Roger Tory Peterson Institute

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History sits on a wooded site at the northern edge of Jamestown, on the road towards Chautauqua Lake. The building, designed by Robert A. M. Stern, houses Peterson's personal archive of paintings, photographs and field notes, plus changing exhibitions on natural history illustration.

The grounds — about 27 acres of trails through second-growth forest — are open to walkers and are a quiet place to spot the birds Peterson grew up watching. A small shop sells signed prints and the field guides he is famous for. Free admission to the grounds; modest charge for the museum.

things to do museum wildlife
A story
Peterson grew up in Jamestown and as a boy poked a sleeping flicker in the woods at the back of his house. It flew off, and the moment of seeing a wild bird up close changed his life. The bird-identification system he later invented — arrows pointing to field marks — became the standard for every modern field guide.