Petting Zoos Open
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
4.6(5,348)4.6 out of 5 stars, 5348 reviews Phoenix, AZ
About Out of Africa Wildlife Park
Out of Africa Wildlife Park offers an exceptionally immersive and interactive animal experience, setting it apart from traditional zoos. Its unique value proposition lies in the opportunity for extremely close encounters with large animals like tigers, lions, and giraffes, including direct feeding experiences and behind-the-scenes access. Safari-style tours (Serengeti, MOG) allow animals to approach vehicles for interaction, providing a distinct 'wildlife park' feel where animals are housed in large, natural enclosures.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families seeking a unique and highly interactive animal encounter beyond traditional zoos.Children and adults who love animals and wish to experience close-up feeding and observation.Visitors interested in educational animal shows and behind-the-scenes insights.Individuals using electric mobility scooters due to good accessibility.Collectors of pressed pennies.
Why families love it
- Direct animal feeding experiences are available, including feeding giraffes on safari tours (where they poke their heads into jeeps for nibbles) and feeding huge tigers.
- Remarkably close encounters with animals like tigers, lions, and giraffes, described as 'more up close and personal' than typical zoo experiences.
- Engaging Safari Tours (Serengeti and MOG tours) provide educational facts, animal sightings in shared enclosures, and opportunities for close interactions.
- Specific animal shows and exhibits like the 'Tiger Splash exhibit' and watching lions/tigers/mountain lions eat are major draws.
- Staff are consistently described as incredibly nice, passionate about the animals, and very helpful (e.g., Barbara in the gift shop explaining park activities).
- Animals are housed in huge enclosures, allowing them plenty of room to run and play, contributing to animal welfare and natural viewing experiences.
Insider tips
- Utilize the knowledgeable staff (like Barbara in the gift shop) to understand all available activities and tours upon arrival, to ensure you don't miss out on any experiences.
- Be prepared for direct animal interactions and feeding opportunities, especially on the safari tours with giraffes and possibly with tigers.
- If using a manual wheelchair, be aware that some areas may have rock and dirt terrain, which could be challenging, though electric mobility scooters navigate well.
- Plan to take your time; visitors felt un-rushed and were able to enjoy the park at their own pace.
Good to know before you go
- No specific situations or times to avoid were mentioned in the provided reviews. The park seems to manage crowds well, allowing visitors to feel un-rushed.
- Crowds
- Visitors reported feeling 'un-rushed' and 'able to take our time', indicating that even if busy, the park manages its flow of visitors well, or has ample space for a comfortable experience.
- Value
- The experience is consistently described as being 'worth it' and a 'magical day', with one reviewer preferring it over similar safari parks in California. This suggests excellent value for money, driven by the unique close animal interactions, educational opportunities, and feeling un-rushed. No specific pricing details were mentioned, but the perceived value is very high.
- Accessibility
- Highly accessible for individuals using electric mobility scooters, as buses and tour vehicles are accessible, and most of the area can be navigated.
- Safety
- Not explicitly detailed, but the presence of passionate and caring staff who facilitate close animal encounters and tours implies supervised and managed safety protocols, especially for animal interactions.
What parents say
"Out of Africa is really awesome! The staff here is really nice and they take such great care of these animals. These enclosures are huge with plenty of room for these animals to run and play, which is very nice to see. The safari tour is really awesome because you get to learn some interesting facts about this zoo and get to feed the giraffes. If you're a collector of pressed pennies, they do have a penny press machine here!"
in the last week
"We had lots of fun here. We were able to feed the animals, including the tiger. There are a few shows that go into more depth on certain animals. The time spent there was worth it. We didn't feel rushed and we were able to take our time and leave once we felt ready"
a month ago
"This was our very first experience here, and I must say, it was absolutely INCREDIBLE. I was very unfamiliar with the park and all the activities, but Barbara in the gift shop was so nice and took the time to explain how everything worked and made sure that we didn’t miss out on any of the fun. I got more up close and personal with tigers, lions, and giraffes than I have ever been in my entire life. I got to feed a huge tiger and a spunky giraffe, I got to watch the tigers swim and the lions feed, I saw gigantic snakes and watched a very cute sloth munch on veggies, I even got to see a rare m"
2 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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