Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Reviews

Great place, definitely worth the short drive from Dallas. Animals were plentiful, friendly, and the giraffes were awesome.

Nice relaxing drive through a beautiful wildlife center. We bought our tickets online as instructed via the website; no in person sales for everyone s safety. We purchased the 8:30am tickets; upon arrival the line wasn t to long as we could pull up on the driveway. There was an employee controlling the line so it didn t leak out onto the street. People have to remember to do the zipper method. Porta potties are located immediately to the right upon entering the first gate. We all took a quick use to prepare for the long slow drive. People were courteous in allowing each other to re-enter the entrance line. Your ticket will be scanned by an employee then the next one will provide you your 1 bag of feed, brochure that tells you about each animal, reminds you the speed limit is 15mph, go slow on the right, people can pass in the left lane. The rules are printed on a purple/yellow paper to remind you.

It was so beautiful inside. So many animals! A relaxing landscape to be in awe over :)

Some people still speed through or yank around other vehicles; I assume if they read the rules they wouldn t be so angry at drivers obeying the speed limits or stopping to feed the animals or take pictures. Ignore them and enjoy the beautiful nature. So many baby animals sooo cute! Plus, so many animals will surround or block vehicles from going anywhere; it s the perfect picture moment. My kids thought it was like an animal tollway; feed us or you don t get through LOL!

Halfway through the drive, at the top, are more porta-potties, outlook and a cafe. Also some eating areas. Everyone wore their masks outside of their vehicles at all times :)

Overall it was fun, relaxing and took us a total of two hours and ten minutes in the wildlife drive through the place. Please remember to go slow as some animals will be in the middle of the road forming their tollway LOL!

there is no animals you barely see any around... waste og money and time

Great place kids love it buy a bag of food they eat out of your hand

Definitely worth the trip! Watch out for the ostrich!

Absolutely awesome! I love learning about conservation, and helping to support these amazing animals. If you visit fossil rim, you will never forget it, and I guarantee you will want to go back again, and again.

Fun time for my daughter and that's all that matters.

SO MUCH FUN! My kids had the best time driving through Fossil Rim. The entire drive took about 2 hours with a lunch break in the cafe at the halfway point. Great way to beat the Texas heat!

So beautiful! My family had a great time thank you!

Kids rode in the bed of the truck and the animals came right up to them. Sure beats a trip to Africa!

This place is GREAT!!! Buy the bag of food when you get your tickets. The giraffes will eat out of your hand. So cool!!!

Had a little adventure with my 2years boy, we were all enjoyable

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is off the hook I've been there before but it's been a while, so I need fresh directions in my head and I found them very easily on Google

Our family enjoyed our visit here. I would agree with some part of the reviews. Some of the staff, the young lady in the children's area, could be personable and friendlier. The prices are fair even in the gift shop. Some of the views are very nice and were able to capture some great pictures. It's Texas and early September so it's still a bit warm, so some of the animals were in the trees keeping cool. On our visit the Giraffes were pinned up which was a bummer, but our son was able to see them still just not feed them. Overall I would say its a great place to visit and we will be back.

Perfect place for a day out and especially the kids will enjoy a lot.

I've come to fossil rim since I was a kid(originally from katy texas) and we drove from Augusta GA to bring our daughter to see all of the animals, we only saw fallow and axis deer, giraffes in the distance and the rhinos at the exit. So disappointing to spend 26.00 a person and not see any really wild animals. Wont return and waste the time and money on this.

I have looked forward to comming here for a long time. Maybe today the animals were in hiding or off doing something else. We saw a few and they were really good to come up to the car. The drive through the park was nice. Maybe another day it would be better or maybe my expectations were a bit high. Over all a nice day.

Amazing place, I wish they had big cats - tigers and Lions

I'm in love with this place. The animals have a lot of space to run around and come near your car only if they want to. Definitely the best alternative to a zoo. Got to feed giraffes, an emu, an ostrich, and many other animals. My only complaint is that the cheetahs are in such a cramped space. They don't nearly have enough space to run around. Just place them back in their habitat please.

We had great time driving through park and seeing animals. Safe and fun outdoor activity during pandemic. Just remember dont try to feed ostrich by hand lol.

Lots of deer and goats to feed, but not much else; Definitely not worth it for the cost! Not to mention, there were lots of people not obeying the rules and blocking traffic. The giraffes are fed so they don t come up to the car.

Always great fun with the kiddos! Go early as the animals will be out feeding. Have lunch up at the cafe.

Our 7 year old loved, loved, loved this trip. The animals are almost in the wild, except the predators and rhinos. Next time, I'm getting a guided tour.

At Fossil Rim you can drive thru a nature preserve and feed various animals. You get a pamphlet when you pay that has pictures and descriptions of each type of animal. There are several types of guided tours that are available as well. At the halfway point there is a souvenir shop and cafe.

In general, a good place to see and feed a lot of herbivores, especially many kinds of deers and wildebeests. Don't expect to see many predators or other zoo animals.
However, attention management and customers.
I don't really understand why they closed the public restrooms and only allowed porta potty, which is filthy, smelly (whole entrance area filled with stinky potty odor, a very good welcome gesture!), and not friendly with female and kids. At this time you should especially encourage hygiene, instead of stop people from using water! Find a way to allow people use restrooms while not gathering.

Hands down this is my favorite place. The animals weren't vicious and the employees were great. Bestuful animals excellent place.

We did enjoy it's mostly deer, probably won't go again

Nice family fun, good place to remember nature and smiles with fam

Amazing experience!! A must for every animal lover. Mega like!

This place is WONDERFUL!! They have a wide range of animals and it is a huge place. It's a little pricey but worth it. We didn't get to see the rhinos and the giraffes were not able to roam due to the chilly weather but we were still able to see many other animals. Once you're halfway through your trip, you're led up to the top of a hill and there is a kids place and a little cafe with an overlook attached.

My only complaint were the other visitors; they will stop to feed some of the animals near the fence transition (I'm not sure what it would really be called) despite numerous signs specifically stating NOT to stop there, which causes a buildup of cars. We were there for around 15mins because it seemed like every car wanted to stop there and feed the animals that were right there.

Definitely recommend this place.

The place may be pretty but the people and customer service are terrible. Every time ive ever spoken to them it feels like they hate their jobs. Horrible phone etiquette & customer service.

Can't believe we didn't discover this place sooner! I don't know if the adults or kiddos were more excited to be feeding the giraffes.

My two daughters, 4 grandchildren, and I went to Fossil Rim on Monday morning of spring break. The kids (ages 3-11) loved being together, seeing & feeding all the animals, and buying a keepsake in the gift shop.
They rationed their feed to be sure to have enough for the giraffes. The cars were backed up in a long line as everyone wanted to feed these majestic creatures. But, the kids waited patiently for their turn. The next thing we knew, park staff came along in their trucks and steered the giraffes away from the road to clear traffic. SHAME ON YOU! Heartbroken kids! Move the cars along, not the animals! Not fair, poor example, bitter pill to swallow! Sad ending to what had been a great day!

It's a beautiful drive and a wonderful concept but the prices are outrageous !!!

It was fun experience, first time ever on Wildlife Safari. Not sure if that was the time (12:30pm to 2pm) or it was hot for the animals, we didn't see a lot of animals. Overall, not bad experience. We were in large group with other families. This trip will be memorable. Overall, good experience.

Friendly staff and great animals.Some animals didn't show up but i got a lot of great pictures and liked the whole trip

I recommend 100% this place is a very pleasant experience both as an adult and for children excellent place

Our family enjoyed visiting this place on a summer day. We went right after raining. So the weather was perfect and the place was not too crowded either. Mid way, there is a cafe and an animal shelter (I think) you can enjoy. I wish they have a proper petting Ok like the one in new Braunfels. Again, it's just a wish. We would go back again.

My daughter loved it! The lady at the gate was super nice and welcoming.

This was a great place to visit. Would recommend you visit it if you have the time.

Not too many animals but driving around was cool. They only provide one bag of feed, but it lasted the entire safari.

I have been there twice and it is always a surprise! Love this place!

Absolutely loved this place. Had an amazing experience! The staff is so passionate and loving towards the animals and the conservation of animals and the land. Family friendly and such a positive experience

Good place to go to get a look at some animals no often seen locally.

Was a neat place to visit, BUT....went on a Saturday at 2:30 pm....reservations required, long wait on the drive...inconsiderate people who stop for long periods of time to see certain animals, supposed to keep moving...reccomend going during the week and maybe earier in the day...2 1/2 hrs to get to the 1/2 way mark...

Once in a lifetime experience. Never seen a giraffe upclose..

Where else can giraffes gallop up to your car for a bite to eat. Though this is more than just feeding giraffes, it is a wonderful place to learn about animals and have a front row seat to see all types of wildlife, even those near extinction. And that is the admirable purpose of this wildlife center, the reintroduce endangered species to the wild.

We took the tour bus which was well worth the price of admission. Our charismatic guide was there to tell us about the animals, the history of Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and the good they do in reintroducing animals to the wild. It's quite amazing to have this place near Dallas.

Fossil Rim is one of those places that make you wish Yelp had 6 stars to give out. It is perfect for families (I know we had a blast) and we'll definitely be coming back!

More animals sharing a larger space. It looks natural.

Lots of different animals along the road to feed. Saw some that weren't listed in guide we were given. Giraffes eat from your hand, very nice experience. Car in front of us was teasing animals that came to them for food, upset the animals, who then hit the car with their heads and horns, I'm sure they made dents. (Pay back, kind of funny). Over all great experience.

Great experience! A friend we went with says he's been on a few other safaris one even in Africa, he says the landscape is near identical. Also the animals were not overfed like some places therefore the animals readily approach your vehicles. They are also very reasonable priced from the food to the souvenir shop.

This is our 2nd time here and just as amazing as the first! So my epic pictures and interactions with the animals, especially a giraffe this time! This is a MUST to experience!!! Everytime I visit Dallas, we are driving to Fossil Rim!

Seriously awesome. It's worth the drive, and we loved it just as much as the kids. You never know what you'll see here, but you always know it will be superb and life changing. I just recently visited for the first time since I was 8 years old. And everything was just as awesome as I recalled. Many more visits to come with our young kids.

Kids had a blast but too expensive when you have too many

Totally blown away. This place is fantastic. The wildlife as well as the natural terrain completely captivated me. We went early on a Saturday and were one of 5-7 cars on the trail. The view from the halfway point was simply breathtaking.

Such a fun place! Great place to bring your family. Some of the animals are aggressive, so expect a few dents and scratches on your car. Sometimes the line builds up as well

Very beautiful I had a great time with my family it does not hurt to see paid $ 98 I will return God first.

Very unique place. Take time and spend 1 to 2 hours. A

My husband took me here today for my 30th birthday and it was an AWESOME experience! We went on the 3 hour behind the scenes tour, and not only was it fun, but it was so informative. Our tour guide, Jack, was phenomenal. He was personable and super knowledgeable. He taught us a lot about the different animal species and about the conservation efforts in place to help protect the endangered species that you get to see there. We also got to interact with and feed Giraffes, Emus, Ostriches, Deer, and more. It's one thing to see these animals on TV, but seeing them up close is an entirely different and amazing experience.
This would be a great place to bring kids to teach them about the importance of protecting different ecosystems/species in a way that is fun and exciting. There is also a children's center which has a petting zoo that you can visit after your tour. We loved it so much that we are already planning to bring our nieces and nephews.
If you get the chance, I highly recommend visiting Fossil Rim. We will definitely be back!

This is a great place to take great photos and expose the family to wildlife. The cost can be $20.00 or more per person. But that supports the animal research and feeding. You can see a ton of exotic animals and friendly native animals on your tour. If you go on the weekend it can get crowded so bring lots of water as it can take a while to go through to the halfway point for a pit stop. It its a big holiday it can be a huge traffic jam for miles inching along for hours. So plan accordingly.
For photographers take a wide angle..24-70, and 70-200 and a long lens...150-600 to get great shots. A bean bag on the window works great to stabilize those long shots. Make sure to stay inside the car. Watch for the animals reaching into the car to get the food. That can get a little dicey. Plus they grab the whole bag and you are done feeding for the day.