Following a winding, paved path from the parking lot, visitors gradually become aware that the visitor center is actually in the hill ahead. An integral part of the landscape, its subtle facade invites people to literally enter into nature.

But the interior feels nothing like a burrow or a cave. Paint on the walls and ceiling is a soft earth tone. Domed ceilings and wide, slightly arched doorways between exhibit rooms contribute to a feeling of spaciousness. Some rooms are topped with skylights, and one exhibit room has a window wall that invites leisurely observation of a large pond from a comfortable, weather-sheltered environment.