The Wild Turkey Center and Winchester Museum
The Wild Turkey Center and Winchester Museum is the national headquarters of the National Wild Turkey Federation located in Edgefield, S.C. It is a first-class work place for 170 national staff who provide services to the NWTF's members.
With more than 30,000 square feet, the Wild Turkey Center includes the The Winchester Museum; an Outdoor Education Center; a 3,000-square-foot conference center; the Turkey Shoppe (the NWTF's gift shop) and a large warehouse.
The Winchester Museum
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The Winchester Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to the restoration, management and hunting of the wild turkey.
The amazing comeback story of the American wild turkey unfolds through exciting displays in the 7,200-square-foot museum, which welcomes more than 10,000 visitors annually.
The most recent addition to the museum doubled its size and incorporated interactive exhibits, such as the world's largest turkey call, which visitors can actually step into and learn how to operate different types of wild turkey calls. Other exhibits include a retired USDA Forest Service helicopter, a wildlife oddities display and many other unique attractions.
The original portion of the museum features 3-D dioramas depicting the five wild turkey subspecies and the ocellated species in their natural habitats.
An animated, life-like, old-time storyteller sits in a rocking chair and tells stories about the history of the NWTF, turkey hunting and conservation. Also featured is an animated Cherokee Indian, who shares legends and stories about wild turkeys.
An action-packed video highlights America's largest resident game bird and the conservation methods and people who have lifted the wild turkey from the brink of extinction to populations in the millions.
Displays of historic turkey calls donated by master turkey call makers Neil Cost and M.L. Lynch are one of the museum's most treasured collections. Through these exhibits, visitors can easily view the evolution of turkey calls spanning more than a century.
At the height of the tour, The Dave Harrelson Memorial Theater places visitors deep in a spring forest at the break of dawn, mixing the sounds of nature with early morning calls of wild turkeys flying down from their roosts.
In April 2007, the NWTF received the South Carolina Federation of Museums' Award of Achievement for its Winchester Museum.
Outdoor Education Center
The 100-acre Outdoor Education Center includes a series of nature trails, a wetland habitat site and pavilion. The area provides the perfect setting for JAKES(Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) events, school field trips and other educational opportunities.
Plan Your Visit
Visitors are invited to tour the Winchester Museum during the hours of operation. The Outdoor Education Center's pavilion and trails are open to the public.
Admission
Members: Free
Members' Children: Free
Adults: $5 (Purchase comes with 4 Laser Shot coins and a redeemable coin worth $5 for Turkey Shoppe and Turkey Shoppe on Main)
Children: $2 (Purchase comes with 4 Laser Shot coins)
Hours of Operation:
The Winchester Museum is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. It is closed on national holidays.
Location:
We are located at 770 Augusta Rd. along Highway 25 in Edgefield, S.C.
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Schedule a Tour:
To schedule a group tour of the Wild Turkey Center and Winchester Museum, simply call the National Wild Turkey Federation at (800) THE-NWTF or (803) 637-7626 and ask for Sam McDuffie. He can also be reached via email at smcduffie@nwtf.net. Group tours on weekends may also be scheduled - however we do limit weekend tours to one per month.
Click here for a group tour registration form
Click here for a list of museum activities
For more information about the Winchester Museum and the Outdoor Education Center, please contact Sam McDuffie at (803) 637-7626 or (800) THE-NWTF.
Wild Turkey Center and Winchester Museum
770 Augusta Road, P.O. Box 530
Edgefield, SC 29824
Phone: (803) 637-3106 / Fax: (803) 637-0034
