The oddities at the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo begin with the name. After all, it sounds a little like you’ll get to pet the alligators there. Which is crazy, right? I mean…who gets to pet alligators…ha ha ha…oh wait. You do get to pet alligators? Okay then.
The alligator farm isn’t all alligators, though you can see baby alligators from six inches long to adults that are ten feet in length. In addition to the alligators, you’ll find lots of cool mammals and other wildlife. You’ll even find a merman. These are all reasons why the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo was once named the best wildlife rescue you can visit year round by Good Housekeeping. You’ll find the alligator farm in Hot Springs, and the directions are here.
From the moment you drive up to the alligator farm you’ll see a mural that shows an alligator living alongside a lemur and a turkey . . .
Yelp/Anthony C.
. . . and a sign declaring “Wolf Crossing” and a list of things you’ll see there.
Yelp/Anthony C.
You’ll get the opportunity to hold a baby alligator. . .
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
. . . just be careful you don’t get swarmed in the petting area.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
That’s right, most of the animals you can pet at the alligator zoo are not alligators. They look more like this:
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
And this:
Yelp/Delilah R.
And this:
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
If you’re primarily there for the alligators, you won’t be disappointed. They’ve got little guys. . .
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
. . . medium-sized guys . . .
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
. . . and big ole dudes, too.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
You might even be lucky enough to catch feeding time.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
Remember that “Wolf Crossing” thing? It’s not a joke.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
These wolves are still wild animals, but they’re not exactly the terror of the forest.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
You’ll find a big cat on the premises too.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
This lemur is a perfectly adorable addition to the farm.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
You’ll find monkeys, too.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
And turkeys.
Yelp/Anthony C.
And, of course, the crown on the weird experience of encountering all these animals in the same day is seeing the merman who lives there.
Flickr/Dennis Yang
So at what other place in the world can you hold a baby alligator, hang out with wild turkeys, greet wolves, see a lemur, lounge with a big cat, be swarmed by goats, pet a pony, and gawk at a merman?
Yelp/Anthony C.
At Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo, of course. They’ve been serving up a weird time for a long time.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
If you’re into the weird stuff, you’ve got to check out these roadside attractions. For more things to do while you’re in Hot Springs, check out this article.
Yelp/Anthony C.
Facebook/Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
Yelp/Delilah R.
Flickr/Dennis Yang
Yelp/Anthony C.
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