University of Minnesota Raptor Center

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Collage showing eagles and little girl playing with eagle puppet at The Raptor Center in St. Paul, Minnesota

Address: 1920 Fitch Avenue, St Paul, MN, 55108
Upcoming Events: Jump to University of Minnesota Raptor Center Events

Website The Raptor Center
Phone 612-624-4745

The Raptor Center is part of the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinarian Medicine. With a mission to ensure the health of raptors and their environment, this non-profit organization often temporarily houses injured birds while they receive rehabilitation. They also have several ambassador birds that will never be released but stay on at the Raptor center as educational birds. Specializing in birds local to Minnesota, the center most often provides medical care, rehab, and conservation of eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons.

5 Reasons to visit the Raptor Center with Kids

  • Tours are low-cost and often. Tours typically run every day of the week with the exception of Mondays – though you’ll want to scour the booking page for available tour slots. With so many times available, it’s possible to secure a guide all to yourself! Kids ages 3-17 and seniors pay just $5 for a tour; adults are $8 (with the exception of Saturdays, when special tours run $8-$10). The fees help with the care and rehabilitation of the birds.
  • Tailored experience. In my experience, when I’ve gotten a personal tour (again, totally depends on whether or not others sign up for the same slot), the guide has tailored it to the ages of my children. Don’t worry if your toddler doesn’t have much of an attention span. Or, if you’ve got an inquisitive older child, they can ask as many questions as they like. This could make a wonderful outing for a homeschooling family.
  • The birds are beautiful! Get up close to bald eagles, kestrels, owls and falcons. The Raptor Center treats about 800 injured birds a year with the goal of releasing them back to the wild. If you’re interested in witnessing a release, an annual event is held in the fall at Carpenter St Croix Valley Nature Center in Hastings.
  • Hands-on experience. Your kids can’t get their hands on the raptors, but there are a few objects such as feathers and talons that little ones can touch.
  • The U is fun! The St Paul campus of the University of Minnesota is quiet and lovely to walk around with kids in mild weather. Tip: book a tour on a Wednesday afternoon and finish off with a pint of ice cream from the Dairy Salesroom, open 2-5pm.

Visit The Raptor Center

Birthday parties at the Raptor Center

Book a two-hour “hatchday party” for your raptor fan.  Parties include a tour and a one-hour live raptor program followed by an hour for a private party.  Families bring cake and refreshments and party supplies. Call (612) 624-2756 or email: raptored@umn.edu for more information.

For more birthday party ideas like this: Twin Cities Birthday Parties for Kids: Animal Lovers

Summer camps at the Raptor Center

Summer camps like Enraptured with Raptors, Grossology, and Soaring the World with Raptors are offered annually.

Learn more about dates and prices in our annual summer camp guide: Twin Cities Summer Camps: Nature & Outdoor Adventure Camps.

More information

Share Your Experience/Tips:

We would love to hear your thoughts and parental tips. Share your experiences and any information you think other parents would find useful. Leave us a comment below.

Upcoming Family-Friendly Events


Fun Past Events We Hope to See Again


Please Note: FamilyFunTwinCities.com is an independent website run by Twin Cities families for Twin Cities families. We attempt to include the information we find most essential as parents. We make every effort to keep up with changes. However, we are not employed by or connected to this venue, and information sometimes changes without our knowledge. We recommend calling or checking the venue’s website for up-to-date information.

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