Turtle Bay Exploration Park
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Turtle Bay Exploration Park is a fun, non-profit 300-acre gathering place featuring the Sundial Bridge, a museum, forestry & wildlife center, arboretum and botanical gardens. At the gateway to the Sacramento River Trails, Turtle Bay celebrates far Northern California as part of the world we share. We envision Turtle Bay Exploration Park as a vibrant gathering place where our community is strengthened through education, cultural engagement and economic growth.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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The area
Address
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Best nearby
Restaurants
274 within 3 miles
Attractions
73 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- TofurryRenton, Washington1,070 contributionsNice park with a sundial bridge!We stopped in Redding for the night on our way to Disneyland and took our doggies for a walk in this park. We did not know about the Sundial Bridge and it was such a cool sight! This is a nice park, but we did not visit the museum or eat at the restaurant. We just had a great walk in the park. Two of our dogs did not want to walk on the glass floor of the bridge.Visited April 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 10, 2024
- kiLos Angeles, California26 contributionsWorth going! More intimate and unique than regular zoo.It’s great! Very unique place. I’ve been to many zoo type places and this one has some great 1-on-1 learning experiences where you can interact with animals like the porcupine. The trainers are great. The grounds are pretty, well decorated and definitely the coolest thing to do in Redding. The price was very reasonable for the offerings . Lots of cool ecosystem displays and learning opportunities. I’d love to go again especially when it’s not over 100 degrees (but that’s not Turtle Bay’s fault)! Great place. Fun to walk around and learn.Visited July 2024Traveled on businessWritten August 15, 2024
- Shu KSan Jose, California372 contributionsEvery rest stop should be this nice!What a surprise! It was a stop on our way back from Oregon to the Bay Area (it’s also a Tesla charging area), and we found a neat place to relax! Yes, the bridge is pretty cool, and the whole area is kept very nice. There is a cafe that serves a wonderful lunch and for those little kids, there is an animal museum. Definitely worth a stop!Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 17, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
462 reviews
Excellent
250
Very good
141
Average
41
Poor
20
Terrible
10
Mauibird
Vacaville, CA165 contributions
Jun 2021
What a treasure Redding has in this park! We didn't take time to explore all of the offerings - so much from which to choose. The museum has wonderful exhibits. In addition to a water feature displaying a variety of fish from this area it has a sample lodge that might have been used by the indigenous people of this area, and information about the development of Shasta Dam, and a wonderful display of artwork made entirely from plastics and other trash found in the ocean. Outside of the museum we followed a trail to an enclosure full of lorikeets that we were able to feed as they sat on our hand. Such a sweet experience. The trail took us further into the park and we found a similar exhibit with butterflies, where we could purchase cotton swabs with butterfly juice on them and enjoy the butterflies on and around us. It was beautifully misted to keep the butterflies in the proper environment. I didn't want to leave. We only had a short time in this area and had to leave to check out sundial bridge. Redding has a real gem in what has been created in this area. We hope to return.
Written June 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Galeda
Kansas City, MO433 contributions
Apr 2022
NOTE: I'm posting this review under both "Sundial Bridge" and "Turtle Bay Exploration Park", since my comments encompass both.
My siblings and I met in Redding for a family reunion, and before heading out to the coast, we spent the morning at Turtle Bay Exploration Park. What a lovely place! Lots of easy-to-walk, well-groomed nature trails; beautiful foliage; stunning fountains and other creative works; and the bridge itself, which is a marvelous work of art as well as architecture. This portion of the Sacramento River is very pretty, and there’s always wildlife to be seen. It’s a great place to spend a couple of hours, walking and seeing the local flora and fauna.
My siblings and I met in Redding for a family reunion, and before heading out to the coast, we spent the morning at Turtle Bay Exploration Park. What a lovely place! Lots of easy-to-walk, well-groomed nature trails; beautiful foliage; stunning fountains and other creative works; and the bridge itself, which is a marvelous work of art as well as architecture. This portion of the Sacramento River is very pretty, and there’s always wildlife to be seen. It’s a great place to spend a couple of hours, walking and seeing the local flora and fauna.
Written May 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tiff
Red Bluff, CA12 contributions
Apr 2021
We are familiar with this place, and have been here before. We paid (I can't remember the exact amount) to get in and felt it was really overpriced for the exhibits that were inside. There wasn't much to see, and it only took maybe 10 minutes to see it all. Not any "wow" factors inside unfortunately. I think the people in charge of deciding what exhibits are on display should have some serious brain storming sessions to appeal to the public if they are going to charge for entry. I wouldn't return unless I heard some reviews about how it has changed for the better. Come on, guys, you can do better than this.
Written February 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ki
Los Angeles, CA26 contributions
Jul 2024 • Business
It’s great! Very unique place. I’ve been to many zoo type places and this one has some great 1-on-1 learning experiences where you can interact with animals like the porcupine. The trainers are great. The grounds are pretty, well decorated and definitely the coolest thing to do in Redding. The price was very reasonable for the offerings . Lots of cool ecosystem displays and learning opportunities. I’d love to go again especially when it’s not over 100 degrees (but that’s not Turtle Bay’s fault)! Great place. Fun to walk around and learn.
Written August 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina
San Francisco, CA67 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
This place is worth visiting if traveling with family. They have shaded trails and a bridge with beautiful views of nature. There are animals and a play structure for the little ones, among others. For older kids, they let you feed the parrots while they stand on your arm/hands. That was worth it! The park is next to the Sheraton hotel and there is a very good restaurant next to it if you get hungry.
Written August 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jarod B
Redding, CA7 contributions
May 2022
Might be ok for a one time visit. Didn't take long for the kids (17, 11, and 9) to see everything and get bored. Couldn't imagine season passes. Used to be free for military so we would go all the time. That was a few years ago. Went back this year after moving back to Redding and military discount went from everyone free to $2 off one ticket. But kids were excited to go, bored after 1 1/2 hours, so not going back.
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shu K
San Jose, CA372 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
What a surprise! It was a stop on our way back from Oregon to the Bay Area (it’s also a Tesla charging area), and we found a neat place to relax! Yes, the bridge is pretty cool, and the whole area is kept very nice. There is a cafe that serves a wonderful lunch and for those little kids, there is an animal museum. Definitely worth a stop!
Written August 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
justinski11
Queenstown, New Zealand20 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
The museum here was interesting but nothing too extravagant. There is an outdoor exploration area though that shocked me and my kids went crazy over it. The staff here was extremely friendly and polite as well. My family and I will be stopping back by in the future no doubt. Highly recommend.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mrswitsend
Hove, UK4 contributions
Mar 2023
A bob-cat pacing up and down a tiny cage, a racoon in a similar state of madness pacing up and down also driven mad in a wholly inadequate size of cage. A golden eagle in a small prison, a vulture suffering the same fate. I am shocked and disappointed that this fabulous country would not see anything wrong with the way these animals are "kept". I made a mistake in paying for this misery.
I see nothing wrong in keeping animals in captivity as long as they have adequate space- come on management - you can look after the animals better than this!
The indoor art work and beautifully presented historical stories were excellent.
I see nothing wrong in keeping animals in captivity as long as they have adequate space- come on management - you can look after the animals better than this!
The indoor art work and beautifully presented historical stories were excellent.
Written March 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tofurry
Renton, WA1,070 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
We stopped in Redding for the night on our way to Disneyland and took our doggies for a walk in this park. We did not know about the Sundial Bridge and it was such a cool sight!
This is a nice park, but we did not visit the museum or eat at the restaurant. We just had a great walk in the park. Two of our dogs did not want to walk on the glass floor of the bridge.
This is a nice park, but we did not visit the museum or eat at the restaurant. We just had a great walk in the park. Two of our dogs did not want to walk on the glass floor of the bridge.
Written May 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Would 6th and 8th grade kids (12 and 14 yr old) find this park enjoyable? Or is it designed for younger children? Thanks.
Written January 6, 2022
Which meteorologist from KRCR did you spot, while walking on the rainy day of March 12, 2016, at this location?
Written September 27, 2019
it was not raining this day, it was very hot and no meteorologist was around that I saw.
Written October 9, 2019
If I ride-share here, with my children, is there a place where I can safely store our car seats for the day?
Thank you :)
Written May 30, 2018
Hello! Yes we have a place for you to store your car seats for the day.
Written July 3, 2018
Hello and great question! Yes, three hours can be enough time to view the museum and a large portion of the outdoor activities.
Written May 19, 2017
lori g
Sacramento, California
Is there parking for RVs (5th wheel or travel trailer)? From satellite view on Google maps I didn't see any nor is there any mention on the website.
Written October 12, 2016
There are areas to park your RV near the Redding Rodeo Grounds, which is just to the West of Turtle Bay behind the Civic Auditorium. Turtle Bay, Redding Rodeo Grounds, and the Civic Auditorium are all in the same general vicinity. It's just a little longer walk to the entrance to Turtle Bay. Be aware that they are currently building the new Sheraton Hotel next to Turtle Bay so expect road construction.
Written October 12, 2016
I didn't see any. Sorry. They are expanding so lots of
building going one.
Written May 21, 2016
Thank you all who've helped answer for us! The previous answers are correct and we will be on summer hours starting May 1, which means we're open 7 days a week, 9-5 Mon-Sat and 10-5 on Sundays. Prices are the same as above.
Thank you!
Written April 20, 2015
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