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    Franklin Drive Thru Safari

    4.1 (110 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Franklin Drive Thru Safari Photos

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    Very nice drive thru safari- we travel a lot and have never seen a safari that has the zebra that you can interact with- LOVED that - Also has the lazy river you can hang out in and see some of the animals MAJOR win- note to self don't forget to roll the windows all the way down- I learned my lesson the hard way Friendly staff and great facilities just missing the swim up bar lol

    Donald L.

    Unbelievable!!! The whole place is great- but go to lemur island for the experience of a lifetime!!! Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable!!

    Gift shop is pretty cool, just stinks like urine
    Teresa W.

    Was ok, we drove 2 hours to get here, and they did have a variety of animals. Loved the drive thru and the was it was setup. They told me this park is all family owned and operated. Bathrooms were clean ( huge) Because the inside of gift shop smelled of urine and I'm a farmer!! Around animals all the time. However, you didn't see a lot of poop, so that was a plus. We saw lots of animals, and it was in the heat of the Texas sun, around 3 pm and 102 degrees. it seemed as if they were in process of making so unique changes and would definitely be interested in going again. Because it was a drive through, some animals frankly you could see better from outside the park because some had been sectioned off. My favorites included the watusi cattle, highlands and giraffes. The tortoises were pretty amazing as well! Too many lamas and mini horses. While cute a few times there are too many sometimes to enjoy other things. If you have a choice, drive a truck, not a car, just makes the rough terrain easier to drive in it.

    Cassandra S.

    I had a blast at this drive thru Safari. My companion and I visited on a Saturday morning in October, and the weather felt perfect for the occasion. We spent about two hours driving around. It wasn't too busy, and there were plenty of animals to watch and feed.

    Keshia R.

    I have been obsessed with going to safaris since I moved to Texas. I just love seeing the animals, feeding them and petting them. I went to this Safari during the middle of the pandemic. Since everything with the pandemic was still fairly new they only allowed you to drive thru. I really enjoyed the animals. I can't remember what we paid but we got the feed and boy am I so glad we did. These animals were coming up to the car left and right and you better hope you have enough feed when they come. I ain't going to lie when that emu came up to the window I rolled up the window because I was scared. I was also a little worried when the animals with huge horns came up to my car. If you have not gone to a safari please do yourself a favor and go. Don't get a carwash until after because your car will need a wash after driving through the safari.

    Andrea P.

    Really enjoyed his place! We came here on a whim on the way back home from Waco and it was an awesome experience. Pros- we got to see a variety of animals up close such as ostrich, longhorns, camels, goats, peacock, zebras, llamas (to name a few). The course is pretty long so you get to see a good amount of animals. They have restrooms and a parking place that has a gift shop and giraffe feeding schedule. Cons- be prepared time wise, it takes a good 1hr and half to get through if there are a number of cars. Sometimes we had to stop and wait for animals to get off the path because they were eating what was thrown on the floor. Feeding is not included in price and costs extra. The animals will dirty up the side of your car and windows with their drool (haha).

    My boyfriend brother loved it he does not get out a lot
    Lauren E.

    Kaitlyn was great helped us figure out the right amount of feed and super sweet always a must when in the area

    Clarity & Clinton III with Giraffes
    Tanya K.

    Hands Down BEST Drive they Safari we've been to here in Texas ~ Our Grannies had so much fun we drove multiple times around the Safari

    Our guide and a camel that followed us for a while
    Connie H.

    This place was awesome! We went on a Friday because it gets super busy on the weekends. There was hardly any cars and we could have driven through ourselves but chose to do a private tour (extra $60 flat for our group of 3) the private tour was worth every penny! We got to go off the normal path and our guide knew all the animals so we got to see and learn a lot more than we would on our own. Highly recommend!! Please note feeding these animals is messy. We fed them out of our hands and they have spit like any animal would, but the experience was worth it. If you go on a weekend you'll be waiting for a long time, weekdays recommended.

    Animals
    April L.

    We were very happy with our experience. Everyone was wearing masks and 98% of it is in your own car. A great treat while still social distancing

    KC T.

    The drive thru safari has a huge variety of animals, it was really fun. They also have a walk around part with monkeys, reptiles, giraffes and more all included in the price. Definitely worth the money will come again!

    Fun feeding animals!

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    Animals don't seem to be well taken care of and everything it's pretty rushed. Good variety.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Franklin Drive Thru Safari

    Can I buy tickets online?

    Who knows. But you still have to wait in line to get in and get your bucket of food. Might as well, just roll up and deal with the line...

    When would be the best time of the day to visit? When are the animals active?

    Animals are always active...you are feeding them. They are soooo active. I am a rule follower, throw… 

    Would smaller cars be ok through the safari?

    Yes, doesn't matter the size.

    How long is the drive thru?

    It's 45 minutes long

    Is the $15.00 fee for he baby room in addition to the $15.00 to drive through? Never been. Any advice?

    Yes it is in addition. We just went Sunday and we were not impressed with the baby room. Most of the animals hid or laid out of reach. We only got to interact with a baby otter and coatimundi.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Franklin Drive Thru Safari

    They also have a walk around part with monkeys, reptiles, giraffes and more all included in the price.

    Mentioned in 25 reviews

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    Aggieland Safari - Giraffes

    Aggieland Safari

    3.9(75 reviews)
    19.5 mi

    In summary, I think this is absolutely an amazing place that everyone should try to go to at least…read moreonce. Location: this is near bryan, texas and is taken care of by Aggies. I think that this also has something to do with their veterinary program as well. Service: the only people that you really interact with are the people that are going to take your ticket or that you buy food from. I will tell you. It's a okay experience, not overly crazy welcoming, but there's nothing I can complain about. Views: so this is why it's so amazing. Is every time I thought we were gonna have no animals come to us alot of animals came to us or some animals would I ignore other cars but totally came to us. Sometimes we had to work to draw them in other times they chased it down. There were very few cars in the park at that time.I 'm not sure if sunday is just a low day to go, but I thought it was great for us. My favorite thing was feeding the giraffes.I will tell you, it is incredibly expensive and you should just buy one cup and continue to get a refilled. They make you spend nine dollars on a super crappy cup. The refills are six bucks. I think that's kind of crazy for the price, but other than that, that is my only complaint.

    Such a fun and exciting adventure!!! Staff were super knowledgeable, friendly, and eager to help…read more The grounds are super clean and you can tell the animals are well taken care of.

    Photos
    Aggieland Safari - Some sort of cow

    Some sort of cow

    Aggieland Safari - Feeding the giraffes no fear

    Feeding the giraffes no fear

    Aggieland Safari - Feeding the giraffes

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    Feeding the giraffes

    Blue Hills Ranch - Kangaroo baby

    Blue Hills Ranch

    4.8(95 reviews)
    55.3 mi

    We stayed at Blue Hills Resort on a whim and had the best time. There were so many animals to…read moreinteract with and meet. Mostly they are nice but can be a bit food motivated and come right up to you expecting some snacks. The cabin we stayed in was just enough for our needs since it was just my husband and me. We did the guided safari and was amazed at the vastness of the area. Ryan our guide was amazing and so knowledgeable. We had a great time. Matt was extremely helpful. The entire staff is kind and willing to listen.

    We had an amazing time at Blue Hills Ranch in Waco, TX- I highly recommend a trip out there to get…read morethe up-close and personal experience we enjoyed with all the amazing animals! Fantastic staff, happy animals, well-kept facilities...what an incredible day we had. It feels like a dream. Easy day trip outing with the family or as a date- book your animal experiences online like we did at https://www.bluehillsranch.com . The staff was flexible to shift timing of the experiences so we didn't have to wait long in between- they were extremely accommodating and we never felt rushed either. The otter swim/playtime experience was originally what drew us, and it was even better than I'd imagined. Worth every penny! Then we got to feed and pet the capybaras, which were way friendlier than I thought they would be! The babies enjoyed some extra belly rubs too. Bottle feeding the kangaroo was so fun too- little Dundee was SO soft and loved all the pets, even gave us kisses! The giraffes were super friendly and greeted us every time we were nearby; feeding and getting quality time with them was an extra treat. The safari ride tour was also amazing- 5 of us fit comfortably and got to feed/see lots of animals that we wouldn't normally get to experience. We were surprised at how this place wasn't crowded at all in the middle of July when it is peak vacation season, so it really felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. They also have a beautiful main lodge area that is comfortable and welcoming with additional animals to enjoy.

    Photos
    Blue Hills Ranch - Superhero and Giraffe

    Superhero and Giraffe

    Blue Hills Ranch - My new boyfriend, Blue

    My new boyfriend, Blue

    Blue Hills Ranch - Giraffe

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    Giraffe

    East Texas Elephant Experience

    East Texas Elephant Experience

    4.8(18 reviews)
    83.4 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    40 years in business

    I can't say how much I enjoyed being with real elephants at such close quarters and being able to…read moretouch them too... As a child, I have seen real elephants in old temples, they don't have them anymore. Other than that its been zoo and safari. But this was different.... Kennedy introduced himself as the guy who was taking care of animals since 5 generations and he is studying to be a vet. The main mahout was a small guy and he was hilarious. He did most of the talking about all the animals. These elephants are rescue elephants which have been handed over by the zoo for various reasons, or, so I understand. There are 3 elephants Paige with longest teeth, Jeanie with a little short ones , and Krissy with none. With poaching increasing, the number of Krissy's are increasing. That will keep them safe I guess. Not sure why the previous reviews are so brief. We got to learn about them, feed them carrots, even phones if u r willing to give away ( ha ha- Paige really seemed to want them), how to keep their foot and nails in shape, bathing them so on and so forth. This was the first time I had heard a live trumpet and it was adorable. In the end we posed for pics. They are tamed and trained no doubt, but seemed to be enjoying our company and well treated by their owners. They have plenty of parking. Tickets are purchased online, most often they are open only one weekend a month. Restrooms are available. Food not allowed, but a bottle of water is ok. Got to meet Abu the camel, his partner, a zebra and a billy goat and his family too. I wanted to hold one and did not know how to- one of the helper guys I approached said just pick them up and hold - really ! Then some other fellow visitor helped.

    This was a nice surprise. This is a family owned business but they are very kind and welcoming…read more They teach you all about the animals and give you time to interact with them and take pictures. We got to feed the camels and hold the baby goats. We also got to feed the elephants and touch them and bath them . They give plenty of chances to take pictures and everything is orderly and well run. They ensure safety of the guests and you can tell the elephants and animals are well taken care of. The entrance was kinda of hard to spot as the sign is kinda small but we found it! Come here if you love animals and learning about animals. Great for families and couples.

    Photos
    East Texas Elephant Experience
    East Texas Elephant Experience
    East Texas Elephant Experience

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    The Learning Zoo

    The Learning Zoo

    5.0(9 reviews)
    79.8 mi

    We enjoyed the zoo it's a must for a little something to do with your little ones they'll enjoy it…read moretheirs just enough for them they can feed the animals sit with the parakeets nice place to visit. Thanks we loved it

    Why 5 stars? Because it's super convenient and *almost* free…read more --- --- --- We've known about this place for a while but we finally had the opportunity to take our son. Tickets are only $10, and that alone, is worth the 5-star review. For less than the price of a couple coffee's or cartons of eggs, you are able to have some really cool interactions with animals. If you want to experience anything else like this, you'll have to drive an hour to the Houston Zoo, pay a lot more money for tickets, deal with crowds/parking/etc. The Learning Zoo is obviously not trying to compare itself to the Houston Zoo, but where else are you going to get to play with goats, pigs, birds, a pony, tortoises and snakes? The location is really hidden behind 1488. You drive through a residential street, and then all the way at the back, you make a couple of turns, and suddenly you're at The Learning Zoo. When you walk in, you are offered some lettuce and carrots for the animals for an additional $10, which is definitely worth it. Plus, they have some animals inside the lobby area - snakes, hedgehogs, other reptiles, etc. Then you head outside to the main part of the experience. You can walk amongst the tortoises, get "attacked" by all of the birds in their sanctuary, join the goats and pigs in their pen, and they even brought out a 14 foot snake for people to hold and take pictures with. Everyone here was incredibly nice, too. We were only there for about 45 minutes, but for $40, it was worth every penny.

    Photos
    The Learning Zoo - Mini cow

    Mini cow

    The Learning Zoo
    The Learning Zoo - Feeding the birds

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    Feeding the birds

    El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

    El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

    3.7(3 reviews)
    72.0 mi

    Wow! Amazing petting zoo! My son's first birthday party was incredible because of this petting zoo…read more The animals were super cute and they had a variety of animals; goats, baby chicks, chickens, bunnies, a small pig, and ducks. The kids absolutely loved all of the animals and especially the pony rides! The people are friendly and very informative of the animals while the kids were petting them. They were able to set up wherever we wanted which was convenient and so exciting to have right in our backyard. They were quick to set up and to even put the animals away. This petting zoo is affordable and easy to contact and book. I highly recommend them if you are interested in booking a petting zoo. Thank you for making our son's first birthday a memorable one!

    The point of contact was very unprofessional and never confirmed my booking two weeks in advance…read moreeven after deposit was made. Was told the date I wanted to book was open only to be told it was double booked after they took my deposit. Afterwards the staff never returned any of my many emails, voicemails or calls. While I wanted to love this company, I unfortunately was extremely disappointed and out my deposit although I never breached contract and should have received a refund or at the very least a call back or email back. Terrible experience that almost ruined the event, gratefully I was able to find a replacement since I could never get El Rancho representatives to email or call me back after many attempts.

    Photos
    El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo
    El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo
    El Rancho Pony Rides and Petting Zoo

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    Franklin Drive Thru Safari - pettingzoos - Updated August 2026

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