Duke University Lemur Center

Ok, I’ve been waiting to tour the Lemur Center for ages and finally after 5 years I made it over for Lemurpalooza. They’re beautiful and cool looking creatures and the Duke University Lemur Center is doing a great job rep’ing them. So why only four stars, jerk?!
The reality is that I feel a bit over-​sold on the Duke University Lemur Center. You see all these beautiful pics on their website but if you do the standard tour, you’ll have to view these lemurs through a double-​gridded cage. Lemur’s are pretty smart so I guess they have to be extra secure but these double-​grid cages means that a good picture is really, really difficult. And these creatures are a bit shy so you get the picture. Or in this case you won’t get the picture. What you see on the website is not what you’ll get on the standard tour so you’ll have to fork over the $ 95 to see the lemurs without the visual barriers.
But other than that complaint the center is well-​run with plenty of knowledgeable volunteers. And they are doing a wonderful job with conservation of these endangered critters. So while I didn’t expect to have a lemur on my shoulder, munching on peanuts, I was still a bit disappointed at my experience. Just understand what you’ll get on the standard tour and you’ll have fun here!

We visited the Duke Lemur Center on a Saturday for a «Lemurs Live» tour and loved it. In the spring & summer months, you’ll need to set weekend appointments more than a month in advance, but it’s worth the wait.
I was impressed by how pleasant the overall experience was from the moment we arrived. The parking here is very convenient, and the first step of the tour is checking out the gift shop (I highly recommend the hats) to pay for your admission, followed by a fun introductory video by the Duke Lemur Center. After a few minutes, the tour guides came in to begin the tour.
Our tour guide, Mark Chandler, was great at telling our group about lemurs and what the DLC does. Although the actual distance traveled for the tour is pretty small, this ~$ 12 per person tour is more educational than you’d expect. We saw just less than a dozen or so different types of lemurs, most of them being behind cages — these lemurs were not easy to see and some were almost invisible. A few of the other ones we saw were in a nocturnal building behind glass — this part of the tour was really fun, getting to see these lemurs in more of their natural habitat and spotting them in the darkness.
I’d recommend checking this place out to anyone who knows nothing about lemurs and lemur enthusiasts alike. The Lemurs Live tour is a fun and affordable introductory tour that will probably get you excited to check out the other tours they offer. Another plus is their website, which is really well put-​together and informational for anyone who is interested. Make sure you check-​in on Unilocal when you arrive to get a free sticker!

Went with a group of extended family & friends (16 people) so we got our own tour guide.
The animals were very visible & active which made for a fun tour. One species also got into a «shouting match» midway thru our tour & it felt like you were surrounded by them. If I heard that in the wild I certainly would back down!
There were two sections to the tour, nocturnal and diurnal. I was perfectly clear that we were headed into the nocturnal side first but my mom & brother missed that instruction and were surprised to enter a red-​lit, shaded-​windows hallway area. They spoke loudly about their shock and were curtly hushed. The guide raised the shades on each of 4 species, all of whom were surprisingly active for us. I wish the windows were bigger; I felt like the group crowded each viewing pane to see as much as possible.
On the diurnal side it was easier to see more, and the lemurs seemed genuinely responsive to the guides and thus to us.
Stick close to the guide, or at least pay attention, and you’ll have a better experience than if you don’t. (That success principle applies to all of life!)

We had a great time here. It was definitely the high point of our visit to NC. The introductory movie got a little long winded. Both the guides for our tour were very knowledgeable and happily shared what they knew. Highly recommended.

Recently checked out the Lemur Center on a nice warm day, and was pleasantly surprised. Fair warning, don’t show up without a reservation, and you may need to wait a few weeks to get a weekend spot. Diverse selection of lemurs that you could get pretty close to — although the double fencing didn’t help with pictures. Start with an informational video, then we headed out to see the actual animals. The staff member we were with did mention that the Twilight Tours were particularly fun, where you could get even closer to the animals and they got to come out of their cages and wander the Duke Forest. Will definitely be back to check that out! Perhaps the only disappointment was in the nocturnal primate room — which they keep dark so we have a chance to see some of the night-​time guys in action. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too dark to see much of anything, and we weren’t able to see many of these. Highly recommended tour!

Lemurs are cute sorta-​monkeys from Madagascar and Duke University in Durham, NC, has nearly all of them outside of there, and in a forest research setting!
Tours are run by volunteers who make do with the facilities the research institute allows them. It’s better to see the lemurs in the summer than in the winter (even though they’re a lot of fun to look at any time of year.)
Make an appointment and do it, it’s a must-​see in the Durham area.

I have to say that red photo of the Aye-​Aye is a little freaky. Who knew such creatures existed at all, let alone in Durham?! Thankfully the Lemur Center has beautiful facilities to care for loads of varieties of lemurs. Lemurpalooza is coming up and it’s $ 50 per car and you get to adopt a lemur — pretty cool deal, if you ask me. You can also pay to be a lemur keeper for a day — so fun to see these little guys hoppin around. There was a lot of research going on while we were there too. So cool that it’s just minutes from Duke.
We went on a tour (note: you have to book several weeks in advance because they fill up quikcly) and George was great. My favorite were the mouse lemurs in the nocturnal building — super cute and impressive how they can jump from branch to branch. I’d highly recommend it — we’ll be going back again soon!

Ugh, don’t come here unless it’s free. And definitely definitely don’t pay for the upgraded tour that goes through the indoor cages. The indoor tour was 1) depressing, and 2) one of my least favorite things: me paying to volunteer. Let’s cover the depressing part first. So most of the Center’s lemurs are out free in the forest being happy lemurs. The indoor tour shows you the bad/​sick/​unhappy lemurs that are stuck inside making loud shrieking noises and losing their fur (due to age). The indoor tour also gives you the «opportunity» (so much air quotes and sarcasm) to feed the lemurs. Which means that the tour guide has you make snack packets with jam and peanut butter. It’s not glamorous and it’s not cute to make me work when I just paid over $ 100 for this tour. It’s wasn’t hard work, but can you just have the snacks ready when I get there? Having me slide them under the door to the lemur isn’t worth the extra $ 80 to me.
Lastly, don’t expect an educational tour. I thought I was going to learn all the great things that the lemur center has taught us about lemurs/​mammals in general. Isn’t that why we’re keeping these dudes locked up in cages in the first place? For science? Instead the tour guide told us about each lemur’s personality and about how much she bonds with the lemurs. It was more like a rundown of lemur drama (e.g. Jenny used to live with Hilary, but then Hilary scratched Jenny and now Hilary lives alone). If I wanted drama, I’d watch VH1.

Wanting a little more time and interaction with the lemurs, we splurged on one of the special tours, Behind the Scenes, where you get to participate in an «enrichment» exercise ($ 95/​per). The day we arrived, our group was taken to the main center’s kitchen and formed an assembly line smearing tablespoons of peanut butter and jelly onto paper plates, then folding and taping them shut. The plates are similar to a flower/​seed in Madagascar, that requires some work to open and eat. Once ‘lunch’ was ready, we entered a hallway banked by wired cages. The lemurs, eager to feed, were mostly present (they have open access to Duke Forest) and leaping around excitedly. We got introductions in groups (based on species) and fed them by sliding the paper plates under the cage. We got to linger a little with each group, watching them eat and play. The coolest thing about the lemur center is that they house so many different lemur species, and it really is amazing to see the unique variety side-​by-​side. We exited the building and walked to another smaller building where the nocturnal animals are kept. I thought the whole tour felt rather short for the cost, and had hoped for more interaction. I realize this is an important facility (not a zoo!) and one that requires funding, so I understand the expense. But if you’re not doing Lemurs Live (the basic $ 12 tour), I’d probably recommend skipping Behind the Scenes and opting for a barrier-​free tour, like Walking with Lemurs or the Photographer’s Dream.

Would love to have seen these cute little animals but today they’re closed for inventory although that’s not post on their website or on their phone machine

I discovered NC’s lemur collection via Groupon several months before booking a tour. I kicked myself when I realized that the Groupon was no longer available but I went ahead and scheduled a «Lemurs Live!» tour anyway. It’s around the same price as going to the movies and you get to walk around and see some fascinating primates, all of which are on the endangered species list. You will probably only ever see these unique creatures either in Madagascar or at the Duke Lemur Center. Ultimately, the 90-​minute tour was worth every penny of the admission price.
The «Lemurs Live!» tour begins with a film about lemurs and the work being done at the Duke Lemur Center. This short, informative and oddly entertaining film is a good introduction to lemurs.
The lemurs’ own natural habitat in Madagascar is being destroyed and the DLC is the next best thing to their homeland. It is the largest lemur sanctuary in the world and covers 85 acres. The DLC’s lemur population is second only to Madagascar in size. This is amazing when you consider this possibility: up to 90% of all lemur species will face extinction within the next 20 years or so according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The DLC tries to keep their diet and surroundings as close as possible to those provided by Madagascar but some things just cannot be introduced into NC for various reasons.
The lemurs at the center seem to thrive but some species are much hardier than others. They don’t all respond well to being in captivity. It’s somewhat bittersweet; lemurs in cages but some are still having babies.
Visiting the center is by appointment only. This may have to do with staffing requirements or the fact that you are dealing with endangered species. Whatever the reason, an appointment is easy to make and it keeps group sizes manageable. There were approximately 30 guests on the afternoon we visited and the tour guides split us up into two groups of 15 or so each.
There are several different species of lemurs at the DLC including the aye-​aye, loris, sifaka, ring-​tailed lemur, and more, many of which look like something right out of a Dr Seuss book. There are blue-​eyed black lemurs all named after famous blue-​eyed stars like Elvis Presley and Robert Redford. The ring-​tails are a spectacular sight with their bold black and white striped tails. The aye-​aye looks like a bat with its big ears and pointed nose. Sizes of the various species range from as tiny as a mouse up to 2 or 3 feet tall.
A separate building is home to several nocturnal lemur species. It is kept dark during the daytime so they can be studied when they are active. At dusk, the lights are turned on and all the nocturnal lemurs retire for their «night.» The nocturnal building is included in the tour so you may catch a glimpse of the mysterious aye-​aye or loris or dwarf mouse lemur. It’s a bit like walking around in a darkroom with warm red lighting and if you do see the mysterious aye-​aye, it’s definitely a treat.
If Madagascar isn’t on your flight path any time soon, you can still see these unique and fascinating endangered creatures right at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, NC. I highly recommend checking it out, the «Lemurs Live!» tour was definitely worth it.

Bottom line: Visit when the weather is nice out.
We went in January when it was cold outside, and so all the lemurs were indoors. The viewing is much worse inside because there is glass and a fence between you and them. So I recommend going when it’s warmer out so they will be outside.

Went with my husband to do a «Behind the Scenes» tour… and we loved it! Our tour guide was super knowledgable and nice. It was fun to make their treats and feed them (from the other side of the cage of course). It’s awesome that Duke has this collection of lemurs right in our backyard! Go visit them if you haven’t already!

A group of us (4 in our late 20s) thanked our lucky starts that we landed in the all-​adults group, when 1pm tour was divided between two guides. Some other time, rock-​throwing kid, some other time…
Highlights: hilariously terrible intro video, a little baby clinging to lemur mom’s belly, the insanely loud alert calls of one of the lemur species, peppy and informative guide, and gift shop treasures. If you go on the regular tour, it’s only $ 12 for an adult… after that, you’re looking to spend at least $ 95. I was fine looking at them through their cages. Make sure you call in about 2 weeks in advance to reserve your spot!

I finally got to make a trip to the Duke Lemur Center for the «Walking with Lemurs» tour on Saturday, September 27^th!
This tour is seasonal, so check to make sure you’re going during the time of year it’s offered.
Tour was great and tour guide amazing and friendly as well!
«Walking with Lemurs» was just as amazing as I had anticipated and I highly recommend it to any tourists in the Raleigh/​Durham area and families with kids (older kids that can be respectful of the lemurs’ space). We came all the way from Texas to experience this.
What’s cool about this tour is that you get to be with the lemurs as they eat their breakfast around 10:30 am. Otherwise, if you were in the forest at any other time, you *might* not even notice them because they wouldn’t want much to do with you. Bringing food changes that.
It’s different from a zoo in the fact that you are communing with «wild» lemurs that free-​range in the forest. You also see other lemurs that aren’t in the forest and that’s very interesting as well.
Only disappointment was that a lemur did not touch me. You cannot touch them, only they can touch you! They will, however, get very close to you and walk around your legs. You have to be careful where you step because you could accidentally step on one.
One tip — wear long pants! When we were in the Duke forest, I got bitten by some mosquitoes and there are some tall grasses which made me a bit itchy.
Call the DLC as soon as you know you’re coming. They say that tours fill up fast, especially in the summer.

Have to call to make a reservation. Admission price is $ 9 for college w/​ID, $ 10 for regular, and less for children.
Bring comfortable walking shoes and if during the summer, an icy water bottle.
Plan to spend an hour for the tour, plus some for the intro video and questions.
When you go into the center, keep on driving until you hit the end of the road (pass the access restricted sign). It looks sketchy, but it’s not.
Giftshop includes lemur-​related things — most items average around $ 20.
Loved the center, was super disappointed on not seeing the lemurs in the boxed cages all in a row. There’s a baby mongoose lemur at the moment (IT’S ADORABLE OMG). There’s a Sifaka that likes to lick the window to greet you and it’s the most adorable thing ever. The nocturnal ones were the ones I struggled to see — they were really small and fast. But I’ve seen a slow loris now, so I can finally die in peace.
@Duke Lemur Center:
Get an intern and make them do reservations via email. Phone is fine, but every time I’ve called I’ve been met with a voicemail and get a call back usually within two days or so. Just do email, it’s so much faster… not that hard to even build a web application for people to sign up or cancel. Maybe even a semester long project for a software dev intern.

My family went for the Lemur Live tour today. This place is truly trying to save a species. The tour was great and very informative. Unfortunately my kids were having a bad day and I wasn’t able to see all of it. I enjoyed what I experienced and I plan on coming back again for one of the tours where you can get closer to lemurs.

I MET LEMURS!
LEMURS!
LEMURS!
LEMURS!
Lemurs!
At long last, I met lemurs. My lovely girlfriend took me for my birthday. The lemur tour started with a video, where some dude told us about lemurs. Then we met them! There were ring-​tail lemurs (the standard ones), lemurs that were more brown, lemurs that liked to jump on each other, and other fun types of lemurs.
Then we went inside and met the nocturnal lemurs, such as the Aye-​Aye (looks like a crazy giant lemur thing), the loris (not a lemur, but still cute), and other nocturnal lemurs.
The lemurs also hang out outside during summer months, though they were in the habitats on this day because of the potential for cold.
In general, this is a pretty awesome place where pretty awesome little dudes hang out and do their thing. You should go.
In summary, LEMURS!

My husband surprised me with the Behind the Scenes tour as one of my birthday gifts.
The rest of the group for our tour cancelled, so it was the 2 of us and our guide, Kyle. He was very knowledgable and did a great job answering questions.
The tour itself allowed us to get really close to the lemurs. It was about an hour and a half long and during that time I learned a lot about lemurs and also about the type of research that they carry out at their facility.
At the end of the tour, they had a birthday card for me and wished me a Happy Birthday. There is a gift shop that has some really cute lemur swag. Overall, it was very entertaining and educational.

One of my favorite college memories was the time I came to the lemur center to shoot for the student newspaper. As it was summer, after wandering around the indoor pens we had the chance to go outside and see the lemurs in their native habitat. Trails were relatively easy to follow though a little bushwhacking was involved when investigating the lemurs up close. And boy did they get close.
We had ring tailed lemurs that sauntered right up to us, less than a foot away, and seeing the Sifaka’s jumping from tree to tree was a sight to behold. Best of all were the big groups of lemurs that would just wander around and snuggle with each other; too adorable.