Carolina Raptor Center: Here’s Your Chance to Hang Out with Raptors!

Raptors are meat-eating birds that catch their prey with their talons (unlike other birds who may eat meat that catch their prey with their beaks- think birds and worms, or penguins and fish).  They are equipped with many special features that give them the ability to accomplish this task.  From sharp talons to third eyelids and tiny bones that act as sun visors, you’ll be amazed at all you’ll learn in just a few hours at the center.

How About a Field Trip?

Educational groups who plan a visit to the center can schedule a presentation from a very knowledgeable staff member.  Our group was able to view and learn about three different raptors. We learned about each bird’s special features, how they train the raptors, where the birds come from, what they eat, and more, all while getting an extremely close view of these magnificent creatures.

This presentation was easily the best part of our visit. The children (and adults) in attendance were so excited to see each bird as our guide brought them out. The guide kept everyone interested and engaged.  Being a homeschool family that likes to school as much as we can through experiences, I have to say, this was one of the best educational presentations we’ve ever had the pleasure to view.

Fieldtrip groups also have the added benefit of a significant per-person discount. Current published rates are $10 per student for group admission plus a $4 education program fee, and $12 per adult plus the same $4 fee, with one teacher admitted free for every ten students. The center has pre-planned programming, but will also be customized for your group.  Homeschoolers, you do not have to be part of an organized group to schedule these field trip programs!  Gather some adventure-loving homeschool families with children of similar ages and make your own group! 

The Trail at Carolina Raptor Center

The trail at CRC is open to all paying guests. The trail area is where you will view the center’s various raptors in their habitats.  It’s a mostly shaded path, and when we visited we had a few strollers in our group who had no problem with it. Along the trail, you’ll see raptors divided by their types; a grouping of owls, a loop of falcons, a section of vultures, the eagle aviary, and lineup of hawks. This allows you to easily compare them within their raptor families. The trail is self-guided, and most visitors spend about 45 minutes to an hour walking the three-quarter-mile loop.

A note on accessibility before you go: the center states that the Raptor Trail is not ADA accessible. It winds through the woods of Latta Nature Preserve and includes uneven terrain, sloped paths, tripping hazards, and steps. Wheelchairs are allowed, but the center asks families to consider carefully whether the trail will be navigable, and it does not rent or loan wheelchairs on site. Strollers are welcome, and the center recommends bringing one with larger wheels. There are benches along the way to rest, and the trail is Sensory Inclusive Certified by KultureCity.

The trail also contains an exhibit showing the center’s raptors who regularly help out in the educational presentations, as well as an exhibit showing some of the work the raptor hospital onsite does regularly. The hospital is not regularly open to the public; however, they offer a behind-the-scenes tour and the exhibit “A Day in the Life of a Raptor Hospital.”

Spending the Day at Carolina Raptor Center

If you plan to spend a large portion of your day at CRC, you should know that there is no onsite food vendor. The center sells limited snacks and drinks in the Visitor Center, but if you plan to have lunch, you’ll need to bring it with you. (There isn’t much in the way of fast food nearby, either.) Outside food and drinks are welcome in the picnic area.

The center has several places to picnic, and the picnic tables are free to use and don’t require a reservation. One picnic spot sits alongside a nature play area.  The play area contains things like teeter totters made out of sanded logs, a sand pit, sliced log blocks, a wooden play house, and a small area where children can view pictures of raptor nests and try to recreate them with nearby materials.

Programs

• Visitor programs are included with admission. Keeper Chats, Meet a Raptor, Hospital Chats, and Fly-Bys rotate through the week, but the center notes that onsite programs change seasonally and can be moved or canceled for weather. Check the current Visitor Programs schedule before you go, and ask at the Visitors Center where each day’s programs are meeting.
• Summer-only programs: Bird Shows and Behind the Scenes Hospital Tours run from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The hospital tour requires advance tickets and is open to ages 11 and up.
• Special Events: They have a calendar of special events you can attend. Coming up this fall: Breakfast with the Birds on Saturday, October 10, 2026; Owl-o-ween on Saturday, October 17, 2026, with costumes and trick-or-treating on the Raptor Trail; a Raptor Tales story time on Saturday, October 31, 2026; and a Homeschool Day on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

Getting to CRC

Carolina Raptor Center is located about 20 minutes north of Charlotte.  As you approach the center, follow signs for the nature preserve.  As you pass the preserve, you’ll soon approach the raptor center on your left. The first entrance is for the raptor hospital, the second entrance is the clearly marked main entrance to Carolina Raptor Center.  Google Maps brought us right to the visitor center parking lot with no problem.

Address:
Carolina Raptor Center, 6000 Sample Road, Huntersville, NC 28078

Admission and Hours

The Raptor Trail is open 7 days a week, 10 am to 4 pm. The center closes for a handful of dates each year and posts them on its Plan Your Visit page, so it’s worth a quick look before you load up the car.

Admission: $16 adults ages 23-64, $14 students ages 13-22, $12 children ages 3-12, free for children under 3.
Seniors 65+, military, and teachers are $14. Prices don’t include NC sales tax or online fees.

Carolina Raptor Center also participates in Museums for All: show a SNAP EBT card or a WIC card at check-in and general admission is free for a party of up to four. (It applies to general admission only, not special events.)

Bring the Learning Home

Here are some great books you can find on Amazon or at the library about raptors:

• Birds of Prey (Peterson Field Guide)- J 598.9L
• Discovering Birds of Prey by M.J. Thomas- J 598.9 T
• Animal Lives: The Barn Owl- J 598.97
• Eyewitness Book: Eagle and Birds of Prey- J 598.9

Your family might also enjoy reading My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George, as well as the sequels.  The main character in these stories trains a peregrine falcon to help him hunt as he tries to live on his own, off of the land.

Consider having students bring a sketchbook and sketch a few of the raptors they see.  Clearly label the sketches.  When you get home, have students look up information about the raptors they drew.  Consider a writing assignment, creative poster, flyer, brochure, or some other type of assignment that incorporates the sketches.  Similarly, families could take photographs of the birds and complete a family project, like a bulletin board or scrapbook, about what they learned.

Love Raptors?

Enjoy your visit to CRC?  Looking for a little more?  Consider visiting Caesar’s Head State Park this fall to observe the migration of thousands of raptors as they pass above the cliff on their way to their winter homes.  Check out the Kidding Around Greenville story on Hawk Watch.  You are likely to see them only from the sky, but they are still quite impressive.