A Visit To The Creature Conservancy in Ann Arbor

The Creature Conservancy in Ann Arbor has been on my radar to visit for a long time. With limited weekend hours, and tickets required during the pandemic, I just never had my life together enough to make it happen — until recently.

I was thrilled when the kids mentioned they wanted to see animals on a family day. None of us had the stamina for walking the zoo in the heat, so this was an excellent smaller scale option.

This was such a great place to educate humans how best to live with animals, and I loved that it was very animal centered. You could tell the staff was very passionate!

Many of you know I am a huge fan of the Howell Nature Center. This center is somewhat similar because many of the animals here were once pets or they are from area zoos that couldn’t keep them any longer. One of our favorite parts of our visit was reading the stories of the animals that were there, and hearing what the docents had to say.

Some of the animals we saw included alligators, black swans, sleepy sloths, an armadillo, a mara, a dingo, a cougar, sloths, turtles, a few snakes, and more.

Something I noticed and loved was the abundance of live plants everywhere. Not only were they visually appealing, but I love that it made the enclosures seem much more natural.

I highly recommend attending one of the programs if you visit — it was such a fun way to learn a bit more about the animals you are seeing, and is included in your admission price. They are twice a day during the weekend, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

We missed the 3 p.m. alligator feeding, but that would be really fun to watch! {In non-Covid times, you are able to pet the creatures too.}

Many of the animals are inside, but there are some outside too — especially during the warmer months.

The property surrounding the main building was so pretty too, and could be a great spot for photos.

The center also offers private tours, which could be a really fun birthday option for animal-loving kiddos!

Overall, our family absolutely LOVED the mission of this organization, and hope to visit again soon. Because it’s a smaller space, I’d recommend this for children 2 and up that can walk short distances well.

HOURS AND ADMISSION

The Creature Conservancy is only open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. Face masks are currently required. See hours and the program schedule on this page.

If you purchase tickets online, they are $10/adults (13+), $8/kids (ages 2-12) and kids under 2 are free.

At the door, pricing is $11/adults (13+), $9/kids (ages 2-12) and again, kids under 2 are free.

LOCATION AND PARKING

The center is located just a few miles south of I-94 and is a bit of a drive from downtown Ann Arbor. The address is 4940 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48103.

Near the expressway, you will find plenty of meal options from Buddy’s Pizza and Texas Roadhouse, to plenty of fast casual and fast food spots. We popped over to Menchie’s for frozen yogurt after 😉

Parking is in the main parking lot, shared with Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital and Creature Comforts Bed & Bath, so if you see those, you’re in the right spot.

LEARN MORE

Learn more about The Creature Conservancy by visiting their website | Facebook | Instagram.

Have so much fun if you visit!

Questions, comments, or concerns, drop them below and I’ll do my best to answer them!