The Belle Isle Nature Center has reopened following a $2.5 million upgrade featuring all-new animal habitats and exhibits.
The center, operated by the Detroit Zoological Society, is free to the public and will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The redesign celebrates urban wildlife and resident connections with nature, said Amy Greene, nature centers director for the zoological society. The facility had been closed since March 2020.
“Our intention is to reinforce the connections people have and the spaces they share with the nature that surrounds us,” Greene said in a Wednesday statement. “We want people to feel that nature is where we already are — we just have to notice and appreciate it.”
Visitors to the nature center, located at the northeastern tip of Belle Isle Park, can expect to see an expanded mudpuppy habitat, a replica Detroit sewer tunnel and a pollinator area to observe bumblebees at work.
The five-acre site will also offer a variety of community events and educational programs. For a full schedule, visit the center’s website.