Animal Safari in the Middle of Texas!
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We were driving home from Galveston, Texas to the Northeast part of the state and as I stared out the window, I had to do a double take – there was a camel behind a fence on the side of the road! It took me a minute to realize what I’d seen and tell my husband. And a few seconds later, I saw a billboard that said “Grapeland Safari”.
We kind of chuckled and my husband said, do you wanna go back? Of course, I said heck yes! We turned around and went to check it out.
What is Grapeland Safari?
Grapeland Safari is a drive-thru park. It costs $7/person and you can buy buckets of food to feed the animals. You load up, they open the gate and you drive in. Immediately, the animals start coming up to the car because they know you’re gonna feed them.
If you’re looking for a fun summer road trip stop in Texas, this is it!
What Kinds of Animals are at Grapeland Safari?
Like I said, the camel caught my eye. But they also have zebras, hogs, all kinds of exotic deer species, Ostrich, water buffalo and more. The fallow deer pictured below wouldn’t get anywhere near us so this pic was taken from outside the fence when we drove around to check it out before we went in.
We were immediately approached by a camel and a zebra sticking their heads through the window to try to get the food. They’re a little aggressive – the zebras tooth scratched my hand, not because it tried to bite me, because I freaked out and pulled my hand away, haha! It’s exhilarating to feed these hungry suckers and have them so up close and personal.
How Long Does it Take to Get Through the Grapeland Safari?
As we drove through the gated area, all the animals would run up to the car. We avoided the ostriches, they’re known to be super aggressive, haha! We would just take food and throw it out on the ground to distract them.
The exotic deer came up very curiously and gently and ate out of the cups. We made sure everyone got some. We were likely there longer than most cars because we were having so much fun. If you want to see grown adults giggling and excited like children, go with us through this park 😊
Is Grapeland Safari Dog-Friendly?
We had the dogs with us in the car and we were really worried there was going to be some kind of incident of the dogs growling or trying to get close to the animals or vice versa but we had no issues. Of course, we kept their windows up. But they didn’t even try to get close to the animals or bother them in any way. And we weren’t really stopped with any one animal long enough. So I would say yes, as long as you keep your dogs in the back of the car and away from the open windows, it’s dog-friendly.
Where Can You Stay When Visiting Grapeland Safari?
Most likely you are not making this your destination, you would just be passing through or going there for the day and going home. The closest major town is Palestine, TX, just 24 minutes to the North. That would be the best place to stay if needed and hit any restaurants, etc.
Would I Recommend a Stop at Grapeland Safari?
Absolutely! I am not one who loves zoos or places that animals are fodder for human entertainment. I’m pretty choosy about visiting places like this. These animals are well taken care of, have good temperaments and seem to be fairly happy. They have shelters and trees and watering holes to cool off in.
I’m not kidding when I say we laughed so hard and just had the best time driving through there. It totally made the trip and was a great halfway point for us on our way home from Galveston. If you’re nearby, you have to check it out and let me know what you think!
For other animal/wildlife experiences, check out my other posts: Swimming with Manatees, Visiting Estes Park and the Sandhill Crane Migration in Nebraska. Any day you get to see and be around wildlife is a good day in my book!
