This experience brings together a collection of destinations that showcase science in action at UC Davis. From wildlife rehabilitation and insect collections to geology and agricultural landscapes, these sites highlight the university's connections to research, education, and conservation.
California Raptor Center
A wildlife rehabilitation and education center dedicated to birds of prey such as hawks, owls, falcons, and eagles. Visitors can see non-releasable raptors up close while learning about wildlife medicine, rehabilitation, conservation, and the challenges facing native bird populations.
The center combines public education with active veterinary and rehabilitation work connected to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, offering a rare opportunity to encounter these animals at close range within a working conservation and teaching environment.
Bohart Museum of Entomology
A public entomology museum housing one of the world’s largest insect collections. The museum features preserved specimens, live insects, and hands-on exhibits exploring insect diversity, ecology, evolution, and scientific research. Visitors may encounter everything from brightly colored beetles and butterflies to stick insects, tarantulas, and other live arthropods used in teaching and outreach.
UC Davis Rock Garden
A campus geology collection that presents rock samples from a wide range of locations and time periods, arranged to illustrate geological history. This outdoor “museum” of stone helps visitors understand deep time and how landscapes, mountains, and oceans are recorded in rock layers and mineral composition. It’s a rare opportunity to see Earth science made visible on campus, connecting geology directly to place.
Animals and Agricultural Landscapes
Livestock, veterinary care, and agricultural landscapes are a visible part of everyday life at UC Davis. Depending on where you are on campus, you may notice cattle, dairy cows, horses, goats, llamas, orchards, vineyards, farm fields and other teaching and research environments connected to the university’s animal and agricultural programs. These areas are tied closely to the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where animals, ecosystems, crops, and food systems are studied in active clinical, agricultural, and research settings.
While these are not visitor attractions, aspects of this work are often visible from campus roads and paths. Explore this list of research facilities for more details, in case you’d like to connect or explore further.
Yolo Bypass Bat Viewing
Located a short drive from campus, the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area near Davis supports environmental research and conservation work connected to UC Davis and other regional organizations. If you've driven between Davis and Sacramento on Interstate 80, you've already crossed the Yolo Bypass via the Yolo Causeway. What often appears to be open land is actually a vast engineered floodplain designed to reduce flooding in the Sacramento Valley while also providing important wildlife habitat.
From roughly June through September, the area becomes home to one of the largest seasonal bat colonies in North America. Around sunset, large numbers of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from beneath the Yolo Causeway and disperse across the region to feed. Visitors may attend organized programs or independently view the bat flights from public areas near the Yolo Causeway. Depending on the season, this can be one of the region’s most memorable wildlife experiences.
What connects these experiences
These sites showcase the breadth of science at UC Davis—from wildlife, animals, and insects to geology, agriculture, and veterinary medicine. Together, they highlight a defining characteristic of the university: science is not confined to laboratories and classrooms, but is visible throughout the campus landscape in working collections, teaching facilities, research environments, and conservation programs.
How to use this
- Visit one to two core sites for a short experience
- Combine multiple sites for a half-day experience
- Expect a mix of public exhibits and active research environments
- Accessible routes and parking are available at many locations—check individual sites for details
- Some locations may have limited or scheduled access—check opening times before visiting