Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Reviews

We ponied up (haha) for the guided tour. We learned about each animal we saw and we fed the zebra, ostriches and emus. The Giraffes were the highlight. The kids enjoyed this immensely.

Great day, wonderful people, incredible animals!

Soooo many photo opportunities!

Priceless family time!

We took the accompanied tour. Our guide/driver, Alexis was great. She was a wealth of knowledge about the animal and the park. She interjected humor with her commentary. We went the back way sometimes giving us a different view. We have been here before and it’s always a great time.

This place far exceeded my expectations, both in scenery and animals. The drive through the park is magnificent, whether seen from a guided tour bus or your personal vehicle. Weekends can be slower because animals will swarm vehicles handing out food. The nature center and cafe about mid-way through the drive is worth the stop, even if only to take in the views. Discounts available for seniors, military, and as I recall, students. Plenty of parking. Don't worry about getting lost -- the road is one-way. I've lived within an hour's drive for years and am sorry this was my first time. I highly recommend visiting this animal refuge, even if you have to drive two or more hours to do so.

Didn't really know what to expect, but was thoroughly happy with the experience. You can drive you car through the refuge (takes about 2-3 hours with stop at shops/café, children's petting zoo and you will see many, many animals. Alternative is to take the guided tour. We drove our own car. Suggest that you get there as soon as it opens, so the animals are not finding shade from the heat of the day. I would really like to go back in October or November when it is warm enough to have the windows of you car open, but cool enough for the animals to be active. Beautiful views too.

Went there as a weekend getaway and so glad we had our tix in advance and got in. Lots of animals. Giraffes are the big draw and fun to feed them. Yes. There is traffic and waiting. But you can pass and they tell you that. Took us about two hours total including a stop at the halfway point. Well be back with the grandkids!

And be careful of the rams. That’s a small scrape from their horns on the car.

We had to take our vacation over my son's 8th birthday which meant he would be away from family and friends to help him celebrate. I saw where Fossil Rim did birthday parties but you had to have at least 8 kids so a couple days in advance I went in and talked to Donna and asked if there was any small way we could recognize him on his birthday when we arrived....now I was thinking just a Happy Birthday from the staff members or a small trinket from the gift shop with their name on it and I even told her I would pay for whatever it was just so it was special. Well....she and Sharkey went way beyond my expectations and made my son feel so special on his birthday!!!! Everyone there was so nice and helpful and you can tell that conservation of the animals is a number one priority. My kids loved the drive through the park and we were able to see a lot of animals! Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!

We came here overnight for my wife’s birthday
The drive thru experience was disappointing compared to another similar type experience near San Antonio
We stayed overnight and that experience watching the animals migrating to the waterhole was great
Breakfast in the morning non existent for my wife even tho I specifically asked for and was told there would be something without sulfates or gluten( celiac free) for her to eat Nothing but tea ( not even milk for coffee)

We are so thrilled with our visits. As guests at the camp we went almost everyday of our stay. This is not some little “drive thru” but a half day living adventure. Beautiful, clean, organized and so many different animals to see. Bring binoculars to search out the elusive ones. We made it a game and almost checked off the whole list. Would come again!!

This was a great experience driving through the park and seeing the beautiful countryside and animals. They give you a bag of food when you check in to pay. We tried to save half of the food for the second half of the experience, but found that most of the animals that you feed the food too are in the first half. We had lunch at the cafe half way through and the food was much better than we anticipated. If you have a couple of hours I would definitely recommend visiting her and enjoying nature.

Wife was very excited to come see the exotic wildlife in the park. Be prepared to spend some money as tickets average 25.00 a piece. We also only got one bag of food, which appears to be the standard set by the company. ( It lasted us the entire trip)

It was 112 F outside so it didn't really matter that we had the AC on. There were plenty of animals to see, though obviously most of them stayed in the shade. Those that were out came eagerly to the vehicle. The café is the halfway point on the route. It has refreshments and a great view of the park. The giraffe's were very comical and would literally eat right out of your hand.
Highly recommend you come to this park if in the area.

We've been to Fossil Rim a few time, and we'll be back again soon. We took the drive through this time, although we usually prefer staying overnight in one of the foothill cabins. We just wanted to post a few pics and start making plans to bring the grandkids here soon... :-)

We had a great time but was disappointed to see if you wanted to get close or feed the giraffes you had to take one of the special tours. The baby giraffe was in the barn so we didn't see it. Although I do understand them not making it stay outside but we were disappointed. Was really wanted to see the little one.

We were able to ride in the back of our pick up and throw the food to the other animals and we did see a lot of them. The kids did have a great time.

Overall: Located just outside of Glen Rose TX, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a drive through wild life park aimed at families. The main attraction is a drive through loop where you can see a wide variety of animals and can hand feed giraffes. This was a lot of fun and well worth the time.

Tip: Be sure to buy enough food to provide treats to several hours of animals. You can’t buy more at the half-way point, so we were rationing at the end.

Pricing: Around $20 per adult and $15 per child, there are many opportunities for discussions, so check before you buy.

This place is really fun. And if you have a Zoo membership at a zoo somewhere around Texas you can get discount on here. UMass food at the gift shop to feed the animals through the Safari. Make sure you have a pretty good vehicle cuz there's a pretty steep hill you have to go up. And make sure you have plenty of gas on your way out there there's no gas stations. But me and my kids will recommend this 100%

Fun 2 hours at this drive-thru safari. A little heavy on deer, but we saw other species nonetheless. The giraffe stop is a good Kodak moment. Kids will enjoy the ride, albeit a very slow one.

great prices, get to do it at your own pace. lots of animal interactions and get to feed the animals as well. def a date day or a family outing event for all ages

We had a great time on our guided tour. Our tour guide was very informative. My husband had just sprained his ankle and they were all great about helping him get on and off the truck.

Good place for kids and adults. you can drive in the park but if you book a package tour you will be able to see the core area.

My 14 year old daughter and I had a great time during our visit to Fossil Rim in April of this year. We tried a little bit of everything here - we stayed at the safari cabins for the weekend, did the self tour and one of the guide tours as well as visiting the gift shop and cafe. Because we stayed more than one day, we had access to the self driving tour both days and it was fun both times. Our guide on our behind-the-scenes tour was really informative and we had the opportunity to see the baby rhino - super adorable! During our cabin time, we explored the safari area and did projects we brought from home on the outside tables. Breakfast at the safari camp was great and we playing cards at night on the deck was very relaxing. It was a wonderful weekend!

We took the guided tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. Our 3 year old grandson loved being able to feed the animals. The giraffes were his favorite. The tour guide was friendly and had good information on all of the different animals we saw.

We have been to Fossil Rim many times over the years but have never done a tour, much less the Behind-the-Scenes Tour! it was well worth the extra money. We learned so much more about the conservation efforts of this vast park! We were able to see another cheetah area and were encouraged to leave the tour vehicle while getting fabulous pictures and learning even more about this creature. We saw several very endangered species on this tour, up close. We were able to go on all the roads that are closed to the public and spend time at each animal's space within the park. We were able to experience a three month old rhino laying with his mother. We saw mountain bongos that are so elusive but our guides knew where they hide out. We were able to get up close to the giraffes even though they were not close to a public road. We just really loved it! I would encourage everyone to experience the park like this, if possible. You might also want to look at becoming a member as you get a discount off everything there as well. My only word of caution here would be to avoid this place during Spring Break! Bring bottled water for the tour and wear close toed shoes as you will be getting off and on the vehicle (it is required). The tour guide will give you plenty of food for the animals! (This was the trip that we stayed at the Foothills Safari Camp at the animal's waterhole. We were able to get a discount on this tour through that plus we received a free driving tour ourselves for having booked too! It was the total Fossil Rim experience. If you are thinking about doing this, please see my review of the Camp itself for tips.) If this review helped you, please like it!

Although it is a fun experience to drive ‘safari’ in TX, the animals are very limited. Saw plenty of deer, a few zebra and giraffe, and ostriches. The petting zoo goat area is fun, and my grandson loved free roaming around in there.

We have taken our kids here for years. We always add it to our visit at the Dinosaur Valley State Park. If you want to feed the animals and have them come up to the vehicle, you must get there early. By late morning they are full and hot - still great to see but they will be under the shade of a tree and not come out to the car. If you have a Texas State Park membership they offer a great discount. Also, a small discount for AAA and a few others.

Skip driving yourself; the guided tours are better, and the behind the scenese tours are the best. They have 1800 acres here, on a former hunting ranch; now a preserve. They have all sorts of animals including one that is extinct in the wild. They run a successful cheetah breeding program. As others have said, be mindful of the ostriches - they will stick their head in and take all the food. Their beak can rip flesh. An older man seated next to me was protecting his feed, and the ostrich reached almost to the center aisle to take the entire cup. The guide warned him, but the older gentleman was startled (naturally). Anyway, our guide was very knowledgable. You wont learn very much if you do the self-guided tour, so get your wallet out and do the guided tour. The behind the scenes tours get to experience even more. It is about 2 hours long, and cool enough in the bus when the bus is moving (this was July, so dont fear the heat).

There are so many great things to say about Fossil Ridge - it is a huge park and very well run. We really enjoy taking photos and going at our own pace, so we did not go on the tour (and COVID also played a factor, but since it is an open air vehicle that really isn't a big risk). Next time we will definitely go on the tour because they get to go on roads not open to the public (which makes sense for purposes of traffic control). We were there when the giraffes were released from their shelter, and noticed they headed right over to the tour vehicle and the visitors got to hand feed the gentle giraffes. An experience not to miss if you are in the area! Don't forget to purchase your tickets on-line in advance.

Best part of safari is zebra and giraffe!!
Make sure you buy bag of animal food at the ticket counter.

Save some food for giraffe.Its awesome to see animal from so close .

We did the "Behind the Scenes" tour, I highly recommend this if you want you and your children and guests to learn how important Fossil Rim is to the conservation of unique animals. And if you can request Taylor as your guide, you will learn way more than you expected, as you can tell she loves what she does here and wants to share her knowledge. It's only been two weeks since we went, but I'm already itching to go back in the Spring!

We took our grandkids and they LOVED it! We went in a pickup so we could ride in the back which made it more fun. I would recommend getting there early rather than late as the line does get long and the animals will be in the shade if its really hot. The kids really liked the petting zoo too, mostly goats but they loved it!

This place is kind of expensive, but we are suckers for a good drive through animal park. The animals (especially Kudu's and deer species) will come up to the car wanting food. At the top of the hill there is a gift shop, snack bar and overlook. We really enjoyed this and I would say even though it was pricier, it was worth it for us.

Drive through the gorgeous Texas hills and enjoy meeting zebra, giraffe, ostrich, oryx, gazelle, cheetahs, rhinos and more!

Fun to see all of the animals. We didn’t see any large animals besides the Giraffes but they were so friendly that it didn’t matter to us! Make sure you buy food to give to the animals so you can see them up close.

Behind the scenes tour with Tom was amazing! He was highly knowledgeable and maneuvered in areas where regular patrons can’t go. As a result, we saw about 5 different animals that are in specialized breeding programs.

I love love love this Center. The conservation work they are doing is so inspiring.

Do take the drive through the park and yes, you must see the selection of gifts at the Nature Store (Take a bow, Donna!)

Speaking of the nature store, get some of the hand painted chocolates AND buy one of the paintings done by the animals. AWESOME!

The staff here is knowledgeable, friendly, experienced, and so down to earth. These are good people in need of your support.

We had such a great visit that we decided to go back for another self guided tour the following day. The second time around was just as wonderful as the first and ended up being extra special because we got to feed a sweet giraffe this time around. The animals all look well tended to and happy. The park was beautifully maintained and the staff was all friendly & wearing masks since we visited during the pandemic. A generous bag of animal feed pellets is provided at the entrance- 1 per car. The park opens at 8:30 and I’d advise to go early if possible. The first trip we arrived at 8:35 and there were about 6 cars in front of us. The next day we decided to try to get there an hour later to see if that changed which animals were active. When we arrived there were about 10 cars in front of us but the line moved quickly. Upon exiting though, roughly 11am, the car line was down the street. I imagine they moved through those cars as quickly as the morning so don’t let that dissuade you, just set your expectations accordingly. This park isn’t something you want to do in a hurry! There were plenty port-o-potties at the entrance and half way through at the overlook. We had a fantastic time & was a much needed break from the stress of the world! I’d highly recommend to families of all ages.

First, what a great thing this business is doing, acting as a conservationist business for multiple species that are in peril.

The drive along the roads was easy and eventful. Many of the various types of horned animals, along with Emus and Ostriches, were found along side the road path, seemingly just waiting for the feed to be thrown out to them. In the grasses and under shaded trees were many more such animals that could be seen pretty easily.

The cheetah was hard to spot, since it was a blistering hot Texas summer day, as it was lying in shade, but it was beautiful. The rhinos were far away from the road path, under trees.

With the feeding of these various animals, an ostrich deciding to peck away at my windshield - just because, and had the luck to handfeed one of the giraffes, it was a great first visit.

The misses - (1) the animal feedback provided should be per paid visitor, not a small single plastic cup, (with Fossil Rim logo), for a single vehicle. By the time one reaches the half way point (the cafe) the feed is gone or nearly gone. What about having a "feed refill station" at the cafe ? Or provide feed for each PAID visitor. (2) Create a habitat for the Rhinos that is closer to the road path, I understand there is risk here to cars passing by, but there must be some way, right ?

It was fun to take a tour of wild animals and get up close to them We really enjoyed the animals and being close to them. We also enjoyed hearing the guides tell us about Fossil Rim and the animals there. The park was beautiful and it seemed to be a great environment for the animals to live. I would stop here again in the future to take another tour.

OK, now the bad. I was trying to book a private tour for about two months, and when I called, the phone would go unanswered. If someone did answer, they were rude. I was trying to get a tour for two people in a jeep, something I know they do, because I saw it when I was there. I guess they didn't want my money. Go figure.

OK,

This place BLOWS AWAY any zoo in the DFW area bar none. Guided tours are the way to go, you have great tour guides, they give you food and the animals are plentiful. Kids will either be amazed or somewhat scared because the animals get up so close. The giraffes are by far the best part because they are so friendly. Other animals that got up and personal are the mountain goats and ostrich. Quite a long tour is about 90 mins long it seemed. They have an excellent cafe with burgers and fries, and the gift shop has a pretty solid collection altogether. If you absolutely had to choose between the ft worth zoo, or Fossil Rim... I can promise you Fossil Rim is worth the drive, and def worth the price of admission. Less crowded, less messy (I mean it's in a giant savanna, it's like going to Africa vs taking selfies of cages.) It's amazing!!!

So first thing you should know is that all the animals are free range. Except the cheetah and rhinos.
You get one bag of feed per car. And by the half way point we were out of food. So save your food.
You can take food and drinks in. At the half way point you can stop and eat. They had a dinner, but it was so expensive.
They have petting zoo at the half way as well.
I know they get very busy during spring break. We went in August and it was not crowded at all. All of the animals will come up to the car if you show them you have food.
If you have a sun roof, open it when you get to the giraffes. They will stick their head in the car. It was such a neat experience. I can now say I petted a Zebra and a Giraffe. Very awesome.

Make sure and bring the kids to drive and feed the animals. There is a nice place to eat about half way through the drive. Last time we went they allowed us to return the following morning for free. I really love this place,

We went on the guided tour. It was well worth it. We fed the giraffes by hand! Our guide was very knowledgeable and fun! There were 3 adults and a 14 year old in our group along with about 12 other people (mixture of adults & children). It was a great experience and we all learned so much about the different animals. Deer, antelope, buffaloes,cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, goats, etc.

Fossil Rim wildlife part is simply amazing. A drive thru the park makes one feel they are in Africa. The on-site lodging facilities are wonderful. The food was great too.

Celebrated my little son's birthday by taking the group tour.
It was a great and pleasant experience especially for the little one!
He was so happy to see and feed all these animals who live happilly in these premises.
Our guide Brian was super kind and knowledgable!
Will be visiting again for sure!

We traveled to Glen Rose from Dallas for the weekend, and visited Fossil Rim. It was probably the highlight of our trip. The animals will just walk up to your car! I got to feed a giraffe and I was so excited. We're already planning to come back in a couple months.

We did the guided tour - booked the last time slot since we were coming from over an hour away and didn't want to be rushed or late getting there. I will say, I DO NOT RECOMMEND this time slot. They do not make this clear on the website, but the Overlook, where the petting zoo, animal exhibits, gift shop, and cafe are, close an hour after the last tour slot. Your tour takes 45 minutes to get to the Overlook. So by the time you get there (IF your tour is on time), you have 15 minutes before it closes (not enough time). Our tour started 15 minutes late, so by the time we reached the Overlook, everything was closed. The tour itself was enjoyable and educational, but the entire experience was diminished when we learned the Outlook would be closed. It was absolutely NOT worth the drive or the admission when half the experience was closed by the time we got there. I feel ripped off. Fossil Rim should disclose this to anyone booking the last time slot so visitors can either arrange to visit the Overlook first, or choose another slot.

My mother and sisters checked into our rooms at the lodge. The rooms were not the setup the reservationists described to us when we made the reservations. Daniel was there when we checked in and was extremely helpful in moving us to two other rooms that were available. The lodge itself was very nice and comfortable with lots of patios, decks, and access to the outdoors. Many animals wandered around outside the lodge fence. A tasty breakfast was served at the observation deck. Lunch is available at the cafe on the drive through while dinner is self catering from town or a picnic lunch.
You get a free drive through pass if you stay at the lodge. A nice quiet get away.
I absolutely recommend the guided tour. On the our you go on toads not accessible to the general public. The drive/tour guide was so knowledgeable about the ranch and the animals. Kayle was our guide and she was delightful. We did the behind the scenes tour which was extra special and especially enjoyed seeing the cheetahs. I believe we saw every type of animal on the ranch. A throughly great experience. I would highly recommend this for all ages

Having an off-site meeting for 17 people at Fossil Rim was easy, relaxing, interesting, and well worth the very reasonable rates for both lodging and our specially prepared meals. I had stayed at Fossil Rim with family before and we fell in love with the location, the quiet, the animals, the food, everything. Wasn't sure, at first, it would be a good place for our Leadership Meeting, but it was great! There were seventeen top managers and we reserved The Lodge plus the seven Safari Camp Cabins. Dawn, the Office Manager, was wonderful helping me arrange the lodging, special Behind The Scenes morning tour, a speaker to explain their conservation programs, and our meeting setup. The Pavilion has a large screen TV we were able to use for our presentations and the room held us quite comfortably. And the food! Chef Nick outdid himself with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts during our three day stay. Even the managers who usually have little to nothing to say about our accommodations were impressed and pleased with the entire event. Whether for a family get away or an off-site meeting, consider Fossil Rim as they will make it truly memorable!

Beautiful scenic drive thru a park that lacks animals. Fossil Rim, a 1800 ace park was donated for free from a lady whose property is adjacent to the cheetah area (look for metal fence and house). She remains an active member on the Board of Directors.

The drive thru was on a paved road which cloggs up after 12p. Drivers do not get stay on the right to watch, pass on the left. The park has fewer animals than 4 years ago. We bought food for the animals and left with the same amount.

Be careful west on 67 (from 35W). The cops stake out the area east of Glen Rosé.

If you are taking 2/3 hour tour, pass regular entrance, go further down road and turn right where it says Overlook. Extra tours not worth money. You dont go anywhere extra. David the guide was a real cad. Everything out of his mouth was a rude, sexist, derogatory comment and his sexual innuendos were inappopriate, espeically in front of children. I found the tour boring and looking at trees and shrubs.

I came to Fossil Rim when I was a kid so brought my son this trip. The park was busy with lots of cars which meant sitting behind some cars that would stop for longer periods of time. There were lots and lots of different deer species, some oryx and gazelles but otherwise not a whole lot more to see. There’s a cheetah exhibit but no activity there. They give you food to feed the giraffes but the giraffes are never any closer than about 100 yards away. The grounds are nice but it got a little long. I’d rather do like a thirty minute fast track version. The last half was a little spotty with very few animals until you get to the rhinos at the end which were far away and hard to see.

The Animals Were All up some of them wasn't on Display The Line was So Long to get it The Petting Area Needs Work Rocks were Unlevel More People to take money the line was so long that they made people take a detour and back to the main entrance

This place was the best drive threw ranch I have ever been to in the country. Animals had space. And great variety.

We went here with my daughter, son in law and grandkids. What a fun place. We all loved it. Loads of animals and you buy a bag of food to feed them. The petting zoo and gift shop halfway was great. We saw staff in the park frequently tending to the animals. The kids loved it.

It was a very nice exhibit. The giraffes and emus/ostriches definitely get up close and personal. There are tons of gazelle/deer type animals that are hard to distinguish from one another. Our 4 year old had a blast feeding and seeing the different animals. I think David our tour guide was very knowledgeable and kept the ride interesting.

Great Covid activity to get the kids out of the house ! A little crowded car wise where the giraffes were eating- but that is to be expected. Kids had fun feeding the animals and the giraffe came right into our sunroof to eat off my daughter's hand! Great memory !

Drove thru the park this Easter weekend! Went with the grand babies!

Very well maintained park with the animals roaming free. The children had a great time.

The park was very crowded and had a very slowl drive due to every one wanting to feed the animals.

Nice weekend outing!

Cannot say enough about this place. This was our second trip. Stayed in the Foothills Cabins and took the Morning Start Behind the Scenes Tour. Our guide was David and he was so information and entertaining! We saw so many amazing animals while relaxing on our Tour! Def ended the afternoon at the Overlook Cafe and a gift stop shop before heading home. This year we went on a Wed/Thurs instead of the weekend and we enjoyed it with less people! Great family mini getaway!

If you want to get as close to animals, talk with experienced docents, take a tour, or just be outside, this is the place to go. This is a drive through animal park that takes about 2 hours. You can buy feed and feed all of the animals. An up close and personal visit by giraffes, zebras, addicks, wild turkeys, water buck, all wonderful animals. You’re able to see Cheetah sleeping, playing and sunning. Beautiful animals! We have been many, many times and see something new and different each time. A must, even if you have to drive a bit.

We love Fossil Rim. We have bought memberships on and off for the last 10 years. We have taken our children since they were born. We love learning about the animals, our kids love feeding the animals, and we enjoy being together as a family.

It is a slow drive through nature with wild animals. The staff at the main entrance and up on the hill are incredibly professional and friendly.

Great experience except for the horns scratching my vehicle. They are small scratches though so all good. Having a sunroof for the giraffes is awesome

We chose to do the self-guided tour and enjoyed every minute. It gives you a chance to see the animals up close at your own pace. Pamphlets are provided to help identify the animals as you feed them. It is a great experience for family member of all ages.

Arrived just as the park opened and had a phenomenal visit. First, there were fewer people than when we had left. Secondly, the wildlife was much more active due to the time in the morning. By the time we were leaving the wildlife was seeking shade and away from the public. Having a sunroof made a unique experience with the giraffe.

Overall would strongly recommend and arrive early before the crowds and before the wildlife becomes less active.

We did a self driving tour mid week on a hot Texas day. I was a little worried about the animals being out and about in the heat. Don't know if it was the enticement of the food, but there were plenty of animals visible and coming up to our car. And as others have said they come right up to the car! Pack a picnic and enjoy the overlook point half way thru!
It was definitely worth the price of admission and our time. I would also advise that while you are down there, visit the Dinosaur State Park a short drive away, and a 30 min drive away is Granbury- a quaint town to eat and shop.

Had a great time here with family including 5 yr old twins. The trip can take 3hours and up. All the animals were active and roaming close to the road and guest. The children enjoyed feeding the different breeds. The Giraffe's were one of the favorites and have such a soft snout for hand feeding! The Zebra's are more standishish but fun to watch! Great fun. Take your own drinks and snacks....the snack room is expensive!

I visited Fossil Rim on a perfect 70 degree sunny Fall day. It was a great day to roll down the car windows and enjoy the animals and scenery (not too hot or cold). The environment is very natural; non-commercial, with hills, trees and grassland for the variety of animals to roam. Giraffes are the only animal allowed to be hand-fed. They are very gentle and good-natured, slowly taking the food pellets offered. There are two baby white rhinos in an enclosure; to be viewed from a distance, very cute! An ostrich was a bit pesky; boldly trying to block the road.
The self-paced drive through the park is very interesting and enjoyable; well worth the admission.

Fossil Rim is doing an amazing job in protecting wild life while allowing the public to view these beautiful animals in a natural habitat. Feeding the giraffes was the best part of the tour.

This was such a fun experience! While driving through, we got to feed a lot of the animals. They came right up to the car. My boyfriend and I had a lot of fun! We didn’t get to feed the giraffes as they ran off before we got to them. They were already fed by cars in front of us. However, we had such a good time anyway. We will definitely come back!

The drive-through experience is fun, especially the giraffes. But the real benefit is in taking the tours. The Behind-the-Scenes tour is very educational. Kids can develop an appreciation for the mission of this facility when they understand that, for example, the roan antelope they are admiring are almost extinct in the wild. For a truly great experience, schedule an Adventure Tour - expensive but very thorough and memorable.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a unique experience located in the hill country of Texas. I've lived on the back road of this place growing up, and it was always a treat to go to the center. Everywhere you look there are flowing hills, trees, and a great scenery.

Before driving through the park, you can grab some pellets to feed the animals. Along the route, you're able to stop and feed them. Some are so eager that they'll poke their head through the window. It's a great experience that gets you up close to the animals unlike anything in a zoo.

Halfway through the adventure, there's an overlook where you can grab some food for yourself, shop a little, and see the kid's zone. Feel free to pet the goats and lamb!

I had fun as a kid going through this park, and I recently just went again with my best friend. It was a great experience; especially during the spring when everything is in bloom and the babies are out.

The animals are shy of us. They hardly come near humans or cars. It was a disappointment. Any way, take your binoculars.

If you are visiting the Glen Rose/Granbury Texas area, and you miss the opportunity to safari through Fossil Rim - you re-think your travel plans!! A little (1800 acres) out of the way attraction, you can drive your car or take an escorted shuttle through the park and see some of the 1100 animals that call this center home. If you drive your car, you can go at your own pace and take your time taking in all that this park has to offer, Keep your camera handy because you never know when you will spot an animal lurking in the shadows of a tree or rock. Many of the animals will venture right up to your car to allow you to toss some food pellets that they give you at the admission center, and you may find yourself with a Giraffe eating right out of the palm of your hand - if you're brave enough to try. Or you may find an ostrich sticking its neck into your car to grab food from the back stuffed between the two front seats. A guide from the visitor center identifies the many animals and species that you might see in your journey. Our trip took the recommended average of about two hours, including a stop a the giftshop at the halfway point. This was without a doubt the most fun we've had visiting wild animals without cages and fences between us- this is a MUST DO if you are in the area.

What can I say this tour was awesome. We did the guided tour and luckily we had a smaller group giving us plenty of room.

The guide was extremely knowledgeable which I think made the tour. If you do the self drive you miss out on so many great facts and information about the animals and the park.

Feeling the giraffes was the absolute highlight. It’s a great tour for everyone especially the kids.

Came face-to-face with a variety of antelope, deer, zebras, ostriches, giraffe, and emus. they would come right up to the car window. Even got to hand feed a giraffe. Amazing to see all of them so close up.

Get a food bag. definitely worth it, but you only get one, so ration it. you want to have at least 1/3 of it left after you pass the giraffes.

Visited fossil rim today and was extremely disappointed that we drove so far to see so little. The owners are making a fortune during this pandemic. The $47 price For a senior and a teen was inflated and we didn’t get to see hardly any animals. Like a previous reviewer, we probably saw 30 deer and a few antelope, one ostrich from a distance, three rhinos from a distance and caught a glimpse of a cheetah but he wasn’t close enough to photograph. Never did see the giraffes or zebras. Came home with most of the bag of food. Hope the rabbit in my backyard will eat it!

Been to fossil rim today with my family. All that we countered were 1. Ostrich 2. 4 types of deers 3. Rhinoceros 4. Set of zebras 5. Giraffes at far distance. The price was not justifiable considering the time spent in drive, effort, food, fuel and the ticket price. If you have been to zoo's before then you will be 100% disappointed. If all these are justifiable for feeding a few deers then I cant say anything.

If you plan to visit and see animals a zoo would be an ideal place

I have been to Fossil Rim 6 years ago and that time it was impressive but not TODAY.

We heard of Fossil Rim a few years ago, but hadn't been able to schedule time with our grandsons. We are so glad we were finally did! It is rustic, no doubt about that, but if you've ever camped in a tent, this is so much nicer! We reserved two cabins (the Lodge is gorgeous but it was booked) which are wooden buildings with canvas lining. The canvas drops down to cover the front door and act as privacy curtain to the bath area. There are two twin beds with storage underneath, individual air conditioning units, and ceiling fans. The bathroom has a corner shower, sink, and toilet. There are environmentally safe shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and soap provided. There was no hair dryer, but I usually don't take one when camping anyway. We did the park drive through in the afternoon and it was wonderful! The animals are right there on the road waiting for you to feed them, but only hand feed the giraffes as the others could bite. The buffet breakfast the next morning was more than sufficient - eggs, hash browns, sausage, pancakes, juice, and coffee all served on the pavilion patio with a view of a watering hole. I can't say enough about the Behind-The-Scenes Tour we took after breakfast. Absolutely wonderful! Seeing the animals within inches, feeding the giraffes, watching the grandson's reactions, made for one of our better vacations even though it was only overnight. My husband and I are already planning to go back in the Fall (when the temp will not be 108 degrees!).

We went on a Tuesday morning to Fossil Rim. There were very few people. We were able to drive slowly and experience everything. It was very expensive though. It was $21.95 per person. They do offer a senior citizen discount and 2 & under are free. We saw buffalo, deer, antelope, ostrich, giraffes, zebras, rhinos and lots of other breeds of similar animals. We ate at the cafe, which is on a hill and provides a beautiful view of the area. It is a walk up and order style cafe. The food took a long time to be prepared. Everyone in our family had a burger and fries. The food was very good. We were there about 3 hours total. We had a nice time.

We enjoyed driving through the beautiful ranch looking at the different animals. We were able to feed most all of them & a few were not shy at all. We were disappointed at the giraffe area bc people were really being selfish imo & taking extremely too long. Therefore the line was extremely long, as was the wait. We ended up not feeding the giraffe & going around everyone to continue to tour. The tour was already 2hours in 100* heat & we had already sat in that particular line for almost 45mins. Other than that, beautiful scenery & very clean.

I have been to the Fossil Rim several times. Generally I have visited in the winter when it has been cold and the animals have been active. In addition, the crowds were minimal. Simply the Fossil Rim has a tremendous variety of animals and it is a great place to view them. I highly recommend it.

This was our fifth or sixth visit over a number of years and we’ll return again. The drive through the huge open ranges with wildebeests, oryxes, addaxes, various kinds of deer, and giraffes is just wonderful. We all enjoyed feeding the animals from the car but the highlight was hand feeding the giraffes. Three young giraffes took food right from our palms. They’re incredibly polite creatures, nibbling the hay pellets carefully. We are impressed by the animals’ excellent health and the sheer space they have to roam. Fossil Rim participates in international breeding and support programs for endangered animals and contributes to the reintroduction of animals to their original range. Loved our visit and am happy to support the park’s efforts in our small way.

Our guide was named Kathleen. We learned so much on our tour. Not only did we learn the history of fossil rim, but also we learned so much about the animals. I highly recommend doing a tour. We were able to see things that just driving through does not show you. Reserve the tours ahead of time as they fill up quickly.

I felt like a kid on a field trip spending the morning here. I was pleasantly surprised at how many animals will come up to the car so you can feed them. The giraffes are the star of the show here and come up to the car so you can handfeed them, which my husband and I both got to do. Make sure you stop at the gift shop and check out the overview of the park as it is amazing!

Exceptional wildlife experience!! Go early to beat the long car lines. Feeding the giraffe was the highlight of the experience!

Lesson learned to not go in late June, that too at 2 PM. Except for deers, we were unable to feed any other animals. Barely saw any giraffe or zebras, the kids were totally disappointed. The staff made things worse by taking some of them to feed right around this time. Absolute waste of money - we had a part of 8 and spent ~$230. Don’t recommend doing this tour, especially in summer.

Just loved this place! Fun for the whole family. Very knowledgeable guides. Wonderful animals the see up close.

Came with family for the self drive version of the visit. Really great experience. GENTLE giraffes were so sweet to us visitors. Licked food out of our hands ❤️. You see tons of different types of animals. Rhinos are huge! Ostrich are huge and hilarious. Anyway if you love animals and the Texas hills - great time! Next time I want to come back for a guided tour on a mid week day (was popular on a Saturday). Gift shop at overlook had some nice stuff. Self guided tour was a great pandemic activity!

Feeding the giraffe was epic. But... $100 for a family of four to drive through was a bit much for us. We went on spring break and it was holiday pricing so it was more than usual. It’s about a 3 hour deal altogether. The giraffes were right after the halfway point and cannot be missed. If we wouldn’t have had that amazing experience my husband would have been pissed we paid 100 to drive through a “deer park” the kids liked it but be sure and bring water and snacks because 3 hours in the car is a lot. There are bathrooms, a restaurant, a big gift shop, and a pretty cute goat petting zoo at the halfway point. Overall, glad we did it but probably won’t go back a second time.

After reading many reviews we decided to book the Guided Tour rather than driving ourselves and that was the BEST decision for many reasons: You get to sit and relax the entire time, the guide will give you interesting facts about the animals as well as how they behave in the park, you get food to feed the animals and lettuce for the giraffes, the animals gravitate towards the buses more because they KNOW they will get fed a lot, if your kids are scared of one of the animals (my youngest was scared of the giraffes) they have room to back away rather than scream in your car the entire time, you get closer to the animals by driving off of the paths AND the BEST part is you get to skip the traffic jams from people who choose to drive it on their own. We found the entire visit from the visitor center, the petting zoo, the shop and the tour to be very memorable and awesome. I will say that the ONLY trouble we ran into was that we bought our tickets online and was not aware that you do not start the tour at the beginning, you have to drive past the first gate a 1/2 a mile or so to get to another turn in which feels like you are driving into a neighborhood at first so be aware of that and do your research before running into the same problem we did.

We stayed overnight and did the behind the scenes tour and it was absolutely worth it. The cabins are quite small and spartan. There is a bathroom and electricity so it’s a step up from a tent but it isn’t glamping. Get up early and enjoy sunrise as animals come up to the watering hole. Sit with your coffee and just take in the experience. Really a special moment.

The behind the scenes is amazing. You get to go into the intensive management area and see wolves and the black footed cats and prairie chickens. Our guide was Tony and he was very knowledgeable and entertaining. He was great with the kids and the adults, a rare gift.

I highly recommend this experience.

There are tons of animals to see but they are letting way to many people in and you are stuck behind everyone in front of you. Do not go on a weekend if you go it is solid cars from start to finish. It took 2 hours to get half way through the park.

went on this trip to just kill time but man it was so relaxing and fun .looking at all the anamials they have and , just being relaxed and spending time with family and friends, i will go again every chance i get.

Our family really enjoyed this wildlife ride!! It’s a great place to be out in nature, see beautiful animals and scenery and have some space between you and others. We thought it was worth the money!

We had such an awesome time! I expected to see maybe a few dear or goats, but no...We saw so many different animals! We had an ostrich start out on our car the minute we drove into the place. It was so fun! The animals include deer, ostridge emu, giraffes, zebras, and they all come right to your car and are so excited to see you! We saw the cheetah and the rhinos, it was an amazing, amazing visit! Definitely will be coming back!!

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center was awesome. We did a tour that brought us through the park and got to toss food off of the cart to some of the animals. It was a lovely experience. The guide we had was very knowledgeable and I very much enjoyed all the animals. The gift shop was also a fun stop with quite a good amount of souvenir options. Highly recommend visiting this wildlife center.

This is an amazing park. Super clean, the animals are well cared for. We have been to a number of drive through wildlife parks and this is the best by far. So many of the animals were close enough to easily photograph, one of the largest giraffes came right over to us and ate the feed pellets from our hands. You are given a cup of pellets when you enter and they ask you only hand feed the giraffes, for the other animals just toss them on the ground. I I would say to go early, the animals are much more active and hungry. We had lunch at the Overlook Cafe, like the name says the fire is great. Had a patty melt, it was delicious. There is also a gift shop with a lot of unique and reasonably priced item. We really enjoyed our day, if you are in the Dallas-Fort worth or surrounding area this is a must see.

1. Bottom Line Up Front/frame of reference for my remarks. The guided tour provides a great deal more information/interpretation than you can get by simply driving through and reading the brochure. This was my third visit. I have visited at least twelve other facilities similar to this (primarily in Florida but two in Texas). As such, I have high expectations of animal sanctuaries; this facility is great! Emily is a terrific tour guide; she is very personable, knowledgeable and has exceptional communication/speaking skills.

2. Background of park. The 1,800 acre facility was opened to the public in 1984 and has expanded its collection of animals over the years. They are also a breeding facility, reintroducing endangered animals back to their natural habitat overseas.

3. Layout of Park.

3.a. Entrance. No amenities other than restrooms and water fountains. This is where you will receive a paper cone full of animal food (pellets).

3.b. Multiple pastures separated by cattle guards. Addax, Axis Deer, Black Buck, Bongo, Emu, Fallow Deer, Giraffe, Oryx, Red Deer, Roan Antelope, Sable, Wildebeest, Zebra and other hoofed animals.

3.c. Overlook. This is located approximately halfway through the tour. It is situated on a high piece of ground and provides scenic vistas of the park. There is a large gift shop and cafe here.

3.d. Multiple pastures separated by cattle guards. Addax, Aoudad Sheep, Fallow Deer, Water Buck, Gemsbok, Rhinoceros and other hoofed animals, This is where the Cheetah enclosures are located.

4. Details of my visit. Monday 1 January 2024; noon - afternoon.

5. Type/nature of visit.

5.a. I took a guided tour; it took approximately 2 hours. The vehicle is a modified van that accommodates approximately 18 visitors. Visitors sit on forward facing benches. The seating area is covered but the sides are open. Be advised that this vehicle was pretty cold during my January visit; likewise, it is most likely very hot in the Summer.

5.b. Self-guided tour. Fort this type of tour, visitors remain in their car and drive through the facility at their own pace. Two years ago, I took the self-guided tour, it took me approximately 2 1/2 hours.

6. Other patrons. There were approximately 30 other vehicles in the park; I believe the park staggers entrance to a limited number of vehicles at a time to prevent overcrowding. The paved road that runs through the park is wide enough for one car to pass other cars. I believe that the cold weather kept visitors away; there was only a family of four in my tour bus.

7. Location. I plugged the address in to my iPhone and it took me directly there.

8. Access

8.a. Passenger vehicles. The parking lots can be accessed by any type of passenger vehicle. There are quite a few parking spaces.

8.b. Buses and RVs. I consider the parking lot to be accessible to these vehicles; there appears to be dedicated parking spaces for RVs and buses. I recommend looking at the site on Bing or Google Maps to confirm.

8.c. Parking. No charge; the parking lot is paved.

9. Admission. Check the park's website for current rates. Bear in mind the huge cost of: veterinary services, feeding and maintenance.

10. Hours of operation. Check the park's website for current information.

11. Handicap access. The entrance and Overlook are handicap-accessible. The guided tour requires climbing a step ladder to board the tour bus.

12. Child friendliness. I would consider that this is an ideal attraction for children.

13. Permissions/prohibitions

13.a. Weapons. I do not recall seeing any signs prohibiting firearms; I recommend checking with the park if this is a concern.

13.b. Photography. Photography is permitted.

13.c. Pets and service animals. Animals are not permitted on the property (neither pets nor service animals); additionally, they are not permitted to be left in vehicles in the parking lot.

14. Amenities.

14.a. Restrooms. Restrooms are available at the entrance and at the Overlook Cafe and gift shop (at the halfway point in the tour). NOTE. There are no restroom facilities between these two locations.

14.b. Water fountains. Water fountains are available at the entrance and at the Overlook Cafe and gift shop (at the halfway point in the tour).

14.c. Food & beverages. There is a cafe at the Overlook (at the halfway point in the tour).

14.d. Gift shop. There is a large gift shop at the Overlook (at the halfway point in the tour). NOTE. There is no gift shop at the entrance.

15. Conclusion. This is a great attraction that does not get old with repetition.

A perfect way to coexist with nature. Lots of curious and charming deers, giraffes and many other species living in a peaceful and beautiful environment. Excellent plant for kids and adults. We took our 7 years old niece and she was enchanted to feed the animals and being so close to them...and so did I!
The cafeteria was very crowed though. I was so happy to find a vegetarian option on the menu, but there was a waiting time of 45 minutes. So the recommendation is to bring some snaks with you.

We were spending a family weekend in Glen Rose so wanted to go to Fossil Ridge for a tour. We had a group of eight adults and three children so decided to do the group tour so we could all ride in the same vehicle. I have done this tour before and would highly recommend it just because if there is a lot of traffic in the park, your tour bus can drive around the other cars and they can go on paths and roads that the regular public is not allowed on. They also provide you with a large cup of food to feed the animals and lots of information about the various animals in the park. The highlight was definitely the stop with the giraffes where we got to feed them lettuce and they would stick their heads right into the bus. We all got to pet the giraffes head and thought it was great. They take a break about halfway through at the gift shop for a snack restroom break and buying souvenirs if you are interested. We also got to feed a very aggressive ostrich who did try to peck at one of the people in the bus ,but it was still fun. The tour bus is only about $10 more than if you drive yourself through the park, but I feel like it was definitely worth the extra price not to have to worry about sitting in traffic, the information we received about the various animals and getting to feed the giraffes up close and personal.

Well run wildlife sanctuary with very nice drive through options for family! Would recommend scheduling a tour as you learn so much about the center's history and work to preserve various species. The "Behind the Scenes Tour" is especially good as you get a guided look at areas not open to the public. Would also recommend coming on a cloudy day before it gets too hot - the animals are much more active and out in the open then!! There were herds - dozens and dozens of animals when we were there.. some were interested in checking us out and getting nibbles of special kibble. There's an impressive amount of work being done here!

We loved our visit at Fossil Rim with the grand-kids. They especially loved feeding the giraffes who come right up to the car and stick their head inside for a treat. Be sure to by the food at the office so that you feed them with the right stuff.

Had the opportunity to take my granddarlins to the public guided tour. I’ve been here several times w my daughters 30+ years ago, and this was making more memories.

The safaris truck holds 16 persons in an open- air lorry, and enjoyed the whole experience with a super guide Denisse.

But the very best…is the giraffes, just like years ago. They came to our truck, and as long as we treated them they stayed with us. What an amazing experience with these extraordinary animals. Thank you for the memories. $40 per person for an experience of a lifetime. Want to go again, and probably will next month during Christmas holidays.

We were excited to see Fossil Rim because it got rave reviews. Unfortunately, it was not what we expected. There was a very long line to get in, the lunch at the mid-point cafe was a 55-minute wait and the food was not good. The giraffes did not come to the car and there were no zebras. There needs to be some improvement in the customer satisfaction area.

We drove about 70 miles to Fossil Rim from Arlington Texas. We did not know what to expect because all people I know do not know this place. We paid $25 for each adult , and $20 for each child to go inside in the weekend. The fees are less on a week day. We got there at 9 am and because it was still cool in the morning, a lot of animals came out to our car to look for food. The park is big and I was told it is a 7 mile drive. we saw so many animals, our kids had a great time, and i think it is worth the tickets . If you plan to go there try to be there early in the morning, between 8:30 and 9 if you want to see a lot of animals.

We went around 10 am.. mostly saw goats. the only highlight was the giraffe. We did love getting to feed it. Saw rhinos in the distance. Never saw any cats. Paid $110 to see and feed a giraffe and goats. We won't be going back.

Wonderful experience for whole family! Even the two year old was great to watch feeding the animals but especially feeding the giraffes. Our tour guide, Kathleen, was full of interesting things about the park and the animals. She talked the entire two hour trip around the park with wonderful knowledge! There was 10 of us on the tour bus. An open air bus with a canopy so we could feed and touch the animals. Many many different animals. I am 84 and had an outstanding time! I highly recommend this event. I took one hundred twenty photos!

Driving around for two hours on a small course packed with other drivers was not alluring—but Fossil Rim was amazing!

My attitude changed the very second a deer coaxed me to roll down the window. I was totally won over by the time a giraffe took pellets out of our hands reaching thru the moon roof, and then an ostrich laid an egg on the path in front of us.

Well worth the cost and the drive! Did I mention the napping cheetahs, or the rhino?

I had heard about Fossil Rim for a couple years. Finally got to go. I want to go back. Take the Behind the Scene tour done by Fossil Rim. You get to see sites that are only on this tour. The animals (ostriches, zebras, giraffes, etc) are fun to watch. Some of the animals you get to feed with food provided. It is a fun excursion for all ages. Highly recommend it.

When went here about 15 years ago, we loved it, it was a beautiful drive and we saw heaps of animals, giraffes were sticking their head in our windows, zebras came to visit and stuck their heads in the windows, it was fun until one of the zebras decided to grab my wife's window when she tried to roll it up and wouldn't let go! Thought he was going to break it but she finally got it rolled up, taking a rental car back missing the drivers side window wouldn't have been good! All in all we had a blast!

Cannot beat the fun this park has to offer! The views, critters and slow pace were a treat after a hectic ride through DFW. Be sure to try the cafe! Reasonable prices and a really good Philly cheesesteak! Others in our party liked the fresh cheese sticks and potato crusted chicken tenders, not typical park/attration eats at all! Squirrels at the cafe were a hoot! Cannot wait to come back!

My grandsons love visiting here! It’s our second time and they have a great time every time.

Drive through in your own vehicle or on a tour with a guide - We drove. Giraffes, rhinos, all sorts of deer, antelope (or cantaloupes as my grandson says!), cheetahs. It takes an hour and a half or so to go through.

Natasha was our Safari guide. She was very informative and knowledgeable. We saw all of the animals even though it was an overcast day with the possibility of thunderstorms. This is a great place for families and animal curious people.

My wife, 5 yo grandson and I visited Fossil Rim last week. We had Brian as our guide on a tour through the park. It was a cold day in November and it was a slow day. We were the only three people on the tour and Brian treated us royally. He was very informative, personable and gave the grandson plenty of attention.

We've been on photo safaris in Africa and this was a whole different experience in a good way. As the animals have no reason to fear man, they make themselves much more visible. Some of the animals will come right up to the vehicle to eat the food provided and I have to say my grandson was in heaven. It was a great day!!!

I was there on September 12 with four adults three children one of the adults was 13. I spent $160. It took us four hours to get through the wildlife center because of the traffic we sat many times for 20 minutes at a time. There was also only about five different species of animals that came to the road to be fed others were not to be seen. I could’ve stayed in the traffic in Fort WorthAnd save the $160. Given that we are required to make reservations for certain times I did not expect the long long lines of cars and traffic. It’s very disappointing and not very many animals to feed on top of that. Do not wish to experience that again

Always a joy to visit Fossil Rim. Trich is always a great driver and all of the staff are so dedicated and accommodating. I get really wonderful photographs and so enjoy learning about the endangered species and their recovery efforts.

I booked only day ahead of Spring Break and got three passes for the bus tour in the park. The tour lasted about 2 hours, which was about all I wanted. The park is 1,800 acres of hills, valleys, and woods with a variety of endangered wildlife to see. You will see it. It was nice to learn how much the place does to re-introduce species back into the wild. There is a little petting zoo for the kids. There is a café - didn't eat there. The bus tour is pretty open to the air; so, come dressed for the weather. The cheetahs were my favorite - they're huge.

Pay attention! There are two entrances. One is for driving your own vehicle - its first. The other is for private tours and bus tours, 3 miles up the road. There was a line at the admissions.

After a disappointing time at Dinosaur Valley, we decided to go to Fossil Rim. The ladies selling the tickets were so nice and funny. She explained how the giraffes will try to steal the bag of food from you and the longer the horn, the further you throw the food from the car. So, with our instructions, 1) Do not get out of the car, 2) Do not throw your spouse from the car, 3) Do not get impaled by a horn, 4) Drive less than 15 mph,5) If an animal climbs in the car with you, get out and run in a zigzag pattern. 6) The giraffes are thieves, we set out on the self-drive safari.
It starts out with wildebeests, they are fat and lazy and refuse to get up and walk to the car and get a free hand out. The antelope, on the other hand, are more than willing to come to get the grub and lick your salty fingers. Mile upon mile, animals are coming up and getting a treat. They are greedy little pigs. The food bag is getting low at this point. Still, have not seen the giraffes. Up the road, the zebras and a reindeer who drooled all over the leather seat and my spouse's leg. Finally, see the giraffes, they are being pampered by the guided tour folks.
Get to the gift shop, buy t-shirts and candy. Start the last leg down the hill, we see the cheetah area, those cats are hunkered down in the grass, very hard to see them. If of had not been for the truck ahead of us the kids screaming "kitties", we would not have seen the cats. Finally, the chubby unicorns aka rhinos are having a dip in the water. And the end of the safari has come to the end. Had a blast!!

My twin girls love animals and they were locked in the whole trip. They got a kick out of feeding the animals, especially the giraffes. This will be a repeat trip, for sure.
Do the guided tour. It is well worth the money.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Park is a perfect day's outing from the DFW area. It's about a 90 minute drive from the Metroplex (Dallas, Fort Worth, and the surrounding area). We drove down Highway 67 from Dallas and it's a straight shot to Glen Rose (and while there, be sure to visit Dinosaur Valley State Park, where the Paluxy River holds some of the best dinosaur tracks in the country). Fossil Rim is home to free roaming deer of several varieties, antelope, emus, ostriches, giraffe, wildebeest, plus fenced off areas for cheetahs and white rhinos. You can buy a bag of food pellets and the non-dangerous animals will come up to your car so that you can feed them. A road winds through the park and midway is a gift shop and restaurant on the top of a hill, which is a nice stop for a bathroom break, shopping and food. The day we visited was a hot Texas morning and many of the animals were resting in the shade of trees, but there were still plenty out to make up close and personal contact with. This is a fabulous day trip for families with kids. There is a back scenes guided tour which we hope to take soon. Highly recommended place to visit.

I always bring visitors to Fossil Rim for a relaxing drive through this beautiful park. The animals walk right up to your car and take the food which makes children laugh with glee.

I had the pleasure of visiting this place over the Memorial Day Weekend. I was very impressed, this place is beautiful! Well manicured with lots of gorgeous animals to view. My SO set this up as a mini vacation, and I wasn't sure what to expect. It was not a let down. We chose to do the van tour as opposed to driving through ourselves which was a better option, considering the very long traffic jams. The whole tour took about 2.5 hours. Some of the animals we viewed: Emu, elk, reindeer, rhino's, and my personal favorite the cheetahs. If you ever are near Glen Rose, Texas, give this place a shot. I guarantee you will enjoy!

This was an excellent "safari"! The animals were plentiful, the guide knew his stuff and the landscape is breath taking. A must do with children.

My husband and I went on the 9 am guided tour of the park. I highly recommend touring this way instead of driving through. The guide was great and learned a lot of information I wouldn't have gotten driving through. Plus it goes places you can't go when just driving through.

This is a great family activity and appropriate for kids up to about 15-16. You dry through the park and animals come up to your car and you feed them (a bag of food is about $6 and in 2019 there is a limit of one bag per car).

The animals are fun if you go early before it gets hot. Some are quite aggressive in approaching the car. Others stay back. There's a cafe and petting zoo about half way.

Unfortunately for us, the giraffes did not come to the car and stayed far away.

The worst part of the park is the long line of cars. Some people stop to feed every animal which backs up everyone else. On a hot day with the windows open it is rough. Weekends probably should be avoided if possible.

Overall I recommend this activity. It's not especially cheap ($20+ for an adult) but kids under 3 are free. Plan minimum two hours, even more if you spend a lot of time at the midpoint.

This was a worthwhile trip. price is fair even with some things closed due to current world events. Whole family had a blast. We plan to return and stay at the lodge at some point. Highly recommended.

Our driver Rick was excellent and everything he instructs you to do is foe a very good reason and for your own safety. We really enjoyed all of the wildlife but especially the Giraffes and the Ostrich's. Bring a good camera .Beautiful countryside.

Really worth the ride and the money. We are aged 8 to 80 and everyone had a wonderful experience seeing animals in numbers and exhibiting behaviors not seen in a typical zoo. I'd be happy to go back if ever in the are again. Get there as early as possible for best temperatures and wildlife viewing opportunities.

This is an excellent, safe activity to do in the middle of the pandemic since you don't have to get out of your car.

You now must buy tickets online. We came on Labor Day, 2020 a very busy day. We had to buy tickets days in advance to be able to come on a Holiday.

I’m not sure who enjoyed Fossil Rim more – the kids (ages 6,8,10) or the adults! Our leisurely drive through the park took about 2 hours, including a midway stop to stretch our legs. Due to COVID-19, you must buy tickets online and some amenities, including the Children’s Animal Center, are still closed. There are porta-potties at the entrance and at the halfway point. The animals are quite social, and will approach your vehicle to be fed. The ostriches got right up to the window and even starting pecking at the car. Hint: close the windows when you see them approaching! We even had an elk peer inside the car. The kids howled with delight! We hand-fed a giraffe, who amusingly worked a row of cars lined up, stopping at each for food. Due to the hot weather, many animals were taking cover in shady areas. I was disappointed we didn’t see zebras, one of my favorites. Note you pay by the person, not vehicle. At $110 for 2 hours, it is not cheap, but the grounds and animals are well-cared for. Who knew you could go on safari in Texas! The drive is one-way and there is no turning around, so take your time.

THE best day I've had in recent memory

I suggest going in the morning before it's hot and the animals retreat to the shade.
We were lucky enough to be behind the employee with the feed truck so we watched as animals ran to the road for their breakfast. I was amazing and majestic to see. The animals aren't bothered by your car and they will get so close it's almost scary (think big horns coming at ya because there's food right outside your door)

The giraffes are the friendliest creatures and many of them came to the car to be fed by hand!! Yes, a giraffe ate out of my hand and licked it. Yes, I screamed and squealed like a 5 year old girl.

As of mid-august 2018 they have a baby giraffe and baby southern white rhino!

Support places like this! It's either cheaper or comparable to a zoo, they do non-profit work, the animals aren't caged up, and you'll get closer than you've ever been to them.

If you are shy about a drive through park don’t be! This is a windows down up close and personal with a variety of species. My favorites were a super friendly reindeer (maybe - not sure what he was) and zebra with a soft velvety black nose. If you are local, inquire about membership which gives discounts at the wonderful Outlook Cafe and we’ll stocked gift shop. Add the amazing coming nservation efforts these folks are doing and it was an awesome memorable experience we will repeat. Friendly staff and volunteers too. Easy drive from Dallas Fort Worth area.

This is a great animal facility that is doing a wonderful thing for exotic animals. We took the family and they loved it. We are planning our next trip back soon!

I recently moved to Texas, we were looking for drive-thru safaris, this is a really nice one. The animals look very well taken care of. You can feed the animals, they're very friendly, it's very enjoyable.
We did the drive-thru in our car, we plan to go back and do the Safari bus.

We always enjoy our trips to Fossil Rim. It has been a favorite of ours for many years. They do great conversation here. The giraffes are always a delight to feed. From young to old a nice drive through the Texas land scape.

Fossil Rim is an amazing safari drive. They have so many animals, including rhinos, giraffes, zebras and more. They also are involved in breeding of endangered species, like cheetahs and Mexican gray wolves. It can be driven in your own vehicle or can take behind the scenes tours. A must see!

My family absolutely loves this place! We have been several times now, and each time is different from the last. The staff are all friendly, helpful, and informative. My kids love driving through and feeding the animals. We've never had a problem on our drive and all the directions are simple to follow. There is a nice halfway point during the drive where you can visit more animals and brush them, grab a bite to eat at their cafe, and check out their gift shop, where you can take a view from their look out point and see a spectacular view. My family usually takes a picnic lunch and there are plenty of picnic tables to eat at while at this rest point. The drive out from there isn't much longer, but there are still plenty of animals to see. My only complaint would be that the bags of feed that you purchase to feed the animals is quite small and sometimes you can run out before you drive all the way through and then don't have anything left to feed the last little bit of the animals. But, to help with that, they now allow you to purchase 2 bags per car, instead of just one. The prices are a little high, especially for a family of 4, but I think you get what you pay for. It's worth it. And if you buy a membership, like we did this past Spring Break, you get unlimited visits all year long, plus can bring 4 guests for free once, and discounted visits for guests after that. You also get a discount on the feed, souvenirs at the shop, and food at the cafe. In addition to all of that, with a membership you also get a discount in admission price to the Dallas Zoo. In my opinion, well worth the price. We plan on returning over the next few months!

We loved our trip to Fossil Rim. The animals roam and you drive through. We took 3 hours looking at the animals plus an hour at the cafe and children’s area. The cafe food was surprisingly good but did take a while. The drive through the park was worth every penny. They are doing fabulous work here.

This is a wonderful animal sanctuary set on truly beautiful, rolling hills,cwith scattered trees and shrubs. The animals
Included giraffe, cheetah, rhinos, wildebeast,, and a large variety of African Plains game. One can drive through the park unassisted but we loved riding in the open air tour van with an excellent guide who shared knowledge of the species and cheerfully joked with us.

We went first thing in the morning because it was Spring Break and since it was chilly, the animals were a little slow to rise. We had absolutely no traffic, but didn't get to see as many animals.

Fun to see animals who are free to roam. You drive through this park and it takes a minimum of a couple hours, more if you stop a lot to see the animals or take a break in the middle at the Overlook Café. You must stay in your car, except at the Overlook Café, but curious animals often approach your vehicle (you may purchase a bag of food pellets when you buy tickets which encourages animals to get closer). Really fun to get super close to various species. There are some animals that are not free range like Cheetahs and Rhinos, but that's a good thing.

Took the grandkids on Spring Break and they thoroughly enjoyed the ride through the park. It's a little pricey but we really thought we got what we paid for. Giraffes eating right out of you hand and zebras coming up to the vehicle were just some of the highlights. We camped at Dinosaur Valley State Park, which is also great, so it was just a very short trip to get there.

The park experience is great--much better than a visit to a zoo. The Safari Tour has an age/size limit for children but is well worth the cost. Accommodations at the Lodge are very nice.

There is lack of coordination among accommodations, welcome center, and other staff. We made reservations for park tours and lodging at the same time. The park personnel gave us erroneous information about accommodations and pick-up location for the Safari Tour while we were on site. We relied on the web site and calls to the Lodge to get the information we required.

Recently went to Fossil Rim with my grandchildren. The park was over crowded and the the animals were no where to be seen. I had memories of past trips where animals flogged your vehicle. There were only small pockets of animals and they had no interest in the touring vehicles. Big rip-off at $22+ per adult.

Exorbitant prices, no longer per car, but per person, yet you get a tiny sack of feed for the WHOLE car. No more military discount, and the animal population is much more sparse, and because there’s little food coming from the visitors, they’re much less likely to come to your car. Altogether an expensive disappointment. Not what it used to be.

We took the Behind the Scenes tour and loved every minute of it. Jack was our tour guide and his knowledge of the animials made the 3 hour tour very enjoyable. There were 10 guests on our tour and we had plenty of time with each of the animals we encountered.

I am so glad that we opted for the Behind the Scenes tour rather than driving ourselves through the park. While we would have seen many of the same animals (but not the animals in the Intensive Care area) we would have seen but not learned much about them. Jack's description of the animals, their habits and the challenges they face combined fun and knowledge to maximize what we learned..

My personal favorite animals were the Giraffes, which we hand fed lettuce, and the Emus. We also saw Cheetahs, European Red Deer, Addax, Arabian Oryx Fallow Deer, Rhinos, and many others. The herd animals are walking around and often come to the tour vehicle looking for food.

We drove 2.5 hours from the Austin area and would go again in a heartbeat. The center is the huge with free roaming animals of many species. Many of them approach your vehicle for food pellets. The giraffes were near the road and very sociable. The hills and elevation change with great views were an unexpected surprise. We took the morning behind the scenes tour and it was fantastic too. We stayed in the Safari cabins, which were basic but adequate and the view to the watering hole did not disappoint. Over about 24 hours we saw almost every species in the center, many up close. Given how large the center is anD the animals are free roaming, we felt quite fortunate.

Was looking for something different to do on our recent trip to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and found this hidden gem. We opted for the guided tour instead of the self driving tour. It was the best decision. The guided tour was a solid 2 hours and we got so much information about the center and the animals. We got to hand feed the giraffe some lettuce and an ostrich that was very excited to see us. the rest of the animals were so happy to see the bus coming they ran over to it and we were able to toss kibble to them. The guides were engaging, fun, and very knowledgeable about everything. If you get to the area we highly recommend the guided tour.

Well worth the money just to feed the giraffes. I recommend going in the morning when it is not as hot and the animals are more active. Feeding the giraffes was the highlight of the tour, but the tour as a whole was a great experience. The children's center was also fun. The gift shop had great items for all different budgets.

My 5-year-old son and I took the 8 am early morning tour a couple of weeks ago and we had a lot of fun! I wanted to ensure we saw all the animals before the heat set in and we were certainly treated.

The tour began by stopping and feeding the giraffes. Their tongues were extremely long and it was entertaining feeding them. From there we slowly worked our way through Red Deer, Zebras, and other Saharan animals until we arrived at the Cheetahs. One of the highlights during this trek was driving above a bat cave. The guide noted that the bats travel to meet up with bats in Austin every evening and arrive back at the cave before sunrise. Very cool.

Once you visit the Cheetahs, you travel through Emus, Ostriches, Rhinos, and more Saharan animals. My son had a blast and I had an absolute blast. I'm already planning to return in a couple of years once he's old enough to take the tour for older children. Off the top of my head, I know the tour includes wolves and other predatory animals. According to Fossil Rim, the tour is more educational, which is why they require an older age limit.

First visit for kids and second for me after >25 years. We are spoiled by the San Diego Zoo Safari Park but this is even more fun and special to us because of the chance to see and also feed exotic and endangered gazelles and giraffes and rhinos, and so many amazing creatures. (Cheetahs and Ostriches, and Oryx’s, oh my!) Kids learn a sense of responsibility for caring for these wild animals here, and do not have to travel around the world to do that. Natasha was a fantastic tour guide and role model—knowledgeable and caring and hardworking. The guided tour is the only way to go!

Fossil Rim is a hidden gem! We took the safari which lasted over two hours. The guide was interesting, knowledgeable, and kept everyone engaged. We went "behind the scenes" of the park and learned that it's more than just a place to view animals. There's animal research and species preservation at Fossil Rim as well. It's definitely under advertised and well worth the time and money. Would highly recommend it!

Like other reviewers, we went first thing in the morning and took the guided tour. Make sure your cellphone or camera is charged as this is a wonderful photo opportunity! Each person received a cup of food pellets - save some for the later part of your trip with the giraffe and emu! Pay a little extra to see the IMA areas which allow you to get a little closer to wolf and cheetah habitats and more. It extends the tour around 30+ minutes.

Jerry our volunteer guide knew history of the owners, the land and the animals. He made the morning so much more than just driving around looking at animals.

We were very lucky to have a sunny 70 degree day in December as the animals are more active at moderate temperatures. We will be back!

We have been hearing about Fossil Rim for the last several years, but wondered how it could be worth the trip. This was a joy for the whole family. Appropriate for the very young to old and everyone in between. This amazing property with freely roaming animals. A very different experience from a zoo. The guided tour was worth the investment. We were able to bypass the spring break lines and see much more of the property. And I had the pleasure of just looking like the kids instead of driving.

This was fun for the whole family. It was over priced but still fun. Giraffe wasn’t eating out of hands. All in all fun.

Always a great time here. Booked a guided tour instead of driving thru ourselves. Our guide was knowledgeable and excited about the center. Saw so many animals and got to take our time and get some great pictures. Tours are best taken in the early am since it is cooler and the animals are on the move and being fed. Great to come in the spring when everyone is having their babies. This is the only American Zoo and Aquarium accredited drive-thru parks in the nation. The animals are extremely well taken care of and they are working hard to preserve so many endangered species. The dama gazelles are beautiful and delicate; definitely the super models of the antelope world. Saw quite a few young cheetahs and a baby white rhino. They are instrumental in the conservation efforts for the black footed cat, attwater prairie chicken and the red wolf. A great place to take the kids to teach them to respect and protect the planet and the animals we share it with.

We were very disappointed in this tour. It is very pricey for the animals that one sees. We read reviews and had one friend who had taken the guided tour who recommended it. Because it was a weekend and we figured there might be a lot of children on the guided tour, we decided to drive through. What a mistake!

We sat in a long line and waited at least 40 minutes behind people who often got out of their cars to feed the giraffes and took way too much time. There were park personnel around but no one made sure the line moved efficiently. I totally blame the park personnel. This should have never happened.

Also be aware that most of the animals that are seen are types of deer or antelopes. There is not much variety.

I would suggest paying the $40 per person for the guided tour if you’re going thru this park. You will get to see more animals and not be in a traffic jam. Also I’m sure weekdays are better.

We went through Bear Country USA last summer in Rapid City SD. It was much more reasonable and a much greater variety of animals. We loved it. Sorry for the negative review, but it was a very disappointing experience.

My husband and I took our 2 and 4-year old grandsons on the 10 am public guided tour - of course it would be hot, but the high that day would be in the 90’s (not over 100) and the safari vehicle would provide shade, wouldn’t it? First, it was definitely worth it to spring for the tour as the guide made our visit much more interesting and fun. However, they had sold every seat on the vehicle. We thought the back row would provide great views, but unfortunately the roof more often than not did not shade the back row. It was miserable especially when the vehicle was standing still so there was no breeze. I would think Fossil Rim would be aware of this and not sell every seat on their tours during the summer heat. They did not reply to my feedback.

I've lived in Dallas more than half my life, but had never been to Fossil Rim until this trip. It was one of those things I always planned to do, but just hadn't. So I was really happy when my boyfriend suggested we take my daughter and one of her friends out on a winter afternoon. It's not too far from Dallas, so the drive was fine. And going through the park with the windows open was very pleasant and comfortable. We especially loved how the animals (zebras, antelope, emu, etc.) will come right up to the car and you can feed them.

A fun side note -- we're photographers and took a ton of pictures as we drove through. Two of my photos (one of a zebra and another of an emu) won prizes at the Texas State Fair's photography contest. Yay!

I was so impressed with their amazing variety of animals to see, how well cared for they are, and all of the conservation projects they participate in. It's just an extraordinary place to visit. Great during hot days, as you can stay in the car. We had a few animals try to get close to the car, and it was just amazing to see them up close. We had a blast.

Fossil Rim was an amazing experience. We did the guided tour. Well worth the price. Our tour guide Will, was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. Would definitely recommend visiting Fossil Rim if you are in the area

Our family has loved Fossil Rim for years. We have a few suggestions for visitors, especially those with young children.

Cost: if you might come back 3x within a year, it makes sense to get a membership.

Food cup: when we went last (Feb 2022), they had switched to paper cones to hold the animal feed (instead of plastic cups). While this is great for the environment, the paper cones leak food powder. No fun. If you don’t want animal feed powder all over your car, consider bringing a large plastic tumbler from home to hold the animal feed.

Petting zoo: while this is outdoors, guests still have to walk through a partially indoor area to get to the goats, and the entrance door is not kept open. If your family has reason to be concerned about Covid spread, you will want to bring high filtration masks.

Bathrooms… make the kids go at the entrance to the drive. It’s a long way up the hill when you have a kid (or adult for that matter) who needs to go.

The drive entrance is fully outdoors, which we appreciate. It would be great if the cafe would sell food outdoors rather than requiring guests to go inside.

Otherwise this continues to be a fun, mostly Covid-safe activity.

My daughter and I came to Texas from California to basically visit all of the animal safari places before she headed off to college. This place is huge and has a lot of the typical animals you see on these tours. We came mainly because you could actually feed the giraffe here. When we arrived we were handed a small cone of food. We asked if we could buy more food since we knew that the amount we were given was not nearly enough and we were told that it was not allowed. That was strange since every other place we have been to allows you to purchase extra feed and usually gives each person a bag of feed not just a single small bag for a whole car. So we were sent on our way with instructions and our tiny bag. We went early in the morning so everything seemed to be out and about. We quickly knew that a) we were not going to have enough food to feed even 1/4 of the Animals and b) we would need to ration food to make sure to have some left for the giraffe part. We felt so bad passing up numerous animals standing there wondering why we were not feeding them all…only here and there. By the time we got to the giraffe we only had less the half of our food left. After them we were out and all the rest went without and looking at us for food. I have to say it did make our experience less enjoyable. We enjoyed looking at all the animals but a big part of these things are also interacting with the animals. Unless they allow people to purchase more, there are other places around that allow you to feed everyone and make you feel more involved. Please think about changing your policy

The day was cool (73) and cloudy so I think we saw most of the animals. I can see how on a hot day they would not be viewable. We also went when kids are in school so it was not crowded at all. A very enjoyable time.

We went with our school and we spent the night. The kids had a great time they had so much fun. It was a beautiful time when we were there. The ride thru the park was awesome. Feeding the animals was a big hit with our students. We didn't get to see any of the wolfs but we did get to see alot of baby's at this time of year. Me and my family will be glad to go back and see it all over again, I really enjoyed all that we experienced. Thank you for having a place that is able to tell the public of what animals live where.

We've been twice to this beautiful safari like site. Previously it was in the heat of summer. This time it was at the first of Nov. Both times were beautiful, but the autumn allows you to see many more animals. And we liked it so much that we took advantage of the perfect deal of getting a second day's entry free if you arrive by 10 a.m. on the second day. We saw different animals on the second day since we were there earlier. We found joy, laughter, great souveneirs, and relaxation at Fossil Rim. There are basic snacks and a grill type cafe for limited food purchases. You will probably want to take a picnic lunch if you like to do that with your family. We purchased a bag of food pellets to share with animals along the way. It costs $7.00. This is a great attraction for anyone who has trouble getting around. It requires a minimum of walking. Power up your camera for all the fun photo opportunities.

We went here for my daughter’s 11th birthday with cousins ranging ages 2-9. Everyone really enjoyed it.

In addition to the drive thru tour, we did the behind the scenes tour.and spent the night. Awesome!!

I was trying to escape 105• temps and had the toddler grandkids for the week. We headed to Glen Rose to try Fossil Rim! I have to say that I was as excited about our day as the kids were. Literally I’ve never seen a giraffe’s eyebrows before- but when she sticks her head in your skylight and wants a piece of feed, you get a show!
The animals wandering about will not disappoint, and cause dozens of inquiring questions. The drive is easy, the staff keeps an eye out for you but let’s you go at your own pace

We spent 5hrs in the park. Halfway through we stopped at the peak and had a picnic under the trees. It was great! Although there are cafes, taking our own picnic was much more fun.
Great staff. Great park. Great gift/learning center. Just a simply great day!!

Had a great drive through the wildlife center. One afternoon and then went back early the next morning on the same ticket. The animals were active and moving. Fun to feed especially the giraffes. Will be taking the grand kids next.

Loved it! My granddaughter and I did a guided tour and a self guided tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and was able to answer everyone's questions. We did the self guided tour on a cold morning. some of the animals, especially the cheetahs, were ore active. We were able to see 2 cheetahs run toward a zebra that came within site of their enclosure. We also stayed in a cabin for one night. If you're looking for hotel accommodations, don't do this, but it was fun to sit on the porch and watch the animals at the watering hole.

First off our GPS took us to the other end of the road then it was about 4 miles up the windy CR. Not the parks fault, but still aggravating.

Now for the park....Price was very high compared to other drive thru parks we have been thru ($21.95 each adult). Then you buy a small bag of food ($7.00) over $50 for 2 people. Now we go thru the park and basically all that we see are some fallow dear and a few other like species. We do see a giraffe from a distance as it is on the road that their tours go on not regular cars. We go to the halfway point and go to the little area up there and they have a few goats that the staff were leading away from visitors for some reason, everything else was hiding I guess. We leave to do the other half and again all we see are the few dear. Saw a few zebras from a distance because guess why...they were on the tour road. Cars were so close together we had 6 in a wad, so seemed very rushed. Definitely not worth the drive or money. Out of the small bag of food we had 1/2 left if that tells you how few animals we saw.

Decided to go here last minute as a quick getaway from DFW since our son was on spring break. We waited too long to reserve a guided tour, but we had just as much fun driving through. It was super busy! We got there just at the right time though. We arrived about 10am and were able to get tickets and drive through before it got too crowded. When we were leaving, the line to even get in the parking lot was about 1/4 mile down the road or more.

The animals and the property are very well maintained. The giraffes were being shy so we didn't get to feed them, but we did have some very gluttonous deer that wanted to be fed. All of the animals we saw looked happy and healthy!

We will definitely be back on another day. (We actually purchased a year membership, which will pay for itself after one more visit.)

We really enjoyed our visit to Fossil Rim. The animals are well cared for and excellent drive though for viewing. The shop was well stocked with relevant and appropriate items.

This was the highlight of our trip. We’ve been to some similar drive thru safaris that were cheesy and were pleasantly surprised this one wasn’t.

We spent 2.5-3 hours here and everyone was engaged the whole time. We were all exhausted after visiting due to all the mental stimulation.

The animals were well kept and maintained. Some of them totally know that cars = treats. You get 1 bag per carload some the food is considered a treat, however if you ask for more bags they’ll give you empty ones to divvy up the food.

If you’re in the area, I highly suggest visiting!

We had a fantastic private safari tour with Marissa as our guide. We can't say enough wonderful things about the her and the park. She's a born educator and has a great sense of humor.

Early in day is perhaps best time for activity and temperature tends to be a bit cooler with animals more active. If you want babies then advise spring time! Spread out the treat food that you get...many will be waiting on you especially the giraffe. Explore exhibits and take time to identify animals/birds to gain most of your day. Gift shop worth a look with unique items to remember your experience. Remember these are wild creatures and you are a guest in their home.

We took our toddler for his second birthday and it was perfect! He loved it so much. One helpful tip: if planning in advance, BOOK YOUR SAFARI TOUR EARLY. We wanted to do a tour, but they were sold out the week before. We arrived early and drove through the park, which turned out just fine. Our son LOVED it so much that we went really slow and it took us almost 4 hours with the drive and stop for a snack! The animals looked well cared for and the staff was friendly. The park was clean and the halfway point/lookout was really nice with clean restrooms and great places to have a snack. The gift shop had a nice offering of souvenirs too. I would recommend bringing a snack because the restaurant/cafe did not offer many "snack" type items, it was mostly lunches/sandwiches/burgers. At 10:30 am we just wanted a snack but all they had to offer was cheese sticks or ice cream. I would also recommend arriving early, when it is less crowded and the animals are hungry. We really enjoyed our trip here, it was the highlight of our weekend and we will definitely be back!

visited 5/6/2018, despite having a Dallas zoo family membership, I was told it only applies to 2 adults, not our children. We come here once a year and this was the first time I've ever been told that. It's a nice day visit from Dallas. It wasn't too crowded so you've able to drive at your own leisure. My wife and I talked a bit about how every year they seem to have less and less wild animals and replaced them with tons of deer. Kids love deer (deer don't really like eating from your hands like other game will, so it's not as fun anymore) but it use to not be lop-sided and far more antelope and other large game. for 26$ an adult and 20$ per child, (even half off) it just seems to lose it's appeal each year. The peting zoo area is nice (goats and turtles, but the pigs and birds were put away for some reason. We did take the short hike behind the petting house(they don't have signs announcing that hike, we were told about it from a worker years ago (dunno if it's some sort of secret or what, but they should make signs for it) It's nice that they're building up. But again, for the cost I would recommend the Dallas or FTW zoo (even save $$$) and see far more animals.

My husband and I went with 2 other couples. We did the “Crack of Dawn Tour” which I highly recommend. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining and it was early enough that it wasn’t hot and the animals were all out and active. They come right up to the tour bus and let you feed them. You get food as part of the package and they give you plenty. We had a great time and now I want to take my kids. I think they would love it too.

This is so much fun!!! The kids had a blast sitting in the back of the truck feeding the animals. Would love to go back

This is a safari park with many African animals roaming the countryside. The animals know that the cars have food, so they run towards you when you approach. At the gate, when you pay, they give you a bag of pellets so that you are not tempted to give the animals food they shouldn't eat. This makes for a nice experience because you can see them up close. The tame animals approach the car; the big cats and the rhinos are at a safe distance. At the half way point is a little coffee shop that sells wildly overpriced mini-meals, which is what you would expect in a place like this. There is also a gift shop. I have to say that I thought the place would be bigger than it is. Bring the kids, and they will have a blast.

I really enjoyed this outing. I liked that I could drive through the park and was able to see some wonderful wildlife.

This is my 2nd Visit to this place. As my Dad it a wild life lover, I thought of taking my parents here and they liked it a lot. Specially, if you get the bag of Food(Provided at the Welcome Desk) to feed the Animals then it will be excellent. The animals will come so close to your car that you can even touch them. But if you are coming with you own car them just be ready for small/minor scratches or Dents to your Car as the Horns of few Animals are bigger than you imagine. I got 2 Last time and 3 this time. But I didn't mind as that does not matter to me. Even the Restaurant at the Half way also serves nice and tasty food. The store next to the restaurant do have a variety of collections of different Items.
Nice Place and can spend about 3 Hours. So 1 time Visit at least is a must.

No point of it, very rude security and worthless. In the middle of no where, you can’t see barely any animals

Great place to visit if want to see wildlife up close from the comfort of your car. If you are interested in conservation and learning an overnight stay at the Lodge and the behind-the-scenes tour is a must. You will see the great work that Fossil Rim does in caring for these threatened animals.

My husband and I went on the behind the scenes tour with Katie and had a great time. She was super knowledgeable about all the animals and very personable as we love wildlife so asked a lot of questions. Very nice and friendly through the entire tour. I have already recommended the tour and Katie to friends who plan to visit.

The private tour was expensive but worth it. It was far better than the self tour. Both were nice but the knowledgeable guide added so much!
The summer heat kept many animals away from roads but still a great time.
We will come back,

Great place to view many species of exotic wildlife. Fossil Rim is a great conservation success story for many endangered species, including the White Rhino, Addox and Mexican Red Wolf. Well worth the admission.

Park is decent but not exceptional. Animals are plentiful with decent variety to impress kids and those who have not been to a larger park or the real thing. Spacing between vehicles in the PM became an issue.

I love getting to ride through and feed all the animals! Its more romantic than it seems! My husband and I live in Glen Rose and wish we were able to go more often.

What an amazing treat it was to drive through such a beautiful area of Texas and huge bonus that we got to see so many animals close up. A giraffe came right up to us through our sunroof - OMG!!! We laughed a lot during our drive and could have spent all day there. We will definitely be back because I'm guessing every trip will bring new animal experiences. The emu's where definitely the scariest (we didn't dare keep our windows rolled down, we were chicken - lol).

Beautiful grounds. Clean restrooms. Small store and cafe. A few soda machines. Picnic tables for you to bring a picnic lunch. A lot of fun seeing the animals up close. Unfortunately, even though we went on a warm day with cool breezes, we didn’t see all the animals - not sure where they were. Reason for 4, not 5 stars is the price. You are charged $22 per person, not by the vehicle, so with 4 adults and one 13 year old, it was pretty pricey.

We wanted the grandkids to have this experience. It is nice place for kids to see a variety of animal species . They could feed the giraffes and throw food out to other animals. Nice gift shop and petting zoo at top of ridge . It take about an hour and half to 2 for whole drive . We took lots of pictures.

My niece worked here as an intern, and it always sounded like fun. It really was fun. Fossil Rim is a drive through zoo essentially. The animals are in a natural habitat and roam free for the most part. They are pretty tranquil and used to being fed from the car. It is really fun, especially for children. I would recommend going to Glen Rose in general for the other parks and the TX rugged beauty.

The animals were out (not too hot) and they were still hungry because we wen in the morning. I've been told that's not the case with later visits.

This is a great park; staff are friendly, it’s clean and well maintained and the pricing is reasonable. It’s even better in the midst of the pandemic because you don’t have to leave your car. Our only area for improvement is that it would be nice if they spaced out the feedings of some of the more exotic animals so that they could be fed more often. We basically got to feed the same species of spotted deer over and over and a few emu.

I always enjoy coming to the park. Since Covid and you have to reserve a spot and arrive between certain hours, the lines of cars is long throughout the park. The drive thru is still fun, but I just don’t like it quite so crowded.

We were told to go early and glad we did. Sometimes the line can be lengthy. In all it took us more than two hours to weave in and out of the park with plenty of animals to see and feed along the way. There is a midway stop on a picturesque overlook where you can get out eat-stretch and go potty. The only thing I can think of to make it better would be a play ground. Then off on the second leg giraffes, zebras, cheetahs & rhinos. It was a little a expensive for the three of us and a free toddler plus feed at close to a $100 but it was time well spent with the family.

Much better than any zoo. Wildlife runs free and you are caged in your car or a park vehicle. Park provides food pellets for you to entice wildlife close to your vehicle. Cheetahs are hard to see but take your time and you may spot them in the grass. Several species not on display or visible. Where are the zebra? Did not see one.

My family went here spring break of 2021. Very nice to see all the different animals. Loved that they come close to your car so that you can feed them. The main animals that we really wanted to see were far off from road which was a bummer. Park was kept very nice and clean.

My wife and I were, believe it or not, on a romantic weekend, staying in Glen Rose. If you go to Glen Rose, romantic or otherwise, you need to do this. We drove up in the afternoon, but since it was pretty much off season (apparently it's not a big attraction around Valentine's Day), the parking area was pretty empty.

We purchased entries for each of us and a bag of food (you need to buy the food). From there, you drive the 7.5 mile track, which can take 90 minutes or more, although we did it in less than an hour.

You drive through a series of gates. The animals wander up to the car--they know the drill, and many of them hang at the gates, knowing the rolling food dispensers (i.e. visitors in cars) will come through at regular intervals.

What keeps your speed down is the caravan of cars, which stop to feed the animals, which wander out onto the two lane road.

At the halfway point up on a bluff there is a gift shop, restaurant (with a nice overlook) and picnic area to stop and get out and stretch. We got back in the car and drove down the hill to the top attraction, the giraffes.

They are the one animal where it is allowed to eat out of your hand (you're not supposed to with any others), and they come right up and do.

Overall, it was a fun activity. I would caution you about the ostriches. They are surly and prone to nipping unsuspecting visitors.

If you are in the area, you are probably here to see Fossil Rim anyway. Go.

This is a wonderful place to visit no matter what your circumstances are:
Got kids? They'll be goggle-eyed getting to see so many animals up so close.
A couple? Rent one of the cabins and stay all night. Sit out and watch the animals in your 'front yard'.
In any case, if possible, spring for one of the personal guided tours. You get to go lots of places the 'drive-through' tourists don't see. The guides are great and just full of stories about both the animals and the facility.

I went with family and we chose the self guided tour. $30 a person rather than one charge for a vehicle. If you take the guided tour is't $40 a person- children included since they take up a seat. SOOO not a very affordable excursion. You do get 1 free cone of feed per 5 people. Now you are at the mercy of the car in front of you. If they decide to sit and block the road for 20 minutes- not much you can do. After a couple hours the excitement wanes and you just want to get out of there. They do have a very small children's animal area, where they can touch goats. So be informed if it's something you're willing to lay out $$$ for.

As others have said, spring for the guided tour. If you aren't very careful, you will learn something! It also includes a giraffe feeding, and the giraffes are cool with selfies! Our tour guide Jenna was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

Please be aware of their policy if you are not able to go the day you scheduled. " No refunds. Self-guided drives can be rescheduled up to 24 hours in advance once without a fee. You will be charged for any subsequent reschedules."
We ended up calling to advise the park to free up the space that we had reserved as we had a family issue and would not be able to make it but would like to in the future. We were told that we had a week to re-schedule but missed that time and when we called to re-schedule, we were told that our order was cancelled and that it was their policy. We understand a no refund policy and would have loved to re-schedule and take our children. Re-scheduling, especially calling to tell them that we would not be able to attend to allow them to free up the time so they can accommodate and make money, you would think that they would have better customer service and have accommodated us as they lose nothing monetarily. Instead of a good review and good word of mouth advertising, they lost us as visitors and anyone that we would have recommended the park. A recommendation would be to update the policy to be more detailed as it reads one way but was explained differently over the phone in reference to "having a week to reschedule". It would also be recommended to have a more accommodating policy.

You'll see lots of beautiful and funny animals when you tour Fossil Rim. Half way through the drive, you'll want to stretch your legs at the Overlook. In the gift shop there is a wide selection of souvenirs--from art to T-shirts. The Overlook is also a good place to get a snack and visit the restrooms. My husband and I particularly enjoyed the children's area. The Overlook is the ONLY point in the tour for you to get out of your car.

Driving through the park is wonderful and I highly recommend it, but adding a Behind the Scenes tour completes the experience. Even though we knew the original purpose of FR was to pioneer in-captivity breeding of endangered cheetahs, we discovered the place does far more than we ever imagined. FR has teams dedicated to helping save endangered species through its world-recognized breeding programs. If I tried to write even half of what they do, it would not only be too long, but would sound a bit like a lecture.

Our tour guides, Bill and Eileen, never once sounded like a lecture. They're exceptionally knowledgeable and delightful. We were fortunate to have them.

We stayed a night in a rustic Fossil Rim cabin. Even though the cabins are surrounded by animals, visitors are safe inside a 10 acre fenced area. (It's not near the driving tour part of the property.) The cabins are tiny, but that was absolutely no problem. We spent our awake time outside enjoying the experience, listening to and watching the animals. Each cabin has comfy porch chairs and its own picnic table. The setting under beautiful mature trees not far from a pond is peaceful and restful.

A tasty and filling breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30 and is included in the room rate.

With $98 membership fees, 2 people can keep going back every day for a year! And you get 4 free adult tickets for your friends!
This is not just a zoo to look at animals. They come to your car and eat from your hand!

Been here twice in my life now and do not recall being overly impressed. The park is spacious, but I think there is literally about 8 types of animals you can expect to see. Most of the two hours they tell you to expect to spend driving through it is due to the 15 mph speed limit and vast curvy road that eventually takes you to their gift shop and cafe which are at the midway point.

The giraffes were my favorite and they do tend to visit with the cars passing by since they know most likely they will be fed. On that note, they allow each vehicle to purchase just 1 bag of food to feed the animals. We spent the $7 and made the bag last all the way through the park. Instead of charging one flat rate per vehicle, they charge $22.95 per adult in the car, with the children's rate and military rate cheaper. AAA card holders also get 10% off. Still, the admission seems high for what you get to see.

We’d done the car tours before, but this was our first time on a guided tour. Loved it! Sarah was our guide and you’d never guess she’s a volunteer. Knowledgeable, great rapport with the guests and just a blast to be around. And she delivered when it came to find the giraffes. All in all, a fantastic way to learn about the animals and see them up close in their natural habitat.

We come here every couple years from the east coast to spend the day watching their amazing animals. The Adventure Tour is a not cheap but the narrative from Trich, our guide for the day) and the behind the scenes visits are worth every penny. No two trips here are the same and this was no exception -- it was cold (40-ish and light showers off and on all day) but the animal loved the change in weather. All of them were quite active and very playful. There was a cheetah mom romping with her 5 (yes, five) cubs, a male giraffe trying to hide in the trees (but he was taller than most of the trees), antelope running playfully about. Gray wolves coming to see who we were.

We don't generally see this behavior in the warmer weather. Great trip and we will be back in a year or two.

Wasn’t sure what to expect, but what a great time. Had a 2 yr.old and a 5 yr.old that really had a blast seeing and feeding all the animals! We choose to do the self guided tour in our own vehicle vs. their open air vehicle. The facility is nice and well maintained with paved roads, store, bathrooms and cafe! Staff was very helpful and polite. The kids petting zoo could have used a few more animals for the kids to chase around and take pictures with as there was 4 goats and 1 lamb the day we were there. A great way to spend the afternoon. Plan on being there at least 2 - 3 hours at a minimum!

Really cool park. be patient so you get to see the giraffes. Be careful of the ostrich, he pecked our 3 year old.

They had WAY too many cars in the park at one time. Mostly just sat in traffic for 3 hours, threw food at deer, and was unable to get close to any of the larger attractions like the giraffes. $110 for a family of 4, 1.5 hour drive there and a 1.5 hour drive back to sit in traffic and see some deer. We will not be back or ever recommend.

For my birthday we decided to do the backstage guided tour. Well worth the money. All of us loved the experience, the animals & the new information we learned. Ricky was an awesome tour guide. Really enjoyed all the information about breeding the different animals & trying to reintroduce them back into the wild. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

My son and I love animals and this was a perfect activity for us to do. Customer service was friendly and the animals were too.

This place is great! My teenagers 17&19 loved this! We encountered so many animals. Even the giraffes eat right out of your hands! We had tried to do guided tour but it was full. They recommend 3-4 day notice for that. Honestly it ended up being better on our own self guided tour. We had a blast.

This place is amazing! The opportunity to get close to wild life and enjoy their majestic presence and curious nature is unsurpassed! Must experience feeding the animals and enjoying their beauty and presence. The preservation work done there is commendable.

I can’t say enough good things about the guided tour. Our tour guide Tara was great. She was funny and did a great job of pointing out all of the different animals as well as interesting background stories. We went back and forth trying to decide between the guided tour and the self-guided tour. I’m glad we took the guided tour.

When we were in the US 8 years ago, we visited a drive-thru safari in Arizona called Bearizona, and loved it. When we were going to be driving from Waco to Dallas and saw this place we knew we had to visit.

Overall what a great experience. We arrive just before the 4.30pm cutoff, and spent a good 1.5 hours driving around. At the start we were worried the animals had gone to sleep or were grazing, as none were around. But a few more minutes in and we had animals coming up to the car and poking their heads thru our windows! Was cool to be able to hand feed the giraffes too.

The only disappointment is we got the halfway gift shop 10 minutes before it was meant to close, and the people working there had decided to close early, and refused to open so we could purchase mementos. But the lady at the front area was lovely. She opened up the shop down there and we were able to get a t-shirt for the wife.

We visited Fossil Rim during spring break. The weather was perfect, the animals were out, they came right up to the car. We were able to identify all of the animals on the brochure given to us at the entrance. We hand fed the giraffes.... overall a great day trip. It takes about 2 hrs to visit the park. We got there around 11, stopped midway at the Outlook Cafe for a snack and finished the last hour.

Visited with large group. Had the two hour driving tour on a couple of converted buses. Enjoyed seeing the animals up close.

Guided tour was worth the extra cost over driving it yourself. Knowledgeable guides told us about the animals and how to feed the different ones. Grandkids ages 7 and 9 loved it as did the adults. You also get plenty of feed, can stand up, and see the animals better. Cafe is pricey, but good food. Drinks in souvenir cups really upped the cost. Going early is best to see the animals more active.

I had to knock off a bubble for the eatery but I should have expected what I got. Everything else was top notch.

We have been here before, and we have seen many more animals come to the car for food than what we experienced Monday, March 9, 2020. We paid $85 for a 2 hour trip where we drove our car. We came back with almost all of our animal feed bag. We only had 3 groups of animals come up near the car to feed. The zebras, giraffes, emus, ostrich, and deer would not even move out of the grass/trees to come near the road. We arrived around 945am. This is an amazing place, and we have enjoyed it in the past. However, this time, our money just went clearly as a donation.

Me and my husband decided to drive a little over an hour south of Dallas to come see Fossil Rim! I’ve seen reviews and had friends tell me how much they loved it! I was so excited to partake in this outing! When we got there, you check in and pay and get your bag of feed... we opted to drive through ourselves which was pretty leisurely! As we circled about we saw all kinds of animals! I love communing with nature and all she has to offer! The animals know that when cars are coming, it’s chow time! At the halfway mark, there’s a place to stop for food/drink and bathrooms! If you just want to travel not far, this is the place! Definitely a must see attraction!

My husband and I chose Fossil Rim as a 2 day get away on our 38th wedding anniversary. So glad we did. We stayed at the lodge in the Parrot room. The place is nestled in the Texas landscape and we enjoyed some beautiful views. The lodge itself was lovely.
We did one self drive through and one behind the scenes tour. Such a wonderful experience. Took some amazing photos and learned so much, thanks to our fantastic tour guide. All the staff were friendly and helpful.
Can't wait to take the children and grandchildren there the next time around.

We visited Fossil rim on Saturday last week. We had booked the drive tour & it was worth it. Our guide was Kathleen W who was very informative & friendly.Hats off to her !!!We could feed the giraffes, see the sleeping cheetahs, learn about different deers & about rhinos. We enjoyed it & it was rewarding experience . It was peaceful & day away from all the gadgets & screens was what we wanted....We'll be visiting again shortly.

Get up close and personal as you drive through the game park and offer feed to many animals. The geography resembles east Africa and it is easy to imagine that is where you are as you see giraffes in the distance.

We did Behind the scenes tour and were really pleased! It was fun educational and entertaining. If you want to see animal up close, this is the way to do it!

Waooh, what a great place to be . The place looks amazing. The guide was understanding and very accommodating in his ways of doing his guide job. We had a driver taking us through in a comfortable way.

I was amazed by the overwhelming amount of fantastic reviews, but our experience was inline with the 1 and 2 star reviews. Very few animals came to the car -- deer primarily. Some others could be seen far in the distance. Others -- the big draws such as giraffes -- were not seen. Traffic jams were continual with one particular vehicle taking 15 minutes each time a deer approached his vehicle. People finally started passing him. I don't know how the park would prevent this, BUT several park vehicles also passed us and could have easily asked the offending vehicle to move on and/or pause for just a few minutes so others could have the same opportunity. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say do the drive-through early. We did 4pm and, perhaps, the animals were well fed by that time. Just a guess! (PS: If park knows this occurs, they should sell tickets at a discounted price as we certainly found little value in this experience.)

We are so glad we took the guided tour. Will was an excellent tour guide, very personable and knowledgeable. He gave us great information on every animal we came across, and he said we did see all of the animals this morning. If we had driven our own vehicle, we would have wondered what most of the animals were. It was absolutely worth every penny of the cost, and I would recommend it to everyone. Loved the tour !!!

This is an absolute must see and will not disappoint! We’ve been to many animal attractions, but this may be one of the best! Where else can you stay in your car and have giraffes come up to your window to be hand fed?!

We drove to Fossil Rim from Granbury which is about 16 miles or so away. An easy drive.

They have senior discounts and other discounts such as AAA. The visitor center in Granbury has $5 off coupons for Fossil Rim. To drive through for 2 seniors and one adult it was $60, with AAA discount.

The drive through the area is interesting and the road and area are well maintained. Be sure and buy a bag of animal feed, $7 a bag. The animals were active the day we were there, and lots of them were near the road. The animals all look healthy and there were several young animals. There is a gift shop and cafe at the half way point in the drive. Nice views of the area. Not much in the gift shop other than t-shirts and sovereigns. Trip though the area was about an hour or so, depending on the time you spend feeding the animals, you must stay in your car.

Was not crowded the day we were there, a Thursday.

I think young children would enjoy the drive.

A lovely day time attraction for solo, friends and family. Animals roam freely in the wild. Some may approach vehicle. Annual memberships are available starting at 79.00 for one or 189.00 for four with special member only events included throughout the year. Normal daily price per person is 25.00 per person. Bag of food is 7.95. Only allowed one bag of food purchase per vehicle. Only Members can purchase 2 bags. Great place for first dates and family outings.

This was my second time to FRWC. The first was us driving our vehicle through the park, this time we took the guided Behind the Scenes Tour. Our driver/guide was Will and he was excellent in all ways, making sure we were able to see everything possible and telling us interesting info on everrything. It was easy to tell he is passionate and knowledgeable about his job. The animals all looked well-cared for and there was a nice variety. I recommend a visit and it's best if you schedule one of the guided tours.

This is a solid four star attraction except it was overcrowded when we went and the staff could do more to control the long traffic backups. This attraction is extremely heavy in the deer like animals with cheetahs and rhinos at the end. Buy the feed bag at the beginning for the kids to feed the animals. The drive is beautiful too just for the scenery. Please use your manners. Don’t drive down the left lane and then cut off into the right lane just because you feel your time is more valuable than the people waiting in line

Fossil Rim is an international conservation wildlife center. You can drive through or take a guided tour along the paved road feeding the animals as you go (provided you have purchased the appropriate food from the front desk). The landscape is beautiful and the animals usually hungry and curious. There is also a children's animal center, gift shop and cafe. Accommodations are available at their lodge or safari camp, as well as in the town of Glen Rose. Dinosaur valley state park and dinosaur world are near by. No pets are allowed in the park.

This was our second time to Fossil Rim. The first time we drove our own car. This time we did the guided tour. Both ways are great for kids but I would recommend doing the guided tour if possible. The guide (Katie) was very good. Instead of just looking at the animals, you know what they are and information concerning them. We were able to drive right up to the giraffe herd instead of hoping one comes up to the road. We were also able to feed the ostrich right at the bus edge. The park was busy on 7/5 but when there was a backup we were able to take private park roads to get around the backups. Food Is provided on the bus. Don’t buy the bigger cup they offer. If you are a AAA member, bring your card. The price may seem high but it helps support the nonprofit sanctuary.

Yes We went it was Great!! Great Encounters with the Animals. It was worth the hour and a half drive to get there!!

Loved the giraffes. They were my favorite. One bag of food goes very fast. The rhinos were cool too. Clean bathrooms. Next time I will try the tour.

A great time was had by all. You can feed a lot of the animals, they come to the car and even block the road. Very nice layout, most animals free to roam. A natural environment for them.

We had family with middle schoolers visiting. Fossil Rim was high on our list of places to take them. We made sure to keep the schedule flexible so we could pick the coolest day of their week. It was overcast and occasionally misty, PERFECT! When it’s sunny and 95+ the animals are smart enough to spend more time in the shade and be less active. It’s also a good idea to arrive as early as possible. Again, the animals are more active.

In this wildlife center you stay in your car and drive through. Having a sun roof is a big bonus! Be sure to buy animal food at the entrance. Maybe 2 bags. You can’t buy more, even at the gift shop/restaurant/petting barn at the top of the hill. Also get the pamphlet with pictures of all the animals (free). You’ll need it to ID the animals.

They tell you to only feed the giraffe out of your hand. That is very had to do. They have all learned to stick their heads into the car and take the treats from your hand. Kids under 6 might be a little intimidated and be happier watching you do the feeding. If you don’t want to get up close and personal, keep the windows up halfway and toss the treats away from your car.
Bring hand sanitizer!

The giraffe are the stars of the show, especially the babies. They are extremely gentle and can be hand fed by anyone. Be sure to save treats for them. It’s fun to stand in the sun roof and have them come right to you. Two pointers: 1. A human adult should hold the bag inside. The giraffe adults will take the whole thing if you aren’t careful. 2. Mind your hats. They reach through the sun roof to take them off your head!

I was sad to learn that all the zebras have been relocated. They had become too aggressive and too smart about getting their treats.

Be sure to sit on the deck of the restaurant. Looking over the vista is beautiful! I suggest you allow 3-4 hours for this adventure.

The lady at the ticket desk was extremely rude. We were interested in the tour but she looked at me and said “if you didn’t book online, you won’t do the tour for days!” Uhhh, ok! I would NEVER go back just because of her! Perhaps she should get a job elsewhere. We took our grandson (our first out of town trip with him ever) and we had no idea that we should have booked the tour online. We drove through the park and it was fun. I just hate that she ruined our mood!

We took our 4 y/o granddaughter here for the day. We made reservations in advance and scheduled a 10:00 tour due to heat. We chose to ride the trolly so that we’d have a driver with knowledge for narrative. Rick,our driver was friendly, knowledgable and entertaining. Our granddaughter had a great time watching and feeding the different animals. Of course everyone’s favorite were the giraffes that could be hand fed. The tour was right at 2 hours. We then went to the visitor center/store/petting center.

Fossil Rim is doing a job helping endangered species. It takes very good care of these animals and allows them to roam in a habitat they’re use to.

We had taken our grandsons here about 7 years ago when they were 10 and 7, they also enjoyed it. We’ll go back.

We paid for the safari tour so we could ride instead of drive. Our guide was amazing! They know lots of information about the park's history and the animals... you wouldn't get the same experience driving through yourself. Thanks for a fun afternoon!

My only complaint was trying to get to the location where the tours leave from... we had to pass a lot of really angry cars waiting in line to get into the drive-through area, and the road is too narrow for passing safely. Really need an alternate entry for that area.

Luckily, we had so much fun that we forgot all about our near-death experience trying to get there. lol

The most exciting adventure & learning experience ever. Tour close up with knowledgeable and guides.

Very pleasant. Would like to have had a little more feed for all the animals we encountered. Good experience for kids and adults.

We have been here several time. Each visit gets better. You can purchase food to feed the animals. Don't get in a hurry. Enjoy the surroundings. An awesome place for the kids. We have taken Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. They all enjoyed the visit.

This was such a sweet surprise for our family. It was hard to tell what to expect, but the experience was wonderful! We really only needed the one bag of food for our family.

We have two girls in the back but they didn't want to feed the entire drive through the park.

Total time in the park was about 2 hours driving through, stopping at the animal center (no eating), and then getting back on the path to exit.

So much fun seeing all the animals and definitely with it going in March when the weather was cooler. We had all our windows down the entire time and it was lovely!

This was such a great park to see animals in a natural setting. The area is hilly and the exotic antelopes and gazelles are all around.

My family went to the dinosaur valley state park during our spring break. Kids loved it! The staff were helpful and friendly.

Giraffe coming up to the vehicle, adorable creatures!
The drive through the park is relaxing and scenic.

We loved our time at Fossil Rim, getting to see giraffes, zebras, rhinos, all kinds of exotic deer and goats up close! The giraffes ate out of our hands! We even got to see a Cheetah! The ranch is beautiful, and it's obvious that these people have a passion for preservation.

Another stunning visit to Fossil Rim! We visited on a sunny weekday in October and the trees were all colors and the animals were friendly and plentiful. Our favorites were the large family of giraffes that visited our vehicle and ate from all hands! They were so majestic and gentle and of course the baby giraffe was adorable! Many other animals were roaming the acres, the petting zoo had fun goats that love to be brushed and a nice picnic area was the perfect spot for lunch. The cheetahs were another favorite but you have to search closely in the clumps of trees because they can be well camouflaged and you won’t realize how many there are!

We took our 3 year old here! Now this place is really awesome! All the animals walk right up to car to eat! So be sure to buy the bags of food at entrance!

Visited Fossil Rim the other day and had an enjoyable morning. The ride through the property takes about 1.5 hours. We arrived early in the morning and there were very few customers in front us. We enjoyed the scenic views views along with all of the wildlife walking up to our vehicle. This is a neat place - kids would have a great time.

This is a stunning, well kept part of Texas. Rolling hills and water holes. You can drive though or take a tour on a safari vehicle. When you check in you get a bag of food to feed the various animals. Including giraffe that come right up to you.

There is a nice childrens center as well as a gift shop. I would only go to the cafe to get a drink or an ice cream because the view is amazing but the food was terrible. And they are infested with yellow jackets.

We had a fabulous time! We had a two car caravan with all ages ranging from kindergarten to seniors and everyone loved the experience! We stayed in Glen Rose the night before, so we could get an early start at the park while the animals were fresh and hungry, and the traffic was very light! We only had one vehicle pass us the whole time we were there! We were able to spend a lot of time with the zebras and giraffes, which were the highlight of our trip! The property is beautiful and located at the start of Hill Country. The roads are laid out well, and there are plenty of animals to see and feed! If you are the type to get freaked out if an ostrich starts pecking at your vehicle, or a zebra rubs its head on your side view mirror, this is not the place for you! (You have to sign a waiver relieving them from all damages and liability before you can enter). The total drive took a little over 2 hours with a restroom, gift shop and petting zoo at the half way point. There are not any other restrooms, other than where you purchase tickets, so plan accordingly. Bring water/snacks for your kiddos! I’ve been told on a busy day at peak time, the drive can take four hours due to traffic in the park, so an early start is worthwhile. Highly recommend!

We recently came back to see if/how the place has changed since our last visit 19 years ago. There's places to stay overnight in the park now and the animals are still here and that's the big draw. Our trip really brought back special memories for my wife and I as we were married here in the Overlook Cafe during a gorgeous sunset over 28 years ago!

We took the guided tour and luckily it was only our family in the vehicle. Our guide was David Jusievoich. David is knowledgeable and friendly and he made the tour fun and interesting for us and for our young kids. We learned about the animals, fossil rim history and got to feed tbe animals, which was a nice and unforgettable experience.
I recommend to take the guided tour (with David if he's available). I think it is worth the price because you get so much comparing to drive your own car. You also get to drive on roads that private vehicles are not allowed.
It was one of our favorite things to do in our trip to Texas.
Thank you David for such an amazing tour!!!

My family and I have been to several wildlife centers and this is one of our favorites. You can easily spend 3 hours there. My advice is that you arrive early. Otherwise, you will be stuck behind other drivers who take their sweet time and create a traffic jam. They have a gift shop, a petting and a small place to get some snacks. DON'T get out of your car and beware of the ostrich's. It's a beautiful drive and worth every penny.

This is a drive-thru wildlife center. Your vehicle MUST have solid doors. You can purchase pelleted food to feed to the animals. The guided tour is worth the extra expense.

Super idea. Excellent animal park. Hundreds of animals. The Cheetahs with her kittens were the highlight. So glad we came. All the animals were close to the cars with few exceptions.

What a great place! Angela took us on a great tour with our teenage grandkids. The cheetahs and rhinos were really special. But the highlight was feeding the giraffe. Good gift shop with reasonable prices.

We did the drive yourself tour and it was fantastic. We went in the morning and the animals were very active and hungry. There were four of us and we are all adults and loved it! Would highly recommend it!

We decided to take the safari tour instead of driving ourselves and we were so glad we did! Our tour guide talked about the history of the safari as we were driving through. She also gave us information about the different animals that we encountered. We went when it was pretty chilly and there were still plenty of animals to see. The safari tour can also drive through places that you can't and they don't have to wait behind the line of cars so I think it's worth taking the tour. We'll definitely be back!

We stayed the night in Glen Rose so we could be up early and first in the park and we were! In the heat we were having, early morning is best and also they are feeding the animals right on one side of the road so we had the best view up close and personal encounters we have ever had here at Fossil Rim. Outstanding!
We had such a fabulous morning and really took our time driving around.
If you ave not been here yet....go and go early in the summer!
Fun, fun, fun....love all the animals.
They take such great care of them all.d

We come here every year on our summer loop around to our favorites and it never disappoints! The littles love the animals and the dig which they save their treasures from every trip. I love the way our kids don’t complain about our no screen rule during camping!

Fossil Rim Wildlife has a few options to choose from. You can do a tour (schedule 3 days before hand is best & you can choose from a few different tour options) or drive thru yourself. I found the price good and comparable to other safaris that I have visited. I visited in March and the temp was great. All the animals were out wondering & ready to be fed. I opted for a tour, having a rented vechile I didn't want to chance it & with a guide there is more places to see. The tour guide that did our tour was named Taylor. She was great! She had alot of good info along with a great sense of humor. Be sure to be there early if you are doing a tour. It is at another location down the road which is about 5 mins from the original safari entrance (if you use google to find this safari). However, they do give you good directions and it is easy to find with clearly marked signs and a map.

I had a wonderful time visiting Fossil Ridge. I was able to do the Behind the Scenes early morning tour which was fantastic.

We didn’t eat at the café, but we did visit the petting zoo area which was nice. I liked the facts that were displayed everywhere.

If Fossil Rim has the staff and opportunity, I’d recommend renting/selling audio guides for drivers to learn about the animals at & other efforts/initiatives of the center.

Great place to take the kids, we got the season family pass which allows for guests to join you. Great value, as we live close. Great petting zoo for the wee ones.

Such a great animal interaction experience! We fed giraffes, elk, ostriches, deer all BY HAND! Great experience, beautiful views. Definitely recommend.

Really wanted to sign up for the tour, but they were completely sold out. So I suggest if you want to do the tour book early!! With that said we decided to try the drive ourselves option, and it was awesome!! The animals are very eager to interact with you, and my son loved seeing them up-close. We loved that they also had a half way point were we could stretch our legs. They have a adorable gift shop, and a really neat petting zoo. My only cons were they only gave 1 bag of food per car with no option of buying more, and that the giraffes wanted nothing to do with us lol!! But you could clearly see where the tour was able to drive thru (much closer than the main road) to be able to interact with them. If and when we were return we’ll be sure to book a tour early.

Such an amazing place! I am a lifelong, born and raised Texan and never knew of this place until recently. Beautiful and well kept with so many animals. Well worth the trip here to see it. We were able to hand feed a giraffe which was so awesome. This is hands down the best wildlife park we've ever been to!

Our toddlers love this. Have taken them several times. Will take them every chance we get. Great place.

We’ve been here before and it never disappoints. My children love getting the bag of feed and getting to throw the food to the animals. There’s a good variety of animals here and they are used to humans so they come real close to the vehicles. It’s quite a drive around the park so make sure to not have an almost empty tank. Also make sure to have your camera ready for all the pictures.

We have been here a few times & each trip is a fun adventure for the family. The kids enjoyed the trip & feeding the animals just as much as the grandparents did.

We had a great time today! Loved feeding the giraffes! Scenery was gorgeous! Everyone loved the experience!

Incredible for the family. My kids enjoyed it and got to feed a myriad of animals including giraffes. I’d recommend doing the tour in your own car to benefit from the A/C periodically but thats just me. Overall great experience. Highly recommend and would do it again if I’m ever back.

Our SUV has a moonroof, which I never wanted. At Fossil Rim we discovered it's a great plus: giraffes stuck their heads through to get food. We (grandparents and 6 year old) had a great experience in feeding the animals. We went one day, then returned the next morning for free. Can't beat that! One day the giraffes and zebras were eager eaters. The next day, they ate nothing. We recommend going two days for that reason, and also go early when it's cooler and the animals are more hungry.

I have been here over and over again!! That's how much I love it!!! To be able to drive in the animals territory and hand feed them is amazing!!! You can actually take as long as you want with each species that you like!!! Just roll down you window of your own and feed them!! Yes you read it correctly I said your own window of your car. This safari does provide tours on their vehicles but you also have the option to drive your own!! Its very safe for you and your family and friends so don't freak out!! Prices are per person in the car so it can get quite expensive unless you have a big group to get a discounted price. You also get discounts for being with Tripple AAA, military, and seniors...

A great visit exceeding my expectation. Definitely enjoyed!

It was the Thanksgiving week, and weather was a bit cold and windy. Initially I was concerning a bit if animals will be hiding or not (since most appear to be from tropical area). We actually saw a lot, and I was told Oct & Nov are probably among the best time to visit!

We took the guided tour, and enjoy the tour through out. We got to see lots of animal in close range, and learnt quite a bit from the tour guide. The most favorite parts include feeding giraffe and ostrich, and watching two black bucks headbutting each other for 5 mins!

If you're thinking of visiting, you may need to plan at least one or two weeks ahead, as they only have 4 (?) guided tours each day, and each tour can only takes up to 20 persons.

Wow! What an awesome experience! We called a day ahead to reserve a spot and they told us that the tours were fully booked for that day and the following day, but we could do a tour in our own car. The cars have to stay on the paved roads whereas the tour jeep-trucks take detours on the gravel roads and see more PLUS you get to hear all the history and interesting facts about the animals. BUT don’t give up!!! We showed up the next day right after they opened with high hopes that somebody wouldn’t show or had cancelled. When to our delight they had scheduled an additional tour that morning and we were the first two on it! The tour ended up being full.. so try again if at first you don’t succeed, because you never know! Our tour guide, David J. Was a wealth of knowledge, humorously fun, and interesting. It was well worth the price, even if you don’t do anything else in this area, save your pennies and go on this unforgettable wildlife tour. The next time we go, We will Definitely do the more intense, in-depth tour that goes even further behind the scenes and shows you the extinct animals there onsite.

So much fun. I think this is better then the zoo. The animals come right up to the car. Make sure you get a bag of food. They sell it before you go in. We spent three hours there. We will definitely be back.

Our daughter-in-law arranged a family outing thanksgiving weekend, and this was one of the places she picked. It was a nice drive through the country to get there from the Dallas area where we have family. 1,800 acres of a well maintained wildlife reserve with giraffes, wilderbeasts, and much more. We road through the place in an open air bus with David our driver and guide. That’s the best way to see this wonderful place. We highly recommend a drive in the country and a 3 hour tour. Great for all ages. Thanks to the people who manage and operate Fossil Rim.

Have been to Fossil Rim several times in the past 25 years. Nice drive through park where you get up close to the animals. I was able to board my dog at a local vet since they are not allowed to come through the park in your vehicle. I wish they had their own kennel at the entrance. I wonder how many people traveling through the area with their pets don't go since pets are not allowed.

My friend loves giraffes, so for her birthday she and I drove out from Dallas to take a tour and hopefully spend some time with giraffes. We chose to take the first tour of the day on a weekday (not the 8:30 early bird tour, but the first "normal" tour). We were the only ones on our tour. Our guide (Rick! You were the best!) was fantastic: entertaining and education, clearly loves the animals and also wanted us to get the best experience possible.

We got to spend a little extra time with the giraffes who were happy to meet us & several of them spent several minutes with us. We got lucky with good weather, but in general I think that if you specifically want to see giraffes then an early morning weekday tour is probably your best bet!

I've been to a similar center in another state that is not an AZA facility, and Fossil Rim tops it. By far. AZA is the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and it is the accreditation organization for proper zoos & aquariums in the US. If you want assurance that the animals are properly cared for, that you will be (relatively) safe (there's always SOME risk when you are around wild animals, always.), and that the facility actually works towards conservation and education -- and isn't just a money-making scheme, "roadside attraction", or animal hoarder situation -- then look for AZA accreditation/certification.

The petting zoo/children's area was cute, clean and worth a stop. Friendly pig, calm goats (but I do recommend that parents watch their kids carefully around the sheep and move on from him rather quickly)

We went in the morning and the animals were very active! Loved how they came right up to the car and put their heads in the window. Excellent day! Cafe provided good food that was reasonably priced.

My whole family LOVED this! We did the self-guided tour where you drive your own car. We have a Dallas Zoo membership, so it was half-price! If you go, though, go EARLY! The line of cars just to get onto the property to buy tickets was almost a mile long when we left around 1 pm! So pretty and so much fun!

This place is amazing! We really enjoyed this family trip. Animals roam around freely. They will approached you and you can feed them. It's $25 dollars per person and they will allowed you to buy a $7 dollar bag of food per car. If you have a truck they will allowed you to sit on the back. If you are a nature/animal lover you will not regret visiting this place. 2-3 hours on site. You can also pay extra for a guided tour if you want to learn more about the animlas

We chose to drive ourselves since we hadn’t made reservations in advance. We were in two cars with four adults and four children.

The children absolutely loved it! The giraffes stole the spotlight but the other animals were beautiful and added to the experience.
Definitely worth a trip.

My son and I took a Safari Tour at 11:00 am on a Wednesday during spring break. It was sunny sound 60 degree and very windy. We spent 5 hours here in total and it was AMAZING. There were tons of animals to see up close (even some babies!) and the guides were very knowledgeable. You don’t hand feed most animals just toss them food when they come up to the bus. My son did get to hand feed the giraffes and they had us line up pellets on the side of the bus for the ostrich to eat inches away. He loved it!

We were provided a plastic cup filled with food. They give you more than you need so don’t worry too much about using it all up, my 10 year old didn’t use all of his and I hardly used any of mine (was too busy taking photos!) At the half way point you get off at the overlook where you can eat, shop and go to the petting pen (lots of friendly goats!). We took our time here and didn’t feel rushed as the busses came every 30 min. One was leaving just when we were ready to go back, but there was a guide at the bus loading station who was a wealth of knowledge and kept us entertained while we waited. We got a new cup of food on the way down.

I must say this was worth every penny! Getting a tour was great cause you don’t have to worry about driving and you learn so much from the guides. The guides can go off road too to get closer or navigate around traffic jams. It was run very well and I would recommend it to all ages. We will be bringing visitors here for sure!

This was a spontaneous destination on our trip south, and it was not a disappointment.
Our girls are just under 2 and loved most of the experience - they were ready to nap towards the end of the drive.
Great variety of animals. Really nice layout. Nice facilities at the beginning and halfway points.
Sad the giraffes moved to the other side both times we drove by, but the whole experience was awesome.

Great way to spend a day. Lots of animals in a lovely setting. Allow time to go slowly through the park.

What a fun way to spend a couple of hours! This drive-thru park offers you a chance to see and feed wildlife from your car. The animals are used to people, so they approach your vehicle gently and patiently wait for you to drop feed on the ground. (Except girraffe. It literally stuck its whole head in our car and ate the entire feed bag!!) Perfect place for pictures and a slow, lazy drive looking at animals.

A little on the pricey side but it is what you make it. You can drive straight though or sit and watch the animals for hours (just stay in your car) We had a great time watching and feeding the animals

Our family has had Fossil Rim on list of places to visit for some time so we finally visited this weekend. The tour was sold out so we did the standard vehicle tour which took us 2 hours. FR has a nice selection of animals and we saw them all. Make sure to bring your AAA card for a discount. The Cheetah exhibit goes by pretty quick so next time we will circle around and see it 2x. Good option if you are visiting The Glen Rose area. Rough Creek Lodge is a great but pricey option nearby.

Being so close to wild life is really nice. All of the animals seemed very tame.

My family and I went to the wildlife center and thoroughly enjoyed driving through the park. It has lots of animals throughout the park that you can see either close up or relatively close. With current social distancing guidelines you must reserve a time slot, but can set your own pace going through it. The children’s center was closed and that was the main drawback and you need to anticipate using ports potties at the entrance and the overlook (midway) if that’s an issue with your kids or small bladder adults. The gift shop was open and you could do the overlook from there. Animal feed was included in our admission so we were able to get close to many of the animals. Definitely recommend the hike to Glen Rose for this one.

Our kids are older, so we were able to take the early bird behind-the-scenes tour. Rick, our guide, was very personable. He answered our questions, and worked hard to make sure we saw as many animals on the tour as possible. We were fortunate to go into the IMA to see the Gray Wolf, Black-Footed Cat, cheetah, and the Red Wolf. After a short bathroom break, we drove through the main park where we fed giraffes, emus, oryx, ostriches, and deer. The weather was pretty good for Texas, with a nice breeze to keep us cool. Rick made sure we had plenty of opportunity to stop and take pictures, and we never felt rushed. If you can swing it, I really recommend doing a guided tour over the drive through in your own car. The guides have so much knowlege and are there to answer any questions you have. Plus, you can just relax and enjoy the trip instead of worrying about your car. This is way better than a traditional zoo....animals are free to roam and live out their lives on beautiful land with dedicated caregivers to make sure they stay healthy. If you love animals, I think you will really enjoy this experience!

OK, you can save a few bucks by driving your own car through the wildlife center. Don't do it!. We took our daughter and her family on the guided tour and we all had a marvelous time. To begin with the tour drivers can go places you can't get to in your car. Also, they are talking by radio and know where the animals are hanging out at any given time. Plus they are extremely knowledgeable about Fossil Rim and the animals. We learned a lot about the various species. The highlight was feeding lettuce to the giraffes. They are so gentle that even our 3-year old granddaughter fed them safely. at $39.95 a person, it is a little pricey. Despite initial skepticism, we found this to be a remarkable value. We plan on returning with our son's family.

My family had so much fun here. We LOVED feeding the giraffes and zebras as well as all the other animals. Lots to see and feed. We used all our food before getting to the giraffes, so save some for them. There is a half way point were you can get out of vehicle with a petting zoo area, cafe for food, and a gift shop where you can purchase more food and bathrooms. We were able to feed a few more giraffes, and could do the giraffe circle again if wanted to. It took us 2.5-3 hrs to complete it all. We got there at 1:30pm and still lots of animals to feed. I would definitely go back here again.