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Monday 10am - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 12pm - 4pm Sunday 2pm - 4pm

Raven Hill Discovery Center

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East Jordan, MI
Raven Hill Discovery Center

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Where science, history & art connect inside and out. Great for all ages. For more information, call 231-536-3369 or email: [email protected]

We are currently open 10 AM to 4 PM weekdays, noon to 4 PM on Saturdays and 2 PM to 4 PM on Sundays. Raven Hill Discovery Center is a regional science and technology center. It is located on 157 acres in a rural area of northwestern Lower Michigan next to the Little Traverse Conservancy’s Raven Ridge Nature Preserve. It is also a cultural, historical and art center. Raven Hill Discovery Center is the only place in northern Lower Michigan where children and adults can link science, history & the arts with hands-on activities and explorations both indoors and outdoors. Connections emerge through classes, exhibits and facilities that provide opportunities for all ages to learn, create, grow and play. The Center is located between East Jordan & Boyne City, just off C-48 at Pearsall Road. Can’t make it during regular hours? Call to schedule an appointment at your convenience. For more information, phone 231-536-3369 or toll free 877-833-4254 or email [email protected]. You can also check the Center’s website: www.RavenHillDiscoveryCenter.org for more information.

10/15/2026

PICK A PROJECT: CHOOSE RAVEN HILL!
Help us reach our $3000 Goal by Nov 15th
Charlevoix County Community Foundation

With more than 700 students and teachers experiencing Raven Hill's HOT (Here Or There) Project in 2024, we know just how successful the program can be.

Its popularity even created a waiting list of teachers and schools eager to participate. The HOT Project reflects Raven Hill Discovery Center's 36-year-long mission of connecting science, history and the arts through hands-on learning for all ages. The strength of the HOT Project is its flexibility. Learning experiences are customized to meet the unique needs of students and teachers, either here at Raven Hill or there at school.

Teachers can work with Raven Hill to create memorable experiences that align with state-mandated curriculum goals while maximizing student engagement and educational impact. Schools can choose a traditional field trip to Raven Hill that connects science, history and the arts; design a visit around a specific theme or curriculum need; or select the convenience of an outreach program that brings Raven Hill's hands-on learning directly to the school. By adapting to each school's curriculum, schedule and location, the HOT Project makes high-quality experiential learning more accessible. No matter who, what, when or where, Raven Hill's HOT Project brings the excitement of discovery and the power of learning to teachers and students—Here Or There!

Give to our Here-Or-There Project Today: https://bit.ly/4ilR8mC

10/13/2026

🍂🐦🐸 Fall Travelers and Freeze-Proof Frogs at Raven Hill 🐸🐦🍂

Autumn at Raven Hill Discovery Center is a season of remarkable wildlife stories.

Recently, we've spotted American Pipits along Deer Creek, where gravel bars and stream edges provide excellent foraging habitat during their long migration south. These modest-looking birds spend summer on the Arctic tundra and travel thousands of miles to wintering grounds across the southern United States, Mexico, and beyond. For migrating pipits, places like Raven Hill can provide an important stopover to rest and refuel. 🌎🐦

At the same time, wood frogs have left their summer wetland habitats and moved into surrounding upland forests. There, hidden beneath fallen leaves, they prepare for one of nature's most astonishing feats. As winter arrives, wood frogs can freeze nearly solid. Their hearts stop beating, breathing stops, and ice forms throughout much of their bodies. Special compounds act as a natural antifreeze, protecting their cells until spring warmth brings them back to life. ❄️🐸

These incredible species remind us why Raven Hill's 175-acre campus is so special. From Deer Creek's floodplain to upland forests and ridges, the landscape provides habitat for wildlife throughout the year. As we care for and steward this property, we're mindful that it serves not only as a place for discovery and education, but also as a refuge for the many creatures whose lives depend on healthy, connected habitats. 🌲💚

The next time you visit Raven Hill, look for a migrating pipit along the creek or imagine a wood frog tucked beneath the leaves, waiting for spring. Nature's most amazing stories are often hidden in plain sight.
(Photos taken by H. Breniser @ Raven Hill)

🍂🐦🐸🌲💚

10/10/2026

Fulgurite, Trinitite, and A New Outdoor Learning Space: Your Raven Hill Update
https://bit.ly/4yE2t7r

"Welcome to Raven Hill's newly improved workshop and outdoor learning space! Thanks to the generous support of the MACC/NEA, Oleson Foundation, Charlevoix County Community Foundation, and Great Lakes Energy People Fund, we were able to install a new furnace, insulate the workshop building, and construct a fire-resistant lean-to. These improvements expand opportunities for ceramics, blacksmithing, and shoulder-season classes while creating a safer, more comfortable space for year-round hands-on learning..."

📚Read on: https://bit.ly/4yE2t7r
🕸 Visit our webpage: www.miravenhill.org
♥ Give to Raven Hill: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ravenhilldiscoverycenter/donations/
📰Sign up for this newsletter: https://bit.ly/3VaeK4B

10/09/2026

Join us for FREE Second Saturday, October 10, from noon to 4pm!

Get curious in the hands-on Discovery Room, meet our fascinating Animal Room residents, and head outdoors for even more adventures! Make music in the Music Garden, travel back in time along the Jurassic Park Walkway, explore the Schoolhouse and Treehouse, discover inventions in the Evolving Technology Building, and journey through history in the Ancient World.

🍂 So much to discover, explore and enjoy—all for FREE! Bring your family, invite your friends, and make some autumn memories at Raven Hill!

-on

10/07/2026

The brilliant reds and oranges of the fall trees are echoed in the flames of our primitive Greek pottery kiln. Nature is putting on its own fiery display while we put fire to work transforming clay into pottery like people did thousands of years ago. It’s a beautiful fall day for both autumn color and kiln firing!

-on

10/02/2026

Bruce Riley, retired industrial designer and former principal partner of Design Craftsmen, Inc., visits Raven Hill’s Six Basic Machines exhibit. Riley and co-owner Clark Swayze helped create the hands-on exhibit for the Hall of Ideas at Midland Center for the Arts. Decades later, the exhibit found a new home at Raven Hill Discovery Center, where it continues to invite visitors to explore simple machines through hands-on discovery.

-on

09/28/2026

Raven Hill visitors can now explore Under Michigan outdoors! Recycled and reimagined along the Connections Trail, this learning station invites families to discover Michigan’s underground story. Follow the trail, peer into the earth, and uncover the natural resources beneath your feet—then learn how they’re excavated and how they shape everyday life. Come explore, get curious, and see what you discover!

-on

09/24/2026

Raven Hill’s Exploring Beyond Jurassic Park exhibit is in the process of getting a whole new look as the old fencing comes down. Removing the fence opens up the walkway, improves visibility and makes the journey through Earth’s ancient past feel more inviting and connected to the landscape. Sometimes taking something away makes all the difference!

-on

09/21/2026

🦅Vega, Raza, and Sketch Artists: Your Raven Hill Update🌞
https://bit.ly/4ycD4S4

"Everywhere in ancient times, people recognized the strength, speed, keen eyesight and hunting abilities of eagles, falcons, hawks, owls and other raptors. To Egyptians, falcons were sacred and associated with Horus, the god of the sky and kingship. Across Asia, falcons, hawks and even golden eagles became valued hunting partners. In Europe, falconry developed into an important tradition, while eagles became symbols of strength, authority and empire. Throughout the Americas, eagles, hawks, falcons, and condors have held important spiritual, ceremonial, and cultural significance for many peoples, while traditions involving training and then hunting with birds of prey have also continued to develop over time."

👉Register for our upcoming Watercolor Class with Dani Davis: https://bit.ly/4hjRXuu
👉Make a donation to support Raven Hill's mission: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ravenhilldiscoverycenter/donations/
👉Sign up for our newsletter or pass it onto a friend: https://bit.ly/3VaeK4B

Address

4737 Fuller Road
East Jordan, MI
49727

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	12pm - 4pm
Sunday	2pm - 4pm

Telephone

+12315363369

Website

http://www.miravenhill.org/

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