Ten years ago, a wooded hillside on the south side of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History became something entirely new.
In September 2016, the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank reopened as the first phase of the Museum’s transformation. Redesigned as an immersive outdoor experience featuring rehabilitated native Ohio wildlife, the new Perkins represented more than a change of location. It was an opportunity to rethink the habitats, visitor experience, and future of the Museum’s wildlife program.
A decade later, the trees have grown, and a new generation of guests have made their way across the center’s elevated walkways. As Perkins celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’re looking back at how the space came together—and how it has grown into its surroundings.
The bald eagle enclosure at Perkins Wildlife Center in the 1970s
Designing With Wildlife in Mind
By the time construction for the new Perkins began, the original wildlife center was more than 40 years old. Its habitats required significant maintenance, and the Museum’s larger transformation meant the center would need to move from its longtime location at the northernmost part of the Museum on Wade Oval.
Starting fresh gave the Museum’s wildlife team the chance to apply decades of experience to a completely new facility.
Many of the animals planned for the new center already lived at the Museum, giving the staff firsthand knowledge of their individual needs. As plans expanded to include caring for additional animals who were unable to survive on their own in the wild, the team looked to the facilities housing these species to guide the design.
The wooded hillside itself became part of the design. Its established trees helped create a natural setting, while new habitats provided more space for the animals and additional opportunity for enrichment. The team also considered how staff would safely access and maintain each habitat over time.
The result was a wildlife center designed not simply around where animals would live, but around how they would use those spaces every day.
An aerial view of Perkins Wildlife Center before its 2016 transformation
An Ohio Landscape Takes Root
Perkins was also designed to place its animals within a larger picture of Ohio’s natural environment.
With input from the Museum’s Natural Areas staff, the landscape incorporates five distinct ecological communities found across the state. Native plantings surround features including a 14,000-gallon otter pool and a 5,000-gallon wetlands area.
“Perkins immerses Museum guests in the nature around them that they may not otherwise notice and shows them the importance of taking care of our planet and its inhabitants,” shared Steve Gibson, Assistant Manager of Wildlife Resources at the Museum.
But landscapes take time. When Perkins opened in 2016, many of those plantings were still young. Over the past decade, trees have matured, and vegetation has filled in around the habitats and walkways. What began as a newly constructed wildlife center has gradually taken on the character of the wooded environment envisioned for the animals.
That growth is especially noticeable from outside Perkins. The center has become a visible landmark along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive with its elevated walkways rising among the trees.
Wulfric, a snowy owl and resident of Perkins Wildlife Center
Creating New Stories
The 150 animal ambassadors of Perkins have their own stories from the past decade. Some arrived at the Museum after injuries left them unable to return to the wild. Others were born or raised in human care and never developed the skills to survive on their own.
For these animal ambassadors, Perkins offers an environment where they can thrive. Over the past 10 years, the wildlife team has introduced new animals to longtime residents, formed new pairings, and watched some residents reach remarkable milestones. For example, Bitty the bobcat is over 20 years old.
The decade has also brought new faces to Perkins. Wulfric, a snowy owl, arrived at the Museum in 2018 with a wing injury. After spending several years behind the scenes, he moved into a guest-facing habitat in 2023. Now, he is among the familiar animals visitors can encounter while exploring.
Each of these stories reflects how Perkins continues to evolve—not only as a place for guests to encounter native wildlife, but as a habitat for the animal ambassadors who live there.
The elevated walkway at Perkins Wildlife Center after its opening in 2016
Looking Ahead
The Perkins visitors walk through today looks different from the one that opened in September 2016. In many ways, that was always the point.
A living landscape like Perkins was meant to grow. Habitats were designed to support animals living in them. And a wildlife center devoted to native species was never going to be a static space.
Ten years after the redesign, Perkins offers a chance to see how those ideas have taken shape and to consider what the next decade might bring.
Throughout September, the Museum will celebrate Perkins' 10-year anniversary with special programming, including daily wildlife talks featuring a variety of animal ambassadors, our Perkins10 Family Day, and a special member event. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is grateful to KeyBank–our partner in wildlife for 10 years—for providing an exclusive presenting sponsorship of Perkins10 celebrations.
