Many of the animals can be fed by hand as well as petted and my kids, which range from 6 to 14, loved it. There is a wide range of animals - though no big cats or anything like that, which is probably good because that would make me nervous. The animals are clean and well cared for and it is just a nice place to visit if you want to get outdoors and spend time with some critters. The price is great! Allow up to 2 hours for your visit.
Had a great time. We'll worth it. Very child friendly.Lots of exotic animals. Some can be hand fed.
We took our grand kids and they loved it. The workers were friendly. The cost was affordable at $5.00 a person. Lots of animals to see and feed. We had a blast.
This is a great place, the kids loved every minute being there. Reasonably priced and the animals are well cared for. The owner and family are onsite and were very friendly and gave more information about the animals which was an added bonus. I plan to tell anyone who will listen about this place. What a great treasure that is close to home and affordable.
We took visiting friends and family here and were pleasantly surprised by both the variety of animals, and the fact that the owner was walking around to welcome us and tell stories of each of his animals. A baby buffalo was a big attraction, but I got a particular Big Kiss from the friendly camel!! The kids enjoyed feeding the goats and donkey, and even the peacocks put on a welcome display!
Took my grandchild to see some farm animals. What a fun day. They have all the petting zoo, farm ,even exotic animals to see and touch. Camel ride, bouncy house, and tractor ride. The place is very clean, and the animals look healthy and well cared for. Next spring, we will get a season pass.
Plenty of animals to see, several to pet as well. Also; camel rides! A great deal for the price. Wonderful place for kids from walking age to teen age.
Went here for the first time today...wish we would have gone sooner! It's such a fun petting zoo type place with exotic animals. You can hand feed many of the animals. I'm an animal lover and LOVED this place! We met the owner Big Joel and he was very nice and friendly, just out interacting with the guests. Will definitely visit again.
Hello JandM44We are sorry we are just now getting back to your post. We are also sorry about the awful smell that you encountered. That was actually our North American Porcupine named Tom-Tom. His enclosure is next to the alligator exhibit. That is his natural scent and even though we think it is awful too, his lady friends really seem to like it. We are taking your review seriously here at Big Joel's Safari and will be trying to find a new, less centralized location for Tom-Tom and his friends. He is definitely nice to look at and interact with, however his smell does seem to be a problem. Thank you for your post and please spread the word about Big Joel's Safari.
This is a great place to go with family, especially those with little kids. You can buy a cup of animal food to feed the animals. The kids get up and close with the animals to pet them and give food. Good variety of animals including peacocks. All the the animals are well cared for. It's a little far rural from St. Louis, but worth it for reasonable prices and close encounter. Lots of gravel areas for walking, were comfy shoes and carry hand sanitizer. There is a wash sink (non potable water though), bring your own water.