Where to see captive animals in the USA

[Pleistohorse]

Are you doing any non-zoo/museum things? Any wildlife stops, for example? Whooping Cranes are easy to find for most of the year if you know the right places.

A few: Shark Valley in Everglades National Park, Crocodile Lake NWR (limited access), Biscayne National Park, New River Gorge NP, Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR, Wind Cave NP, Custer State Park, Badlands NP.

I’ll try to visit a couple local spots near Navarre, Marco Island, and Palm Bay Florida. I’ll be spending a couple days in Wilmington NC, so at a minimum I’ll visit the Cape Fear River. In western NC, I’ll be in Statesville for a couple days and am trying to talk my host into taking a full day to visit Great Smokey NP. A couple days in Omaha/Council Bluffs…so I’ll likely be able to visit a couple areas. In Canada (and Montana and Wyoming) the drive itself is a visit to a wildlife safari…but for sure I’ll pass through provincial and national parks at Stone Mountain and Muncho Lakes.

 

[MGolka]

I do. I’ll be stopping a few historic sites. Fort Fisher in NC, Little Bighorn Battlefield in MT, and the Strategic Air Command Museum in NE. Much of my route is planned around Natural History Museums (not quite the same thing). I hope to at least glimpse St Augustine and Fort Sumter. I’ll be keeping my eyes open along the way for Native American and Pioneer sites as well.

Since it looks like you are cruising I-80 through Nebraska, a living history museum that has both pioneer and Native American artifacts/buildings is within 10 miles of the western most Grand Island exit. Called Stuhr Museum and definitely a pretty neat place to spend a couple hours.

 

[Pleistohorse]

Since it looks like you are cruising I-80 through Nebraska, a living history museum that has both pioneer and Native American artifacts/buildings is within 10 miles of the western most Grand Island exit. Called Stuhr Museum and definitely a pretty neat place to spend a couple hours.

Thank you. That sounds interesting and I should be able to stop on my way from Omaha to Denver.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I do. I’ll be stopping a few historic sites. Fort Fisher in NC, Little Bighorn Battlefield in MT, and the Strategic Air Command Museum in NE. Much of my route is planned around Natural History Museums (not quite the same thing). I hope to at least glimpse St Augustine and Fort Sumter. I’ll be keeping my eyes open along the way for Native American and Pioneer sites as well.

I have to say, this sounds like an epic and exciting trip! Have a blast!

 

[SusScrofa]

Gulf Breeze Zoo, Tallahassee Museum, Homossassa Springs Wildlife Center, Miami Zoo, Brevard Zoo, St Augustine Alligator Farm, and Jacksonville Zoo. Other facilities along the way if I can fit them into my travel schedule.

Nice! I've been to Miami, Brevard and St Augustine Alligator Farm within the year. If you have any questions about those or want any other zoo/non-zoo suggestions for FL I'd be glad to help if I can.

 

[TinoPup]

HAWAII

Zoos, Aquariums, Safaris, large Nature Centers, etc:

• Dolphin Quest Hawaii, Waikoloa Village – Aquarium – AMMPA, IMATA – Bottlenose dolphins. Part of Hilton Waikoloa Village.
• Dolphin Quest Oahu, Honolulu – Aquarium – AMMPA, IMATA – Bottlenose dolphins. Part of Kahala Hotel & Resort.
• East Maui Animal Refuge, Boo Boo Zoo, Haiku – Rescue – Mostly domestics but also axis deer, a few others.
• Honolulu Zoo, Honolulu – Zoo – AZA.
• Maui Ocean Center, Aquarium of Hawaii, Wailuku – Aquarium – No mammals, but lots of info about humpback whales.
• Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, Hilo – Aquarium – Part of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Largest tank is 3,500 gallons. Exhibit on monk seals. NOT permanently closed.
• Ocean Rider, Kailua-Kona – Aquarium – Tours – Seahorse farm.
• Pana’ewa Rainforest Zoo, Hilo Zoo, Hilo – Zoo – Small zoo.
• Sea Life Park Hawaii, Waimanalo – Aquarium – AZAptm, AMMPA – Dolphins, multiple pinnipeds.
• Three Rings Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary, Kailua-Kona – Rescue – Tours – GFAS, ASA – Mostly domestics but occasionally confiscations. Lots of birds.
• Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu – Aquarium – Monk seals.

Smaller Nature Centers and places with a limited amount of species:

• Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Makawao – Primate – Private.

Better places to see domestics:

• Kauai Safaris, Lihue – Domestics – Tour of rum farm, then feed “wild” pigs.
• Lawrence Livestock, Kahalu’u – Petting Zoo – Tours – Rescues.

Natural History Museums and other notable facilities without animals:

• Bishop Museum, Honolulu – NH Museum – AAM.
• Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Education Center, Kihei – NC – No live animals. Information about species in the marine sanctuary, especially humpback whales.
• Kōke‘e Natural History Museum, Kekeha – NH Museum – AAM – No live animals. Mounts of many native birds.

State Fish Hatcheries - Ānuenue Fisheries Research Center

 

[drill]

Parson's farmers market in Delaware. Not sure about Little Farm in Delaware.
Reed Creek Nature Park and Interpretive Center in Martinez, Ga
Kanaloa Octopus Farm next to Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm in Hawaii

 

[TinoPup]

Parson's farmers market in Delaware. Not sure about Little Farm in Delaware.
Reed Creek Nature Park and Interpretive Center in Martinez, Ga
Kanaloa Octopus Farm next to Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm in Hawaii

Parson's only has a few domestics. Little Farm only has domestics and is a traveling petting zoo.

 

[drill]

Monkey Island Homossassa, FL

 

[zooatlas]

Georgia update:
Rock Ranch closed
No petting zoo at Stone Mountain Park
Half Moon Petting Zoo, Bogart, GA: Facility became infamous in early 2022 because a 17 month old child was put in the cage with the ring-tailed lemurs, who proceded to do their business, and the child was sent to the hospital, where he may or may not have sucessfully recovered.
Georgia’s Rare Breed Heritage Farm Preserve (Tanglewood Farm) Tour-based facility domestics, all rare, heritage or miniature breeds,

 

[TinoPup]

Georgia update:
Rock Ranch closed
No petting zoo at Stone Mountain Park
Half Moon Petting Zoo, Bogart, GA: Facility became infamous in early 2022 because a 17 month old child was put in the cage with the ring-tailed lemurs, who proceded to do their business, and the child was sent to the hospital, where he may or may not have sucessfully recovered.
Georgia’s Rare Breed Heritage Farm Preserve (Tanglewood Farm) Tour-based facility domestics, all rare, heritage or miniature breeds,

Thanks for the info on Rock Ranch.
The farmyard at Stone Mountain should be in the Historic Square.
I didn't know Half Moon had opened their own place, they were a traveling zoo before. About the lemur incident, the child was scratched ("do their business" means something else in English...) and is now fine.
Tanglewood Farm was deliberately left off.

 

[zooatlas]

Thanks for the info on Rock Ranch.
The farmyard at Stone Mountain should be in the Historic Square.
I didn't know Half Moon had opened their own place, they were a traveling zoo before. About the lemur incident, the child was scratched ("do their business" means something else in English...) and is now fine.
Tanglewood Farm was deliberately left off.

Thank you for the clarification.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Monkey Island Homossassa, FL

Ha, I have seen that....I am not sure if it qualifies here. It is really just an island in the river that happens to have some spider monkeys. You can see it from a boat or the restaurant across from it.

 

[Smaggledagle]

Ha, I have seen that....I am not sure if it qualifies here. It is really just an island in the river that happens to have some spider monkeys. You can see it from a boat or the restaurant across from it.

I would say it should at least be noted, even if it's not really much of anything but an island home to spider monkeys.

 

[TinoPup]

Ha, I have seen that....I am not sure if it qualifies here. It is really just an island in the river that happens to have some spider monkeys. You can see it from a boat or the restaurant across from it.

Any idea who maintains it, is there a sign or anything? It seems more like someone's pets.

 

[Smaggledagle]

Any idea who maintains it, is there a sign or anything? It seems more like someone's pets.

The Florida Cracker Riverside Resort owns the island.

Meet the primate residents of Florida's Monkey Island: Ralph, Emily, and Ebony

 

[TinoPup]

It seems like an awful place I've added it, but it's worth noting that it's currently closed.

 

[SwampDonkey]

It seems like an awful place I've added it, but it's worth noting that it's currently closed.

Can you say where you saw it was closed, I am pretty sure it is still open. It was open back in March when I was last up there and the website lets you book rooms at the hotel.

It doesn't cost anything to see them, it only costs your ability to get to the island, I was on a rented boat, but you can see it from the restaurant deck. One could even park in the parking lot and walk onto the marina for free if you wanted to.

 

[TinoPup]

Their Facebook. The place is open, the monkeys are currently elsewhere while they take some time to fix up the island.

 

[drill]

ALABAMA

Zoos, Aquariums, Safaris, large Nature Centers, etc:

• Alabama Aquarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island – Aquarium - Formerly called George F. Crozier Estuarium. 31 aquariums, 30,000 gallons, 100+ species.
  
• Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, Gulf Shores – Zoo – ZAA - Animal Planet's "The Little Zoo That Could", 2006-2007. Reopened at new location in 2020.
• Alabama Safari Park, Hope Hull – Safari - Drive yourself. 350 acres. Owned by Zoofari Parks/Eric Mogensen, which own/founded VA Safari, AL Safari, bought Gulf Breeze, and are building TX Safari.
• Alligator Alley, Summerdale – Herps – Alligator farm with a few other species.
• Birmingham Zoo, Birmingham – Zoo – AZA - Long train ride goes around perimeter of most of the zoo, possible to see animals from it, especially elephants.
• Harmony Park Safari, Huntsville – Safari – Seasonal - Drive yourself. Very little info on website.
• Kritter Kids Kountry Korner, McKenzie – Zoo - Small zoo with only class 3 animals (foxes, coati, tayra, petting animals).
• McWane Science Center, Birmingham – Aquarium, Science Museum - First floor is an aquarium. Museums For All.
• Montgomery Zoo & Mann Wildlife Learning Museum, Montgomery – Zoo, NH Museum – ZAA - Train goes around perimeter of most of the zoo. Skylift is a straight line, loops around. Mann Museum has taxidermy dioramas.
• Tigers For Tomorrow, Attalla – Carnivore – Seasonal – Nonprofit.

Smaller Nature Centers and places with a limited amount of species:

• Alabama Museum of Natural History, Tuscaloosa – NH Museum, live animals - Mussels, bees. University of Alabama. Museums For All.
• Alabama Wildlife Center, Pelham – Birds - Bird rehab with boardwalk trail past BOP enclosures. Oak Mountain State Park.
• Anniston Museum of Natural History, Anniston – NH Museum, live animals – Trail with BOP. Snakes. Oldest bird dioramas in USA.
• Bama Bucks Steakhouse & Exotic Animal Park, Sardis City – Restaurant, Zoo – Black bear, lemur, red kangaroo, elk, bison, fallow deer, turkey, ostrich. That’s it.
• Barking Cow Farms, Brilliant – Traveling - Allow photographers to use their property. Serval, caracal, zebra, kangaroos.
• Environmental Studies Center, Mobile – NC – Species native to Alabama.
• George H. Carroll Lion Habitat, University of North Alabama, Florence – Carnivore – School’s live lion mascot.
• Graham Creek Nature Preserve, Foley – NC – Herps, possibly small mammals.
• Noccalula Falls Park & Campgrounds, Gadsden – Park, Campground – Park has waterfall, animal habitat (lynx, fox, coati, farm), mini golf, etc.
• Ruffner Mountain, Birmingham – NC – Native herps, BOP, occasional rehab animals.
• Southern Environmental Center, Birmingham – NC - Educational facility, unsure if they have live species. Birmingham-Southern College.
• Tickled Pink Petting Zoo, Graham – Traveling – Appointment - Open by appointment for visitors. Lemurs, kangaroos, normal petting zoo species.
• Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Fairhope – NC - Research estuary with a few live captive species in the interpretive center.

Better places to see domestics:

• Burritt on the Mountain, Huntsville – LH Museum – Domestics. Museums For All.

I couldn’t find much on the state’s fish hatcheries, including any details on whether they’re ever to the public. If you’re interested and want to try calling them or something, they are:
Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center, Marion – focus on mussels and rare species. The largest state non-game recovery program of its kind in the United States.
Carbon Hill Fish Hatchery, Carbon Hill - largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), hybrid striped bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, and forage fish.
Eastaboga Fish Hatchery, Eastaboga - largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), hybrid striped bass, spotted bass, grass carp, channel catfish, black crappie, redeye bass and forage fish.
Marion Fish Hatchery, Marion - largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish (shellcracker), striped bass, hybrid striped bass, channel catfish, grass carp, southern strain walleye and forage fish.

Auburn University Museum of Natural History
Louise Kreher Preserve and Nature Center in Auburn.