Elk Country Visitor Center 

The Keystone Elk Country Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)(3) wildlife conservation organization that focuses their resources on Pennsylvania’s elk herd and the Elk Country Visitor Center located in Benezette. The Alliance was formed in December 2009 to work closely with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to complete the Elk Country Visitor Center Project. Learn more about KECA

Our hours January, February and March are as follows:  The Visitor Center will be open Saturdays and Sundays 9am to 5pm CLOSED Monday through Friday.  Our operational hours will change seasonally, so please check back before making your trip for our current hours.
You can visit us online elkcountryvisitorcenter.com

Weekend Programs at ECVC (all programs are at 1:00 p.m.)

Saturday January 14:   "Cultural History: Legends and Folklore of Pennsylvania".   This program will feature readings and short excerpts of collected human interest stories from various sources   which depict our region's colorful and diverse historical roots and legends.   If you have a local legend or "tall tale"   you would like to share, please bring it with you!

Sunday January 22:   Children's Conservation Education Program, "We Love Trees".     This special program will feature a reading of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax", followed by several youth activities on trees and wise forest management.

Saturday January 28:   "Coyotes in Pennsylvania".   Enjoy an introduction to this fascinating and ubiquitous mammal that thrives in our rural, suburban, and urban areas.

Sunday February 5:   "Children's Day:   All About Elk",   featuring various "elk" puzzles and other hands-on learning stations for children to enjoy as they learn about our magnificent Pennsylvania elk.

Saturday February 11:   GUEST SPEAKER:   DR. WALTER COTTRELL, PA GAME COMMISSION STATE WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN, will speak on "The Dangers of Artificially Feeding Elk".   Dr. Cottrell presents an interesting and informative talk on the myriad of negative consequences of feeding our elk herd.   This is a "MUST HEAR" presentation – don't miss it!

Saturday February 18:   "The Bobcat",   featuring a slideshow of basic, interesting facts on this solitary wild feline that has made a successful comeback to our state.

Saturday February 25:   "A Hands-On Approach to Conservation: Bluebird Box Construction".   Come and learn some facts about the bluebird and help assemble bluebird boxes to be placed at various sites here at the Elk Country Visitor Center for nesting cavities for this beautiful species of native bird.

 

All programs will take place at 1:00pm in the Discovery Room or at our new amphi theater at the Dominion Viewing Area.Our address is:  134 Homestead Drive, Benezette, PA  15821    Phone: 814-787-5167

For those of you using a navigation system, please use the address 950 Winslow Hill Road, our road is too new and it usually is not found.  You can also go to our Contact Us page for Map quest directions to our facility.

**Please no Pets on the trails or on the Center grounds.  Please leave them at home for their safety and the safety of our wildlife.**

The Story Theater shows on the hour and half hour and last approximately 22 minutes.  There is a $3.00 fee for the theater.

Upcoming Programs at the Elk Country Visitor Center:

Horse Drawn Wagon rides with the Keystone Elk Country Alliance will take place at the center on Saturdays and Sundays weather permitting and during the week in the months of September and October when we are able, call first for updates..  

The Elk Country Visitor Center opened September 9, 2010.  What a fantastic opening day it was for all of us in Elk Country!  Thanks to so many old friends for stopping by and to all the new friends we made today.  It has truly been an amazing journey.  We look forward to seeing you at the Center!

Elk once lived throughout Pennsylvania, but by the mid 1800s, their range had been greatly reduced, with the last elk killed in 1867. Between 1913 and 1926, the Pennsylvania Game Commission attempted to restore an elk herd by releasing 177 western elk. This herd grew slowly, but a 2000 count recorded close to 600 animals which called parts of the Pennsylvania Wilds home.

Elk in the wild are an unforgettable sight, and viewing elk has grown in popularity in the past several years. These majestic creatures outsize their deer cousins, with a mature bull weighing in between 700 and 1000 pounds. Observing elk is best done at dawn and dusk, particularly in September and October, during the mating season, or rut. Because elk are wild creatures, their behavior may be unpredictable, so never approach an elk, always view from a safe distance.

To honor the rich elk heritage in Pennsylvania, the Keystone Elk Country Alliance recently forged an agreement with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to manage the Elk Country Visitor Center near Benezette, Pa.

The vision for this visitor center  was to create a premier elk watching and conservation education facility on the eastern seaboard through a unique public-private partnership.

The new center, opened in  September, 2010, sits on a 245-acre site on Winslow Hill in Benezette Township in Elk County, adjacent to Elk State Forest and state game lands.

The 8,400-square foot eco-friendly building has a stone fireplace to greet visitors, a “Great Room” with ceilings supported by large wooden trusses and a panorama of windows looking out on elk viewing areas and food plots. It also features a “Story Theater:" Presenting a multimedia experience and other techniques.  This photo is a view from the theater and shows the elk just outside for you to view.  Interpretive exhibits will immerse the visitor in the sights, sounds and smells of a mixed hardwood forest, the natural world of the elk and native wildlife and the heritage of the region. The site also includes a gift shop that will sell only "Made in the USA" products, public restrooms and a series of wildlife watching trails, observation areas and viewing blinds.

The visitor center project was initially launched in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In September, RMEF conveyed its share of the largest elk watching and conservation education facility in the Eastern United States to PA DCNR.

The idea for the center has been made a reality through broad-based support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation; Dominion; Thorenson Foundation; as well as Safari Club International; the Eastern Chapter Foundation for North American Wild Sheep; and the dedication of members, volunteers, and many individual donors.

Volunteers, like those shown completing the landscaping in this photo, are an essential part of the success of this project.  If you’d like to join these forces or help with conservation efforts in Elk Country, please visit our ‘Join’ page for more information.

Individuals can also become a permanent part of the new elk center by purchasing an inscribed brick paver for you, a friend or to memorialize a family member. New pavers will be placed in the entrance walkway leading to the visitor center.

For more information, download and complete the form here.  

Here is a photo of work being completed on the Diorama in the Great Room.  This photo shows as they do work on the trees that are  part of the Diorama.  Do you know what our state tree and flower are?  You'll see them here within this display.

Hours of Operation for January through March:

Saturday and Sundays 9am - 5pm.  Closed Monday - Friday.    Please check back for current hours of operation as they will change according to the daylight hours.  Thank you for your support, we look forward to seeing you in "Elk Country".