Tupper Lake, N.Y.

At the Wild Center, deep in the heart of the Adirondacks of upstate New York, it's not unusual to see a curator wandering the premises with a raven perched on his forearm. In the galleries surrounding a soaring central court, you'll hear peeps, screeches and birdcalls -- both simulated and real -- typical of the forests and streams of this sprawling wilderness. And if you sit down to lunch in the center's café, you'll be at water level with a man-made pond and might even catch sight of a graceful egret...