BAT HOSPITAL VISITOR CENTRE

We are a multi-award winning unique wildlife experience on the Atherton Tablelands in tropical north Queensland:

advanced ecotourism accreditation since 2010
voted into Best of Queensland Experiences by the 5 leading tourism bodies of this state for the last 4 years
#1 on Tripadvisor for attractions on the Atherton Tablelands.
#1 bat tourism facility in Australia
featured in Lonely Planet and Le Guide du Routard
voted into Tripadvisor’s top 10% attractions worldwide for consistently good reviews for the last 5 years.
Travellers’ Choice Award.

Have you ever looked a flying-fox in the eye? Seen and heard the echolocation calls of a microbat on a bat detector? Come meet our bats, enjoy the bat talk, watch them feed and interact with each other. Learn about their lives, their importance to the environment and the work of the bat hospital.

spectacled flying fox mother and pup, easily seen at the bat visitor centre October to April

Spectacled flying fox mother with pup,
an endangered species you will meet at the bat visitor centre.

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL
Prefer online booking unless large group
Phone 07 4091 2683 or email us
(please do not use Facebook).

$30 ADULT from 1st April 2026
$18 CHILD (5-15 years) from 1st April 2026
$80 FAMILY 2 adults and 2 children 5-15 years bookable online from 1st April 2026

DIRECTIONS 134 Carrington Road, Carrington or Atherton 4883

TESTIMONIALS

    
 
 
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   Kirstie P 
 October 7, 2026
 
 
  We had a fantastic time here. Was well worth the visit. The guide was very friendly and knowledgable. We all learnt a lot.
  
 
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   Bec 
 October 3, 2026
 
 
  Such a fantastic experience. We learned so much and had a great time with the bats!
  
 
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   Aarav 
 October 2, 2026
 
 
  A must go to area. The tour was very informative and eye opening, I learnt Soo much about bats and flying foxes. I realised bat are not that "bad" as they are stereotyped as, especially after the cute little bats, a must go to area
  
 
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   Maria Jose Medina Hernandez 
 September 25, 2026
 
 
  It's a great place that does a great labor for the conservation of bats. They take care of orphan baby bats whose mom's were infected by ticks and also bats who got trapped in wires.
You can see a great deal of bats, and it's really nice seeing them up close.
  
 
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   Bridie Allan 
 September 19, 2026
 
 
  The Tolga Bat Hospital is such a great place to visit. Jenny, Vivvi and the team are so knowledgeable and passionate about the ecological importance of bats. You will definitely walk away with a new appreciation for them, and a deep appreciation for the great work that this team does. This is absolutely worth a visit!
  
 
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   Graham Sagar 
 September 12, 2026
 
 
 Verified One of the best things we did
We thought that the tour was absolutely excellent. The volunteers were so friendly and our guide was just fantastic. She was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic and you could feel her passion for the bats. It was an absolute delight to be a part of
  
 
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   Jesse Card 
 September 10, 2026
 
 
  Great experience with lots of great information and sooooo many cute bats!
  
 
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   Steeven G 
 September 5, 2026
 
 
 Verified Amazing
Amazing experience ! I am glad to see people doing such wonderful things.
  
 
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   Maria Farnden 
 August 31, 2026
 
 
  This was a really special find on our east coast trip. Our guide Vivvy was great, took us around to see the bats up close and tell us about all of them - not a question she couldn’t answer.

Thank you all for the amazing work you do to care for the bats and teach others about the importance of protecting them and how to protect them too. Lovely to see the best of humanity at work.
  
 
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   Megan B 
 August 31, 2026
 
 
 Verified Bat educational experience!
This was a wonderful hour learning and seeing microbats and eastern spectacled bats and the care they need when injured. Also learning about ways to prevent injuries, their diet, breeding cycle and habitat. The guide is a wealth of knowledge. I highly recommend this tour!
  
 
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   M H 
 August 20, 2026
 
 
  Bel expérience.  Explications très intéressantes sur la vie des chauves souris et leur utilité dans l’eco systeme.
  
 
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   ModAus 
 August 17, 2026
 
 
 Verified Unique Experience
This was an amazing experience seeing the bats/flying foxes up close and learning more about them. The staff were very passionate about their rehabilitation work and research. Would recommend this tour for all age groups.
  
 
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   Michele M 
 August 17, 2026
 
 
 Verified I absolutely loved it....
An absolutely magnificent organisation, educational, inspiring and a wonderful experience. The staff were brilliant and full of information, kindness and knowledge. I will most definitely be back again to see the adorable little puppies of the skies. Thank you all for a wonderful and educational experience. Most of all, thank you for the amazing care and love you give to each and every individual little bat that you take in.
  
 
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   Jillian C 
 August 12, 2026
 
 
 Verified Learning all about bats.
Being an animal lover of all creatures great and small I thoroughly enjoyed this very interesting and worthwhile experience. It was educational as well as so many cute different species of bats to observe and learn about each plus the importance of this mammal to our environment. Definitely an amazing place. Bats need all the help they can get. So lucky to have this amazing centre with dedicated staff and volunteers.
  
 
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   Greg & Bec Collins 
 August 11, 2026
 
 
  What an amazing place Jenny our guide really knows her bats you can tell she is passionate. The work done here helping rehabilitation, injury prevention and education is amazing. So glad we the stop to visit. I was in awe already a bat lover but also now my family are too.
  
 
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   Ines Santos 
 August 11, 2026
 
 
  Definetly recomend if you want to understand a bit more about bats and contribute to their conservation by helping the institution.

I am really happy for looking this up when I saw a sign to turn for the bat hospital, just sad it is not more advertised. They seem to do a really amazing and important job towards bat conservation. On the tour you get to learn a lot about bats, their importance to the environment, the threats to their survival and some ways of preventing so much deaths in the area. You can see them upclose and all the individuals that are shown to us have sad stories and are unfortunately no longer able to be released into the wild. Our guide Vivvy was very knowledgeable and we could clearly see her passion for taking care of these bats and wanting to help their population thrive.

Unfortunately,  bats are very misunderstood all over the world and they play a mega important ecological role, I am happy this place exists to help change this mindset.

Thank you for your work!
  
 
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   David Catherall 
 August 6, 2026
 
 
  Definitely worth a visit. Fascinating tour and really gives you an insight into these amazing little creatures. The lady who showed us around is clearly committed to their welfare, if only everyone in the world was as selfless as these volunteers the world would be a better place.
  
 
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   Enton Diestelmeier 
 August 5, 2026
 
 
  Wir durften David und einige andere Fledermäuse kennenlernen - tolle Arbeit, die dort geleistet wird und ein sehr informativer Rundgang.
  
 
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   Teagan C 
 August 4, 2026
 
 
 Verified Bat Tour Experience
Great experience. You get up close and personal and get to meet lots of bats and flying foxes! Very informative and interesting to see the wonderful work Jenny and the team are doing! Highly reccomend :)
  
 
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   Val1594 
 July 31, 2026
 
 
 Verified Bats galore. An amazing experience.
This was truly an amazing experience and I would happily pay more. Jenny was very knowledgeable and inspirational. Having came from Scotland, it was great to see the diverse species of bats and they were so well cared for . Thanks again 🦇
  
 
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   ExploreOutside 
 July 30, 2026
 
 
 Verified Fun and Informative Tour
This was a highlight of our trip. We learned so much about bats and how they live and why we should protect them. The guide was very informative and answered all our questions. We got to see the bats close up.
  
 
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   Helen From Black Rock 
 July 25, 2026
 
 
 Verified A must visit to the Bat Hospital
Very interesting tour of the Bat Hospital run by Vivi. She was very informative and we learned so much about bats. They do incredible rescue work at the hospital. I would greatly recommend this tour
  
 
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   Hilary B 
 July 18, 2026
 
 
 Verified Phenomenal conservation tour
Absolutely amazing, worth every penny - loved “meeting” SO many different bats and learning about the various bats. Jenny and all the staff we met were so knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. It felt like a real privilege to step into their world and see some of the important work. Great for most travelers - solo, couples, families with kids aged 7 and older.
  
 
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   Kerres Martin 
 July 16, 2026
 
 
  Une activité qui vaut amplement le détour! Visite guidée par Vivvy qui est passionnée et passionnante ! On a appris énormément de choses à propos des chauves-souris.  Merci! Bonne continuation à toute l'équipe pour ce magnifique projet!
  
 
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   Bari K 
 July 11, 2026
 
 
  Best day ever! And our guide Vivv was brilliant
  
 
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   shinygirl46 
 July 10, 2026
 
 
 Verified Bats up close and personal
This was suggested to us by a friend who had been there. Said it was a must do and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Jenny is an amazing guide who quietly but passionately shares the work that is carried out at the hospital. We got to see different varieties and hear about the efforts to rehabilitate those that could be. For some unfortunately they are unable to return to their natural habitat due to severe injuries from barbed wire. The centre has research happening and is making such an effort to work within communities to support to minimise the effects of barbed wire through solutions. Such interesting creatures all with different adaptions - some so cute. Highly recommend a visit.
  
 
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   Wendy C 
 July 9, 2026
 
 
 Verified Micro megabats! Pollinators! How to resolve barbed wire issues!
Jenny is very knowledgeable and thorough and guided by the group's interest and questions. She is clearly a very dedicated person but without pushing her agenda at the risk of alienating people as many wildlife people can be. As a wildlife person myself, I say that without judgement, merely to comment that when you have rescued 230 bats in 6 days from barbed wire fences, it must be hard to stay positive and open, yet Jenny does. Support this cause - she's doing great work! And the tour was so informative. We heard so much new information and saw about 10 different species of bats from both megabat and microbat groups. I highly recommend it!
  
 
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   Richard Butler 
 July 7, 2026
 
 
  Our visit to the Tolga Bat Hospital was terrific. We learned a lot about Australian bats, the challenges they face, and the amazing work of the team at the Bat Hospital. Jenny was a terrific guide and we’d recommend this to anyone with an interest in Australian wildlife. Get in early while there are spaces left on the tour so you don’t miss out!
  
 
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   Shiri S 
 June 28, 2026
 
 
 Verified Wonderful experience. Highly recommend
Such an interesting and wonderful experience. We are in awe of what this center provides - for bats and our whole environment. So many different types of bats - all incredibly cute. We are now devotees of bats!
  
 
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   Monique Smith 
 June 24, 2026
 
 
  Fantastic experience. The bat hospital offers tours that can be booked through the website before your visit. There are 12 spots per tour.

Today we were 7 visitors and after some information videos our guide took us through to the small bat enclosure. We got up and close with different species of bats and got all our questions answered. Next up the flying fox enclosure, followed by a meet and greet with one of the babies.

The tour was super informative and it was wonderful to learn more about these amazing creatures!
  
 
 
  
 
 
   Trustindex rating score: 4.9 of 5, based on 614 reviews

OPEN DAILY ALL YEAR FOR GUIDED TOURS 3-6pm

Start times vary seasonally but usually start 3.30 pm in summer and 3 pm in winter and last for about an hour. We begin with two short videos, an 8-minute movie about what we do and a 2 minute one featuring Little Red flying foxes. It’s then time to wander around our world-class facilities to meet the different bats. We:

aim to have a maximum of 12 people in a tour so the groups are small and personal
run educational tours for larger groups (e.g. schools, universities, special interest groups)
are not fully wheelchair-accessible but have appropriate bathroom facilities and access to most areas.
offer tours in Mandarin

Our landline is open 24 hours for bat rescues only, and office hours 8am – 5pm office hours.

PARKING

There is onsite parking for cars and smaller vans. We keep an area mown just before the entrance to the property for larger vans to park on the side of the road. This area is fenced off when the ground is very wet as it is easy to get bogged. When the fencing is up please do not try parking on the side of the road just past the driveway either. There is a large school bus turn-around another 500 metres up the road, making it easy for when you leave. The bus turn-around can be used to park in during school holidays when there are no buses using it 3-4pm.

We are mountain bike riders ourselves and welcome cyclists. The rail trail officially comes half way here, as far as Hastie Rd. It continues on to Peter Street but is not gravelled yet. You will then be on the main road for 850 metres after turning from Peter Street and before turning into Carrington Rd.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS

Health
Our tours run with a minimum of 4 and maximum of 12 people, and we have the capacity to run 1-3 tours a day depending on staffing. We minimise the numbers watching the movies at one time as the room is fairly small. The tours are undercover for the most part. We practise physical distancing and encourage you to wear a mask if you prefer. Please do not come on a tour if you are unwell.

Accessibility
We have an ex-physiotherpist and an occupational therapist on our team so understand about access. Parking provides very close level access to the visitor centre, and once there we have ramp access and all-ability bathroom facilities. Access to the cages is a little less accessible so please contact us before hand if you have concerns. Your online booking form asks this question too.

Sustainablity
The Bat Hospital is all about sustainability. Our core business is caring for Australia’s bats, returning as many as possible back to the wild. They “do the night shift” on the provision of long-distance pollination and seed dispersal. These long distance ecological services improve the genetic diversity of our forests, making our continent more sustainable into future. They are a keystone species. Our care of these remarkable mammals is also sustainable. We buy food in bulk without packaging (bananas by the trailer-load, apples in cardboard bins, farm gate purchasing in our crates), worm farms to manage most of the bat waste, 20kw solar power with battery, electric car, solar hot water, and much more. Our visitor centre ensures an income that lessens reliance on the vagaries of grants, making the bat hospital more sustainable.

ADVANCED ECOTOURISM ACCREDITATION

The Visitor Centre was awarded Advanced Ecotourism accreditation in August 2010, meaning we offer one of Australia’s leading and most innovative ecotourism experiences. The certification assures travellers that the operator has a strong, well managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high quality nature-based tourism experiences. Keep scrolling down to the bottom of this page to an engaging climate change story told by animated flying foxes.

We are helping to promote a bat tourism trail for Australia through the Australasian Bat Society and Wildlife Tourism Australia.

The ECO Certification logo enables travellers to choose a tourism product that is authentically “eco” – environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

We have earned over 10 years of advanced ecotourism accreditation with Ecotourism Australia

visitors listening to and looking at the echolocation calls on the bat detector at the bat visitor centre

We prefer to keep small group sizes, up to 10 people on each tour, a main reason for having bookings essential. You will have a unique wildlife experience with some extraordinary bats while enjoying the bat talk on our guided tour.

inside the bat hospital visitor centre, promoting bat tourism and wildlife tourism

The bat visitor centre has colourful displays, bat art and merchandise for sale. Information panels and an 8-minte video tell the story of the bat hospital and the bats.

The friendly bat seat is a popular place for family photos and a favourite in our bat art collection. Our unique wildlife experience extends to some unique wildlife art.

We feature a lot of Indigenous art around the bat visitor centre. This painting was done for us by local Ngadjon artist Drew Morta.

A local German fellow Hans Pehl has done a lot of very creative and beautiful metal bat art for us. Enjoy this while listening to the bat talk and guided tour.

VIDEO BELOW Let a couple of animated flying foxes tell you all about climate change! This is the English version, but it is also available in other languages for people in Fiji, Solomon islands and Vanuatu. Our Advanced Ecotourism accreditation means that we take seriously our role in providing visitors with information about climate change.

This 10 minute movie takes a fun approach with a couple of flying-foxes to explain the basics of climate change.

Our Multi Award-Winning Bat Visitor Centre

BAT HOSPITAL VISITOR CENTRE

ADVANCED ECOTOURISM ACCREDITATION