Wow what an experience! Got to meet Casper the gator! Chris gilette was great at tjis kade this a smooth process and took the best pics. This whole place and what they do for these animals is amazing read more

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Great facility for what it is. They rescue animals and rehab them to hopefully return to the wild. If they cannot they live out their life here. They had a wide variety of animals from zebras, donkeys, tortoises, wolves, Florida panthers, and mores. It's small but besides paying the admission ($15) you can also pay to feed the animals, do an alligator encounter, and a behind the scenes encounter with some of the smaller animals. They also have an Amazon wish list where you can support the animals as well. read more

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Came back on a field trip with my students. It's changed a bit since our last field trip in 2020 with great new additions! It was very easy to book the field trip and communicate with the staff. Martha and Amanda were amazing with our special needs students. The kids loved the animal encounter in which they were able to pet the baby alligator and opossum. read more

Everglades Outpost - Milton - Zoos Near Me - Homestead, Florida

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How fitting that this is my 500th review because I LOVE this place!! I came in recently for a socially distanced gator encounter with Chris Gillette. It was truly one of the most incredible experiences of my whole life. I booked the encounter through Chris's website at crocodilechris.com - the experience takes place at this Outpost. The Outpost itself is easy to find. If you book Chris 's experience, admission to the outpost is included. The outpost hosts all kinds of wildlife rescues. It is a place where you can truly gain some knowledge about the animal world and you can see some amazing creatures. The outpost is not an entertainment venue but rather is a rescue so come expecting to be educated, not entertained. That being said, the up-close gator encounter is super entertaining. You get to swim with Casper and he is a super chill and very trained alligator. The water is super chilly but I got used to it after a while. Chris is so great - he taught me a lot and made me feel completely comfortable and safe the entire time. He also took some really great photos! I definitely recommend getting his photo package if you do the encounter. I will definitely be back again soon and bringing some friends! Great place! read more

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Hands down what an awesome experience! Why aren't there more non profit places like this? I left with a mission to one day open my own sanctuary. I recommend this place to all animal lovers- although it is hard to see some of the animals and read their back stories as to how and why they ended up here. I appreciate anyone that takes time to educate others about animals. The star of the show was definitely Q and Casper! He absolutely killed it! His personality and the way he interacted with the gators was everything! Aside from the gator show there were some other animals to see and feed. For $7 you can buy a basket of food to feed the gators. Definitely not expensive and well worth the drive to visit this place. I loved it! & so did my family. read more

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If you care about animals and support wildlife rescue programs, this is a great place to visit. You will pay about $20 to get in, but they do great work here. The animals are all rescued. Some from people who thought it would be cool to have a pet tiger (until it wasn't)....and various other scenarios where an animal cannot be returned to the wild. If you plan your trip carefully, you can also catch an educational alligator program, and then hold a baby gator at the end. Most of it is just to walk through and read about each of the animals and how they ended up there. I first went a couple years ago with a group and we got a private tour, but that would need to be arranged in advance. The location is easy to find and they have a large parking lot. There was a BBQ food truck set up there the day we went. They also have clean restrooms! I recommend swinging by Robert is Here fruit stand for a smoothie right before Everglades Outpost. Its about a half mile away. Schnebly Winery is not too far either, so go make a day of it! read more

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We came to the Everglades Outpost on a field trip today. The tour was excellent. The staff were warm and friendly. Even more important is that they truly care about the animals. We saw the wolves, the black bears, the Florida Panthers, the tigers, Chewy the camel and so many more of the 700 animals that live at the Outpost. There was a shaded area with picnic tables that was perfect for lunch. Afterwards, we sat in the bleachers for the show. Our students enjoyed the opportunity to hold a small alligator and or a snake. Overall the trip was relaxing and fun. I highly recommend it for groups as well as family day trips. They do not have a gift shop or vending machines so bring whatever you need to eat or drink. Nearby is Robert is Here fruit stand. They make delicious shakes. I'd suggest stopping in at the stand while you are in the area. read more

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I was kind of disappointed about this place. The way the animals were held. At the entrance they have a parrot in a cage, he did not even have a stick to sit on, nothing to play with. I told the girl and all she said was that he likes it that way. The wolfs, the camel ect, they were just sitting in a pretty much blend caged in area in the blasting heat. read more

We loved Everglades Outpost. My husband did the swimming with a gator and he loved every minute. Chris is fantastic! He explained everything so well to ensure safety and was so great at handling Casper. We also loved seeing all the other animals while we were there. The lady at the front desk was super sweet and friendly! read more

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Everglades Outpost is a non profit that rescues and rehabilitates wild animals. It was founded by Bob Freer in 1989. He started off rescuing small birds, opossums, and raccoons. From there he got into big cats, rescuing Willow the panther who was confiscated during a drug bust, Rocky the tiger from an exotic dancer, and a grizzly bear that was being kept as a pet in a backyard in Miami Beach. Monkeys from a research facility also found a home at Everglades Outpost. Kenya is a lemur who ended up here when her owner took out all of her teeth so she wouldn't bite and then didn't want to feed her a special diet. Besides visiting all of the animals be sure and catch the alligator show starring Casper. Casper is more dog than ferocious reptile. During the show they swim, carry, and kiss Casper. If you are feeling brave you too can swim with Casper for 30 minutes for $250. This is the only place in the world that you can swim with an alligator. Casper is the only alligator you can interact with but this refuge has taken in hundreds of alligators that have been removed from neighborhoods for being nuisance gators. The Everglades Outpost as I previously mentioned is not for profit. All of the people who work here are volunteers and all of the money raised goes to the care of the animals. A regular adult admission is $15 but they offer a Groupon. You can also purchase special tours and feeding experiences which helps support the Outpost. While I appreciate what they are doing, the mistreatment these animals have endured makes me so mad. There needs to be stronger laws to prevent people from owning exotic animals as pets. They need to be out in the wild where they belong, not suffering at the hands of some inexperienced human. Even though the enclosures here are larger than what is required by the state they still seem too small to me. I want a place like this not have to exist. Sadly there will always be a stupid person thinking they should own a tiger and they would have to be put down if it was not for Everglades Outpost taking them in along with a lot of other animals. So come out and support them. It would be great if some millionaire would drop them a hefty donation. Until that day, volunteer, donate, and buy a ticket so they can keep caring for the animals. read more

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The alligator show alone deserves high ratings. I've been to a lot of attractions and I've seen several alligator shows and what no, but I had never seen a show like the one here at Everglades Outpost. These guys went in chest deep water with alligators swimming in it. I was really impressed with their presentation. The rest is kind of basic and there's not much to do. We saw tigers, panther, donkeys, camel, zebra, parrots, wolves, turtles, chickens and roosters. Their IG page shows more animals (bear, snake, raccoon) but I totally missed those. Can't beat their Groupon deal, $13 for 2 people. Kids 5 and under are free. read more

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Definitely an underrated place that I found on Groupon. Not for those who like nicely trimmed and air conditioned experiences as this is an animal rescue that is nonprofit and staffed by volunteers and generous donors. A lot of their big cats were rescued from cruel places. Lions and tigers were often rescued when people thought they were too big for cute photos and pets, greater than 40 kg and then they were abandoned. And then, there are A LOT OF ALLIGATORS. Funny thing is that down the street from them is a place to eat alligator (get the tacos btw). alligators get relocated to here and kept here to make them disoriented geographically, so that they don't go back and become nuisances to the communities they were brought from. Lots of flies and black flies, so make sure you wear pants and long sleeves if youre not one for buggies. Also, the best part is, ask to volunteer. You get to do some really neat stuff if you offer to volunteer, because you can scrub pans, help feed the animals and even get up close to some of them free of extra charge. You may as well do wildlife some good and get yourself an awesome experience! This is not a place for photo ops to post on your social media though- if you're looking for that, try other places. To respect the privacy of these animals and work that the people do, you are here to help out the animals and give your time. read more

This place is ok. I've been a few times because my daughter loves to feed the alligators. It's too pricey for what it is which is a very brief tour of some of the rescued animals. You can walk this place in about 15 min and that's with stopping to feed the gators. $20 per adult, $15 child - should be $10 and $5. I understand they have to make money to stay open but for the price I wouldn't recommend. A few miles down there's airboat rides, gator shows, and you can hold a gator for the same price. They should try to think of more creative ways to interact with visitors. My last visit they didn't even bother to have the gator show. Ok place, just would recommend other places if someone asked me for suggestions. read more

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It was definitely less cheeky than expected with little TLC on groundskeeping so I wasn't expecting much at first glance. There were random junkanoo type stuff laying around with overgrown grass in areas and rocks...but nothing too manicured, everything just kinda thrown together. Some of the animals there have been raised by the owners, others have been rescued but every animal has its own little story. We took a private tour and got a chance to feed some of the animals which was a pretty neat experience. As seen in the pics, there's a little bit of everything. Tigers, a black bear, two panthers, wolves and a lemur, among many others. Animals seem to be nourished and taken care of and their living conditions although caged are clean and maintained. Not sure how these wildlife refuge places get funded if at all, but my only hope is that they pump some money into these to improve the living conditions for the animals and the overall aesthetic of the property. Hard to tell for me whether an animal is happy or not when they're caged but improving the quality of their space maybe attempting to recreate their own habitat would be good. The bear enclosure seemed small and the poor thing had like some sort of skin condition around the eyes. I also noticed some of the cats and dogs roaming the property were in need of a little manicuring and care of their own. Overall this was a good experience with a rekindled sense of hope for animals that without places like these would have probably died or been killed/euthanized. It's nice to know there are people with an honest interest in supporting these animal's rights and are caring for them accordingly. read more

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This "small zoo" was a perfect place to take our nephew. It's located right down the street from the oh so famous Robert is Here(perfect to grab a cold shake) and is a cute must stop. Complete with endangered and non-endangered animals. We paid the $15 entrance fee and went on our walk. We went on a weekday so there weren't any shows like alligator wrestling but we actually enjoyed just taking it all in ourselves. Now this place is small and maybe not what people expect. There's nothing fancy here it's honestly just animals with trees everywhere (provides decent shade on hot days) in cages or their private or enclosed areas. We got to see alligators,a crocodile (notice said he was in training), iguanas, parrots, zebra, a camel, monkeys, tigers, a bear , and my one of my worst fears...snakes. They had an abundance of alligators. In the case of numbers you'll see them the most. The set up looks as if your walking through a small jungle. Big trees everywhere and it looks like they've built around them to keep an authentic wild look.It's kept well but you can still see some damage from last years hurricane. The animals looked like they were taken care of but I honestly hate to see them in cages. But I also understand some of these animals were saved from being put down so I appreciate this facility for keeping them alive. They have a small museum that looks more like a double wooden shed. Inside holds different artifacts from different time periods and native weapons and pottery. They also had stuffed alligators and skin from some kind of animal (claws were still on them and I forgot to ask what animal it was). They also had vintage items, signs, and different items like purses, shoes, belts etc made out of alligator skin. Walking towards the back end is a sign of poisonous animals. Now I have a fear of snakes....like seriously. So I let my BF walk in the back to look at all the snakes they had and I just stood in the doorway with our nephew ( I didn't want to let him walk in there) ..yeah Im a scaredy cat...but from the doorway i could see the pretty colors and details of the snakes....that was enough for me. We continued walking back out on the grounds and came up on the wolves. There were 2 that we saw and they were very playful with eachother. There was also a lemur who just kept walking back and forth (he was waiting for his food as the employees had just appeared with bowls to feed all the animals), there was a camel who was just in the back eating and a zebra who I was having a staring competition with. At the end there were the tigers and a black bear. All were sleeping besides the one white tiger who looked like he just wanted to be pet. We really liked coming here and our nephew enjoyed looking at all the animals. My only complaint is that it was really a hot day and besides the sunblock we put on we really should've worn some bug repellent. So be prepared. This place although small is a must stop. Come see something different in a more natural enviroment then a "real zoo", get out that element. It's hard to imagine that one of these days some of these animals won't exist. These people genuinely care about the well being of these animals and look forward to a future of possibly taking some of them off the endangered list. read more

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Great visit, Charles did a great show and was very involving with the kids. All the animals here have been rescued and the staff obviously care an awful lot for them. read more

Everglades Outpost - Charles with a snapper turtle - Zoos Near Me - Homestead, Florida

Found out about this place through Groupon! Nice little location of rescued animals and it was nice knowing they try to help them out and give them a loving home. Saw my first panther first and wow BEAUTIFUL. They have a little picnic area and a crocodile show occasionally as well. They also have a snack and reptile part inside one of their buildings. Reason I am giving it a 4 star rating instead of 5 is because it is quite small and isn't all day activity. You can explore the area in max 15 minutes. Pictures and videos are what add to your time here. A suggestion I would have is to include other activities to interest guests so that way they stay longer and possibly include a small ice cone shop or something to sell items to guests to make a little extra income as well. read more

I'm so mixed about how many stars to give this place because on the one hand I absolutely love the fact that they are trying to rehabilitate animals then reintroduce them into their environment or keeping animals that can't be returns to their environment because they won't be able to defend themselves, but on the other hand I can't stand to see ANY animal caged. It's a pretty small place, we lucked out because it was a cool day when we went there so it wasn't uncomfortable walking around, I imagine it would have been a lot worse than a hot day. Some of the animals had signs on their enclosures explaining why they were there but most of them didn't so I wondered how and why several of them were there. It was kind of strange, there wasn't really anyone around to ask questions oh, we did see one staff member walking around but she didn't acknowledge us. I had a Groupon for the two of us, normal admission is $15 per adult but please remember that the admission does go to help care for the animals. read more

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Half the place was closer and full price. Expensive for that it is. Animals don't look taken care of either

Great place wonderful care of these beautiful rescue animals. I've been to a lot of places and this one is definitely worth the trip

If your looking for something to do... then try this wildlife refuge with all sorts of exotic animals. We Seen animals I never thought that people would try to keep as pets. They are beautiful and NOW well taken care of. We met Joseph that works there.., he was great! He did not have to tell us all of information that he did about each animal ( he was not the tour guide, he was a volunteer) he had allot of knowledge about these animals and I could see the attachment that he had to each and every one of them. read more

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Such a wonderful place to visit.All the staff members clearly get along and have a family like bond. The shop is a wonderful stopping place while you wait for your boat to take off. I found the guide extremely personable. After the wind boat tutor we got to enjoy their rescue animals and learn more about them. read more

This is not a zoo and it is not an "entertaining" park. It is a great find that provides up close, interactive, learning and hand on experience at an animal rescue facility. The staff is full of information and for an inquisitive person this is great. All the animals appear well cared for and the facility is spacious - considering it it volunteer based and donation driven. The habitats could use some clearing and updating. There are lots of areas of improvement, but this is a nice facility. It appears they are still in recovery mode from the storm. Great for kids and families. Go to Groupon- it is a very affordable afternoon trip. read more

We enjoyed a private tour here on a Sunday afternoon. There isn't much parking space, heads up: most likely you'll have to park on dirt which will get all over you car. The tour starts with feeding some animals, a type of camel, donkeys and a zebra behind a fence. The camel is tall so his head reaches out of the fence, if you're wearing a hat prepare for it to get slobbered if you're standing close. They are right next to the parking so you'll be able to see them pretty quickly. The next stop was at the crocodiles den, we were able to throw them in some biscuits and watch them chomp down. We walked inside and met the lemur, this poor guy's previous owner had removed his teeth so he has his little tongue out the whole time. Other animals we saw were an adorable cockatoo who imitates extremely well what you say, Japanese monkeys, rabbits, alligators, beautiful tigers, wolves and a black bear. We were able to feed the wolves through the fence, they give you a stick with some chicken, you place it sideways on the fence and watch the wolves attack. I know that funds are pretty low for rescues like these but I would like to see it kept/maintained a little better. The animals are definitely in better situations than they were before but the Tigers and black bear had some skin issues from I guess rubbing against the fences that I wish were better treated. There were also some dogs and a cat roaming around that appeared to also have skin issues. Overall I thought it was a cool experience. If you're planning on visiting Robert is here or going to knaus berry this would be a cool stop where you could donate to help out these animals. read more

Everglades Outpost - Zoos Near Me - Homestead, Florida

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Came here one Sunday afternoon with a Groupon. Living in Miami-Dade county practically my whole life, I never knew this place existed. I enjoyed the concept behind it and if I can support a cause that rehabilitates wild animals, I gladly do it. The place itself isn't large at all and needs TLC. We went inside one of the self-standing buildings that had snakes and other Everglades and Florida memorabilia and there was no AC. The bathrooms are in a small house and rundown. The plus side, they have a ton of alligators, some turtles, wolves, tigers, and birds. It's a self-guided type of establishment. I appreciated being able to see that animals who need special attention are being taken care of. On the outside next to the parking lot, they had zebras and camels. Lastly, this is classified as a zoo on Yelp, which is misleading. It is not a zoo and if users are expecting a zoo-type establishment, they'll be very disappointed. read more

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It doesn't seem like much when your arriving, but this place is an absolutely stunning place with unique wildlife (wolves, tortoises, camels, gators, lions, e.t.c.) and it was nice and shady too. There is a small handful of very attentive staff that care for the animals but toy can tell every single one is very knowledgeable about the animals they're working with. I was able to do the gator tour and it was a life changing experience being so close to our local swamp kittens. I would visit again in a heartbeat. read more

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We took a middle school field trip here and everything about this place was outstanding. We got to see and hear about each animal at the outpost. They were well taken care of, and the staff were patient and kind with our students. We loved every minute. Recommend 10/10. read more

The everglades outpost was extremely fun! The staff was knowledgeable and friendly they treated us very well. My wife and I came to Florida from Washington state and decided to get the VIP tour it was a bit expensive at 100 dollars a person but WOW it was worth every penny. We got to get up close and feed some of the animals including two Tigers a cougar and even a bear! If that sounds a little scary don't worry there is also some very cute animals in the tour. We got to go into the enclosures of a kinkoju, lemur and a cute little fox too. TLDR Go to The outpost and get the VIP tour. read more

What these people are doing is amazing!!! I loved this place so much!!!! I think it is great that everyone working here is a volunteer. I had such a great time seeing all the animals. On today's visit we saw wolves, a black bear, alligators, panthers, monkeys, a lemur,peacocks, a camel, a zebra, a donkey, dogs, tortoises and many more!! You get to go pretty close to some animals and the volunteers taught us a lot about them. They were all friendly and answered all the questions we had. read more

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I was excited to check this place out. The staff really do care about the animals however I suspect their resources are limited. Running a sanctuary is such a difficult job and it takes an insane amount of money and resources. I enjoyed the self guided tour and one of their staff was very helpful and showed us around some of the enclosures. I was concerned for some of the wolves that looked like they had been getting bit by flies often, as well as one seemed to have a foot injury. My wife pointed it out, and the staffer said that she likes to pretend to get some attention. Either way, the concept is to be admired and I gave them money regardless since the alternative for these animals is often euthanasia. This place does a lot of great things and I hope they get the assistance they need to care for these special animals. read more

Everglades Outpost - Tigers were from a drug dealer and an exotic dancer, irresponsible people make places like this necessary. - Zoos Near Me - Homestead, Florida

David and I bought a Groupon for Everglades Outpost and made it our Saturday adventure! Everglades Outpost IS NOT A ZOO, it's a rehabilitation center for animals that have been abused or mistreated by their previous owners. Then, the animals will be released into the wild. It's a non-profit center that relies on the assistance of it's volunteers. What's not to love about the kind & dedicated hearts of the husband & wife owners who live on the same property as the animals so they can take full care of the rescues?!?!!! We walked through the rehabilitation center (the tour is mostly self-guided, with the volunteer simply following along to tell the animal's story), seeing caged panthers, lions, monkeys, wolves, camels, zebras, reptiles & amphibians, and so much more - it makes your heart sink to hear of the abuse that many of these animals endured, such as Kenya, the lemur, who had his teeth removed by his previous owner. Yet, at the same time, it warms your heart to know what good care these animals are receiving now that they're at the Everglades Outpost. read more

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Awesome spot and great cause. Feels much better supporting a non profit rather than pay more for the alligator farm that I saw down the road. Lots of cool rescue animals I wasn't expecting to see including camels and monkeys. Even got to feed the gators! read more

Everglades Outpost - Zoos Near Me - Homestead, Florida

We were looking for a relatively inexpensive activity to kill some time before a flight out from Miami. The prices are very reasonable, and are discounted if you are a senior or if you have a student ID card. For seven dollars, you can buy a very generous bucket full of food to feed the alligators. It is so fun to see them all running for the food. And for most of the exhibits, there is a story about how the animal came to be at the outpost. Most of them have been rescued in someway, so it makes you feel better about why they are in captivity. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area and need to kill some time. You can easily visit in one hour or less if needed. read more

Everglades Outpost - Zoos Near Me - Homestead, Florida

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Absolutely terrible experience. Had a tour booked at 1130. Showed up at 10 when it was stated on phone and website to open. There is no entry to be found. Called 12 times, left voicemails. Someone finally showed up at 1040 when we were about to leave. No apologies for our inconvenience and continued to make us feel bad for being upset. We drove 2 hours and had this booked for a while. Was really looking forward to the experience. Such a let down read more

This place is very misleading. I was there today and was told shows are only on Saturdays and Sundays. We did not get a tour, we were not greeted, pretty much we walked in and walked out. I was very disappointed! I only gave 1 star because I had to in order to write the review. read more

Absolutely loved this place. So much unexpected fun for the kids. We were blown away by how many animals we saw. Wolves. Tigers. Panther. Bears. Zebra. Camel. Donkey. Tortoises. Snakes. And sooooo many alligators of all sizes. The alligator show was both fun and educational. Those guys are awesome. There are no bells and whistles. Nothing fancy at all but totally worth the visit! read more

I went there because I loved the idea of a wildlife rescue and although they have rescued some animals from horrible situations, there were somethings that really turned me off. The space for the animals was really small. I saw one wolf, in the cage behind the Tigers, running back and forward constantly, barely able to get any speed because of the space he was in. I know that the space issues mostly have to do with funding, so I don't really hold them responsible for this. My main concern, question, and issues is the number of gators they have. Why do they have so many gators? There were 100-200 and in such small living courters, I am not exaggerating when I say in two of the pools, the gators were literally laying ontop of one and other. It was gross and heartbreaking. Is there a good reason for all these gator? Why did they all have to be rescued? read more

They differentiate themselves from a zoo because they take in animals who need rehabilitatuon then once they are healthy they return to the wild but what animals are going back to the wild the tigers, wolves and monkeys? Into where the everglades? I dont think so, they are never leaving. Am I wrong? I would love to find out more on how this works. read more

Although it's relatively small you do see a lot and the animals are taken care of. My toddler had fun

I totally admire what the management of this facility are doing. Sadly there are people out there who buy/take an animal from the wild, realize too late they do not have what it takes to commit to ownership and abandon the animal when it is too late for them to go back to the wild. What I liked about this animal refuge is that while they obviously do not have the money to make the location "pretty", all of the cages and areas were clean and you could tell the animals were well taken care of. It was $10 for an adult and $7 for a child admission, I did not focus on how much it cost because it was going to a good cause. Be aware the location will take no more than 20 minutes to walk through. Why would I tell you to go? Support a good cause and get to see some exotic animals up close and personal. On our visit we saw a camel, two wolves, a bison, zebra, a Florida panther, a lemur, snakes and prairie dogs. I got to see these animals in a closer proximity than any other zoo I have ever visited. From what I understand, their animals will change based on if they find a permanent zoo or refuge home for them. Oh and they have two of the cutest Shetland ponies walking loose and I got to hug! Bonus! read more