A great place to spend an hour or so playing with a variety of farm animals. Farmer Mary is friendly 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. read more

Farmer Mary was so sweet and our pup Lucy had the best time running in the open area. My wife and I layed 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! read more

Winterpast Farm - Lucy all tuckered out after her big run! - Zoos Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Farmer Mary was so wonderful. Fun, friendly, and informative. We truly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back! Can't wait to bring our dog to check out the park!! read more

Winterpast Farm - Zoos Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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I spent a wonderful day (May 2023) at Winterpast Farm. I thought the $10 (cash) fee was not enough; I gave $20. The animals were happy and adorable, and it was so much fun feeding them. I particularly loved the emus, because you don't find such close contact with emus at other places. Walking on the land with the animals was also a highlight and the peacock was so beautiful. Farmer Mary and her daughter, Elizabeth, were lovely and helpful and although I was just in NC visiting, I will definitely be back. Thanks for an unforgettable day. read more

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This is animal cruelty!!! Animals should not be used for entertainment and Mary does not know much about animals to teach others. Rabbits are prey animals which means they get scared and traumatized by being outdoors with so many predatory animals as well as humans trying to hold them and pick them up. Baby rabbits should be under the care of their mother and only being eating specific foods for their health. Rabbits under 6 months should NOT be eating carrots and solid foods that I saw them consuming. She clearly does not know about proper rabbit care or animal care. Please do not support this place of business as it is harming the animals and teaching people improper animal care. read more

lots of fun, passionately run farm. Kids loved it. Cant wait to go back when it cools off

Mary wasn't very friendly and I feel she tries to make money on her rescues. Not my kind of place.

My son had a field trip with his first grade class and it was a horrible experience! Farmer Mary had an ugly attitude. She was fussing at everyone who was parking. She fussed at the bus driver who accidentally pulled into the private drive beside her dumb little farm and made a comment " if my neighbor comes out and shots you it's not my problem" what kind of person say something like to a bus driver filled with kids!!!!! If I could rate it a negative zero I would. Do not waist your time or money here at all! As a mom who loves to take her kids to explore new places I will never go back to this place. Farmer Mary is a rude disrespectful human. read more

We have visited this petting farm many times over the years. We have also rented animals which is such an amazing service Farmer Mary offers. Every time my girls get on a guinea pig or hamster kick, we are able to see if it's a good fit for our family. Turns out I was allergic to hamsters and my dog wasn't friendly to the guinea pigs. We are so lucky to have someone like Mary to give us the opportunity to "test" our household for the animals before purchasing everything only to find it's not a good fit. Thank you, Farmer Mary for everything that you do! read more

We love Winterpast!! The staff are so caring and treat the animals with such love & attention! My family are huge animal lovers and going to Winterpast was one of my favorite things we have done as a family! Keep up the amazing work Winterpast! read more

Winterpast Farm - Sweet baby goat at Winterpast! The staff does an amazing job raising & loving them & they are so social! We love Winterpast Farm! - Zoos Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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I wish I could give zero stars. I've been to Winterpast once, farmer mary was not kind, her animals seemed sad and like they were not loved or cared for. Cages looked and smelled like they had not been cleaned in a long time, which could be clearly seen and smelled. Farmer Mary asks that you bring food and feed the animals which I know is not good from owning and growing up around farm animals. She breeds animals for people to rent, though she can't afford the ones she has. There's so much more I can write, but this is a short review I thought needed to get out. Please please do not support Winterpast farm, this woman hoards animals and doesn't take proper care for them to give them a good life. read more

We enjoy going. Farmer Mary is a person in our community that has opened her home to animals and to locals. It is a cycle of community effort, by going and contributing she continues to care for her rescues, etc. I am an animal lover and the animals are happy, healthy and cared for. They get fresh water, feed produce and a lot of attention. We have volunteered, rented a bunny and visited the farm. It is a wonderful, grass roots type zoo. You do need to comb through directions, details, etc from the website before you go. This is her home so that is understandable. read more

Great local farm! We've been many times. Thanks to Farmer Mary for being a gracious and knowledgeable host.

This is by far one of our most favorite places to spend an afternoon. Farmer Mary and her volunteers are extremely knowledgeable and kind and she has provided a home for so many animals who might otherwise have been abandoned. The educational experience of learning about and helping to care for the animals is priceless for both adults and children. read more

My children love visiting the farm and feeding all the animals, playing with the dogs and swinging on the swing!! We have also rented bunnies and Guinea pigs for a week, my kids loved them and took great care of them, but after a week of cleaning up after them realized they did not want to own one thankfully. I highly recommend a visit to the farm! Be sure to read the website before visiting, we bring food for the animals, the website has a list of healthy choices. Otherwise you have to purchase food there. Also, if you reading other reviews, it's interesting to note many of the negative ones are from people that do not even live in NC, and have not even actually visited the farm. It is a working farm, not a zoo, expect to get dirty, especially after rain, and bring some hand sanitizer if you don't want to use the sink in the shed. read more

Don't let the pictures fool you. This place is not the cure little animal sanctuary the owner claims it is. The animals all live in horrible conditions, sleeping in mud and their own filth and being fed human junk food. Bunnies and guinea pigs are often stuffed in small cages when not being passed around for small children. The owner, "farmer" Mary, also likes to take newborn baby animals away from their mother for little kids to play with. If that isn't enough, she "rents" out animals (the bunnies and guinea pigs especially) for a week. Those types of animals need stability and being passed around from place to place will stress them out and could possibly kill them. On top of all of that, Mary is often rude to the guests, especially children. It is not worth the money. read more

Winterpast Farm is hard to categorize. It's a petting zoo, a birthday party destination, a campground, and a place where you can rent rabbits for a week. Seriously. The farm isn't far from Durham, just off of 98, and is really easy to find. There isn't any designated parking, but I suggest you park where you *think* there would be a lot if someone bothered--you'll be fine. Farmer Mary runs the place, and she greets you (very warmly with the adorable farm dog, Charlie) when you get to the gate, and the tour begins pretty much immediately. We met some rabbits (in cages) and chickens (roaming freely) before we sat down next to a rabbit hutch and got to hold bunnies! The one I held kept biting my finger, so Farmer Mary brought out a sleeve of saltines which we used to feed ALL of the animals we met. This included: peacocks, ducks, goats, a sheep, and pregnant donkeys. We also would have fed piglets, llamas, and emus, but they weren't interested. I had a (Winter)blast--this place really has a good thing going. I just wish they would make some health and hospitality-type improvements like: hand-washing stations, and/or bathrooms (so that you don't have to go into the house), and that parking lot. read more

Zero stars! Farmer Mary doesn't know how to care for these animals properly. They are bred over and over again to bring in new customers because customers want to see babies. Then they are never seen again. Animal control has been called and is monitoring the situation. Many animals often do go "missing" due to neglect and Farmer Mary refuses to tell the public what happened to them. Her LinkedIn says she sells meat, cheese and eggs which is illegal in NC without a license. Want me to keep going? A bunny that was rescued from here had 2 extremely dangerous and highly contagious infections which could be spread to other people and their pets. That bunny will be living with health problems it's whole life. Do not support this woman! read more

Me and the children I nanny for love this farm! Mary is the SWEETEST and was able to teach us so much about the birds, ducks, chickens, roosters, bunnies, goats, and emu's she cares for. When you get there your given a huge bucket full of vegetables, fruit, corn and cereal to give the animals for a small fee. From there your brought around to hand feed them and learn how they came to be at Mary's farm. Our favorite part is being able to hold the baby bunnies and Guinea pigs. We will going back for sure ! read more

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Winterpast farm was the most fun and exciting experience I've ever had !! My friend and I were visiting NC for the first time and wanted to play with some farm animals. (We are 25) And boy did I find just what I was looking for! Farmer Mary gave us a tour of the whole entire farm explaining each and every animal! We even got to hold and pet almost everything! I would take a plane from where I'm from (Mass) every weekend to go there if I could! This is a MUST visit for ALL ages!! Especially kids! :) read more

Winterpast Farm - We love winterpast farm!!!! - Zoos Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Could not have been happier with our trip today. Farmer Mary is a wonderful lady and full of information about the farm. It was as much an educational experience as it was a fun! My only regret was that we didn't allot enough time to stay longer. I took a 12, 10 and 3 year old and they all loved it!! Don't think twice about making this trip with your kids! read more

Great place to bring the kiddos (ours are 2 for reference). They have chickens, roosters, turkeys, an emu, peacocks, guinea pigs, rabbits, a hedgehog, pigs, a miniature horse, donkeys, goats, sheep, and some friendly farm dogs all for the kids to pet/feed (you bring your own food to feed the animals)/play with. Mary is friendly and helpful with teaching then kids how to pet, hold and feed the animals. We will definitely be back! read more

Winterpast Farm - Baby bunnies. - Zoos Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Most unprofessional place ever! Texted the number given from the website and got a response: who's this? I stated that I wanted to book a couple of tickets to go and pet the animals....no response what so ever. I started wondering if they really were up to selling tickets at all. It was like texting with a 5 year old. I am never going to this money grabbing place. Horrible and discusting people only wanting money from others. I am happy to hear they will be closing/selling this place! My advice, do not give any money to their go-fund-collection. This money is not going to any animals, it's going to their own spending. Plus they use religious phrases to get more people to give more read more

A great place to spend a few hours. Farmer Mary is delightful and the animals are all so gentle. Check out Winterpast on Facebook. read more

Winterpast Farm - Feeding Lucky - Zoos Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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My girls love this place. It's nice to see animals not locked up in a little artificial pins like they do at the zoo. It's sad that she has to rescue animals from people who purchased animals and later don't want them, but awesome that she is there to help them out, the animals that is :-) no, it's not a commercialized zoo that charges you astronomical amounts of money to watch animals suffer in their little itty-bitty pins, but it is a small family like working farm that rescues animals who have been abandoned because people made stupid choices. Thanks for all you have done Farmer Mary and we will continue to visit your beautiful farm! read more

Farmer Mary is a truly wonderful, selfless person who always puts her animals' needs ahead of her own. She saves those that are abandoned and rejected and works tirelessly to care for each one. Anyone that sees her animals interact with her can blatantly conclude that they trust her completely and have formed unique and loving bonds that attest to the dedication she has to her farm. read more

We spent about an hour and a half at Winterpast Farm this Sunday. My 2.5 year old did not want to leave. It was so heartwarming to see him loving and enjoying all of the animals, and it was fascinating to me, as an adult, to hear the stories of the rescues and how the animals found their way to Farmer Mary. We will be back soon. read more

My kids love visiting Farmer Mary and her menagerie of farm animals. It's a great way to spend time together.

I don't consider this place to be worth the $10 per person it costs to get in. Babies who can't walk yet are free at least. First, the parking space is very limited. Maybe 10 cars can park in front of the farm itself and its a very tight fit. When I went other people had to park on the side of the road and walk back. Once you're in you can pay $1 for some food to feed the animals. There is a pig, a few sheep, a domesticated deer, and lots of chickens and ducks walking around freely. To see other animals you have to walk around the outskirts of the farm which closely resembles a junkyard. I was rather put off by all the junk laying around. The layout of the pens is very haphazard and everything looked dingy. I think there are too many animals and not enough people and/or help to properly take care of everything. The woman operating the farm had one young teenage boy helping out and even though he was very helpful there at least 30 people and each had 1-2 kids with them so overseeing everyone just wasn't feasible. Being able to pet rabbits and Guinea pigs is fun but, again, not for the price. You can also purchase eggs and handmade ornaments. I wouldn't go again. read more

I would highly recommend this farm for your event (and have already to 2 of my friends!). We rented a small, traveling petting zoo for an Easter party for my 2 kids and 10 of their friends. First of all, I called only three days before Easter and couldn't believe that Farmer Mary could pull together what she did in such a short time on one of her busiest weekends - lots of families come to hold the "Easter Bunny" at her actual farm. I was expecting only 3 or 4 animals, but instead got one baby goat named Charlie Brown, the hedgehog named Violet, 3 guinea pigs, 2 ducklings and 2 bunnies. Henry, the white male bunny, was a DREAM to hold! All the animals were calm, healthy-looking, and exceptionally clean. Farmer Mary's daughter, Elizabeth, travels with the zoo, and I hope you are lucky enough to get her while she's home from college. She's amazing!! She was so lovely we invited her to stay for lunch. Farmer Mary, I hope you stay in business for many years to come! This was such a memorable occasion for our family and guests - THANK YOU!! read more

Hello. I just took my two children to Winterpast Farm and was really dissapointed. I feel obligated to write this review since this is a place for families. I was shocked when I pulled up. Farmer Mary means well but her "farm" is nothing more than an acre of land which her home stands on, with animals running wild in that acre. I didn't know if we were walking in mud or poop. The farm really needs some TLC before being open to the public. I paid $30 ($10 each). The fencing and enclosures were old, dirty, and junk was lying around everywhere. I had to move a huge piece of glass from under a swing before my son could attempt to use it. This is not a place for very young kids. There is no place to wash your hands, no bathroom, etc. Bottom line, the whole place needs an overhaul and the "admission" charge is way too much for what you get. The pictures and website are deceiving. Sorry to write this because I know this is Mary's livelihood, but the truth should be told. I thought I did my research. The reviews I read were great but when I saw it all with my own two eyes, this is what I've come away with. read more