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Lazy 5 Ranch
Petting Zoo in Charlotte, North Carolina
Good-for-Kids Rating
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-K
School-Age KidsPre-Teens & Teens
Petting Zoo
Lazy 5 Ranch Description
Think your daughter will like having massive buffalo eat out of the palm of her hand? Literally? How about antelope, deer, llamas, and even zebras and giraffes? This is a unique attraction. Drive your own car through this huge exotic animal park or ride on a horse drawn wagon; along the way, hold out a handful of animal feed and within seconds, animals (who know the routine well) approach to get their fill. Young deer run after the wagon and cows unfurl their long tongues to catch feed dropped from tiny hands. One 7-year-old girl's favorite animal was the giraffe. Wonder why? "Because of the drool."
Kid Tips
Toddlers & Pre-K: Young kids will love the petting area, where they can cozy up to pigs and other animals.
School-Age Kids: After all that sitting (exciting as it is), they'll appreciate the nice on-site playground.
Planning Notes
- Take the wagon. It's well worth the extra $5 to ride the wagon rather than driving through. The wagon goes off trail for added adventure, and you can get closer to the animals.
- The scoop on animal feed. Buckets of feed cost $3 (buy more than you think you'll need). Feed is provided on the wagon ride (one bucket for every two people), but you might want to buy some extra.
- Plan a meal. No food (well, no human food) is sold here, but there are picnic tables.
- Bring cash. Lazy 5 Ranch doesn't accept credit or debit cards, and prefers cash over checks.
Just the Facts
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. to one hour before sunset, Sun. 1 p.m. to one hour before sunset
Fees: $10-$20
Recommended Time: 1 - 2 hours
