An award-winning nature center just south of downtown Phoenix
Photo: Chantal Duquette
Location: 3131 South Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85040
Hours: Tuesday—Friday | 9:00am—4:00pm
Saturday | 9:00am—1:00pm
Listed hours are valid between September 2021 and May 2022, but are subject to change. The center is closed during most holiday observances.
Covid protocol for visitors: Masks are required for unvaccinated guests, and preferred for vaccinated guests. Please practice social distancing during your visit.
On days the Center is closed, the birds will still be here. You can explore the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area and enjoy the trails outside of Audubon's gates. Trailheads are open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from dawn to 7 p.m. or dusk (whicever comes first). Follow national guidelines for safe social distancing in parks and on trails.
Contact: riosalado@audubon.org | 602.468.6470
Audubon's mission is to protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. The Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center is the headquarters of the Arizona state office of the National Audubon Society.
Opened in October 2009, the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center is a 7,850 ft² nature center in the heart of Phoenix's Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, a 600-acre park in the historic Salt River corridor. Located less than two miles from downtown Phoenix, the Center is a gateway to a lush Sonoran riparian habitat used by more than 200 species of birds and other wildlife. Offering free admission for all, the Center hosts interactive exhibits, an interpretive loop trail, connections to the Rio Salado Restoration Habitat Area's sixteen miles of trails, and a variety of programs, including bird walks, wildlife encounters, volunteer opportunities, school field trip programs, and more.
Designed by Weddle Gilmore Architects, the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center is the City of Phoenix's first Platinum LEED building. Sustainable features include a photovoltaic system, a waste water recycling system, low water use fixtures, pervious surfaces and bioswales to capture rain and run-off water, and energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems.
Once a dried-up riverbed full of trash, the Rio Salado Habitat is now home to over 200 species of birds and animals
Donate to save birds and educate the conservation leaders of tomorrow.
You can help restore polluted environments or build habitat for displaced Burrowing Owls. Click here for more information.
