since I was a kid, I don’t remember seeing the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center, I will have to check it out the next time I am up there! Summer road trip is in order! 🙂
For sure! Ride the ferry over to the islands 🙂
This would be a great place to go to. My kids would have loved this when they were younger.
It’s great for the whole family!
Oh this place is neat! I wonder how my kids would react to seeing the animals like that.
They’d probably be in awe lol.
Oh I need to take my kids, my oldest is still young enough to get in for free. Thanks for showing me something local that we can do.
You’re welcome!
Oooo this sounds like such a neat place to visit!!! I think my daughter would love this place. She just loves animals:)
She’d have fun 🙂
I love going places like this. It is so interesting, fun and best of all educational.
Learning that is fun is the best!