International Crane Foundation

This is a fun little place to bring the kids and spend an afternoon. Because I spend a lot of time in the area, I probably go 3 to 4 times a year. Buying a membership almost pays back on its first trip if you are in a larger sized group. The portion of this place that is regularly open to the public displays all of the cranes from around the world in different cages. They also have a Whooping Crane exhibit that is off on its own and represents a more natural habitat and has a larger viewing /​sitting area. Before going to this place, I didn’t know about cranes, after leaving this place, I know more than I ever imagined I could know about cranes. The «zoo» portion of the facility is not big and you can go through it in a couple of hours. There is also a nature center on the property. In addition to the formal exhibits, they have a number of nature trails that run through the property for visitors to take advantage of. Periodically they have special days with a variety of activities on site to supplement the every day exhibits.

Quiet, lovely prairie. And they are saving this remarkable variety of cranes. A little slice of heaven.

This places amazes me. The only place in the world that has all 15 different types of cranes, and the workers/​volunteers are very delightful and obviously care very much about this place and the birds. The theater in the main building although a little dated is very cute, and the stories behind the cranes are amazing (such as how one of the founders had an egg hatch on the plane!)
It’s definitely worth the price of admission, under $ 10. If you have a group of people and/​or go multiple times, a membership is more than worth it. Took home a plushie of one of the rarer species, which I found out is an exclusive to the foundation!

If you love birds, especially long-​legged stately birds, this is a great place to visit. You can get up close and personal with the world’s 15 crane species and support endangered species conservation efforts at the same time!
Great photo ops of cranes.
Well-​groomed trails; informative educational tours, good intro movie; nice gift store with some unique items; friendly staff.
We could sit in the peaceful viewing area and watch the whooping cranes for hours.

Visited for my third time. If I take someone with who has never been, they love it. I enjoyed seeing the upgrades they made. It is wonderful to watch the cranes and hear them. Such beautiful birds. The work being done to help bring the Whooping Crane back from extinction is amazing to learn about. If you become a member, you can go to the member appreciation day they have and you see off exhibit areas like crane city. This is an amazing place. For sure will be back.

Not super easy to find but your persistence will be rewarded.
Nearly $ 10 entry fee is offset by a membership to any participating AAZA zoo or locally available coupon books for the nearby Dells. Nice gift shop and friendly staff. I did not visit the education center but have heard good things about it.
The cranes are maintained in several pens, many are spacious and attractive, but the main area feels rather constrictive and old-​fashioned. Nonetheless, the animals appear healthy.
Nice trails around the exhibits and grounds, water and shade stations all over the place, and a nice picnic area help the experience.
I’m not a bird guy (my wife is the birdwatcher in our family), but it was still worth the stop.

Love, love, love this place. Made my first visit back about 25 years ago — been back periodically, often to just watch the animals and ground myself. Has grown a lot since my first visit, but remains a beautiful place to see some amazing animals up close.
Other reviewers have covered the details adequately… definitely worth a trip & worth supporting financially, if you’re able.

What an amazing place.
If you are ever in the Baraboo area — you have to make a trip and support this hidden gem.
Next time I visit I’d like to check out some of the trails everyone is talking about!

I’m a long term fan of the International Crane Foundation. I mean, it’s place founded by two guys who realized there were only 21 Whooping Cranes left and wanted to save them — and then did (there are now 600)! Talk about living your dream!
My most recent visit came during an auspicious year — the ICF is celebrating its 40^th anniversary. Congratulations, ICF! The facility is looking better than ever. There is a Visitor’s Education Center, where you can see some great exhibits on the cranes, including how ICF has started working with locals to find ways to make both the people and the cranes’ lives better by finding ways for the individuals to earn a livelihood without destroying the habitats necessary for the cranes to survive. It also has a Chick Cam, so you can see in-​action the folks raising the baby cranes. They are dedicated to never allowing the chicks to impress upon humans, so the staff all wear big crane suits, and visitors cannot actually visit the chicks. One section is a rotating exhibit area, and there was a very nice photography exhibit called Bloom there on my visit. It featured gorgeous photos of the land upon which ICF sits.
Of course, the stars of a visit to the ICF are the cranes themselves. It is the only place in the world you can see all 15 species in one location. Time your visit right, and you can join a guided tour, offered three times daily. It is included in your entrance fee, and these knowledgeable naturalists can really enrich your visit with the information they have to share. Our naturalist took plenty of time to talk and answer questions; the tour lasted over an hour, including the film introduction. The film was great — I’m told that it was a new one that had started just a week before our visit. It explains ICF’s work over the last forty years. The cranes themselves are in three separate areas: the newest, the Spirit of Africa, features the four non-​migratory African cranes; the Johnson Pod contains pairs of 10 types of cranes in different areas, and the Whooping Cranes have their very own area designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The Whooping Cranes also have an additional film area.
There are several water/​bench areas around so you can take a break, and a number of hiking trails and an overlook that you can use too. The sustainable features used here are great — solar panels to heat the cranes’ winter facilities, the newest pathways are made from 70% recycled, tumbled glass (which also makes it look really neat — very colorful), and the like.
I highly recommend a visit to ICF. Your entrance fee goes to saving cranes! This is great for kids and adults — we had a child with us, and she loved it, especially when the cranes came up towards the front.

I haven’t been here in a long time. In about ten years or so. But I still have fond memories of this place. My father is from Baraboo, WI, so when I was about ten he took me here when I was visiting my Wisconsin relatives.
Here’s the part I most vividly remember. We’re walking through the Foundation on a guided tour, and we’re going through some sort of woods. My dad starts inquiring about some bushes he sees in the distance. Cannabis bushes, to be precise. The tour guide seems a bit nervous and tells us that they’re weeds, and they just can’t get rid of them. My dad smirks. I’m ten years old, and I’m really embarrassed. The people who run this place are hippies, and they’re awesome.
The cranes are good too. They have lots of them, and a lot of them look funny, which is always cool. They also have a bunch of cool shirts and sweatshirts. I have at least three of them from my visitations here as a child, and I wear them proudly to this day.

Take a few hours to visit the only place on earth where you can see all 15 species of crane.
The Foundation is open to visitors April through October. There are guided tours which are very well organized and informative or you can take your time on a self guided tour. On the tour you’ll be able to see all 15 species and learn about these beautiful birds found on 5 continents around the world.
In addition to the cranes themselves, there are spectacular birding trails on ICF’s 200+ acres of restored prairie, wetland, and savanna landscapes.
Bring a picnic as there are no food services on site besides machines for soda or water.