Door County has a variety of fun experiences and activities for animal lovers of all ages. Here is our list of the best animal experiences and petting zoos in Door County, WI.
The Farm
The Farm in Door County is a must-visit attraction for any family visiting the Door County peninsula. Since 1965 the Farm has been providing families a place to interact with farm animals including feeding goats, lambs, and piglets. The Farm, a living museum of rural America, also has historic farm tools and implements, gardens, and nature trails to explore. The Farm offerings a petting zoo experience with a farm focus.
Kids and adults can feed the animals milk or corn. In addition to the cute young goats, piglets and lambs there are some cows that enjoy being feed corn by the handful. One highlight is the opportunity to milk a goat. There are also baby chicks and if you are lucky you might even see chicks hatching.
A typical visit to the Farm starts and ends in the Barnyard feeding and playing with the animals. Between those experiences, we often hike on some of their trails and look at some of the historical farm implements and gardens.
Our family often visits the Farm several times in a week-long visit to Door County. Our tips are to arrive early before the crowds build up. Also, we highly recommend getting a season pass as your kids will be begging you to return often.
I have fond memories of coming to the farm as a child and love seeing how much our children enjoy their experience at the farm. In addition to barnyard animals, they typically have cats that are available for adoption at the end of the season. We adopted our lovely Farm cat Comet from the Farm in 2020.
Plum Loco Animal Farm
Another great animal experience with farm animals is a visit to Plum Loco. Our family has always referred to Plum Loco as “Secret Farm” as much fewer people are familiar with this farm experience. They are a farm-animal sanctuary where the entire family can interact with farm animals including goats and horses. Plum Loco also has a fun play-farm village for children.
Plum Loco opened in 2006 with the mission to reconnect adults to a simpler way of life – and inspires active, imaginative, and creative play in children.
Unlike The Farm, you are encouraged to feed the horses at Plum Loco which is a hit for our kids.
Kurtz Corral
Enjoy a scenic, guided horseback ride at Kurtz Corral. Kurtz Corral has been offering horseback riding experiences in Door County since 1960 when Lloyd Kurtz, Grandfather of current owner Jimmy Kurtz founded it.
Their trail ride is a one-hour experience where you will follow your guide through the wooded and prairie fields of Door County. We have always enjoyed our horseback riding experiences at Kurtz Corral where they do a good job of pairing riders with a horse appropriate for their experience. In addition to the Trail Ride, they do offer an Arena Ride for younger riders who might not be ready for a full trail ride.
Kurtz Corral is a popular family destination so we suggest you book several days or weeks in advance of your desired riding date.
Door County Horsemanship
Another great option for horseback riding in Door County is Door County Horsemanship in Sturgeon Bay. While Kurtz Corral focuses primarily on its traditional guided trail riding experience, Door County Horsemanship offers guided horseback rides along with opportunities to learn more about riding and working with horses.
Their wooded trail rides are beginner-friendly and led by experienced wranglers. For families looking for a more hands-on experience, their Lesson & Trail Experience combines basic horse handling and riding instruction with time on the trail.
Door County Horsemanship also offers arena rides for younger children, riding lessons, horse-drawn wagon rides, horse camps, and other horsemanship experiences. This makes it a great choice for families who want to do more than just take a trail ride and learn a little more about horses along the way.
Read our post about riding with Door County Horsemanship.
Open Door Bird Sanctuary
Door County is home to a birds of prey sanctuary that provides both public and private experiences. The Open Door Bird Sanctuary is located near Jacksonport and has 34 acres to provide homes to un-releasable birds of prey. They use these birds as ambassadors to inspire and educate the public about these amazing birds.
Open Door Bird Sanctuary has three aviaries (two large and one small), they also have a Bird Care Center where they care for smaller birds. They offer hiking trails through three distinct habitats: prairie, hardwood forest, and pine forest, and there are hands-on experiences along the way.
They have a variety of birds including Grey Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl, Long Eared Owl, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, and Turkey Vulture.
Check out their Events Calendar for open to the public events, or inquire about a Private Tour. Private Tours are $60 for four guests and $12 for each additional guest.
Summary
There are so many fun activities in Door County for families, but we believe the animal experiences are some of the best. The pure joy holding and petting animals provide the widest of smiles.
Did we miss a great animal or petting zoo experience in Door County? If so please leave us a comment below!
We adopted our lovely Farm cat Comet from the Farm in 2020.
