Great little zoo in a small town. They have a bison, llamas, goats, peacocks and miniature horses…read moreamong other animals. There are plenty of places for kids. The swamp causeway across the street is also interesting. It was a cute little treat to stop at when driving south.

This is a Recreation Park and Zoo. Got some animals. You can not pet or feed them. Only take photos…read moreand look at them. They have grills to cook on and plenty tables to have a nice gathering if you choose. It is nothing that you need to go out your way to see. But if you drop in cause your near by. You might enjoy it.

This was such an awesome experience, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Keep in mind these…read morepeople are volunteers this establishment runs off of people like you and me visiting and donations. This is not a zoo it's a sanctuary and rescue and I highly respect what they do here. it takes a lot, more that I can probably fathom to rescue and care for all the animals they have here (they do have a lot) from a variety of turtles, tons of different birds that were beautiful, monkeys, horses, donkeys, a camel, cats, dogs, raccoons, fox, bunnies, reptiles, ant eater, bats, pigs, the list goes on. You can tell these animals are well cared for as well, just keep in mind that they are rescues and we don't know what they have been through before they arrived. the entrance fee is more than reasonable for the experience.

The 5 stars is for the overall experience. It's an animal rescue on a personal property, it is not…read morea "zoo" that being said we saw some things we have never seen in a typical zoo. You also get up close to the animals but they are still in enclosures. For $15 a person it's more than reasonable and you know your money goes to helping the animals. If you are traveling on I-95 this is 12 minutes off the Benson exit. A great break on your long drive on I-95. Walking surfaces are natural, not paved or concrete, please consider this when choosing your footwear!

Put on your comfy pants and head out to Homestead Farm. They host goat and PUPPY yoga! They breed…read moreLabrador retrievers and host puppy yoga when they have a litter. Most recently Java gave birth to adorable chocolate lab puppies. Elsa, an 11-month old white lab from Gwen and Gus' recent litter was also there with her father. Megan and Jeff own the farm and give farm tours after yoga to see the chickens and goats. Yoga is run by Victory Power Yoga. All classes are outside so dress accordingly. They provide yoga mats. I recommend bringing a towel. If you bring a water bottle or purse they have tables set up to place your items. I did not realize it at first and set my things next to the mat. The puppies loved to play with my purse and water bottle. They have an indoor bathroom and shop (Puptique). The yoga class was excellent. Appropriate for all ages and skill levels. The class was run well even with all the distracting puppies running around. Surprisingly I was still able to relax and stretch while playing with the dogs. Ample time was available before and after to play and take pictures. Parking is available on the lawn out front. There was ample spaces and room to pull in and out (plus a turn around area if needed). Overall, we had a lovely morning here. I highly recommend checking them out!

From the owner: Where boho charm meets family farm! We are a family owned flower farm in Johnston County that…read moreoffers glamping, goat yoga, petting zoo and birthday parties! Come celebrate your birthday, work outing or special event with us! We also offer homesteading classes and field trips!

A great place to spend an hour or so playing with a variety of farm animals. Farmer Mary is…read morefriendly and helpful - offering to let you (or your kids) hold baby bunnies, new chicks, or teach you about the various animals on her farm. We brought our newly walking 14 month old to the farm and he loved feeding all the animals and watching the chickens, ducks, and pig wander around with him. There are some things you need to know before you go: - do a quick read on her website or Facebook. There's instructions about your visit including hours of the farm (she updates it daily), food to bring, etc. - it's $10 per person to visit. It's based on an honesty system - you leave your money in a box at the entrance. Adopted children are free (as she has a couple of adopted kids herself) - don't forget your food for the animals! She has some there for a fee, but you can easily feed the animals by raiding your pantry or fridge. Unsweetened cereals (cheerios, cornflakes, etc), crackers (like Saltines), carrots, lettuce, celery, apples... all sorts of stuff make good and easy food for the animals. - if you're looking to rent an animals, there's information on that too! Yes, you can 'rent a pet.' This includes rabbits, guinea pigs, and from her site... it sounds like goats, pigs, etc are available. When we were there she was telling some people about it. Just ask! She does birthday parties and other events too, but our guy is a little too young to partake in those now. In the meantime, I think we're going to try to go over there whenever we need to clean out the fridge or pantry. It seems like a fun place to keep my little guy familiar with all sorts of animals, and was just a nice afternoon activity. She has picnic tables and told us to ask her for a tour of the pasture next time. Oh, and if you need a run down of some of the animals we hung out with: donkeys, llama, emus, chickens, ducks, a goose, a pig, a bunch of rabbits and guinea pigs, some roosters, peacocks, and goats! This is one of those places that makes me so happy that we moved to the area. It's so fun and unique and just offers another bit of local charm.

Farmer Mary was so sweet and our pup Lucy had the best time running in the open area. My wife and I…read morelayed in the hammocks and let the pup roam and she loved it. Farmer Mary also showed us her petting zoo with bunnies and guineas and told us their stories of how they found their way to her. You can tell she cares so deeply about her animals and is very passionate about what she does. Highly recommend if you're in the area!

We hired Jude's Ark for my toddler's birthday but as an option everyone could enjoy because she has…read moreolder brothers. EVERYONE enjoyed Jude's Ark - including the adults! My eight year old asked if they could come back for his birthday. The husband-wife team was professional, friendly, extremely patient and clearly passionate about the animals. The animals were all adorable and friendly and you get to touch all of them and hold many of them. Cost is extremely reasonable ($150 for one hour), no additional cost to come to our house in the Apex/Holly Springs area. They set up 30 minutes before and give you the option of a petting zoo style event or an educational half hour with touching followed by 30 minutes to interact more and hold many of the animals. We loved the educational half hour. The kids were fascinated by all of the animals. Don't opt out of the snake and tarantula, surprisingly those didn't feel as scary as I expected and the tarantula was even cute, he "high fives" everyone. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite animal. The bird was so sweet and kept laughing during the presentation. The hedgehog was adorable, as were the ferret, sugar glider and rabbit. Plenty of options for reptile-lovers too! Highly recommend.

I booked a "behind the scenes" tour to celebrate my birthday, and I couldn't have asked for a…read morebetter experience! Ethan, our guide, was friendly, outgoing, knowledgeable, attentive, personable... suggest other positive descriptors and he's probably that too! He was absolutely excellent - no notes! - a great source of info and stories! We chose to do half the tour outside, and I'm so glad we did! I had debated between the "behind the scenes" and "walk with the lemurs" options, and doing this part outside was like a mini walk with the lemurs experience! Hooray! We got to be just feet away from some of the various lemur species. A ring-tailed lemur even walked right up in front of us! The Sifaka lemurs were a joy to watch hopping and leaping. Seeing everyone head in for afternoon snacks was so fun too: they all had their own order for heading in, and you could really see their personalities as they went by too. Some lemurs were up in the trees, hopping between them, some down on the ground with us, and all of them seemed so content. Did I mention there is no barrier between you and them during this experience?! It is incredible. One of the Sifakas looked right at us and tilted her head to the side seeming to question what we were doing - definitely curious about us. It was so incredible to be so close to these fellow primates! The tour continued through some of the other buildings. We learned about food, enrichment, research; we met volunteers, scientists, other specialists. Everyone seemed so positive and happy to be there and like they truly enjoyed what they were doing. Can you blame them? It's such a cool place! Next, we got to visit some of the nocturnal species: mouse lemurs, fat-tailed lemurs, bush babies, and aye-ayes! They're nocturnal species, and red light was used to not disturb them. It is harder to see in these places, but the smaller lemurs and bush babies really are adorable and interesting. Ethan gave a tip that video does better than photos in this area (with camera phones at least). It really is hard to wrap your head around these small mouse-sized animals are actually mammals! We also got to view a few aye-ayes, and then even watch one get a special snack! It was very cool to see her use her special long finger to scrape peanut butter and to learn about other special feeding strategies that are used to mimic how they eat in the wild. The gift shop is clean and air conditioned very well in hotter times. There are lots of different items available there: toys, shirts, paintings the lemurs made themselves (!!), ornaments.... you can even "adopt" a lemur and get updates about them while supporting the great work done at the DLC. Even before our tour was over, I was already asking Ethan about other tours and when he recommends we visit again: a true sign of a wonderful experience is wanting to go back even before it's over! I'm so glad to have finally made it here: amazing place!! [A few things to note: there is an age minimum here (10 years old), and you definitely should make reservations for any tours ahead of time.]

The Duke Lemur Center is located on Duke University's campus. It is on 85 acres and opened back in…read more1966. Its focus is on research, and it has the most diverse group of lemurs outside of Madagascar. Lemurs are the most endangered species, so the Center studies them non-invasively. The center has also bred 3,400 lemurs, making sure to keep the diversity. If you want to visit, make sure you make a reservation. They offer a General Tour, which is self-guided; the Walking With Lemurs tour is a small-group, guided tour; and a private tour is also available. I've done both the self-guided and small-group tours. With the self-guided tours, you walk along a path and can spend as much time as you'd like within the allotted time frame, seeing the lemurs in their enclosures. Docents and volunteers are stationed at various spots to tell you about the lemurs and answer questions. Walking with Lemurs is my favorite tour. I like the smaller group of about 8 people, and you get to go into the forest to see the lemurs up close. Remember, you need to stay at least six feet away from the lemurs and cannot touch them. It is also possible that you will not see all the lemurs, as they get to decide whether to be viewed. On my last tour, some just stayed very high up in the trees, but we did see others very close. There is a free parking lot, as well as an overflow lot if that lot fills up. If they both fill, just ask where to park, and they will direct you. Make sure to visit the gift shop before or after your visit. The Duke Lemur Center is an incredible, world-class asset to the Triangle. Whether you choose the General Tour or splurge for the forest walk, it is an unforgettable experience that directly supports a wonderful cause.

Have used them twice now. Friendly Excellent Service! Would definitely recommend. Enhances any…read moreevent and a joy to hire.

What a fantastic program! My granddaughter attended a party of theirs. Everyone had a fantastic…read moretime. There numerous activities to appeal to children of all ages. The animals were loving and gentle. I can't imagine what the other reviewer was thinking? Perhaps they had this group confused with another.

No doubt the best park in the Raleigh area with lots of things to do for the rug rats. Carousel,…read moreboats, playgrounds, Choo Choo train, and wonderful picnic pavilions. Food stand has a few things which are actually pretty good plus ice cream and soft drinks, which are refreshing in the summer months. New bocce courts are nice addition and the tennis courts are never busy. Check out their live music schedule, too!

Every year around Christmas season, Pullen Park sets up the park in Winter Wonderland mode. This…read moreyear was fantastic and it's easy to see why tickets sell out so fast. There is a train ride through the park with all sorts of lights and Christmas displays. There are numerous free activities and crafts for kids of all ages. There is even a gorgeous carousel ride that seats many. It doesn't hurt that it is inside so you can warm up from the chilly outside. There is even remote parking with comfy buses that will take you to and from the parking lot and the park. It is a great experience and our grandkids ( and grandparents) have such a great time.