I attended big run wolf ranch for a family day, which happens once a month during certain months. Otherwise you can request a private visit. The parking situation at Walmart had me a little confused because I don't know directions of Southwest.But I was able to find where the busses, which seemed like two would run a continuously. When dropped off, it was a short walk to get to the front to pay your entrance fee. You could use cash or credit. They had a small open field for where they did presentations. If you want to be able to sit down, I recommend coming a little early, otherwise you will either stand the whole time or you can choose to sit on the grass. It's not a very big place.So once you walk around, you kind of see all of the animals, some a little bit harder to spot. It's cool to see wolves and learn a little bit more about that them about the tigers and the bear. They also had silly safari come out to do a presentation which was really cool to be able to be up close and personal with some of the animals that they brought. They do have food that you can buy on site.If you're feeling a little hungry. We did get a raffle ticket, but I have no idea when the raffle was happening as we didn't stay all day .But overall, it was a fun experience.It's so you make it what it is. You catch the bus back to the walmart parking lot where they dropped you off. read more

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Went here for a family day and had a good experience. The bus experience was a bit tricky since it wasn't clear to me which part of the enormous parking lot was the southwest side, however it was a bit more apparent when I saw lines forming after 10:00. When going there and back, it seems like there were 2 busses making frequent trips, so the wait was fairly short for the shuttle. The process of getting in was fairly quick and efficient, with separate lines for cash and credit. Near the entrance, there was a large space for watching presentations, which were fairly well done -- similar to what I've seen at other similar shows. It would have been nice to have some more bench seating, but this seemed sufficient -- with most patrons standing and some sitting down on the grass. The remainder of the facility featured animals scattered throughout different cages, and some chickens running around throughout the farm. During my visit, many of them were resting though at times they would walk around slowly. Some of the smaller animals were a bit more difficult to spot as they would blend into their surroundings. Overall, a fun experience and one of the few spots in the midwest where you'll be able to see several wolves together like this (I believe Wolf Park in Indiana and Brookfield Zoo are the other ones nearby Chicago - with other options in Ohio, Minnesota, and Missouri for a slightly longer trip). read more

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My husband and I met some of our friends at Big Run Wolf Ranch. The bus stops at the local Walmart to pick you up since there is no parking at the ranch. This is a ranch that has several wolves, a tiger, and several other animals. This is not a zoo and they had many fewer animals than I was expecting. The terrain there is not friendly for people with disabilities. The layout of the park is simple but still difficult to get around. There is a gift shop and they sell hot dogs for lunch. There are several presentations throughout the day that feature educational programs about the many animals that live on the farm. read more

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Was there for a wedding. Everything decorated for day of the dead. So beautiful. Wolfs seemed comfortable and tiger was relaxed in his hammock. No animals showed any anxiety. Staff very accommodating since they don't normally have bridal events there. Beautiful fall nite and we were made sure we dressed warmly. Everything was top notch read more

Has been several years since my visit but the animals are well taken care of and a pleasure to observe in such natural surroundings. Unfortunately am no longer able to drive or travel so will remember my visit with pleasure. Keep up the great work Wolf Ranch!! read more

We really enjoyed the educational presentation today. You can tell the owner loves these animals and enjoys what she does. It was really an experience to see these animals up close. Our group really loved being there. read more

Big Run Wolf Ranch - Education Near Me - Lockport, Illinois

Nice animal rescue that is open to the public every once in a while. Fun facts outside of some enclosures, and most animals seem very happy. The stories behind why they needed rescues is sometimes sad, but glad they have a place to call home since they can't be released into the wild. read more

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Took the kids and they had a blast! Really unique experience to get close to the animals

Rainah at Big Run Wolf Ranch did an amazing presentation for my disabled son and his friends today. She is so upbeat and positive and we all learned a lot about her animals. We even got to Pet Lloyd the skunk. Truly a lifetime experience :-). I would recommend highly a visit to their facility in Lockport anytime you can make it. It's very inexpensive and so educational and entertaining. read more

Super cool place! The guide was very knowledgeable and the kids enjoyed themselves! Great place for a homeschool field trip!

I visited BWR to camp, we were shown the campsites which had fire rings, garbage cans and wood and cardboard nearby. I enjoyed hearing their several wolves a couple times through the night. The staff was very friendly and the next morning Theresa gave us a tour of their animals. Some of the animals here were rescued from breeders or unfit owner conditions or where only other option would be to be put down. read more

I feel so sad, my friends and I went here for a family day and the animals looked anxious, depressed and miserable. Their cages are too small, 2 wolves to a 12x12 cage, crowded with a giant climbing apparatus, the wolves have nowhere to run, they just pace around the cage. The adult black bear was in a cage with a concrete floor, roasting in the heat. The 2 porcupines were in a cage that was 2x5 crowded with branches, there was a litter box for them to shit in. Don't even get me started on the tiger... These animals should have room to run and better enrichment!! It was truly depressing to see. I hope these animals are moved to PROPER sanctuaries. It's also not handicap accessible read more

Great place, and love what they're doing to help save these beautiful animals!! We went to one of their open house functions that they usually hold once a month (check their website for dates?) This was an excellent place to show kids and adults how the animals are cared for! I loved this! And who knew this was right a few miles away! They had wolves, coyotes, sled dogs, horses, ducks, porcupines, beavers, and if you're lucky if he comes out a big black bear! A nominal charge of $4 a person, they take donations as well. They also serve food and very cute souvenirs for another nominal fee. You gotta check this place out!! read more

This is not a sanctuary. As many others have said, this is a circus. Wolves pacing in tiny cages, clearly in distress, coyotes in a cage that isn't even as big as a small bedroom, and it's all surrounded by money-hungry people claiming to be the caretakers of these animals. I do not believe it's a non profit by any means. My family paid $28 to leave the place broken hearted by what we saw. Oh and not to mention, the bear lives in a small cage with a concrete floor and a small bucket they call his "pool". Take your money elsewhere to a place that actually cares about these animals like Lincoln park zoo, brookfield or Phillips park. read more

These animals are definitely happy, and the volunteers are very nice. Its sad that none of these animals are allowed back into the wild by law, but Im glad they can live a full life thanks to wolf ranch. read more

I was so excited to go, thinking this was more like a sanctuary for these precious animals. But no. I was profoundly saddened to see these wonderful animals being exploited and poorly cared for. All animals are in horrible, TINY cages....its a disgrace! Imagine, wild animals confined in a tiny space with very little room to move about. Many of the animals were displaying distress behaviors. Additionally ZERO staff said anything to all the children running after/terrorizing the geese, chickens and sad looking turkey. The horse looked unwell and his hooves did not look properly cared for. I cannot believe this place is allowed to exist and more people aren't protesting the conditions these poor souls are forced to exist in. read more

This was terrible. I was so excited to go and had been looking forward to it, but what I saw made me terribly depressed. The animals are not cared for, they are not in adequate sized cages, they look unhealthy and their behavior showed anxiety and stress. The ones who were up paced back and forth continuously in too small cages. Other laid and tried to avoid eye contact with the crowds gawking at them. Most of the animals are not actually rescues but bought at other similar "roadside attraction" type enterprises for mating purposes. Rescue organizations DO NOT mate animals. These are not injured animals that cannot be let back out into their natural environment. This is a zoo that is purely set up for profit and greed. Here is a complaint filed on them for mistreatment of the animals. http://911animalabuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IL140032_Big_Run_Wolf_Ranch_Inc.pdf read more

This is a wildlife conservation organization that rescues wolves and other large predators before being euthanized. It's a long trip to get there but worth it to see what they are doing to help these animals. It's a great educational experience for kids as well. We saw wolves, coyotes, a cougar, black bear, lynx and more. My son got to pet wolf pups (adorable), baby raccoons and a possum. They also have wild turkeys loose which are amazingly beautiful birds. The facility opens once a month to the public. The rest of the time they offer educational classes for schools, cub & girl scouts, etc. They also do birthday parties. read more

We visited on an "open house" day. The cages were clean and the animals appeared healthy (clean, shiny, full coats) . However, we walked up to the circular, metal fenced area that the wolves are caged in; and my 11 year old son says,"Mom, we studied captivity in 5th grade; and if the animal is pacing back and forth like that; it means the animal is stressed or anxious." Every single animal was pacing. The worst was a smaller coyote that was wearing a path in a figure eight. Even the porcupine was engaging in this behavior. They just don't have the fenced acreage that they need for an operation like this. Super depressing place; wouldn't recommend it. read more

Had to leave because i was so saddened by the poor animals. Bored animals pacing to get out of the TINY cages. Thought this was going to be different than what it was. Not fair to these animals at all. Bare cages that do not allow for them to hide or roam only to pace while they go crazy. read more

Went to the Big Run Wolf Ranch on October 21st for the Family Day Open House. Admission was $6. The place itself is not very big, and there were a lot of people, so it was really crowded. They had a guest speaker at noon, which was an awesome show with exotic animals from a different company. However it was in a small space, with A LOT of people and kids. It was hard to get a good view of what was going on. After the guest speaker was done, I checked out the animals at the ranch. The animals looked well fed and cared for, but the cages all looked a bit small to me. But again, the animals looked healthy. I was slightly irritated with the lack of "security" for the chicken, ducks and turkeys roaming free. There were so many kids and grown adults that were harassing the birds. I actually had to step in several times and reprimand a few unsupervised children and two grown men. Overall, it was a neat experience. I'd probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if it was an "adults only" event. Ps. Heads up If you're a photographer, you won't get any clear shots of the wolves, tigers, bears, etc. They're behind 2 rows of fencing. (Which I understand for animal safety purposes) read more

Went for their open house and was very disappointed and angered at what I saw. They have a lot of land but the animals have very small cages, especially for a tiger, bear, mountain lion and wolves who need room to roam. The wolves had bloody ear tips that looked infected with flies biting at them. Every animal had dirty green water in slimy buckets. From the stories told most of the animals were bought from wildlife dealers, not rescued. Would not recommend or support this place. read more

I would never come back here again. EVER. I would give this 0 stars if possible. Cages for these animals are INCREDIBLY small, therefore defeats the purpose of calling this a sactuary. We may as well just call it a CIRCUS ladies and gents, cause THAT'S WHAT IT IS. Makes perfect sense to me. I couldnt even bear to see the cayote running around in a figure 8 for minutes on end. Even the group I was with all agreed he/she looked distressed. As an activisist, this was disturbing. Never, ever again. NOT A SACTUARY, THIS IS A CIRCUS. read more

While it looks like some improvements were made to the animals' living spaces, it definitely does not seem adequate for any of the animals they have here. Other reviews mention distressed animals pacing back and forth which is exactly what I saw. I also noticed that most of the wolves and coyotes had some sort of infection on their ears., covered with flies. They did not seem to be in good health. I would not go back here again. read more

My friend and I took 5 boys here to visit the ranch. We never even got in. Their website says they are open 10-5, however, upon pulling up we were told that they are not open to the public but once a month. The young lady working there was friendly enough, but their website needs to be updated to show what the true hours are. read more

Its great to see a place like this that care for and protect wildlife and endangered species. My 7 year old niece loved seeing the animals and petting the skunk! read more

This place is horrible! It's run by a bunch of hillbillies who wanted to buy some animals because they just had to have them. The grounds are awful and the animals have no room to run and are by no means living in their natural habitat. This place needs to be shut down! This is a scam to get the public to pay for their animal purchases. Do NOT go here and give them your money! So, so, sad to see these animals living like this! read more

I appreciate the fact that someone rescued these animals prior to them being euthanized, but these animals did not look happy about being rescued. The round cages seemed small, with inadequate shelters, and most of the animals were pacing the perimeter of the cages. I was especially disturbed to see the tiger; they may have gotten him as a cub (from newspaper articles about him being walked through Lockport and into a bar) but by now this is a full grown tiger and he looked stressed. I am wondering where he is kept throughout the winter since this does not seem to be his native climate and his shelter seemed totally inadequate. I could not go back there. read more

Very cool presentation, staff very friendly, but the cages were WAY too small. The animals had very tiny "pools" to swim in that were the size of animal troughs. The animals were pacing a lot and had way too little space. read more

This is my favorite place to go in the south suburbs. The kids learned so much, and the animals are beautiful.

Sure they can pull out an animal and talk about it to excite kids. Is it good for a child to learn? Absolutely. Is it good to have a coyote frantically pacing in a tiny area nothing like how it's natural habitat would be. The wolves are locked up in tiny areas too. It was really sad to see the animals caged in ways. How would you feel as a human to be caged to a small area all day? This is how they lived all day everyday. Seems like a scam. They get to take donations and at they rescue animals when they make money off the poor treatment of the animals. read more

Went their when my Daughter was young and had a ball. Went back again this year. She is now 24 and we had just as much fun if not more. Would recommend you go even if you don't have kids read more

The reviews I had read on this place made me optimistic, but I was very sad to learn the reality when I went to visit. My general impression is that this is a place to go and gawk at caged animals without any real concern for the animal's mental and social well-being. The enclosures are far too small and I saw too many wolves pacing, which is a clear sign of boredom/distress. The most heartbreaking thing I saw was a coyote pacing frantically in a tiny enclosure that was maybe 10 feet by 5 feet. After about 15 minutes, I left, feeling depressed and terrible for these poor animals. I read on the website that some of these animals have been saved from being euthanized...but for what? To live our the rest of their existence in a prison-like environment? I think a kinder option would be to allow these creatures to take their chances at a normal life out in the wilderness. The only optimism I have regarding this place is that their website notes they are trying to raise money for a larger space. I like to think that on days when they're not open to the public, the animals are taken to a larger, kinder place where they can be animals and run and play, but I fear this isn't the case. read more

This place is very small. The area where the animals are caged and on the other side viewed is enclosed by a small creek on one side and neighborhood houses on the other. Weird. Along with wolves, there was a bear, a cougar, skunks, and assorted fowl. The larger animals never moved from their small platform areas where they were located. Providing sanctuary for a smaller animal for protection and care is great. The larger animals belong somewhere else. The owner has an informational session with a wolf presented in a circle. Yet, he spoke more about his work history and repetitively defended that his attained knowledge wins over government inspectors, local zoological experts from Brookfield and Lincoln Park, and anyone with a degree in some kind of animal care. It was off putting. He did not run this Open House session with order. He left kids petting wolf puppies and then insisted to cage the pups up for the next visitor, a guy from Cold Blooded Creatures- to show snakes, turtles and an alligator. The visitor was trying to empty his van and the wolf ranch owner was letting kids inside the caged area to continue to pet the pups. People didn't realize that they were putting their water bottles and bags onto top of a rubber maid container carrying a turtle. The cold blooded animals show was to begin at noon, but started at 12:50. I did consider that it gave waiting people a chance to buy concessions and gift shop items because there didn't seem to be any priority to keep on schedule. Honestly, the kids enjoy animals, esp puppies, no matter what. For an adult, I felt that this is a place less about sanctuary and more about a guy trying to zoo animals and have someone else pay for it. ie. His daughter's boyfriend was noted to be walking around with a docile? Pitbull with a barrel to collect donations. read more

What a fantastic day we had at the ranch today! We came in for a private tour and your $8.00 donation is worth every penny. Renee and her assistant Dave were personable, outgoing and fun! They have open houses all throughout the year, cannot wait to visit again. read more

We went here as a bucket list adventure for my niece who is 2 1/2 and terminally ill. We have found it so hard for her to enjoy animals at the zoo because they do not build enclosures for handicapped children that cannot sit up. John really went out of his way to make sure she got up close and personal with all the animals. It was truly an event that we will remember. read more

Today was our first time at the ranch and we had a wonderful time. This is a great place to visit and learn about their magnificent animals. They have wolves, coyotes, bear, tiger, cougar, groundhog, horse, skunk, ducks, turkey, and more! We fell in love with all of them. The wolves were howling, which sounded so majestic. The bear was absolutely adorable, but was napping a lot. The tiger was awesome! We also got to see some sled dogs, which were beautiful. The skunk and groundhog were so cute too! We met the owner John and he is great, easy to talk to, and shows his love and devotion to his animals. He takes great care of them! We respect him for giving these animals a second chance and providing them a comfortable living environment and plenty to eat. We will be going back at the next event and you should too! read more

THIS PLACE IS AWESOME - ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL! We heard about it from friend who lives in area and decided to visit their Oct 26 open house (check their website for dates they are open). They have shuttle buses to take you there from nearby Walmart. First of all, this was MUCH MORE than we expected - beautifully cared for animals (at Brookfield Zoo all we saw was videos of wolves, no live animals!). It is wonderful what these people are doing for the animals; we really enjoyed walking around the beautiful grounds and seeing all the wolves, horses, beautiful baby wolf JJ, petting the cute skunk and woodchuck...they even had face painting for the kids. John gave a great talk about how they started up and care for the wolves (loads of kids here learning and enjoying themselves). It was a gorgeous day (a little chilly and they built a fire; lots of seating). They even had good home cooked chili and other food and refreshments and a really cute (and very reasonable) little gift shop area (we bought a hoodie, tee shirts and jewelery). Lots of other animals (coyotes, a porcupine dancing to the music, chickens, ducks, TOO BAD WE LEFT EARLY AND MISSED THE SHOW WITH THE BEAR!!!). They also had a reptile show we missed (we came early and were a little tired out after seeing all the sights). We can't believe all they charged was $5 admission per person! We will DEFINITELY be back for the next open house Nov 30 and again next spring. GREAT VALUE, GREAT TIME FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. DEFINITELY DO NOT MISS THIS! read more

I recently had a birthday party at Big Run Wolf Ranch and was very disappointed. What they are doing for the animals is great but the organization and customer service is beyond horrid. I scheduled this party 5 weeks in advance, the gentleman,John, was intoxicated and unprepared. We were told that the reason he didnt have our food which was figured in the price or he not having the stuff ready for the party was a death in the family. Although we was leaving that night for a party. The reason we choose this place was because he said the kids would get to feed the bear and he would wrestle the bear. When that night came he said it was too cold to wrestle and too hot to feed him. Just admit it John, this was a flob and you can never fix the fact that the party would of been a bust if I didnt bring things to entertain the kids. Overall, it was great to see the care these animals received but this is NOT the place to plan a memorable party for your child. I will say he consoderably lowered the price due to his errors but this is why I tried calling 3x times to reconfirm but he said he is too busy to answer the phones!! read more