Local Guides World
Best Animal parks in United States
Top Rated Animal parks
Top Reviewed Animal parks
Penguin Point
Orangutan Habitat
Croc Encounters
Out of Sight Alpacas
Raptor Adventures
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary
Tiger Lodge
Summerfield Zoo
Sustainable Safari
The Bears Den
Walk with the Roos
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
Reviews
This place is great. Although it's not a huge installation, it definitely has a great variety of well-kept animals. We went on a Sunday, and it was perfect to be able to stroll at our own pace without everyone pushing us or crowding the viewing areas. Since it is the cold season, some of the animals' interactions are limited, but it does not take away any of the beauty these majestic animals have. I mean, just look at that tiger 😍
My daughter and I were able to enjoy the Ultimate VIP weekend in September and it was FABULOUS. The staff was amazing and took wonderful care of us (including helping us when our rental car encountered a problem. Huge shoutout to Emily!!). The animal encounters were phenomenal and my daughter loved every second. I highly recommend a visit
We had my son's birthday party at Tanganyika this past weekend, and it was fantastic. The staff took great care of us. They gave us an interior room versus a cabanalow because the weather was looking dicey (it didn't end up raining until right at 4 pm which was perfect since that is when they close!). They let us use their cart to load our vehicle and bring stuff to the event room. Hannah filled our cooler with ice, brought us cups, plates, napkins, and had table covers on the tables. The animal show was so good and the staff was very patient with my super precocious 4 year old 😆. They gave us a few extras and went above and beyond. Can't recommend a birthday party at Tanganyika enough!
A great experience. Park was spotless, staff extremely friendly knowledgeable and interactive. I enjoyed all the feedings but highly recommend the Lorikeets…I was not prepared for the joy of this one.
Naturally the penguin swim was the highlight and Taylor, Sydney and Lisa made certain the experience was all that it could be. We were well prepared before entering the pool by Lisa, Taylor educated us and enhanced the experience w her knowledge and fun personality, and Sydney made sure we had so many great pictures documenting a once in a lifetime event.
Naturally the penguin swim was the highlight and Taylor, Sydney and Lisa made certain the experience was all that it could be. We were well prepared before entering the pool by Lisa, Taylor educated us and enhanced the experience w her knowledge and fun personality, and Sydney made sure we had so many great pictures documenting a once in a lifetime event.
My fiancé and I have always loved penguins, so when I read that this is the only place in the United States where you can actually swim with penguins, I knew we had to go. We booked two penguin swims, and they were both awesome. During the second swim, we were the only two people there, so we had all the penguins to ourselves. They did not disappoint. They were fantastic and loving. They swam right up to us, nibbled on our hands, and one even let me hold him. It was an absolutely fantastic day. If you love penguins like we do, I strongly recommend a penguin swim.
In addition to the penguins, the park has all the regular animals, including zebras, giraffes, etc. The sloth was pretty cool too, and it was fun to walk around and see everything. But let's be honest, we were primarily here for the penguins. They also have a package called the Ultimate Weekend, where you can book a bunch of animal meet-and-greets. We didn't do all of them since we were just here for the penguins, but it was still cool.
On the park grounds, there's a house called the Hawkins Estate. We stayed there, and it was amazing. It's a huge house designed for about ten people, but it was just the two of us. The rooms are fantastic, you get a view of part of the park, and there's a pool table and a game room. It was truly amazing, and it's within walking distance to the park. Plus, there are lots of restaurants a short drive away, so all in all, it was a great time. We will definitely be back soon.
In addition to the penguins, the park has all the regular animals, including zebras, giraffes, etc. The sloth was pretty cool too, and it was fun to walk around and see everything. But let's be honest, we were primarily here for the penguins. They also have a package called the Ultimate Weekend, where you can book a bunch of animal meet-and-greets. We didn't do all of them since we were just here for the penguins, but it was still cool.
On the park grounds, there's a house called the Hawkins Estate. We stayed there, and it was amazing. It's a huge house designed for about ten people, but it was just the two of us. The rooms are fantastic, you get a view of part of the park, and there's a pool table and a game room. It was truly amazing, and it's within walking distance to the park. Plus, there are lots of restaurants a short drive away, so all in all, it was a great time. We will definitely be back soon.
My husband and I had our wedding here on 9/21/24. Ashlee was our event coordinator. She was so friendly and helpful. Checking on us throughout the process of getting our wedding setup and even the day of. Making sure all of our questions were answered and ensuring us everything was good to go. She is definitely 10/10 the best person to work with for a wedding. Helping us to even make sure we were on time for everything and checking in with all of our vendors the day of to ensure everybody was on the same page. By far the smoothest wedding ever! If you're ever looking for a little "hole in the wall" place to get married or to recommend to someone THIS is the place. The price for it all was worth it for what my guests and us received and got to experience. From having a penguin be our ring bearer and getting to have animals at our reception the experiences are far from what any regular zoo can give you.
One of the best experiences of my life! We did the weekend VIP and it was so worth it! So glad they give you a 3rd day to explore the park as we were so busy the first 2 days doing such amazing things and meeting so many different animals that we needed that extra day to enjoy the rest of the park. There is so much to do and experience even if you don’t do a package like feed bunnies, turtles, lemurs, fish, and birds. I would do it again and again! The animals were treated so well and were never forced to do anything. They were treated like family. Every trainer was kind and informative. The place was very clean and all the animals looked happy and healthy. I love the work they are doing to help save endangered species! Just can’t say enough good things!! I’m so glad this place exists!
This was a first experience for our family. I was amazed at how close we were to the animals. The interactions we had during feeding the penguins, lemurs, lorikeets, and giraffe were so fun and memorable. I've avoided going due to it being a little pricey for our budget, but I am so thankful we splurged and went. It was worth every bit we paid! I can't wait until our next visit!
This zoo was so much fun! My son loved feeding a bottle to the baby goats. The show was informative and interactive. We will definitely be back!
My wife and I took her 5 year old neice here today and she was a little too tired and stressed with all the animals and was crying off and on. The general manager Jon/John (unsure of spelling) went so far above and beyond showing her the gineua pigs, fennec foxes, and devoted his time to us just to keep her happy and not too stressed. He was extremely kind and made us feel welcome and comfortable in a stressful moment. That was the best service we have ever experienced at any establishment ever. Everyone else there was very kind and informative as well, but JOHN NEEDS A RAISE. BEST MANAGER EVER! Highly, HIGHLY recommend coming here, you will not regret it!
I love what they do here at Dollywood for the eagles. They help eagles that can't live in the wild. It's nice to know that there are big companies out here helping wildlife. Eagles are such fascinating birds. Here at Dollywood they have a whole lot of them. There is a picnic area where you can sit and watch the eagles.
Awesome everything just fantastic
I was dubious because this place is located in a mall, but it was pretty awesome! It didn’t smell like a barn (thank you to those who keep the animal habitats clean) but don’t expect it to smell like a cleaning supplies either — which can be harmful to animals.
The staff was courteous and explained all the details. We opted to add on the capybara experience because we love capys. We got to enter their habitat and feed them lettuce. We asked questions and pet them, as well. There were two adults and four babies!! We got to give belly scratches and see them play in the pool, jump into a box to snuggle, and more. And of course we took photos. Was very worth it!
We fed goats and a ground hog, emu, and capys. There are many animals to see and feed, and I will say that they do not appear to be depressed as one often sees at standard zoos. Highly recommend, there was a lot to learn, and a lot of “cute” as well.
The staff was courteous and explained all the details. We opted to add on the capybara experience because we love capys. We got to enter their habitat and feed them lettuce. We asked questions and pet them, as well. There were two adults and four babies!! We got to give belly scratches and see them play in the pool, jump into a box to snuggle, and more. And of course we took photos. Was very worth it!
We fed goats and a ground hog, emu, and capys. There are many animals to see and feed, and I will say that they do not appear to be depressed as one often sees at standard zoos. Highly recommend, there was a lot to learn, and a lot of “cute” as well.
Very fun for the kids, lines were a little long. On a hot day it was hot inside as well, but they have fans going to help.
If you go with a large party definitely look into the packages. We took 7 people and did the top package called safari bobs choice, and everyone got to do at least 1 hold or experience.
There are age limits on certain events, so be aware. Most kids 10 and up will be able to everything.
Super cute animals but the waits can be a little long, due to what seemed like understaffing.
Hoping the new one has more staff!
If you go with a large party definitely look into the packages. We took 7 people and did the top package called safari bobs choice, and everyone got to do at least 1 hold or experience.
There are age limits on certain events, so be aware. Most kids 10 and up will be able to everything.
Super cute animals but the waits can be a little long, due to what seemed like understaffing.
Hoping the new one has more staff!
An amazing experience in the desert near Reno. A hands-on, close up experience with amazing raptors. Knowledgable falconer Kathleen educated us on the biology, habits, and hunting of her birds. We held owls and a hawk then walked a short trail to observe the hunting behavior of a hawk. Overall an outstanding experience!
So much fun and some great education for myself and the kids. Our guide, Luxe, was very nice and informative. We enjoyed the animal encounters as well.
This place is definitely worth the visit!
Our tour guides name was Alexander and he was fantastic, knew so many interesting facts about the animals, in particular the alligators and crocodiles.
You take a short walk around the the enclosures where you can go in and feed the tortoises it was an amazing experience you can even feed the alligators which was fantastic you can interact with almost everything at no extra cost…definitely remember your bug spray!
Our tour guides name was Alexander and he was fantastic, knew so many interesting facts about the animals, in particular the alligators and crocodiles.
You take a short walk around the the enclosures where you can go in and feed the tortoises it was an amazing experience you can even feed the alligators which was fantastic you can interact with almost everything at no extra cost…definitely remember your bug spray!
Alexander was our tour guide today, great knowledge of all the exhibits, can answer any question you throw at him with confidence. Great way to end our trip to florida with a really exciting tour would recommend to anyone who's in the area 😀
I met a worker from my job erbert's and Gerbert's that recommended this place to me and I decided to come for my birthday with my family. The animals are so friendly and beautiful creatures the staff takes very good care of them which is very heartwarming to see. The albino deer was very friendly and snuck up and gave me a kiss it was the sweetest experience ever. The gifts they offer are very reasonable priced we bought a few to help support the company and the animals. I look forward to coming again it is a very happy place for us. 💜
It was a lovely experience for my 2 year old son. We got to feed Alpacas and there were so many of them! It was a wonderful sight. We also petted a 3 week old calf, baby pigs, emus, bunnies. It was one of the best experiences of my Jersey trip. They are very professional and start the tour on time. The host was kind enough to click pictures of my family. Thank you for the memorable experience
Was pleasantly surprised by this zoo. They had a wide variety of animals that you wouldn't expect to be at such a small place- hyenas, several different big cats, along with many favorites like sloths and kangaroos. You can feed both baby and adults goats, as well as take a train ride through different parts of the zoo. We went on a Wednesday and admission was only $10.
Genuinely friendly employees and cute interactions with animals. This place is such a sweet little gem. On a whim we visited before my son’s birthday dinner. It wasn’t crazy busy and the staff were all so nice to chat with and helpful. Sometimes these places make me feel sad for the animals but the care they receive and their habitats felt thoughtful and educational. Worthy visit for an animal lover in your life.
This was so much fun and well worth the money! They have loads of animals that you can get up close to, though not Tiger King close. There’s a bird enclosure with 300 budgies that will swarm you when you bring out the seed stick. Be prepared to get pooped on in there, or at the very least sit on some poop.
I visited this with some friends and we spent hours here feeding animals, holding a baby kangaroo (it pooped in my arms, but I was totally ok with it lol), feeding alligators and petting a baby fox. I think my favorite animal there was Dill Prickle the porcupine. He was so sweet and gentle.
If you visit, I highly recommend you speak with the caretakers about the animal care and histories. They are passionate about the work they do to protect them and give them happy lives.
I visited this with some friends and we spent hours here feeding animals, holding a baby kangaroo (it pooped in my arms, but I was totally ok with it lol), feeding alligators and petting a baby fox. I think my favorite animal there was Dill Prickle the porcupine. He was so sweet and gentle.
If you visit, I highly recommend you speak with the caretakers about the animal care and histories. They are passionate about the work they do to protect them and give them happy lives.
Cool little zoo, would recommend, lots of cool animals. only down was the bathrooms, porta pottys only
I had an amazing experience at Croc Encounters. I would like to personally thank Alexander (the expert tour guy) for answering all my questions, my family's, and everyone else in the group. Thank you for making our experience so much fun and educational. We learned so much about these animals!
During the tour we got to hold a snake and a small alligator.
We also fed a lot of medium size alligators and interacted with big turtles!
This place is a local GEM! I would encourage anyone to go visit!
During the tour we got to hold a snake and a small alligator.
We also fed a lot of medium size alligators and interacted with big turtles!
This place is a local GEM! I would encourage anyone to go visit!
Extremely informative. Was a lot of fun feeding the tortoises and alligators ( pellets) and the kids had a great time! Only thing I would add would be some fans along the boardwalks were they stand and talk once they're able to. Support your local wildlife rescue and help them get there!
They do 4 tours a day.
They do 4 tours a day.
It was my first time and I loved it. Don't be alarmed it's three friendly chickens that walk around freely. We were greeted in the lobby by one in the lobby. My only concern was the hand washing stations barely give out water They need to be updated.
Had an amazing time!!! Our tour guy Joe was awesome!!! So kind and knowledgeable!!! Super organized and fun!!! Highly recommend!! My three year old niece loved it!!! A great family day!
Was an amazing time! I enjoyed it just as much as the kids did. Our tour guide was so informational and amazing. I’d recommend this to any reptile lover. Such a great place! Keep up the great work!!!!
It’s small but worth it if you like a personal touch! We were skeptical when we first arrived but it all worked out perfectly. After tickets were purchased over the phone,Alexander was an excellent guide. He was passionate, friendly and very patient while my 4 year old ran around exploring. It’s not what I expected but it felt so intimate everyone in our family enjoyed it. We feed the tortoises and held the snake and baby alligator 🐊. Total time there 90 minutes. Bring water and use the bathroom before and you’ll have no worries. 👍🏽
This is a highly recommended experience. Kathleen shares her passion and knowledge about these incredible creatures in a way that captivated and wow’d us!
It was the first time that we went to this zoo and my kids had a blast. They had so much fun feeding the baby goats, and just hearing their laughs made my day. The baby goat experience even for me was so cute. Getting to see kangaroos and hyenas Camel zebra it was very cool.
Cute small farm. The alpacas are really cool. I like how you get to walk with them. They are friendly. You are given 1 bag of food per family and the alpacas eat right out of your hand. Entire tour was about 50 mins.
Took the 2 kiddos on a Saturday in March. Got there about 1pm-ish.
Easy to find in the mall(side note- the food court has great options that appear to be local and it was packed! Everyone got something different and liked their choice! Win for the home team! ☺).
Big entry in S.S. A bit spendy if you awant to do anything other than walk through and see critters.
Kids opted for the Cupy package and with entry for all was $150+😳.
We gathered up our cups of food and sticks for the bird cage and off we went.
All animals appeared to be well cared for. There was no real smell of unclean animals. YES, they DO smell like animals, but not the stinky wet sour ammonia smell some places have had. 🤢
It was busy but enough room to move and really see the animals. Most animals seemed past full and really didn't care about the food; except for the big goats, they seemed to eat whenever offered.
The package the kids got included holding a joey, feeding the capybara, guinea pigs and feeding the birds.
All experiences were great! The line for the joey gets a bit bottlenecked if there are more than 5 people in line and was a bit of a wait (40+min) but we'll worth it.
Feeding the Capybara, guinea pigs and birds went much faster line wise. Time provided was ample and not rushed so the kids really had an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy the experience.
Can't wait to see what the Burnsville Mall location offers!
Easy to find in the mall(side note- the food court has great options that appear to be local and it was packed! Everyone got something different and liked their choice! Win for the home team! ☺).
Big entry in S.S. A bit spendy if you awant to do anything other than walk through and see critters.
Kids opted for the Cupy package and with entry for all was $150+😳.
We gathered up our cups of food and sticks for the bird cage and off we went.
All animals appeared to be well cared for. There was no real smell of unclean animals. YES, they DO smell like animals, but not the stinky wet sour ammonia smell some places have had. 🤢
It was busy but enough room to move and really see the animals. Most animals seemed past full and really didn't care about the food; except for the big goats, they seemed to eat whenever offered.
The package the kids got included holding a joey, feeding the capybara, guinea pigs and feeding the birds.
All experiences were great! The line for the joey gets a bit bottlenecked if there are more than 5 people in line and was a bit of a wait (40+min) but we'll worth it.
Feeding the Capybara, guinea pigs and birds went much faster line wise. Time provided was ample and not rushed so the kids really had an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy the experience.
Can't wait to see what the Burnsville Mall location offers!
What a great experience! We got to feed the alpacas and pet all of the friendly animals! Reservations and check in was super easy and the staff were very friendly. I loved the gift shop too. Definitely a must go!
Croc Encounters is a great little tour facility with lots of varieties of reptiles to observe. Tour guide Alexander was a wonderful facilitator and was very knowledgeable about every animal we encountered, he even had answers to every question that we had so he really knows his stuff. We got to hold Crocs and snakes which he demonstrated for us very well so there's nothing to fear. The facility itself is in a bit of disrepair and could be renovated a bit, but after taking the tour it's definitely a great place to donate to in its cause to preserving the wildlife of Florida. Would recommend for a relatively cheap activity for families, it's $45 per person and $99 total for groups of 3 or 4, so we got in for a good price and all had a great time!
Went in December and paid for the whole Christmas experience; it definitely wasn't what they advertised. It was very run down and meek. The animals are very well cared for but nothing like the pictures. However I don't think graham crackers is an appropriate snack to habe kids giving them all day long. Decorations from The Dollar Store would have been better. Nice staff but not at the caliber they marketed and advertised.
love da pengs
love da munky
All the animals seemed to be in good condition and well taken care of. All of the paths and the parking lot are dirt - so good chance of mud.
We went for Christmas town. They sell time tickets so it wasn't crowded even on an unseasonably warm December Saturday right before Christmas. We loved the reindeer barn. The flight school show (baby reindeer learning what it takes to be one of Samta's reindeer) was very basic but cute. We enjoyed the photo opportunity with the reindeer after. Santa is in a cute little cabin. One family goes on at a time which increases the intimacy.
Not all animals are on exhibit this time a year. Most animals could come and go from their yard to the indoor habitat at will. There was an impressive array of animals including cougars, bobcats, lynx, wolves, foxes, otters (although the plexiglass on the other exhibit is extremely hard to see through), hyena, camel, zebra, donkey, and goats.
The souvenir shop was extremely over priced.
Overall a fun excursion. We will be going again when we can see the sloth.
We went for Christmas town. They sell time tickets so it wasn't crowded even on an unseasonably warm December Saturday right before Christmas. We loved the reindeer barn. The flight school show (baby reindeer learning what it takes to be one of Samta's reindeer) was very basic but cute. We enjoyed the photo opportunity with the reindeer after. Santa is in a cute little cabin. One family goes on at a time which increases the intimacy.
Not all animals are on exhibit this time a year. Most animals could come and go from their yard to the indoor habitat at will. There was an impressive array of animals including cougars, bobcats, lynx, wolves, foxes, otters (although the plexiglass on the other exhibit is extremely hard to see through), hyena, camel, zebra, donkey, and goats.
The souvenir shop was extremely over priced.
Overall a fun excursion. We will be going again when we can see the sloth.
If you love eagles this is a good place to go to learn more.
They have a large number of eagles that cannot be released back into the wild.
They have a large number of eagles that cannot be released back into the wild.
I love that these beautiful birds have a safe place to live and are cared for well. When we were here, several bald eagles were sitting on a log together ... looked like they were having a business meeting. A few were vocalizing. Very spacious habitat.
Such a wonderful experience! The alpacas are very friendly and gentle and quite excited to have the visitors come to feed them. Cosmo was our favorite. He gives kisses!
It was a great, knowledgeable adventure! Great to interact with the raptors and really feel them. Kathleen was fun and had great information. Just know you are outside and prepare for the weather
They do have many different types of animals, from a wide degree of locations; Arctic Fox, Kangaroo, and Zebras. It's a little expensive for what it is, but I like supporting local endeavors like this, knowing that they have expenses and bills too. My daughter was able to feed the baby goats. The area is easy to navigate and the staff are friendly and approachable.
Love that they use part of the park to help rehabilitate Bald Eagles!!!
My family and I have visited Summerfield Zoo a few times. The girls love to feed the baby goats - although this time the goats were much bigger and more intimidating for them as they jumped all over them and about knocked them over as they were so anxious for their turn at the bottle they had. Maybe it was because we went so late in the year? We'll try again next early spring and see if we can feed the smaller goats.
The girls loved seeing the other animals around, although there were several empty enclosures this time around - more so than last time we went.
The staff were all very friendly and the girls always love the shows they do with the animals they show off up close for them to see. I'm sure we'll be back again!
The girls loved seeing the other animals around, although there were several empty enclosures this time around - more so than last time we went.
The staff were all very friendly and the girls always love the shows they do with the animals they show off up close for them to see. I'm sure we'll be back again!
Nice area to watch eagles while eating
Small business with a lot to offer. Tours are by online reservation only, but you pay in cash at the entrance. I didn't know what to expect, but it was amazing. The alpacas were super friendly. The emu's were eating kale out of my hands! They had so much more than just alpacas too. It was super clean, and the staff was great. Definitely going back.
Small sanctuary for eagles and other birds of prey that is supported by Dollywood and features a nice sized habitat up into the woods.
Super fun and unique experience! It was fascinating to have the chance to learn about and interact with these amazing animals. The site was clean and comfortable despite being one of the hottest days of the summer so far. It is reservation only.
This is inside Dollywood theme park. You have to pay to park and pay to get into dollywood to see this sanctuary.
Such a fun experience. We learned about Miso (this little African Penguin) from his sweet keeper Megan. He’s 3 and just molted! He was so dense and soft to pet and we learned ALOT. Definitely worth the price!
We booked a birthday party here for our daughter, and it was incredible. Everyone had a great time, and the hosts were kind, helpful, and great to chat with. The property is beautiful, nestled in the pines, with so many great animals. Perfect spot!
Bears are cool
Aren't kangaroos so cool?
The farm was cute and very clean. The tour guide answered all questions and was super informative. Would recommend to all my family and friends! Don't forget to check out the shop too! My daughter lovessss her baby alpaca stuffed animal!
Nice area for the orangutans. We only saw one though.
Great day out seeing all the animals and the kids absolutely loved it .