Southwick Massachusetts' Wild Animal Farm

Why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm is hardly a mystery, especially for anyone who has been there before.

The reason why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal farm begins with its location and ends with its family friendly approach. But of course the real reason why you visit Southwicks's Wild Animal Farm is to see and enjoy every animal, every show and every snack in between. Once you have made the trek to Southwick's Wild Animal Farm, you will become part of Southwick's generations of friends and you'll also know why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm again, soon.

Location One reason why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm is in many ways because of its location. First, Southwick's Wild Animal Farm has a location in local history that extends back over 200 years. The property first was owned and operated as a simple farmstead and dairy farm. In the twentieth century, owner Justin Southwick became involved in the hobby of collecting and caring for a variety of wild game birds. Interest in birds was picked up by other family members and the Southwick bird collection took on a growing and diversified life of its own. At the suggestion of a friend, the Soutwick's put out a small box for donations and visitors to the bird collection began to contribute funds that were then used to purchase additions to the original collection. Southwick's Wild Animal Farm opened in 1963 and has continued to grow and improve sine then until today it is a fixture in the area.

Geographically, Southwick's wild Animal Farm is located in the small, rural community of Mendon, MA, in central Massachusetts. By car it is approximately forty minutes south of Worcester, MA. You can find Southwick's Wild Animal Farm by turning off of Route 16 and driving on winding country roads for about 4 miles.

Location is part of the allure of Southwick' s Wild Animal Farm. You can't get there by way of the "T". It's not in the middle of anything. There are no other tourist attractions nearby, unless you count a modest pitch and putt/mini golf facility on Rt. 16. Southwick's Wild Animal Farm is at the intersection of nothing and nowhere. This allows parents the opportunity to build the excitement of arriving there for their children and themselves as they go around one bend in the road after another drawing closer and closer to the animals who await them. Its location gives Southwick's Wild Animal Farm the feeling of a hidden treasure, a place tucked away, your special place, a place long remembered. Location alone is a great reason for why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm .

Exhibits The primary appeal and the chief reason why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm is its collection of animals. Billing itself as "New England's largest zoo", Southwick 's has proceeded to stock its sprawling facility with some 500 animals of at least 100 different species, many of which are on the endangered species list.

In its collection, Southwick's Wild Animal Farm includes family favorites like the rhinocerous, camel, griaffe, lion, tiger, tortoise, zebra and two rollicking chimpanzees. Southwick's also maintains its generations old fondness for wild birds with several unique exhibits. As almost a bonus Southwick's Wild Animal Farm maintains a Deer Forest - a fenced in area including pond which is set aside for a community of deer. The terrain allows for families to walk about and if very quiet perhaps see or even have the opportunity to feed a deer or two.

Rides and Shows If you still need another reason why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm, just consider the attractions beyond the animal exhibits. Southwick's makes availabe a potpourri of children's rides and animal presentations. The rides represent an additional per ride expense but the shows are offered free of charge. You can have a perfectly full day at Southwick's without either but the the rides and shows do provide some extra fun and a perhaps welcomed chance to stop walking.

Southwick's Wild Animal Farm offers train rides and moon bouce as well as camel , elephant and pony rides. Throughout the day Southwick's offers a rotating schedule of animal shows including an elephant show and dog and pony show that the whole family will enjoy.

Cost What may help finally to make clear why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm is the total expenses involved. Ticket prices are comparable to many similar venues. Ticket price for children and seniors is $10.75 while adults are charged $15.75. Parking is free and families are welcomed to bring picnic lunches into the farm and make use of available picnic tables . There are also snack and lunch facilities selling chicken, burgers and hot dogs but the cost can be prohibitve. Other expenses for the day might include some extra change to purchase animal food pellets to feed zoo animals. The kids and many adults love to feed just about anything that is moving and the results can make for lots of laughs and some great photos. According to your own taste and budget you may also chose to have enough funds along for a visit to the Purple Peacock. This on site gift and souvenir shop features treasures from around the world. And don't forget some cash for rides if you choose.

You may mind paying admission a bit less when you realize that all money received for admission is used for the care and support of animals and for park maintainence. The farm is privately owned and no government funding is received. . But you can come at 10 a.m. and stay til 5 p.m and Southwick's is open 7 days a week from mid April lto mid October. What you pay will seem well worth it for the experiences that you will share.

It's likely that after a full day of fun spent at Southwick's Wild Animal Farm that every visitor will have their own favorite animal or ride. The joy and happy memories that have been created may be the best reason of all why you should visit Southwick's Wild Animal Farm again ....and again.