arkansas alligator farm & petting zoo

This is a fairly small place that can be done in an hour or less depending on how much time you spend in each area. The staff was very friendly and would answer any questions we had. I did not have high expectations after some of the reviews I read. Most of the low ratings complain about the lack of movement by the alligators. I am not an expert, but I believe the gators are dormant in cold months, so little movement is expected. The trainer, did get in one of the pins and got them moving a little. There were a lot of gators at this place, all different ages and sizes. We were able to hold a smaller one which was cool. In addition to the gators you can feed some other animals and pet the goats. In a separate area there are wolves and other animals you can look at but not touch and feed. During our visit there was a visitor with a bright pink shirt that seemed to annoy one wolf. He followed her movement back and forth in his cage and was howling a lot. Once she went back inside the gift shop the wolf calmed down and stopped howling. It was very interesting to watch. Worth the stop!

Personally not worth the money. Petting area only had goats. Most animals were not out because of the weather. Lots of alligators, but all just piled on top of each other and none of them were moving. Maybe it was just the time of year. Staff was very friendly.

We really enjoyed the alligator farm. Being that it was February and cold, they weren't moving around much. But the building they were housed in was very clean and had no smell at all. It was a quick visit, but we felt we got our money's worth.

The animals look like they've lost any motivation for live. If there was an option to rate it lower than 1, I would rate it a -100000. I nearly cried viewing the entire place. The goats are extremely unhealthy looking with bulbous stomachs (far more big than they should look normally), the alligators area was just like looking at slaves. It was appalling. The thing that bothered me the most was the fact that they had two raccoons in a small cage who had developed what is called "cage madness." They were vigorously pacing back and forth at one area of the cage. They had become mentally insane. WHY ARE RACCOONS IN THIS ZOO? They are native to Arkansas and would survive wonderfully if let free. It is just wrong. They WERE completely healthy and normal but now suffer from cage madness. I would to get bolt cutters and set the poor things free. I couldn't stand looking at it and left the establishment as soon as I saw them in such a condition. This place is HELL for all the poor animals who are unfortunately kept captive there. I will never go back again and I certainly would not ever bring my children to such a place that could lead them to believe THAT is how you're supposed to treat animals. I'll never forget my experience there. And I don't mean that in a positive way. Those animals don't deserve what is happening to them.. Just wrong.

Our goal for our trip was to visit roadside fun places and this fits the bill. We were expecting just alligators, but we got to feed goats and deer and see other animals like monkeys, raccoons, mountain lions, wolves, peacocks, and ducks. It was fun holding a baby alligator.

We took our 3 year old grandson to see the alligators and he loved it. They have the largest mountain lions I have every seen. It is small but that was OK. I do that the admission price is a little high.

This zoo has been in Hot Springs forever and a visit to see photos of all the other visitors in the past could be enough for history buffs. Alligators, alligators and alligators everywhere is the other reason. During the spring is a good time for a visit. The gators can be sluggish in colder months. The petting zoo is kind of sad and the deer can be frisky around younger children. Adult supervision is required.

This place is not bad to go to once. I have taken several people there over the years and it is fun the first time. It is a little expensive. $18 for 2 people with a discount. My fiance liked it but then she loves anywhere with animals.

Took grandchildren ages 2, 3, & 8. The little ones enjoyed the petting zoo part and feeding the animals. A very small "zoo" area for other animals. If we had not stayed for the "feeding" of the Alligators the whole visit could have been done in less than 30 minutes. I felt that the admission price of over $32 for 2 adults and the 3 & 8 year old (didn't charge for the 2 y/o) was a little pricey for what we got. The boys got very bored during the talking part of the feeding experience because he gave some history that seemed to last quiet a while which I guess older chldren or adults would like to hear but not younger children. The 8 year old initially enjoyed see them eat the chicken but after about 5 min....it get's old quickly.

Good points: historical attraction (open since 1902 and famous for selling baby alligators as pets early in the business) and my 2-year old got to hold a baby alligatorOdd points: advertise over 200 animals. We didn't count, but there were empty enclosures. It's completely self-guided... they say that you can go into the goat enclosure and feed the goats, but the larger goats were way too pushy for younger children. I recommend feeding all of the animals through the fence.

Small children will love to feed the goats and deer, young and old alike will like holding the alligator, loved the few exhibits, but it's just not very big.

Well it may have been a bad day for the business, but seemed like there were quit a few there.First we were given lengthy instructions of the route to take, then each of us were given 1/2 slice of bread(to feed 15 or 20 animals)so that didn't go far.Then we go into the alligator area, the guy that was suppose to let us touch an alligator etc was busy texting on his phone. We wonder on thru and saw a few more animals, total time there was about 30 minutes. As we passed back thru the main bldg the owners or workers had nothing to say, no thanks for coming or come back at least they could have asked about our visit..nothing..we did not find that very interesting at all. Suggestion,help that is informative and can guide you thru and a sack(for customers to buy) so they can feed the animals..we felt really sorry for the animals .Not a very good review from The Girls from Oklahoma.I see from others that they got there at feeding time, now that would have been a little more interesting and fun for the kids.We were not told to come at feeding time.

My son LOVES alligators and was so excited to see them and to get to hold one. It was worth it for me just to see his excitment. They do have a TON of alligators! They range in size and age. There are a couple of other animals, but not a lot. It is a small facility, but everyone was extremely friendly and it was a nice spot to stop and stretch our legs. I feel sad for the mountain lions and wish their enclosure was larger. It's really too small for them but every animal looked healthy. You get to feed deer, donkey, an emu, and goats.. You can even pet the baby goats.. All in all it met expectations for me and we enjoyed our visit.

Can't miss 'em. Up close and very personal. We arrived just in time for feeding time. The feeders had stories to tell...including how Babe Right hit a ball from what is now a nearby parking lot. Was once a ball field. They have a marker where he stood. They estimate that he hit it directly into the alligator pit. Fun. There is an enclosed building with baby gators....a young man was in there BAREFOOT and wrangling them....giving people the chance to feed them. We were able to hang back when everyone cleared out to see the big feeding show and he grabbed one and allowed us to touch. Very cool! The farm itself is historical and dates back to the days of the construction of the Bath Houses. There was a need for attractions for people who were coming to use the Baths. Native to Arkansas, Alligators seemed a likely attraction.

The hotel staff recommended going at noon on Saturday for the feeding time. Was great and very entertaining. Lots of alligators being fed raw chicken by hand. My child enjoyed the petting zoo also.