Wild Under the Stars
With some of the darkest skies in the greater Triangle & Triad area, the Animal Park at the Conservators Center offers superb viewing conditions for astronomical events and phenomena. In the evening on Thursday, 21 April 2022 and into Friday morning, join us in the Activity Field and Green Space by our Visitors Center to view the Lyrid & π-Puppids Meteor Showers! You’ll have an unobstructed view of the sky with opportunities to view the entire event throughout the late night and early morning. This time of year also presents excellent viewing opportunities for many other Deep-Sky Objects, like other galaxies, nabulæ, and binary star systems with your binoculars or telescope! Because the Moon rises after midnight on the 22nd, the evening will be dark and provide excellent viewing until dawn.
What makes this viewing party unique, however, is the company you’ll keep. Our park of over 70 animals features a large population of vocal, social carnivores including lions and wolves, as well as other vocal species like jungle cats, a coyote, and New Guinea singing dogs, who will all keep you enthralled with their chorus of howls, roars, and calls. It’s an experience unlike any other!
Join us at 5:30 pm for a unique Twilight Tour through the park before the viewing party begins at 11:00 pm, or skip the tour to set up camp with your tent and telescope at 10 pm! Whichever option you choose, you’ll have an excellent viewing opportunity of this event and the other celestial objects available in the night sky. (Please keep in mind that there is no meal provided as part of this event. Guests who come for the Twilight Tour are encouraged to bring a dinner meal or to plan to pick up a dinner meal in Mebane, NC after the tour and return for the Viewing Party.)
Please note: The Wild Under the Stars Twilight Tour is different from our traditional Twilight Tours, this is an abbreviated tour that lasts roughly 45 minutes to an hour and serves to introduce the tour group to the animals in the park and the sounds they make that visitors may hear throughout the night. We do not discuss many science-heavy topics nor animal-stories. For these experiences, we encourage visitors to return to the Park for one of our standard Adventure Tours during daylight hours.
Wild Under the Stars offers a discounted (additional purchase) pre-viewing party tour through the Animal Park for visitors who will be purchasing admission to the starlight viewing party and also, for an additional fee, the opportunity to camp out all night and enjoy the entire meteor shower. All participants will have access to the Visitors Center throughout the event for restroom access.
Pre-registration is required, guests will not be admitted without a ticket.
Viewing party event is contingent on weather conditions, cancellation due to weather will be communicated to ticket holders by email 24 hours in advance if necessary. Guests are responsible for bringing their own telescope, binoculars, or other viewing equipment, The Animal Park will not have extras available for use. Please arrive on time to set up your viewing equipment, our exterior lights will go RED at 10pm.
3-Day Clear Sky Forecast
Click on the forecast image above to go to www.ClearDarkSky.com to learn how to read the forecast graphic.
Need to Know Before You Go
Accessibility, Safety, and Pets
The Animal Park is not wheelchair accessible; however, accessibility accommodations are available for visitors with mobility issues. Please note that we do not allow unauthorized vehicles, including scooters or motorized wheelchairs, in the park. You can find more information about disability accommodations and handicapped access in the Tour FAQ on our Plan Your Visit page. Please note that strollers are also not permitted in the park.
If you are planning to visit the Animal Park, please take a moment to review and complete our online tour waiver. If you would like, you can also download and print the waiver and photography release forms to fill out and complete prior to your arrival. Waivers will also be available in the gift shop for visitors to complete during the check-in process.
For safety reasons, the Animal Park does not allow visitors to bring pets on site. Any visitor who brings an animal to the Park will be asked to leave immediately. We do not allow visitors to leave animals unattended in a vehicle at any time of year.
