John James Audubon Center — Attraction in Lower Providence Township

My daughter had her wedding here in October 2021. First I would like to say that the grounds are absolutely beautiful, every picture that was taken no matter the location, background was amazing. However, we felt price was not appropriate with services we received. There is a high minimum that is required for food, for example ours was in a Sunday, minimum was 12,500,(we had 80 people) we decided to go with it because that's what my daughter wanted, with the minimum the only thing you are able to choose is your chicken or meat selection, they choose your starch, vegetables, and hors d'oeuvre. If there is anything you want to change there is an upcharge. We paid extra per person to guarantee mashed potatoes and they were non existent in the plates(see photos), there were ten different hors d'oeuvres, there's extra for each one you wanted to change. I feel for the price your paying for food you should be able to choose what you want to serve. Decorating, we left a layout of how we wanted things done, they did there own thing. We sent in 100 candles w/ vases. Half of them was not put out. They stayed in boxes. Due to the reception area not being ready by the time it was suppose to. Our guest were waiting outside for 10 minutes while they finished setting up. We asked that extra candles be put by fireplace, none, we ask that garland be placed around cake, none, Ceremony started at 3pm. Tables should have been decorated in the morning. They had no podium for Pastor to do ceremony, had we known we would have brought our own. We reserved an owl, the one thing the groom wanted and was told one week before wedding that they were overworked and stressed out and would not be at party, but was offered nothing in replacement. Staff was unfriendly and unprofessional. I did not witness, but was told by different guests. Wedding did not go as smoothly as it should have due to not being prepared and organized. My daughter wanted a small, intimate, rustic wedding which the venue was perfect for, but price tag was way to steep for what we got. My complaint is not the price, we were willing to pay to have the day she wanted, but the service was not there. Best way to put it. Paying high end Champagne price for beer service. Would not recommend. Although venue...

I love the Audubon Center; I grew up around the corner and have watched the place change over the years.

These days, the center of the Center is a modern building for visitors and also facilities for parties and wedding receptions and such.

But my favorite parts of the sanctuary are still the woods, river, and fields—you know, where the birds are. You know, the actual SANCTUARY.

I've visited a couple times over the last few months, and although the grounds are still lovely and chock-full of wildlife, it seems that the Center is not taking care of the trails. The walking paths are very steep and hilly, and they're plain dirt, so even a little rainfall turns them into muddy, slippery hazards for casual walkers or hikers. This Sunday (Dec. 2021) , I was wearing good hiking boots but still slipped and fell and had frequent trouble making my way up- or down-hill.

Trails are also confusing. It's almost impossible to tell, in many places, what's a trail and what's an animal run or a place where rain water runs downhill to the river. In some places, trees have fallen on what appear to be paths, making them impassable. There are attempts at blazing the trails with green paint or tiny tags, but there are many places where the next blaze/tag is not visible, or where it's hard to tell which way an sloppily painted arrow is pointing. At one point, we joked that some pranksters must have gone through the woods with green spray paint and marked random trees.

Even where there are steps, like those descending from the old main house toward the river, they are awkward and steep and have no railings.

I'm surprised that there haven't been injuries (and lawsuits). Maybe there have been.

I'd happily give the Audubon Center 5 stars if they'd make a serious effort to repair and maintain walking trails to support outdoor activity—especially birdwatching, OF COURSE!

Oh, on that note, it was disappointing to see people letting their dogs off the leash on the grounds. This damages habitat and disrupts the routines of wildlife. At a bird sanctuary, this is a...

Most of the reviews for this place were from people who either attended a wedding or had a wedding here. My review is strictly from the perspective of visiting the location because of its historical significance.

We spent about three hours visiting the museum and spent a short time on the trail. The museum itself is chock full of information about John Audubon and his contribution to the natural world. The information was well organized and very interesting. Most exhibits are interactive and I learned a lot. I’ve read a book about Audubon and have been a birder for a number of years and yet I found quite a bit that I did not know.

As you make your way through the museum they have a couple of short videos further reinforcing the information. As you make your way around you will find yourself in the gift shop where you will find books, toys, shirts, and lots of local wares.

After we finished in the museum we made our way to the trail which we took to see the house and went part way around the trail. It was a really hot day so we did not walk the entire trail but I will say the scenery was well worth anytime out there. It was nice to come outside after learning about various birds and use what I learned to help me identify the birds outside.

As someone with limited mobility I appreciated how accessible the museum and the bathrooms were. I was able to easily navigate the museum with my scooter. They had a separate bathroom that was easy to get in and out of. The outside areas were well paved which made it easy to use my scooter.

This is a well groomed and beautiful location. The museum is top notch and well...