International Owl Center Houston

The International Owl Center welcomes visitors through a northwest entrance, leading to restrooms on the left, a gift shop on the right, and a main lobby and gallery showcasing biological and cultural owl exhibits, with perimeter walls used for children’s artwork; behind the gift shop sits a fully equipped administrative suite. The large, sound-controlled program room in the south of the building accommodates up to 200 people, can be divided into two sections, features advanced lighting and sound controls, cry rooms, dual projectors, and direct access to both the lobby and the aviary and children’s craft areas. The center includes 12 main aviaries—six viewable from indoors and six accessible outdoors—designed with privacy walls, mixed solid and screened pitched roofs, natural vegetation, heated perches, and secure mesh to balance owl comfort, safety, and connection to the natural environment, with outdoor aviaries allowing multiple visitor groups to circulate simultaneously. An additional 10 smaller rehabilitation aviaries connect to a prep room on the northwest side, supporting healing, stress reduction, and re-acclimation, while nearby spaces house food prep, storage, freezers, transport equipment, and janitorial facilities, with the food prep area visible to visitors. Except for the front, the entire site is secured by a 10-foot outward-angled fence to ensure safety and proper drainage.