The DeYoung Family Zoo is a zoo that opened to the public in 1990. It is open yearly from May until the end of October. It is located in Wallace, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States, about 15 miles north of Menominee. The zoo is owned by Bud DeYoung and Carrie Cramer.
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI.
This is the best zoo in the country. Enjoy it while you can - no where else can you experience and appreciate up close encounters with animals that we, as humans, have basically destroyed in the wild. Unfortunately, we fear that the more people find out about this place, the more commercialized it will become and then it'll get ruined.
In the meantime, let's answer some common questions...
Q: Is there a nice fancy food court where I can be overcharged for every item so profits can be wasted?
A: Nope. Bring a packed lunch or eat across the street at the family owned "restaurant."
Q: What about a nice fancy bathroom so I can put on makeup and get ready for a perfect Instagram post?
A: If so inclined, you can use the cheap mirror that is located in one of the many port-a-potties.
Q: I want to Facebook live-stream everything and be as annoying as possible in the process, how's the cell phone reception?
A: It sucks, so best to put your phone in airplane mode and enjoy the zoo.
Q: I'm sensitive about seeing (), get extremely offended at (), only eat (_) and love to file lawsuits even when I'm at fault. Should I come?
A: Please stay at home.
Q: I love being overcharged for admission only to find out that each "encounter" with an animal costs additional money. Will I get that same big city zoo experience here?
A: Thankfully, not yet. A family of 4 only costs $40! However, once a greedy corporation gets a hold of this place you can forget about. And good luck trying to have a close-up encounter with an animal without having to sign a waiver and paying a fortune.
Q: Is there an air-conditioned tram that allows us to go around the whole park to enjoy brief glimpses of animals from a distance?
A: No. During the summer, it's hot and buggy and you will be bitten by flies. The roads are not paved. This is the North woods. When it rains, you'll get dirty and wet. When it's sunny, you'll get burned without sunscreen. If you don't like bugs, bring bug spray. The animals are
Read more
Let me just first say....THIS ZOO IS A MUST SEE! They care more about earth preservation and zoological sustainment than they do about paving the park pathways with cement like the big city zoos... don't expect fancy commercialized buildings or public amenities... wear your hiking shoes, leave the stroller in the car. The zoo is smaller because many of these animals are rescues that cannot be released into the wild, they need a domesticated home and they have that with the love of a single family who work morning to night, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The owners...Mr. Zoo (nickname)...is incredibly smart, and he takes time to talk to you and answers any questions. Mrs. Zoo is also very knowledgeable and sweet and provides great narrative on the animals! This zoo may not have all of the exotic animals the big city zoo has, but I've never experienced as many close encounters as I did here...and it's all included in the door entry fee. All in a day we fed a 5000 lb hippo (by hand!!!!) and we touched his nose and whiskers, we held a sloth, we pet a hedgehog and rabbits and goats...there are random chickens, peacocks and ducks walking around everywhere...we pet the world's largest cow breed, and a Zorse (who is a camera hog if you have treats btw), you can throw cookies to massive bears and if they see your red bucket they will talk to you (I highly recommend donating $20 to the zoo and getting the red feed bucket...you will be the star of the zoo and won't regret it). This is literally a one time experience to share your love of animals with the Deyoung family who genuinely care about each and every animal in their zoo! Ask the owners about any animal and they know their name, weight and age without hesitation. This is an animal sanctuary, this is not a commercial zoo where they sanction all breeds to appease massive groups of visitors with staged habitats. This zoo fits the ruggedness of the UP and of mother nature. Swamps in the everglades are loaded with green algae, as they are here to give the alligators as close of a habitat as their home in nature, likewise for the hippo. This is a unique experience, and worth the bargain entry fee.
Note: I am an animal loving vegetarian, PETA supporter who understands the mission of this zoo. I don't have any affiliation to the Deyoung family and I wrote this review based on my...
Read more
Visited the DeYoung Family Zoo this past weekend and it was an unforgettable and amazing experience.
In total, there are approximately 50-75 species of animals. During our visit, we saw at least one hippo, bear, tiger, camel, emu, wolf, sloth, porcupine, alligator, coyote, dingo, tortoise, goat, sheep, chicken, pig, deer, turkey.
The enclosures are large - some larger than you’d see in large-scale zoos. The property itself sits in a heavily wooded area and the walking paths are dirt. It’s just about as natural of a setting as it can get.
The feeding experiences are incredible. Not only does the family do a great job of wrangling the visitors up during feeding and providing great information, they also get the visitors involved with hands-on feeding of their own. At the entrance building, you can purchase items such as carrots or lettuce and feed them to animals throughout the zoo. There are signs posted that let you know which animals are which to have certain foods.
The animals themselves seemed very happy and engaging. Again, more than I’ve ever seen at larger zoos. We were able to hold a wolf pup, pet a hippo while hand-feeding him and also have an educational encounter with a sloth. This was a solo experience led by Carrie. We had so many questions about the sloth and she was exceptional. Everyone we still at the zoo was incredibly friendly, grateful we were there and so insightful.
When you go, you’ll want to get there right when they open. You won’t want to miss one of the feedings or other interactive experiences. They opened at 10:00am CENTRAL time, not Eastern time. If you need to go back to your car for any reason, they just stamp your hand on your way out so you can get back in. Also, there is no food available on site - there is a small food stand on the other side of their parking lot across the street that has some basics to hold you over. The people who run this are kind as well.
I’m very happy to leave a 5-star review. The only suggestions I would make are perhaps a few more seating areas, picnic tables… and then maybe a park map. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just a print-out of the exhibits.
Thank you to everyone at the zoo...
Read more
&promo_pic=/hotel-sample/coolest.webp)
