National Aviary

We went on a day we were off from school and it was great. They had tons of opportunities to learn about birds for all ages. My son loved the coloring area that put his picture on the screen. My only suggestion is to remember to go back to the gift shop, it's at the entrance and then the exit to the parking lot is at a different location so we didn't want to backtrack in the cold and took the quick exit.

A friend and I walked here during a free afternoon and were happily surprised at the size. One thing to check is if you have a zoo membership elsewhere if it qualifies for reduced fair. I was able to use my local membership for a discounted entrance, which is always a nice surprise. We spend hours exploring, watching the interactive lessons and feedings, and just learning more from volunteers. Since we came so close to daylight savings time, we saw the penguins waiting to be fed at the wrong hour and learned how they learn to adjust to time change.

The National Aviary holds a special place in my heart. I love the simplicity of this bird sanctuary and the fact that I can visit it year-round. What I find particularly amusing is that Duolingo sponsored a Burrowing Owl that we never got to see it because, well, the owl was burrowed underground!

I attended the sold-out Holiday Brunch in the Garden Room at the National Aviary. I enjoyed the buffet provided by Atria's Catering in the airy, natural light-filled spacious event room. The best part was the ticket price included general admission to the Aviary so we strolled around burning off the calories from brunch listening to bird song. Parking on a football Sunday was definitely a challenge. Their parking lot was completely full and nearby street parking was taken by church goers and potentially game goers.

My son and his bride held their wedding reception in The Garden Room on December 14th at 5:30pm. The entire experience was exceptional with a full staff serving appetizers, tending bar, serving dinner, and available to answer questions. So friendly and attentive. The room was beautiful with lighted trees, two fireplaces, loveseats, chairs for great photo ops. The DJ was interactive with guests during after dinner dancing and select exhibits were open to visit. From the minute you walked in the door, you felt welcome and were well taken care of. Highly recommend!

The National Aviary is the only independent indoor bird zoo in the United States. The aviary contains over 500 birds that represent over 150 species. It also has some non-birds such as sloths and armadillos.The aviary is separated into habitats, including Canary's Call (burrowing owls, flying foxes, lorikeets, king fishers, turacos, etc.), Eagle Hall (sea eagles, toucans, etc.), Condor Court (condors, cranes, etc.), Grasslands (finches, etc.), Penguin Point (African penguins), Treetops (toucans and pheasants), Tropical Rainforest (30 species such as macaws and egrets), and Wetlands (30 species such as flamingos).Over many years, I have visited the National Aviary many times. For my most recent visit, I bought general-admission timed tickets on the website for $18 per non-member adult. Ticket prices are lower for children, seniors, and members. Once my husband and I arrived at the aviary, we parked our vehicle in the small parking lot and paid a $5 parking fee. When the front-desk employe scanned our tickets, she asked if we wanted to add the Habitat Heroes Theater Show for an additional $5 per person, and we agreed.My husband and I spent over 1.5 hours touring the aviary. We thought that the animals' enclosures were clean and in good condition. We did not see any animals that looked sick or unhappy. We enjoyed watching the birds flying around their rooms as well as over our heads during the theater show. All employees spoke nicely to us.In previous years, I paid extra money to participate in animal encounters for a private behind-the-scenes VIP Experience (touching many animals and touring the kitchen and hospital--not sure if VIP is offered after the pandemic), armadillos, and a sloth, and I highly recommend these encounters if you do not mind spending more money.Also at this aviary is a gift shop that sells t-shirts, mugs, stuffed animals, ornaments, books, etc.; an Atria's Kookaburra Kitchen with foods such as salads and sandwiches; the Garden Room event space; the Rose Garden, etc.

We had a great time at The Aviary. We arrived at opening time and there was a little bit of a wait to get in. We bought tickets for the day as well as to feed the birds. There are a number of shows you can pay extra for throughout the day. The aviary itself is not that large but I didn't feel crammed with people at any point in time. The bird feeding session was so cute! The kids loved it. We parked on the street but it looked like there was a parking lot we could have pulled in to. I would love to come back again. It is on the pricey side so it wont be a frequent stop.

TL:DR - 100% worth a visit! Birds and baby animals! Add it to your list.We finally visited here, and are so glad we did. It's a great option during the winter. There are special events and encounters scheduled throughout the day/week, which are optional. We spent a couple of hours meandering through seeing each of the birds and heard staff talk about special care for their animals. The rainforest area was one of our favorites. This place is worth the visit, and is what you make it. You could easily breeze through for a quick visit in an hour, or spend a couple of hours visiting to see absolutely everything.

Perfect spot to go with a kiddo on a weekend! The birds land at your feet and perch on a railing right beside you! Temps are warm in the tropical rooms, so it's a great escape from the chilly outdoors! There's a cool kids tunnel to look underwater at the penguins and the outdoor area is up close as well. Can get packed, so plan accordingly. Parking I lot is small, but there was street parking available. I was pleasantly surprised at the helpful staff and that it didn't smell bad (sometimes those bird encounters can be gross , but this was super clean!!).

A nice little aviary with a decent variety of birds. It is especially neat to be able to walk in the 3 large enclosures and have the birds flying around you. I was expecting the facility to be a little larger than it is, however it is still a nice visit and worth your time. Note: they have marked times for feedings and paid shows so make sure to check the schedule to get the most out of your time there.