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Parks & outdoors / Belle Isle

Belle Isle Nature Center

The Detroit Zoo's small nature center in Belle Isle's forested wetlands, with animals, a bee exhibit, a bird window and a lagoon trail.

01 / The story of this place

Make time for these

The Belle Isle Nature Center sits on a five-acre site wrapped in undisturbed forested wetlands on Belle Isle. The Detroit Zoo opened it in 2005, just east of the old Belle Isle Zoo that ran from 1895 to 2002, and the Detroit Zoological Society still operates it. Inside you'll find animal habitats, a bee exhibit and a bird observation window; outside there's a native butterfly garden, outdoor classrooms, a nature play area and the Blue Heron Lagoon Nature Trail.

  1. Operated by the Detroit Zoological Society
  2. Indoor animal habitats and a bee exhibit
  3. Bird observation window
  4. Native butterfly garden and nature play area
  5. Blue Heron Lagoon Nature Trail

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¼ · Stay

Sleep right around the corner

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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-10-01

An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.

03 / Events

Events at this place

Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.

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We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.

Official website & visitor information ↗