We are now in our off-season (October – April), so while our gift shop remains open, no general or private tours will be available until May 2023 (registration for May 2023 tours is currently open!). Since lemurs are not naturally adapted to cold weather climates, our on-site tours are seasonally dependent. We are occasionally able to offer the premium Walking with Lemurs and Behind the Scenes tours, depending on weather and staff availability, so please see those pages for more details.
Our Lemur Landing Gift Shop is typically open daily from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST and before and after all scheduled tours. We will have additional dates that we’re closed from time to time, so please check HERE to be sure of those.
Reservations Essential
Any guests must have a prepaid tour reservation in order to visit the Lemur Center. In order to keep the endangered primates that call the DLC home safe and healthy, we regret that we cannot accommodate any walk-in visitors in any capacity. Please continue reading below to learn more about each tour type and how to reserve your space. Full registration information is available in the links to each specific tour type below.
Limited Schedule
Thanks for your interest in visiting the Lemur Center! Because the DLC is first and foremost a non-invasive research center, we offer a limited schedule of tours compared to traditional zoos. We always do our best to open as many tours as we can, but we appreciate your patience and understanding if the tour you are hoping for is sold out, or only offered on certain days of the week. To help you plan, we’ve got a quick summary of when each tour option will typically be offered in our tour season (May through September), but please note that you should click on the links to see exactly what dates are available to make your reservation. All times listed are EST.
Tour registration dates are posted approximately two months in advance. We are able to release a full month of tours at a time. Tours are typically posted the first Tuesday of the month at 11 am EST. For example, June 2023 tours will go live on the website on Tuesday, April 4th at 11 am.
General Tours: Friday from 5-7 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am-12 pm – Registration for May is now available
Private Tours: Mondays at 9:30 am and 11:30 am – Registration for May is now available
Walking with Lemurs Tours: Wednesday- Monday at 10:30 am – Registration for May is now available
Behind the Scenes Tours: Available most Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays at 1:30 pm- visit tour page for full details
General Tour – resuming in May 2023
We are now in our off-season (October – April), so while our gift shop remains open, no General Tours will be available until May 2023. Since lemurs are not naturally adapted to cold weather climates, our on-site tours are seasonally dependent.
The General Tour offers an overview of the Duke Lemur Center, its three-fold mission, and its residents—and allows guests to see at least 8 species of the amazing lemurs that call the DLC home! This tour is ideal as an introduction to the DLC for all ages, and it includes loads of interaction and Q&A time with our trained educators, so whether you’re a returning lemur fan or a brand-new visitor, we’ll make your tour experience educational and unforgettable. Click here to learn more!
Private Tour – resuming in May 2023
We are now in our off-season (October – April), so while our gift shop remains open, no Private Tours will be available until May 2023. Since lemurs are not naturally adapted to cold weather climates, our on-site tours are seasonally dependent.
The Private Tour is a personalized version of our General Tour – visiting the same animals along the tour path, but with one dedicated tour guide just for you and your small group. This tour experience is perfect for any age range or familiarity with lemurs, since your tour guide can cater their delivery to your group’s interests and questions. Click here to learn more!
Please note that like our General Tour, the Private Tour stays on our public tour path, and does not include any time in behind the scenes or in our forested habitats. See below for more information on tours venturing into those areas.
Walking with Lemurs Tour
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk in the wilds of Madagascar, watching in awe as lemurs leap through the trees around you? No need to travel halfway around the world—the DLC’s Walking with Lemurs Tour is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have that unforgettable experience right here in the forests of Duke University! Click here to learn more!
Behind the Scenes Tour
Take a peek behind the animal care curtain of the Duke Lemur Center on this one-of-a-kind experience! You’ll get up close views of afternoon feedings and enrichment sessions, AND this is the only tour experience that offers any aye-aye viewing. Click here to learn more!
Safety Protocols for All Tours
All guests must wear a mask at all times while entering any buildings onsite (snugly covering nose, mouth, and chin). Some tours may have additional masking requirements, so please be sure to check the specific descriptions at the links above. Additionally, the DLC masking policy may be updated and changed as needed to keep these endangered primates safe, and all guests will be required to follow the masking requirements in place at the time of their visit. Disposable masks will be provided to anyone arriving without their own mask.
If you or any person in your group are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, please notify us immediately and we will work with you to reschedule or cancel your tour. COVID-related symptoms include any of the following: temperature over 100°F, atypical headache, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, cough, sore throat, muscle or body aches, runny nose (aside from typical seasonal allergies), change in taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
If you need to cancel your tour due to illness and are not able to reschedule, we will refund your tour registration fee. This applies to guests who have received vaccinations as well as those who have not.
