Definitely must visit. We stopped in around 1 pm and hiked all around the lake and surrounding areas. They will give you a map so you know where you are going. By 2:30 they expect you to be inside so they can check you in and the show will start at 2:45. There is a cute gift shop if you want to buy some souvenirs. John is a fantastic guide. He answered all the questions and was very fun to listen to. Special thanks to all of the volunteers, they made the show great! They have 7 birds but you only see 5 of them and the other 2 they rotate. read more

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If you're in the White Mountains and looking for something to do, with or without kids, consider the bird experience here. I'll admit, I was a little skeptical, but what a great show it was. We saw five different species, up close and personal...like about ten feet away, and not in cages, but flying around the building. A couple even swooped over our heads! A bald eagle, an owl, a crow, a falcon and a hawk...all showing off their abilities. The staff was great, very knowledgeable and friendly. read more

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While visiting the visitors center we found out about this place that just opened up recently. We were very excited to go see what the raptor show & what it was all about. First off get there early or better yet get your tickets online. They only allow 60 people or less. This was fun & educational for all ages. The admission is really cheap & kids 12 & under go free. I highly encourage you to make a donation as this is how this place runs with its volunteers. I highly recommend going & learning about the beautiful wildlife. They also have a really nice cute little gift shop to check out as well & neat area about different wildlife facts & what not. We will absolutely go back again next time we are in town to see what new exciting things are happening here. read more

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Such a wonderful trip to the White Mountain nature center for the raptor show. They are very knowledgeable about the birds they are training. I learned several things about all the birds and they were beautiful to see fly. All the training is based on a reward system and never 'make' the animals come out to perform. The show was free and about an hour long. You should call or stop by the nature center to reserve your tickets (about a week before especially around holidays). Check the website for current hours. Great for kids! You can pay extra to be in the show. They ask for donations after the show, which we all did. Wish the seats were a bit more comfortable and it was a bit cooler in the building! Recommend seating a few rows up so you can see the screens with more info. But the front row would be cool too as you are super close to the action. Come with your questions! read more

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This place has really come a long way over the last couple of years. The Raptor show is spectacular and the gift shop now has really cool things to buy. Check it out! read more

Every day of the year at 3pm they put on a free show that I would highly recommend. It is actually the birds training time so you might see different birds and tricks every time you go. Amazing - fun and educational!! All trained and certified handlers. We have gone twice in the last two weeks and will probably go again. Love it!!! read more

White Mountain Nature Center - The newest arrival - bald eagle - Recreation Centers Near Me - Pinetop, Arizona

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Amazing place and amazing people who support the Raptors. I encourage everyone to check it out and DONATE!

My review is based solely on the Raptor Training Exhibition as we didn't attend the actual nature center. Hopefully next time we'll have more time to do that. We are visiting from out of town until tomorrow & my kids LOVE birds and all animals. I found the website yesterday & took them today as a field trip since we home school & are currently taking a birds course. We REALLY enjoyed the presentation & I was overwhelmingly pleased with their knowledge of the animals & helped our kids interact with the American Crow. I won't give away too many fun details. The crow was my kids' favorite. We also saw a Red Tail Hawk & 2 Eagle Owls. Great humor from presenters!!!! We'll def be back next year to see the new Raptor & amphitheater! My only recommendation is to not allow viewers to bring pets to the presentation as the one today disrupted the presentation. read more

White Mountain Nature Center - Trainer holding an owl - Recreation Centers Near Me - Pinetop, Arizona

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