- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
African Safari Wildlife Park
Categories: Active Life Parks Active Life Zoos Parks, Zoos [Edit]
267 S Lightner RdPort Clinton, OH 43452
(419) 732-3606
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
13 reviews for African Safari Wildlife Park
13 reviews in English
-
Review from Michael G.
Lakewood, OH
5/25/2012
This place was so fun, my son had the best time of his life and I loved it too. The zoo part is really fun and the animals are great. The drive thru part is even better, the animals are all over you, it's so much fun. Buy the carrots, it's worth it!
-
Review from Toe K.
KEY WEST, FL
4/27/2012
Beware if you have a nice care that the animals with horns will probably damage or scuff it up trying to get a carrot.
Its a fun place but really overpriced for what you get.
Once in there they try and sell you carrots for 6 bucks...Pretty crazy.
I don't think it's worth the cost and my car has never looked the same. -
Review from Shelby H.
Waterford Township, MI
3/2/2012
Cool! I only gave it 3 stars because I think it should be cheaper in the winter when the petting zoo is closed and the giraffes & monkeys aren't there. If you go in the winter, only north American animals are there. Otherwise it's cool. I'd like to go back in the summer.
-
Review from Nikki C.
8/22/2011
Oh what fun!
This park was a great idea -- I'm not quite sure how to start this review!
Getting in and out is a bit of a mess. They need much better traffic control and organization. Once you pay and get inside, you can either a.) Get out and enjoy the walk-around area. Check out the animals either in water or cages, see the rare albino alligator, see the pig race. or b.) Continue to the drive thru safari.
They sell food (for the animals) there, at the park -- but it's rather pricey. It's advisable to go to the grocery store and purchase several big bags of carrots. Keep them out of sight until you get past the gate. You're given a cup (a 44 oz plastic cup) of grain pellets, but the animals love carrots and prefer them over the pellets. You're not supposed to feed the animals by hand, so maybe come prepared with a couple of large fast food restaurant cups to put the carrots in (one at a time)... but it really is more fun to feed them by hand.
Be prepared to have animal noses and tongues on your windows and car exterior....maybe even interior, LOL.
Unfortunately, the zebras and couple of giraffes are fenced in and don't come to your car, but if you're lucky, you can get them to come to the fence and try to feed them from there.
Just a few things:
*The bathrooms suck. They are small and dirty. the water does run and there was soap, but good luck with the hand dryers. If there's a line for the 2 stalls, then you can use the port-a-potties.
*There is plenty of hand sanitizer all around.
*There is a snack bar, as well as a hand dipped ice cream shop.
*There is a gift shop. All the shops do take credit cards.
*Bring your own carrots... bring plenty.
*DO seek coupons online. We paid $53.95 for a carload (6 max) with coupon.
*DO bring patience -- traffic in and out of park was a bit of a clusterf*$#.
A fun time was had by all. -
Review from Michelle M.
Independence, KY
9/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I loved this place! It totally made me feel like a kid again.
We arrived fairly early on a Friday morning, so we managed to avoid some the traffic mentioned in other reviews. There's nothing like driving through a park having your car attacked by deer and buffalo mooching carrots. It really isn't so much an "African" Safari Park as much as an "American" safari park; deer and elk vastly outnumber the African wildlife, which is generally kept in fenced areas anyway.
TIP: Buy carrots to smuggle in before you go and save some cash. -
Review from TLS K.
Dublin, OH
8/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fabulous experience! I grew up in the area but never went until a year ago when we took our son who was 2. He was fascinated by the deers poking their heads in our car begging for food and the LARGE Buffalo who pushed his head into my husband's window, ate some food, then sneezed on us!!! YUCK! But what a great memory for our son.
We returned 3 weeks ago with friends who had never been there . No sneezing this time but lots of squeels of delight as our 3 year old and their 7 year old fed zebras, llamas, bison and steer.
Definately educational and fun.
My hint- bring your own full-sized carrots but hide them until you clear the gate. Otherwise, they'll sell you a bag of Dole carrots for $7.00.
Don't forget to walk through the small zoo that featues monkeys, a white alegator and pig races. -
Review from Bryan W.
Oak Harbor, OH
11/14/2011
Fun times for all....just bring an old car!!!
-
Review from Fen Z.
7/11/2008 7 photos
It doesn't matter what you do (or don't do) at African Safari Wildlife Park, because they will all have a similar consequence: shit hit the fan.
You don't feed the bison... shit hit the fan.
You taunt the oxen... shit hit the fan.
You feed the mules... you guessed it, shit hit the fan.
I personally found ASWP to be a-okay experience. For $54.95 ($49.95 admission fee + $5.00 car wash that will be VERY much needed afterwards), you get your typical zoo experience, plus the fact that you can drive up to the animals and feed them. But seriously, you can only handle so many deers and so many zebras before the whole feeding business gets a wee bit boring.
And, yes, pay special attention to the smattering of warnings in regards to the feeding policy. To the animals, fingers look like carrots.
*See pictures* -
Review from BD Traveler R.
Superior Township, MI
7/27/2009
We visited the African Safari Wildlife Park recently with extended family with 4 kids under the age of 8. The kids enjoyed both the zoo part and the drive through safari. The zoo part is more limited than a "full service" zoo and the drive through "Safari" was a little underwhelming.
Despite the African Safari Wildlife name, the vast majority of the animals in the free-range part of the Safari (the ones you can feed from your car) are North American wildlife - deer, bison, longhorn steer, and elk. There are a few African animals (zebra and giraffe), but they are behind fences in pens. You could feed them if you drive right up to the fence and stick your carrots in through the holes. No big cats to be seen on this safari...
If you do drive your car through the Safari, keep in mind that the animals expect to be fed from each car and have no problems sticking their heads right in the open windows. I had the bison spit on my arm and car headliner to prove it. The animals are also not too concerned with your paint finish. I didn't get too many scratches that didn't wipe off, but I was worried for a while about my roof after a particularly loud bang from a longhorn steer horn impact (turns out my roof wasn't dented, but I'm sure other cars have been damaged before). Of course, the Park assumes no responsibility for any injuries or damage - you are warned that you are visiting at your own risk, which is a little disconcerting to see on a big sign when entering a Wildlife Park... Also, like another reviewer said, budget for a car wash and consider not bringing the new car if you have the option.
Overall for the price $18/adult in summer, I think the attraction is a little overrated. If you do go with a number of people, their website has a coupon for $30/per car (up to 8 people) if you enter before noon (or $40 if you come in after noon). At that rate, if you have close to 8 people it is a good deal, but at the full per head price, considering the limited African Wildlife in the Safari, the Park just isn't too impressive. -
Review from Rebecca T.
Cincinnati, OH
8/27/2011
The below reviews are all accurate. My only addition is that the guy who moderates the Pig races, which could be an enjoyable event, rambles on for 5 minutes to just hear himself and his cheesy comedy bit. Totally killed the experience.
-
Review from Thomas C.
3/21/2009
I took a special trip coming up here to surprise my girlfriend. we personally love the safari thing, and since we most likely will never visit Africa, this was the place to go. Yeah kinda pricey, but that fact that you get actual hands on with these animals, it was an awesome experience. My girlfriend loves giraffes and though kinda nasty, one sneezed on her, and of course that was one of the memories she loves to take about. They have a small zoo off to the side as well, which I'm sure any kid would love to see.
-
Review from Josclyn W.
Montgomery, IL
8/23/2010
We stopped on our way home from Cleveland, I personally had alota fun and we were laughing the whole time while bison and longhorns with heads larger then my car came in for a carrot. The deer were getting on my nerves by the end, I felt like they only had two or three cool animals and hoards of little deer who would prevent you from feeding anything else. Not something I would do again, but a really random experience.
-
Review from Jim M.
Bryan, OH
7/16/2011
Ok so after an exhausting trip to see my family in CT and on long island was a much needed repreve to get out of the city and this place was on the way home so we stopped in. If you are afraid of your new car getting dinged I'd stay VERY far away. There were reindeer with racks big enough to rip out the headliner of my pickup and long horn cattle with 3 to 4 foot long horns too. The traffic getting into the park and people not paying attention to the rules a problem but can't blame the park for that. After the reindeer we moved onto the buffalo which to me impressive my kid not so much (she freaked when one got near her). After that the long horned cattle I was a bit afraid for my mirrors if I had gotten a dent in a panel wouldn't have bothered me cause the story to go with it. Then we came across the water buffalo thing not sure what exactly it was anymore but that was cool and finally zebras and giraffes. I suggest if you want to feed the giraffes get there a bit early 2 cars ahead of me fed them til they were full and left. Other then that there were a few animals I never saw in the walk through area outside of the drive through part. Also who dosn't like a pig race? I was too late for it but maybe some other time I'll check it out since not too far from home.
