Tours

(Tours will continue to be scheduled after the death of our director, Alan Mootnick)

In 2012 we will begin being open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays

See scheduled tour dates below • Directions to the Gibbon Center • Preview GCC in this video

Visit GCC

The Gibbon Conservation Center (GCC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and the only organization in the world devoted exclusively to the study, preservation, and propagation of gibbons, and to education of the public about them. We do this by establishing secure captive gene pools in case attempts to preserve species or subspecies in the wild fail. We strongly support the conservation of gibbons in their natural habitat. We have the largest group of gibbons in the Americas, including six of the 15 extant species, and have reproduced six gibbon species (white-cheeked, Javan, lar, agile, pileated, and siamang).

We offer educational tours at the Gibbon Conservation Center for groups who meet our $100 minimum (using the fees below), for all ages from pre-school to seniors. Admission to the Gibbon Conservation Center (all of which goes directly to support the gibbons) is as follows:

Adults/College Students: $10.00 per person
Children/Young Adults (6 – 17) $5.00 per person
Children 5 and under (free)
Seniors: $5.00 per person

Please bring exact change if at all possible. Checks made out to “GCC” are OK, however credit cards are not accepted. Official tours start at the time indicated and will last roughly 45 minutes. But we are cheerfully open to you walking around and seeing the gibbons at any time from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and are happy to answer questions as they arise.

We have given educational tours to anthropology, psychology, pre-veterinary, biology students, and anthropology clubs, as well as secondary and elementary students, and other groups. Lectures vary according to the interests of each tour group. The focal point of the lecture may be any of the following: species identification, nutrition, behavior, captive management, deforestation and the plight of the gibbon, or preventive medical care. In educational tours for children, we require there be a minimum of one adult for every 7 children under 12 years of age. Since the gibbons are most active in the morning, we prefer the tours begin between 8:30 and 10:30 am.

Our main concern is the safety of the visitors and the gibbons. With that in mind, we have some precautions that all visitors must follow in order to ensure everyone's health. Visitors must be in good health and not have had any recent contact with any person or animal with an infectious disease. Visitors must not have been exposed to airborne diseases (such as TB, flu) or measles, chicken pox, mumps, etc., prior to coming to our Center. Colds and flu are contagious to the gibbons and are very serious or fatal for them! Tour at GCC

Before entering the Center, the bottom of visitors shoes must be disinfected, and everyone must sign in the Visitor Registry. We will provide disinfectant at the entry gate to the Center. For the continuing health of the gibbons and visitors, visitors must remain in their group and stay a minimum of 6 feet from all enclosures. There can be no individual touring of the facility. Visitors may not touch the gibbons, nor offer them food or other items.

Group RENDEZVOUS POINT (must be arranged before tour day): We prefer that all visitors arrive at approximately the same time. A good place for your group to meet (if they are in separate cars) is the Albertson’s Supermarket parking lot at the corner of Bouquet Canyon Rd. and Haskell in Santa Clarita. To get there drive to Santa Clarita on Hwy. 5 and take the Valencia Blvd. Exit east. Drive 3 miles on Valencia and turn left on Bouquet Cyn. Rd. Drive about 2 ½ miles to Haskell and the Albertson's on the left. You can then caravan or car pool from the parking lot, turning left on Bouquet and arriving at Esguerra Road and the Gibbon Conservation Center in about 3 miles. (See Directions)

We have plush gibbon and other primate dolls, postcards and t-shirts for sale with all proceeds going directly to the support of the gibbons. Please announce this to your group ahead of time. Thank you.

To book a tour of the Gibbon Conservation Center, please contact Patricia Dahle by email at info@gibboncenter.org or phone GCC (between 9 AM and 8 PM Pacific time) 661-296-2737 (if no answer, please call 661-296-9495). Please confirm or cancel your tour at least two days in advance. Tours are led by staff of the Gibbon Conservation Center.

The Gibbon Conservation Center is open by appointment only, or during scheduled tours.
If you are an individual or small group, you may join any of the below scheduled tours with no reservations necessary for our regular fees, above.

Directions

Light rain does NOT cancel tours other than "Open Tours". Please check a weather site for updates.

ROAD UPDATE: The road to the Gibbon Center, Esguerra, is drivable by normal cars and small trucks, but still requires caution where it crosses the creek. When you drive it, be careful and please pay attention!

Bus note: as long as there are not any major storms within a few days before your trip, buses should not have any difficulties driving directly to GCC (please follow our directions carefully), and there will be ample parking for a bus.

Date 2012	Tour Time	Group
		For 2012, the Gibbon Center will be open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on ALL Saturdays and Sundays. Rain will cancel scheduled tours for that day.
Feb. 25 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels), Animal Scouts (Rita) open to anyone
Feb. 26 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) Brandeis group (Molly Winnick) open to anyone
Mar. 3 (Sat.)	10:30 am	Brandeis (Evalne Fishman) open to anyone
Mar. 4 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Mar. 10 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Mar. 11 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Mar. 17 (Sat. )	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Mar. 18 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) Los Angeles Valley College (Rebecca Frank) open to anyone
Mar. 24 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Mar. 25 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Mar. 31 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 1 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 4 (Wed.)	10 am	Brandeis group (Linda Allen) open to anyone
Apr. 7 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 8 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 14 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 15 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 18 (Wed.)	10 am	HTC Senior Group (Lenore) Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 21 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 22 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 26 (Thur.)	10 am	Brandeis group (Linda K.) open to anyone
Apr. 28 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
Apr. 29 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 4 (Fri.)	10 am	Friendly Excursions (Bobbi Lona) open to anyone
May 5 (Sat.)	10 am	Pasadena City College (Lauren Arenson) Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 6 (Sun.)	10 am	Pasadena City College (Lauren Arenson) Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 12 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 13 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 19 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 20 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 26 (Sat.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone
May 27 (Sun.)	10 am	Open tour (rain cancels) open to anyone

Map of LA County area

THANK YOU AND WELCOME TO THE CENTER!