Grandfather Mountain March 10, 2022 -- This week, construction crews installed one of the most prominent features
on the new Wilson Center: bird-friendly glass, which prevents birds from colliding with the glass through a textured
pattern that only birds can detect.
Construction is underway at Grandfather Mountain’s new Conservation Campus, comprising the new Wilson Center for Nature Discovery.
The Wilson Center will nearly double the size of the original Nature Museum with more than a dozen new state-of-the-art interactive exhibits, which will allow visitors to make real connections to the natural history, flora, fauna, geology and weather of the mountain. The new facility has been thoughtfully designed to make the most of Grandfather’s natural surroundings, using moveable walls and large banks of windows to bring the great outdoors inside.
The building will feature 10,000 square feet of new education space, three classrooms, increased capacity for larger groups and an ADA-accessible auditorium.
Meanwhile, outside the center, guests will enjoy new outdoor learning spaces, including an amphitheater with terraced seating, a pavilion and botanical gardens. New office space will help park educators and animal habitats staff prepare and support new, enhanced educational programs, while larger, more modern food service facilities will allow for catering, as well as expanded capacity for hosting conference, seminars, receptions and community events.