International Crane Foundation
Fifteen crane species, restored prairie, wetland, research, and international conservation turn a wildlife center into a global lesson in coexistence.
Artwork inspired by Mary Nohl
The foundation is the only place designed to interpret all fifteen crane species together, but the larger subject is habitat and human cooperation. Cranes connect grasslands, wetlands, farms, rivers, power lines, migration corridors, and political borders; recovery cannot be solved inside an enclosure.
Whooping Crane conservation has deep Wisconsin ties through reintroduction and monitoring, while international programs work with communities across Africa and Asia. Move slowly, attend a keeper talk, and use the restored prairie and trails to connect anatomy and behavior with land management. The site closes for winter and can sell timed admission in peak periods.
- Founded
- 1973
- Species represented
- 15
- Landscape
- Prairie and wetland
Quick guide
- Global scope
- All 15 crane species
- Begin with the whooping crane
- Use the Wisconsin recovery story to understand captive breeding, migration, and ongoing risk
Follow cranes beyond the fence line
- Compare head and bill shapes
- Species differences reveal feeding strategy, display, habitat, and evolutionary relationship.
- Listen for unison calls
- Paired vocal and postural displays explain how cranes maintain bonds and territory.
- Begin with the whooping crane
- Use the Wisconsin recovery story to understand captive breeding, migration, and ongoing risk.
- Walk the restored land
- Prairie and wetland management connect the global exhibits to local habitat practice.
Good to know
This is a seasonal conservation center, not a year-round zoo; winter closure and timed entry should be checked before travel.
Notice these
- Whooping Crane exhibit
- Spirit of Africa
- Cranes of the World