Have been here a handful of times since the Summer of 2020 and have always had a good experience,…read moreso I decided to have my son's first birthday party here September 2021. The staff member with us (Sophia) was helpful and was frequently asking what I needed help with. She helped us set up and take down as well. The decorations were all set up upon our arrival. They had balloons and tablecloths set up for us. The only thing I brought related to decor was a backdrop and "happy birthday" sign for the dessert table. Also brought our desserts and food. The party room was clean and all of our guests complimented how well kept the farm was. There was a high chair for the birthday boy and 6 larger tables for the guests (there were a bunch more outdoors as well but all of our guests ate in the party room). I appreciated having the entire farm and party room to ourselves. All of the kids enjoyed their play time in the yard (a bunch of toys, some ride on car/roller coasters, sand area, and more out there to keep them busy) in addition to the petting farm itself. They also enjoyed riding the horse. I would recommend some rain boots if you're coming after heavy rain. It gets muddy on the farm. The only downside was that I had to bring literally everything needed along with us such as plates, silverware, napkins, a knife and spatula and lighter for the cake (just some examples).... It would be awesome if some of those things were provided by Carousel Acres but it was no big deal since I knew in advance. This still didn't take away from the experience. Overall, we truly enjoyed our time here and would recommend it for others! I would definitely have another party here again.

I have to say if it were just for the facility and our party coordinator, Sheryl, I would give this…read moreplace 5 stars. Sheryl was so sweet and meant to do this, she truly cared that we had a good time. The party barn was perfect and it was nice to have the tables and centerpieces ready to go. Unfortunately, The owner, Tammy, is very frustrating to work with. She is very short with you, and pushes parties through so much so that you get only 15 min to set up all of your food and personal decorations. While they do help you, it makes it very stressful to be setting up that quickly as guests come in. Most places give 1hr but even 30 minutes would be better. If you come a minute earlier, she's upset. We had guests arrive early and waited outside of the barn respectfully and watched our children while we set up, they were yelled at for arriving early. My mother arrived 30 min before the party with my son because she came from soccer with him. The previous party had already left so she asked to drop the drinks off to get them out of her car and make room for myself and husband. She was yelled at for "asking for special treatment". We had 10 kids and about half of them decided not to ride the ponies because they were scared, they let my son ride a second time but wouldn't let my cousin because it's a strict one ride per kid even if there is more time and not everyone rides. They can accommodate up to 22 kids per their website and communications. I can appreciate it is a business and they have to make their money but that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. My daughter had a beautiful 1st bday party. Thankfully, she didn't notice the stress and enjoyed her day. I wish the owner was more welcoming, less pushy and cared more about her customers, not just their money. If she did we would be back in a heart beat. Unfortunately, I don't think we will be back because i have sour taste in my mouth. It's a shame because this place really is perfect for the kids.

Sharing my experience with Duke Petting Farm to save you from having to go through the same thing…read more I was having a big cowboy themed party for my boys joint birthday party. So I thought how fun would it be to have a cowboy horse & a petting farm. I Talked with Deb before even booking the party to make sure all the kids would be able to ride the pony. At first I asked for a horse because most of the kids would be around 10-11 years old. I was told a horse would be too hard for the little kids but she would send me a large pony that would be perfect for my age range. I told her no one would be over 120 pounds. She even asked me to put it in an email and I did. I am sharing that email in the photo section. I confirmed this with the owner several times before the party. Fast forward to party day when the problems all began. She sent 2 girls to work my one hour party. The one girl that ran the petting bunny area was EXTREMELY rude to all the little kids. Even rolling her eyes at them when they asked what kind of balloons she could make. She yelled at them multiple times when kids 3 years old were petting the baby bunnies. To a point of me and several parents going in the bunny pen to help. It was so embarrassing that people at my party were being treated this way. Several of the bunnies kept escaping. She yelled at the 3 year old birthday boy when he went to get a second handful of food from the food bucket they bring. She said "you already fed the animals." We tried to talk to her to help change her bad mood but it was the entire time and super disappointing as this was a kids party. The other thing I would like to warn you about is that TONS of the kids were turned away from riding the pony. The girl working said they were too tall. One of the girls was a tiny 10 year old weighing no more that 65 pounds. If height was a requirement I should have been told that before the party. Like I said I discussed this with her multiple times. So only a few little kids got to ride over and over. When you pay over $500 for someone to bring animals to your party you expect at least kind service. I contacted the owner before coming to social media. She said the girl working the party was only 14 years old. While she did say she would talk to her she made all kinds of excuses. I think it would be better to have an adult working something like this. She told me the bigger pony they had used at a different party that day and had problems with so they switched to this one. I understand things happen in life but those are not a customers problem. While I couldn't come to an agreement with the owner I thought I could at least warn all my friends or anyone thinking to book for a party! Stay far away. I wished I would have booked somewhere else. After having the party I had several people recommend Tyler's exotic animals. They said he is much more kid friendly. Just super disappointed that so few kids got to ride the pony & that the other worker that ran the balloons/petting area treated everyone so rotten. It was an awful experience and I have booked lots of big things for events. Never have I had to deal with this kind of unprofessionalism. Truly disappointed.

It's a bit out of the way for folks living in town but it's a farm after all!!!! Debbie and her…read moreteam of volunteers are absolutely amazing!!!!! I took my 10 year old out here for some riding for her birthday, the offer lessons for a fair price and they also do this thing called "Mini-Mondays" where younger kids get to do fun activities and dive into the agricultural world. They get up close and personal with the animals while learning valuable life lessons such as showing respect to all creatures, kindness, forgiveness and other things we all want instilled in our kids! My girls just wrapped up softball and we're so excited to sign up for volunteering at the farm!!

Highly recommend!! Be careful pulling in because there's…read morechickens everywhere! This is a magical environment that I haven't seen anywhere else. Entry is free however I highly recommend buying some drinks and animal feed to help support the farm! They also offer an Airbnb stay that I will be looking into! There's goats, cows, dogs, sheep, emus, sugar gliders, opossum and more! There are some animals in the back that I recommend asking the staff about. Some animals are still being socialized so they stay in the back and may be brought out under supervision. There's handicap parking and whiles there's not much pavement, there's no stairs. Some areas may be challenging for a wheelchair. All of the animals have names as well and I encourage asking the staff questions. They are all super kind and love the animals. A very unique experience that I recommend for animal lovers and kids!

We went last year with a 4 year old & 1 yr old (4 generations); Mom, Grandma & Great Grandma! The…read morechildren held baby piglets to keep them warm; ran after the chickens, geese & ducks; saw 2 foxes in an enclosure; petted the cows and horses gently; and recognizing their beauty. Overall a great day out for all of us! Lots of great pictures and videos! Plenty of chatting with the children about the farm animals; teaching them about respect and taking care of all living creatures.

A great place to getaway and take children anfishing is greatd fishing is great j merriweatherread more

The animals are all very friendly They do get a little…read moreaggressive at getting into food bag. I think they team up. One gets u to look right. While one sneaks under your left arm and pulls the bottom out of the bag Even kept my 5yr old grandson entertained. Fishing was not to good for us 4hrs and only some 3" long bluegill

I took a small group here from my church and we had a good time. I would definitely come back. It's…read moreright across the street from their old location. It's worth it to gather a group because it's 1/2 the price otherwise it's $25 per person. We were given 1 1/2 hours to get through the place but most of us finished way before that. They do remove the snakes if you're interested in holding/ pet them. They have an area where you can pet the tortoises and capybara up close. That's an additional cost. There are 2 rooms from birthday party and they did have a sink in it so guest can wash their hands. Get here soon! I had a good time.

I'll start off by saying that it exceeded my expectations. I really didn't think there would be…read moremuch to see but boy was I wrong. The exhibits have some unusual reptiles. You'll find a two headed turtle, a blind snake, a few albino reptiles including an albino alligator and so much more. The exhibits were neat and clean and we loved the fact that their animals have unique names. Just learning some of their names made the experience a little more fun. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable and they took their time talking with us and interacting with anyone who had questions. Petting and holding the reptiles really made the experience fun for the kids. The stacked habitats were too high to see what was in all of them. The lower ones were good enough for me to peer into..... Hairy spiders. The aquarium side had a huge jelly fish tank that let you change the colors of the lighting with the press of a button so you could see them glowing in the different colors of the water. There were sting rays, small sharks, axolotls, unique looking fish and much more. It's jam packed at every turn with creatures big and small and for all ages to enjoy. Their gift shop is nice with lots to choose from. From stuffed animals large and small to little tokens in every price range. It's definitely a fun and educational place to visit. So if you're looking for a place that the entire family can enjoy, this is the place to go for both the young and young at heart.

This place has been here for years. I personally know the owner I want let everyone know that right…read moreout of the gate. It's a great place to bring your children for pony rides and to pet all of the animals at the little petting zoo. Many people in the area have volunteered at Elizabeth park pony ranch through the years it's a special gem to the community. If you have a chance to visit it's definitely a must see! The pony's and animals are so very loved by all. Your children will not be disappointed with the half mile trail ride around the park.

My daughter had her fifth birthday pictures taken here by an amazing photographer named Melissa…read moreKendell and I was SOOOO happy with how they turned out!! Definitely recommend for sure!!! The pony ranch and the photographer! They even dressed the pony as a unicorn for the pictures!!! So cute!!!!

a minute ago NEW…read morePlease do not book with this woman!!!! She convinced me to book with her after telling me the mobile petting zoo I was gone to book with is know for ripping people off and did the same to me. She called me with a sob story a month prior to the booking about an animal being sick if I could pay in full now she could save it so I did. Day of my sons party she arrived 30 mins late and did not have the pony I paid $200 extra for, all the kids were looking forward to. Zero communication about being late or no pony. Her animals all looked malnourished and sick. And she vaped the entire time she was with the kids and animals. The party was in July it's October she still has not refunded my money just provided excuse after excuses. Laurie (the owner) is a scam artist! Please save your money and book somewhere else!!

From the owner: Mobile horse and pony rides, and petting zoo! read more

Customer service & professionalism is very poor. I called to book an event for my church and all…read morewas well with the booking until i mentioned it was in Pontiac. That is when i was told that they didn't service that area. However, I already checked on the areas that they service before i called, and macomb and Oakland county are both mentioned online/on their website. In addition, when i went to their Facebook page prior to calling the most recent event was a birthday party in Bloomfield which is VERY close to Pontiac. When i mentioned the website said Oakland and macomb county and their Facebook shows that they were in Bloomfield, the lady went silent on the phone. Ignoring me for at least 30 seconds. After saying "hello" repeatedly, i hung up to call back again, thinking maybe she loat reception (Doubted it, but wanted to give her the benefit of a doubt).I hung up and called back again twice and even left a voicemail the second time, only to be ignored and for my call to not be returned. Very disappointed at the dishonestly, and honestly the discrimination as well. Unacceptable.

From the owner: Downriver best hands on mobile petting zoo for all occasions! Bringing a variety of farm animals to…read moreyou! Birthday parties, school Events, Nursing Homes, Community Events and more!

I'm a big fan of Free Spirit Farm! It's been a lifelong dream of mine to own a horse, and the next…read morebest thing is riding frequently and learning to ride properly. That's what I get to do here. I've ridden many of the horses and ponies and have always felt safe. Shae owns the barn, trains the horses, and teaches lessons. All of her horses are loved, well-cared for, and do well with riders at all levels. She is a patient instructor, cares about her clients, and is passionate about her business and horses in general. She's also a certified saddle fitter. Weather-permitting, lessons are outside year round. From the outdoor arena, there's a lovely view of a beautiful grassy field where the horses love to graze with a gorgeous tree-lined backdrop. During inclement weather (when it's simply too cold or rainy), there's a very nice, large indoor arena. Lessons are private and semi-private and priced fairly. Shae teaches all ages. I am super happy at this barn. I think the world of Shae as an instructor, trainer, business owner, and person. You're in good hands here, and if you enjoy it half as much as I do, your life will be brighter when you take equestrian lessons at Free Spirit .