Fun adventure for kids and adults! Animals engaged and were obviously well cared for. read more

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The best Animal encounter in Indiana bar none! Got to hang out with an elephant and do a safari ride where you feed multiple animals from the window of your car. Highly recommended! read more

Wilstem - Elephant encounter - Zoos Near Me - Paoli, Indiana

We did the drive-thru safari at Wilstem. My family and I haven't laughed that hard together in a long time! It's surprising how wild animals can bring a family together. The drive-thru safari turned all of our tired, sour moods around. I love the safari here because you literally do not have to leave your car at all. You pull up to the booth and pay, and then you take off down the path to see animals. No exiting and entering a vehicle. One thing to note, and the reason why my review is four stars instead of five: The people at the booth don't tell you anything about how to interact with the animals that are outside of your window. If you opt to buy the animal food (which you should), they don't tell you how to feed the animals. But I'm telling you right here. You need to put the container of food out your window and let the animals eat it from the container -- do not put the food in your hand or hold it between your fingers. If you do, you might get your hand bitten/nibbled from a friendly but hungry animal. Just let them eat from the container, and it should be all good. Once we figured out how to feed the animals safely, it was a fun experience. The animals know to come running when they see a vehicle enter their domain. Car = food. So it was delightful to see the emus running at full speed toward our car to say "hello" (and also "Where is my food?"). As we made our way through the park, we encountered a variety of animals. During the drive-thru safari, you have the opportunity to spot around 50 different animal species. But just like with a real safari or a visit to a zoo, it's not guaranteed that you will see all of them due to various factors such as weather, time of day and roaming patterns. We visited Wilstem during the early summer months when it seemed like lots of animals were out and about. During our safari, we had the chance to interact with several animals, such as Texas longhorns, zebras, emus, goats, donkeys, deer, alpacas, llamas and bison. The drive-thru safari experience at Wilstem Wildlife Park is divided into three main sections: The first section is the emu zone. You're allowed to drive through this section with your windows rolled down, and you can feed the emus if they come up to you. (Note: Feed the animals by holding the feed cup in your hand and letting the animals come up and eat from the cup.) In the second section, you will see animals like llamas, alpacas, goats and donkeys. You're allowed to feed these guys, too! The third section is the bison section, where signs instruct you to drive through the area with your windows rolled up. The fourth section -- Grizzly Ridge -- is also a zone where your windows need to stay rolled up. Here is where the bears reside (safely contained in a pen). As we made our way through the animal safari, we also saw some animals grazing in the fields a little farther away, such as zebras (not available for feeding because they can bite!), camels and deer. From start to finish, the drive-thru animal safari lasted about 45 minutes. Timing can vary, though, depending on how long you want to linger and feed/observe the animals, or how many other people are doing the drive-thru safari. Fortunately, there weren't many people also visiting at the same time, so we didn't have to wait too long. read more

I heard of this place years ago when we were in Paoli for other things, but chose not to go to a zoo type place. I was okay with zoo's, but kind of growing out of them. Wifey and I took 4 grandchildren to Wilstem and was very impressed. Most of the animal interaction is from your car as you drive a route where they are sectioned off in their own areas, which are many acres each. They have food in cups which entice the animals too come to your vehicle. This is amazing to young and old. You can drive around the circuit more than once. I think our favorites were the camels, ostriches and longhorn. The circuit runs into the dinosaur park which was quite a surprise. The dinosaurs were very life-like with movement and sounds. After Dinosaur park, you end up at the goats which can be fed by hand. The grandchildren really liked that. After the goats is the Roos and crews building with many, kangaroos, primates, lemurs, lizards, sloths, snakes, turtles and other creatures. Lastly, we fed a giraffe, which was a highlight to me. Getting that close to a huge giraffe and eating out of my hand was awesome. They have military discount which was nice. It was better than ANY zoo I ever visited, due to driving around and feeding wildlife up CLOSE. The staff are very friendly. It is worth at least one visit. read more

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This was so cool! A drive through safari in Indiana that lived up to my expectations for my kid. You get the option to add on feed for the animals and while that is an intimidating experience, it's really cool once you get acclimated. This was certainly the best zoo type experience we've ever had. read more

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Took my mom and my wife to bathe elephants for Mother's Day! We were the only people to show up so they got to bathe both of the elephants! Such a great memory here! read more

Was an awesome stop on the bucket list!! My son loved every bit of it...... We enjoyed the animals, close encounters, and Safari! We had a blast. read more

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Came here for my 41st birthday today and did the drive through Safari. This was amazing! The animals come right to your car (and peek through your windows lol). Hot tip:You will get food pellets in your car because they are messy eaters (especially the emu's!) The facility was clean and the animals looked happy and well taken care of. I can't wait to come back and do one of their encounters! Thanks for making my birthday unique and fun! read more

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Extremely misleading information! myself, along with two other families were very disappominted we all were told we, along with our kids as a group of 4 we would be able to rinse and wash the elephants, have photo opportunities and paint the elephants toenail s and have an hours with them!!!! each child got less than 5 minutes total, there was 16 people in our group!!! Very disappointed and this was $100 per person!!!! For five minutes Then if we wanted to feed the Elephant we had to pay $5 for each child to give them a piece if Apple and celery! Are you kidding me.... they made $1600 for that hour and people may have got 5 minutes each, if adults didn't cut in front of the children read more

We did the animal encounter where you bathe the elephants. It was overall a great experience. We appreciated the small group size. I didn't appreciate during the second portion being asked to pay for feed when we already spent a hefty amount on the first portion. You also have to have cash for that which we didn't know or bring. I also thought it would be nice if there were better options for photo ops or even a photographer on site. read more

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Group visit, staff unprepared upon arrival, times not honored, pricing not honored, over charged for carry-out pizza "supposed catered lunch", refusal to communicate further regarding pricing issues. Wagon full of guests lost wheel while in motion, lurching to a dead stop tossing people around. Not recommended read more

I lived in Indiana forever ago, when I was a kid, and there wasn't much to do. A lot of the area was really poor. I went to visit my family and there were some welcome additions. The casino in French Lick has brought wineries, a water parks, mini put put/laser tag, and more. This place was one of those nice additions. They have zip lining, animal experiences and safaris. This was really fun, and we drove through twice so it was a great way to spend a few hours. The alpacas and emus made for entertainment. We also fed the giraffes and birds which was a highlight. Lots of fun for the family! read more

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My husband and I took our teenage niece and 11 year old granddaughter there. It was an awesome experien. the place is very clean and our wagon dtiver, Steve, was very nice and knowledgeabl. The animals are very well taken care of. Getting to feed the animals was very nic. So much better than going to the zoo. The Dinosaur experienxe was very nice. Highly recommend read more

Great interactive venue for adults and families! Very clean with all wildlife appearing heathy

My 36 year old daughter and I spent two days on the property and had a delightful time. We purchased the all access pass which provides a great variety of experiences. Our cabin was so cozy and comfortable nestled in the woods with a stream running past it. The property is gorgeous with rolling hills and troops of animals stretching into wooded sanctuary areas for animals to explore. The wagon ride was tons of fun with a dude who kept everyone laughing and informed. All the animals are well cared for by staff who obviously are dedicated to their well being. I am already trying to figure out a way to schedule a return trip, perhaps I can convince a group of family to pile in big 3rd row SUV and stay in one of the big houses on the property. It would definitely be worth the 6 hour drive from Michigan to be swept away again by the magical animal encounters. A special thank you to all the staff for making us so welcome and paying attention to being sure we had the best time. read more

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Went here about a month ago. Purchased the All-Access package, and we were not disappointed. From the drive-thru safari to the various educational encounters with the animals, it was a fun and exciting experience. Staff appeared to be quite knowledgeable and showed extreme care toward the treatment of the animals. I cannot speak to the lodging facilities, but if you are looking for a fun-filled day, I highly recommend Wilstem. Plus they have otters and who doesn't like otters??? read more

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We decided to finally check out Wilstem on Earth Day this year. It's one of those places I think about when I drive past on the way to someplace else and then forget about. I'm glad we finally remembered. It was just my husband and but I think our grandsons would love to visit as well. We'll definitely be back. read more

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My family and I went over Labor Day weekend and had an amazing time. We did the sloth encounter with Terri and it was my favorite thing we did. Terri was absolutely incredible and so knowledgeable. She made my entire weekend. I would recommend going to see her and Luna (the sloth)! read more

Wilstem - Zoos Near Me - Paoli, Indiana

They have greatly improved on having more animals since the last time we visited the park. This time we took the wagon safari and the experience was really good, except that the wagon was overcrowded. After the wagon tour, you drive your own car to see the dinosaur encounter. The crazy thing about that is, you have to drive back through the safari to get to the dinosaur encounter. I think there should be a road separate to get to it, instead of driving back through the safari. If I wanted to drive my car through there, we wouldn't have taken the wagon in the first place. :( read more

We went today and had an amazing experience! Everyone was so nice and accommodating. We had several encounters with animals and got to touch and pet so many! read more

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Wow! Talk about an amazing adventure that we stumbled upon! I had tried to purchase the drive thru online but was having trouble so we drove over and caught the very last wagon of the day! The wagon ride exceeded our expectations and was worth every penny! It included feed for the animals, a guided tour with Steve, personal chats with the animal keepers, and close encounters with the animals! My family has done many "safari" rides ( even with Disney) but this was the BEST TOUR we've ever had! I am extremely grateful of greetings with the wolves, bears, and all the animals! Emus, llamas, goats, bears, feeding the giraffe, kangaroos! Please take this tour and schedule the wagon tour with Steve! read more

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We went there for the first time on thanksgiving. They had a huge buffet. Everything was prepared deliciously. We will definitely go back.

Great experience. So happy we came. The cabin was wonderful and our whole experience was amazing read more

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One of the absolute BEST things I've ever done! Wilstem is absolutely amazing. It provides the opportunity to get up close and personal to animals you've only been able to see from a distance at the zoo. Being so close to them is breath taking. I signed up for the Giraffe Encounter and the Elephant Spa and Encounter. The Giraffe Encounter was first. The handler lead us into a large room and we climbed steps to the top level. We were instructed to be quiet because giraffes can be skittish and we didn't want to frighten them. The handler talked about the history of the two giraffes in the encounter and answered questions. We took pictures with them, got to touch their head and neck, and fed them a lot of carrots. The Elephant Spa was an opportunity to give an elephant a bath. There are three elephants and their owner was on hand to supervise, organize the event, and answer questions. Everyone in the group took turns completing tasks on three different elephants. It was like washing a car. You used long handle brushes with special soap to lather the elephant and then a water hose to spray them down. You had to paint oil on their nails to help prevent cracking. After all the elephants were bathed the owner answered questions and told us about the elephants. The elephant encounters are only available during warm-weather months. During the winter the owner takes the elephants to Sarasota, FL because they don't do well in cold weather. At the end of the encounter we were encouraged to take picture with the elephants, pet them, and ask any additional questions. I felt the prices were incredibly reasonable. I did both encounters for around $100 - which I think is worth every penny. The groups are small so you get a lot of time with the animals. I'd love to do it again someday. It was a great experience! read more

We went to the Wilstem fall light show which included the dinos after dark attraction. It was $39 a carload. It was a bit disappointing to say the least. The light display was fairly sparse and far from spectacular. There were a couple of people trying to guide vehicles along the proper route but there was an area that was a bit confusing and not well lit, with no signs or people to assist in guiding vehicles in the right direction. It definitely was not worth $39 a carload. read more

Wilstem offers amazing encounters!! We did the Elephant Spa and Sloth encounters! The elephants appear to be very happy and healthy, and it was incredible to be up close to them! The younger man and woman are fantastic; both are very knowledgeable and willing to help/answer any questions! The older gentleman helping was one of the most unpleasant people I've ever been around. Sad because he has a wonderful job. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Sloth encounter! Terri is AMAZING!! One can tell she deeply cares for Luna, the Sloth! The wagon ride through the safari was nice but less than what we expected. It does have Grizzlies, though! All the staff we encountered were very friendly! Overall, the experience at Wilstem exceeded expectation, and we would highly recommend! read more

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The elephant encounter was such a great experience. I gave the two elephants a bath and feed them carrots. I'd say do the spa experience and stay around for the education to learn more about the beautiful animals read more

Wilstem - Zoos Near Me - Paoli, Indiana

Our most exciting activity in French Lick took place at Wilstem Ranch where we had hands-on experience learning about animals! The ranch has been featured as one of the top 10 best places to interact with large animals by USA Today. I agree! While the ranch offers many activities, like horseback riding, zipline tours, ATV tours, and lodging, the animals are what we came to see this time. They offer animal encounters with giraffes and lemurs where you're educated about the animals while you have a chance to feed and pet them. Jeff Watson from Animal Planet has his bears Bob and Screech there as well! During the warmer months, you can see an elephant get bathed and even have the opportunity to feed it breakfast! Be sure to check their website for appointment times. Along with the big animals, you can get up close to kangaroos, porcupines, various birds, goats, and tortoise. This spring they've announced a brand new ride-through safari! We have Wilstem high on our list to visit when it's warmer and the girls are a little older so we can spend a weekend doing all of their activities indoors and out. Their efforts in helping these animals stay off the extinction list are wonderful. Many of the animals they have are on the endangered species list and have short life spans in their natural habitats. read more

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From the cabin to the safari, to the elephant, giraffes and everything in between. It was wonderful, the staff really love these animals and are truly their advocate. We will b back! read more

My friend and I went on the VIP tour and it was a blast. Our guide Rebecca stop the wagon whenever we wanted to take pictures, let us feed anything that was safe to feed and gave us plenty time to ask questions. At the end of the tour we got to feed the giraffes as a small group, and then each were able to hold a baby wallaby. That was a real thrill. I'd recommend this tour to anybody. OK read more

This was so fun! We gave the elephant a bath before talking the safari ride through the park to feed lots of animals. the staff was so kind and funny. It was awesome! read more

Very cool place to visit if you like getting up close and personal with large animals. They have a really friendly elephant who loves being petted. She purrs. I didn't know elephants purred. Just outside of French Lick. Lots of other cool animals to see up close and feed. read more

So many animals and amazing experiences! Super kind staff who were very well educated on the species. Would definitely go back again!

Very disappointing. Paid $50 for 5 people (2 adults, 3 kids) to walk around a hot barn and look at about 11 animals (iguana, Kangaroos, tortoises, goats, Porcupine, birds, and snakes). Lucked out and got to see 2 Giraffes without having to pay for an encounter. The staff at the red barn (check in center) are rude, but the staff at the Roos and Crew Barn were nice. Won't do it again. read more

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Amazing experience. My family and I loved it. Up close to kangaroos, sloth, and especially giraffe. We were a "late arrival" the night before our encounter and stayed in the second floor of the carriage house. Let me just say it's dark AF there at night and we had some trouble finding our way around. Also Unfortunately we didn't get any blankets for the pull out couch. There were 4 of us and the front desk knew that. Needless to say it was cold and snowy in January and therefore cold sleeping at night with only a sheet. Also letting me know there would NOT be coffee in our room or anywhere on the property would have been vert helpful. When we checked in the next morning I wish I was told we could have drove through the safari experience, instead I inquired too late, (told that I should have been told that when I checked in) missing it and being disappointed after spending sooooo much money there. read more

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I have a number of concerns for the animals there. On my visit there they had at least 10 kangaroos in an indoor fenced area that was about 15' x 25' in the Roos and Crew building, they were all just laying/sitting there on the hard floor looking depressed. There was a 1yr old nursing off his Roo Mom and the one caretaker told us she also has a 1month old in her pouch. A bigger male kangaroo shoved the nursing mom and she stopped feeding the 1yr old. We asked the caretaker do the roos ever get to go outside and he said with the reptiles also in the same building they can't open the doors for the other animals or it is too cold for the reptiles. The reptiles were in habitats, some with nothing to climb on, no water in their little pools and some only had enough room to turn around, It was devastating. Luna the sloth who was curled in a ball sleeping on the base of her mobile tree was awoken for an encounter and we were told she wasn't sleeping, she was just pretending. She kept scratching herself and the caretaker said they are having a hard time regulating the humidity in her room. There were 3 otters siblings that they do an otter encounter with and the 2 were bullying the 3rd one. The caretaker then takes a lid off a 18" x 36" plastic storage bin with water in it, they jump in and it's mass chaos in my eyes. They were getting aggressive and the 2 were biting and holding the 3rd one under water. At one point the one being bit jumped out and the 2 bullies followed him still biting him. I kept mentioning it to the caretaker and she just said they never draw blood and they were playing. They had a room with hundreds of canaries and they give you a small cup of bird seed to go in and feed them. You walk in and are immediately swarmed by canaries landing on you and fighting for the food in the little cup. In the midst of them fighting over the food they were biting my fingers. Then I look down and the floor is covered in canaries at my feet grabbing any seeds that drop and biting my ankles. There were 2 kids in the room with their mother and that's all I thought was, I wonder how many birds are injured and/or killed being stepped on, because you couldn't even walk. read more

Our whole experience at Wilstem was amazing. We did a private elephant encounter and a primate encounter and both were wonderful! Cindy and Vicky (the elephants) were beautiful and it was amazing to be able to interact with them. We spent time in the Roos and Crews barn and fed the giraffes too! The real highlight for my teenage kids though was the drive-thru safari - we went through multiple times! I am sure they will forever remember when a camel stuck his head all the way in the car across the driver side to the passenger side to get some food. We were all laughing and had such a wonderful time! We will 100% come back. read more

A wonderful time. The drive through was great. We did it twice and our kids loved it. We did the elephant encounter and it was amazing. Picture opportunities and feeding opportunities. Tickets are cheaper there, but you risk not getting a time to do the encounter if they're pre purchased. read more

Had a great time the staff and the experience was lots of fun. The animals looked very happy and the sloth was awesome. read more

We had an absolute blast doing the drive-through safari and animal encounters! I highly recommend the All-Access package; it's a great value! Make sure you do the drive-through safari and not just the wagon ride; I personally like the drive-through better as it's more up-close and personal, but both are fun! The staff were really friendly and accommodating. They have a cafeteria where you can get decent burgers or chicken, and there are some good restaurants only 10 minutes away. I can't think of a single complaint about our experience. read more