Reviews of Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo (Zoo)

Kathryn Hamilton

Price for adult entry

Lou Pliml

Price for adult entry

Kayla Lacy

Worth the money! Really good!

Jessica Dyche

Wait time

Soham Sengupta

Wait time

Candice Johnson

I have been coming to this place since I was little. Now I can bring my kids and it is so fun. For $5 extra you can feed the smaller alligators. For another $5 today they allowed us to feed the bigger gators but from a safe distance and with a long pole. The kids really enjoyed it. The goats were hilarious and fun for the kids. There was a momma bunny with TONS of babies that my kids just died over. It was such a fun time. This family owned business seems to be doing well and I'm so happy we can experience it like I did growing up.

Joel ALF

Giving this experience 3 stars because it made me feel really sorry for the animals :( they were in tiny cages/pools and you could see that they have no space to move around. Dirty and smelly as well.

Olesia Fisun

No wait

A.J. H

Reservation recommended

Lynn Hahn

Definitely had so much fun going here!!! We were lucky that we were the only ones there so we kinda got a private tour of the place, saw them feed the wolves and the mountain lion. The animals seem to be very well taken care of. Joe was an amazing guide, he’s fun and entertaining and very informative!! Really recommend this place when in town!

cherry rose Felicano

Was really cool to look around at the Alligators, Wolf and other animals.

Katie Upchurch

We had a blast.. coming from Texas.. we stopped here to see the gators and petting zoo.. we love animals!!

Joseph Dawson

Visited on

Christi Brown

Weekend

Shawn Berry

No

Jessi Shrable

I visited today and the experience was great. All the animals seemed healthy and happy except for a few rabbits. A couple had some pretty nasty eye infections but seeing how well the rest of the animals where I can Only assume they where being treated. But the staff was really nice and informative and seemed to really care for the animals.

Jesse Lovins

Excellent place to visit. Staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Couldn’t recommend enough but I do have to say I hope they can find a way to reduce the overwhelming smell.

Ashley B

Visited on

Brett Magee

Weekend

Jeni C

Wonderful trip and my kid's had a great time visiting the gators.

Damonaca Lakes

Great experience! My 2 boys loved it. The alligators were great, and we all enjoyed getting to hold one that was about 3 yrs old and 2.5 ft long. Our favorite was the Mt Lion! We were lucky enough to catch her at feeding time and the caretaker got her to purr for us. Well worth it, good prices at this small wonderland. The caretakers clearly care about the animals.

Youda

There is a reason this place has been open forever, it’s charming and fun. I know what you’re thinking Alligators?!? Charming and fun; But it is! Part of the charm is the extremely helpful and friendly staff. In addition to alligators you can hold bunnies and turtles, and feed/brush goats. Anyone is welcome to hold a mini alligator and they have an entertaining feeding show. You should go here.

Bouncing With The BLODGETTS

Visited on

Jason Geiman

$6–10

Jennifer Jones

This was a lot of fun with the family. Kids loved the goats. The alligators experience was a lot of fun holding and petting them. The handlers was super helpful and knowledgeable about the animals

Kym James-Lockwood

No

Mollie Cowart

This was a great experience...watching the feeding show was very interesting and informative. We got to hold a five year old gator...it is not something we expected...the skin is soft, almost spongy...I highly recommend taking the time to see this.

Steve Hester

Very cool. Lots of neat animals. Insane amount of Gators. Goats are crazy but cool. Could hang out with them. Enjoyable experience.

KillercastPlayz

Really enjoyed it here. When you arrive and pay you are given slices of bread to feed the animals. The first part of the park allows you to pet the animals (goats, donkeys, rabbits, etc.), then you can go into a building that houses a TON of alligators (the gentleman in here will prep a small alligator for you to hold if you wish). After that you'll see the caged animals that cannot be touched (wolves, mountain lion, monkeys, peacocks, etc.). Very interesting place tucked away near downtown Hot Springs. Staff was friendly - seemed family run. When any one group of animals is about to be fed by the staff, the staff runs around to gather any nearby visitors that may want to watch that group of animals be fed. Would go again!

Melisa Pulliam

30–60 min

Rebecca Kneipp

I had a good time! Sweet baby water puppies everywhere! The guy who does the gator feeding was real nice and friendly and so were the gift shop staff!

Alexandra Nusawardhana

They have so many gators here! There’s also other animals like the goats, emus, and rabbits. Just not sure the gators have enough space to since their living areas looked crammed. Otherwise, we had a fun time feeding some of the animals while visiting this farm! Admission was $9/person but be sure check out their website for a coupon!

Akers Family

Reservation recommended

Melissa Weaver-Shipp

Very friendly employees and my kids absolutely loved it! Definitely will be back!

Denise

The employees are super friendly and the animals well kept. My kids loved the goats and bunnies because you can go inside with them. Feeding the parakeets is also neat. The gators are inside for the winter so it’s not as fun as usual but still worth checking out.

Denise Hill

Weekend

Casey Brewer

Really enjoyed while in town. The employees were all super nice and helpful. Not a big fan of the wolf and mountain lion being caged by themselves but I'm assuming they are rescues. I shod have asked. Fun place to spend an hour or so. Holding baby gators, feeding gators, goats, emus, and donkeys

Tera Anderson

what made my visit so good was the staff (or most of the staff anyway minus one person). The guy working the petting area was awesome. He went out of his way to make sure everyone got to pet ALL the animals, told us the names of the animals, and really encouraged us to interact with them and have fun. The guy working inside the alligator feeding area was absolutely fantastic! He would just scoop down and pick up an alligator, hold it, and let us touch and feel while explaining different things about the alligator. I was thoroughly impressed with him! We could have had a better experience when we got to the part where you can hold the alligator and have your picture taken. I really like alligators and this was gold mine for me . Must visit if you are in hotsprings .

Alan Dean

To be honest I had low expectations. I was prepared to see some sickly looking animals and a poorly run facility. But what we got was the opposite. Obviously the crowd isn’t what you’ll find at a normal zoo. You gotta be a little crazy to wanna run/work at an alligator farm. The entire staff was extremely kind and fun. Incredibly kind to our kids and us. Let us hold all sorts of animals and the animals seemed genuinely loved and cared for. The owner was behind the counter and was very nice and professional. Would definitely visit again if we make it back this way. Kids had a blast and so did we.

Kourtney Rutledge

Weekend

Scott Huffmaster

This place was so fun and worth every penny. I will definitely be back again.

Micah Nowlin

No

Josh B

Great experience. The faculty is very nice. It is a nice fun family oriented thing to do for all ages. My kids are aged 9, 11 and 14 and they had a great time. Highly Recommend.

Dylan Thompson

If you haven't visited this alligator farm, you absolutely need to. I've been to my fair share of letting zoos but none have been quite this intimate. This is a family owned (across 3 generations) farm, and I feel that it extends to the overall atmosphere of the place. Everyone was incredibly kind, and informative about the animals. We felt very comfortable roaming around and even getting to interact with the animals.

Brandy Holland

This attraction was an interesting stop on our way through Hot Springs. We got to hold a small alligator and feed bread to the goats and sheep. We also sprang for the extra "Feed the Alligators" and "Feed the Parakeets" tickets for the kids to split. It was a few extra dollars, and the kids enjoyed the experience. We were here for about 45 minutes and this was pushing the limits. The overall size of the place is rather small, and there are not a large number of attractions. The pens are well kept and the animals seem healthy and cared for, but the place seems a bit dated and could use some TLC.

Scotty Gay

Wait time

Jennifer darling

No wait

Andrada Cristina

Price was well worth it. Workers were friendly. I can tell they do the best they can with what space they have. Hearing the timber wolf call nonstop for their pack that didnt exist was sad. Do the parakeet and alligator feed. Kids will love it. Not a fan of only bread to feed animals in the petting zoo area.

Pam Huddleston

Price for adult entry

Touraj Khosravi

No

Beth

We had a great time at the alligator farm and petting zoo. Owner / operators were extremely friendly and welcoming. Made everyone feel like part of the gator family. Great petting zoo filled with a large variety of exotic animals. Our daughter had a blast petting the rabbits, goats, turtles, donkeys, emus, she even got to hold an alligator. Great time and show.

jason martinez

Price for adult entry

Miss D’Lettar Robinson

Visited on

Bunny Moore

Reservation recommended

Cinnder

$11–15

Rebecca Jimison-Tyner

Price for adult entry

Sara Pulsipher Matheson

Reservation recommended

Nathaniel Eddy

Nice petting zoo with alligators: The staff makes you feel welcomed and appreciated. You get to hold a two foot long alligator, feed & pet rabbits, feed pretty good sized alligators (hotdog, not rabbit BTW), pet & feed goats & sheep, and see some other interesting animals. This place rates especially high on the list of places to visit if you have children .

Andrew Marsh

The guy that was feeding the alligators lost some of his crowd because he was selling a video of him getting bit. After the feeding, lots of people ran to get in line to hold a baby alligator. I have already held one... so I was more interested in the wolf (that looked to be by herself in a medium size enclosure) howling at a little dog. I suddenly feel something barely touching my shoulder... I thought it was my husband trying to scare me, but I look and a staff member was holding a baby alligator on my shoulder. I'm surprised I didn't scream... I just about jumped out of my skin and ran about 5 or so feet away. Her and some people around me laugh, but I was not laughing. I am trying to calm down and breathe when she insists that I hold the baby alligator. I say a definite no and she seems agitated. "Fine... well somebody come hold it." I possibly would have held it if she would've asked before putting it on my shoulder. I very well could've had an anxiety attack. We step inside to look at baby alligators and turtles when it gets extremely cramped... we go to leave and it took a little bit because there were so many people blocking the entrance. It made sad to see the lemurs and monkeys living on concrete slabs. ????

Allyson Blosser

Fun places for kids, cool owners, but not so big on animal welfare. The monkeys jammed in the smaller metal enclosure were obviously VERY distressed and do not get the stimulation, experience, or space they need, other animals looked rough, rabbit legs in gift shops from china, where rabbits that are skinned alive in many cases. Questionable circulation of rabbits and other small animals for petting that "just got in". I want to like this place, and i appreciate the people, but can't help but feel bad for the fur bearing creatures that are stuck there day in and day out .

Kelsey Martin

Cool place animals seemed tired. You can hold a baby alligator and they have other animals to pet. Kid friendly unless you have unfriendly kids at which point just toss them over the fence and do the world a favor.

Shaylee Herpel

This is an amazing place to go is an awesome place for all ages I will definitely be back

Clifford Perry

No

Dixie Pittman

Great place kids will love it! Gift shop has lots of stuff. Alligators and pygmy goats, donkeys, emus, rabbits, silkie chickens, turkeys, lemurs, monkeys, ducks and a bird sanctuary. Lots of informational panels around. You can hold baby gators and feed the animals and go in with the little goats. Free to feed other animals $5 to feed gators. A very neat place to go. I think that it needs to be deep cleaned, painted and updated though. I'd go again.

Toni Webb

Reservation recommended

Caitlin Miller

Wait time

Charles Boltas

Would probably give negative stars if I could. The petting zoo was the only ok part of this place (but some of the animals were hurt and we could see sores on them). The wolf, cougar, monkey, and lemur enclosure habitats were inhumane. The water for all animals were not clean (it looked bright green), and feel they could do a better job with giving these animals more enrichment. I’m mad that I even supported this establishment with our entry price. These animals deserve better.

Cindy Santilli

Awesome experience! All of the employees are super cool and very informative. Watch the goats with your shoe laces and clothes, they like to nibble. The alligators are adorable. I didn't see any really tiny ones but they have a huge range of sizes. We fed them meat on a stick. The guy that helps the kids do that was awesome. Poor guy, my son kept trying to lean over one of the barricades and made him nervous. Gotta love a kid that won't listen. I think he would only do it once. The kid, not the guy working there. They have all sorts of critters to look at. Holding the gators is fun too. I wanted to take it home like a scaly kitty. Their mouths are banded so no accidental nips occur. Great for kids of all ages. They have a gift shop with all sorts of neat stuff. Recommend stopping by.

MELINDA THORNTON

Had fun with my daughter and grand babies. This was educational and fun.

abc def

No wait

Josh Blair

Yes

Charlie West

Visited on

Sammy D

Visited on

Michael Scott

We had such a great time here with the kids. Avence was thrilled to be able to hold a baby alligator. Thank you guys for such a great experience!

Juan Stafford

Feeding/holding alligators, petting rabbits, and an excited llama. What more could you ask for? Staff was knowledgeable and answered all questions and never seemed to be bothered.

Kenny Smith

We had so much fun here! This was probably my favorite thing that my boyfriend and I did when we went to Hot Springs!

Cynthia Bernard

Wait time

Louis Riedl

$6–10

Natasha Patriarca

Very nice set up and the staff were excellent. But I wish the had more room for some of the animals there. Its just heartbreaking to imagine having to live day in a day out in a living space no bigger than the back of a truck bed.

Mackenzie Sweeney

Price for adult entry

Kayla Boogaerts

I really enjoyed going here It was one of the best experiences I think I've had and to learn quite a bit as well. I definitely would recommend anybody coming to the area definitely come here because you're not only get to see crocodiles you also get to see other animals and holding a crocodile is actually one of the coolest things ever as well. Also one of my more favorite things is I upset the ringtail lemur. He kept fluffing his tail up and tried to get bigger. Look like he wanted to get me.

Stephen Hedrick

Don't pass this place up if you're in town! Fantastic experience! The staff was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. You can tell they care about every critter there!

Thomas Dean

$6–10

John Betts

No wait

Willow Beaird

My grandson had a wonderful time. He loved getting to hold and feed the baby alligators. The staff was terrific, very helpful and didn't mind the multitude of questions coming from a 4yr old. A great to visit!!!

Kim McCollum

No wait

Steve Milner

We got to visit a few weeks ago - the kids had a blast! The staff are all attentive & really know their stuff. So glad we made the time on our trip to visit. Thank you!

O. W.

Not sure

Fix it

Reservation recommended

nurse buzzy

Great place for a date or a outing with the kids. Friendly and very knowledgeable staff.

Christine Mitchell

Super fun, no frills, staff was friendly and not overbearing. Loved it. Small gift shop with decent prices.

Laura Owens

Wait time

Cynthia Parnell

The whole experience was great! Gators, goats and other animals. Kids loved holding the gators and seeing all the animals. Staff were all helpful and friendly.

Mickele Bruner

Weekend

Keshia Jackson

Weekend

Rob Clark

One of the favorite things we did in Hot Springs. The staff was very friendly, and incredibly helpful and informative! We got to feed and hold a baby alligator (there may or may not have been some freaking out, lol). They had a wide variety of animals to feed and pet, and also to view. We WILL be coming back this summer to see a big feeding!

Chloe Caskey

We're first time visitors to Arkansas. We just left the zoo and it was AWESOME. We have a two year old an 4 year old and it's great for their age. Very hands on and the employees are very kind and helpful. I'm not sure how great it would be beyond age 6 or 7, but for our young family it was fantastic.

Brianna Nix

$6–10

Larry Wagner

employees were talkative and friendly. but the animals looked rough. chickens and rabbits looked awful and mangey. enclosures were dirty and way too small. animals seemed cramped and stressed. goats were cute and had room to run around but had nothing but sand and tree stumps in their enclosures. also seems kinda morally wrong to sell dead baby alligator heads at a zoo. but idk. super crowded, awful parking situation, depressing and generally not worth the visit

Pamela Smith

Fun time seeing the animals and feeding them. Fun stop for something to do

A Google User

Reservation recommended