Wild Discovery + Otters Our guide Rachel was phenomenal! Very knowledgable and kind. I was so surprised how many animals they have! I love that she knew all their names and personality traits. The otter swim was amazing! The guides told us they love the color yellow, so if anyone goes try and wear yellow or bring a yellow towel you don't mind sacrificing to the otters to dry off and bite! read more

This review will be lengthy but I hope it provides some insight! Note: We did the Wild Discovery + Otter Swim in early early February - Barn Hill Preserve (soon-to-be Magnolia Wilds) was a great experience! Our tour guide D was amazing and really made the experience so enjoyable. There was a mixed bag of kids and adults but the group was roughly 20 people total. This is definitely a great activity for people of all ages. There is walking involved and going slightly down on downward slopes; it can get hot too, just to keep in mind. The weather the day we went was wonderful - sunny & high-60°s/low 70°s. D was so knowledgeable and added great humor to the tour, his personality was overall super great. Plus! He was our otter-swim guide too and was just as great during the swim. There's several animals that you'll have the opportunity to meet and learn so much about. D, our tour guide, also ensured everyone had enough time to observe the different animals and that the kids had their fun before moving onto the next animal. I will note, I believe the animals included on the Wild Discovery tour are different than the animals you'll see on the Safari Wagon Adventure tour. But I believe the animals we saw were just as great. Just think about what animals you'd like to see most and ask which tour would be best. From what it seems, most of the larger animals are on the safari tour (i. e. zebras, ostrich, camels, and cattle). On our Wild Adventure Tour we saw kangaroos, capybaras, and Eurasian Lynx - to name a few. Looking back I would've have liked to know the animals vary by tour type. This is kind-of communicated on their website, but I feel you have to know to look at all available activities and compare. Which is more my error than theirs! Just wanted others to know as I didn't think of this. I would've added the safari tour had I known! The otter swim is only available with the Wild Discovery tour (the safari tour is very affordable, so to add onto the swim package would be ideal - I'd ask but I'm sure that's do-able!) The otter swim was so great too! The pool (in February) was cold at first but the body acclimates to the temp quickly. The pools are temperature controlled so it's not freezing and unbearable - just cold at first. And that's more so because it was the beginning of February. I imagine in the summertime the water is amazing. The swim lasts for an hour and our party was small (4 total people), so that was plenty of time for our otter to explore the strangers in his pool area. Afterwards, we got time to dry off and have the lil guy dry off with us. My sister loves otters so this was a great opportunity! Lastly, Check-in was easy & finding the place was easy as well! read more

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Val and Rachel are excellent tour guides and provided some fascinating animal facts throughout our tour! Full disclosure: we did all the experiences as a Christmas gift to ourselves so don't feel like you have to do it all. It can be pretty pricey. That being said... I GOT TO PET TWO CAPYBARA AND A BABY RED KANGAROO AND A WALLABY AND A SNAKE AND I GOT TO SWIM WITH OTTERS and I don't remember the last time I had that much of a dopamine overdose and I probably never will again (until I get to swim with otters again, which is one of the most awesome experiences I've ever had in my little life). Some seriously cool animals and ones you won't necessarily find in zoos (lots of friends from Down Undah!) But if you can swing it, go swim with Neville and Seamus. I can't even begin to describe to you how utterly amazing it is. Top 5 life events for sure (not like I've had a whirlwind experience but you know what I mean, you get older and stuff doesn't hit the same). We shared our experience with one other otter lover which made it even better cuz we didn't have to compete with a bunch of other otter lovers (and we can be a competitive bunch!) read more

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So I have been to a couple different zoos, preserves, etc and I do have mixed feelings about them a lot of the time. This being called a preserve I was curious to know what they were doing and what the attempt was to preserve. They mentioned some breeding pairs, but none of those I believe are endangered. I was very excited for the Binturongs (they are on the watch list) and they were great. However the pacing male definitely concerned me. When animals pace back and forth in one spot it is a sign of stress... You do get to interact with a lot of animals - goats, llamas, sloths, skink, armadillo, etc and that is very awesome. You don't touch the sloths, but you can gently feed them snacks. They are fun to watch in their acrobatic ways. I felt that some of the enclosures were too small, not enough going on for the animals. I prefer GW in Folsom. While all of BP's animals looked happy and healthy, I prefer to see the free roaming of many acres. Similar to back home I prefer the conservation center over the zoo. $40 per adult on the tours. You are not left alone and are walked around the entire property and within enclosures with a designated worker. They did ask for tips, but really BP should pay their workers better. They're out there in the heat and taking care of the animals. Tipping culture is controversial to me. She did a great job - but $80 I felt was more than enough especially driving the 1-1.5hr to get there. They do not charge you to take photos! ALSO THERE ARE NO GIRAFFES HERE. I don't think I'd return, but I wish them the best. read more

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Great experience. Outdoor setting much like a zoo. Friendly staff. You can take a general tour or have an experience with a specific animal. The experiences change from time to time so check back often. The prices may seem high but considering the upkeep, it's not bad. Great for kids and groups. Go check them out! read more

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Cole was an amazing tour guide. Very sweet and caring to the animals. I did the otter swim with him as well and he was great getting the otters to interact with me. read more

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I decided to book the "pancakes with Santa" experience for my 3 year old son to enjoy. The booking process was quick and easy as you can do it via their website. Getting there from New Orleans is about 2hrs and a bit so quite a drive for the experience. When we arrived there, it was drizzling a bit so I imagined the grounds were quite wet. Luckily we had rain boots and I'm glad we did because the grounds was muddy as hell. Upon entering the gift store ( yes the entrance is through the gift store) which is not a great experience when you have a kid wanting everything lol. You check in and walk through the doors to what is immediately an open piece of land and you just kind of guess where everything is. There is no maps, no one tells you how anything is suppose to flow or where you need to go. So you just kind of free style it. Now I'm all about free styling but not when the weather is muggy and it's full of people. So you end up just walking and you will come across random cages where you'll see some animals. I saw some type of a bird, an owl or two and eventually there is a like a "petting" area where there are some sheep and lamb roaming around that you can pet. There where some lamas too. There were two camels that you could see from a distance in a separate enclosure. If you go down the hill past the random tiny barn house you will pass some Christmas trees you can get free if you donate $50 bucks. Once you get to the bottom of a slight hill, you will come across where I gathered was Santa and the pancakes I paid for. But then my heart snuck when I saw the lines and lines of people with kids. Now I mean this would be fine if you maybe didn't have a kid, but I felt for all the families with younger baby's than my active toddler. No kid has Patience. So the Santa.... Ok so he is in this barn and I mean the set up is nice with a Christmas tree and all of that. But I think I waited like 30 minutes in the line and there were about 3 families In front of me and it never moved. So I bailed on that one. I stood in the q for the pancakes. Ok so they had one pancake station that made 8 pancakes a time. The pancakes are free and the toppings too. That could have been designed way better. I mean just have 3 stations! If you not paying for it, why does it take sooo long. I think we waited like 40 minutes to get a pancake. It was painful. The tables and chairs was so closely packed together that parents with strollers couldn't even fit their strollers in between and ended up having to put their babies on their laps or the tables. Now let's talk about the bathroom situation. My kid is potty trained but as all moms know. If they gotta go, they gotta go. I located one bathroom before the entrance and there were 2 cubicles and one vanity. Yep! Isn't that insane. So chances are you will always wait. I never saw any other toilets. So imagine you waiting in line to get pancakes, then your kid needs to go, then you gotta walk up the hill all the way to the entrance to use the bathroom. Not great. All in all, it wasn't worth it. I think the set up and planning could be done way better. I will not repeat visit at all. Just not worth it. read more

Magnolia Wilds - The baby lamb - Zoos Near Me - Ethel, Louisiana

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This was such a fun experience! I would definitely recommend this to family and friends. Val was our tour guide and she was so knowledgeable about ALL of the animals in their care. From the binturong to the capybaras and the armadillos, she knew so much. A lot of the animals were surrendered from other homes or businesses that couldn't take care of them, but in this preserve, they are clearly all so well taken care of and loved. Every animal had such big personalities and they loved Val! Val was also so funny and attentive to our group. HIGHLY recommend her and BarnHill Preserve. read more

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The website does not clearly explain that the Wildlife Adventure did not include the Safari Ride. We found that out when we got there. Our tickets were for the Wildlife Adventure and could not be traded for the wagon program, nor could we get any refund, The check-in office had few places to seat while waiting for the scheduled start and there was no shade outside to stay out of the sun. So we went in the car and waited with the AC on until it was our time. The Wildlife Adventure was a fiasco; we spent more than 25 minutes at the first stop to see some rare species of animals, but only saw three species until the two little children became uncomfortable and bored due to the long waiting and the heat. Therefore we left the tour and left the venue, waisted the $200 paid. for the tickets. We were very disappointed, read more

We had so much fun at Barn Hill Preserve! Our tour guide was amazing and knew so many details about each of the animals. It's such a great experience for both adults and kids alike, read more

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Josh is THE MAN! what a great tour with the animals, especially Clyde the Camel! He was a relentless mooch but we loved it. We followed it up with a capybara encounter, which was also amazing. It was a great time and we will absolutely do it again! read more

I purchased tickets when they were half off. My friend and I both agreed that the reduced price was more reasonable for the experience. Be sure to wear shoes that can be washed because you will walk through goat poop if you go into the pen. Absolutely my favorite part was meeting the goats, sloths, & kangaroos! Our guide was very informative! Other animals include emus, armadillos, snakes, and penguins. The tour lasted about two hours. read more

Cole was AMAZING! He was a wonderful tour guide and answered all questions asked of him. He was friendly and professional and clearly loves his job and more importantly, the animals. He was a joy to be around and handled some challenging kids on our tour well. Would definitely recommend! read more

Had a beyond wonderful experience here. My boyfriend and I came from out of state to visit, mainly to participate in the otter swim they have to offer. The otters were so cute and friendly! We had Jen as our guide and she was excellent! So kind, funny and knew what she was talking about. The tour of the grounds was great as well, so much bigger than expected and such a variety of animals. They're doing great things here! read more

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Had an otter encounter with Valerie today and was amazing. Everyone there was amazing, so Educational and personal experiences with the animals. Totally recommend! read more

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Best day EVER! We did the 30 minute Capybarra experience and fell in love with those little cuties. Then we did the walking tour which was 2 hours long. The walk wasn't very far or fast, but we were able to stop and see/play with so many animals along the way. The guides and all the personnel were very educated and knew so many interesting things about the animals. It is clear that the preserve is staffed by true animal lovers. I highly recommend this tour for kids and adults as well. So worth every single penny. read more

We had such a great experience at Barnhill! Sam was an awesome and knowledgeable tour guide. This was our first experience, and our daughter and niece loved it! We got to see several exotic animals, hold or pet lots of animals (including a baby kangaroo), and feed the sloths. read more

Magnolia Wilds - Petting goats - Zoos Near Me - Ethel, Louisiana

Just loved this place!!! I can't remember our guide's name but she was great. Loved seeing the animals and getting to interact with them. Such a unique experience. And the price was decent too read more

We had an amazing time today touring the Barn Hill Preserve in Ethel, LA. Our guide was Valerie. You can tell from the minute you start Valerie really cares about every animal on this property. She knows each animal by name. By their mannerisms, if they want to come out of their habitat or not. Nothing is forced on the animals, if they do not want to participate, they are not forced to. Valerie makes it a point on several occasions to explain, if the animal doesn't want to do such and such, we are just going to move on to the next habitat. She was so nonchalant about it you don't feel offended, you just realize it isn't going to happen and it isn't going to be challenged or forced and that is that. We were glad to know the animals are respected that way. We were able to hold a python, bearded dragon, armadillo, tenrec, and then pet goats, camel, alpaca, red river hogs, kangaroos and otters. We viewed endless amazing animals. It is easy to see that all of the animals are well taken care of, the facility is super clean, there was a vet tech on site, all staff had radios and were constantly in communication with each other at all times. There are many staff on site and many safety precautions in place for the animals, one can tell that everyone is there to make sure the animals are well taken care of. We were a small group, but were never felt rushed or like we were an inconvenience to the staff. In fact, when it came to swimming with the otters, we were excited we had such a small group, as we had the otters basically to ourselves with just Valerie and Mollee, who were absolutely outstanding. You could tell that the otters absolutely adore them, but Valerie and Mollee kept redirecting the otters to us as guests. When the otters warmed up to us, it was was absolutely a magical experience. Totally unforgettable and one we will totally return for! read more

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They came to our school with a few animals and charged our students a fortune for terrible pictures and trinkets. Very disappointed that they would prey on school families like this. read more

We have been wanting to visit the Barn hill Preserve for years, so when we saw the ad for the prehistoric patch event going on every Saturday and Sunday from October to November 21st 2021 for $16 we knew this was the perfect time. The event goes from 9am-3pm. : Tour our zoological park - you walk around their muddy paths so wear closed toed shoes. You get to see the otters, Lynx, camel, sloths through the window in the gift shop, peacocks, cows, llamas, kangaroos, goats, turtles, different kinds of birds, a porcupine, and a couple other small animals I can't remember the names of. *Giraffes are not at this location you will not see them* Petting Zoo - you can pet a tortoise, llamas, a small type of pig, kangaroos, a type of goat. Corn Pit Archery - these are practice style plastic bow and arrows where adults and kids can play you shoot your arrow at a hanging target and the magnet sticks to the target to show where your shot landed. This is not manned by any staff, so the people playing before us shot all of the arrows in the bushes the targets were placed right in front of, leaving us to climb into the bushes to find the arrows so we could play. Fall Games - not really sure what they meant by this there was a game you could try to throw a ball into a target and lawn sized connect four. Free small pumpkin from the patch-were talking tiny pumpkins and this is a muddy overgrown area so be prepared with close toed shoes Corn maze- very muddy and small corn maze meant for kid 5 and under, there is no supervision so there are kids just running through the corn plants off of the path. Wagon Rides- there is no clear marking or signage to find the wagon ride. You just have to guess. I'll give you a hint the line is where you see a little wooden ladder laying on the ground. The wagon ride consists of them driving you through the cow pasture. In a trailer towed behind a large tractor. Face Painting- the person Manning this is sitting under the metal awning near the wagon ride. Animal Shows- I didn't see any shows, I also wasn't given any info on this when we arrived. Dinosaur Shows- to my knowledge they host two a day one being at 10:30am and the other at 12:30pm. We were told they happen every hour at the half hour so we came at 1:30 only to be told they had already given their last show at 12:30 but the staff was kind enough to let us have 10 minutes to take photos with the dinosaurs. New Gift Shop- they have cold drinks, pricey stuffed animals and surprisingly a couple reasonably priced trinkets. The biggest disappointment was the fact that there was no water to wash your hands with at the port a potty station down by the corn pit, corn maze, face painting, archery, and wagon ride. All of the sanitizer stations were empty as well. I let a staff member know and they were kind enough to bring a new hand sanitizing station over. So many people used the restroom came out to wash their hands and just decided to walk away when they realized there was nothing to wash up with so who knows how long this went on for. All in all we had a good time, but it's not something I ever feel the need to do again. read more

Amazing animals and staff! We loved interacting with animals and swimming with otters! Go visit them or you're missing out. Totally worth the 4 1/2 hour drive! read more

What an AMAZING experience!!! All the animals are well taken cared for and loved at this Preserve. The Tour guides were knowledgeable and very patient with our active and curious sons. The Sloths are my favorite but I enjoyed learning about all of the animals at Barn Hill. We will be back!! read more

This place is AMAZING!! They are so knowledgeable about the animals they have and really care for them..... if they seem stressed they don't force them to be in the public's eye and all encounters are in small groups. Sam was the best guide.... I don't think there was a question she was asked that she didn't know the answer to and she gave us a ton of interesting information about every animal we encountered. Hunter in the office was so sweet and friendly when I arrived as well. I did the otter swim but it also includes a tour of the preserve.... This by far was the best birthday gift EVER and I will definitely be back again!!! read more

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Today was our first visit to Barn Hill. I have mixed feelings about it. The animals looked healthy and the enclosures were clean. Definitely not worth the cost for adults but I'm sure insurance, upkeep of the property, etc is what drives the price up. Our tour guide was a little rude and I guess that just ruined the experience and why I'm giving this a 4 and not a 5. read more

We had a wonderful experience at Barn Hill. Our guide Lexi was knowledgeable and experienced with the animals. My son and husband swam with the otters, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Great time, we followed it up with zip lining. read more

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Fascinating!!! We had Olivia, who was horrible. Just Kidding, Mac told us to say that. I had hopes for this place, my wife loves sloths and here you get to feed them. Max, our guide, really seemed knowledgeable about all the animals and we learned this company's role in conservation and education. I assumed this was kind of like a petting zoo, but there was so much more!! They successfully bred a certain type of hyena which is difficult to do. Up close with kangaroos and held a Tenrec. The walking tour was 2 hours, but really was a nice stroll. We chose not to swim with otters due to the cold. read more

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Went to Barn Hill and had Madison as a tour guide, what a sweetheart! Knew everything she needed to know in regards to the animals and is a very good trainer - Sophia, you're doing great! We did the otter swim and it was the best, definitely worth the money spent even in the cold rain, the otters loved it! read more

Magnolia Wilds - Otter Swim - Zoos Near Me - Ethel, Louisiana

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First off I've been trying to get my family to go here for like three years. I finally got them to go I won free tickets to the Spring Fling so well they had to go ! It's kind of hard to find funny thing is I've passed this place a couple of times and never noticed it. They need a bigger sign and maybe a small Billboard somewhere along the way . We checked in at the tent and ventured off to check out the animal ambassadors situated around the big field. They have a wild range of different type of animals. Since I've been wanting to visit for a long time I've noticed that some of the animal ambassadors do change. Most of the animals are spread pretty far apart. It had been raining a lot so it was pretty muddy so if it's been raining I would suggest wearing appropriate shoes. I wore boots because I knew it was going to be muddy. I really enjoyed the joey encounter I'm not kidding I could have held that little snuggler all day if my hubby would have let me. There were also bigger kangaroos in the fenced area that if you are still enough they will come check you out. I also had never seen a owl close up like that . The owl was very fascinating. I would have liked to seen the owl in a bigger cage but like I said before they don't keep the same ambassadors and they are a rescue preserve so he may not be one that's staying . The baby lambs were so adorable in their area eating grass. There were three of them. Way too cute! Barnhill is a free flying rescue for Macaws since many people cannot take care of their pet birds so Barnhill will take them in and they can fly wherever they want and have a forever home there . You do see many of these beautiful birds around the place . They offer otter swims which would be a really cool experience it's $138 a person and you have to be atleast 16 years old. The otters were not out when we visited it was kind of cold so I guess they were staying warm . They had a couple cat exhibits I can't remember exactly what kind of different cats they were I want to say one was a lynx's but I'm not sure. There were a lot of different bird enclosures. I was a little sad that you had to purchase a encounter to even view the sloths and anteater . Kind of wishing we would have did the sloth and anteater encounters. I did really enjoy this place so if you are a animal lover you will enjoy it as well. They do need to invest in building a bathroom facility since they only offer portable bathrooms which I DO NOT USE LOL!! They also do not have concession stand or anything so bring your own drinks and snacks. Throughout the year they offer many times to visit like the Christmas event, the Spring Fling event , the pumpkin patch and summer events that offer cheaper prices but don't include all the encounters but you can add the ones you want. These days it's usually $8- $12 an adult then about $15 if you pre- purchase and $20 at the gate for the sloth. The animal encounters tours are $44 an adult and $38 for kids which to be honest I don't think it's worth that price that's just too expensive for a family to visit in my opinion now if they improve the facility maybe so . The prices increased a lot of the years and the animal Encounters that came free with the admission tickets have dwindled but I'm guessing that's because they want to improve their facility which I have no problem with! On the way out we visited with the two very friendly camels . All in all I did enjoy this place but go on one of their special event days and just add the encounter you want and for who in your group will actually do and enjoy the encounter. You can take your own pictures throughout the park and we did a self guided tour. We didn't see any of the crew walking around with animals which I wasn't complaining since they said one would be a big snake nope I don't do snakes . I'm sure the guys would have enjoyed the snake ewwwwww! read more

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Devin & Chloe are worth going to meet. Devin was informative and kind. She is clearly interested in teaching guests and advocating for the safety of the animals. If 50% of the energy and care brought by them was matched by management the rest of the event would be worth the visit. However, Barn Hill Preserve is a disappointment and quite frankly a detriment to animal preserves. Their "Sip with Sloths" event was misleading, misrepresented and blatantly over sold. Do not expect ANY of what is advertised. They did not inform guests of safety precautions for animals or guests. The "brand ambassador" denied accommodations clearly stated in event descriptions when brought to her attention. She justified the disappointing "Sip with Sloths" by the fact the other employees had a long day of other guest encounters, but it was not the employees that disappointed. The lack of leadership, inability to provide what was advertised & omission knowledge of animals was disappointing. Don't get your hopes up. read more

Magnolia Wilds - Misleading details of event. - Zoos Near Me - Ethel, Louisiana

Oh we just love this place. It is a hike from where we live but the kids love it and so do we. What's funny is we always go up in the fall but never bring a pumpkin back (they are usually pretty small). This year we opted for the sloth encounter and it was amazing. Our daughter says the sloth is her spirit animal and she was giddy. They love looking at all the different animals and holding baby kangaroos. We got to experience one of the workers teaching about several other animals and even got to hold a couple extra ones. My only qualm is the hyena! As a parent I wasn't super excited about the "don't go near the fence because it will bite you" explanation because of course the first thing my kids wanted to do was go near it. Maybe another smaller fence around it's fence. Other than that we always rave about this place to people! read more

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We drove two hours from Crowley to spend the day and had so much fun. There was plenty to keep my son entertained, the employees were super nice and we could not get enough animal lovin. Can't wait to go back! read more

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This place is pretty cool. They are still building this place out but one day this will probably be a really big park. I highly recommend doing the otter swim as they are absolutely adorable and playful. My only complaint is that they should do smaller groups for the otter swims so that the otters interact with more with you. read more

I've been meaning to make my way out to Barn Hill Preserve for about a year now. I finally got out there, as my husband bought us tickets to swim with the otters! It was a once in a lifetime experience. With the cost of the tickets to swim with the otters, we also got a sloth encounter and a free pumpkin. While walking around the premises, we were allowed to hold a baby wallaby, an armadillo, and a blue tongued skink. All of the workers were super friendly and knowledgeable. Would definitely return and bring my nieces with me. As someone else in the comments stated, there are a few dogs loose on the property. They're all very gentle and friendly. Just a warning if you/your kids are scared of dogs. read more

Great place ! Swimming with otters? Yes please! Great staff a not to miss adventure! Girafee, sloths and a Shiloh Sheppard? Im in love read more

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I loved this!!! Everyone should go!! My one year old loved it. It's in the middle of nowhere, google maps failed me. read more

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I have been to Barn Hill three times and each time I see and learn new things! They have made and are in the process of making some GREAT improvements! Our tour guide, Mollee, was so great! She gave us all kinds of info on the animals and was fun and full of energy. The sloth encounter was SOOO cool! Great way to spend the day! read more

My kids and I had such an enjoyable time swimming with the otters and on the encounter tour!! The animals were all amazing and well taken care of, and our tour guides were extremely friendly and knowledgeable! We loved it so much and are already talking about going back! read more

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This place was so much fun! I've known about the Barn Hill Preserve for quite some time, but did not realize it was so close. They advertised (heavily) for their "Christmas On The Hill" event happening during the beginning part of the holidays season (2017: Nov 25-December 17). So, we purchased entry tickets on-line (purchased animal encounters at the door). It was about a 40 minute drive from the downtown Baton Rouge area (past Zachary / Slaughter area). My family and some friends made a late afternoon to evening out of it and arrived shortly after they opened to their first Christmas holiday celebration. Upon arrival, we were able to admire the beautiful adult camel and baby camel by the entry. Just an FYI, if you plan on any specialty animal encounters (sloth and anteater - which may change at other times), they are an additional price ranging from $15-20 per person. My family and I purchased the encounter with the anteater for $15 a piece, then took a family photo with the baby sloth ($10/photo/printed or sent electronically). Many of the other animal encounters were included in the entry price along with a free photo with Santa & Mrs. Clause. I was fascinated by the various animals that are located around the farm. Dogs were running free around the place (so beware, if your little ones are afraid of dogs), but very friendly. The hyena was really cool to see and I even got to hear it laugh a little. Otters were super friendly and super social. They loved, when you'd come interact with them at their cage. Oh and those camels - wow, such gentle giants! It was so fun to go into the kangaroo enclosure, hop around and wonk-about with these precious animals. There were some exotic birds like macaws and toucans that were just so gorgeous to watch and photograph. If you like cats, you'll love the active servals exhibit. Hop on the hayride that will take you further back around the farm. They sold hot chocolate with unlimited marshmallows, which was perfect for on the cool, crisp night that we went. My only critiques were: portable bathrooms (not my fave) were your only choice in restrooms and there was no water or any other beverages for sale. So, bring your own water and or other beverages + snacks to the facility. I heard that this was their 1st year to host "Christmas On The Hill" and was happy to be the first ones to check it out. I'd love to come back on a regular day in the future. The animal handlers that I got to chat with were very knowledgable about the animals. I'd be bummed to think that some of the cages the animals were in are their permanent enclosures because some of theme were just a wee-bit small. Perhaps that was just for visitor purposes. My daughter had a fabulous time with her friend running around the green pastures and interacting with the animals. read more

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Such a cool and fun experience! We had Sam as our guide, and it was great to follow her and learn what she told us of all the animals. The baby kangaroo may have been the cutest! read more