We regularly visit Free Flight when vacationing in San Diego. It's a small place but more than enough to experience the amazing and beautiful birds in their care. The birds out in the enclosure were all friendly and eager to perch for food. There are a few that are in cages that either prefer to be there or are just not having a good day. Generally if the cage is unlocked, you can interact with the bird. But most are out and about. There's a talented red macaw that would whistle back at my kids. He was so adorable, especially when he bobbed his head and danced. And don't forget to take a minute to admire the koi pond. The fish are huge! The cost for admission is reasonable and more than justified by the great work in taking care of these birds and in providing them with a safe, nurturing environment. It's always a great day when visiting Free Flight. read more

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This was our second visit here. Everyone is nice and it's fun to talk to and feed the birds. It's not a huge place so you can spend about an hour and have plenty of time to spend with the birds. It's great that they are there taking care of the birds. They also have a koi pond and you can feed them also. read more

Free Flight in Del Mar is a wonderful place to visit and feed some very sweet and funny rescue birds. The highlight of their day is when people come to see them. Must reserve your spot as it fills up quickly. I highly recommend Free Flight for the whole family! read more

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Such a cool experience! Iv never been that close up with exotic birds like this and being able to feed them was lots of fun. One of the birds even went on my arm ! They also have big koi fish you can feed as well. Cool little activity in SD ! read more

I am so glad I found this place! It is so much fun and you really get a great hands on experience with all of the birds. I've never owned birds growing up but have always been so interested in them. I know what a huge commitment a bird is, as they are so intelligent and will likely out live you. So this was a great compromise to really get to know and spend time with these birds while also supporting a great cause! The staff has overall been super friendly! They really take the time to introduce you to the birds and teach you all about them! We've loved hearing about their personalities. They also give you a bowl of food to give each bird which they seem to enjoy! We love visiting on the weekends so decided to get a membership for the year - which gives you the perk to be able to hold the birds! My boyfriend even had an extra special bond with Timmy and Gatsby who would reach out and ask to be held by him! So cute! Highly recommend spending some time here and getting to know the birds. read more

This was an amazing place! I love opportunities to interact with wildlife in a safe, educational and sustainable way. This sanctuary provides domesticated birds with a second chance at life in a gorgeous home with others like them. You can feed the birds and listen to their caretakers tell you incredible stories about their lives, rescues and facts. They have volunteer opportunities for those staying a bit longer where you can learn about the prompter handling of the birds. Such a unique experience and really cool opportunity, support their efforts and check them out! read more

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I never knew birds had such personality! This is such a charming little place. You must make a reservation online before visiting, otherwise you will be turned away at the gate. We had no problem finding parking. You are not able to touch the birds, but you can feed them at no extra charge once inside. You are also able to feed some very big beautiful Koy fish! This is a highly recommended memorable experience! read more

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This place is such a delight! I will definitely be going back (and will donate again)! Just a few photos of the birds! read more

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This place was so special! You can see the care they put into each bird and they were so informative. And the birdies definitely will be back to visit. read more

We took two of our grand kids to see the birds. They had a great time feeding and watching the birds. Grandma and grandpa also had a great time. It is a very good reason to visit Del Mar. We found the teen docents to be knowledgeable and friendly. read more

Free flight was such an amazing experience! The area is small but if you really take your time to enjoy every detail, it's worth it! The birds have such personalities and are breathtaking to look at up close and feed. The staff were extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about the birds and their habits. I enjoyed my first visit and i cant wait to visit again and again! Highly recommend for the price, location and the purpose for this sanctuary! read more

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My son and I really enjoyed this marvelous gem of a place. The birds are amazing and the staff are passionate about educating people regarding parrots. Immensely educational and moving experience that will show you just how intelligent parrots are and how much of a connection they can have with humans. read more

Free Flight - Macaw - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

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I was not aware of this place until a photo club said they were doing an expedition here in January 2020. That seems so long ago with the whole pandemic going on for months now. It is right next to the fairgrounds, pretty easy to get to, but not a lot of parking when it is crowded. I got the last space in the back and I was 15 minutes early meeting my group there. I thought it would be a great experience and easy way to get some close up with birds, as I am usually trying to get them from very far away while they are moving. It was not expensive at all, it was $7 and this is a 501c so the $ is going for a good cause. It is not very big and you can walk thru rapidly and see everything in less than 10 minutes but I ended up staying for 2 hours and took plenty of pictures. They don't have a restroom but there is a restaurant about 1/4 mile away that will let you use theirs. After taking so many pictures and having fun, at the end I let one white bird jump on my arm, and then he or she quickly jumped up to my shoulder and onto my head. I didn't want to injure them or make them fall, so I called someone over that worked there to help, they held out a stick and the bird jumped right on to it. read more

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Everything was just amazing. What free flight is doing is tremendous and very beautiful to see happen. My girlfriend and i loved every single second of it and will be visiting again soon. Thank you guys very much for having us and for what you are doing to the bird community. read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

What a fun stop in Del Mar during our road trip to SD! My 9 month old baby girl loves birds and I was amazed to find this cute little place. Admission is $8 and you can make reservations online. All proceeds go towards this non-profit and you can also donate on their website to purchase food for the birds. A small parking lot but we didn't have any issues finding a spot. Inside, there are a lot of parrots and other exotic birds, some in cages and some out. We got to feed and learn more about the birds. There is also a relaxing koi fish pond with huge fish in it! We had so much fun interacting with the talking parrots and fell in love with these fun birds! Highly recommend for adults and for kids. It was such a fun but educational experience and the staff here were all so accommodating and informative. read more

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Very cool place and the staffs are very nice. I very enjoy my time with the birds and this yellow dude in the photo is my favorite one, he's just so sweet. Probably will try to comeback and visit them. read more

Free Flight - This dude is my favorite bird - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

small place with big surprises. The birds were amazing and colorful! Okay one of the red macaws did peck at my daughters fingers but hey their animals it's a unique experience. Plus didn't mean any harm as it didn't tear the skin, just freaked her out a bit. It is amazing how close you are to these exotic birds. Pickle (military macaw) stole the show with my family. Just kept talking for 5 minutes straight to my wife. My kids were amazed the birds knew words. memories are built here!! read more

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Easily accessible, well run parrot sanctuary that allows members to interact with the birds and all visitors to feed and get super up close. Fantastic for kids and adults. Kind and knowledgeable staff. read more

We visited on a Sunday afternoon at 2pm. It's a small area but we didn't feel like it was overcrowded. It was our first visit. I made reservations about 3 weeks in advance and the pricing is pretty reasonable. I even added on extra for feeding and a donation. I came with my husband and it was part of our San Diego weekend getaway. The birds were beautiful! They each had their own unique personalities. We weren't allowed to touch or pet since we were newbies. But we got to feed a variety of birds that were perched on branches if they felt like eating. And others that were in unlocked cages, you can stick the bowl into the cage and the bird will jump onto the bowls and you can bring them out of the cage. I have zero knowledge of birds and don't have much experience with them at all. And we didn't have any interest in adopting any birds. But we had a great time meeting and interacting with all of them. Even the blue macaw who thought it would be funny to lunge at me whenever I got close to him. My favorite was a little mint green cuckoo named Wally. He was so adorable! Plus the pinkish white Buddy who kept dancing. He was a vocal guy who wanted a lot of attention. Hehe read more

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We had such a wonderful time visiting the parrots, it was so fun to feed them and learn about their unique personalities. John was so awesome telling us each of their names and showing us their tricks, I highly recommend this experience to all! We will be back. I think I loved pickles the most! read more

Staff was super friendly, birds were cute, would recommend for anyone that likes to help animal organizations. It's a little smaller than I thought but the birds have all types of personalities so it makes up for it! read more

This is such a cool place to go to interact with exotic birds! Some need a home and some are being cared for permanently by the wonderful staff of volunteers that are so knowledgeable about each unique bird's personality and needs. We visited for about an hour or so which is enough time to get acquainted with many of the birds. When you arrive they will give you a brief explanation of the purpose of Free Flight and also a bowl of food to tempt the birdies. Each bird has a unique personality, some want to be famous, some talk, and some are shy! It's an amazing place to learn about and interact with these beautiful creatures, I highly recommend a visit and also if you are seeking a place to donate to! read more

If you or someone you know loves parrots, you need to go here! All kinds of birds and admission includes a feeding bowl to feed the parrots! read more

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Such a fun experience! The sanctuary staff were helpful, informative and the birds were well cared for. read more

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A visit to Free Flight Bird Sanctuary is a must-do, either for you or your guests. Great care is given to the treatment of the resident birds and yet visitors may interact with them according to the guidelines of the facility. It is so cool to be able to feed some of the birds and to be up close and able to admire their beauty. Admission price is a bargain and the pleasure derived from seeing these beautiful birds stays with you. Your admission supports the initiative of this foundation is saving these wonderful creatures. read more

Appointment required at this time. Free parking but no public bathroom. "Food for the birds is included with your admission" per their website but when we went there, "food is available for membership holders only", which was a huge disapppointment for our 3 year old. Overall, we didn't feel welcome at all. They just check us in, offered handsanitzer, which birds to touch or not to touch, and that is all. Nothing informative or educational. My husband and I were thinking about donations too but weren't so certain about their vision, goals, and values. I probably won't return nor recommend this place to others. read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

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So fun! So kind! A trip to be with so many incredibly beautiful birds! Feeling and laughing - each with their unique personalities.

Wonderful experience. We loved our visit. The birds were beautiful and hilarious. $8 admission fee includes food for the birds and a stay for as long as you'd like. We visited on a weekday morning and practically had the place to ourselves. Terrific variety of birds with knowledgable and most importantly, kind caretakers. They went out of their way to see that the birds and the guests had an enjoyable and safe visit. A few of the resident birds even spoke and whistled. So adorable. All precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the guests and birds. Fun day for someone of any age. Thank you Free Flight. We'll be back. read more

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This is an amazing rescue organization that I highly recommend! I am in the process of adopting an adult CAG from them and am very impressed with the care they take with their charges read more

Very clean place and friendly staff !! Cute and sweet birds very respectful and gentle !! read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

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I took 5 kids aged 5-16, and they all loved it. The staff are friendly, welcoming, super helpful, and good with kids. The place is small, but has about 40 birds, most of which you can feed. I recommend going in the morning, as by the afternoon they weren't very hungry ;-). They also have a koi pond, and we were able to feed the koi. Highly recommend for field trips with kids of all ages. Deets: Right by the fairgrounds, but enough free parking. Next to a vet clinic, so don't get confused: go to the chain link gate. We were there about 90 minutes. read more

If anyone's looking for a nice little place to stop by for a date, family time or even alone time this is the spot, the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable, the area is well kept and clean, and the birds are beautiful! Amount paid for two: 26.00 that included entrance fee and donated walnuts to the birds I will definitely come back here and bring family and friends as well as my girlfriend and her family I'm going to attach some pictures I took while I was there, thank you free flight for making our day enjoyable! read more

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So worth the visit! Went to Del Mar for the weekend to celebrate my birthday and stumbled across this online looking for activities in the area. The birds are so fun and you get to feed them. read more

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This place is absolutely a hidden gem! Tucked away in Del Mar with plenty of shade and fresh air + lots of entertainment from the exotic birds. It's obvious that all the employees and docents here enjoy working there & have so much passion and love for each of the birds. I was introduced to and had the opportunity to hold Timmy, Midori and Obi. They educated my bf and I on how to hold each bird and the temperament of each type, along with their different personalities. We spent 1.5 hours there interacting with them in their own sanctuary. They are all well taken care of, however, rely on donations and entry fees for funding. Entry is only $7 a person and is more than worth it. It is a great place to learn and interact for people of all ages! read more

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I came here on a date with my boyfriend, it was a great activity! I've never interacted with birds this close before so it was awesome getting to feed them and talk/dance with a few. The space is so immersive being surrounded by birds and trees and the water flowing from the koi pond. I highly recommend! read more

Free Flight - Animal Shelters Near Me - Del Mar, California

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I love this bird sanctuary. The volunteers are dedicated to socializing and finding new homes for their birds. This experience let's you see the birds close up and really interact with them, unlike a zoo. However, very small children may not be sensitive/mature enough to interact with the birds safely. I recommend age 7 and up read more

This is such a great non profit! We need more like them. Great staff. I didn't know you had to book online ahead of time. The staff said they still had openings that day. I was able to use their QR CODE that was posted on site & did it in a few minutes. Was able to feed a lot of the birds. It's such a neat experience. I can see why people get membership and keep going back. The birds have so much personality. I would definitely go back and highly recommend it. It can get a little loud in there, but didn't bother me too much. read more

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This was a fun, off the beaten path activity to do near San Diego. You get to feed and interact with the birds after being given a short introduction about the sanctuary. It's a relatively small place, but my animal loving kids enjoyed it. read more

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This place is so cute and the birds are highly entertaining! You can walk around and feed them while getting to experience their different personalities. The people that work and volunteer here are so sweet and will tell you all about the birds if you ask. Great place to spend an hour or two, and great for older kids and animal lovers! Bonus: you get to feed the koi fish before you leave. read more

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We had such a nice experience at Free Flight. Our 6 year old daughter loves parrots, so when I googled for exotic birds this location came up! I am so happy, I honestly thought I was going to have to take her to a pet store that specialized I exotic birds. This rescue was way better! It was small, but pack with beautiful birds. We were able to and encouraged to feed the birds. The staff will walk you through how to feed and handle the birds properly. Our daughter enjoyed every second of this. They have koi fish you can feed also. It was a quick nice garden to visit with beautiful feathered friends. I want to give a shout out to one the staff. When we arrived we were greeted by a blonde woman (I wish I remembered her name). She a was friendly, knowledgeable and truly made the visit special for our daughter. Thanks Free Flight, we will be visiting again soon. read more