We heard so many great things about this zoo and decided to give it a try. The tickets were $17 per adult and children 2 and under are free. They also charge different prices for the feed as well. This zoo was super cool. They have a little tropical house with different animals inside. The sloth was super cute and the bats were cool. They had animals that I have never seen before as well. On the outside there are trails that lead you to different areas. Everything is fenced off and there are signs as to what you can feed. They also have a parakeet house which we paid $2 for the kids to get sticks to feed them. This was the best part and I strongly suggest doing this. There were so many different animals to see. We saw some different types on the trail as well. It was super quiet and a nice nature walk. I really enjoyed it. We only stayed for an hour because it started raining but it is really easy to get through it in an hour. read more

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Cute little zoo with some big animals. You can feed a bear an apple and be very close to Vern the lion who has the most beautiful eyelashes I've ever seen. They have other feeding experiences. Mostly wire cage viewing areas so not the greatest for photos. The indoor tropics area was neat so don't miss it. I travel to a lot of zoos and this one some birds I've never seen. Animals names are posted. read more

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Had so much fun walking around, animals looks healthy and happy. The new cedar wood chips on the walkways smelled amazing and they had tubes to feed the bears which I thought was cool. Definitely would recommend! read more

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GarLyn Zoo is a well-maintained zoo that is mid-size for a rural area, small for a metro area. There were about 40 different types of animals. Visiting in the summer, there is a building with about 8 different types of animals indoors. The animals are well cared for. Some of the enclosures are very sizable. The setting is wooded (lots of shade). There's quite a variety from tigers, bears, and monkeys to lizards, an alligator, and emus. There are a couple places where you can feed animals; a bird house, the bear enclosure (you roll him an apple through a tube), and also an area with emus and alpacasThen there Visiting Garlyn Zoo has been on our list for awhile and we finally went. We spent two hours enjoying all of the animals. The trails are mainly wood mulch trails. You're never more than about a 5 minute walk from the front, but you can feel like you're away from it all. All-in-all, we spent about 90 minutes here - backtracked a little to revisit to get a better view. Good for all ages. read more

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This was an awesome zoo and my 6, 5, & 1 year old enjoyed it! We loved the variety of animals and closeness of the animals. We spent approx 1.5 hours and got to see everything. Boys loved feeding the animals. Staff was very friendly and welcoming. read more

It's a great stop for the kids after you cross the bridge. The entrance is easy to find, the price is reasonable, and it's not too far from Kitchitikipi and the Paul Bunyan statue if you keep heading West into the UP. We all had a lot of fun and left satisfied. You can do the zoo in 1-2 hours and they have a great variety of animals: lions, tigers, a bear, wolves,a skunk, a sloth, and free-roaming chickens and peacocks. The exhibits are close, so you aren't walking a long distance (great for small kids and if you plan to keep driving for a long time afterwards). Most of the animals were in what I would call older-style exhibits, and all of them looked to be healthy and content. The kids really enjoyed it and it was a welcome break on a 10 hour drive. There are picnic tables at the entrance and there was a good food truck there (Erben Street Grill) selling BBQ. We grabbed some Dippin' Dots at the gift shop on the way out to cool everyone down after walking. read more

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This zoo was SO much cooler than I expected! I was expecting something kind of janky to be honest- a cute but tiny zoo with mostly local wildlife. But boy was I in for a treat- this is a legit zoo with all kinds of fun animals like monkeys, a sloth, lions, tigers, camels, and a lot more! We had a blast! We also bought some animal feed with our tickets and had a lot of fun feeding the farm animals and llamas, although the parakeet feeding is not for the faint of heart! The parakeets are literally just flying all around you, whizzing by your head... I was so scared one was going to poop on us since we wouldn't have access to a shower for several more hours but all was well. They even had a tent out front grilling up hot dogs with all kinds of sides like potato salad and cole slaw. I would definitely stop by again when vacationing in the area! read more

Great customer service, animals such as the lions, tortoises and goats are very close up and personal experiences ever. Extra cost to feed the giraffes but they're close with a great viewing area which was perfect for toddlers. Stroller friendly and playground space was weathered but functional where the children can still climb and slide safely. read more

This is a hidden gem. The zoo has a large variety of animals some I'm sure you haven't seen before in captivity. Many if the animals are rescues. The zoo organized with a defined walking line that allows you to see all animals. One unique feature is the you get to feed some animals. You can purchase apples to feed the bears and an assortment of nuts and grains to feed the goats, lamas and other animals. The only strike is that there is no outdoor plumbing, the bathrooms are outhouse style. I'd suggest a bathroom break before you get here. Other than that the animals are very interesting, the zookeepers are kind and knowledgeable about the animals. I'd recommend this to any family or animal lover. read more

Garlyn Zoo - Entrance - Zoos Near Me - Naubinway, Michigan

This is one our favorite things to do in the UP. Garlyn Zoo provides a very up close and personal experience with the animals. It's wonderful to learn their names and see them year after year. The staff are extremely kind and helpful and always great at answering questions about the animals. read more

We stopped on our way home and it was very much worth it. You can feed some of the animals which was nice. Also the animals seemed happy and well taken care of. Glad we stopped ! read more

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We visited the Garlyn Zoo last year while visiting family in Michigan and returned this year because we like it so much. You get a different zoo experience here, up close animal encounters and lots of opportunities to feed. read more

Garlyn Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Naubinway, Michigan

We loved this place! We happened to come at feeding time for the big cats! We watched the tigers jump into the trees for their food. My husband said this is the best zoo he's ever been to in his life. It's all natural on the grounds which is a nice contract when comparing to Detroit zoo. They also give the you option to buy food for some of the animals at a decent price. Soooo fun! read more

Garlyn Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Naubinway, Michigan

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Rainy days dampened some of our time in the U.P. But a few hours spent checking out the animals was a good time. The girls were ecstatic to go and had a great time. It's what you would expect from a small local zoo. The animals seem to be well cared for and fed. I'm not a huge fan of caged animals so 3 is a 5 in my book. I would recommend a stop to anyone in the area with kids. I did spy a smoker in the parking lot but unfortunately they didn't have it going. read more

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This is a great place to visit for the whole family! We had a great time. It is much smaller than a regular zoo but packed with wildlife and rescued animals. You can buy pellets/apples to feed the animals which is a great experience for kids. All animals appeared to be in good spirits and well taken care of. Proper precautions were followed and several hand sanitizer stations were available. I highly recommend visiting the Garlyn zoo!!! read more

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It took us about an hour to see everything, the zoo was clean and the employee's were very friendly. My kids loved it! read more

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We visit the zoo every time we travel up to the UP just a really cool place. Our grandkids absolutely love it here!!

Healthy animals. Clean walkways. Staff present and caring for animals. Interactive exhibits.

This place was truly the best zoo we have ever been too. Very inviting and lots of animals. The day was sunny with about 65 degrees. The staff and the chickens walking around was just an awesome experience read more

This was the worse zoo I've ever been to! The smell is overpowering and the cages/enclosures were filthy and not large enough for the amount of animals housed there. I know animals smell but this place was ridiculous. The condition overall is disgusting! The pathway to walk is made of wood chips and full of animal feces. The enclosures are only mud and dirt and the ponds are filthily. It is sad to see the poor animals in too small spaces and no green vegetation for them. $15 per person is overpriced for how the place is cared for! I think these animals need to be sent to other zoos and/or farms where they will be better taken care of. The animal housing didn't look to be adequate. The only thing clean was the little store. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Kind of small but well worth the price of admission!! The caretakers awe awesome and very helpful! Answered any questions we had. The animals seem to healthy and very well taken care. I love how they have a lot of bird loose around the property.I'll say this,we weren't bothered by a single bug! Same with the animals. read more

We were looking for something to do other than the touristy stuff while visiting Michigan and ran across this neat petting zoo. We are huge animal lovers and this place exceeded our expectations by far. The price is cheap, the zookeepers were friendly, the animals were all happy. Our favorite part was getting to feed the bears. I would recommend those looking for a fun activity to visit the zoo! My only negative about the location would be the restrooms, as they are porter potties. read more

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My kids had a great time at the little zoo in the U.P. It was definitely worth the trip. It was a nice drive and the god took us right to the front door. I recommend going early in the day when it's not so busy. read more

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Really fun for all ages. The animals seemed to be well cared for. It was very interesting and my children (9 and 10) really enjoyed feeding the animals. They didn't want to leave until we saw every single critter. Highly recommend! read more

This place is a great little stop. Make sure when you pay for admission you buy apples to feed to the bears- they are adorable when they crunch the apples in half. For a smaller zoo, they have a really great assortment of animals- we spent about 1.5 hours with our 7 year old and really enjoyed the time. read more

I have been to several zoos and this was one of the best. I didn't know the UP could even have a zoo due to the crazy weather they experience, it was awesome go stumble upon this place. Not only do they have a surprisingly vast array of animals (for being in the Upper Peninsula) but the people that take time out of their days to ensure these animals are taken care are simply amazing. The volunteers and staff were very informative and so welcoming. Mary was exceptionally gracious and allowed my boyfriend and I to meet her Amazonian bird and she told us about how her family founded the zoo and how some of the animals came to reside within it. This zoo receives zero funding so the admission charge is completely worth it for the animals' sake. This zoo is very family friendly as well as you can feed certain animals, including Syrian bears! We will definitely be going back! read more

Absolutely wonderful. I've been twice and planning to visit again in the near future. On one trip I was able to capture an amazing video of the wolves howling back and forth. read more

This zoo is awesome! My grandkids have been to Brookfield and Lincoln Park Zoos in Chicago and countless petting zoos and this place is among their favorites. It's clean and the setting is very natural. Trails are mulched, not paved and while precautions are taken for your safety, you can get very close to all the animals. Well worth the scenic drive from Mackinaw City. If at all possible spend the money for apples to feed the bears and plenty of feed for the goats and llamas and alpacas. Favorites among our group were the Pygmy Goats, the Tiger, Siberian Bears and their pet dog, and the Camel. Peacocks roam the grounds as well as a few chickens. One of the highlights of our vacation! read more

Surprisingly nice!! It's not real big, but you can really see all of the animals, and they have some cool ones. The enclosures are very natural and you walk on mulched trails that are in the shade. Chickens, peacocks, turkeys, and guinea hens run free. You can buy treats and feed animals, including friendly goats. This is a fantastic place to take kids, but the adults in our group enjoyed it too. read more

Garlyn Zoo - Friendly animals - Zoos Near Me - Naubinway, Michigan

I have to say this zoo exceeded my expectations !! It was a zoo that was up close and the animals were very friendly ..... I would definitely go again if ever in the upper peninsula again ..... Highly recommend if you happen to be in area and well worth the extra money to buy apples for the Bears and grain for the llamas goats chickens etc ...... I'm still amazed that there's a dog that lives with the Bears in the bear cage read more

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Tons of fun, one of our family favorites and a Must-Stop and See if you're on US-2 crossing the UP! We've been going for more than 10 years and it's one of our kids favorite stops! read more

Very nice family run zoo. Took us only about an hour to walk around. No indoor facilities, two port-a-potties outside.

A fantastic little zoo nestled among the rustling pines of the area. The animals are all unique, interesting, and some are rare to see (Arctic Fox pups, a bear & dog that live together, pathers). I spoke to the zookeepers and they obviously love the animals, and the animals respect them. All in all an easy drive from Mackinaw/St. Ignance, well worth the money, incredible. Cannot say enogh good things. Keep up the great work - we'll be back next year! read more

What an awesome place to visit! The staff is very friendly and Mary, one of the zoo keepers, was very knowledgeable about the animals! The little kids holding the babies and walking us through park was amazing! Our own private tour! read more

Amazing place! My grandparents live about 2 minutes from here and we go every time we visit. Great little pit stop if you're passing through :) read more

This zoo is managed very poorly. As soon as we entered the building we were treated rudely by the owners daughter who was taking our money for tickets. The animals are in horrible conditions. The entire place reeks of urine and feces. All of the enclosures are too small for the animals. Some of the animals are thin and unthrifty with hair loss and signs of malnutrion. There were lame caribou limping around. The goats had far too many intact males to female ratio. The animals are living in their own filth and unstimulated. Most of the animals were showing visible signs of stress and not relaxed looking at all. These poor animals are basicly kept on dirt lots with improper shelters. The tortises are showing very clear signs of poor diet. This is not a zoo, this is how not to run a zoo. This so called zoo is giving our youth the wrong impression of how to care for animals. read more

First, some background, I'm 14 years old and have visited zoos around the country with family and friends since I was 5 years old. But until my recent visit to GarLyn Zoo, all of my zoo experiences have been positive. Unlike previous zoos I have been to, signs at GarLyn were faded and you were left trying to figure out what the animal was. And the enclosures for many animals were way too small, one of the most notable ones being the bear's habitat, which was essentially two bears and a starving dog forced to live in a habitat that didn't even seem fit enough for one bear. Then, some of the Arctic Foxes were running around when we got to their enclosure, forcing us to go notify the staff which seemed scarce throughout the whole zoo. In addition to these matters, most of the animals at GarLyn were extremely quiet and suspiciously docile compared to the other zoos I have been to. Not to mention that the large predators did not have double fencing which means that someone could stick their hands through the fence into habitats for animals such as the bears, tigers, and mountain lions. In light of this, GarLyn should be looking to improve enclosures they have currently instead of trying to build a brand new lion enclosure that they are raising money for. If you want a better zoo experience in Michigan's U.P., then maybe go check out The DeYoung Family Zoo. read more