FF: Raven Hill Discovery Center

Raven Hill Discovery Center

Raven Hill is nestled in a rural setting with ponds, swamps, forests & fields on 175 acres. It is the only place in northern Lower Michigan where children and adults can link science, history & the arts with hands-on activities and explorations both indoors and outdoors. Connections emerge through classes, exhibits and facilities that provide the perfect DESTINATION for all ages to learn, create, grow and play. :-)

The Watershed Model is a DESTINATION where you can shed your shoes, stick your toes in the water and enjoy the waterfall, wetlands and bubbling springs that merge and flow down to a little “lake.” Then visit the Earth Tones Music Garden with its oversized, tuned instruments. Jurassic Park is also a great DESTINATION, where you can walk through time and observe the Earth’s geologic history, including real rocks, fossils, trees and sculptural interpretations of extinct plants and animals that lived here before, during, and after the ever popular dinosaurs.

Another popular DESTINATION is the Schoolhouse where each member of the family enjoys sitting in the kind of desk they used when they were in school and everyone can take turns being teacher. Another well-loved DESTINATION is the Treehouse, built in the shape of a maple leaf. The “stem” acts as a ramp, making it accessible to everyone.

The Wetlands Boardwalk winds its way through a primordial swamp, connecting the main campus and another DESTINATION, the Ancient World - a 30-acre field that is filled with things that most people just read about in textbooks. Climb the Egyptian pyramid, sit a spell on the Sphinx, walk under the Roman Arch, figure out the date and time using the Obelisk, take your picture by the Moai (the Easter Island head) and more.

Our Stone Labyrinth is a great DESTINATION for those interested in winding their way through the its pathways and spending time meditating on the sitting rock in the center. Also make The Pond across the road from the Center a DESTINATION. There you’ll find frogs and turtles if you’re patient enough. Please remember to respect the plants along the edge of the shoreline. If you look closely, you might find a red-wing blackbird nest or a dragonfly molt.

If you like trees, another DESTINATION is the Taxi Trail where trees are planted by family - rose, maple, willow, pine, etc. Twenty-four tree families line the Taxi Trail and the signs at each family will show you how that family of plants have been used for food, medicine, shelter, transportation, and other necessities of life. A new DESTINATION to look forward to this summer is the Connections Trail, a half-mile walking trail with hands-on learning stations spaced along the pathway. It will parallel the Taxi Trail, so visitors can enjoy more science, history & art activities safely in an open-air setting.

This summer, there will be a few hands-on exhibits in the Main Museum, with both the Museum and Animal Rooms being mostly “eyes-only,” due to the pandemic. The indoors will definitely be a DESTINATION for any visitors wanting to see the unique displays that have temporarily replaced many of the hands-on exhibits.

Raven Hill is open weekends year-round: Saturday 12pm - 4pm; Sunday 2pm - 4pm. From Memorial Day to Labor Day: Center hours expand to include weekdays as well: 10am to 4pm daily. The Center is always open by appointment. Please note: Raven Hill Discovery Center will re-open safely on Saturday, April 17, 2021, as state pandemic guidelines allow. Indoors, visitor numbers will be limited and everyone will be asked to mask and socially distance. www.MiRavenHill.org.