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Planning a Trip to Virginia Safari Park

Planning a Trip to Virginia Safari Park ?  Here’s all you need to know about the fun, drive-thru safari and the quaint town of Natural Bridge, Virginia.

I first went to Virginia Safari Park about 8 years ago.  I was in desperate need for a weekend getaway with my two small kids while my husband was gone for work.  I researched what there was to do around our new duty station and stumbled across Virginia Safari Park in a town called Natural Bridge, Virginia.  Well, after that first trip, I was hooked!  I brought my mom there shortly after my first go, and I just got back from my third trip.  I love it there so much I decided to write a post for you all in case you ever get a chance to go!

Natural Bridge is a very small town, but it is definitely worth a visit!  The tiny town boasts a hotel, Natural Bridge State Park, Natural Bridge Caverns, maybe a cafe or two, and my favorite part of the area – Virginia Safari Park , a 180-acre, 3-mile drive-thru safari!

My family and I just celebrated my birthday a couple weeks ago and you know how I chose to spend it?  I went back to Virginia Safari Park to feed wild animals out of my car.  I’m not kidding when I tell you that it’s one of the funnest things I have ever done!

Spoiler Alert: The only food we’ll be talking about in this post is a bucket of animal food pellets :)

If you’re like me and the best part of going to the zoo was always the kid’s petting zoo, you will LOVE Virginia Safari Park!  It’s basically a drive-thru zoo that has animals you would normally never get to see up close, let alone pet or feed.  Some of the animals you might get to feed in the drive-thru are: ostrich, llama, elk, bison, zebra, emu, deer, camels, water buffalo, Watusi Cattle, rhea, pigs, and more!

So you pay to get in the park and buy your buckets of animal feed.  Then you drive through the entrance and see a slew of wild animals coming right to your car.  I was a little nervous (some of the animals are BIG) and excited to have that first animal come up to the side of my car.  This is not their first rodeo, they know exactly what’s going on.  They’re saying, “feed me, lady.”  Some animals are shy, some are bold (I see you llama!), some are gentle giants, and some will steal your bucket of food!

As you slowly drive through the park, you will have the not-so-shy animals come right up to your car.  Some are bashful, but if you shake your bucket and hang it out the window, they may come for a snack.  Some llamas want to stand right in front of your car and not move, so be patient.  It’s all a part of the fun!  My favorite animal was the bison.  He was the biggest animal we saw so we were kind of nervous as he approached our car, but he turned out to be the sweetest, most gentle animal.  The Zebra were beautiful and absolutely stunning to see up close!  Where else would you get to feed zebras or bison!

Word to the wise regarding the emu/ostrich – they peck into the bucket aggressively, so hold onto it tightly with two hands!  Also, don’t wear any dangling earrings…an emu took one of the earrings my mom was wearing!

As if feeding wild animals isn’t great enough, you also get the opportunity to watch them in their own habitat.  I saw water buffalo wading in the pond, elk charging through the woods making their loud calls, baby animals lying with their mothers.  It was just so special, you would have to see it yourself to truly grasp how magnificent the experience is.

That’s not all, folks!  After you’ve driven through the safari, park your car and walk to the Village Walk-Thru , which is like a mini zoo!  The Village Walk-Thru is included in your visit.  There, you will get to see several types of monkeys swinging through the trees, tigers, kangaroos, anteaters, African Penguins, reptiles, and more!  Plus, you can feed goats in the petting zoo, giraffe romaine lettuce, and budgies in a huge aviary (my kids loved it!).  In addition to being a fun place for the family, feel good knowing that Virginia Safari Park is all about animal conservation.  You can read all about their projects on their website listed below.

TIPS & INFO:

• There’s a possibility that your car can get bumped/scratched by the horns of animals.  Leave your Ferrari at home.
• FYI: Your car will be filthy inside and out afterwards.  Animal food pellets will be everywhere – on the floor, in your seat cushions, between the seats, down your window, in your shoes, everywhere.
• Military gets a free bucket of animal feed.  Bring your ID.
• Your admission is good for the entire day.  You can go around and around or leave the park and come back with your receipt for another go later that day!
• Virginia Safari Park offers wagon rides that include a bucket of feed if driving through in your car isn’t possible.
• The park is closed during the winter.  Check their calendar to see when they’re open.
• There is a gift shop and a snack bar for your convenience.
• You can get more information on the Virginia Safari Park HERE .

Natural Bridge, Virginia

So you are Planning a Trip to Virginia Safari Park and want to know what else there is to do in the area?  All three times I have gone to Natural Bridge, I have stayed at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel .  It’s a beautiful, colonial-era hotel with lots of charm.  Some rooms are pet-friendly, some are updated, and some aren’t.  I have always stayed in the older rooms and have found them to be adequate.  The Natural Bridge Historic Hotel is also where the majority of dining establishments are in town.  Their Colonial Dining Room is a sit-down restaurant that serves a breakfast buffet, breakfast menu, and full-service dinner.  For lunch and cocktails they have the Red Fox Tavern.  I always eat at the hotel because there isn’t much else to choose from and I have enjoyed their food each time I’ve come.

Across the street from the hotel is the Natural Bridge Visitors Center which is where you can buy souvenirs and tickets to explore Natural Bridge State Park, a beautiful place for hiking and exploring.  In the state park is Cedar Creek Trail , which takes you to the famous Natural Bridge landmark and through the Monacan Indian Village, which is a living history where you can see the people dressed and living life as they did over 300 years ago.  Make sure you get to the end of the trail so you can see the Lace Falls Waterfall .

Lastly, just up the street from the hotel are Natural Bridge Caverns , where you can descend more than 34 stories deep to check out the stunning display of caverns and formations.  You can get a bundle package for tickets to The Caverns at Natural Bridge and the Natural Bridge State Park for a discounted rate.

If you want to do everything, I would recommend at least two full days in Natural Bridge.  It’ll take you about half the day to do Virginia Safari Park, half the day to see the Natural Bridge State Park, and extra time to do the caverns.

I really hope you get a chance to visit the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge!  I have done it three times and will definitely go again!  It’s great for the whole family, and you’ll probably leave the place singing the words to SpongeBob’s song, “Best Day Ever…”

If you go to Virginia Safari Park, please, please let me know in the comments!  I want to hear all about it!

Looking for more travel posts?  Here are some of my favorites:

• A Foodie’s Trip to Italy
• Visiting Sacramento, America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital
• 2 Fun Foodie Days in San Francisco
• A Foodie’s Trip to Palm Springs

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Virginia Safari Park

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Virginia Safari Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Virginia Safari Park

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VIRGINIA SAFARI PARK: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• (0.61 km) Natural Bridge/Lexington KOA
• (7.94 km) The Inn at Forest Oaks Bed & Breakfast
• (13.86 km) Brierley Hill Bed and Breakfast
• (13.76 km) The Georges
• (1.04 km) Budget Inn
• (0.97 km) Pink Cadillac Diner
• (13.42 km) Niko's Grille
• (13.76 km) Bistro on Main
• (4.68 km) Natural Bridge General Store and Cafe
• (13.63 km) The Palms Restaurant
• (0.68 km) Great Valley Farm Brewery
• (5.77 km) Natural Bridge State Park
• (13.68 km) Lexington Carriage Company
• (1.68 km) Halcyon Days Cider
• (14.21 km) Virginia Military Institute

Dining at Virginia Safari Park

If you get hungry or thirsty during your visit to Virginia Safari Park, join us for lunch, a snack or refreshments at the Watering Hole Café.

Located in our Safari Village Walk-thru, our menu includes cheeseburgers, pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders, French fries, soft pretzels, nachos, drinks, ICEEs, ice cream, and more!

Watering Hole Cafe Schedule

Saturday & Sunday 10:30 AM – 4 PM

Monday - Friday 10:30 AM – 2 PM

Saturday & Sunday 10:30 AM – 5 PM

Daily 10:30 AM – 5 PM

Did You Know?

Giraffes are herbivores, meaning that it only eats different types of plants

Rhinos eat roughly 2.5% of their body weight per day

Sloths enjoy shoots, fruits, and edible flowers

Explore Rockbridge County History & Beauty

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Virginia Safari Park Directions

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Virginia Safari Park

Get up close and personal with animals during this drive-thru adventure..

Written by Hope S. Philbrick, editor Foodie Travel USA.

A llama will stare you down as you enter Virginia Safari Park, whether you drive through the 180-acre zoo in your own vehicle or hop aboard a wagon ride. “The llamas have the most personality and are a big hit with people,” says Sarah Friedel, director.

“They’ll stand in front of your car and stop you. They stop every car!” They know you have food.

Buckets of animal feed are sold alongside admission tickets to the only drive-thru zoo in Virginia. Feeding animals through your car windows or while riding in a wagon (that holds up to 35 people) is a memory-making way to interact with these magnificent creatures. The llamas routinely stake out the entrance, and in doing so have gained the playful reputation of serving as the “llama mafia” since paying them off with a little food is the easiest way to get in.

The park’s 1,000 animal residents—including elk, camels, deer, bison, ostrich, zebra, antelope, and many more!—are free to roam as you navigate three miles of gravel road, stopping to watch and feed them along the way. The animals may block your path, so it’s best not to be in a hurry. “All the animals roam and eat as they choose,” says Friedel. “The animals know they can come up to guests and feed that way.” Moving as herds throughout the park during the day, the animals graze, lounge, nap, play, feed, and act as they please.

Virginia’s drive-thru safari park is split into two sections, plus there’s a ten-acre walk-thru zoo called Safari Village that’s included as part of the admission price. Feed for animals in the walk-thru area—where you can see tigers and penguins plus interact with kangaroos and other animals—is available for purchase at strategically-placed coin machines.

Buy a feed stick in the aviary and a budgie may land on your finger to snag some seeds. Get a lettuce cup and you might feel a giraffe’s tongue on your hand.

New residents include the four cheetah cubs born at Virginia Safari Park this year. “We have one male and three female cheetah cubs,” says Friedel. “We also have Ruppell’s Griffon Vultures successfully breeding every year now—not many zoos have this luck! We’re also getting a new giant anteater exhibit since we have a breeding pair and our female is due in a couple of months we hope.”

Your admission price helps fund Virginia Safari Park’s wildlife conservation efforts, which include public education, captive breeding programs, habitat preservation, and financial support for a range of programs including rhinoceros and elephant anti-poaching units, artificial nest sites for wild penguins, and giraffe relocations to boost sustainable genetics.

While the llamas make sure they get attention from all guests, every animal deserves notice. Each year on September 22, World Rhino Day is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about critical conservation efforts needed to protect these magnificent creatures. “We do ‘World Rhino Day’—and, in fact, celebrate it for a week, with a portion of all proceeds supporting rhino conservation efforts—but the rhinos probably don’t get much attention,” says Friedel. So, don’t skip the rhinos! Even if they don’t block your car, they want your love, too.

Fun for all ages, Virginia Safari Park is open daily from mid-March through November. The state’s only drive-thru safari adventure offers discount rates for groups of 15 or more.

With its abundant animal encounters and spectacular backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, you can build memories and snap some unique photos at Virginia Safari Park. Of course, the “Llama Mafia” T-shirts are optional, but they do consistently rank among the gift shop’s most popular items. Because it’s not every day you face off with a llama.

Virginia Safari Park is located at 229 Safari Lane in Natural Bridge, VA. Call 540-291-3205 for details. Virginia Safari Park is just one of the many great reasons to visit Lexington, Virginia.

Updated February 29, 2024

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Cuisine (20 of 24), 31 restaurants available nearby, 1. bistro on main, 2. haywood's, 3. william & henry, 5. billy's roanoke, 6. jefferson's restaurant at the omni homestead, 7. the farmhouse at veritas, 8. well hung vineyard & restaurant, 9. shoemaker's grille, 10. six and sky rooftop grille.

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Virginia Safari Park – A Unique Drive-Thru Safari in Natural Bridge, VA

Have you ever been up close and personal with an elk?… had a buffalo put his big head right in your car window or feed a Zebra? Just south of Lexington in Natural Bridge, Virginia lies a unique 180-acre safari park nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This 180-acre property is comprised of a drive-thru safari, walk-thru village, gift shop and cafe. The Virginia Safari Park is a fun, exciting way to see wild animals and safely interact with them. It is a day-trip you most certainly won’t forget!

When you arrive at the park, you go through gates to purchase tickets. Each ticket is for the entire park regardless of what you decide to participate in and is based on the ages of all occupants in your vehicle. This is also where you purchase and receive the buckets of food to feed the animals.

You can either stay straight and go right into the drive-thru safari, or you can turn right or left for parking to visit the other attractions first. We are always excited to get into the drive-thru portion so we head straight for the entrance. There are employees there to keep the animals from crowding the beginning of the safari. The animals know the drill and will walk right up to your car looking for their snacks. Put your windows down and hold onto those buckets! The animals are strong (even the little ones!) and will push their heads into the buckets sometimes knocking them out of your hands. 

The drive-thru safari is approximately 3 miles long. Some vehicles like to spend longer with each animal, so you are allowed to carefully drive around other vehicles where it is safe to do so. There is plenty of space for everyone and hundreds of animals that are interested in your food buckets! Some of the animals will stop right in front of you or lean on your car a bit, so go slow and don’t bring your fancy ride to this establishment if you plan on driving through yourself. They also have an option to ride a wagon for an additional $8/person if you would prefer to utilize that and it includes 1 bucket of food.   

After you are done driving through the Safari, you can park your vehicle and walk through the rest of the village. This 10-acre area has a wonderful array of animals. You can feed a giraffe, pet the cute little goats, stroll through the aviary, or walk among kangaroos. You won’t see me in the aviary, but it does look a like a lot of fun for everyone else, ha! Be sure to stop by the back corner of the village to say hello to the giant tortoise. 

The experience of having these wild animals right in front of you, eating from your food bucket is impossible to describe. If you find yourself in the area or just passing through on Interstate 81 in Virginia, this is a must-see. The Virginia Safari Park opens for the season at the beginning of March. Start planning your trip now! If you are in the area, be sure to check out my list of  Virginia’s Natural Wonders  including the nearby Natural Bridge State Park!

www.VirginiaSafariPark.com

Virginia Safari Park Conservation Efforts:

Virginia Safari Park is a ZAA Accredited facility. We have a deep respect for wildlife and I feel it is important to share their conservation efforts with you. Here is a paragraph directly from their website regarding this:

“Virginia Safari Park is dedicated to wildlife conservation through public education, captive breeding programs, habitat preservation, and providing financial aid and assistance to projects in the wild. Virginia Safari Park is one of three zoological facilities operated by the Zoofari Parks Corporation, working in conjunction with the Gulf Breeze Zoo and the Alabama Safari Park to provide aid to over 25 countries around the world. Trying to solve the world’s continually changing wildlife concerns, Virginia Safari Park collaborates with other zoos and field experts to support Rhinoceros and Elephant anti-poaching units, install artificial nest sites for wild Penguins, and translocate Giraffe across the Nile to boost sustainable genetics. Conservation is important not just for the species in foreign countries but also for many of our local animal friends. Our goal is to assist in the conservation of local and national species by giving them as much attention as we do to the larger, more well-known species. Virginia Safari Park is privately owned and receives no state or federal tax support. Funding for conservation programs is made possible through the continued support of zoo guests. Conservation is fundamental in our daily operations and visitors are encouraged to join us in making a difference on this journey.”

24 comments / Add your comment below

This looks so fun! I would love to make this a family trip!!

great run down. they are always so fuN!!! experiences kids remember forever!

How fun!! This is good info. There is one near me and this makes me want to go check it out. 😁

We have a similar place down here in south Florida. I love places like this.

I had no idea this even existed in VA! What a treat!

Safari parks and zoos are amazing! My son has so much fun being close to the animals 🥰

This looks like so much fun! I love VA!

Wow, I have never heard of this place. It looks like a lot of fun. The giraffes are my favorite!

We love safari parks! We’ve visited in Florida and our family had a great time! Great post!

We had no idea that this existed in VA! We are always looking for new places to explore. Thank you for sharing.

Looks like a fun and interesting time

Love safari parks! And right in VA by the blue ridge mountains sounds incredible! Saving for my bucket travel list!

Oh, I bet this is sooooooo awesome! I would love to be up close and personal with these beautiful animals! I’m definitely with you on avoiding the aviary, however. Birds creep me out!

There is an African Lion Safari near me in Canada. Everyone that goes there has complained of scratches on their cars as the animals come right up to them and can be no nice. I am not sure I would like to go on any Safari with animals that up close to me. Your pictures are very nice though and if I didn’t already have preconceived notions…I may try it out!

The drive thrus are so much fun…You just never know what’ll happen.

What a fun way to enjoy some time with the kiddos! My son would love this.

Priceless pics!

I want to goooooooooooooooooooooooooo! It looks like so much fun!

I’ve heard of these types of parks, but haven’t been to one yet. My girls would love it!

They get so close to you! This looks like so much fun

Oh, my goodness! The look on that adorable face up top! Needless to say, sounds like you guys had a blast. If we’re ever up that way, we’ll have to give this one a look. We did one in New Jersey when we lived there, but we couldn’t feed the animals. Where we live now we have a huge Safari type park, but you can’t feed the animals there either. Thanks for sharing!

This would be so much fun with the kids. You took amazing pictures thank you for sharing.

Safari parks are so fun! We have a couple in my area. Kids used to love yo visit when they were young.

What a fun experience! And love their conservation efforts.

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Virginia Safari Park: A Wild Adventure in the Heart of Virginia

• Post author: Cecilia
• Post published: May 30, 2018
• Post category: Microadventures / North America

Virginia Safari Park gives you the one-of-a-kind experience to interact with a variety of large and small animals. Not only can you see them, but you can feed them, smell them, and interact with them!

Drive – Through Safari

After picking up our tubs of animal feed from the front gate, we drove forward toward the safari entrance. As soon as we rounded the bend giving me a clear view into the safari park, I cracked up laughing. Before we even pulled through the gate, I could see all the animals just standing there on the other side of the cattle guard, staring at us like little kids eagerly waiting at the window for their dad to come home with bags full of candy and treats.

Pulling forward through a swarm of potbelly pigs, elk, llamas, deer, and ostriches, they quickly made their way around our vehicle looking for an open window. We drove through the park, stopping every few feet or so to offer our buckets as the animals not-so-gracefully consumed the pellets. It wasn’t long before we were covered in animal hair and slobber. (It’s ok, we were becoming one with the animals.) Sometimes a large elk would reach its head into the window and huff into the bucket sending pellet dust all over the car.

As we drove along, llamas would literally block our path and stare straight at us through the windshield like some kind of western shown down. I think he was trying to determine who had the bucket of food, the passenger or the driver. Clever thing.

My favorite thing about the drive-through safari was seeing these huge animals up close and personal. When I would visit the zoon as a kid I was always excited to see giraffes, camels, and other big animals, but when it came down to actually seeing them, I had to squint my eyes to try to see anything at all. The animals would be lying down in a shady patch in the far corner or hanging out behind some rock.

There is a difference between seeing wildlife from a distance of 50 feet behind a gate, and seeing them only inches away from my face. When the buffalo came up to my window for food, I could look him in the eyes and hear his huffing breath; when the David’s Deer approached our car, I noticed that his antlers were actually fuzzy, not hard like I had thought. It was such an incredible learning experience and adventure to interact with these animals in this way.

The Virginia Safari Park “Village”

As if the drive through interaction wasn’t satisfying enough, Virginia Safari Park also has a small zoo. Among the many animals you might see, are spider monkeys, peacocks, lemurs, wolves, African Penguins and kangaroos.

Again, this is probably the closest I have ever seen some of these animals. The tiger cameright up to the window where I was standing so that I could see every detail of his stripes and fur. The kangaroos were hopping around freely only 5 feet in front of me. It was such a fun learning experience to observe these animals at such a close distance.

Additional Animal Encounters

Within the zoo are three other interactive areas.

There is a goat feeding area where you can purchase goat pellets for 50 cents out of a quarter candy dispenser. Although you cannot go into the fenced in area, the holes in the fence are big enough for the goats to poke their entire heads through and say “hi, feed me.” (Note: If you do want to pet, cuddle, and play with goats, check out Autumn Ridge’s yoga with goats , just down the street.)

The giraffe feeding area is a raised platform, where you can stand at eye level with the giraffes and feed them little pieces of lettuce. Although we purchased the $1 piece of lettuce, the giraffes wanted to stay on the other side of their enclosure to watch the cars drive through the safari. We didn’t get to feed them this time.

And finally, there is the Budgie Aviary, a large enclosed area where 200 or so of these little birds fly around freely. For $1.50, you can purchase a “Budgie stick” and feed them with these seed coated Popsicle sticks. The birds will flock to you and perch on your arm, shoulder, or even your head, as they feed on your Budgie stick. This was surprisingly Scott and I’s favorite part of the entire trip. It isn’t every day that you feel like Cinderella with all of nature flocking to you.

Related content: “Lexington, Virginia: 12 of the Best Adventures, Activities, and Attractions”

Tips for Visiting the Virginia Safari Park

• Arrive early. The entrance is about $22 per adult and $13 per child. This includes ALL-DAY entrance to the safari, the village, and interactive exhibits (excluding animal food.) This means that you can drive through the 3-mile safari as many times as you want! Arrive early and drive through the safari, grab some lunch at the on-site café, explore the “Village” and then go back for another drive. The animals just wander around, so it is likely that you will see something different the next time.

Another reason for arriving early in the morning is because the animals will be hungry. If you wait until the late afternoon to arrive, the animals will have already spent the whole day eating and are likely to be less interactive.

• Get at least one bucket per person. The animals go through them fast, in fact, some sassy animals will try to knock your bucket out of your hand onto the floor. So between how fast the animals eat, and how likely you are to drop your bucket on the ground, just get an extra bucket. They are $4 each at the front gate.
• Scattering food on the ground will encourage shy animals . While the ostriches and elk have no problem poking their heads into your vehicle for some food, the baby deer and short potbelly pigs sometimes have trouble competing for food. Sometimes this is because they are a bit hesitant to approach your vehicle, but usually, it is because their tiny legs prevent them from being able to see anything. They just hang out on the ground waiting for some scraps to fall from the bigger guys, so don’t forget to show them some love too. Tossing some food on the ground will encourage shy animals to come closer and give the vertically challenged animals a chance to eat too.
• Drop off your bucket in the designated area when you leave the safari area. If you’re like me, you are probably thinking, “well I’ll just save some of my food from the safari to feed the animals in the Village area to avoid having to buy another big bucket.” I saved a little bit of food in my bucket with this in mind, however, when we approached the entrance of the Village there was a big sign that read “Do not feed the animals safari food. They have their own special food within the Village.” Indeed, the animals within the Village had a different kind of pellet, so I certainly did not want to cause them harm by feeding them the wrong thing. There are buckets drop-offs when you leave the safari area, and more drop-offs when you leave the park. No point in holding on to them.
• Call ahead to find out about animal feedings, special events and wagon ride schedules. Within the Village, there are special feedings and demonstrations that you do not want to miss. For $6.50 you can also hitch a ride on a giant wagon that will take you on separate trails throughout the safari park. Your ticket includes a bucket of feed.
• The Virginia Safari Park is just as fun for adults as it is for the kids. To be face to face with a grand bison or a magnificent elk is an amazing experience no matter how old you are. This goes down as one of my favorite animal encounter adventures yet!

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I love do-it-yourself drive through safari parks, we have a couple of these in England. Did you have the monkeys trying to grab your wing mirrors or snapped off the radio aerial. 😀 Have to admit, I know the US does drive-through Safaris but never looked into it, so I couldn’t tell anyone where they are. Now I know there is one in Virginia. I love the fact that there is a chance to interact with the animals by feeding them. Some places are a bit funny about feeding animals, not quite sure why that is.

There were monkeys at the park, but they were in the enclosed walk through village. We didn’t have any crazy stories of monkeys grabbing our side view mirrors but that sure sounds like a crazy experience! I (Cici) lived in Manchester for a year, but I had no idea there were places like this in England!

I honestly would never think of a safari adventure when visiting Virginia! This is a great idea for a fun spot to see animals when on the East Coast. I don’t know how I would feel about the ostriches though! I’m not really a bird person, so I probably wouldn’t scatter the food on the ground.

We were surprised to learn this existed right in the middle of Virginia too!

What a fun little adventure! I have family that lives in Virginia but I have never been to or heard of this safari park adventure, but might have to make it a stop the next time we visit. Looks like a great place to bring kids too!

This is just one of many animal encounters in Virginia. They have a similar drive through experience in northern Virginia called Roer’s safari. In fact I am pretty sure they were owned by the same family at one point.

I think The Virginia Safari Park “Village” is a perfect idea for families trip. It’s great that they have kangaroos, llamas, parrots, and more at the Virginia Safari Park. It seems to be a perfect adventure for animal enthusiasts.

The Virginia Safari Park is definitely a great attraction for families and young kids. They’ll love all of the animal encounters.

Seems like Virginia Safari Park is perfect for a family trip or couples getaway. Children and adults will love feeding the animals from the windows and let them lick your hands or possibly give you kisses on the face. Haha… The Bugdy Aviari is cool. We have a similar place here in Ft. Worth Zoo. It’s fun to see beautiful colorful birds landed on the popsicle stick.

We loved the Budgy Aviary! I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. Colorful birds swirling around your body and landing on your arm to eat out of your hand. It is something out of a fairy tale!

Virginia Safari park looks beautiful and certainly a place I would love to visit someday. Safaris have a charm about them which is just unmatched. Reminds me of our Safari in South Africa which was ages back though. Would love to back for another one and be amongst the animals again.

There is something magical about being amongst animals.

That’s so cool, I didn’t know there were safaris in the US, more so Virginia. I’ve always wanted to go on a safari like the ones in Africa, but this might be an easier option for one day. Thanks for the comprehensive guide and those pictures of you with the wild animals are adorable!

Well it certainly isn’t the same as an African safari in the Serengeti, but it sure is a fun experience. Driving through the park and having the animals come right up to you is such a memorable thing to experience.

Oh my god there are kangaroos in Virginia safari park, that’s so cool. I would love to drive through this park and have those animal encounters especially llamas, they are super cute. This is really an awesome experience.

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Dining at Virginia Safari Park

If you get hungry or thirsty during your visit to Virginia Safari Park, join us for lunch, a snack or refreshments at the Watering Hole Café.

Located in our Safari Village Walk-thru, our menu includes cheeseburgers, pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders, French fries, soft pretzels, nachos, drinks, ICEEs, ice cream, and more!

Watering Hole Cafe Schedule

Saturday & Sunday 10:30 AM – 4 PM

Monday - Friday 10:30 AM – 2 PM

Saturday & Sunday 10:30 AM – 5 PM

Daily 10:30 AM – 5 PM

Did You Know?

Giraffes are herbivores, meaning that it only eats different types of plants

Rhinos eat roughly 2.5% of their body weight per day

Sloths enjoy shoots, fruits, and edible flowers

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Field Trips

Bring your group to the Virginia Safari Park for a fun and educational field trip.

Step outside the classroom and book an engaging educational visit to Virginia Safari Park for a wildly fun school outing. Explore our living classroom, where students can enjoy the interactive experience of a lifetime.

The Virginia Safari Park makes learning fun! Our packages are suitable for all grade levels.

Board a wagon ride led by a knowledgeable guide where students will see and feed bison, deer, elk, llamas and zebras, to name just a few. In addition to the Safari Drive-Thru, students can enjoy the Village Walk-Thru, where they will encounter animals such as king cheetahs, penguins, primates, giraffes, budgies and more.

Plan your outing today, spark your student's curiosity, and help them connect with the wonders of wildlife at the Virginia Safari Park.

Experience a Wildly Fun Field Trip!

The Virginia Safari Park offers two school package options: Safari and Adventure.

Safari Package Includes:

• 1 Hour Guided Safari Wagon Tour
• 1/2 Bucket of grain
• Village Walk-Thru

*Free teacher to student ratio is 1:10  

Adventure Package Includes:

• Everything included in the Safari Package, plus:
• 1 Giraffe Romaine Leaf
• 1 Budgie Stick

*Free teacher to student ratio is 1:10

• Self-guided tour through the Village Walk-Thru to visit the giraffe tower, kangaroo walkabout, king cheetahs, penguins, primates, barnyard and more!
• Gift Shop with drinks, snacks and souvenirs to fit any budget.
• Plenty of picnic tables for student lunches under the covered picnic pavilion

Wagons can hold a total of 35 students and adults. We can accommodate most group sizes with our multiple wagons.

Wagon Tour Times:

10:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM Monday - Friday, March through November

Specially priced school lunches are available (when booked in advance).

Field Trip Groups

A field trip group is 15 or more paying guests from a public or private school or organization, consisting of students, teachers and chaperones. Your group must visit the zoo Monday through Friday and book in advance to receive these rates.

We strongly recommend scheduling your visit a minimum of 4 weeks in advance as space fills up quickly.

A $50.00 deposit is required to confirm your reservation.

Please note that your group reservation is not finalized until your signed group contract has been returned and your deposit has been received.

Schedule your visit

Please contact us at (540) 291-3205, extension 106; Monday-Friday, 8AM-4PM.

We recommend making reservations well in advance, as our school group tour slots fill quickly.

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