We went at 930 am on a Sunday. There was plenty of parking and not crowded at all. If you are looking for something to do that is engaging for kids, this is a great option. One thing to note is that there are a good amount of add ons for an additional charge. If you go and just pay for general admission, there are plenty of animals to see and interact with. We added on the train ride, feeding the giraffes, and of course mini donuts. In my opinion, the $5 a person for the train ride is well worth it. You see a lot of animals that aren't on the normal path, and it was very fun for the kids. Overall we loved this for a good interactive kid activity. We went on a very hot day and there was not much shade, so plan for a lot of sun exposure. read more

First time visit on a Sat afternoon with my daughter and her friend. We walked the "loop" and they had a great time guessing the trivia posts, viewing all types of animals, did the camel ride ($5 per person), and doing the carnival ride ($10 per person) specially the slide. The parking lot was very, very full but it didn't seem crowded in the park. If your kids like animals and you have a couple hours, then I would recommend adding this to your weekend list. read more

Viewed a WIDE variety of amazing animals. My wife and I were VERY impressed with the exhibits including helpful placards in front of the enclosures giving good details about the animals. They had grizzly bears, black bears, cheetahs, a white rhino, many varieties of monkeys, skunks, sea otters, snow leopard, white bengal tigers, a parakeet encounter where you could be among about a hundred parakeets, a petting zoo for the kids, fed the giraffes carrots, anteaters, birds of all kinds, kiddie rides, safari train that travels among the animals and a snack hut that was truly family affordable.... We had a pulled chicken sandwich with fries and 20 oz beverage for $10! We spent 3 hours there in this walkable zoo and will return again. And keep in mind I'm usually not very excited about zoos in general but this place blew us away !!! Well done!! read more

See all

This place is amazing! There is so many different types of animals here that i have never heard of or seen. My favorite was the Bearsloth. You can spend the entire day here and not get board. There is a petting zoo, feeding giraffe area, playground, carnival rides and tons more. It's about a 2 hour drive for us but well worth it. Come check this place out read more

See all

Great little zoo... well maintained, friendly staff, and enough to see to stay entertained for a few hours. Worth a visit if you are in the area. read more

Very nice and clean zoo. I live in the area, and this was my first time going. I had no idea it was this big. Plan on 3 hours to visit and learn about their diverse community. Great place to take your kids too read more

Animals are sad and spend all their time pacing around there cages. Won't be back Enless they fix this problem. THE ANIMALS NEED BIGGER CAGES! A business that makes this much should be able to provide that. If you don't care about animals, it is fun for kids lots to do. IF YOU CARE THEN DONT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS! read more

Didn't disappoint our 4 year old granddaughter nor her grandparents! Prices reasonable! Highly recommended if you're in the area read more

Nice little zoo. Cages were kind of small and you got pretty close up to animals. My two year old enjoyed it read more

We have driven by this zoo for a couple of years when we go up to the cabin to see family and so decided to take a Sunday afternoon with the kids and give it a shot. We were pleasantly surprised as this place was much larger and more animal diverse than we at first thought. I was picturing like a Deer Park, the ones where you can walk around and pet the deer. They did have that aspect so if you are wanting that you will find it here but there is also so much more to see. They have animals from both North and South America, Africa, Asia and even Australia. They easily rival the MN Zoo or Como Zoo when it comes to animal diversity. They have animals that both of those zoos do not have! You even can feed the giraffes which is a pretty cool experience no matter what age you are. The other highlights would be getting up close to the tortoises and deer, my kids loved that. Besides animals, there are also many other activities you can do. You can pan for precious stones, feed swarms of parakeets, visit the petting zoo, play on a large playground, pet a bunch of baby animals, or dig up dinosaur fossils. We easily filled our Sunday afternoon. Totally worth the stop if your are in the Brainerd Lakes area. I don't live up north anymore but I am tempted to buy a membership so that we can stop multiple times throughout the year as we make our way to the cabin. read more

See all

Recently visited for our second time. It has definitely changed a lot in the past 4 years. I do understand prices increase, however I feel like they have gotten out of hand here. One thing that I thought was neat was they added a train to ride to see some of the animals. However you can only access these animals via train. And you have to pay to ride said train. After paying $14 per child and $18 per adult to even get into the zoo. Now they want $25 more dollars($5 per person). A bit outrageous to me considering I already paid to be here. They also added some carnival rides. But at $5 a ticket, $25 for one ride for my family just seems ridiculous. I'm not sure if the zoo or the carnies set those prices. They do have a playground near the rides, however it is dirty. I seen at least twenty bandaids in the rocks. Barf. They do have a lot of animals here and they are fun to see. However their containments are absurdly small. Giants cats in cages the size of a large bedroom. Same with large birds. These animals have no space and it's very sad. The one thing I hate about zoos. It is fun to feed the giraffes and ride the camel. I believe those were also $5 each per person. read more

See all

We visited Safari North with our whole family, including a toddler, a 7 month old, and our daughter who uses a wheel chair. Everyone had a great time! We were able to see a large variety of animals at close range. We especially loved feeding the giraffes! The trails are mostly paved and very easy to navigate with a wheelchair. The most pleasant surprise was the train ride. The last train car had a wheelchair ramp, and a section cut out of the bench seat for the wheelchair to park. We were able to sit on either side of our daughter and enjoy the ride!! The staff we encountered were all friendly and helpful! We would definitely visit again!! read more

This little zoo is one of the best I've been too. From a list of St. Louis, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Como Zoo, Honolulu, let's just say ALOT of zoos. They have snow leopard, white tigers, cougars, bears, giraffe, cheetah, all in habitats where you can actually SEE them. They've added a small little carnival for smaller kids. I wouldn't hesitate to bring family here if in the area. Great Job Safari North! read more

Spent over $100. No staff. Rude management. The animals are not taken care of. Dirty facilities and bathrooms. There is no shade, food or water for the animals. Do not support this establishment. This is animal abuse. The rides were broken and there was no staff to assist. Save your money and go somewhere else. There is no shade for the visitors too. No shade for the animals. No stimulation. No engagement. Good at marketing bad at execution. read more

We tried visiting here today after this recommendation and after three hours of walking around and spending well over $150 on all of the added "exhibits", we were kicked out of buildings early and followed at arms-length by employees 45 minutes before closing. I politely and calmly attempted to share my feedback with the owner as we were leaving, and she continually screamed in my face, while I was holding my ten month old. I asked her for an email address so I could provide feedback without being screamed at, and she refused to provide me any contact information. For a third time, I calmly explained that I was also a business owner, and that I wasn't seeking any sort of refund or compensation, that I was simply sharing feedback - she SCREAMED, in front of 10+ people, that I was not a business owner and that I needed to shut up and leave. I told her that I would be leaving feedback publicly based on the way she spoke to me, and she followed me out into the parking lot, screaming at me, my children, and my husband, calling us "f-ing losers" and telling us "we sucked". As we were leaving, I took out my cell phone to take a photo of the front of the building (so I wouldn't forget the name, as we aren't from in town), and she ran back out the door with her cell phone in hand, yelling that she was recording me and that "she had been recording me for the last half hour". My 12 year old ended up in the car crying. I am APPALLED and genuinely hope this comment saves someone else from such an awful experience. Unfortunately most of the animals also look quite unwell and are kept in some pretty sketchy enclosures - many are limping and have blatant growths and injuries. I would highly recommend avoiding this place at all costs, as every staff interaction we had was awful. Actually, the young man who drove the train on our (added cost) train ride, was phenomenal and by far our favorite part of the visit. read more

I think it's a beautiful place. It's very big for the animals to run around except for we drove two hours. There was NO FOOD in any of the glass theaters where you can pay money to feed the animals! Even the station, where they make bags and plates of food where you can buy them. Nobody was in there working the animals looked a little hungry. I think the staff needs to communicate together more better. I think they need to feed the animals and the woman in the front desk telling everybody that the train wasn't working it was working the whole day. She should probably find a new job so when you go make sure there's food in the feeders. read more

TERRIFIC MINI ZOO Not that this zoo is small, just not gigantic. It is really spread out, and there is plenty of room to accommodate lots and lots of people. Just south of Baxter and Brainerd, it is easy to find. A great thing to do for a day trip from the Cities, or an afternoon jaunt from your Brainerd Lakes cabin. It is still pretty new, and very CLEAN! There is 1 restroom in the entrance, and I would sure like to see the porta potties halfway through replaced with permanent structures. Toddlers do NOT like using porta potties. I was here with my 3 yr old grand daughter, daughter and her in laws. No senior pricing, and I guess $14.99 a person was ok. The gift shop was the usual over priced stuffed animals and goodies. Some good books were available too. The Snack Shack was strategically located halfway through. There were picnic tables under a canopy that provided much needed relief from the sun. There was ice cream, nachos, candy, etc. Not a meal, just snacks. COLD drinks, yay !!! We started at noon on a July day, and it was friggin hot. Most of the animals were sleeping or relaxing, not real active. But they all seemed comfortable. If it is summer, I would go right away in the morning while it is still halfway tolerable. While there were enough benches to sit at , not much was in the shade. There is a huge petting zoo area, a huge playground, and a plethora of the head cutouts for photo ops. A few murals accentuated many of the play and exhibit areas. Nice. Saw the bears, lemurs, macaws, flamingos, white tigers, kangaroos, albino deer, zebras, giraffes, camels, cougars, crocodiles, parakeets, tortoises, and so on and so forth. Be prepared to offer an anatomy lesson when you see the Mandrill Baboons! A decent place for little ones to learn and appreciate all of the wonderful creatures here. Nicely done. Highlights: CAMEL RIDE HUGE BEAUTIFUL OWL FROM EUROPE/RUSSIA UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GIRAFFES read more

See all

Absolutely horrid experience. Cannot believe the poor attitude and complete lack of customer service by the "owner" or blonde woman claiming to be the owner. The animals looked well cared for and the place was clean... but man, definitely won't be back when the woman who claims to own the place treats people the way this woman does. read more

First time visiting this zoo - and definitely our last!! If not for our excited children, the 90 mile drive, & for the $80+ spent for admission, we would've left after seeing the first few horribly cared for, confined animals. CONFINED is an understatement at best. I was near tears after seeing how small the cages & fencing areas are for these animals! Not to mention the LACK OF WATER provided & the obvious malnutrition these animals endure. All I saw was pacing & panting amongst the bigger cats & the bears. Many of the animals were sad looking & surrounded by feces & overgrown rubbish. Looking around, we could see broken fencing, loose boards, broken, misleading or incorrect display signs & more empty water bowls & food containers. Not once did we see any staff interaction amongst these animals- not to mention greetings to guests~ unless you count the 2 women behind the counter glancing up from their cell phones to collect money... What a clear lack of respect for our wildlife & for the people who come here!! Shame on the owners who have allowed this to go on. I have no doubt that the proper authority will eventually shut this place down, as it seems quite clear that many others feel as we do. read more

I took my daughter and granddaughter here and we were all surprised with everything they had to offer! Reasonably priced and we felt we definitely got our moneys worth! All the staff were extremely friendly and loved the entire experience. My granddaughter told me on the way home, "Grandpa, this was the best day I've ever had!" Enough said! We'll definitely be back next time we are in the area! read more

Safari North Wildlife Park - Zoos Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

not impressed with not just the open attractions but the employees also !!!! we went with my gradso pre school class on the website it talks about the restaurant, train rides , amusement rides a Dino dig and more but most of them where not open ! The one that was open was feeding the Giraffes and the girl that was selling the cups of carrots told us she wanted the cups back and not to pick anything off the ground ! Very rudely ( even my grandchild made a comment on her being rude) I asked about the food and the lady snapped on me and was like ummm no it's not open tell the kids are out of school ! Nothing was open ! I email them to get them to change the website and I got back there was a pin up in the gift shop ! So I paid 20 to go to the zoo and not have any opportunities to do the things you advertised!!?? Never again!!!!! read more

I liked the first part of the zoo because the animals had larger enclosures and seemed happier. There was shade to walk in and it was pretty easy to avoid crowd (we went on a weekday afternoon). I was absolutely appalled by the bird feeding room. Hundreds of little parakeets that seem completely starved. I've never seen animals so desperate to eat. The worst part was that they are so hungry they swarm by people's feet (no regulations for age or how to sit/stand/etc. are posted and the people who work there just sit there and hand out bird food on a stick for $5 each). There are no safety precautions in place for these animals. They actually have a little pet carrier by the worker's feet where they put the injured/killed birds. The second half of the zoo was sad. Small cages in direct sun. The worst were the leopard and panther. Very, very small cages and the animals just paced nonstop. Simple changes could make things so much better: 1) employ another person to encourage safety for the birds and more education for the people feeding them so it's done safety. 2) make the cat cages bigger. It wouldn't be that expensive to add more fencing to their enclosures. read more

I was amazed at the high quality of this zoo. We took our granddaughter and I had low expectations given we were up north. I could not have been more wrong. The place is awesome and in my view the best zoo we have visited in this state. It rivals and in some features exceeds famous national zoos we have gone to. read more

Great zoo with very friendly staff. Owner very nice and informative. Second time there, would definetly come back again when in the area.

This is a pretty fun interactive zoo!!! You can pet deer, turtles,and feed a giraffe!! You get really close to most of the animals which made my kids very happy! My son LOVED the huge turtles he could touch! They also have a bird cage that you can go in and the birds will land on your hand which my daughters couldn't get enough of. Only down side was all the trails were muddy and some deep ditches were not fenced off. Careful if you bring a toddler. read more

Safari North Wildlife Park - Zoos Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

This place is awesome! We were so surprised at how many animals they have and what they have to offer. How fun. Kinda a hidden gem that we didn't know existed. Lots of animals to see for the price. Friendly service. Clean place too. Will definitely be back to this place. read more

Awesome zoo!!!! Animals well cared for, clean, plenty to see for children and adults!

Spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon checking out the animals, I love how interactive and spacious this park is! read more

See all

Best zoo in Minnesota! We had a extremely relaxing afternoon. We were able to see new animals and fed the giraffes! Great place for families. read more

Went here hoping for a relaxing time with my son and husband. The zoo was filthy. Majority of animals had empty food and WATER dishes. No water was out for 90% of animals. Flies were infesting the place. It reeked of animal feces. The animals, were sickly looking and lethargic. 20 Macaws in a tiny cage. Gas containers were laying around and little kids were getting into it. Trimmers with blades laying around unattended. Petting zoo was filthy and the hand washing stations had no soap or sanitizer. Palapas were dilapidated. Unkempt. No room for birds at all. I explained my concerns to the owner at the front desk, she told me flat out that I was wrong and she would do nothing to rectify the situation. Offered no solution. I asked her to at least check on the animals and give them water, she refused. All she did was say I was wrong and was curt with me. She is happy to take the entrance fee (with no brochure or guide mind you). I hope this zoo is closed by the Minnesota Department of Health and that the animals are removed. Made me sick to my stomach and very sad that this is allowed, & with such uncaring, ruthless, rude owners. Owners have no customer service skills and do not know how to treat their paying customers, let alone animals. The owner told me she would disagree with my review and that it was wrong. Others were leaving and disgusted as well. Hemker Zoo and Minnesota Zoo are beautiful, this place only wants your money. I feel horrible for the animals and throughly ripped off and unappreciated. read more

Staff was incredibly rude!!! They do not know how to talk to children. They had a variety of animals. All were in very small pens.

Wonderful zoo! One way walking so you can avoid people!! Staff was friendly and animals were amazing!!

My favorite zoo around. Huge variety of animals for the kids. Tigers, bears, monkeys, birds, cats. On top of seeing it all super interactive. One on one contact with giraffes, kangaroos (YOU CAN PET A KANGAROO) and all of the barnyard animals. Each year there are improvements to enclosures and more and more new animals to see. Affordable for the family and a great way to spend a few hours of the day. read more

This zoo is awesome, I'm so glad we came! There were a lot of animals to see and it's very clean, just a very pleasant experience! I will definitely come back. read more

Loved it! I went on my Golden birthday with my twin sister and mom. It was an amazing experience. I got to pet the deer, feed a giraffe, and ride a camel... plus see a ton of cool animals! It was definitely worth it, and the highlight of my vacation! read more

Our experience in the park was mostly good, with some areas that need improvement. Our three year old son really enjoyed feeding the animals, the petting zoo, and the playground. The animals seemed well cared for in nice enclosures and it was fun to feed the crocodiles, giraffe and birds. He loved being able to touch the turtles and pet some of the other animals. However, after paying an already higher that average entrance fee, it seemed rather expensive to need to pay an extra $5 per person to ride the train through the safari, and $5 for a small cup of carrots to feed the giraffe, and pay high prices for the amusement park rides. They also didn't let us know there would be no way to purchase these unless we had cash. In the zoo there is only one place to get food. There isn't even a vending machine. On the day we were there, they were pretty much out of all of their food. We had only had a couple granola bars so far that day and were ravenous hungry. We were told that due to the holiday the day before, they only had pulled chicken sandwiches left. After we ordered two of those, she told us that she was also out of buns. She could give us our money back, or we could have it without the buns. Because we had no other food with us, we chose to get it. We paid over $25 for a total of about 6 ounces of pulled BBQ chicken with 2 bags of nacho cheese chips - the only kind they had left - and 2 lemonades. We were told she was unable to discount us anything, or throw in a slushie (it was really hot that day) because she "didn't want to get in trouble". I'm amazed that nobody went grocery shopping to restock the ONLY place that sells food. My suggestion is that you bring your own picnic lunch/snacks. Considering that everything else is kind of expensive, I'm amazed they're not capitalizing on the food aspect better. read more

So excited to have a zoo in the area. Overall we'd be back but here are our observations with the understanding that the place just opened a few weeks ago. The one ladies room in the main building isn't quite enough nor is it located in a great place to stand and wait with the people going in & out of the park right there too. Definitely need a baby changing table in the bathrooms as well. Gravel is a little rough on strollers but at least its not all the way through. The park & pavilion area with small snack shop about halfway through is nice. Loved feeding the giraffe and riding the camel! There is a nice variety of animals too! I would have liked to buy my niece a gift on the way out but was not going to stand in a line of 15 people waiting mostly to pay admission to buy my $10 item we didn't really need anyway. read more

The animals are great and look to be well cared for. However, our encounter with the staff was not a pleasant one. We showed up on a cloudy day anxious to visit the safari. We were 10 mins in to our adventure when it started down pouring. Because we had to cut our trip so short we asked about getting a rain check. The girl at the front desk working on Aug 12 2016 was extremely rude. She pointed to a sign and said we don't give rain checks. I was a bit disappointed and I said that's a shame. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "well, you should have checked the weather!" Keep in mind- we were sopping wet and already sad we couldn't see more of the animals. Furthermore, we did actually check the weather and our iPhone showed no rain in sight- even as it was raining! Obviously, Not the most reliable. So- just fair warning to anyone. Might want to visit this zoo when it's sunny and not a cloud in the sky! Hope the gal who said that to us learns a bit about manners. read more