Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle State Park, Erie

About Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle State Park

Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle State Park is an educational facility at the entrance to Presque Isle State Park where visitors explore exhibits and learn about the peninsula's ecology. The two-story structure features a 75-foot observation tower offering views of the landscape and wildlife. Inside, seven thousand square feet of exhibits cover the unique ecosystems and three thousand two hundred acres of Presque Isle. A Presque Isle orientation theater provides introductions to the park. The center's most impressive feature is the Big Green Screen, a large-format theater with a four-story-high, forty-five-foot-wide screen showing immersive films. The facility also includes a research wing dedicated to conservation efforts and environmental awareness. Visitors browse the Presque Isle Gallery and Gifts shop. Monthly educational programs and classes teach about the peninsula's wetlands, birds, and wildlife. The center serves families, students, and adults interested in understanding the natural environment of Presque Isle near Erie, Pennsylvania.