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Franklin Drive Thru Safari

4.1 (108 reviews)
Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Franklin Drive Thru Safari Zoos Photos

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Rain W.

We drove a ways to get here because we had seen many other drive through safaris. We called to make sure they were open and they were. When we arrived the bathrooms were clean and then we were able to pay, get food for the animals and go through the drivethrough. The animals were very hungry so they were all flocking to the car. The drive is a decent drive and there are a good amount of animals to feed. There is also a spot to look at and feed giraffes and tortoises. There is a reptile house but we did not go inside. There is a good amount of parking available. That said there was a strong smell in both the bathroom and the gift shop. The giftshop was most likely the turtle tank that needed to be cleaned. I had a good time and was happy to feed all the animals.

Donald L.

Unbelievable!!! The whole place is great- but go to lemur island for the experience of a lifetime!!! Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable!!

Gift shop is pretty cool, just stinks like urine
Teresa W.

Was ok, we drove 2 hours to get here, and they did have a variety of animals. Loved the drive thru and the was it was setup. They told me this park is all family owned and operated. Bathrooms were clean ( huge) Because the inside of gift shop smelled of urine and I'm a farmer!! Around animals all the time. However, you didn't see a lot of poop, so that was a plus. We saw lots of animals, and it was in the heat of the Texas sun, around 3 pm and 102 degrees. it seemed as if they were in process of making so unique changes and would definitely be interested in going again. Because it was a drive through, some animals frankly you could see better from outside the park because some had been sectioned off. My favorites included the watusi cattle, highlands and giraffes. The tortoises were pretty amazing as well! Too many lamas and mini horses. While cute a few times there are too many sometimes to enjoy other things. If you have a choice, drive a truck, not a car, just makes the rough terrain easier to drive in it.

Cassandra S.

I had a blast at this drive thru Safari. My companion and I visited on a Saturday morning in October, and the weather felt perfect for the occasion. We spent about two hours driving around. It wasn't too busy, and there were plenty of animals to watch and feed.

Keshia R.

I have been obsessed with going to safaris since I moved to Texas. I just love seeing the animals, feeding them and petting them. I went to this Safari during the middle of the pandemic. Since everything with the pandemic was still fairly new they only allowed you to drive thru. I really enjoyed the animals. I can't remember what we paid but we got the feed and boy am I so glad we did. These animals were coming up to the car left and right and you better hope you have enough feed when they come. I ain't going to lie when that emu came up to the window I rolled up the window because I was scared. I was also a little worried when the animals with huge horns came up to my car. If you have not gone to a safari please do yourself a favor and go. Don't get a carwash until after because your car will need a wash after driving through the safari.

Andrea P.

Really enjoyed his place! We came here on a whim on the way back home from Waco and it was an awesome experience. Pros- we got to see a variety of animals up close such as ostrich, longhorns, camels, goats, peacock, zebras, llamas (to name a few). The course is pretty long so you get to see a good amount of animals. They have restrooms and a parking place that has a gift shop and giraffe feeding schedule. Cons- be prepared time wise, it takes a good 1hr and half to get through if there are a number of cars. Sometimes we had to stop and wait for animals to get off the path because they were eating what was thrown on the floor. Feeding is not included in price and costs extra. The animals will dirty up the side of your car and windows with their drool (haha).

My boyfriend brother loved it he does not get out a lot
Lauren E.

Kaitlyn was great helped us figure out the right amount of feed and super sweet always a must when in the area

Clarity & Clinton III with Giraffes
Tanya K.

Hands Down BEST Drive they Safari we've been to here in Texas ~ Our Grannies had so much fun we drove multiple times around the Safari

A little pricy but so worth it. $20 a person to get in. $5 a bucket for feed for the drive thru, $5 per bucket for lettuce, $2 a cup for peanuts for the monkeys. So much better than a zoo!

Our guide and a camel that followed us for a while
Connie H.

This place was awesome! We went on a Friday because it gets super busy on the weekends. There was hardly any cars and we could have driven through ourselves but chose to do a private tour (extra $60 flat for our group of 3) the private tour was worth every penny! We got to go off the normal path and our guide knew all the animals so we got to see and learn a lot more than we would on our own. Highly recommend!! Please note feeding these animals is messy. We fed them out of our hands and they have spit like any animal would, but the experience was worth it. If you go on a weekend you'll be waiting for a long time, weekdays recommended.

Animals
April L.

We were very happy with our experience. Everyone was wearing masks and 98% of it is in your own car. A great treat while still social distancing

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3 years ago

Animals don't seem to be well taken care of and everything it's pretty rushed. Good variety.

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Ask the Community - Franklin Drive Thru Safari

Can I buy tickets online?

Who knows. But you still have to wait in line to get in and get your bucket of food. Might as well, just roll up and deal with the line...

When would be the best time of the day to visit? When are the animals active?

Animals are always active...you are feeding them. They are soooo active. I am a rule follower, throw… Read more

Would smaller cars be ok through the safari?

Yes, doesn't matter the size.

How long is the drive thru?

It's 45 minutes long

Is the $15.00 fee for he baby room in addition to the $15.00 to drive through? Never been. Any advice?

Yes it is in addition. We just went Sunday and we were not impressed with the baby room. Most of the animals hid or laid out of reach. We only got to interact with a baby otter and coatimundi.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Franklin Drive Thru Safari

They also have a walk around part with monkeys, reptiles, giraffes and more all included in the price.

Mentioned in 24 reviews

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Aggieland Safari - Giraffes

Aggieland Safari

3.9(75 reviews)
19.5 mi

In summary, I think this is absolutely an amazing place that everyone should try to go to at least…read moreonce. Location: this is near bryan, texas and is taken care of by Aggies. I think that this also has something to do with their veterinary program as well. Service: the only people that you really interact with are the people that are going to take your ticket or that you buy food from. I will tell you. It's a okay experience, not overly crazy welcoming, but there's nothing I can complain about. Views: so this is why it's so amazing. Is every time I thought we were gonna have no animals come to us alot of animals came to us or some animals would I ignore other cars but totally came to us. Sometimes we had to work to draw them in other times they chased it down. There were very few cars in the park at that time.I 'm not sure if sunday is just a low day to go, but I thought it was great for us. My favorite thing was feeding the giraffes.I will tell you, it is incredibly expensive and you should just buy one cup and continue to get a refilled. They make you spend nine dollars on a super crappy cup. The refills are six bucks. I think that's kind of crazy for the price, but other than that, that is my only complaint.

It would be ok if they didn't keep those 2 poor giraffes in such a TINY enclosure. I mean, it's…read moreTINY for 2 large animals. There's an entire open safari they could let them roam but they don't. It's really sad what they are doing to them!!

Photos
Aggieland Safari - Some sort of cow

Some sort of cow

Aggieland Safari - Feeding the giraffes no fear

Feeding the giraffes no fear

Aggieland Safari - Feeding the giraffes

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Feeding the giraffes

Blue Hills Ranch - Kangaroo baby

Blue Hills Ranch

4.8(91 reviews)
55.3 mi

Blue Hills Ranch is a can't miss experience. The staff were so incredibly welcoming, warm, and…read moreknowledgable. They went above and beyond to make us feel like family and at home. The animals are so well taken care of and loved. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and we are so glad to have stayed there. Special shout out to Allen the Chef who made some of the most delicious meals I have had and Anne and Jackie who were so knowledgeable about otters and kangaroos. We also loved Dundee (their baby kangaroo.)

Spent the weekend here and had great animal adventures. We stayed in the kangaroo cabins. The cabin…read moreitself had everything and was great accommodations. The place was clean and just the right size for my wife and I. Being city folks you forget how dark it is out in the country at nights. It was nice. We signed up for these adventures to make the weekend even more fun: 1. Feed baby kangaroo(Bodhi). This was about a 30 minute session where we got to feed him a bottle and kibble. It really was an amazing experience. 2. Bucket of food and self guided feeding of animals. We walked the property and hid to feed so many animals. All of the animals were friendly toward people. They were all very good motivated. We encountered a giraffe, donkeys, zebras, horses, cows, pigs, dwarf steers, camels, emu, deer, buffalo and more. The animals were often trying to bully their way to the front of the line. The cow Oreo who has not skipped a meal was always front of the line. 3. Afternoon safari ride in ATV. This was a fun ride around the property. Did not see any new animals but had a great time. The cows out at pasture were thrilled to be fed. 4. Giraffe encounter and meal. This was a little expensive but I would spend it again. The giraffes were super friendly and personable. We wanted to take them home because they were so much fun. The guide, experience and never felt rushed made this worth it. Our guide was top notch. I think her name was Jackie but could be wrong.

Photos
Blue Hills Ranch - Superhero and Giraffe

Superhero and Giraffe

Blue Hills Ranch - My new boyfriend, Blue

My new boyfriend, Blue

Blue Hills Ranch - Giraffe

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Giraffe

East Texas Elephant Experience

East Texas Elephant Experience

4.8(18 reviews)
83.4 mi
Locally owned & operated
40 years in business

I can't say how much I enjoyed being with real elephants at such close quarters and being able to…read moretouch them too... As a child, I have seen real elephants in old temples, they don't have them anymore. Other than that its been zoo and safari. But this was different.... Kennedy introduced himself as the guy who was taking care of animals since 5 generations and he is studying to be a vet. The main mahout was a small guy and he was hilarious. He did most of the talking about all the animals. These elephants are rescue elephants which have been handed over by the zoo for various reasons, or, so I understand. There are 3 elephants Paige with longest teeth, Jeanie with a little short ones , and Krissy with none. With poaching increasing, the number of Krissy's are increasing. That will keep them safe I guess. Not sure why the previous reviews are so brief. We got to learn about them, feed them carrots, even phones if u r willing to give away ( ha ha- Paige really seemed to want them), how to keep their foot and nails in shape, bathing them so on and so forth. This was the first time I had heard a live trumpet and it was adorable. In the end we posed for pics. They are tamed and trained no doubt, but seemed to be enjoying our company and well treated by their owners. They have plenty of parking. Tickets are purchased online, most often they are open only one weekend a month. Restrooms are available. Food not allowed, but a bottle of water is ok. Got to meet Abu the camel, his partner, a zebra and a billy goat and his family too. I wanted to hold one and did not know how to- one of the helper guys I approached said just pick them up and hold - really ! Then some other fellow visitor helped.

This was the experience of a lifetime! The owners and staff are awesome and the animals are…read moreobviously loved and cared for perfectly. Of course the elephants are the main attraction and the whole experience met and exceeded every expectation.

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East Texas Elephant Experience
East Texas Elephant Experience
East Texas Elephant Experience

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TGR Exotics Wildlife Park - Smile, yes I'm handsome.

TGR Exotics Wildlife Park

4.6(73 reviews)
87.6 mi

I can't say enough good things about TGR Exotics! We had our 3 year old's birthday party there and…read moreeveryone had a fantastic time! Gwen and Rachael were incredible hosts throughout, the kids and the adults all had fun, and we all learned some fun facts about animals. This was the easiest and stress free party I have had for my children. Gwen and her staff did the majority of the setup before we arrived, they helped us unload our car and set up what we brought the day of, and played with our boys while we did final preparations. We got so many compliments from all the parents about how great the party was! Thank you Gwen and staff at TGR Exotics Wildlife Park!

We took about 11 kiddos [ages 7-11] to this park, and they had the best time with the animals. The…read moreowner, Gwen and her staff are clearly passionate about sharing these animals with everyone. Gwen even set up the party room for our kids and made sure each child had the chance to touch -- and sometimes even hold -- the animals. The team made the children feel completely safe while teaching them so much about each animal. There's such a wide variety here -- from sloths and tortoises to bears, monkeys, and so much more -- and you get to see them all up close! I highly recommend this experience for small groups. And if you have a child who loves animals, this is the perfect place for a birthday party. You won't be disappointed!

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TGR Exotics Wildlife Park - Drew letting you get up close and personal! So much fun and a great memory

Drew letting you get up close and personal! So much fun and a great memory

TGR Exotics Wildlife Park - Stella and Quincy getting a snack.

Stella and Quincy getting a snack.

TGR Exotics Wildlife Park - Juan getting a cookie and a pet.

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Juan getting a cookie and a pet.

The Learning Zoo

The Learning Zoo

5.0(8 reviews)
79.8 mi

Why 5 stars? Because it's super convenient and *almost* free…read more --- --- --- We've known about this place for a while but we finally had the opportunity to take our son. Tickets are only $10, and that alone, is worth the 5-star review. For less than the price of a couple coffee's or cartons of eggs, you are able to have some really cool interactions with animals. If you want to experience anything else like this, you'll have to drive an hour to the Houston Zoo, pay a lot more money for tickets, deal with crowds/parking/etc. The Learning Zoo is obviously not trying to compare itself to the Houston Zoo, but where else are you going to get to play with goats, pigs, birds, a pony, tortoises and snakes? The location is really hidden behind 1488. You drive through a residential street, and then all the way at the back, you make a couple of turns, and suddenly you're at The Learning Zoo. When you walk in, you are offered some lettuce and carrots for the animals for an additional $10, which is definitely worth it. Plus, they have some animals inside the lobby area - snakes, hedgehogs, other reptiles, etc. Then you head outside to the main part of the experience. You can walk amongst the tortoises, get "attacked" by all of the birds in their sanctuary, join the goats and pigs in their pen, and they even brought out a 14 foot snake for people to hold and take pictures with. Everyone here was incredibly nice, too. We were only there for about 45 minutes, but for $40, it was worth every penny.

My grandkids loved it. Feeding the animals, brushing the goats, touching the snake und going in to…read morethe bird cage. When I am in town again I will come back with them.

Photos
The Learning Zoo - Mini cow

Mini cow

The Learning Zoo
The Learning Zoo - Feeding the birds

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Feeding the birds

El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

3.7(3 reviews)
72.0 mi

Wow! Amazing petting zoo! My son's first birthday party was incredible because of this petting zoo…read more The animals were super cute and they had a variety of animals; goats, baby chicks, chickens, bunnies, a small pig, and ducks. The kids absolutely loved all of the animals and especially the pony rides! The people are friendly and very informative of the animals while the kids were petting them. They were able to set up wherever we wanted which was convenient and so exciting to have right in our backyard. They were quick to set up and to even put the animals away. This petting zoo is affordable and easy to contact and book. I highly recommend them if you are interested in booking a petting zoo. Thank you for making our son's first birthday a memorable one!

The point of contact was very unprofessional and never confirmed my booking two weeks in advance…read moreeven after deposit was made. Was told the date I wanted to book was open only to be told it was double booked after they took my deposit. Afterwards the staff never returned any of my many emails, voicemails or calls. While I wanted to love this company, I unfortunately was extremely disappointed and out my deposit although I never breached contract and should have received a refund or at the very least a call back or email back. Terrible experience that almost ruined the event, gratefully I was able to find a replacement since I could never get El Rancho representatives to email or call me back after many attempts.

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El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo
El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo
El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

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Franklin Drive Thru Safari - pettingzoos - Updated May 2026

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