Call of the Wild Museum — Attraction in Gaylord

I hate leaving a poor review, and maybe my expectations were just too high. I guess if you are a very young city-raised child, it's cool. But, as an avid outdoor country raised adult, I was very disappointed. The displays were not well organized or labeled. The weasel family (the hardest to tell apart) were barely even displayed, some not labeled at all, and some were in very poor shape. The information provided about them was very bland and missing so much information. I went in, hoping to learn a lot. At the very least, see the animals in the closest to true form as possible. The attempt at a natural set-up had a fisher climbing a tree and a marten (or other woodland-type weasel) in with the beavers. Some of the taxidermy was poorly done, and some of the displays (like the darkened display box of the Great Horned Owl) kept you from being able to truly appreciate the animal. No bats were on display... and no raptors at all. I somewhat understand do to legalities, but as a "museum," I would have expected them to have gotten special permissions and specimens from unsuccessful rehabs. While a very few handful of birds were on display, there were not enough to even come close to Michigan's vast array of wildlife that people don't get to see often. I don't believe it was worth the money. I did like the larger animals that aren't often seen, like the bobcat, lynx, wolf, coyote, cougar, wolverine, and badger. The staff, although not in the actual museum part, were all very nice. It did appear clean. The sounds available for a few of the animals were fun and informative. Maybe I would've had more fun had the go-carts and mini-golf been open. Would like to see even more info to include everyone in the...

On a visit Up North with family, I had Googled things near Waters, MI. Call of the Wild was one of the many that had been listed. Located in Gaylord, which was maybe 12 minutes from where we were in Waters, it seemed like it would be a good place to spend a few hours at. My 9 year old Daughter was all for it, as well as our Aunt. For 2 adults and 1 child it was $20 ($7.50/adult & $5/child), truly inexpensive and there was no wait, for going on a Friday around 2:30 pm, in the Summer. The staff are very well informed and are more than willing to answer any questions you have. They also have different types of scavenger hunts for the family to do, my daughter was in charge of the clipboard and pencil. I was born in Michigan, but have lived in North Carolina a majority of my life, so learning about the animals associated with Michigan, was pretty neat. We were too invested in reading and learning to take hardly any pictures. We took our time and even spent a good bit of time in the gift shop area. The FUDGE is to die for! They offer samples on any you may be curious about, and it is fairly cheap; 1 lb is $16.98. I purchased .5lb Root Beer and .5lb Lemon Meringue and got a quarter of Starburst for free. They truly are not like any fudge you've ever had before, trust me! So if you're Up North, MI and looking for something to do, give Call of the Wild Museum a go! You will not be...

I had an amazing time at this museum! Wonderful stories, beautiful artwork, incredibly informational, and very engaging. The animal scenes were fascinating and I learned so much about Michigan and its wildlife. I’m looking forward to going back with friends one day; I went on a solo adventure for my first time and had a blast. It was cheap to get in ($7.50 adult) and I stayed about 2 hours to take my time and enjoy… but you could definitely get through the exhibits in 45min-1hr. Overall great experience and would definitely recommend for all ages.

I visited in February on a Tuesday around 1pm. I was the only one there when I arrived and the staff was lovely! They were all incredibly nice and helpful.

I also wanted to note for parents and individuals in need of assistance that they do offer strollers and wheelchairs for their guests! For children they have a discovery section with interactive, stimulatory actives, a room with a wildlife film playing (& children’s music), and with most animal exhibits they include buttons that will play sound effects! I can’t remember the children’s prices but I know under 5 was free. For locals and local families you can also purchase a yearly pass for like $15!

The gift shop was awesome too.

I included some photos I took to help with visualization, but if you have the opportunity to go you...