About
While visiting Montana, I learned about Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, a not-for-profit organization. As animal lovers, we decided to take a tour.
And I’m glad we did! It was such a fabulous, firsthand experience I really encourage everyone to visit. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about these animals, and after visiting this location, it was really eye-opening.
The location offers a number of different opportunities. There’s the “BEARS: Imagination & Reality” museum exhibit, which is an excellent look into what these bears are really like with lots of hands-on displays and dioramas. The Banks of the Yellowstone River Otter Exhibit is also fantastic, with lots of great graphics.
One of the best displays, though, is the Wolf Exhibit. You’ll see a wolf pack in the Naturalist Cabin, sometimes coming right up to the floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s a massive fireplace in this cabin as well. I sat down for a few minutes and marveled at the interpretive displays. You can see the wolves interacting with each other and the environment while learning a great deal about them.
I was a bit skeptical of the Raptor exhibit, just because I don’t like big birds flying overhead, but this was an excellent experience too. The birds of prey are on display, and you can see them up close.
There’s a museum theater here, as well, which has a range of different short shows about the various animals in Yellowstone, especially the bears. I highly recommend sitting in for a few of these.
So whether you want to learn more about bears or other types of animals—the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is a must-visit during your Yellowstone vacation!
Fun Facts and Cool Features
You have to do the live bird of prey show! It didn’t take long, but it was one of the most interesting ways to see beautiful birds and understand how much of an impactful role they play in the natural habitat here.
I was also lucky enough to visit during the weekly “Wolf Pack Chats and Enrichment” program. It is an opportunity to sit down with the staff and talk, engage, and learn about wolves from the experts themselves. They also provide a lot of insight into the actual Yellowstone habitat itself. Ask questions!
If you’re not sure about visiting but want to get a look at the animals here, use the Bear Cam or the Wolf Cam on the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center’s website. I found myself going back throughout the week on the cameras to check in on these critters during our trip.
Getting There
The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is located next to the West entrance of the Yellowstone National Park. If you are coming into the area, it’s just minutes from the junction between I-20 and I-191.
Cost
Prices are subject to change. Please make sure to check their website for current pricing.
- People 13 and over: $16.50
- Kids age 5 to 12: $11.50, with those under 5 being free
- Seniors: $15.50
They also offer discounts for large groups and students.
Local Tips
- You’ll want to bring extra cash because there are a lot of fun things in the gift shop, and the profits go to support wildlife, making it a win-win situation.
- The entire building is ADA accessible, for the most part, and so is the outdoor playground that’s also onsite.
- I brought my family a packed lunch for our trip (we stopped to pick up subs before coming in) and enjoyed them on the picnic tables out back.
- A lot of people come during the early morning hours, but you can expect to spend two to four hours here, so planning a later day helps you to avoid some of the crowds.
- The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is open every day of the year, even on the holidays. What’s more, the admission you pay can be used for two days back-to-back.