pratt fish hatchery

We visited Pratt specifically to visit this museum and we were so impressed with everything. I enjoyed the bird room which had eggs for many of the birds in Kansas and the bald eagle was amazing. My wife likes snakes for some reason and she enjoyed the displays of live snakes as well as the aquariums. My daughter's really liked the spiders, snapping turtle and the honey bees. There truly is something for everyone to see. While there is no staff and its a self guided tour there are informative brochures and signs throughout the museum. This museum is off the main highway a mile or so but is worth the time spent visiting it.

This is a wonderful place to learn about many kinds of Kansas wildlife. Visitors to the Pratt Education Center can see displays about predators, shorebirds, waterfowl, eggs, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. There are also 12 aquariums featuring native fish as well as several terrariums with native snakes and lizards. Museum has displays of native Americans and stuffed animals native to the area.The Fish Hatchery consists of 87 ponds. Channel catfish, largemouth bass, striped bass, walleye, sauger, and bluegill are produced here. During spring and fall migrations, many species of shorebirds use ponds in varying stages of drawdowns. Terns and gulls are common during these times; occasionally an osprey can be seen. In the warmer seasons, herons, kingfishers, and sunning turtles are visible around the hatchery ponds. Park at the office and walk along some of the ponds on the east side to get a good view. Pratt County Veterans Memorial Lake lies immediately east of the hatchery and office. The lake attracts ducks, herons, and kingfishers, and the extensive cattail marsh at the west end is alive with red-winged blackbirds and wading birds in the summer. Great for bird watching