How To Take a Tour of The Famous Duke Lemur Center In Durham

Duke Lemur Center lemur on a tree

With 85 acres of land, The Duke Lemur Center (DLC) is the largest sanctuary for rare and endangered strepsirrhine primates in the world. Located at 3705 Erwin Road at Duke University here in Durham, North Carolina, the center is open to the public through tours by appointment only. Their purpose is to promote research and understanding of prosimians. Call (919) 401-7240 to schedule your visit.

Duke Lemur Center Tours Include:

  • Lemurs Live (Public): Receive an introduction to the Duke Lemur Center and learn about its threefold mission to discover (research), engage (education), and protect (conservation). 
  • Lemurs Live (Private): Get a personable and knowledgeable tour guide all to yourself and your closest friends and family.
  • Enrichment (More Than Just a Toy): A brand new tour this summer focuses on one of the most important aspects of lemur care at the DLC: enrichment activities such as weaving the perfect hammock out of fire hose, creating a puzzle feeder from cardboard boxes, or spraying a funny new smell in their habitat, they know lemur enrichment. They will share the knowledge they have learned over more than 50 years of caring for lemurs as they hand out treats and toys to some of the lemurs along the way.
  • Walking with Lemurs: A lemur guide accompanies you into the forest where there are no barriers between you and the animals. Bring your camera as this experience offers views of the animals unlike any other.
  • Behind the Scenes: Get a close-up view of the lemurs and experience the Center as only staff members do on an exclusive tour of their updated facility and learn how the Duke Lemur Center functions on a daily basis.
  • Lemur Keeper For A Day: Here’s your chance to find out what it is really like to take care of lemurs. Join one of their amazing lemur caretakers for an afternoon and experience the life of a keeper firsthand. You’ll be involved in all aspects of the daily husbandry of their endangered prosimian primates.
  • A Photographer’s Dream: View the Duke Lemur Center through the eyes (or lens) of their resident staff photographer, David Haring. Enjoy a morning traveling through our natural habitat enclosures (typically three are visited) photographing multiple species of lemurs with David and five fellow photographers.

According to the directions below, guests of Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast in Durham can arrive to The Duke Lemur Center by car in less than twelve minutes. We are close to restaurants, sports, shopping, entertainment, and more. 

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