We have been visiting this place for years, and our kids love it. It was great during COVID because…read moreit's huge and maintained distance. Since then, this place has come a long way. They also had a flood and had to rebuild quite a few things. Since a great place to spend a weekend. Their baby goats are adorable. Make sure if you want to feed them, buy it online; otherwise, the wait is hours.

Sweet Eats Farm is one of our absolute favorite places to visit. It is incredibly kid-friendly and…read morejust as fun for adults. There is so much to do that every visit feels like a full experience, not just a quick stop. The farm has a nostalgic, old-fashioned charm, and each month features a different theme, which keeps it fresh and exciting year-round. General admission includes a huge number of activities. There are apple cannon launches, face painting, giant bubble stations, horseback riding, and a petting zoo with chickens, goats, llamas, and alpacas. The live pig races are a must-see and always a hit with the kids. There is also a large bouncing and play zone with slides and plenty of open space for children to run and explore. The creativity and scale of the activities are genuinely impressive. Seasonal events make it even better. Depending on the month, you can enjoy strawberry picking, corn mazes, pumpkin patch festivities, and other unique themed attractions. It truly never gets old. We ended up buying annual passes because if you go four or more times a year, they easily pay for themselves. One small note for parents: it is not very stroller-friendly in some areas due to the terrain, so bring a sturdy stroller if you plan to use one. It is doable, but it can be a bit of a push and pull. 4 stars since the cost of admission per visit can get pricey with even a small family of 4 like us at $22-$25 per ticket, which is why we opted to buy annual passes, which still can add up. Additonally, the uneven terrain for strollers can be a grievance and I also wish they were open later all year around. Some months they close as early as 2pm and stay open no later than 6pm with the exception of a couple of months during the fall season where they extend their hours until 9pm but that's only for a small fraction of the year.

What an amazing experience! The highlights are definitely the animals, kangaroos, giraffes,…read morecapybaras, sloths, camels, otters and more! Ponies that just come up to say hello, a mama donkey introducing you to her 3 day old baby! But the fabulous staff are the cherry on top. They have so much love for the animals and their jobs, they go out of their way to make you happy and they are so knowledgeable. The food was fantastic and the chef made sure this picky eater was happy. The packages are so worth it. Beautiful cabin, Beautiful Ranch.

Great visit and super friendly and knowledgeable staff, we will visit again in the futureread more

We had the Homestead crew at our bakery for a fun event and they were absolutely the best! They had…read morea huge variety of animals that were all so sweet and docile. Austin was incredibly kind and generous with his time and knowledge; this team truly love their animals and sharing them with others. Highest recommendation.

We used their balloon twisting services for our son's 5th birthday party and were blown away!…read moreBooking and communication were very smooth, their pricing was excellent. The balloon art exceeded expectations completely, the designs were incredible. It was a huge hit!

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.

Shelby is such a great asset to the community! She gives her all to her rescues like no one I have…read moreever seen! Her petting zoos are always a hit too! My parents adopted two young donkeys from her and it was a smooth, delightful experience. They have been a great addition to our Ranch!

In my personal experience, I cannot recommend this organization as a 501(c)(3). Over multiple…read moreoccasions, I have witnessed animals belonging to the owner and her family being intentionally or negligently allowed to roam onto private property owned by local farmers and ranchers. These incidents have resulted in damage to land that does not belong to them. Despite several requests and reminders to contain their animals and respect property boundaries, the situation has continued, and there has been no meaningful effort to correct the issue. Instead, the responsibility has repeatedly been shifted away from those involved, which has made resolving the matter extremely difficult. Out of respect for the agricultural community and the property rights of local landowners, I am unable to recommend this organization and would encourage others to use discretion when considering any involvement.

Manage your expectations if you choose to visit the Austin Zoo. It is a very small zoo - more like…read morean animal rescue. I knew this going in so was prepared for what to expect and really enjoyed my experience. I visited on Presidents' Day holiday with my daughters (6 and 2). Tickets were under $20 which I found reasonable and felt good to know that the money is going back to maintaining and preserving the zoo. I thought the size of the zoo was perfect for younger children. My daughters loved seeing the animals without massive crowds, within a restively small space. They particularly loved seeing the Galapagos turtle, lions, and snakes in the tiny reptile house. There are gorgeous peacocks roaming the grounds. They have the option to feed some animals (goats, farm animals) which we did not do this time. They also offer tours, educational programming and some extra cost activities. What I think could be better - - Their website doesn't mention that their train has been down for a long time, and requires major repairs. This was disappointing to find out there. My girls were looking forward to it. - No cafe or proper concessions stand - Parking can get crowded and require long walks to the entrance

First, I just wanted to address the recurring complaint in many reviews regarding the zoo not being…read morestroller-friendly. We left our wagon in the car due to those reviews and later regretted it. You can get by with a sturdy stroller here (with robust wheels). A flimsy one might struggle in some areas. Most of the walking areas are flat (not paved though) but there are a few gnarly areas that are pretty rocky and situated on an incline. I'm posting photos for reference although it might be a bit tough to see. The zoo could really smooth these areas out to make things easier and safer for visitors. Ultimately, the zoo is fairly small -- I had my youngest in a front-facing carrier while my 3YO walked. Second, I wanted to note that the Austin Zoo is not affiliated with the city of Austin. They are a private non-profit organization that does not receive city funding or have any management by the city. They are a rescue-based zoo wherein their animals come from seizures and surrenders, etc. They really should change their name -- I think many visitors expect this to be a city zoo (setting their standards high, only to be inevitably disappointed). I am having a hard time rating this zoo. It is a non-profit that seeks to help animals and it seems like they don't receive funding to do so. At the same time, this place generally seemed a bit run down/dirty. Some of the animals seemed sad/stressed (saw a monkey and an ostrich with missing fur/feathers). Now, I know these are rescues so I can't confidently attribute that stress to conditions at the zoo -- possible that it's related to their past experiences or just general adjustment to a new place. Last but certainly not least, many of the enclosures are way too small for the animals they're housing. This is alarming. I know they're being rescued but perhaps there's a better home for them. The tickets are not exactly cheap. Although children under 2 are free, 2+ tickets are 16.95. That's only $3 less than adult pricing. I get that they don't get city funding but at those prices, I'd at least expect the grounds to look less run down than they did. Also, they don't give you a map nor did I see one posted anywhere (you have to rely on an online map on their website). Once again, they really could invest some revenue toward enhancing the visitor experience. Don't miss the train ride since there are some animals (like the porcupine) that can only be viewed from the train. The conductor (also ticket salesman) was super nice. He also very politely asked my husband to switch spots with my toddler (so she wouldn't be on the open side of the train car). I appreciated that greatly. The gift shop was surprisingly cute and had a bunch of great souvenir options. Beautiful peacocks roaming the grounds is a nice touch. Ultimately, a bit of an uncomfortable visit given the sad animals, inadequate enclosure size, lack of general upkeep, and relatively expensive tickets.