Located outside the city hustle and bustle, this is a great place for adults and kids. We have had season passes for 1 year now and it never gets old! You see different animals out each time. There's a trolley ride and petting zoo. 2 restaurants-we have eaten at both, the lodge is great for an adult only night, a bit pricey but great food. Have a nice dinner when it's decorated for the holidays!
This was just like Jurassic Park -- but with the most boring animals in the world. $70 for a family of four to take a bumpy tractor ride for an hour. We sat on the passenger side of the cramped trolley. Because most of the stops had animal access only on the driver side we were basically treated to splendid views of the plump elderly grandma jean posteriors of the elderly couple sitting across from us. The two stops we were able to feed these two thousand pound boogery future steaks were okay, but nowhere near worth the $70. The "small animal adventure" was pathetic - small fenced in areas containing unidentified birds that looked like they were rescued from local cockfights.Really pretty surroundings though. Very pretty part of Western New York.
This was our first visit to Hidden valley Animal Adventure. Parking is free and plentiful with handicap parking readily available. As you walk toward the main building it is hard to ignore how well kept the property is, both very clean and well laid out. For anyone needing a restroom, one is available inside the restaurant being passed on the way to the ticket/gift shop. The price per adult is $18 but can be reduced by $2 with AAA. I suppose the immediate question is the worth of the tour. I would say this. If you are traveling a long distance such as we did from Oswego, NY, and do nothing else, then perhaps not. We did other things in the area such as Letchworth State Park so this short side trip was in fact worthwhile. After purchasing tickets, you will be directed to board a tractor drawn covered, open sided wagon. I would suggest seating toward the front on the right side. This places you close to the tour guide and allows read access to the herds of animals that will approach the wagon to be fed. Speaking of feeding the animals, with each paid ticket comes a large plastic cup filled with a variety of specific food for the animals. Our guide stated this was a variety of more treat like food. You may buy more of this during the ride for $2 each. The riding tour takes about 45 minutes and we found nothing unsafe about anything. All ages may interact with the animals with nothing to fear. After the ride, you can either grab something to eat at the restaurant or see the petting zoo out back of the main building. You will need the same tickets as used for the 45 minute ride. Otherwise there is a $6 charge. Food for the animals is available here also.There is a large pond area also where a variety of waterfowl and fish may be viewed and fed.We are in our 60's and found this a safe and enjoyable day with about 3 hours required for the visit.
This is my third visit and I would still recommend the park. The animals have become more used to the regular trolley stops and feeding but it is still exciting to see them approach. I would suggest sitting on the passenger side of the trolley as this is the side most often approached by the animals. The petting area for smaller animals is very enjoyable as if feeding the water fowl and fish on the bridge.The food is a good value and a nice place to relax and enjoy the scenery. I hope they continue to add more animals and keep the property as nicely maintained as it is now.
This is was great outing for my family. They have a petting zoo and safari adventure. I would recommend both. The animals are very friendly. While at the petting zoo, a donkey and goat followed us around like we were family. This is definitely a must do if you are in the area.
We visited Hidden Valley on a Saturday in September. We arrives just prior to 10 AM and were able to catch the first trolly ride to see the animals. The trolly was not full and this provided a nice vantage point to see the animals. I would suggest getting there early as the trollies became more packed as the day went on. The hour long ride is a perfect length. They have some very nice animals and the kids and adults alike will enjoy feeding them. (different types of cows, asian water buffalo, elk, deer, camels, etc...) Each trolly has a staff person very knowledgable about the animals and the running of the farm. The petting zoo is ok.They have 2 restaurants. A fancier dining room and a more relaxed area for lunch. We had a nice lunch with a menu that features some exotic options. (bison burgers, elk burgers, asian water buffalo burgers) The menu also features plenty of standard options. My wife enjoyed a bison burger that she said was fantastic.All in all a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
We were looking for something to do with the kids (13 & 11) and found this place. This adventure is a really great place to spend the afternoon at. You and your family will be up close feeding animals and learning about them. The guides are very knowledgable and you truly get a sense that they love what they do. Don't forget to tip your tour guides, they deserve it! When you're done with the tour, definately grab a bite at the Trailside Grill. The food is very good and priced very reasonably!
It's a scenic drive to Varysburg and seeing all the animals was very fun. There are so many! My kids really enjoyed how close the animals came to the trolley. Feeding the animals is a lot of fun too. I would love to come here for a wedding sometime. It is a little pricey but you get a lot for your money and I would expect it's expensive to take care of all those animals. Hope to return again soon!
On our way back from a photography trip to Letchworth State Park. We discovered the Hidden Valley Animal Adventure. What an awesome surprise. The entry fee was quite reasonable (about 15 dollars) and the place is absolutely beautiful. It includes a petting farm, a ride in a wagon through the animal reserve, a large fish and bird pond as well as a restaurant. Everyone on the ride gets a cup of feed and the animals roam freely so they come right up to the wagon and you can feed them from the cup. This made for some awesome close up photos. My favourite were the zebras. After our visit and before returning to Canada, we ate at the restaurant. Their bison burger was amazing. This place is great for adults as well as kids. I would return again if given the opportunity. : )
Went on a sleigh ride February 21 with 6 friends. The sleigh held 10 and we had another couple with us. It was a nice sunny day with it snowing very light a perfect day. I called ahead for reservations and when we got there we all paid for our own. The ride was about 45 minutes and the horses were working in all that snow. There were quite a few animals around came up to the sleigh. We had dinner in the lodge, WOW! I had a bison melt and it was good and huge. We talked after and we will be going there in the summer for another ride in the trolley when all the animals are out. The staff was the best also. The place is great for young and the older crowd.