Redding · Sacramento River · Museum, animals and gardens
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
A 300-acre riverfront park with a hands-on museum, live animals, playgrounds, a lorikeet aviary and botanical gardens, tied together by the Sundial Bridge.
Opens Turtle Bay’s online ticket page. Buying ahead is optional; walk-ins are welcome.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Museum & nature park
Museum, animals, gardens and playgrounds
Admission
$18–$22
Kids 0–2 free. Discount Day first Thursday.
Hours
Wed–Fri 9–4 · Sat–Sun 10–4
Closed Mon & Tue. Gardens open daily 7:15 am to dusk.
Time needed
A few hours
Turtle Bay suggests checking in by 2 pm
Parking
Free lots
Dirt overflow lot for RVs and trailers
Animals
64+ species
Many native to Northern California
What you’ll see
A museum, live animals and 300 acres outside
Turtle Bay mixes an indoor museum with a forest camp, live animals and gardens on both banks of the Sacramento River.
Photo: DimiTalen on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Start here
Turtle Bay Museum
Start inside, where the air conditioning is welcome much of the year. The museum’s hands-on exhibits and rotating exhibitions explore the region’s people, rivers and wildlife, and Turtle Bay cares for some 35,000 historical artifacts. From the museum patio you look straight out at the river and the Sundial Bridge.
RV tip: on hot days, follow Turtle Bay’s own advice: do Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp in the morning and save the air-conditioned museum for the hottest part of the afternoon.
More to see
- Paul Bunyan’s Forest CampAn old-time forest camp with two playgrounds, animal exhibits in the Mill Building, an 1884 Lima Shay steam engine and a turtle pond.
- Parrot PlayhouseA walk-through aviary where lorikeets land on your arm to drink from nectar cups, which cost $2 each. It closes daily from 11:45 am to 1 pm.
- Turtle Express trainAn 11-minute narrated ride across the Sundial Bridge and through the Arboretum Loop, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm. Tickets are $6, and museum admission isn’t required.
- McConnell Arboretum & Botanical GardensMore than 200 acres of arboretum and 25 acres of Mediterranean-climate gardens across the bridge, open daily from 7:15 am to dusk with a $5 suggested donation.
Why go
A full day by the river, for every age
Turtle Bay is a nonprofit, 300-acre cultural center on the Sacramento River with nearly 10 miles of pathways and trails. Most of its animals are non-releasable, meaning they can no longer survive in the wild because of injury or human imprinting, and many are native to Northern California.
For RVers the logistics are easy. Parking is free, RVs and trailers have their own large dirt overflow lot next to the Sundial Bridge lot, and Marina RV Park is about 4 minutes away. Your ticket covers the museum, Forest Camp and the Parrot Playhouse, while the Sundial Bridge and river trails out front are free.
Watch the calendar. On the first Thursday of each month, Discount Day drops admission to $10 for adults and $5 for children, and on the first Friday, children 5 and under and their caregivers get in free. In summer, when Redding often tops 100°F, start early.
For RVers
Visiting Turtle Bay with an RV
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Use the RV overflow lot
Parking is complimentary, and Turtle Bay encourages RVs and trailers to use the large dirt overflow lot next to the Sundial Bridge lot, with more overflow at the Rodeo Grounds. Turtle Bay isn’t responsible for vehicles or anything left inside, so lock up before you head in.
Pets stay outside the paid areas
Pets aren’t allowed in Turtle Bay’s paid areas, including the museum, and there are no kennels on site. Leashed dogs can walk the Sundial Bridge, river trails and gardens, but don’t leave them in a parked rig while you tour; plan the museum for a day the dog can stay at camp.
Pack lunch from the rig
Coolers and picnic lunches are welcome outdoors, with picnic areas in the Botanical Gardens and Forest Camp; leave glass and alcohol behind. Food isn’t allowed in the museum. If you head out to eat, keep your wristband to get back in.
Free wheelchairs and strollers
Turtle Bay lends wheelchairs and strollers free during park hours, first come, first served. All restrooms are wheelchair accessible, and lockers near the museum entrance cost 50 cents.
What visitors say about Turtle Bay Exploration Park
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 24, 2026.
To inspire wonder, exploration, and appreciation of our world.
Turtle Bay Exploration Park’s mission · turtlebay.org
What your ticket covers
From Turtle Bay’s ticket and visitor pages
MuseumForest CampParrot PlayhouseAnimal exhibits
General admission covers the museum and exhibitions, Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp with its playgrounds and animal exhibits, and the Parrot Playhouse. The Turtle Express train ($6) and lorikeet nectar cups ($2) cost extra. Checked October 24, 2026.
Ticket prices at a glance
Prices from Turtle Bay’s online ticket page and Discount Day page, checked October 24, 2026. Children 0–2 are free.
Good to know
Adults 16–64$22 general admission
Seniors & kids 3–15$18 ages 0–2 free
First Thursday$10 / $5 adults / children
Other ways inFirst Fridays: 0–5 freeEBT: $5Library passes
From Turtle Bay’s ticket and Access Programs pages, checked October 24, 2026. First Fridays are free for children 0–5 and their caregivers, Turtle Bay for All admission is $5 for EBT cardholders, and Shasta Public Libraries lend free Test Drive passes.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
- Address844 Sundial Bridge Dr., Redding, CA 96001
- HoursWed–Fri 9–4 · Sat–Sun 10–4
Closed Mon & Tue. Gardens open daily 7:15 am to dusk. - Phone(530) 243-8850
- TicketsBuy online or at the museum front desk; walk-ins welcome
- Getting thereFrom I-5, head west on CA-44 and take the Auditorium Drive exit, then follow Sundial Bridge Drive to the Turtle Bay lots.
- ParkingComplimentary lots, with a large dirt overflow lot for RVs and trailers next to the Sundial Bridge lot and more overflow at the Rodeo Grounds.
Hours shown are Turtle Bay’s current museum hours; summer hours can run later, and outdoor shows can change with the weather. Check Turtle Bay’s daily calendar before you go.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Turtle Bay Exploration Park
These are the Redding parks we have visited and written up, closest first. All three are within about 10 minutes of the Turtle Bay lots.
Marina RV Park
Riverside park on Park Marina Drive with 30-amp sites for rigs up to 40 ft, a pool, and nightly or monthly stays.
Boulder Creek RV Resort
Formerly Premier RV, with 65-ft pull-thrus, a pool and dog parks on Redding’s north side.
Green Acres RV Park
Concrete full-hookup sites, a pool and a dog park on Westside Road. Note that the park has no restrooms.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Wed–Fri 9 am–4 pm · Sat–Sun 10 am–4 pm
Ready for a day at Turtle Bay?
Buy tickets ahead or walk in, park in the RV overflow lot, and start with Forest Camp before the afternoon heat.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: DimiTalen (museum entrance, Bridge Gate) under CC BY-SA 3.0, cifraser1 (Monolith) and Chad K (Sundial Bridge) under CC BY 2.0, and Daderot (gardens; CC0), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: Turtle Bay Exploration Park on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Turtle Bay Exploration Park unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including Turtle Bay Exploration Park’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by Turtle Bay Exploration Park and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Turtle Bay at turtlebay.org or (530) 243-8850. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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