FAWN-DOE-ROSA Wildlife Educational Park — Attraction in Town of St. Croix Falls

So, in all honesty, I wasn’t expecting great things this year when I went. Last year, 2023, was terrible. The deer looked sick, nose and mouth were running/looked like there was foam. At one point we approached a deer who was heavily breathing on the ground, with snot running out of its nose, and there was a line of people taking selfies with it. When we got to the dear, we noticed that it didn’t react at all to touch, and we just got really bad vibes from how the deer was acting. The guinea pigs were exposed to a lot of heat and didn’t have proper housing. There was close to no hay, and there were tons of carrots surrounding them, carrots are known to be high in sugar and bad for them to have consistently.

I was never going to go again, it was heartbreaking to see the condition of some animals. I remember seeing a wolf pacing back and forth along the fence and howling in a way that sounded pretty sad.

This year, 2024, I decided to go again just to see if things were different. And thankfully, I saw many improvements to the park and the habitats for animals. There was way more fencing along the park, allowing the deer to have their own spaces to sit and lay out, rather than people being able to go up and pet them whenever. The deer looked much better and way more relaxed. They didn’t look sick, and they looked happy. The deer that wanted food approached, while those who didn’t did their own thing. It was really relieving to see.

The guinea pigs also got a new habitat, which was great to see. The one from last year was very upsetting, and as someone who owns guinea pigs and advocates for proper car, the new habitat is okay. There’s actually hay for them to eat, and a place for them to hide so kids can’t grab them like they did last year. It would be nice to see some toys and other hides for them, more forms of enrichment. Similarly, the habitat for the bunnies was interesting. It’s great to see them having more space, and hopefully in the future they have something much bigger to run around in.

The added fencing and new habitats really enhanced my experience there. I left with a sense of dread last year, and this time I left with a sense of ease. Kudos to the staff/company for making a difference and improving their park. I hope to see more improvements over the next few years.

Some good notes from this year:

Seeing the baby deer and goats was so fun. At one point one of the baby goats jumped into the baby deer’s habitat for some milk, which was adorable to see. I loved seeing the beaver, otters, and walking around on the nature trails. The gift shop was full of exciting things, and I spent time exploring that. My family and I talked with a staff member, an older gentlemen, twice. He was very informative and helpful! We felt very comfortable around him. I don’t remember his name, but it was easy to tell he had a profound love for the animals there!

There’s still a lot more that could be better, and hopefully things...

Overall, we had a really fun afternoon that all ages enjoyed! It was worth the hour or so drive from the metro area and a fun, memorable experience for everyone! I’ll go through some of the pros and cons of our trip:

Pro: Most of the animals have open range and appear to be happy and healthy. Although it is a petting zoo, I liked that an animal could walk away from any experience. Additionally there were fenced areas where they could rest away from visitors. Con: Some animals that were not for petting were in much smaller confined spaces (such as the bobcat, porcupine, woodchucks, fox, and otter.) Honestly, by the time we got to that area, the kids were already so in love with the deer and farm animals that additional animals weren’t even needed. I personally think having fewer of the “observe-only” animals, each with more space, would be preferable.

Pro: A mini-donut truck ($6/dozen) was in the parking lot, as well as a pop vending machine ($2.50/bottle) Con: No food or beverage allowed or available within the park. Our group got really hungry and thirsty about mid-way. While it makes sense to not have food around the animals, we didn’t realize that there would be no drinking fountains within the park, or that you couldn’t return to the food truck once you bought your tickets. The website isn’t clear on the outside food and beverage policy, but when I spoke to an employee, she stated that for the animal’s health no food is allowed. It’s unclear about bottled water and other beverages. I would be sure to plan ahead, especially with little ones, and bring a drink if possible and have a snack before entering.

Pro: The zoo is really self-paced and has plenty of benches and shade to rest. Our food bags had a decent amount of food that lasted us the whole way. Con: We didn’t have a good idea of the size of the park and what animals were where. Knowing now what it was like, we would have rationed our feed differently. Most of the animals to be fed are on the first 1/2 of the trail, but random deer remain in the second half. A map of the park would have been a helpful tool.

Pro: The kids loved the pony rides ($5/kid) and felt like little cowgirls! Con: The height limit was 4ft/48in and so half of our group ended up being a little too tall. The ride was pretty short, a couple mins at most. Also, each rider needs to be accompanied by an adult who walks with them-something to keep in mind if your group has more kids than adults.

Overall, this is a place I would revisit and recommend. The price is fair, in my opinion, but I would definitely get a food bag as feeding is a major aspect of...

Fawn-Doe-Rosa is family owned. My friend, Tony & I visited on Saturday, 9/25. Fawn-Doe-Rosa is a very pretty wildlife educational park. The animals are very well taken care of. I noticed two birds with something in their necks. We saw a doe laying down. We offered her food, but she did not except what we offered. Later on I saw two women who work in the park. I asked them about the birds and the doe. Allie took over by answering my questions. She asked me to point out the birds. Allie mentioned that's just fat in their necks. It's like us with double chins. She asked me to look at the birds from the front. I did not see any of the fat hanging down. Allie then asked me about the location of the doe. When we found the doe, Allie took a look at her. Told me the doe is in a food stupor. Food strupor is when an animal is full and will not accept what is offered. Allie showed us the doe's hindquarter and neck area. You could see rolls of fat there. Allie said, "The birds and doe are in good health. Wish there were more people like me that took interest in animals well being." Then Allie introduced us to Tammy, one of the owners. Tammy told us the history of Fawn-Doe-Rosa. A GREAT BIG thank you to Allie and Tammy for a GREAT visit at Fawn-Doe-Rosa. They TRULY CARE for the animals! That made our visit even more fun!! Thank you to Allie and Tammy for having a wonderful place for animals to live at and for people to visit. Tony and I will be back in the Spring to visit. We will be coming back!! Please come to Fawn-Doe-Rosa to visit. Make sure you buy food to feed the animals. GREAT place to bring...