Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Reviews

I had called and messaged about booking a cabin on September 1st due to the website says off season starts September. I was then confirmed on the messenger I called and was told the complete opposite from website and they of course chose the option that would make more money instead of the cheaper route since it's clearly messed up on the website . They did not work with me as I was open to even paying the 150 for the cabin. They then decided to hurry and change the website to make my argument obsolete. I luckily took a snap shot before they changed the website.

It's great recreational place for kids. Kids will enjoy a lot.

Great place to go with your family, animals come really close and eat the treats from your palm although be careful of the ostrich.

It takes chance to meet a giraffe coming close to your car. Most of the animals you ll see are deers. I d not recommend having food in the middle point store.

Probably the best wildlife park within driving distance of DFW. Lots of animals that like to come up. Not a huge amount of exotics, but it's still cool to see the deer and goats up close. Glad to see them following social distancing rules as well with contact free ticketing and closing the petting area.

I have visited this park multiple times however last Monday with a required reservation as we entered it seems as though there were quite a few cars entering also... too many people too many people too many people... The cars is in the parks were not following the rules... as soon as you entered people are feeding the animals over the grated entrances and not allowing people to pass basically you ended up stopped behind 20 to 30 cars... The lead car with stop for 15 minutes or longer and the other cars would be the same so you re stuck in a line for 15 to 30 minutes at a time... they were so many people there that the animals were not nearly as interested as they normally are.
There s no one answering the phone so there s no way to get the staff to have people keep driving and not just stop and park in the middle of the road.
I have recommended this for years it has been a fun place to go but during this horrible situation in our world they are allowing too many people in at once..

Very organized, linpio, the people who serve you are friendly

Great place but need to wait for hours for feeding the giraffe ! Long drives

Healthy animals, suitable for kids to see wildlife in close distance. Scenic view at the cafe at the lookout hill.

Loved loved loved this experience!!
Love the fact you can drive thru multiple times if you want.. staff was very friendly and the animals were a true pleasure.. we had a great time chatting with them..

Great place for adults and kids. They have coulpe of Rhinos and tigers in enclosures. Rest all animasls are walking free you can drive in yur car or take their ride. You can to feed deers, goats. Giraffes. Watch out as those ostrichs' peck. No place to eat inside.

Great fun for the family. We all had a blast and will definitely be heading back.

Went there today for my 39th birthday with my two little ones and wife , a 3year old and. 1 1/2 year old . We took the 2 hour tour . I have too say A very memorable day indeed . Our tour-guide Will was very knowledgeable and knew a lot about wild life not just the tour . He was calm pleasant and Accommodating to our family . This entire place is very neat and well kept . The animals look healthy and beautiful and most of all Happy . You can tell by the way they all were playing with one another . The views were also very nice for Texas . You will not be disappointed ! I highly recommend this place for all ages from young to old . It is a happy place indeed . Thank you for the experience and great memories with my family .

My wife and I took our 3 year old Grandson out to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and we all had a Great morning. Being able to look at all the animals and touch a few was so fun. One crazy ostrich kept pecking at my windshield, I guess demanding something to eat.

We will be going back again.

Good sized park and a good mission, however they could have wider, more well maintained roads, especially considering the price. The place seemed overrun with deer and people kept stopping for EVRY SINGLE LAST ONE!!!! Wider roads would have allowed us to get aound these people while they enjoyed the deer and we would have been able to actually enjoy our day.

Another thing is why charge per person? You must stay in a car at all times so it wouldn't make the slightest difference if I had 2 or 6 people in my car. $90 for my family of 4 seems more like price gauging when I'm using my own car and my own gas.

We stop FossilRim with a 1pm reservation and the kiddo was over all the deer and goats after 30mins into the park. We got a small bag of food for the animals which they said throw the pellets Away from your car people kept them them on the roads and at times the deer were blocking the road. We drove through the park which took almost 2 hours and no signs indicating which animal we should expect see. We did see the Zebras half way into the park going up the hill to the cafe. After the cafe there s the giraffes which had Long Long line of cars to feed them. We only waited about 5min and left after no cars move to allow others to feed them. The cheetah area was small and you can t really see them because of the trees in the enclosure. So we saw a lot of deer and goats for $70. They should really consider charging by the car and not per person.

Drove from Dallas to see a bunch of deer for the most part and the cost over $70 to get in. The petting zoo is goats and the birds look pitiful.

Me and my husband Charm us is something different a unique landscape

The last 2 times we came here has been on a weekday in hopes that it would be less crowded- it is, but there are hardly any animals out. Mostly only Ram's. Ostriches were even locked up and not able to chase our car! We come here several times a year for the last 10 years and it has never been lacking this many animals as it has the last 2 visits. Maybe they only let all the animals out on the weekends?? But for 21.95 per person on the weekdays- I expect more.

For $75 we mainly saw a lot of deer! We did feed a zebra and got a glimpse of giraffe, cheetahs, and the rhinos. Very disappointed that there wasn't more variety of animals. Not sure what all the 5 star reviews are for unless they saw more than we did.

I have and always will love this place. I do the one year membership, for two people and it's $109, unlimited visits. LOVE Fossil Rim!!

Great way to spend a day with kids! Beautiful animals, beautiful scenery! Only negative experience during our visit was the cafe employee a young girl with blue eyes allowed us to wait in line for about 15 minutes (she saw us waiting since we arrived) to only tell us when it was our turn to order that they were closed and refused to serve my family. She could have told us they were closed BEFORE letting us wait in line that long! I thought that was very rude and unprofessional, and so did the guests that were waiting for their food that agreed with me.

Worth every penny truly a amazing place to make remarkable memories

I like this place although it s far away from Arlington but it s worth driving to there.

We enjoyed feeding the animals especially the giraffes. If get lucky the giraffe will get into your car to eat from your hands. The best moment ever
Some animals stayed in the shadows and didn t move.
Couldn t see the zebra closely they were full I think.

You are not allowed to get out of the car.
Don t go in rainy days because you won t see the giraffes

A wonderful park with a huge and well-groomed area.
In the park you can see a wide variety of deer, rams, ostriches, giraffes and cheetahs.
Inexpressible emotions from contact and communication with wildlife are provided.
Entrance to the park per person 25.95 if you drive your car
Bus tour with $ 40 group
Animal food 7 dollars

Amazing experience feeding giraffe, deer and other various animals.

Love this place. It is so peaceful and a great outing for the family. Great place to take pictures.

It was Alot of goats, and deer. Way too long of a line.

This place is great, I took the tour bus with kids. It was ok but the tour guide gets annoying because he used a mic, which was really annoying. Next time will definitely take self tour and can pace as long as you want to take pictures. This place is great to be close to all kinds of animals.

Spring break fail! We drove 2 hours and spent way too much money to see a bunch of deer. All of the other animals were to far to interact with. Don't waste your time or money.

Got to feed the giraffes, this was an amazing day. Wildebeest scared us as they were stamoeding, but they avoided the car :)

Lots of interesting animals and great views. The animals come right up the the car looking for food you can feed them.

Been here 4 times, but apparently you must have a reservation to visit here now due to covid19. Which I find absolutely appalling being that people travel hours or even days to visit just to be turned away from being in their own cars not coming into contact with people because it's a drive thru, sad to say this but definitely will be taking this tourist spot out of our yearly family stops, not to mention I never recieved an email as I am signed up to recieve alerts. Also there was a really rude girl with a boy haircut who kept interrupting me and another staff member who I was speaking to. The way she delivered the statements her body language didnt seem to family oriented even another guest looked my way and shook her head from the way the short hair girl responded, Definitely will not be bringing my family anymore, time for a new safari

really beautiful place. took this pic while there. feeding the animals was very fun

I can't say enough good things about Fossil Rim. I've been going here for probably fourteen years, upwards of fifty times. I've never once been disappointed. The conditions the animals are kept in are top of the line, and the experience you'll have immersed in their habitats is second to none. It's great for kids, especially, and family groups. It is, without any doubt, the best animal experience in North Texas and worth the drive. You won't be disappointed.

Maybe we went on a relatively warmer day this time around. Deers, deers and more deers. Couldn't spot or feed very many other animals.

I got there early and the animals were all out! Got to see them up close and got to feed the giraffe... what else could I want!

Nice little park. A little over priced but most drive thru parks are. You have to pay extra to see the big cats but the regular drive thru has lots of little deer and other animals that will come right up to your window. The kids really enjoyed it but I probably wouldn't go again.

I planed to go this week, sound like a lot people did not see animal three months ago.Wonder is that true, the time weather not even hot.I might have to go somewhere else, because I have to drive two hours to get there.

Was a good time for the family. Lots of animal activity. The cafe food was ver heavy on the cheese and butter.

My family and I loved this place! Feeding the giraffe was an amazing experience!

Nicely maintained. Have gone a few times great experience each time!

Too much traffic!!
Try to visit during weekdays , weekends are very crowded and traffic makes it more horrible.

Great experience. Been multiple times from Dallas and stayed overnight at Safari camp with kids and it is excellent experience. Highly recommend the guided tour as the guides are super personable, great with kids, and have so much great info about Fossil Rim. Truly one of those amazing places you should do with your kids if you like nature and animals. Beats the zoo, hands down! Animals are great and yes, at times due to extreme heat or cold the giraffes may be "put up" in barn for their safety, but how can you be mad at that?! It's really hot in summer and really cold in winter, but it is mother nature and your are dealing with Texas weather, so take that into account. Not Fossil Rim's fault. Silly previous reviews, if you fault FR for protecting it's animals due to extreme texas weather. If you are looking for an amazing trip and close to Dallas, this is your place! Plan ahead and know the weather. There is none like Fossil Rim!
Only warning is try to avoid spring break there at all cost due to extreme long lines and waits. Fossil Rim Staff will tell you the same!
I am a big fan and look forward to my next trip!
Keep up the great job Fossil Rim!!!

Pretty fun place to go but not enough variety of animals

Awesome place to visit. The park is very nice. We were able to see most of the animals and learn more about each species. Cool gift shop and cafe, with a great view. The animals all seemed glad to call Fossil Rim home.

We had our mother/daughters weekend trip to Fossil Rim this year. We scheduled a full tour and absolutely loved it. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and kind. The giraffes were AMAZING and the other animals were super great too. We will make it a point to go back in the future.

I finally went to Fossil Rim and was blown away at the beauty, and awe struck with the animals wandering around so freely. Even in early afternoon on a mid October day, the animals did not seem to be shy of the cars driving slowly by. A few animals stood in the road as if to remind you this is their home. I am almost 70 and loved every minute and can't wait to take my grand kids.

Drive through safari experience. Several discount opportunities including military and nearby zoo memberships. We went on a Saturday in January when it was 30 degrees for most of the day, so unfortunately the rhino were not out and giraffe were penned, but we knew that coming in so not an issue. Loved seeing the animals in a natural environment. There was a baby Aoudad that had to have been only days old. TINY! Worthy establishment involved in several species survival plans and cheetah conservation efforts! A great day trip for all!

We had a great time in this wildlife center. I feel so glad that all animals are in the green field not bhehind the bars. Animals were so friendly, we even can touch some animals. We drove throughout the center for around 2 hours. It s a nice place to visit with family and friends.
I would recommend this place if you want to feel the taste of nature.
Enjoy!

Great Family Outing!

Trip: easy directions: 1h25min from Arlington.

Facilities: Clean, organized, well kept.

Pricing: $26 and change for adults, $16 for my 3yr. Worth it! $7 small bag of fees.

Variety of animals: Great! Lots of species!

Fun: too much fun!

Timeless classic. I'm 42 and I've been coming here since my pre-teenage years. This place is even more enjoyable if you have young children. The red deer are especially fun to feed! They accept a wide range of discounts (military, KERA, etc.) so be sure to research that on their site prior to arrival. Can save you some money. Takes about 2-3 hours to drive the entire park, and that includes stopping at the halfway point for a snack and a wonderful view (plus bathroom breaks!)

Great place to spend a couple of hours checking out some exotics animals.

Fun and exciting. Exotic animals, feed animals, gift shop, and cafe.

Good experience, friendly staff. It is definitely expensive but that is to be expected. It takes a large amount of time to go through which is a plus.

My 1st open safari in a sanctuary. There are lots of animals that not only your kids but you also will enjoy driving around. You get to see all kind of heathy animals which are friendly and run behind your vehicle for food. Watching giraffe walking on the road and eating from the tree branches is awesome.
You will be stingy in feeding the food you have purchased thinking that you need throughout the safari but when you realize you hit the end point you will try to throw everything on the road at the last point for ostrich.
If you are in Dallas area, don t miss it.

One of my favorite places in Texas! This park never disappoints. Sometimes the animals are a bit full in the afternoon but you still get to see and feed a lot of cool animals. The mid way point is to die for with killer views and a fun animal petting zoo center. You can pack a lunch or buy one. The obvious highlight is of course the giraffes. This is fun, fun, Fun!

New experience!!! Not much variety... Seemed like a deer drive-thru... Where's all the exotic animals?

Great experience! Took about 3 hours to drive through the beautiful park. A little expensive ($25), but it's for a good cause.

Awesome place to see beautiful wild animals. Kids love it!!

My family goes to fossil rim 3-5 times a year . Plus we are season dallas zoo members . Dallas zoo members get half off your fossill rim admission. But when getting there this last weekend . I was purchasing tickets and tried to use my dallas zoo membership for a discount the manager said your dallas zoo card was for last year .. which I told her I'm a member so next time I come can I show her I'm a current member and get my discount which I deserve . She replies noooo , I could only use at time of purchase . Which makes no sense .. since I drive 2 hours to come and bring 5 cars full of people each time ..
Another thing that irritated me is when you stop at the half way point for refreshments the people working the counter always ask if you want to donate the rest of your change to their wildlife business .. which I think is wrong on account of all the money they make per person., their giant souvenir shop and expensive cafe .. you shouldn't ask for donations when your admission. Is already high .. and also when it's a holiday or hot afternoon don't go , it gets too crowded and animals get over fed so you'll get to feed very few animals ..not my experiences have been good but beware of the big ugly rude manager and sometimes crowded park and over fed animals ..

We will always rave about this place for the interaction it provides, but we went on a day it was forecast for heavy rain, and many animals were laying low. It turned out to be the best experience ever though, because with no other cars behind us, we parked for 15 minutes waiting for giraffes to hopefully come. And when they did, we emptied both bags of food with multiple giraffes practically in our car! Love this place!

So got here early in the morning due to looking at google and not the website so that is my fault. We walked in to get our tickets and food for the self guided tour. The rules say only one bag of food per car, we tried to get 2 bags of food and were denied, but the group of 2 people in the same car were able to get 2 bags of food for the animals. They were in the same car. So I understand that if you know the right people at the park you can break the rules. Only thing that really upset me, other than that the animals were just fed so the food we bought was kind of useless since they were still eating in the road.

Great experience. Reasonable price for a family event. Experienced guides. Gift shop was very reasonable with their prices for the most part. On site cafe with good food and good prices. Enjoyable outing.

Kids will love this place. Especially in this era of covid, a great place to drive to. Alot of different species of deers and antelopes. Cheetahs are a nice addition as well. 4 stars because I as an adult didnt have much fun after the first 30-45 minutes.

Very nice! This park is absolutely wonderful. I can't day enough good things about it. Its easy to navigate and the wildlife is open and fun to watch and interact with. You should definitely bring your kids here, they will love ut!

I'll start by saying that our tour guide Ricky was awesome, and I would love to have him as a tour guide whenever I go back. I visited Fossil Rim with my wife and parents, and it was a wonderful experiece. We decided to go with the behind-the-scenes tour, and it is definitely worth the money. The park is beautiful, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and it was an overall amazing way to spend an afternoon.

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Very.good.to.walk.and.distract

One of the best drive through animal places.
Go early and during the week, best chance to spend a little extra time without a line behind you.
The childrens barn isn't a must stop, but is cute, lots of stuff in the gift shop to choose from. The overlook has an amazing view of the park and it's also the half way mark, so a good chance to get out a stretch your legs.

Great place for kids. Do plan to visit this place in the first half of the day when animals are hungry and active.

One of my best memories with my elderly parents and niece and nephew was at Fossil Rim. We laughed, we screamed, we had plain fun and learned a lot about animals we had only seen in pictures. Worth the trip!

Great fun for kids to learn about animals. They also have a good cafe, kids petting zoo and gift shop.

This is a drive through safari and it is great! Make sure you have enough windows for each child and each child at heart. If you take a truck pack the sun screen and sit in the back. If you take a van make sure the windows in the back roll down. Giraffes will eat out of your hand or off the window sill of your car. The half way point of the drive offers a gift shop and small diner. They are both wheelchair accessible and easy to maneuver around. There is a small play area and petting zoo area. The petting zoo has a paved barn area that is wheelchair friendly, but the larger part is hard packed ground. The play area is not wheelchair friendly. There are picnic tables and you can bring your coolers if you want to save some money.

A good place to take out your family and have fun with kids..loved the giraffe getting fed through your hands..

Great place! They treated us so well and super friendly and knowledgeable! Tour was fun with our big group! Thank you!

Fossil Rim is an amazing park That you must visit. If you can, it is worth it to take the behind the scenes tour. You will gain access to more animals that you wouldn't normally.

AWESOME!!!! Amazing place to go with friends, family, or even by yourself. The animals are extremely well cared for, the staff are kind and educated so you can ask all the questions you have, the shop has a variety of neat keep-sakes, lots of fun activities, I highly recommend!