Oatland Island Wildlife Center

Savannah, United States

4.9

Closed now

20 reviews

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 912-395-1500
Website:
oatlandisland.org
Address:
711 Sandtown Rd, Savannah, GA, 31410
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Bussiness info

Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Savannah) 03:06 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Description

Specialties

The mission of Oatland Island Wildlife Center of Savannah is to provide our guests with memorable experiences to help them make stronger connections to the outside world. We achieve this mission by providing a quality learning experience with a dedicated and knowledgeable staff, following the highest standards in animal care, modeling good conservation-​minded behaviors and practices, and maintaining a safe, fun and engaging environment for our guests.

OIWC occupies over 100 acres of maritime forest and exhibits 50 species of animals. For more than 30 years, the Center has been introducing school groups and other guests to the wonderful natural wildlife of Georgia and beyond.

History

Established in 1973.

Our grand main building was build in 1927 as a retirement home for the Brotherhood of Railroad Conductors. During WWII, the facility was used as a U.S. Public Health Service hospital for women and children. Afterwards, the Centers for Disease Control established their Technical Development Laboratory on site, studying insects as disease vectors. In 1973 the CDC moved their entire operation to Atlanta, selling the Oatland property to the Savannah-​Chatham County Public School System, who established Oatland Island Education Center.

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20 reviews of Oatland Island Wildlife Center

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I’ve been a frequent visitor since I was a child and have very fond memories. I just visited again today and throughly enjoyed myself and the major improvements that have been done since my last visit. Be prepared to do your fair share of walking, as the area is somewhat spread around. If you bring children make sure you keep an eye on them and bring some snacks. As for my latest visit-​Everyone who was on duty today was quite friendly and it was a perfect day to visit. The cougar enclosure was recently renovated and it’s amazing! The cougar walked down the cat walk for us! The wolf enclosure was renovated, too. I enjoyed my visit (to be expected) and I’m sure you will too! Much love to the folks at Oatland Island
Place rating: 5
Savannah, GA
My review is specific to their birthday parties. My son just had his 4th birthday yesterday and it was my favorite party yet (between two kids 4 & 7). From the beginning when I called for info, the woman in charge was very kind, patient and knowledgeable. We chose to hold the party in the kindergarten room down by the barnyard. You may also have your party in the main building, (which looking back might’ve been ideal for the cold weather as our guests had to park there anyway). But, the kindergarten room had ample space, seating, a fridge, sink, and a patio. The kids also got to walk out to the barnyard and visit animals before and after the program. We chose from the list of animals the alligator, bunny, and bard owl. Our instructor, Michelle, was very engaging with the children and very knowledgable about the animals. The kids (ages baby on up to 12) all were well entertained and loved the close encounter with the animals. The price was extremely reasonable for 25 guests and small increase for overages. My son got to also choose a shirt from the gift shop as a souvenir. I highly recommend Oatland Island for your child’s birthday party!
Place rating: 5
Louisville, KY
We stopped here on our way to the beach in Tybee. It is such a cool place. The trees are BEAUTIFUL! They way it is set up, it seems like you are really close to the animals. The staff members we encountered were really nice and had some great conversation.
The walk through was so nice. We enjoy hiking, and that is what it felt like we were doing. This is a place we will be visiting every time we come back to Savannah.
Affordable and enjoyable for the whole family!
Don’t forget to bring change to buy turtle food!
Place rating: 5
Ward, AR
This place is great! We really enjoyed our morning walking the trails, seeing the animals, and the history lesson from the festival. Very well maintained.
Place rating: 5
Savannah, GA
We really love this place. It quickly became one of my favorite spots to visit in Savannah. Not only are you in the beautiful Lowcountry, but you get to see all kinds of interesting animals doing their interesting every day animal things. Seriously though, we’ve enjoyed many days at Oatland. Becoming a member/​Friend of Oatland Island is definitely worth it. The cost is very easy to cover. Toddler Tuesday is a hit, and I also just like to go there to clear my head and get some exercise while my kid gets fresh air and watches the nature/​animals. There are two main trails – one on each side of the road you drive-​in on. You can easily spend an hour on each side seeing all the different animals. Pack a lunch and have a picnic! Make it a weekly retreat. Bring your out-​of-​town friends. I always suggest visitors go to Oatland Island, especially if they have kids.
Place rating: 5
Savannah, GA
We love love loved Oatland Island Wildlife! Good trails, I was able to easily push a jogging stroller, any other type of stroller would probably be difficult because most of the trails are slightly bumpy. We were here for about 2.5−3 hours and could have spent more time. The only disappointment for our trip here were the fox and wolves were both temporarily closed. We will definitely be back!
Place rating: 5
Fort Collins, CO
Great for all ages, a great stop for a few hours. Bring your camera and some quarters– you can buy fish food to feed all types of fish species in their pond. Go early in the morning when they open. You can see them get fed and the animals are more active. Bug spray is a must!
Place rating: 5
Saint Louis, MO
Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The animals were all visible. Excellent example of marsh land. The path was well maintained.
Place rating: 5
Princeton, NJ
Very beautiful and spacious park with great wildlife. The animals have overall a good space to move. A great stop on your way to Tybee Island.
Place rating: 4
Douglasville, GA
While staying in Savannah we decided to do something a little different and I saw this place on a website of local attractions and so we decided to go and visit.
Now be warned… and also the people who work there will also warn you when you first get there… take some bug spray with you, as you WILL need it.
Due to the nature of the wildlife center and it’s proximity to marshes and swamps, there are mosquitoes galore here! I foolishly never used any bug spray and I paid the price for that!
The wildlife center it’s self is located on the way to Tybe Island and is very nice and peaceful to walk around. The pathway you follow will lead you through woods and over a beautiful marsh. It is a lengthy walk so make sure you take some water with you but there are places to sit while walking and plenty of shaded area’s to keep you out of most of the sun.
Lost of interesting animals here and it is good to know these animals have been rescued and are in natural looking enclosures.
All in all, it is a nice place to pass by a few hours and reasonably priced.
Place rating: 5
Oslo, Norway
Absolutely beautiful place! The Wildlife Center only takes in animals that are not able to live in the wild due to injuries or having previously gotten too used to human contact, and enclosures /​cages are fairly big and natural, so it’s really not the type of zoo that makes you sad — quite the opposite!
The trail through the park meanders through woods, through the marshes, past a beautiful historic brick building with a fascinating history (former hospital /​CDC research facility) and a picturesquely abandoned wing. Great place to see lots of local /​native animals and enjoy the nature and landscape of Savannah. Adults are 5 dollars — very cheap for the great two or so hours you can spend here.
Place rating: 5
Sparks, NV
So happy I came here with my boyfriend. It was a perfect detour from the small city of Savannah. We spent about three hours here and took our time walking around and taking pictures. It was a cloudy January day so we practically had the place to ourselves.
Another bonus is that this place has a military discount. Thank you for that.
Also don’t forget to check out the Visitor’s Center. There are other small animals inside there!
Place rating: 5
Huntington Station, NY
Wandered in the first week of Decemeber while on a solo vacation to «get some rest». I fell in love. The place is so tranquil and beautiful. The views are so amazing and it was nice to stroll through the paths and just enjoy the surroundings. The animals were really cool and almost all of them were out and visible. A really well maintained place. I spent about 2 hours just walking and enjoying and fell so good when I left. TYhe best $ 5.00 you will ever spend! Great for the kids and joggers and people seeking solace, at least at this time of year. Would go back and recommend it to anyone in a hreatbeat,
Place rating: 5
Miami, FL
This place has made some improvements since the last time we came! It has trails, a beautiful boardwalk that outlooks the marsh and some cool animals, we got to see a cougar up against the glass it was really cool! It is a great place to go for a hike & get fresh air – saw a few people jogging on the trail. I think you could take a stroller if it was a jogger or something similar that can handle off-​roaring lol– we had the umbrella stroller with us so I just let the kiddos walk and that’s fine too. I have to say I like this place a lot better in the winter when it’s not cripplingly hot out, so don’t go if it’s humid and buggy and super hot out unless that’s your thing !! They have programs here like bird shows, etc that were going on, we didn’t check them out but they would probably be good for older kids (or adults if you are into that kind of thing). Anyway this place is really unique, there are not a lot of animals like you would find at the zoo but it’s beautiful and fun, we will be back again soon, next time we are visiting Savannah.
Place rating: 5
Hiram, GA
This place is so much fun. It’s nice to feel the peaceful vibe and walk through all of the animal exhibits. I have been there in the past and enjoyed it. I took my mom, dad, and two year old daughter yesterday. We had so much fun! Great environment for all ages! :)
Place rating: 5
Florence, SC
This place is great. I have a wonderful time. There is a great deal of shade over most of the area, so it is not as hot as walking around downtown. However, if you wish to see the whole park there is a decent amount of walking.
If you have children, make sure they dress for a walk, use suncreen and bug spray, and keep them hydrated! I saw some unprepared parents with sad looking children.
It is a wonderful place for animal and wildlife lovers.
Place rating: 5
Derita, Charlotte, NC
This place is just amazing from the staff to the animals. It’s a good work out for the whole family too. One thing to bring is bug spray, Mosquitos are horrible! Once you walk through the doors the 2 nicest lady’s walk up to you and give you information about the park. If your looking for a family activity this is the place to go and is totally worth the money too. (cheap)
Place rating: 4
Savannah, GA
Had a blast, mid summer during the day so a lot of the animals were taking a break from the heat so come early. Great for adults and kids, they also have a summer camp, art exhibits and a small «Farm» so the kids can see domestic animals as well. Only negative is they are still renovating a few exhibits, but it will be worth it when they are done. Hope they are able to raise funds for the black bear exhibit.
Place rating: 5
Dearborn, MI
This place is pretty small but not pathetically so. But you did feel close the animals, especially the wolves. The walking paths seemed to meander too much but that’s the cost of providing the animals with adequate space. The fox lookout was cool and I appreciate that they took animals off exhibit when the weather wasn’t right.
Place rating: 5
Savannah, GA
If you are looking for a traditional caged-​in zoo, then this place is not for you.
But if you are looking for a beautiful, anything-​can-​happen wildlife experience, I suggest you beat feet over there as fast as you can.
A few small gripes: The wetlands aviary is under construction, the bear apparently died, and the cougars wouldn’t come out of the bushes.
A few BIG likes: Then nature trails were beautiful and well maintained, we saw an alligator just a few yards away from us, and the cute gopher tortoises that you can walk right up to.
Seriously, for 5 bucks, there just isn’t a better value.