Turtle Bay Exploration Park – Redding, California
Turtle Bay Exploration Park is a diverse 300-acre cultural complex and environmental education center that has grown to become an integral part of the community and a popular tourist destination. It is the visionary result of efforts that began in the 1980s to merge Redding’s small local museums into one entity. In the mid-1990s, the vision emerged on 60 acres of riparian property provided by the city of Redding on the Sacramento River. The Foundation initially pledged $10 million, but that has grown to an investment of nearly $80 million. Turtle Bay opened Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp in 1997, the Visitor Center in 2000, and the Museum (the heart of the campus) in 2002. Straddling the Sacramento River as it meanders through Redding, the Park is crowned by the Sundial Bridge, the capstone of the world-class experience that the Park strives for in all of its programming. In addition to the various exhibits featured at the museum, locals and tourists alike come to visit the gardens, walk along the trails, cross the famous bridge, and attend the myriad community events held at the Park.
