Living Treasures Animal Park — Attraction in Donegal Township

A kid’s dream zoo!

I had the joy of visiting Living Treasures Animal Park on my son‘s second grade field trip this week. We have been in Pennsylvania a long time and I’ve never visited this park and I’m starting to kick myself for not taking my older children when they were young.

This park is very nice and spread out, but goes in a circle in different directions so you never miss anything and always meet back up on the other side. They have everything from your basic deer to exotic birds, reptiles, etc..

When you enter to pay, they offer a few different treats that you can purchase to feed to the animals. Mostly every animal there can be fed with the exception of just a few. They have big bags of feed, carrots, and there are numerous machines around the zoo area that you can purchase Cheerios. The kids loved that almost every animal was able to be fed straight from their hand!

All the animals are penned, but are able to come right up to the fence to see your kids. They are able to interact with them, which is a lot of fun!

Fall seems to be a great time of year to come. Although we had a little bit of a cold day, the kids didn’t even notice, but what they did notice were the really cool Halloween decorations that were located all along the park. They have a neat display of fun that lights up in the evenings that you can come to and are also able to hear the animals in a different way.

The education center is connected to the gift shop and has a lot of really cool reptiles and amphibians you can see. This is also the area where our educator came out with a few different animals and let the kids pet them during their visit.

The gift shop has everything imaginable! Apparel, stuffed animals, and everything from candies to magnets to postcards. Our kids loved the powder, candy machine where you were able to buy a tube and fill it with the flavors you like. Prices of everything are decent and won’t completely break you like some other zoos. If you decide that you would like a snack, there are microwavable items available, such as hot pockets, etc. that can be heated up and there are picnic tables and pavilions around the park to eat at. There are also ice cream novelties for dessert.

If you are a souvenir penny collector, there are two machines located in the gift shop. Remember to bring your quarters and pennies.

Will definitely return on a regular day for a family outing!

Good for kids with a changing station in the restroom, and lots for kids to do. Very good for a birthday party!

Single day and season passes available.

wheelchair, accessible entrance, parking lot...

I'm very proud that a place exists locally that can help educate my child on the many different animal species that exist & inspire conservationist & protective actions from all of us. It's very well maintained, with a clean & friendly environment in which children, families, & everyone alike can get up close & personal to those in our animal kingdom. My daughter, & even myself I have to admit, loved getting able to feed the animals & pet them, in most circumstances (wouldn't want to pet the lions, tigers, bears or wolves they have, but it was amazing to see such rare types like the beautiful white tiger). You can tell the staff who work hands on with the animals have a special bond & that they take pride in caring for them with the respect & dignity they deserve. Often zoos can make me feel uncomfortable, knowing these beings would rather be living wild in their natural environment. However, it was satisfying to learn of the history of Living Treasures, & how it exists primarily as a place where animals are rescued & maintained at the park as a protection for those who can't be rehabilitated back into the wild. There's great parking, clean bathroom facilities, a large gift shop with a huge variety of animal related toys, souvenirs, & apparel, & they even have a room which can be rented out for birthday parties. I had my daughter's party there, & it was wonderful. I was able to decorate it how I liked, though they have an option where party decorations & essentials can be provided for you. It was great to have an air conditioned place to celebrate with cake & ice cream, pizza we ourselves had delivered, to keep presents, & to take a break from the hot summer sun, while guests could come & go exploring the park the entire day. Recommend animal lovers of all ages to stop & visit the vast amount of animals being cared for, & like me, you might learn something about even the most...

My Girlfriend (who adores animals) and I visited while staying at nearby Seven Springs. We were very pleasantly surprised! I was skeptical about a random roadside zoo, but it turned out to be a great decision.

Pros:

The zoo and welcome center were very clean and nice.

There were a surprisingly varied range of species. From bears, to lions, to monkeys, to goats, it was a tour of the animal kingdom.

All the animals were very friendly. Most of them came running up to you. I fed many of them carrots (which are sold in the welcome center, and I recommend over the food pellets). None of them ever came remotely close to biting me, so I would safely say that kids could feed them as well.

The animals and enclosures seemed generally well taken care of.

There were a number of very informative plaques around with information about the animals.

There were many random birds just walking around. Including peacocks, chickens, and ducks. This made the zoo feel even more alive.

Definitely affordable.

Cons: I never ran into an employee while out on the zoo grounds. This could have been because they were not busy, in fact we were the only people there. If we would have had a question or an emergency though, we would have had to run back to the welcome center. Not a huge deal though.

Some of the animal enclosures seemed a bit on the small side. This was particularly noticeable for the lions, tigers, and bears. I’m sure they are well beyond the legal requirements, but it would have been nice to see a larger space for them to roam.

Conclusion: A great place to go for animal lovers and kids alike. Girlfriend was beyond happy! Great for the price!...