Turtle Bay Exploration Park
add photosTwo kid friendly exhibitions are coming on the summer of 2009.
A T.rex named SUE, the Field Museum’s largest, most complete T.rex fossil ever found and accompanying interactive exhibits will be on display
“Art of the Brick,” Nathan Sawaya’s wonderful Lego art including 24 marvelous creations (see brickartist.com for more info).
9 Reviews for Turtle Bay Exploration Park
18
80 families found this helpful
"Super Awesome Science Museum"
I love, love, love, this place!! It contains fantastic exhibits, some that are always there, some that are hands on, and some that are mind blowing for even adults! One of my favorite permanent exhibits is a huge oak tree that you get to see growing under the plexi-glass floor. When the weather is great you can explore outside exhibits and the world famous Sun Dial Bridge. The bridge is free and worth the trip in itself. There is also a great gift shop!! Probably best for school-aged children.
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"Beautiful!!"
My family loved this park! There were animals, play grounds, walking trails and that was just outside. Inside there was a great mix of activities for kids. Puzzles, books, stuffed animals, etc. I must say that the outdoor experience here was just stunning. We enjoyed walking the trails all afternoon. The trails are stroller friendly with play grounds scattered around to break up the walking.
1 family found this helpful
"Amazing place to spend the day"
Turtle Bay sits right along the Sacramento River in Redding. The Sundial Bridge is its beautiful next door neighbor. The exploration park regularly has exhibits in addition to its regular museum. Examples are a Lego exhibit, Grossology, or the current exhibit of Costumes from popular television and film- the bat suit is on display! There is so much to do that its easy to lose an entire day in this place. Admission is a little pricey (can buy year long memberships) but its so worth it!
'10
0 families found this helpful
"spontaneous Turtle Bay visit"
on our way up to Burney Falls, we stayed overnight in Redding and on a friday morning, we decided to adventure to Turtle Bay Exploration Park. My husband had fished near the Sundial Bridge and when I had seen pictures of it in the past, I wanted to go there and experience it. The park had an amazing butterfly exhibit which was our favorite. Seeing the wild birds at the bird show was also a wonderful memory. We didn't trek to the botanical gardens, but the walk on the Sundial Bridge was incredible. Our 4yr. and 1 yr. old were walking, exploring, enjoying the view of the river below us and playing on the grass on the other side of the bridge. The cafe didn't have any kid-friendly food for our kids which was a little disappointing. We caught the 11:30 fish feeding which was very popular and they have a teepee indoors. An excellent gift shop with science toys, eco-friendly toys and eco-friendly outdoor gear for the kids as well as shirts, art, jewelry and beautiful glass bowls. A great visit for a few hours before we went back on the road to camp.
1 family found this helpful
"Turtle Bay"
Turtle Bay was an ok experience, but I thought it was lacking in some areas. There was a lot of information there for adults or even teens, but there was not a whole lot there to keep my 2 year old impressed. The best part about going to Turtle bay was getting to show my husband (from East coast) a cut Red Wood.
Turtle Bay itself was nothing to rave about, but the Gardens near there are amazing! While visiting Turtle Bay we were able to view the Sundial Bridge as well as the botanical gardens. The plants, trees and monuments within the garden were very intriguing. We spent more time looking at the odd plants and reading about all there was then we spent goign through Turtle Bay. The gardens had a kid area that I thought was amazing! Not to mention our little man loved it!
Turtle Bay also has a kids play area that is rather nice, but it takes more than what I saw to impress me.
I will add that most of what we saw I am used to, because I am from near the area. In addition, we were there in the off season so some things were not up to full potential. I now live near a state Zoo that could make me somewhat partial. Some people love it, but for me I'm not sure I would revisit.
1 family found this helpful
"So much fun!"
Our family has visited the Turtle Bay Exploration Park on several different occasions, and have never been disappointed! Inside the museum are a bunch of different exhibits. They have a simulated cave, a large aquarium, and a section about Native Americans. Outside is a play area, gold mining, bridges, and lots of trees and plants. This place is definitely fun for the whole family!
1 family found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
On a bend of the Sacramento River, indoor and outdoor activities and exhibits focus on the Sacramento River watershed, its natural sciences and resources, art, culture, and human history.
Follow Paul Bunyan’s huge footprints to hands-on interpretive sites like the Giant Tree Maze, a fish ladder, and a miniature Shasta Dam. Climb the fire lookout tower and play on child-size earth-moving equipment, and on the Spar Swings and the Log Slide. Wander in the butterfly house, spend time interacting with one of Turtle Bay's wonderful animals, or sit and take in Turle Bay's Animal show during late spring/summer.
Explore the Turtle Bay Museum and look at owls, hawks, bees, turtles, and beetles at the Carter House Natural Science Museum. Stroll on 220 acres of paved walking trails through oak savanna and wetlands and botanic gardens in the McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay.
There is so much to see here: an elaborate, leafless replica of an oak tree, its roots extending beneath a see-through glass floor; a Wintu Indian bark house; a river seen from beneath the surface; and touchable pelts of native animals. A teenage staff of docents makes science and history fun.
Linking the park with a 16-mile-long bike trail and a 200-acre arboretum on the other side of the river is a spectacular Santiago Calatrava Sundial Bridge, a world spectacular bridge with a glass deck supended from a white tower. At the end of the bridge is a glass-walled cafe.
2 families found this helpful
"Small but tons of fun"
The best part of the museum for little kids is Paul Bunyan's Forest Camp. Our kids were mesmerized by the magpie, which obligingly shouted "maggie! maggie!" for them, and enjoyed playing on the play structures. The main museum had an exhibit on geckos, a small aquarium, a tepee, and an area where the kids could explore pioneer life.
The museum's a little small, but it's right next to the Sundial Bridge, which is why this place gets five stars. It's one of the most breathtaking bridges I've ever seen, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It's a pedestrian bridge and Mt. Shasta is perfectly framed from the center of the span. On the other side is a beautiful botanic garden--at the far end of which is a children's garden that includes a small bamboo forest and a whimsical mosaic sculpture.
0 families found this helpful
"Best stuff is outside"
Turtle Bay is a discovery museum, an exploration park, and a nature walk miles long that takes you by wooded areas, streams and rivers, and many natural animal habitats. They've got porcupines to look at, snakes for kids to hold, areas for toddlers to play, and a fantastic restaurant for the family to eat at when the day is through.
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