I came here for a birthday party and it was the first time visiting this farm. It is pretty cute…read moreand the birthday party was held in a small building with its own kitchen. The kids had fun feeding the farm animals. I will have to admit I had fun too. There are all sorts of farm animals, such as chickens, cats, dogs, goats, horses, bunnies, pigs and more. I am a cat person and I enjoy looking for the barn cats. The place is pretty clean for a farm and the kids enjoy the tractor ride. All the employees were nice and friendly. If you're planning a fun kids party, this is a great place for them.

You can't miss the iconic large red barn that has the word EGGS, but backwards on it. Flamig Farm…read morehas been in existence since 1907; located in West Simsbury. First visit, I got there around 4:40 and they were closing at 5; it was a short trip because I just wanted to get some eggs. The employee said they were closing soon and so was the petting zoo when I first walked in; I mentioned I was going to be quick and just wanted to get some eggs. I didn't know they had a petting zoo so I made a plan to go back again another time. The store was your typical farm stand, they had eggs, honey, cookies, apparel, and various of other knick knacks. They were having a sale, buy one dozens eggs ($7) and get one dozen free. The chickens were laying too many eggs and they wanted to get rid of as many as possible. The second time, I got in earlier in the day and purchased petting zoo tickets; $8 per person over 2 years old/under 80 years old and for an additional $2, you can purchase feed. I highly recommend getting the feed, the animals loved it. The petting zoo was bigger than I thought. There's even a playground with benches and picnic tables. The place seemed clean and the animals seem well taken care of. We saw pigs, llamas (my favorite), sheep, goats, alpacas, peacocks, cows, ponies (another favorite), donkeys, bunnies, chickens, and a black cat.Inside the shop, there were baby chicks, birds, and guinea pigs. There were signs explaining what type of animals, facts, and their story/names throughout. They also offer pony and tractor rides for an additional fee. There's a huge pavilion with picnic tables; you can bring your own food in. Also, there is an Airbnb onsite and people book their weddings there. There are many events hosted there as well; children programs and summer camps are popular ones. My kids and I had a blast petting and feeding the animals. I highly recommend!

This is a little hidden gem, that I didn't even know existed!…read more We ended up seeing fennec foxes, emus, wolves, different birds species, turtles and tortoises species, as well as bison, horses, goats, wallaby's and a few more exotic ones that I am missing. They also had your normal household animals, like skunks, raccoons and other animals that were rehabilitated that no longer can be released into the wild This is a nonprofit organization, so all of the donations and proceeds, go to helping the animals We ended up purchasing a Groupon for two people. We did not have an encounter for this one, but noticed that you could purchase that. We ended up buying cones field with feed for the animals, such as the donkey, goats and the horses, and they have a nice feeding area, so you can pet and feed them as well. The education Center was unfortunately closed, and the gift shop is tiny, but there's more than enough to do at this little zoo It only took us about an hour and a half to get through all of the exhibits

We went on a slightly drizzly Sunday after brunch and it seemed like we had the zoo to ourselves…read morebecause the parking lot was empty except for one other car. When we asked if there were any other visitors we were told no one else in the past hour. Admission is a fair price for this small zoo that had plenty of animals to keep us interested for a couple of hours. It was nice to see the bobcats active and the monkey swinging around. Lots of peahens and the peacock was fun to see perched in different places. We were amazed to get a symphony of howling, yapping, barking, neighing, and other animal chatter while we were there. The staff in the Education Center was friendly, alert and readily answered our questions about the animals. If you like feeding the animals, buy a cone of food at the admissions booth to feed the hoofed animals. Careful when feeding the goats. I was taking a picture of my daughter feeding a goat and I was within reaching distance of the goat who craned its neck over the fence and swiftly chomped on the cone of food. I was startled but it was quite hilarious.

We were driving by, and spotted these little beauties. We asked the owners if we could get out and…read morelook at the ponies, lama and donkey! My 3 yr old had a smile from ear to ear. The ponies came up to let us pet them. The lama had a funny face while eating. We stayed about 45 min just watching them eat! Times have changed. You don't see this on the side of the road anymore. It was such a pleasure to see. Thank you to the owners for letting us do this!

From the owner: Aspen Hill Farm is a family owned and operated pony business, providing parties, tractor rides,…read morepetting areas and more since 1990. We rent out ponies for all occasions, including but not limited to birthday parties, school events, church picnics, family reunions, day cares and more. If you need a pony we’ll be there or you can bring your function to us at our Western Party Room where kids can step back in time and enjoy the farm life!

A Hidden Gem Worth Discovering -- Lupa Zoo, Ludlow MA…read more My wife and I have lived in this area our entire lives -- over 70 years -- and had driven past the signs for Lupa Zoo for years without ever stopping. Today, we finally went with our grandchildren. We are so glad we did. Admission & Value Entry was very reasonable. Between grandparents and grandchildren, we paid around $44 total. A season pass runs about $150, which is an excellent value if you plan to visit more than once. Layout & Size The zoo is laid out in sections like the larger zoos we've visited over the years, but it's small, compact, and easy to navigate -- perfect for a family with young children. We may have caught them just as they were opening for the season, so the food grill and splash pad weren't running yet, but that was perfectly fine. We came for the animals! The Animals I know I'll forget some, so apologies in advance -- but here's what we saw: porcupines, capybaras, alpacas, bison, elk, several types of deer and goat, tapir, donkeys, several types of pig, and an impressive variety of small monkeys -- at least six different species, all smaller than chimpanzees. There were also ringtail lemurs, marmosets, a bird area with peacocks, pheasants, chickens, pigeons, and even a raven, plus a small reptile area featuring snakes, scorpions, lizards, and turtles. For the Kids There are two playgrounds, best suited for children up to about age 6 or 7. The main play area also has some really creative features -- musical instruments, ride-on toys, and even modern outdoor electronic reaction games where a button lights up and kids run to press it before the next one lights up on the other side. Our boys had an absolute blast. The gift shop was stocked with a fantastic assortment of stuffed animals and all the things a child who just visited a zoo is going to want. A Few Tips * You can skip the animal food bags sold at the gate. So many visitors buy them that most animals weren't interested -- you could see uneaten food throughout the pens. * Pack a lunch and bring waters. They're relaxed about backpacks, small coolers, and even little wagons for the kids. * Parking is free and easy. There are lovely grassy picnic areas near the exit. The Vibe This is a small, family-run zoo and it feels like one -- in the best possible way. The enclosures look lovingly handmade, which adds real charm. The background music throughout the park was a pleasant surprise: not too loud, not a generic radio station, just fun and well-chosen. A nice touch. Getting There Lupa Zoo -- 62 Nash Hill Road, Ludlow, MA 01056 Easy to find off the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Take Exit 51 (Burnett Road) or Exit 54 (Ludlow) -- both work. Put "Lupa Zoo" or the full address into your GPS and watch for the entrance signs on Nash Hill Road. We'll be back -- and we'll bring more grandchildren.

We had such a great time! The property was very clean!! I feel the value of what the tickets cost…read moreare well worth it!! The lady working the ticket booth was so sweet! We brought our medically complex daughter to see all the animals! Was very quiet so we got to see everything up close! We greatly enjoyed! The animals all looked very well loved and cared for!! Love supporting smaller local clearly family run businesses!!!

I have taken my grandkids here several times and they love it. The people who run it are nice and…read morethe kids love feeding the goats.

This farm is so much fun! The animals are happy and friendly. The goats ran to greet us when we…read morearrived. We brushed them and petted them. All of the animals were well cared for happy to have visitors. It was a magical day. We will definitely visit again.

Southwick Zoo is an end-of-summer tradition for our family! It is a large zoo with many animals to…read moresee, such as lions, goats (and a goat petting and feeding zoo!), monkeys, gorillas, giraffes, flamingos, and so many more! It has a 10-15 minute train ride ($7 per person) through the woods to spot animals, a sit-down zip line ($12 per person) and a little maze ($5 per person!) and a carousel (not sure how much that costs though!) ! There is a playground for the little ones, and many gift shops and food shacks around the zoo. We have always had a great experience here, and it will be our tradition for many years to come! Thanks for reading! -A

I had come here once before, so I was prepared to walk and came with a water bottle since it's a…read morebig zoo. I don't remember the entrance being as expensive as it was: $38 per person but as a AAA member we scored a $2 discount each. There were three free shows/ presentations going on that day, which were posted on a big dry erase board: bird show, sloth talk, and an earth discovery creature feature. We made 2 out of 3 of them. My favorite was the bird show where they brought out 6-8 unique birds and each of them did a trick for the crowd, all while the trainers gave us fun facts about them. They had bleacher seating so very comfortable show. At the end, they had one bird who could take your money (voluntarily) and put it into a box with its beak. The money was going towards a good cause, so I donated. The sloth talk was also cool. We got to hear interesting facts about sloths and watch the sloth eat their lunch. They were also doing a Frozen skit / play for the kids when we arrived and it was pretty good and kept the kids there engaged. They have a great selection of animals throughout the zoo including large ones like rhinos, giraffes, tigers, and lions but also smaller ones like pigeons, ravens, parakeets, and prairie dogs. I did not go on / into any, but they have an overhead lift you can ride, zip lining, and a maze (not free). There is also a petting and feeding area with goats. One thing I remember there being was a deer park but I think it was closed off this time which was a bummer. For the most part, the zoo is shaded. They also have gift shops, snacks/drinks, and bathrooms throughout the park. We spent about 2.5 hours there, but might've missed a couple animals. The staff is friendly and helped us find our way around. There is a map and it's pretty good but we were just running low on time to make it to one of the events.

The place overall is great, many different animals and a ton of space to walk around. A bit pricey…read moreconsidering the feeding bowls are $8 and the bigger buckets are $20 with $10 refills. Additionally we happen to go on a weekday and half of the additions were only open on weekends, such as the hayride/grill/etc. If you're paying the same admission that you would pay on the weekends for half the amenities, weekdays should be half off or reduced.

This spot is wild!…read more We FINALLY took a trip to Action Wildlife today and it was ABSOLUTELY worth the drive. There are multiple spaces to explore when you come in. First, YES you want the big feed pail. Lots of animals. When you first drive in you come upon the museum, gift shop, and play area. They still had their corn pit set up in the play area and that was a big hit with our little one. What you see out in front of you to access is the walking/driving section. You can choose to take this walk or park your car as you visit the animal areas. It goes all the way from the small capybara enclosure to highland cows and so many in between! If you drive straight back you will get to the big green barn near the blue silos. That bar is the petting barn and where you will do encounters. We did the baby highland cow encounter and got to spend a half hour with Hank. Feeding, brushing, petting, and just enjoying his company. We brought in our 1 year old and she loved it! As you leave that barn there is another play area to the left and if you follow it past the camels you'll see the sign for hayride and drive through safari. You can go right down that small road and it'll lead you to a drive around where you're supposed to stay in the car and drive on the enclosure to see a bunch of animals. We didn't do the hayride but it's back there. It loops all the way back, so no worries about figuring out how to get back. We felt that this was BEYOND worth our time and loved all of the up close interactions. Will be returning!

The king vultures are back! Goofy (M) & Nubs (F) were off-site for a few weeks, & I was starting to…read moreget concerned. I love visiting the king vultures & sitting with them for a while. They make excellent eye contact. Thankfully, they're back now! I visited them this week & was so relieved to see them. Goofy celebrated his 44th birthday in July & Nubs celebrated her 43rd in May. Happy birthday, you majestic creatures. Pro tip: the zookeeper who mostly tends to the king vultures is super friendly & a wealth of knowledge about these amazing birds. If you catch her around, be sure to say hi & ask her some questions!

My husband and I went to the zoo for the first time. Let me start by saying that the ride in…read morethrough the park was amazing! The park itself where the zoo is situated, is absolutely gorgeous with a lot of stuff going on from tennis, to kids playing, to people exercising. The zoo itself is not huge, but what we liked about it was we saw at least three animals that we had never even heard of! And we go to a lot of zoos and know animals! It was interesting that when the elephants were let out, they had different areas close to the fence where the elephants could grab a snack in an enrichment type toy that kept them very close and visible. We actually found that with a lot of the animals that they're enrichment toys were located in areas that kept them close to the crowds, and they seemed more than happy to be snacking in those spots. The enclosures were not huge, but seemed to be very clean. I was very satisfied with our visit. There are not a ton of food options, but would recommend the bacon cheese Smashburger meal, which came with a drink and very respectable french fries. Seems like a great zoo for kiddos and has a goat petting zoo where they can brush the goats.

two by two zoo is so professional. loved when they come to visit our nursery school. the…read morechildren love this as well as the teacher.

Hands down, the best birthday party activity for my twins. The Two by Two Zoo was amazing. My kids…read moreand all dozen plus friends got a chance to interact with several animals, including a bearded dragon, chinchilla and baby kangaroo! They were great with all of the kids, fielding questions left and right and making each child felt heard and ensuring that all the animals were treated well. My place was spotless afterwards. Highly, highly recommend!!