Reviews of Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary (Zoo)

Lou Pliml

I was here years ago, back when Vince was alive and this was only his house. The bears would come and eat out of your hands, but its MUCH safer and controlled now. We brought the kids and had a fun time looking at the bears. It did end up raining, and there is little refuge aside from the gift shop which quickly became packed. Overall, while we thought it was cool, being that we live in the area, it wasn't as cool as we see them anyway, just not as close. If you live somewhere you will never see a bear, aside from a zoo, its a great vacation stop.

anne payette

AWESOME

Joseph Kieser

Brought my girlfriend here this year. Was an amazing experience to see wild back bears. Saw at least 30 bears at one time. $10 bucks a person for adults. Well worth the visit.

Kevin Smith

To me this place felt is more like a zoo without a fence around it. The facilities are generally nice, the staff friendly, and the bears are fun to see but if you have been to other bear watching destinations or have seen a number of bears in the wild before, then about 30 minutes here will probably suffice. Enjoy, but don't expect it to be a Katmai, Glacier, or Jasper. More like cousin Eddie's backyard bird feeder. Fun, yes. But know what to expect.

Christian S

Great bear viewing!

Tammy Lawson

It rained when we went. ????

Shivika Singal

Must visit!!! We saw some posters on our drive up towards the Canada border but had no clue about this place until someone at our cabin made a mention and said that we should absolutely check it out!! I am so glad that we did. I have been raving about it and telling my friends about this wonderful amazing spot and the work they are doing to keep the bears safe. It was a spectacle to see these wild creatures in their natural habitat. Must recommend for all ages. The volunteers are absolutely wonderful as well. Kudos to the team!!

Randy

Such an awesome experience!

MN-Mike

Great place to see lots of bears!

Star Fish

Wonderful experience!

Tim Malone

Well worth the visit. We saw lots of bears and learned alot about the history of the place. Highly recommended!!!

Tammy Koenig (The Magnolia Group)

This is an outstanding place to visit with some of the biggest wild bear you will ever see! Even in captivity I have seen few this big and these are NOT fenced in!. I have hunted Bear for 15 years and these things are enormous!If you love bear and want to spend a quiet time observing them do NOT miss this place! Also, the staff was VERY knowledgeable about black bear and gave regular talks about them. This was my third time there and I will never get sick of it!

Emma Moran

It was awesome!

Karen Holz

OUTSTANDING! Wish they were open earlier.

Mark McGinn

Great experience in late summer!

Meredith

If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a visit ????

Miss Liz

Best bear viewing ever. Completely wheelchair accessible! A great excursion for anyone but exceptional if you are handicapped. Thanks!

Janey Rutkauskas

This is the greatest place in the world for these bears..Friend of mine bought me here now i try to come come as often as i can..Every time i come i bring a new friend with us...I feel like the more people i tell about this place the more help the bears get and thats what this is about. Helping the bears...

Scott Johnson

Fantastic Fantastic Fantastic!!! The bears were fun and easy to view with plenty of room for everyone. The interns and employees are awesome! We were travelling with our pooch so our plan was for my wife to go see the bears and I'd wait for her to return and then take my turn. One of the interns saw me waiting for my wife and out of the blue offered to watch my dog so I could go out there sooner!! WHAT AN AWESOME gesture!!! I would recommend a visit to anyone of any age.....it's super affordable too!!

Melissa Varanai

Got to see real live bears up close and even saw a cub in a tree.

Joe Rasmusson

It is always a great time to see the bears.

Brandon V

I was really looking forward to this place. The opportunity to see wild black bears in abundance would have been really cool. However when we came though wildlife park staff informed us that the bears don't really become active until August or September. We waited for 2 and a 1/2 hours but we never saw any bears come closer than about 300'. If you squint you can see the black blob that is a bear.

Andrew G

Epic adventure

Jon B

The visit was superb. My three kids loved it. The 2 older ones loved the bears. My two year old loved the bus ride. Suggest everyone who is up in that area stop by.

Letitia Pittman

Love this place, especially love seeing the little baby bears hanging out in the trees. Would love to volunteer here, eventually.

Michael Nisly

Enjoyed relaxing with a great group of bears.???? The Cubs are especially fun to observe. Counted at least 60 bears tonight.

Amanda Olson

Our family had an awesome experience here! We saw tons of bears ! The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable! Fun and educational !!

Mike Johnson

A Charming place where you are on an elevated walk overlooking the feeding areas for the Bears. I recommend coming after the month of September because the Bears will be fattening themselves up for the winter and you will see many more bear this time of year. The staff are a pleasure to work with. I recommend bringing bug spray in the months of June and July as the mosquitoes can be quite irritating. Great place to bring family friends and even the elderly. Must-see for all in the area.

Greg Osterdyk

Today will be our third visit there. No place like this to see the Bears up close. It's a must visit if you are up north.

Brian Derrick

Awesome place! Worth the drive. In the spring you get less bears there, but more cubs and adorable views. In the late summer there are tons of bears there bulking up for winter. Great education too.

Bryan Bauer

Had a nice time with the kids checking out bears! Doesn’t take long as was a nice break from the road for us.

kristie yother

The best experience I had ever with wildlife, worth the 20 dollars and bus ride out, very respectful to the bears it's a hidden gem with much heart and love added 2nd visit there and planning our third in the spring

Angie

Love this place! Will go back every summer. Bears are so cool 2 c. Friendly bears. Some big, some Cubs. Reasonable prices. Located in the middle of nowhere. A lot of bears, bout 5pm and after.

Rick

Such an awesome experience. Pretty affordable too. Definitely coming back.

Dylan Leff

Great place for a date, only cost a couple bucks to go to but well worth it if you're around the area

Ed Erickson

Great place to see bear. Staff were knowlagable and friendly

Stacey Mathers

My family loved it. There were tons of bears out and about. We saw big and small bears. My kids had a blast.

Nick “Grizz”

Love this place the people are friendly and the bears are amazing

Rhonda Halunen

Great opportunity to learn and become more educated about the bear population of northern MN. Great staff too! Our family goes every year!

Ashley Best

This place is amazing. Staff was super friendly and informative. So many bears to see! Definitely making this a summer destination for my family.

Greg Pierce

I met Vince in 1973 when my brother purchased 40 acres from Vince. Vince at that time was very attached to his pet bears. At first Vince lived in a old log cabin with wood slats leaned up against it so when a bear came and knocked them down trying to get in they would get scared. Vince had a man who worked for him named Vic and he lived in an old trailer on Vince's road about .5 miles from Vince and my brother had the little gray logging shack that was next to the first gate they installed. Vince later moved a 70' trailer onto his property and had his friend Vic dig out the whole foundation with a shovel, 4 hours per day until he could lay a block foundation. The last times I saw Vince was when he moved off his land and into a home either Orr or Cook, MN. Many great memories we had knowing him. RIP.

z manners

Worth seeing one time with the family

Sonny Morning

Phenomenal experience. I highly suggest pitting this on your bucket list if you are a nature lover. Even if you are casually curious, this is a wonderful learning experience.

Erin Hill

Wonderful

John Seering

True history lesson

Nathan Stone

Won't spend a lot of time there but was a great experience.

Hannah Glidden

Great bear viewing! There were so many bears at dinner time, I counted 32 just in one area! And there were so many more!! This is a must see

Dan Walser

Such a cool place to see bears in there natural environment they just keep coming out of The woods! Just loved it.

Thomas Hajnasiewicz

Great place to see the bears and the staff is very informative, friendly helpful.

One Master Ranch

Fantastic Family Fun! Worth the trip! Bears galore!

Chris Salin

Very cool! U are really close to the bears and I felt safe the whole time

KT Mae

Great place to bring the kids to learn about black bears! Get there early, it was congested and parking was slow. After parking, they shuttle you via bus to the viewing platform, which has a small gift shop as well. You will definitely benefit from bringing bug spray, and a camera with a good zoom function, as there is a lot of open ground for the bears to free roam. However, the cubs were quite playful and showed off their climbing skills in the trees right next to platform. They are very curious!

C Hoevel

This was one of the coolest activities I’ve done. Fascinating to see the bears up close. Grateful to our friends who brought us here

Stephen Blake

Absolutely love this place and make sure to stop in every time we are up north. We love seeing the bears and learning from the staff. This is a can't miss spot!

Beth K

I've been visiting the bear sanctuary for more than 15 years. A lot has changed since then largely for safety concerns and for the better. It just isn't the same atmosphere though. It used to seem more wild. Now it almost feels like a zoo experience even though the bears are still wild and free to come and go. And FYI, adult admission is now $10. It hasn't been changed in a lot of places yet, and we were surprised by it at the gate thinking it was still the previous rate.

Carly Ogdahl

Absolutely loved it! Definitely recommend.

bill holloway

Love it

Misty Reed

This place was absolutely amazing.. right when we got there there was at least 30 Bears out there including five or six Cubs.. we got to watch the mom defending her Cubs we got to watch The large-boar Bullying his way around for food, we got to wash Cubs scampering up the tree, we got to watch them eat, poop, and play fight!! We had so many great pictures and videos and for me this was just one huge check off my bucket list!! I highly recommend this place for anybody!!

Dinger Chat

My wife wanted to see Bears, and she got to see some bears. The staff was very nice, and the Bears were fun to watch, thanks for the Hospitality. ????

LA Need4speed

Had a great time. Would recommend to anyone nearby.

Joe Perron

Great up close views of the bears...

Sheena Richards

100% worth every penny and the long drive! Such a cool experience!

Skip Roper Sings

This is one of my must do's every time I come up to the cabin. What a great place

Helen Bruder

I love this place. My family tries to go at least once a year. Great for all ages.

Dawn Reynolds

What an amazing, fun time! There were so many babies too!

Jessie T

Black bears up close and personal! So cool!

Tamsey Kimbrell

They are closed. They still go in, not sure what they do. But they are closed and rude! Trying to upload pic because of such poor service here u will just have to trust me on this.

Bradley V.

This is an IDEAL family activity for young and old. Educational, entertaining and exciting. I've been around many bears, but never this many at one time! These bears ARE WILD and not tamed in any way; they come and go from the sanctuary as they please. Please, do yourself a favor and visit.

Jen Vivant

If you live in Minnesota it's a must do, if you live close to Minnesota you gotta come do it anyway. Great experience, great history and story. Bought two coffee mugs in their gift shop and remember the bears and our trip every time we use them. Thanks to all of the volunteers who make this possible! Hoping to come back next season!

Jan Smith

Wow! What a treat to walk along the observation boardwalk and watch so many bears wandering below, lying around the area, coming in and out of the trees into the opening, and of course, the cubs scampering up the trees. Very reasonable admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors. There are many information placards, plenty of staff to answer questions, and three different talks on various bear topics. From the parking lot a bus takes everyone to the observation walkways, where there is a gift shop and two port-o-toilets.

Nancy Dennison

I love going but had to leave my little girl Oreo with workers my heart dropped but they took wonderful care of her and loved he thank you so much

John Lentz

If you've only seen a bear in a sad, small enclosure at a zoo, this is a nice experience. Wild bears are fed at this "sanctuary" and can be viewed from a platform. The bears in the area get accustomed to the feeding times and seem to know that there's enough food for them all so there is rarely an incident between them. We saw a mother bear warn her two cubs of danger and watched them climb 50 feet up a pine tree where they started to torment each other like siblings do. It was toward the end of the season so fewer bears than average showed up, I would say about 30 of them.

Tara Ayres

We had a wonderful time here! I was there years ago when the bears were able to roam freely around vehicles, but they’ve since put up an overlook. The staff (unpaid interns) were very well educated and were very polite. They were all genuinely happy to be there. The bears were so fun to watch.

Mark Fischer

It was a lot of fun and was able to learn a few things as well. Kids had a blast and they said they would go back again.

Narciso M. Salas

I really enjoyed the whole thing. Both me and my wife talked to the ladies and they explained all the rules and such. We saw tons of bears (literally)...both big and small. I was amazed that the volunteers walk so close to these bears...it was all so exciting and educational. Hopefully we can come back soon, nature calls. I was also amazed to hear all the crowd in the trees, nothing like what you hear in the city, mesmerizing indeed.

Lucille Mankus

Great family place to go visit

Tina Nevitt

Probably the most awesome thing I will ever see in person...they reminded us not to yell but had to stifle my response to first bear I saw...then overwhelmed with the next 40 or so...to happy to count the happy bears????❤????

Rich Gasperlin

One of the coolest places around

Lisa Thompson

If I could give zero stars I would. The mask policy is ridiculous. Requires masks even outdoors...good grief. Will not return until that is gone.

Whitney Hogan

Such a fun experience! If you are looking for something to do in an afternoon I would highly recommend! Any age group would find this a fun activity.

joe christensen

Must go!

Jesse Thompson

A must see.

Michael Lachky

This place is awesome and the story behind it is inspiring.

Kathleen Lambert

Wonderful place to visit. Great for kids! Nice to see bears not caged and in natural environment.

Kim Daniels

OMG.....so awesome!!!! ????????????

Cindi Randall

Awesome

Linley Doerksen

Employees are knowledgeable and gladly answer questions we had.

Carey Patrick

Been there 2-3 times never get sick of it! Wonderful time with the family! Hope we can go there again this summer!

Tony Noneofyourbusiness

Awesome experience, wife and I loved it. Drove from Green Bay, WI to check it out.

Brittany Brouillette

We had such a great time. There were dozens of bears, including adorable baby cubs. The interns were knowledgeable and funny and the experience is really well organized. We would go back in a heartbeat. Thanks again for such a wonderful experience.

Gerald Mortenson

Excellent wildlife sanctuary

Regina Laidlaw

We were there July 8th 2020. We enjoyed our time at the sanctuary. I would definitely return. The bus ride was a little scary. Not everyone wearing a mask. The volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable. This is a definite must see if you travel in the Iron Range area

Jay Shilkaitis

Awesome

Trina Alfson

I love this place!!!! Beautiful area and lots of bear to see!!!

Monica Ganz

A wonderful experience! I will be back. If you go, please bring a case or more of unsalted peanuts, apples and or watermelons. The bears love them and they are needed. Have fun watching these incredibly beautiful bears.

N J

My husband went here as a kid and I just had to visit once I heard about it. It is a must see for all ages. We went in the spring (beginning of June) so we mostly saw yearling cubs. If you go at the end of the season (August) the bears will be much bigger as they are getting ready to hibernate. Amazing opportunity to take pictures of bears in their natural habitat (No Tripods but I believe they will let you have a monopod). I think it was cash only to get in. About $10 a person unless you want to donate more. The volunteers are very knowledgeable and are happy to answer any questions you have about bears.

Jeff Sachs

Great place to visit to see bears if you are near orr Minnesota.

John Chenoweth

Great to go the help there is awesome lots and lots of bears

lucretia cole

Amazing! Loved seeing all the bears and the cubs are adorable. Great family experience. Fun and informative.

sue houseman

This is a must see thing to do! It was amazing and awesome!! Our whole family from age 59 to 1 loved it!!

Faith Miller

Came up from the cities and there was lots of bears when we were here, can't wait to visit this year.

Shane Hale

Being outside with the bears was awesome.

Bruce Archambault

I was hoping to see bears in a natural setting which I kind of did but I wasn’t prepared for the morbidly obese bruins I saw gorging themselves on corn and I guess sweet mash. Some bears were so overweight they simply laid down in the feed to eat. It was certainly a unique experience to see so many bears at once so I give them a solid 4 stars.

Jeremiah Orrison

Amazing place to visit, get education on Black Bears, and take once in a lifetime photos. We got to see about 35 black bears and learn more about them from the guides there. The place is run by the American Bear Association and they truly care about the bear and helping the public learn what to do and what not to do with this amazing creature.

Paige Weber-Denny

This place is amazing. Quick bus ride with a fun guide. All staff were informational and nice. Our kids loved it, we loved it, our parents loved it.

charles jackson

I remember going here when I was a kid when vince was alive, I remember petting the bears and seeing Duffy the big Bear ever!! Lol . I have kept the tradition alive and taken my kids several times now that it's a wildlife life sanctuary... totally awesome experience and memories!!!

Jim Shoe

Best place in the country to see wild black bears. You are on an elevated deck and the bears are free to come and go as they please. Well worth the time!!

Troy Labarge

Unique, wonderful place to visit. Family fun for children and adults!

Chris Perron

I thought I would be straining to see the bears but they were everywhere.

Kim Osterhoudt

A must GO

James Goodman

Really good setup for seeing a large number of wild bears feeding. lots of room to move around. Would go again

Tony Tarnowski

Love this place it’s just amazing wild bears coming in some of of them over 700 lb. there are volunteers walking on the ground feeding them.

James Bender

Great experience for me and my two young nieces. We all loved it. Really cool to see such elusive wild animals lounging around eating in the open, and interacting with each other. Very informative, though I'm pretty well versed on black bears, they covered some of the basics and did a good job.

Randi Omdahl

We loved it! Such a unique place. Would definitely recommend you make time to visit the sanctuary when you’re in the area.

Brenda White

We were yearly visitors to the bear preserve , had a lot of bear experience s , learned a lot about bears and their habitats! Met lots of nice caring people. One time when Mr Schute was still with us he took a liking to our daughter and filled her and us with lots of stories ! He was a very kind loving man !

Jacob Moe

If you're ever up north in Minnesota, I would highly suggest taking a trip over here. We went on a Tuesday and had about a 45 min wait to get to see the bears but they said Tuesday, Friday and Saturday are their busiest days. Once we got to the bears it was really cool to see them all wandering around and eating. There were a few that were huge, close to 500 or 600 lbs. There were also a few Cubs climbing in the trees that were cute to see. The staff there were highly knowledgeable and friendly and it was cool watching them wander through the bears dishing out the feed. Would definitely recommend if in the area.

Heidi Thompson-Groves

My husband and I had an incredible experience at the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. It had been about 30 years since I had visited Orr, MN. I vaguely recalled a local story of a man who use to go to grocery stores and restaurants to get donations of discarded food for the area's black bears. When I asked about the story on this recent trip, I learned that the man had passed away, but his legacy was not only kept alive but had gotten better! His humble property became a black bear and wildlife sanctuary. You are the spectator and they are in their natural habitat. Brilliantly designed for the safety of the visitors and bears alike. Having a number of interns, always within arm's length, to answer questions, tell of their experiences or explaining the behavior of the bear(s,) made the experience even better. My husband asks I left the sanctuary knowing a lot more about black bears, fact from fiction. I definately recommend this experience for anyone of nearly any age. The staff is very accommodating and the site itself is very comfortable to walk throughout.

Clover Spang

A really cool place to visit. There were all different sized and aged bears everywhere when we went to visit. The staff were really nice.