Critter Barn — Attraction in Zeeland Charter Township

My family and I had some pretty mixed feelings about this place. On one hand, our kids had a wonderful time but from the parent/animal lover perspective... The adults were torn.

The good: It's clear they are trying to be as accessible as possible to every person and ability. The kids were able to be hands on with many of the animals. There was good signage and accessibility to hand washing. It was clean and check in staff was kind.

Areas for improvement: They have a camp that looks very fun for the campers, however, it can be a bit underfoot for guests. Kids are kids and the staff seemed engaged with them. However, if you're going to mix camp and visitors, there either need to be designated areas...or alternatively, they could include the couple visiting kids nearby. For example, if you have a huge tub of veggies and are giving every camper 1 to feed the pigs, then give the couple kids also visiting the same space. I get this isn't possible if it's slammed with visitors but when it's slammed with campers and the visitors are few, it's unkind to the young children standing a foot away.

Some of the campers/visitors are also quite rough with some of the animals. We saw little staff who wasn't directly working with the camp. It just felt everywhere we went there wasn't much anyone watching out for the welfare for the animals. They appear well fed and hydrated but areas like the chicks/bunnies are not being watched closely enough (there is signage on handling but kids are kids) and we witnessed several being dropped a bit abruptly. While these animals tend to be resilient, it was very obvious they needed a break. The chickens are also in very confined spaces which is concerning for both the chickens and visitors as it can increase the likelihood of parasites and diseases.

We hope these things improve with expansion and that our concerns are considered for future summers--we'd be happy to give it another shot. Tons of potential to be an...

Awesome place for family fun. Plus it is conveniently located off 196 so access is easy. Animals appeared to be treated extremely well. Management had staff in each area ensuring guests treated animals appropriately and enforcing "no touch" rules where animals needed it. The staff seamed dedicated to their purpose and always willing to inform and assist guests. However there was plenty to touch, see and experience. All the animals were extremely well socialized. Most didn't even flinch when approached from outside their line of sight as I saw A LOT of kids doing. And some eagerly approach people wanting interaction. My second favorite animal was the absurdly hair bunnies (forgot the breed name) and first favorite was the sheep dog in the pen with the sheep. He/she was a sweetie who adored human affection. How often do kids today get a chance to touch and interact let alone see up close such a variety of animals? A GREAT experience for them. I could go on but suffice it to say I highly recommend this place for kids age 1 - 101. To top it off there is no entry fee and thus affordable for any budget, although I encourage everyone to consider donating what they can. I grew up on a farm and know how much work and money they are to operate. There is no place else I am aware of where you can have such an enriching experience and is open to all w/o nickle and dime-ing you. P.S. Enjoy the smells of nature, it is what complete's the farm...

I’ve lived near the critter barn my whole life and finally went there with my kids. It’s a great little place tucked in an unusual space, right at the top of a hill surrounded by subdivisions and houses. I like that it’s more of a self guided tour of the barns and animals. We could come and go as we pleased and see all the different animals. It’s nice most of the animals are gentle enough to let, there’s a few they caution against petting because they bite. My girls loved the little rabbit area, they were able to pet some rabbits they had sitting out. There were baby chicks and ducklings too that could be pet and picked up. They also found the cat room a fun place to be. Be aware it is a farm. Dust and dirt are inevitable as well as typical animal smells. I loved it because I grew up in that environment so it brought me right back to being a kid! My only complaint is parking. You have to park along side busy Adams street and it made me nervous getting my kids in and out of the vehicle. I did hear they will be moving locations sometime and hopefully that eliminates the...