Animal Encounters & Petting Zoos – Perfect for the Animal Lover in Your Family
Kids and animals go hand-in-hand.
Spring, summer and fall are the perfect time to visit and learn more about our furry, scaly, or somewhere in-between friends.
We’ve also covered a few places worthy of a drive!
Calling all future veterinarians and animal lovers – Read on to discover petting zoos, animal farms, sanctuaries, and zoos you’ll want to make sure and visit.
Petting Zoo Packing List
Spending more than an hour (or even 10 minutes) outside the home with kids means a lot of planning. What’s the weather going to be like? How wet and dirty will the kids get?
Use this list to pack everything you may need for your best day ever at the petting zoo:
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
- Strollers/Wagons
- Snacks/Water
- Wipes/Sanitizer
- Extra clothes
- Diapers / Pull-Ups
- Lunches
- Hats / Sunglasses
- Cash (including quarters) for extras, animal feed
Zoos & Petting Zoos Near Kalamazoo
Southwest Michigan is home to many amazing places to get up close and personal to a wide variety of animals at a petting zoo and beyond.
Binder Park Zoo
Binder Park Zoo
7400 Division Dr, Battle Creek, MI 49014
Open seasonally, May – October
Tickets start at $13.75
Must-Do | Feed the giraffes and goats |
Petting Zoo? | Yes, they have a petting zoo |
ZOO SIZE | 433 acres |
Number of Animals | 500 |
Highlights | Zebra tram, Peacocks walking around the zoo, Dinosaur area |
With animals spread over 433 acres, Binder Park Zoo is one of the bigger zoos in Michigan.
Wear your walking shoes when you visit; the exhibits here are spaced out and you’ll certainly get your steps in.
It boasts a spectacular African Savannah, complete with zebras, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, and over a dozen African wild dogs.
Other fan favorites include Raj the snow leopard, Tushar the red panda, and the lions.
BJR Ranch
BJR Ranch
23469 Marcellus Hwy, Dowagiac, MI 49047
Open seasonally, July – September (Saturdays)
Tickets start at $5
Must-Do | Take a wagon tour |
Petting Zoo? | Yes, there is a petting zoo |
Animals | Sheep, chickens, pigs, goats, horses |
Highlights | U-pick flowers (additional fee) |
Pick a bouquet of flowers and enjoy visiting with the animals at this family-owned farm. Take a tractor pulled wagon tour of the ranch and hear the historic story of Ransom Dopp and the lost gold.
The farm also offers private events and birthday parties.
Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park
Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park
8313 Pratt Lake SE Alto, MI 49032
Open seasonally, April – October
Tickets start at $12
Must-Do | Feed the giraffes and camels |
Petting Zoo? | Yes, there is a petting zoo |
ZOO SIZE | 80 acres |
Number of Animals | 1500 animals, 180 species |
Highlights | Unusual animals, easy to navigate |
Boulder Ridge boasts a large collection of exotic animals with opportunities to feed several of them, like the giraffes and camels.
Bonus: This paved zoo is mostly flat and is stroller-friendly.
The park also offers a free safari ride to visit emus, bison, water buffalo, and zebras, among others.

Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary
Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary
1698 M-66, Athens, MI 49011
Open seasonally, May – October
Tickets start at $10.95
Must-Do | Animal Encounters |
Petting Zoo? | No |
ZOO SIZE | 2.5 acres |
Number of Animals | Hundreds of reptiles |
Highlights | ‘Godzilla’ – an 11-foot, 350 pound alligator |
Critchlow is home to hundreds of rescue animals including alligators, crocodiles, tree frogs, and tortoises.
All animals are obtained through rescue, adoption or donation and will remain there for the rest of their lives.
Critter Barn
Critter Barn
9275 Adams St, Zeeland, MI 49464
Open year-round
Tickets start at $5
Must-Do | Hold a duck or rabbit in your lap |
Petting Zoo? | Yes |
ZOO SIZE | 3 acres |
Number of Animals | Over 200 animals |
This hands-on educational farm near Holland is home to over 200 animals, including pot-bellied pigs, horses, turkeys, donkeys, and ducks.
Free tours are available with Critter Crew youth volunteers.
The parking lot is small so arrive early or park in the street and walk up to the farm.
Dutch Creek Farm Animal Park
Dutch Creek Farm Animal Park
6255 N 1000 W, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Open seasonally, May – October
Tickets start at $8
Must-Do | Horse-drawn wagon ride |
Petting Zoo? | Yes |
Highlights | Unusual animals, feed the monkeys |
The farm features a wide array of domestic and exotic animals including zebras, reindeer and water buffalo.
Have you ever fed a monkey before? Dutch Creek features animals for both petting and feeding that families may not find elsewhere.
You can walk through, drive through, or take a wagon ride through the farm.
Tip: Bring cash and wear shoes that can get dirty.
Gull Meadow Farms
Gull Meadow Farms
8544 Gull Rd, Richland, MI 49083
Open seasonally, late Summer – Fall
Tickets start at $10
Must-Do | Feed the goats (bring quarters) |
Petting Zoo? | Yes, there is a petting zoo |
ZOO SIZE | 80 acres |
Highlights | Fun family activities |
In the Fall and select Summer days, Gull Meadow Farms features a petting zoo as part of their Back Forty exhibit. It includes alpacas, pigs, and over a dozen goats.
Other activities include a corn maze, wagon rides, pig races, u-pick apples, apple cannons, and a pumpkin patch.
Gull Meadow Farms is open for special events during the year. A fan favorite is the Walk through the Lights at Christmas.
Tip: Visit during the week or in the morning on weekends when its less crowded.
John Ball Zoo
John Ball Zoo
1300 Fulton W, Grand Rapids, MI 49054
Open seasonally, March – November
Tickets start at $11
Must-Do | Feed the budgies & ride camels |
Petting Zoo? | Yes, there is a petting zoo |
ZOO SIZE | 140 acres |
Number of Animals | 2000 animals, 230 species |
Highlights | Zipline, Sky Trail Ropes Course, Funicular |
John Ball Zoo is more than just animals. Visitors can also experience the zipline, feed the budgies, watch a bird show, ride a camel and climb across rope bridges and webs.
The zoo is known for special events, including Zoo Goes Boo and Illumizoo. Kids will also enjoy the play structures throughout the zoo.
Kalamazoo Nature Center
Kalamazoo Nature Center
7000 N Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Open year round
Tickets start at $3
Must-Do | Visit Nature’s Playground & DeLano Farms |
Petting Zoo? | Yes, there is a petting zoo (Summer only) |
ZOO SIZE | 1,100 acres |
Highlights | 14 miles trails, animals in their habitats |
Visit Lacey the Haflinger horse, Neo the pig, and all your farmyard favorites during the summer and weekends through September.
There are a variety of Family Programs that focus on animals – Creature Features, Farmyard Wednesdays and other opportunities.
The Nature’s Playground is a kid favorite. Explore natural play elements, find fish in the winding creek and play in the teepee. A towel and a change of clothes is helpful to have.
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
12685 E C Ave, Augusta, MI 49060
Open year round
Tickets start at $3
Must-Do | Feed the waterfowl |
Petting Zoo? | No |
ZOO SIZE | 180 acres |
Highlights | Birds of Prey, Nature photo-ops |
Explore three miles of trails and experience a variety of habitats surrounding Wintergreen Lake, the heart of the Sanctuary grounds. Families will see a variety of birds including waterfowl (geese, ducks, swans), game birds, and raptors.
The Birds of Prey exhibit is home to a bald eagle, red-tailed hawk and different owl species. These birds are permanent residents of the sanctuary.
Tip: Paved trails make this destination very stroller-friendly.
MOO-ville Creamery
MOO-ville Creamery
5815 S M-66 Hwy, Nashville, MI 49073
Open year round, petting zoo open April – October
FREE
Must-Do | Try the ‘Moo-valanche’ ice cream |
Petting Zoo? | Yes (April – October) |
NUMBER OF ANIMALS | Over 40 farm animals |
Highlights | Playground with giant sandbox, MOO-ville ice cream |
MOO-ville is FREE to visit. Kids will enjoy the petting farm, farm toys, and a giant sandbox in the play yard. Learn about the dairy process with a self-guided tour.
The petting zoo and kids play area has paved sidewalks making it stroller friendly.
Tip: Bring a cooler to transport ice cream home.
Potter Park Zoo
Potter Park Zoo
1301 S Pennsylvania Ave, Lansing, MI 48912
Open year round
Tickets start at $5
Must-Do | See Jaali, the black rhino |
Petting Zoo? | Yes |
ZOO SIZE | 102 acres |
NUMBER OF ANIMALS | Over 500 animals, 160 species |
Highlights | Pony rides, playground |
Potter Park Zoo is open year-round and offers discounted admission during winter months. Kids enjoy riding the ponies and camels, visiting the petting zoo, and exploring the playground.
Tip: bring cash to feed the birds.
Reindeer Ranch
Reindeer Ranch
2921 N 6th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Open seasonally
Tour tickets start at $10
Must-Do | Guided reindeer tour |
Petting Zoo? | Yes |
Highlights | Take a selfie with a reindeer |
Families will love to visit with reindeer and see the rest of the herd. Book tours (seasonally) online. Winter tours include Santa on weekends.
Watch their Facebook page in the spring for baby reindeer visits.
Scidmore Park Petting Zoo
Scidmore Park Petting Zoo
112 Spring St, Three Rivers, MI 48093
Petting Zoo open during Summer
FREE
Must-Do | Visit the duck pond |
Petting Zoo? | Yes (Summer weekends only) |
Highlights | Farm themed playground |
Make the short drive to Three Rivers to check out a whole menagerie of animals that love attention. See llamas, python snakes, pot-bellied pigs. Don’t forget the rabbits and hedgehogs too. (Open on the weekends).
Don’t miss the farm themed playground nearby.
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
34270 County Road 652, Mattawan, MI 49071
Open seasonally, April – November
FREE
Must-Do | Feed the fish (bring quarters) |
Petting Zoo? | No |
HATCHERY SIZE | 78 acres |
Highlights | Free fishing lessons |
This hatchery is home to lake sturgeon, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, northern pike, northern muskellunge, walleye, largemouth bass and a variety of sunfish on over 78 acres of ponds.
They also offer FREE fishing lessons, scavenger hunts and preschool activities (verify events on Facebook).
Zoos Worth the Drive
Up for a family road trip? Plan your next trip to stop at one or more of these great zoos:
African Safari Wild Animal Park | 267 S Lightner Rd, Port Clinton, OH 43452
Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square | 1730 S Washington Ave, Saginaw, MI 48061
Cincinnati Zoo | 3400 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45220
Detroit Zoo | 8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo | 3411 Sherman Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46808
Indianapolis Zoo | 1200 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46222
Potawatomi Zoo | 500 S Greenlawn Ave, South Bend, IN 46615
Toledo Zoo & Aquarium | 2 Hippo Way, Toledo, OH 43609
Map
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