TGR Exotics Wildlife Park Reviews

This is a fun place for both kids and adults. They have a variety of animals and the best part is you can actually pet some of them.

It was such a surprise to find TGR Wildlife park smack-dab in the middle of a suburban housing development. We had a great time getting close to animals that one can only see from afar in zoos. They do important work here, breeding exotic or endangered animals and rescuing animals from neglect or abuse. My son shook hands with a hyena, pet a porcupine, and see sloths close up! Our tour guide, Ian, was friendly and informative as well. Do not miss TGR Exotics!

We had a great time! We did the animal enrichment tour. Each of us got to fill a bag or box with animal friendly items and then we each drew a card with an animal's name on it. As we visited the animal with the name on your card, you got to give your bag to the animal. This meant that the animals anticipated goodies and came out where you could see them. And you got to see them enjoying what you made. There were more and a better variety of animals than I expected. The tour guides were knowledgeable and approachable. There were about 15-20 people in our tour which was about the right size and it lasted about 2 hours. There is some poo on the ground from the free roaming animals and some of the paths are gravel so wear appropriate shoes. The zoo is only open via tour so you must sign up in advance but was easy to do online. My kids and I look forward to going again in the future! Loved being able to get up close to anteater and sloths.

Fantastic experience A++++++! We booked a Sunday 9am basic tour which was nice since most of the animals were being fed breakfast and were out and about and ready to socialize. We saw wolves, giant tortoises, pigs, goats, vultures, birds, monkeys, an otter, porcupine, muntjac deer, a lynx, caracal, brown bears, aardvarks, hyenas, buffalos and most importantly capybaras. My family LOVES capybaras and we have been looking for a place where we can encounter with them. For an add on fee of $50 per person for fifteen minutes you can feed Finn and Gill and give them belly rubs. It was the best part of the day. I highly recommend TGR and the staff was so nice and knowledgeable. Our tour guide, I wish I could remember his name was awesome and could answer every question we asked. Sara was also very knowledgeable during our encounter and you could tell how much she cared for Finn and Gill. The animals are very well taken care of and loved. We have told all of our friends and they are so excited to book their tour and see the Capys.

If you're tired of going to the zoo where 80% of the animals are sleeping, this is the place for you! The excellent tour guide often interacts with the animals and gives them treats, so they are extremely active when the tour group comes around, making for a far more fun experience. Just an amazing collection. Hurry if you want to catch the adorable baby porcupines before they grow up! IMPORTANT NOTE: you can't just show up - you have to have reservations through the website.

We went on the basic tour and it was awesome. Our guide, Gavin, was amazing. He was kind, friendly and very knowledgeable. We were able to take photos and interact with some species. The park is well maintained and all the animals seem happy, healthy and well cared for. I want to go back an experience everything this wonderful place has to offer!! Can't wait to return!

Gwen is awesome she coordinated with me on a level beyond expected. This was a Christmas gift for my wife. We had the place for ourselves for 2hrs. Our guide Danielle was very knowledgeable about all the animals and was very friendly. The experience of feeding and holding some of the animals was something that will always be remembered and talked about.

I went here during October, expecting lots of animals for my toddler to see and pet. There was a large field with several friendly pigs and goats....that was fun. Then we went into the fenced in area and I was expecting "lots" of animals but there was a small kangaroo which was quite approachable, and a cat. That was it. Once we walked around the property, there was a turkey in a pen, and way, way on the other side of a large fenced in area, a llama (I guess) lying down and a small horse (I think...quite far away). The handlers brought out different animals for the kids to look at, and it looked like there were some cages on the other side of the property, but since everyone I saw go over there just looked around as though there was nothing there and turned back, I didn't go check it out myself. Perhaps I misunderstood what to expect during that particular month. it was pleasant enough for an outing, but not at all the "better than any zoo" or particularly "amazing" place the other reviewers made it sound like. Honestly they wrote like people with a vested interest in the place. Was torn between rating it a 2 or a 3, but giving it the benefit of the doubt that I might have missed something. I also felt $7 was a bit high for what we experienced.

I have never seen cleaner or healthier animals! TGR was a wonderful place. My family had an awesome time. A great walk on this natural preserve where you get to meet and learn about many different animals. A great learning experience. We will return!

Great experience. We booked a birthday party for my son and all my guests had an amazing time. Great for kids and adult! Gwen was incredible with the kids, kept them entertained. All the staff was very helpful. I would highly recommend it!

We had a get experience during the reptile encounter. The staff was very knowledgeable and patient with the customers. We will definitely go back.

Recommend the tour. The kids loved seeing all the animals. Staff is also very nice. Great place to go.

My girls absolutely LOVE this camp!! They come every chance they get, including the night camps, and love every min of it! The camp instructor, Ms. Gwen, is just wonderful with the kids. She surrounds them with an awesome educational, creative, safe, and fun environment that keeps my kids wanting to come back for more!!!

Took my 4 & 2 year old boys and they LOVED it! The reptile encounter is definitely worth a try! The two guides definitely knew their knowledge on the reptiles! This was our 2nd time going and will most definitely be back. ☺️

Gwen and her team are excellent and the kids really get a hands on experience. My daughter has been attending camps and events at TGR for years now and has never been unhappy. Her Christmas list to Santa this year read and I quote " time at zoo camp."

This was an extraordinary experience. You can tell the caretakers really love their animals. Our kids (ages 5-12) were captivated and have been talking about it for days. Highly recommend the reptile encounter!

i take my High School Classes here on conservation field trips and we learn a lot about the animals. They have such a wonderful variety of species not the same old ones you always see like guinea pigs...they have Binturongs! and caracals and servals!

We loved the retile experience. The guides were very knowledgeable and kept us entertained. The animals are well taken care of and tame. I recommend this place to all and will be back!

We went for the Easter egg hunt and the whole family enjoyed it. The employees were excellent, knowledgeable and clearly enjoyed their job. This made the experience even better and we look forward to coming back for one of the "encounter" tours!

The private tour was amazing! A full two hours of up close time with really cool animals. We learned a ton in the process, too! My three 14 year olds who are not easily impressed these days were actually smiling and talked about it the whole drive home.

Park was awesome. Lots of interesting animals and the guided tour was very informative and educational. Animal living conditions looked very good and the animals were active. A very unique way to see animals up close. We did the 90 minute basic tour which was perfect with one toddler and 5 month old baby. Highly recommend. Other children on our tour appeared to have a great time.

We brought our 4-year old grandchildren to the Ultimate Reptile Encounter at TGR Exotics, and we could not have been more delighted with the experience. The kids were initially hesitant, but now are full-blown snake (and lizard) lovers! This is a fabulous learning experience for pretty much any age, and the guys who ran it were fantastic with the kids -- and with the grown ups! We are eager to return to explore the rest of this exotics wildlife park.

Nick was an excellent guide. Property is well maintained and animals are very well housed. Enjoyed seeing all the animals and where else can you pet an albino porcupine? My absolute favorite was Vinnie the pig. He fell asleep while I was rubbing his belly. Lol, would have loved to take him home with me. Highly recommend to all regardless of age.

Did a “behind the scenes” with Nicole. She was a good host, fun and knowledgeable. Large variety of animals on the property, which was clean and well maintained. They do seem committed to good enclosures with enrichment. Enjoyed all the animals, but, especially, the striped hyena and the otters. On the repeat list.

We went with our Scout troop, and we had a great time! The kids made an enrichment for the animals first thing. An enrichment is something fun for the animals. As we saw the animals and were informed about their habitat and life. The kids were able to share, "throw", their enrichment to the animals and we were able to watch the animals enjoy it.

I can not say enough good things about TGR EXOTICS!! Gwen was amazing with our granddaughter, and fun was had by all! We learned many things about the animals that we did not know. We did the Behind the Scenes tour and the Sloth Experience...both worth every penny!!

This is such a GREAT place to come and have an up close encounter with animals. We did the reptile encounter for our daughter's birthday and it was so informative and fun! (and I don't love snakes...). The guys were so knowledgeable and gave us every second of our hour long tour. The kids left so happy and talking about all of the new facts they learned!!!

Great place to visit with animal loving kids if you are in the Woodlands / north Houston area. We learned a lot from our guide and highly enjoyed our tour.

TGR Exotic Wildlife Park provides a wonderful experience and opportunity to learn. We did a tour and sloth encounter. Gwen and Nick made sure our experience was complete and Nick was very knowledgeable about the animals. I am recommending a visit here by all.

Amazing! Great experience and very friendly staff. We were able to do the sloth encounter and the full tour. Definitely a memorable experience.

We had so much fun feeding the sloths! Nick was very patient and knowledgeable, we learned so much about the different animals!

TGR Exotics is awesome! I bought my wife and I the Zoo Keeper For The Day package for her birthday. Wasn't sure what to expect, but knew we were going to get dirty, and do some hard work. We hit the ground running. Started off the day cleaning up, and washing down some animal exhibits while getting to interact with some of the animals. We even got to help out preparing a few of the animals foods. The day flew by, but we got to experience so much, and play with some really awesome animals. They have a variety of animals such as monkeys, otters, porcupines, sloths, birds, bears, farm animals, and so much more. I can't tell you how amazing and friendly the staff was too. They definitely made this whole experience a memorable one. The cost was a bit expensive, but nowhere else could do so much and interact so closely to such amazing animals. Even if you can't do the Zookeeper For The Day, I highly recommend TGR Exotics!

Really enjoyed the informal approach to everything. Felt that the customer service was excellent, but I can see how the lack of structure might be an issue for some. For us, though, it was perfect. We spent as much time as needed at each stop. The variety of animals was awesome and the staff was very approachable. I highly recommend a visit, but make sure to be prepared to spend 2+ hours and be open to the informal, interactive experiences.

I like to say that we had a wonderful Sunday afternoon with Gwen and her friends. My wife Cindy and I go to zoos all over the country Houston and New Orleans being right up there behind San Diego Zoo. TGR isn’t a Zoo experience it much more up close and personal with Gwen’s, fury friends and family. She gives and nice interactive tour where you get to get up close and personal with some of the animals learn a little about them and touch and pet some. It is very apparent that all the animals are very well cared for, loved and treated with care. Chaco the camel very friendly just wants attention and some petting. Most of the animal’s respond to Gwen when called by their name from the domestic, goats and pigs, llamas, to the Camels, Indian porky pine even the aardvarks and sloths. The children have great time leave with a smile and as adults which have a love for all of God’s creatures and just want to share a moment with them. So if you have a hour or so I suggest making time and go meet Gwen’s friends and family at TGR Exotics Wildlife Park. You be happy you did. Merle and Cindy Heard

My grandson asked go see snakes. I found this place online. It was so much fun and so educational. Great place to visit.

Wow! This place is amazing. Our private tour was awesome. Gwen was extremely knowledgeable and gave my grandkids such a personal experience. It is well worth it!

I have been to many zoos around the world and I do not think there is anywhere else out there that you can experience these animals for such a cheap price. I had never seen halve the animals they have up close and personal.staff was knowledgeable and friendly, park was clean, animals where healthy and the animals were also social. What else can you do for 10 dollars a person? I am anticipating the next time I can go back. If you remotely are interested in animals you will most definitely will love this place.

My daughter in law and I took my 2 1/2 year old grandson to TGR for their St. Patrick's Day celebration. What a fun day! We all thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the day. The activities that they had set up for the kids were fun for all ages and our guide was wonderful. He was full of information about the different animals and truly interacted with everyone on the tour. This is a really neat place and I would definitely recommend it for families.

It was great!! Knowledgeable tour guide. It was just me, my son and the tour guide. Personalized for my 5 year old son. Plan to go back. A little more expensive than the zoo in Houston, but well worth it since it was a private tour, 15 minutes from home, no crowds, no parking hassle, and no traffic!!! If you live in the "burbs" and have to drive to the zoo you'll understand. There are also public tours that are cheaper than zoo and I plan on trying one out as well. GO!!! :-)

The keeper leading our group was entertaining and full of valuable information. This is really not the place for young children, best for elementary age. The end of the tour concludes in a long slow line to pay. At this point the price changed from the advertised $10 per person to $15. The original price was on their outdated mobile website but they refused to honor their own listed price. I would suggest going to the actual zoo. As an attempt at fairness, at the beginning of the tour we were informed that exhibiting animals is not their main objective, breeding for larger zoos is their role. So if you go with lowered expectations and enjoy bait and switch price gouging this place is great.

Fabulous tour! Gwen was so great with my kids. We had done the regular one in the past but this blew it out of the water! Awesome!

We decided to attend the homeschooler day at TGR. The registration process was simple and very streamlined. Days before the event I received an email reminder, which I appreciated. The day before I received another email indicating where to park and not to be late or the gates would be closed. It also said there would be a picnic area available inside instead of outside (due to the heat) after the tour. We did not want to eat onsite since we had other plans afterwards. Fast forward to the tour date. Everyone arrived on time and parked in the correct spot...EXCEPT one lady. The entire group of about 20 people had to stand in the hot sun waiting for this woman and her family to arrive when we all were emailed the day before saying the gates would close and the tour would begin promptly at 10 am. In addition, the owner was chatting with the fire dept about an unrelated matter while we waited. When the late lady and her family finally did arrive she took a bit getting her whole crew/supplies out. It was very annoying that the whole group had to wait on one straggler. After the 15 min wait/delay we were directed into their little building where we were told to have a seat. We sat for about half an hour while pretty much everyone in the room took a bathroom break. Seemed a bit ridiculous. The tour finally started at 10:45...45 minutes after it was actually supposed to start due to waiting on straggler and bathroom breaks. When the tour began the guide told us to watch for fire ants. Their grounds were not very well maintained. The grass was a bit long, especially since they knew a group would be there. The fire ants were a bit crazy. My daughter got bit up by some just walking around. There is no excuse for this. It's called mowing and treating the ants with ant killer. There are plenty of pesticides that are animal friendly so I don't think that is the reason for not maintaining a more family friendly environment. The tour itself was fine, but I felt like it could have been much better. At times it was hard to hear and get a good view of the animals. Perhaps the group was too large? Maybe a mic would be helpful? Also, she stated that she would be showing some animals during lunch. We were not staying for lunch and were not made aware that there would be animals shown at that time prior or we may have made different lunch plans. Overall we left disappointed in our experience. Not sure I would spend the money/time standing around waiting for people to get with the program in the future.

Loved the experience! Patient and knowledgeable tour guides/caretakers. We enjoyed the personal and up close interactions. The facilities and animals are very well maintained, cared for, and clean.

We took about 11 kiddos (ages 7–11) to this park, and they had the best time with the animals! The owner, Gwen, and her staff are clearly passionate about sharing these amazing animals with everyone. Gwen even set up the party room for our kids and made sure each child had the chance to touch—and sometimes even hold—the animals. Some of them were brave enough to hold snakes!

The team made the children feel completely safe while teaching them so much about each animal. There’s such a wide variety here—from sloths and tortoises to bears, monkeys, and so much more—and you get to see them all up close!

I highly recommend this experience for small groups. And if you have a child who loves animals, this is the perfect place for a birthday party. You won’t be disappointed!

I took my father for his 81st birthday, along with my elementary-school-age daughters, and all three generations had a great time! The park is lovingly maintained and the animals are healthy and used to being around people. There's quite a variety of animals and an opportunity during the visit to duck into air condition - which is quite a plus on a warm day. The staff are very attentive and hospitable - allowing us to go at our own pace. They even provided my dad with a chocolate chip birthday cookie! My children did not want to leave and now want to go back! PS: Make sure to interact with the otters. They are beyond darling.

What an amazing experience! I am telling everyone I know about my encounter experience. I researched for the best sloth experience in Texas. The reviews on TGR Exotics Wildlife Park lived up to my expectations and beyond. Interacting with the sloths plus the educational tour of the other animals created memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you so much for doing what you do.

Last weekend I babysat my boss' 8-year old little girl. I wanted to do something that was educational as well as fun, and since I'm a huge animal I searched the Spring, TX area for parks. Little did I know about this exotic park that is literally down the road from my house. It was an amazing experience. We saw dwarf goats, llama's, monkeys, wild cats, porcupines, snakes, birds, armadillos, hyenas, and most importantly, a sloth which is my care's favorite animal. We got to feed them as well as pet them. This place is amazing! I highly recommend bringing your whole family to this wonderful park as it's so interesting!!! Many of the animals you can pet up close and personal too. I never knew how cute armadillo's were, wutg their very soft belly and hard shell on their heads and back. But they are like little kids! Scooting around all over the place and wanting to play. There were other animals we got to see, like bears, but I can't remember them all! Too much fun, that's for sure. And it sure was a nice, cool day as well.

Granddaughter did the Fun Camp and had a great time and learned a lot about the animals. We went back the next day as a family adventure and did the reptile encounter. The guides were very knowledgeable and put the small children at ease with the snakes. They had a large variety of beautiful snakes that we do not get to see or touch at the local zoo. The children and adults were able to touch and hold the snakes and learned so much regarding them. We will definitely go back again.

My children's ages range from 11 to 7 years old and they absolutely love this special park. The owner, Gwen is fantastic. The animals are extremely loved and well cared for. My children have attended numerous camps at TGR Exotics for two summers now and they will be going back again and again! This place is a must do (and not just once!)

I'm 60 years young and we loved our visit to TGR Exotics. Gwen and the staff we interacted with were fantastic. Very knowledgeable and clearly dedicated to the animals. We had "close encounters" with several unusual animals including aardvark; anteater; capybara; brown bears; sloth; porcupine; mama & baby water buffalo; wallaroo and many more. I hand fed monkeys and got my face licked by a hyena! There were many more animals and we had a nice, slow paced tour. We recommend springing for the $85 Look Inside tour as you really get an insider's view and a lot of personal interaction with the animals. This is a super experience for kids from 6 to, at least, 60.

You have to book your reservation, and they are only open a few days a month so this won't be a spur of the moment trip. That said, it was very fascinating. We learned about a lot of different animals, and even got to touch several of them. You can get much closer to the animals than at a zoo, so you can really watch them. I would highly recommend this for a family with elementary school children.

A good variety of wildlife with alot of information regarding each resident. I loved all animals and their personalities. The goats were fun to see and pet. The many different types of monkeys were entertaining. Lynx's, porcupines, bears to name a few more! They ate well and seemed happy. Definitely a learning experience! I appreciated all the hard work that goes in to make this place successful and the animals well kept.

This was a Christmas gift for my husband. It was on his bracket list.
We were fortunate to have the place to ourselves. Jeff, our guide, was personable and knowledgeable. Though we only paid for the sloth experience, we were able to see others. It was a wonderful experience. The place is well maintained and the animals looked content.

Three days later, and they are both still talking about Zoo Camp, and telling us about all the animals they met. Educational and fun. Will do this one again!!

If you are an animal lover this is a wonderful place to go. It is very well taken care of, clean, very organized. The tour was informative and they have many animals you can view very close up. The guides were fun and very knowlegeble. You should not miss the opportunity to have an enjoyable experience while in Spring. I only wish I could one day have such a sweet setup. The Scott's really know how to display their animals for people to view and enjoy. They are doing their part in helping to save the exotic animals they have......

Took my grand kids to the snake encounter. They had a blast! Were able to hold multiple reptiles learn about them and now my grandson wants to take care of reptiles when he grows up. The handlers were awesome also. Best adventure this summer and prices were GREAT! Kids are already wanting to go back after just 2 days

This was a great experience! We paid to do the monkey encounter as well as the group tour. Staff was friendly and very informative. I will definitely be going back!

I can't rate this place highly enough. Great experience for my family and we got to pet giant tortoises, llamas, etc. I paid extra to feed the sloths with my daughter for her birthday and we had a blast though it's expensive for five or 10 minutes. It's weird to say but this place blew the regular Houston Zoo out of the water. And now I love Muntjac mini deer as I was able to pet it and it was really cute.

Great experience for kids and adults. We booked the private tour and got to see and interact with so many animals. Way better than any zoo I’ve ever been too. Nick was a great guide. He was knowledgeable on every species, the history of each animal and had stories about many of them. You could tell the animals were well loved and looked after.

Very personal and cool experience with the animals! Had a great time even though it kept trying to rain on us. Had the best tour guide, long hair, glasses and beanie dude! Would definitely recommend. 10/10

I was excited to experience this place with my preschool class as a field trip. However, after only 20 minutes of beginning our tour all staff were called to an emergency. A warthog has broken its gate and attacked a female staff person. My class was told to stay put and we were left in an open field without being able to see what was going on. An ambulance arrived before we were finally told that we were clear to leave.
Upon further research, the warthog attacked another staff person a month ago and TGR has had several other events.
I am an animal lover but This place should no longer be open with all of the issues with their cages and aggressive creatures. Or the warthog should at least have been dealt with.
Just a warning to be prepared if you do go.

We did a 2 hour tour with Gwen as our guide. It was awesome and we saw so many amazing animals. We were the only ones on our tour which made it very personal. My adult daughter had so much fun feeding the otters and porcupine just to name a few. I highly recommend doing a tour here. It is so much better than what the zoo now offers. And we have done 4 zoo encounters none of which compare to what we experienced here. Moosie had a good time also!

Lions, tigers and bears! Oh my! Okay...so there weren't any lions or tigers, but there were 2 bears and a menagerie of other animals.
Book one of their "look inside private tours" if you can. Might need to book a month or so in advance. You can also book a basic guided tour or a sloth encounter. The "look inside private tour" will take you into some of the enclosures. Bring your water and your camera. Who can resist a monkey with his blanket?

Got engaged with the help of the sloths. Great employees and very helpful with setting everything up. Sloths were a really good time as well as meeting their other animals.

Please don't listen to the bad reviews, my husband took me here for my birthday and we took the look inside tour and it was SO MUCH FUN it is a bit pricy but the only thing I could find close to a tour like this would be much much more expensive and honestly it is worth the price! They offer tons of different tours with a range of prices so it's easy to find something that will suit the experience you are looking for with a fair price. There are some bad reviews which surprised me and made me nervous before I went but seeing people's pictures made up my mind that we should go and I am so glad we did. The animals are so sweet and funny and you can tell they enjoy living there it's completely unlike the sad zoo animals we are all used to seeing from afar. These animals come right up to the edge of their enclosure for some attention! There are plenty of opportunities for pictures and petting! The animals are all clean, happy, and well cared for. I saw a review regarding the fire ants, yes there are plenty but the guide was very attentive to where the ant mounds were and he would warn us and even stand by them so no one accidentally wandered into one. Wearing closed toe shoes with help also! I will be back for sure!

This place was amazing both of the tour guides I think the guys name was Nic. He was very informal about all the animals. He was very polite and sweet and showed us everything took his time showing us letting us interact with the animals and then when my daughter got to go do the sloth encounter the lady that was in there. She was very sweet she let her feed the sloths and we got to see the other animals that were inside there. It was a really good experience my kids and I enjoyed it very well I recommend this place, who knows we might go again

My 11 year old granddaughter and I took the 6:30 p.m. tour. (The evening weather was warm but not uncomfortable considering it's Texas in late July.) We joined another family and our guide, Gwen, for the 1 1/2+ hour walking tour. It was a fascinating evening. Gwen is so knowledgeable about all of the animals and the animals come to her call. There wasn't a question Gwen couldn't answer. She kept it entertaining for adults and children alike. TGR Exotics Wildlife Park is most definitely worth a visit!

This was such a fun experience! I signed my spouse and me up for the basic tour and the Capybara encounter at 6:30PM—as they recommended it was the coolest temperature-wise and when most of the animals were out. Gwen was our guide and was amazing. She was full of so much cool information on each animal. My spouse loves capybaras, and he was over the moon with the encounter. He talks about going to see Finn all the time.

Great Experience! Tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave the history of the animals and of each species. Unique animals and had a great time.

We loved seeing the animals living in large environments where they were wonderfully cared for. The tour guides had great knowledge of the animals and were happy to answer our questions. It was very educational to see animals from all over the world. The animals were comfortable and interacted with the workers. I recommend the TGR Exotics Wildlife Park to all ages of people who can walk on a grassy surface. I commend the Park for keeping up with the needs of each animal. The park was well maintained and comfortable. I will return with more family members.

this is a great learning adventure for the family. The staff have a passion for the animals and do a terrific job with kids questions and interests.

The animals had names and personalities that our guide showed us.

We made packages to give the animals.

We had a great time at the park. The tour was the perfect length of time. We loved seeing and learning about the animals. Our guide was professional, knowledgeable and friendly.

My daughter spent a day here for camp and had a fabulous time; she can't stop talking about the animals and what a great time she had.They were even kind enough to text me several pictures throughout the day, which I really enjoyed. She can't wait to come back!

The tour was great at our own paces. We get to take lots of photos and get to interact with and feed some nice animals.

The weather was good. Our tour guide was great and very knowledgeable.

The Ultimate Reptile Encounter was a great experience for my teenage son. He loved how hands on the hour was and the variety of snakes he had a chance to learn about. Definitely worth the time and money, a highlight of the trip to Houston, TX.

Highly recommend. Amazing time, great guide, kids and adults returned home happy. Animals are well cared for.

I have visited TGR Wildlife Park on several occasions. I have know the Scotts for many years and they have provided a very unique and enriching experience to the community.
It is well maintained and the creatures are healthy and well cared for. The setting is in a beautiful Spring subdivision.

Did plan to book a private tour but it was so popular and was sold out.
Finally booked a basic tour and capybaras encounter at the end.
Nick(hope I remember correctly) is awesome and knowledgeable, he explained everything. And I love capybaras encounter, they are sooo cute!!! Love fin and gill. Hope I can have one capybara!!!Everything is so great, but if I can stay with capybaras longer(w lower price if possible lol), I will give A++++++++++++++++++++++++

Loved visiting TGR! They had such an amazing staff! Had so many animals to see and you could tell they were so well cared for and loved by the staff that works there. We definitely will be back again!

LOVE, LOVE this zoo and my son has had 2 amazing birthdays here. We highly recommend the zoo and their parties.

Our family and friends had a great time with the animals! We had a birthday party for our granddaughter while there.Thank you ❗ 😊

I try to go at least once a year!! We are so lucky to have this close by. Always something fun! It’s like having your own private zoo tour. It’s never crowded and the kids learn so much. MUCH more than a petting zoo—and by far more educational and entertaining.

TGR Exotics came to our house for a Zoo party for my 7 year old son. It was the BEST birthday party we have ever had. Both kids and adults loved it and are still talking about it. The owners that came out and hosted the party were amazing with my kids and their friends. So patient and so informative. We had a kangaroo, a sloth, a 3 toed armadillo, a huge lizard, 2 snakes and an anaconda. Hands down wonderful experience and best party ever.

We visited TGR as part of a homeschool tour. This is the perfect place for homeschoolers! The tours are tailored to the group. I loved that the kids were allowed the time to ask question, observe and interact with the animals, rather than be hurried along to meet a deadline.
There is a lovely classroom filled with small, docile animals for observation and interaction, along with bright graphics and informational materials. The guide was patient and answered questions from all age groups with a smile and courtesy.
The tour itself was amazing. From a hyena to primates, we were able to see all of the animals up close and personal. What struck me is how content they all seemed to bee. Every animal was curious and would come right up to the viewing area to see their visitors. There was no bored pacing or hiding in the back of the cages like you see at many zoos. These animals seemed to enjoy the attention, which made for a fun and educational tour, as the kids were able to observe behaviors and anatomical adaptations of different species.
This is a wildlife park and not a zoo with paved pathways and concrete everywhere. It was designed first and foremost for the animals comfort, as it should be and it showed by the behavior and the happiness of the animals.
The public areas were well maintained and mowed, but I was also happy to see that some animals like giant tortoises and friendly livestock like pigs and goats were allowed to graze and interact freely without the worry of pesticides and herbicides. That being said, this is a place for good closed -toe walking shoes, free ranging animals leave droppings (tortoise poop!) and we were warned to be on the look out for fire ants. This is Texas after all. I personally didn't see any mounds and it didn't diminish our enjoyment at all.
To have something like this so close to home is amazing! The cost is well worth the trip! We can't wait to take more of their behind the scenes tours and camps! To me, this beats the zoo hands down!

We went on my kid birth date and it was a great experience. My son liked it very much. We had never been with real snakes before. I just think there should be more reptiles to experience with, it was a lot of snakes!

We attended a Scout outing her, there really is no other place where you get up close and see so many different types of animals. They had us make toys for the animals out of recycled materials. It is a labor of love to raise all these animals and we really felt lucky to see them up close and learn more about them.Gwen Scott truly loves what she does and makes you feel welcome. We will go back for sure!

I had a great time with all animals! Nick, my guide, is very knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate with working with animals. I like they give clear instructions, bottle water, hat, light color cloth, and shoes that cover toes. Especially, you can pet sweet animals. Even touch the bearcat. Awesome experience, highly recommended!!

Took the whole family and the kids loved it! All ages are great. Youngest was 3 and oldest was 13 and there is something for everyone to do. It was all our first time to hold any kind of snake and it was really cool, even for the ones that thought they wouldn’t like it. Not just fun for the kids but the adults too! Loved how knowledgeable the guide was! Didn’t expect it to be in a garage but it was very clean and enough room for a large group.

We had a really great time. Gwen was our guide and she is so knowledgeable. She loves her job and shared her passion with us.

My granddaughter talked about it all the way home and told our family

we will be back for another tour

My brother and I (males, aged 30 and 27) both had a lot of fun on our private tour! Both of us love animals and had a great time getting to learn about the different exotic animals TGR houses.

All of the animals were awake, eating, or playing so there was a lot to look at. There are some animals you can pet/play with and others you probably wouldn't want to unless you want your hand shredded. Plenty of interaction for two guys, but it would be especially fun for young kids who want to see different animals being active close up.

The tour was very laid back, all of our questions were answered, and we never felt rushed to end the tour. Honestly we couldn't have asked for a better experience!

We went on an absolutely beautiful day and we did the enrichment tour. Our 3 girls (ages 8-17) had so much fun making things for the animals to play with and being able to watch the animals tear into them when we were done. We learned so much and got to see some really awesome animals without having to drive all the way to the zoo. This was a much more personal up and close experience.

I brought my girlfriend for a sloth encounter and it was great experience. I definitely recommend it.

Had a great time learned a lot about the animals enjoyed the up close experience. Small group tour allowed for individual interaction with handlers and exhibits.

We did the basic tour. This was our second visit as we went 2 years ago. We got to bring our 6 month old daughter this time and it was still a fun, personal, up close experience. Tour guide is always so knowledgeable and able to answer any questions that comes up.

My kids love this place! Amazing and interactive! If you love animals, you'll love it here!! They have great day camps and night camps.

It was an amazing opportunity for my boys to see so many animals up close and personal. The Reptile encounter was a big hit with my snake loving son. The open tour was also a great experience to see so many animals my son wanted to touch more of them so we will have to come back for some more encounters. The only note for us as a family was the two back to back was a bit too long for my boys. We love to see how much Gwen cares for each animal and tells you so much about them. We will be back for more adventures.

I attended a public tour on Saturday, April 21 with my son and his family (wife and 3 small children). We all really enjoyed the tour. You get to pet animals such as huge tortoises, llamas, pigs and sheep. You also get to view lots of interesting animals (lots of different primates, wart hogs, hyenas, etc) close-up, within a few feet, much closer than a normal zoo. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable (college grad with biology degree) and personable. I highly recommend this tour for families with young kids.

I planned this day out with a close friend. We have both loss a child and April was our babies anniversary month. I found this place by accident, searching the web for top things to do in Spring Tx. Me being an Ellie May by nature and knowing how our fur babies are our medicine, I decided this was the perfect day out for Tanya & I. Behind those doors with silhouette animals was a magical kingdom full of Love. I loved how each of them had a story and how they had their own little personalities. Pickles & Juan and one of the Gibbon monkeys were my favorite, Oh and Precious! I could of stayed there all day. I have not stopped thinking about my day out there and can not wait to go back many more times.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Gwen and her staff. I was lucky enough to get a solo tour first thing in the morning to see the animals being very active. All of their personality shine through and you learn so much about their habitats and behaviors.

We had a wonderful time! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and really took the time to share information. Our niece loved getting to pet a lot of animals and was mesmerized by the monkeys. It was a very very hot morning but we thoroughly enjoyed our tour and have already recommended it to friends and family.

I visited this facility without prior knowledge of the type of animals that were housed there. I understand that TGR is trying to provide an educational program for visitors but I found the type of animals and enclosures to be very disturbing. The wolves are pacing from one side to another and are obviously in distress. Black bears are in a small cement floor enclosure so that they can be easily viewed. Many of the animals are displaying anxiety by pacing and bobbing, and some animals appear to be in need of veterinary care. Animals in roadside zoos are being exploited. Please do not support this type of facility.

TGR Exotics Look Inside Tour is well worth the money. And this is coming from a family who has a family exotic petting zoo themselves in PA. We went during my son's spring break and had an amazing time. The animals were very well cared for and you could tell the employees put them first. My son who is around animals all the time got to feed and touch some animals that he never has before. The variety of animals is abundant. We were not rushed during the tour and our tour guide (Ian) let us decide when it was time to move on to a different animal. He was very knowledgeable and very comfortable around my son (I would imagine he is great with children).
For those complaining about the fire ants, yes they are there but our tour guide was quick to remind us to look for them every time we stopped at each enclosure.
Thank you TGR for such a wonderful experience!!!

Great place to bring kids. They have a lot of differen animals, snakes, and birds from different parts of the world. You can pet and / or feed a lot of them. Takes a couple of hours to tour the place. Worth it.

Basic Tour, well there was nothing basic about it. Gwen was so informative and an obvious animal lover. Everything was well cared for with a passion and the interactiveness and proximity of animals was exceptional. Thankyou so much. The philosophy of the animals come first was paramount and respectful of nature.

For a private enterprise it is not a bad tour but was really frustrated by the many empty cages. They also came to a Cub Scout Day Camp with some wildlife to show the boys - again not much interaction took place.

My boys love TGR!!! They have gone to the day Camps, night outings and a birthday party. They can't get enough of TGR. Ms Gwen is amazing with the kids

This is an experience not to be missed-nothing like it! Instead of seeing animals behind bars you're able to hold and learn about each of them! Gwen and the staff at TGR are wonderful and it's obvious they truly care about animals and their importance in our world!

I brought friends and family here for my 42nd Birthday and we had a blast. We were able to pet so many animals and learn so much about them. I look forward to visiting again to see the hyena and sloth. It was too cold to view them during our visit. I enjoyed this much better than the Houston zoo as we got more up close interaction with each animal.

Our family had a 4 year old to 75 year old in its group, We all had an amazing time. I was very impressed by the staff. I was very surprised how healthy the animals were and how well they were kept. It was a great place! I held an anaconda and hooted at an owl.

We booked the Look Inside Tour. I wasn’t sure what to expect and it was an amazing experience. Jeff was an excellent tour guide! We got to see wolves, pet Precious the llama, pet tortoises, bears, feed and pet sloths, pet anteaters, pet and feed porcupines, hold lizards and snakes, hold armadillos, saw monkeys and big cats, and held hands with otters. As an animal lover, this is a must do! I smiled and laughed so much!

My girls mostly enjoyed their outing, except for the very short-tempered responses of the group leader. You can view many of the animals quite close. My oldest has high functioning autism and is full of a wealth of information and excitedly asks dozens of questions. Besides following all her social rules, raising her hand, being patient, etc., she was directly told she wouldn't be called on. When she did have her turn after that comment, the leader said something like 'since you seem to know everything about them, you can tell us' in a tone that wasn't encouraging. When she asked a question about the water, the response was a rude "why would you ask such a question?" During smores time, the leader said to a man next to her "she was like that the whole time, constantly interrupting as if they show was all about her." If you have quiet, perfect children they will enjoy the hour or two for the $12. I would keep kids with special needs clear because what could have been a wonderful opportunity crushed the spirit of a little girl. Looking at the other reviews, I sincerely hope she was just having a bad day.

I booked a “Look Inside Tour” this week for just my daughter, her 9 and 17 year old daughters and myself. Nick was our guide. This was a GREAT EXPERIENCE for all four of us. We were amazed at the variety of animals we encountered and how many we were able to actually able to react with. Unfortunately the water buffaloes and bears were a little stand-offish, but we got to see everyone else. Feeding the otters, feeding and petting the Brazilian porcupine and petting the anteaters and the striped hyena were amazing experiences for me. We can’t wait to go again. The girls want to have the private reptile experience and I’m ready to experience the big cats.

IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GO, MAKE SURE YOU GO TO TGR EXOTICS!!!

I took my son and friend here for a private tour as a birthday celebration during COVID. We got the private tour and did the reptile encounter add on. VERY COOL! The kids (8 and 7 years old) loved it! We pet a water buffalo, bearcat, tortoise, goats, llamas, pigs, a kinkajou, a legless lizard, and an armadillo. Then there was the reptile encounter (my sons' favorite BY FAR). There were SO many snakes that we got to pet. My son held a rat snake and a ball python. He tried to hold a green anaconda and a reticulated python but they were both so big he needed help front he handler. The tour guides were incredibly knowledgeable and we got to see so many other animals as well.. sloths, spider monkeys, kangaroos. A great up close and personal look at some awesome animals! Many thanks to our guide Nick and the reptile handler/guide (I forget his name but he was great too!).

This was a wonderful experience for my grandsons, who are 13 and 7 years old. They both enjoyed it immensely!

When I googled “things to do near me”, this place came up. It’s a hidden treasure! Can’t wait to go back!

This wildlife park is wonderful! I have been there three times and each time was a great experience! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The animals are well cared for and very loved! You are able to pet and interact with several of the animals which is why my daughter loves it so much. We have attended the pumpkin carving and the Easter egg hunt events. Both were well organized. We definitely have some new family traditions as we plan to attend each year!

I have to say that my favorite part is how healthy and happy the animals are! It is a wonderful place to visit!

Took my granddaughter to this for her 9th birthday. This place is sooooooo clean. And they have alot of animals. Even a tiger. And the tour guides walk you through. Went in March and it was the perfect temperature. It is on a lot of land. They have a few camels, a water buffalo, several kinds of monkeys, a bearcat, llamas (I think they ship them to Colorado during the heat of the summer), goats, chickens, a turkey, tortoises, anteaters, kangaroos, small horses, and a whole lot more! I could not believe how much information they gave us and it was so personal. I don't think we will ever want to go to a zoo again. It was very nice. One of our tour guides just moved here from up north where she worked at a big zoo. They know each of the animals temperament because they work with them every day. And it is sooooo clean. I could not believe what a great job they do. The whole place looks new. All the enclosures and buildings. Be prepared to walk. Try to go on a dry day. It probably gets muddy after it rains. And bring you some water. Even in the cooler seasons. Might want to bring bug spray if you go after a rain. It is so worth it. Your kids will love it. I did!

Went to the ultimate reptile tour. It was awesome lol was my first one so did not know what to expect but I’m a snake lover and would have rathered the whole tour be about snakes :). But the other reptiles that were brought out were very interesting and fun to hold. Our guide was very informative and even let us take home a python egg ! Wish it was a bit longer tho :/

I had a great time! The tour guide was knowledgeable, interactive, and clearly cared about all the animals. I loved hearing the animals' stories and fun animal facts. I STRONGLY recommend going at an evening time, if you're planning a summer trip (don't forget the water bottle. You'll want it!)

Took my 11 yr old twin grandsons today. Even after recent heavy rains, Gwen and her staff provided a fantastic experience for our group of 18 for this event. The grounds were very well maintained considering all the animals and upkeep required. We saw many more animals than i anticipated. We decorated and carved pumpkins which we then fed to the animals as we toured. We saw goats pigs armadillos lynx Capybaras hollar monkeys and various other monkey and ape species. Water buffalo wolf hyena exotic birds black bears lemurs tortoises 2 toed sloths and others. The cages and animal habitats are well maintained and security impressive. All of the animals are beautiful and healthy. Staff are well versed on all the animals. I've been to 4 countries in Africa and to Australia to see exotic animals. Nice to be able to drive 10 mins from home and see more! I would highly recommend this place for children and adults.

This was a fun, positive experience for our granddaughters. Traci led a very informative sloth encounter where we fed three sloths. Nick shared interesting trivia about the exotics we saw on the tour. The girls enjoyed petting the pigs, goats and llamas wandering around. It's evident that owner Gwen is passionate about providing good care of the rescued animals.

My husband and I booked the "Look Inside Tour" as a birthday outing for our 5-year old granddaughter. Her 3-year old brother came along and our guide was Ian.

We had the great luck that we were the only group booked for this tour. Therefor Ian was able to totally focus on the children and tailor this adventure to their interests and attention span. The result was amazing, it made it worth the (what I consider) high ticket price.

We got to feed, pet and hold a multitude of animals. We got to use our senses of smell, touch, hearing and sight. Ian got right down to eye level with the kids to provide them with information and respond to their questions. We adults also learned a great deal even though we have seen many of these animals in their natural habitat.

Some reviewers commented about poop and fire-ants. Get with the program, people: This is a zoo-like setting, albeit a very clean one with well kept animals that do what animals do - poop. And Fire-ants have to be dealt with on a daily basis in the State of Texas, even in an urban setting.

Our grandchildren still talk about this visit and will be back to introduce their parents to the free-roaming cats, dogs, pigs and friends. What a wonderful opportunity right in Houston's backyard!

This was an excellent experience, even for me who is not a reptile lover! The guides were great. They answered all questions and were very patient with young visitors! Would recommend to anyone. Can’t wait to see the Basic Tour!

The animals are very cool to see - I especially appreciated that some of their animals are rescues. Many of the animals appreciate being pet, which is great for kids as long as they follow the rules. Lots of great photo opportunities, too. I learned so much.

You need to call ahead and provide a credit card # (which will not be charged unless you don't show) to make a reservation, which is very easy.

The tour itself was great - lots of information and easily accessible animals.

My gripe is that the tour was advertised as an hour and a half. For some reason our guide dawdled around for an extra 25 minutes for the last couple of animals. We needed to get going, so we let her know. She sort of brushed aside our concerns and assured us that we'd be out of there in no time... after we paid.

This was fine, the kicker was that we had to wait for everyone ELSE to pay before they'd let us leave! Not only that, but she was checking her email and the weather, finding stuff for the kids in the groups to do, and making small talk... so it probably took 20 minutes for five people to pay for their groups. After everyone finally finished paying, we took a leisurely stroll to the gate so she could finally unlock it and let us go. It sort of felt like we were being held hostage...? Not a very professional thing to do.

The advertised 1.5 hour experience was closer to 2.25 hours (the extra being a lot of standing around). Do not come here if you have a hard stop after 1.5 hours - pick a tour where you don't have anything going on (until - hopefully - TGR improves their system)

TGR: If you read these, please implement a "pay ahead" system so that guests don't need to wait forever at the end and we can all walk straight to the exit.

Overall, I loved the tour, but I felt a disregard for guests' time.

A unique opportunity in Houston for sure. Out of the ordinary opportunity to see unique animals and very enjoyable. Gwen was our guide for the most part and we really loved her enthusiasm and passion for the animals. We experienced some fun interactions between animals. However, the website says the groups are limited to 8 for the BASIC tour, and we had 12 people in our group, which was a little bummer. Some of the people were late, which meant we got a late start and were interrupted a few times during the tour. It was also muddy, so we could not get up close to some of the animals (I know this is out of the hands of those in charge of the tour) In spite of these little setbacks, it was a great opportunity to learn and be close to the animals. Definitely recommend.

If you like to see animals in tiny cages with no trees or natural plants, go here. The animals look depressed and malnourished and were likely brought in through the illegal pet trade. Please, do not support places like this. It is cruel and illegal in so many countries. I’m shocked this place is allowed to operate and pray that it is one day shut down.

This is a small, and unimpressive little "zoo"--at first! But don't let first impressions deceive you. This is a different sort of experience from visiting a big, commercial zoo. You get a small tour (our group only had 10 people) with commentary (in our case, the tour guide was the owner) in a low-key, friendly atmosphere. Kids had fun running along side a wolf and a big cat. We got to pet a friendly llama, a goat and a large tortoise, too. I was impressed with how well the animals were cared for.

Gwen and crew obviously personally know and love these well-cared-for animals! These exotics not only have their own names, they are happy and enjoy interacting with visitors. We petted, fed, rubbed, laughed, and even took selfies! Gwen presented each animal by asking grade-level questions and giving great educational information. Being followed by pot bellied pigs, llamas, goats, and some rather slow tortoises added to the fun. Great morning filled with fantastic memories!

What an awesome experience for my grandkids!!!! Nick was extremely informative and patient with my grandkids questions....Thank you Nick!!

We are a family of huge animal lovers. We’ve visited nature centers, zoos, wildlife parks, and rescues many times. We are pretty knowledgeable on exotics and their care, yet we learned a lot on this visit to TGR exotics. The tour guide was excellent and answered all our many questions. The animals were all well fed, cared for, and had great enrichment in their enclosures. Every single animal seemed to know the guide well, and none seemed to exhibit neurotic confinement related behaviors. In other words, they seemed happy and content. There’s a huge variety of animals to see. You were able to interact as well as safety would allow, petting many of the animals or watching them eat. The tour is just the right length of time, although I could’ve stayed all evening. I can’t wait to go back, and my daughter wants to go to camp there so she can run with the wolves again. The cost was reasonable. Keeping exotics fed, cleaned up after, and entertained doesn’t come cheap, but they kept it to a fair price. I definitely recommend a trip!