World Birding Center

I loved this place. I am relatively new to birding, so this was a great intro to coastal birds for me. My sister had done 0 birding, so this was new to her too.
I wish they opened earlier. 9 am is late when it’s August. And birds are usually more active in the morning. I like birding around 7 am but that’s just me.
The staff were SO friendly and welcoming. I liked the movie you watch at the beginning and the museum. The 5^th story overlook couldn’t be beat!
I knew there was a wastewater treatment plant next door, because #1 what I do for a living and #2 I smelled it at the convention center boardwalk the night before. Majority of the time, plants do not smell. I don’t want anyone to be deterred by that. I could only smell it once when we were there and it’s not that much worse than the smell of the shallow bay at Louies! Plus some of the best birding is near ww outfalls!
We saw alot of new birds I had never seen before, but I wish there were more ID cheat sheets/​signs on the boardwalk. We didn’t get to see the alligator and we went back twice (that was my sister’s biggest want).
I will be back again, maybe when it’s not so hot!

I’m not a bird enthusiast and I still giggle when I read about Swallow, I know, I’m immature sometimes.
But I really like this center. I loved the view from 5^th floor, it is beautiful and cool since it is windy, yeah, the water treatment plant is an eye sore, but it didn’t bug me.
The walk path is pretty nice to stroll around, there are view points under the shade where you can sit and enjoy the quietness.
I personally didn’t see tons of birds since it was hot in the afternoon. But it didn’t matter, I had a good walk and enjoyed the quietness.

If you’re a big fan of birds, you’d love it.
There were plenty of folks walking around with cameras snapping photos of birds and such.
It was a nice stroll in an elevated platform, although I can’t imagine how hot it would be if it was in the middle of summer.
It is something to do on the island that is relatively low cost, although I had more fun at the Sea Turtle place up the road.

Yes, yes it smells. Like you’re downwind from a giant sewer. Which you are essentially — a waste treatment plant. But pinch your nose and get over it because this place is gee-​or-​gee-​ous and worth a visit.
Everything, from the butterfly garden to the stone waterfall, to the extended board walk out to the bay side of the ocean to the airy and open inside, is beautifully done. In a city where kitschy is cool, and palm prints are high fashion, the folks that designed this place did it right. There are pieces of local art on the walls, a small gift shop, a museum exhibit, a lookout up several flights of stairs but the best part about this place is they let nature do the talking.
You get to learn about it, experience it on the boardwalk and then enjoy having your eyes opened to the natural beauty and wildlife that south Texas boasts. And no, I’m not talking about the spring break crowd.

$ 5 for adults, and the workers here are SUPER friendly! You can also check out their mini museum on the 5^th? floor.
Stroll around outside and see the birds in their natural habitats. Have fun picturing and hanging out with Mother Nature. See some alligators as well. Ahhhhh good times.