Great little activity! Found a deal on Groupon and decided to give it a go it is small but educational and super cool! Loved it read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Snake - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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This place was the perfect this to bring the kiddos. So a great price and the staff is so friendly. One of the women working there came over with an animal for us to pet and another animal for us to look at up close. She was so knowledgeable and answer all of our questions. She is great. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

What a wonderful hidden treasure! The prices are reasonable and the staff were so accommodating. There were more animals than I originally thought and almost of them were active and friendly when we were there. I highly recommend. Great educational experience read more

Great birthday experience, lovely small preserve with fantastic caring staff that clearly loves their unique menagerie of wildlife. Small group setting so you got to be up close, fun and educational for all ages. I'm looking forward to visiting again and meeting another group of animals as they rotate out the visits to give them breaks. read more

The GOOD: It's a quaint place to view a select number of animals without the overwhelming zoo trip. We were able to walk around twice in an hour. My son initially was so happy, however ... The BAD & UGLY: The employee made my toddler cry! There was a demo of animals in the middle of the center in an open and public area, which we started to watch when the presenter went out of her way to stop and say "This is a private show" to me and my 2 year old. If it is a private show then it should NOT be in a public and open forum. Should we blindfold all the curious little kiddies so they don't pay attention!?! I'm being facetious, but my 2 year old left the place crying and screaming because he wanted to watch. This employee was truly heartless. I will not be coming back or paying for a couple of the hands on interactions, which I had intended to book. In fact, I had came here to scope out the place for a potential birthday party. Who wants to see their children cry. This place and poorly trained employee clearly does not foster children to be happy, curious, or engaging. I will probably opt for a petting zoo or the zoo itself after this experience here unfortunately. read more

Came here today for a birthday party and my little one loved seeing all the interesting animals. We particularly loved the giraffe and frogs. The staff educated the kids on a variety of animals and the kids were able to pet them. Fun experience. read more

This a must! Always come support the local wildlife learning. I taken my grand bebe's and they love it

We had the experience of meeting a sloth. The entire staff was very professional and very friendly. We didn't want to leave without feeding the giraffe and it was very nice and fun overall. If you like animals, I recommend this place because they take care of them and protect them. read more

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If you want to get up close to critters, learn a lot about them, and support a worthy organization, this is the place for you!!! What a fantastic organization and a joyful, memorable experience we had! I highly encourage people to sign up for the tour! The animal experiences included in the tour are just amazing! There is a ton of shade to hide under on a hot day! Our tour guide was AMAZING, as was our whole experience! read more

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Celebrated my 40th birthday at the Wildlife Learning Center and did the Picnic Safari and Sloth Encounter! Wendy was our amazing facilitator of the event and WOW was this a memorable day. I would highly recommend anyone going to this facility to learn about the incredible animals they have, and have the opportunity to experience an animal encounter with their team. Wendy was knowledgeable, passionate, and incredibly fun to have with my friends and I! We will for sure be back! read more

What a truly lovely place. I never knew a place like this existed. It's a great place for children to learn about animals up close. The staff is friendly, warm and knowledgeable. You can rent their main little pavilion for a birthday party - which is what my daughter did for her 7 year old. We decorated it ourselves and they provided tables and chairs. We were allowed 35 guests total and the rental also came with an educational "show" that lasted an hour and a half. The children loved it - they were taught about the exotic animals (macaw, porcupines, hedgehogs, snake, exotic cats, etc), which they were taught how to touch. It was totally interactive and they enraptured. The park itself is small and contained so it feels absolutely safe to let children roam around. I cannot praise it enough. read more

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The Wildlife Learning Center in Sylmar is a hidden gem! We found this place on Yelp during a visit down to Southern California earlier this year. Nested on a street with residential housing we initially thought we were at the wrong place since we didn't see a "zoo". There is a small private parking lot along with a few spaces along the main street. We checked in with Suzie for a private tour which included a porcupine and giraffe experience. Suzie is the best!! She was knowledgable, enthusiastic, and very personal. As we walked by each exhibit, she would give us the history of the animal and tell us about it. The giraffe actually lives "next door" but looks over the fence to get fed and for pictures. The porcupine was super cool. We've never been that close to one. We had the opportunity to feed two of them and take pictures too. I had no idea porcupines have this musky scent... they also don't don't shoot out their quills. For those who watch the American version of The Office, the porcupine that Dwight places in the desk drawer is from Wildlife Learning Center! Unfortunately, he was shy so we didn't get to see much of him. Watching the sloth climb up the tree was pretty interesting! We've never seen one this close and yes, they are really slow! There's also a small exhibit inside a portable building which contains a few snakes, frogs, and a tortoise. Although this sanctuary is quite small and only a fraction of the size of a traditional zoo, there was no shortage of cool animals. We learned so much on this visit from Suzie who was an amazing guide! The day we went was quite empty so it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We'll definitely be back next time we're in the area! read more

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Such a cute spot to visit! My toddler loves seeing the animals up close. Parking lot is a little small and the center isn't huge but it's a good spot for a couple hours. read more

This visit was a gift from our daughter. We arrived at 10 am for a personal tour this morning. It was great. I highly recommend this interactive experience. read more

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Loved this cute little place! Took my 16th month old that loves animals and outdoors. We took our time at leave animal pen reading details, looking at everything and taking photos. I brought snacks and we sat at the benches to enjoy them. I'd love to do the private experience soon. It was very serene and peaceful. I went on a Wednesday. One of the employees let me touch the lizard she was working with. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Lizard - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

Wow, a 100% hidden gem in LA! I got my tickets off Groupon (which I recommend) and paid about $16 for 2 adult tickets. This place is basically a miniature zoo at miniature the price, and even houses from animals I've never seen before at other zoos. I love how some animals have their own story about being in an illegal pet trade and being rescued, for example. Definitely adds a layer of sympathy and admiration for this establishment and its animals. It took my girlfriend and I about 1 hour tops to explore the entire place. You really get to get up close to the animals, where compared to zoos they are fenced off and you have to look from a distance. They have an indoor reptile exhibit with some giant snakes, and a large outdoor portion filled with animals you'd never expect to see in your backyard (its basically in a residential district LOL). I went on a mid afternoon on Saturday and there weren't too many people to a point where you had to wait in line to see animals. Parking is ample, and employees are nice. To top it off, the animals look happy and well fed, with clean enclosures and no smell! Date worthy place for couples, and family friendly as well! 5/5 read more

This place sucks, not much too see and staff is unpleasant. The cashier told us it would be a 30-45 minute walk through, it's not. 15-20 mins, not too many animals. Another staff, was worked up about our car being parked by the entrance (not in front of it) and asked us to move our car because she said we were blocking the entrance (not true). There was no sign that stated we couldn't park there. But clearly, that wasn't the issue. She wasn't upset that a car was parked there, she was just upset that OUR car was parked there because she was perfectly fine with someone else parking there. You could've just said that you had the spot reserved for someone else, that would've been fine. Then she states "I need that BMW moved too" after I had just told her that car was not mine. That was just rude and unnecessary, condescending. I told her to give me a minute to move the car because I was with my young child. She proceeds to follow me, when I just walked over to ask my partner to move the car while I stayed with the kids. Smh Dear owner: If there are areas where you don't want people to park in, put up a sign, it's just that simple. Staff: If you're unhappy about your job, find a new one. read more

This place is small and cute. Takes about 20 to 30 minutes to go through. Don't go in the morning because they do field trips and it's too crowded. read more

This review is based on my son's first birthday party there. The staff was so helpful every step of the way. They made it so easy the day of the party. There is staff to help you load up from your car to the event space. The kids loved it & so did the adults! read more

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Last week we celebrated my son's birthday there and it went really great. The staff were so friendly and helpful and the place was so fun for kids. Also the animal presentation was very educational and interesting. Absolutely loved this place. read more

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We recently discovered The Wildlife Learning Center while looking for fun things to do with our toddler, our daughter loves animals so we decided to try something other than the traditional zoo. This small hidden animal oasis is located in Sylmar CA, and nestled within a small neighborhood. The Wildlife Learning Center offers a fun menu of different paid add-on experiences that you can interact with some of their rare animals such as feeding a giraffe, sloths, porcupines, and handling a snake. The Wildlife Learning Center provides care for about 100 displaced, surrendered and abandoned animals. All the animals have their own incredible stories and name in front of their habitat. The animals are in open air cages, no plastic or glass walls or concrete enclosures like you might find at a zoo. The animals seemed healthy, happy and active when we visited. All the habitats are very nice and clean, you also get a sense of intimacy and a feel of a more private animal experience. Our favorite habitats were the Foxes, Sloths, American Bald Eagles, Monkeys and of course being up close and personal with Jax the Giraffe. The Wildlife Learning Center is small and intimate, don't plan on spending the whole day there. Our visit lasted about 1 1/2 hours, which gave us plenty of time to learn and enjoy the animals. The center also has a reptile habitat with several large snakes, lizards and spiders. Some of the habitats were donated and funded by celebrities like the Sloth and Monkey habitat. Betty White and other TV personalities names can be found on the donor apperception tree. This is a great place for children of all ages. A free parking lot is available. There is also street parking is well. We visited during the week and had no issues parking in the lot. General Admission costs $12 Adults / $10 and Children Children 2 & younger are free. They do offer additional paid experiences with the animals, check their website for more info. read more

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My fiancé took me here on our anniversary and I was sooooooo happy. We were thoroughly impressed with the level of care and dedication given to each and every animal. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and they went above and beyond to ensure the animals were comfortable and receiving the appropriate care. The facilities were clean and well-maintained, with plenty of space for the animals to move around and exercise. The team's passion for their work is evident in everything they do and they truly make a difference in the lives of the animals they care for. read more

We came this week with some friends and it was a fun experience. We spent about an hour in the facility. It is small but they have animals and activities for the little ones if you come at the right time. There is a gift shop with snacks and stuffed animals for purchase. Parking lot is small, but it is free. You can also park on the street, if the lot is full. read more

I would highly recommend this place. You can tell that the staff all have a great appreciation for the animals here and love helping others learn about the animals. It's a small property but it has a little bit of everything. I think it's such a great place to take kids, have a day date, or just go on a solo adventure. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - One of many the many birds on the property. - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

Amazing place to take kids, especially younger ones. You could do this in an hour if you wanted or really take your time walking around. They have a shaded area with tables if you bring lunch/snacks. The place is very walkable and I didn't even need my stroller for my son who isn't even 2 yet. The animals are so easy to see and all have an interesting story of how they were rescued. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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We had an amazing experience as a group of seven that went on the private tour for 90 minutes. Our tour guide was so knowledgable and took the time to answer any and all questions. We loved feeding porcupines, going inside the sloth enclosure, feeding tortoises, and meeting both a snake and hedgehog. The photos turned out great and we will absolutely be back for more fun in the future. This is a great place for a birthday party or even just regular admission to wonder the grounds. Our friends highly recommend the summer camp so we may give that a try in the future. Truly a hidden gem doing amazing work to help animals that are in need of a special place to call home. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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This space... IS INCREDIBLE!!! Omfg!! I had no idea how awesome this place really is! They (Amazing all women team) not only rescue these beautiful species, but like educate you on how cool they really are! I got to see and meet amazing creatures that you won't believe really exist. Just like 30 minutes from my house?!? We got the coolest guide with Val! read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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I've been to this spot a few times in the past. Previously, I did the tour where you were able to be up close with a sloth - this was about 6 years ago and it was an amazing up close experience. Definitely recommend any of the tours for any animal lovers. This was the first time I've been back since then, and they have made some great updates and improvements to the facilities. I had a great time taking my two nieces here with our general admission tickets. You can breeze through the space pretty quickly (we took about an hour with the kids under 3) but if you take the time to read each animals' story you can stretch time quite a bit (kids 5 and up). They have a few outdoor spots where you can eat a snack and a cute souvenir spot at the entrance. A gem in the valley for all ages! Staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the spaces for the animals are well kept. A great spot to visit while giving back, especially if you are looking for something local. read more

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I am so happy a friend told me about this place! It is so close and pretty random-- in the middle of a neighborhood. We actually got lost on the way, I had to call and the woman who answered was very helpful. My parents are visiting from out of town so I wanted to take them someplace appropriate for seniors and a baby. This was the perfect weekday excursion. Purchasing tickets online was a breeze and once we found it, we had a lot of fun! It is very small but like other yelpers mentioned, it is a great size for parents and children. A zoo would be much more expensive, it is impossible to see everything and taking the whole family to one would be a full day endeavor. We were in and out of this Wildlife Park in an hour and a half and we were able to see everything--the perfect window for my newborn to go without a feeding or diaper change. We enjoyed the very informative placards for each animal and had a lot of fun at the wildlife talk where we were able to touch a snake. They enforced mask wearing, social distancing and there was hand sanitizer everywhere. I am so glad I discovered this place and will certainly be back! read more

I cannot give this place enough stars. It was so nice reading all of the descriptions of each animal, their backgrounds, and how they were rescued and brought to WLC. I don't believe in Zoos due to it feeling as a sort of animal jail, but WLC is the complete opposite from a zoo. It was nice seeing these rescue animals being cared for with so much love and I can tell they are all very happy. I took my son and little sister here for an after school activity and they absolutely loved it! We stopped by the gift shop afterwards and I was more than happy to spend money knowing that all of the proceeds are given back to the animals. We will definitely be back to hopefully meet the giraffe and see my favorite squirrel monkeys!! Thank you WLC for all you do for these sweet babies. read more

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From beginning to end we all had a great time, easy to find. The 210 was better than the 5 freeway getting there. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. If you forget water they have it at a fair price and their merchandise is fairly priced. If you spring for a guided tour go for it, we fed a giraffe, a family of porcupines, met a sloth, petted a baby tortoise and gecko, our guide Danni was a great storyteller and was patient with the kids and their questions. A definite winner and highly recommended. read more

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Took the family here for my moms birthday because she's been obsessed with sloths lately and has been dying to meet one up close and personal. We got the Adventure Tour and I thought that we were only going to interact with 5 animals, but was pleasantly surprised because we also got a tour of the whole place. Caroline was very knowledgeable and was such a great tour guide! My mom was in tears and was truly happy to meet Sid the Sloth. We were all adults in the group and everyone had an awesome time. Thank you so much for such a great experience! read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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Hidden Gem. This place is fantastic! If you love animals and appreciate sanctuaries that take and rescue animals for rehabilitation then this is the spot. We met a Sloth and hung out and fed porcupines; totally worth every dime!-and hey the money goes right back to the animals! We met the owner and got the 411 on the great work they do here-superb! Great little place to see many animals up close that you would otherwise never get the chance. 100 Stars! Love this place and it is animal lover approved! read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Porcupines ! - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

This place was amazing small size but has amazing animals for a local zoo. My son has always been big fan of owls wildlife has two type breed of owls my son was so happy. Well definitely will be going back. They always have vip experiences with the animals. Highly recommend this place! But thing really makes love this place they help animals that are in bad situation and they help them out read more

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What a great experience! Just took my kids on the 90 minute adventure tour. We saw all the animals, they got to feed a fox, feed porcupines, touch a sloth, feed the tortoise and feel a lizard. The biologist that gave us the tour was great!! Very knowledgeable and definitely had a lot of patience with my kids! This was so much better then the zoo! The animals were awake and active haha Thanks again!!!! read more

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This is such a cute way to spend some time with animals. I was looking for a place with animals that was near me to bring my 4 year old nephew and I settled on Wildlife Learning Center. We got there and I was so excited. We entered and I let the person at the front know it was our first time and she directed us to the virtual map and explained the layout. This is a very small location but is packed with interesting animals. I was happy to get tickets in advance and highly recommend booking the opening time slot because you get to see all of the employees/volunteers feeding the animals and seating up for the day. We entered had a blast! With an energetic 4 year old who kept wanting to see the next animal, we spent a good hour there (the ticket allots an hour and a half) and if I had brought a snack or small activity, we would've been happy to stay longer. I do believe the wow factor will go down for my nephew the next time we visit but it won't for me! I love the calming nature experience and it's always humbling to get to learn about animals and their backstories. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Owl - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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My daughters and I went there this afternoon and two hours never went by so quickly. We had an amazing time and our guide Nicole was just brilliant. We learned so many things about these animals that we had taken for granted and just didn't know. It was the best learning experience and being able to interact with the animals was priceless. I would not only recommend going back again I am going to go back again. read more

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A beautiful animal rehabilitation center that works to protect animals and educate humans! At just $15 a ticket, you can explore this small learning center in about 90 minutes! I love the plaques with the story behind some of the animals and how they came to the loving hands of the WLC. We did a self-guided tour and saw everything from snakes, to porcupines, and even a giraffe! I really want to come back for their private tours and hopefully have a private animal experience. Free parking lot but it's a bit cramped. There's plenty of street parking though. Reservations are needed and they're only open Tuesdays and Thursdays UNLESS you've reserved a private tour. read more

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My 2-year-old son and I enjoyed WLC. It's a nice quiet place to go to. We only spent about 30 minutes. Im sure you can make it longer with older kids and take your time reading the information on each animal. We tried to see the indoor area with the snakes, but I think it was being cleaned so we sat down at a table and had snacks then tried again a couple minutes later. read more

Wildlife Learning Center - Zoos Near Me - Sylmar, California

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Absolutely WONDERFUL experience! My son wanted to go to the zoo, but I hate how crowded the zoo can get, so I bought the Adventure Tour for us. I cannot say enough good things about our experience. Since this is guided tour, and the animals recognize the biologist, they all come out and do tricks! My family loved it. I am grateful for this place. Only one thing would make this place better, A NIGHTTIME TOUR! read more

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