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Saginaw Bay Visitor Center

Salmon fingerlings

Saginaw Bay Visitor Center

Saginaw Bay Visitor Center

3582 State Park Drive

Bay City, Michigan, 48706
989-667-0717
SaginawBayVC@michigan.gov

 

Hours of Operation

January - Memorial Day: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Memorial Day - Labor Day: Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Labor Day - November 14: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
November 15 - December 31: Closed

The Saginaw Bay Visitor Center, located in Bay City State Park on the shores of Saginaw Bay, helps visitors discover Tobico Marsh, one of the largest coastal wetlands on the Great Lakes.

Nestled under a canopy of sheltering hardwoods on the edge of the marsh, the modern visitor center stands on the site of the historic Jennison Nature Center, built in 1940 and named for George B. Jennison, a prominent local conservationist. In 2023, the aging nature center was given a $2 million makeover. The 10,000-square-foot building, with a 100-seat auditorium, now boasts a fully renovated exhibit area and an experiential classroom.

Visitor center information

  • The Tobico Marsh Exhibit Hall reveals the little-known treasures of Bay City State Park: a rich kaleidoscope of wetland resources – fisheries, wildflowers, waterfowl and other wildlife found in and around the Tobico Marsh; a National Natural Landmark.

    • Explore the Tobico Marsh with our interactive model that shares the complex stories of our local wetlands.
    • Fly along on a virtual marsh tour path on our Bald Eagle exhibit with the aid of an interactive exhibit that gives you an eagle’s eye view of Tobico Marsh.
    • Visit our live sea lamprey in the invasive species exhibit that is part of our larger STEM lab discovery space.
    • Try your hand at catching a fish in our boat model using poles to catch out plush fish and use the boat computers to scan fish like a biologist to learn more about each species found in our local waters.

    The Observation Room offers unique setting to observe birds common to our local park through observation windows.

    • Discover different birds of our local area attracted to our outdoor bird area.
    • Take a break and enjoy a nature book in our small library donated by local community.
    • Pick up a habitat home for birds or bats or maybe a nature color page from our resource spot with examples of different houses you can make at home.

    Visit the STEM Lab which offers a wide variety of environmental topics to study, observe and discover the natural world around us.

    • Our live animal collection are ambassadors from the area that help guests learn about the importance of balanced habitats and negative impacts of pet releases into our environment.
    • Visit our ever-growing baby chinook salmon that are part of the Salmon in the Classroom project. Students raise salmon all over Michigan and release them into local water ways. Here we share some of that discovery for visiting schools and guests.
    • Can you ID the many fish found around the Saginaw Bay Watershed? Test your knowledge with our swimming fish model wall.
    • Have a cool nature treasure you want to see better? We have microscopes for guests to explore different items from nature including moss, rocks, feathers, snakeskin and more!

  • The Wetlands Wonders Gift Shoppe is located within the center and run by volunteers from the Friends of Bay City State Park. The shop has a wide variety of educational resources for all ages, as well as a large selection of nature-related gifts. Funds from the shop go directly back into park improvements and programs.

    Many of the programs we offer would not be possible without help from our partners. They include:

Things you might see on your hike

Programs for families and classrooms

Programs for the public

Fun, educational programs available throughout the year.

Weekly program schedule

School programs

We offer a variety of field trip opportunities and school programs.

Learn more and register for a program