We had a great time, our guide, Royce, was entertaining and played into the audience well. We learned about crocodilians - all 4 kinds. We got to pet alligators, just the babies, and see a white alligator and other regular alligators as well. It's a fun environment and even our teenagers enjoyed it! read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - Nile crocodile - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

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This was such a fun experience. Royce was informative and entertaining. He made us laugh. Good guy. Saw a lot of alliigators. Lots of different sizes including babies. We got to hold baby alligators. I was educated and I appreciate that. Their grounds are lush and safe. Beautiful area. They too have a nice gift shop. read more

Best and closest experience you'll ever get with alligators. Highly recommend. You'll get to handle and feed them as well as learn more about this very unique American reptile. read more

Such a fun experience! Very informative and engaging. My kids loved holding the baby alligators and if I'm being honest, so did I! We all had fun, learned a lot in the process and had a one of a kind experience that we will be talking about for a long time. read more

My husband and I decided to explore Louisiana since we have been leaving here since 2017 and finally had the opportunity. I always wanted to understand alligators and what they bring to the state. I loved learning about this and getting the chance to actually put and hold one was amazing! I definitely would recommend this for learning about their purpose and getting a chance to get up closecsnd personal! Loved this! read more

Fun and informative, make sure you spend the extra $5 to catch the small alligators. We had a blast!

Made a visit to the Insta-Gator Alligator Ranch and Hatchery near Covington with my daughter and grandsons and had a fun time learning about the American Alligator. Our tour guide, Royce, did a great job. He was quite knowledgeable and personable. We got a close up look at the operation and got to pet the little guys and feed the big guys. Highly recommended! read more

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The tour was fun, informative, incredibly memorable, our host Royce was very professional and engaging with the crowd. If going I'd recommend getting the whole package, tour, photo, and interaction. The interaction was amazing, feeding, touching and holding the gators, it was the best experience!!! read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - Insta-Gator Ranch - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

Absolutely worth the money and the drive. Very informative. Totally interactive. Our guides took the time to answer our questions and allowed us plenty of hands-on time which my 8 year old grandson loved. Royce, the main host, took time to work with the sometimes weird questions from the young children but always kept it moving with jokes and asides and innuendos between the actual facts. The facility is neat as a pin and beautiful. We drove out from New Orleans and it took about an hour, combining the ranch visit with being on the country's longest bridge across Lake Pontchartrain. read more

My grandkids had the best time. It was a very interactive tour and they loved that they got to pick up and hold the alligators. Would definitely recommend visiting if you are in the area read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - Getting to pick up and hold the alligators - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

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AN UNFORGETABLE LOUSIANA EXPERIENCE!!!!! Visiting insta-Gator Ranch was truly an amazing experience. From the moment I arrived, I could tell this was a special place. The ranch may be small , but it is mighty---the heart and mission behind it are inspiring. I loved learning about the incredible work they do to protect and track alligators. It's clear they care deeply about conservation and education. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable , sharing fascinating facts about both alligator and crocodiles in a way that was engaging and fun. ONe of the highlights for me was getting to hold a baby alligator . This isn't a tourist stop; it's a true taste of life in the Louisiana swamp. I would recommend instagator Ranch to anyone--whether you are a local or visiting from out of town, you'll walk away with a new appreciation for these incredible animals and the people who work to protect them. Don't miss!!!! read more

Exciting, informative, interactive and just plain fun! We have visited Insta-Gator Ranch 4 separate times now. Our first visit was a date trip with my now, wife. As adults, we really enjoyed the interaction and conservation aspect of the tour. We have also come with each of our grand daughters. Watching them transition from wide eyed and a little scared to wanting to take a baby gator home at the end of the tour, is a fun watch! (You MUST splurge and get the touch pool ticket! So worth the $5.) The experience, knowledge and very social nature of our guide, was second to none. We are locals so we also appreciate the conservation programs that the ranch adheres to. If you are in the area, or even a couple hours away, take the time to do this tour. You WILL NOT be disappointed! read more

Best experience. Royce and team made the whole tour enjoyable for adults and kids. Was not oversold so everyone got time. Definitely do the gator catching. Loved it read more

We had a great experience at Insta-Gator Ranch !! Our guides were so engaging and informative in the most entertaining way which made it great for both kids and adults. This is a must see for everyone and the kids loved handling the baby gators ! Very clean and worth the price! Go check them out and you will not be disappointed!! read more

We have been here three times with the kids, once for a tour and twice for baby alligator hatching. This is such a unique and fun thing to do with kids, and it's also interesting for adults too! This is a family, run business, and they are all so kind and knowledgeable. Tours happen year-round, but hatching baby alligators only happens in August. If you are looking for a fun and unique thing to do with kids, I would definitely recommend it read more

We were in the area for a wedding and decided to take our grandchildren to see the alligators. The tour was ex excellent! The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. They kept the kids engaged the whole time. Even the adults were having a great time. I highly recommend this place to anyone interested in conservation as well. Overall a wonderful experience. read more

My husband's nannie (grandmother) set us up with this tour. I'm not a big fan of reptiles-- especially snakes and alligators/crocodiles--but we had to do this tour while visiting Louisiana because the kids were excited for this opportunity. The hatchery is a family owned business. It's quite big. It is clean and the staff is very friendly....which is always a plus. The tour itself is about an hour and a half. So if you visit during the very hot and humid season, then expect to sweat like crazy and don't forget your best friend, WATER!! Our tour guide, Royce (sp?) was very informative, friendly, and funny. I was actually expecting a very boring tour while being miserable with the heat, but he made it very entertaining. I've learned quite a bit about this species. I love how they rescue the eggs and help with the hatchings to make sure the alligators have a better chance of surviving. I'm still not a big fan of alligators, but I can surely respect them. I totally recommend this tour. read more

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Very enjoyable and educational. Royse gave a very professional and entertaining lecture.

Our Gator Educator Joyce was awesome. My husband and I were the only ones at the tour, so it felt like a private tour. Had a good time and learned a lot. Like why do they not have nails on all their fingers. Ask Royce about it if you visit lol read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

While preparing for my visit, my only motive was to hug a gator. Spoiler alert, I did. If you, for reasons I personally can't understand, are not hyped enough visit just for the chance to tickle an alligator's belly, there's a pretty great opportunity to learn. We had a couple guides throughout the tour and both were intentionally awkward and hilarious but also extremely well-spoken and obviously passionate about the work they do. The tour isn't off-site or any sort of hike, it takes place on their grounds where there's an introductory with the guide and general gator facts, they spend a good bit spitting a ton of gator trivia and sharing videos that'd captured everything they're discussing. From there they give you a nice heaping of marshmallows and you walk through one of their gator pens (looks sort of like a steeple but instead of horses, gators) and you get to toss them the treats. Everyone who attends gets to see and touch a gator but for a few extra bucks you can hold a 4 foot gator and have a commemorative photo taken. Another few bucks and you get access to the baby gator touch tank after the tour is completed. We'd signed up for everything and it was worth every penny. The touch tank had something like 20+ little gators just swimming around and was just a unique experience. read more

Royce is hilarious!! The tour was educating and super entertaining. We were part of the last group of the day, shared your with another family. Not too crowded and they were accommodating. We were able to touch the baby alligators and take photos. Very nice staff but extra shoutout to Royce. 10/10 would come back read more

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This was a really fun tour! I would highly recommend this, especially in the colder months as you're guaranteed to see some gators when they may be hiding in the wild or at the zoo. The cost is very reasonable and I would definitely add on handling the little gators. Our guide, Royce, obviously knows tons about alligators and has a lot of fun interacting with the crowds. He was great at answering both the little kids' fun but nonsensical questions (like "did you know I got to hold a lizard at my birthday party?") and the adults' boring but practical questions (like "what is the cost comparison of meat vs. leather for alligators vs. cows?"), as well as pulling sullen teenagers into the fun. Of everything we did in New Orleans, this is the one that we're still talking about! read more

Best Gator experience. Visiting from California and third time over 10+ years of visiting and gets better every time. read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - Had a great time. My daughter loved catching the baby gators. This is my 3rd time here and it gets better every time. Thanks again. - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

What an educational tour! The guide we had was great. He had the heart of a teacher and added humor throughout. Hokey, at times, but I appreciate the attempt at humor. You could also tell that he was really into his job. He knew he was making a difference in the world, and that was visible in his energy during the tour. What I liked about this place is that they go beyond the simply touching the alligators. You get to go deeper into how the eyes work, the throat works, and even the ears work. I learned more about alligators here than I've learned anywhere else. And, they made the learning fun. It's an easy five star operation. But, it's not that easy. Unfortunately, and what left a bad taste in my mouth, are the extra costs they start prodding you with. You want to get your picture made? Oh, that's an extra cost. You want to hold an alligator? Give us five extra dollars. And see, everybody is given a different colored bracelet so they know who to exclude. So, at one point of the tour, they tell the ones not wearing the right color that it's time to go. C'mon Insta Gator, y'all are better than that. Just charge a price and let us all enjoy. Overall, however, it was a great tour. I recommend with the caveat mentioned above. read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - You get to feed these gators marshmallows. - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

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Scheduled tour was on time. Moved us from the air conditioned gift shop to the shaded lecture area, sitting us on benches with 3 big fans blowing for air movement on this hot day. Struggled to hear the 30 to 40 minutes of what our guide was saying about alligators and their farming operation due to fan noise. Tour guide was inviting to audience participation and questions. He let us all touch an alligator. Moved us through a building of alligators after strict instructions on how to feed them the marshmallows he gave us. Single filed through and then he left us standing outside while some stragglers got a personal tour before joining us. Then he gave more alligator info and let us touch it. Then said tour was over unless you paid 10 bucks extra to have your picture taken. It was an okay tour, but don't think it was worth 24 bucks (ticket and tax) read more

A fun, unique experience for entire family. Very educational, both about alligator features and the how the ranch came to be an operators. Fascinating to see them up close and learn about unique parts of their body. To see that third eyelid up close! The add-on to catch and hold an alligator is well worth it. You get 15-ish minutes to catch and hold and release and do it again. I was having so much fun, not really paying attention to the time though. We brought 8, 9, and 10-year old boys and sitting through the beginning talking portion, which runs a solid 30-minutes, was a little long in their opinion, but I felt it set the stage for appreciating the hands on portion. Would do again, and hopefully time it to see a hatch! read more

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I have been thinking about this place for a few years. I had stopped by the mystery museum, seen signs but had other things lined up. Stopped in here one day to have missed all tours. Months go by. A coworker suggests this place to me. A year goes by. Last week I made the decision to come, purchased tickets online so I could not allow myself to back out. I am so very glad to have come. This place is the best. Very educational. I won't give away any details, but just come. It is worth the trip. And get a picture taken and catch one of them gators. Wonderful time. Employees are friendly and knowledgeable. read more

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This was the highlight of our trip to the North shore! My husband and I decided to come spend a weekend from New Orleans for our anniversary. Royce was outstanding! He was funny, informative and we had a blast learning about the alligators, feeding them and actually handling the babies. This place was so much fun and we would highly recommend a trip to insta-gator! We missed the hatching season but we will be back (with our kiddos) next time. Thanks for a wonderful day guys!!! read more

Our first experience here was 2 years ago with our daughter and grandson. This year, we brought 3 out of our 4 kids, along with their spouses and a granddaughter. Everyone loved holding the baby gators!! Will definitely be back and bring more people next time! read more

This was excellent. You got exactly what is advertised, which is not often the case. We learned history of the reptiles, got to touch small baby gator. Went into a breeding grounds, small barrier there, no glass, so we got amazing views. Then got to hold bigger gator with photos printed. Had great time as an adult. read more

Best gator interaction/experience we had on our trip to NOLA. Learned so much, got to hold baby gators and got to see the living area of the larger gators. Definitely worth the drive if you are staying in New Orleans. The kids loved it and so did us adults! read more

Absolutely worth every penny. The hour long tour was both informative and highly entertaining, with the bonus options to hold an alligator and/or catch an alligator worth the extra fee if you choose them. As a homeschool family who likes to travel, we go on a LOT of tours and this on is by far our favorite- even my lovingly cheap husband agreed it was worth it. read more

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This is the most awesome southern tour I've ever had the pleasure of going on...and I've been on many. Royce, our tour guide was hilarious and engaging. I learned so much on the educational part of the tour. For example, did you know that there are more alligators in Louisiana alone than there are in the entire word? Approximately three million to be exact. To put that in perspective Louisiana has a population of a little over four million people. Yikes! The other parts of the tour included watching a very funny video on how they collect the eggs and bring them back to the hatchery and how they are born and raised there at the farm. We got to feed the gators and all had an opportunity to pet and hold them. Very fun, super educational and highly recommended! Go! You won't regret it! read more

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Such a fun experience! We were in Covington for the day being "tourist" & we're looking for something fun to do with our son. This is a "mom & pop shop" tour done right. Our tour guy was incredibly funny & made it a fun experience for all ages. The tour was about an hour & a half, so it's not something you just show up & walk through yourself. Honestly, not too much to see if you're a local anyway, but you learn a lot from the tour & it's a fun outing for a pretty day. Highly recommend! read more

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Why is the alligator so angry? Mama say alligators are so ornery cause they got all them teeth and no toothbrush...... Wrong....... I don't even know if Alligators are angry, but ROYCE would probably know... Royce is funny as hell (not that hell is funny) Folks, if you want to laugh and get "edumacated" at the same time about Alligators, habitats, populations in Louisiana etc... go here... Royce is funny as hell.... This is an amazing experience if you are in the Covington/Abita area I pet the baby gators, held them and sang them sweet little songs... not the last part about singing... I can't sing, but I did hold them... I made s'mores with the gators, it was fun, no I just fed them marshmallows in their little houses. No really you get to feed them marshmallows....I wouldn't recommend eating the marshmallows yourself.... Royce is priceless and so are his jokes... this was a good time, I recommend this gator farm for all your alligator needs or you know what I mean, tours and such.... ;) read more

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What an experience! This was our second tour and hatching experience. The employees are friendly, helpful, and full of interesting information. I highly recommend this for people of all ages. They exceeded our expectations once again! read more

What a fantastic experience! While visiting family in Louisiana, we stopped here with our 9 and 11 year old boys. The folks who work here are knowledgeable, charismatic and clearly enthusiastic about their work. We learned a lot about gators and had tons of fun while doing it. Getting to see, feed and even hold gators was a super fun experience for all of us and especially the kids. I highly recommend the extra $5 for anyone who wants to catch baby gators at the end of the tour. And the extra $5 for a group picture holding a slightly larger gator is also well worth the money. I wish there were more stars for me to give this experience. read more

If you want a more hands-on experience with alligators while you're in NOLA, this is the place for you!! Not only is the tour informationally engaging but it's also just a ton of fun filled with a bunch of unique up-close encounters with some gators! DEFINITELY would come back. read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

We absolutely loved our tour. Royce was a hoot, and he made the 2 hours fly by. There is a lot of interaction with the gators, and he makes it memorable. Also, there is a veterans discount, and some fun add ons like a picture with a gator, and playing with the babies. It was great, and good fun, even In February. read more

Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery - Tours Near Me - Covington, Louisiana

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Fun and engaging presentation. We felt safe around the gators. Staff are well informed and friendly.