10 Amazing Vacation Animal Encounter Locations That Get You Up Close with Exotic Animals

Special Suggestions:

• Paying for animal encounters contributes to animal preservation, wildlife conservation, and education to keep all animals protected for future generations.
• The Bronx Zoo in New York has several exotic animal encounters, ranging from rhinos, giraffes, fennec foxes, alligators, and penguins.
• The Georgia Aquarium is the largest in the United States, providing guests with several different encounters like whale sharks, cage diving, and sea mammals.

The best vacations are when people experience something new and special. Adventuring to new locations to see things only written in history books or fulfilling bucket list items by accomplishing the task of reaching a special location. Some vacations can also be a simple trip to a zoo or aquarium to experience something very few people will experience in their entire lives.

Animal encounters are a great way to feel the thrill of going on an amazing adventure and experiencing something new and uncharted. There are hundreds of animal encounter programs across North America where an individual, couple, or family can spend time sharing a memory that will last a lifetime.

What Are Animal Encounters

Animal encounters are special programs at zoos, nature preservations, and aquariums to educate and create special moments for people to learn about exotic animals around the world.

These programs are by appointment only and must be scheduled in advance. Depending on the location, the price of the encounter will include admission to the park, but that is not a universal rule.

Animals in the animal encounter program are not forced into the position and do so freely. They are comfortable enough around humans thanks to dedicated trainers and are open to socializing with people.

How Expensive Are Animal Encounters

The price for animal encounters depends on the park, the animals the guests will see, and how many people will attend. Generally, encounters can range from $20-$80 while extensive encounters may cost $300 or more.

The money from animal encounters directly goes to wildlife conservation, nature preservation programs, and educational programs to teach everyone the beauty of these animals, many of which are endangered or rare to see in the wild. Funding wildlife programs supports laws to protect these animals from poaching and habitat loss by dedicating acres as nature preserves.

Animal encounters are an amazing way to spend a vacation or day trip with family to experience seeing animals up close that are often only discussed in books or seen on social media.

Animal Encounter Locations

Let’s get to the real fun part and start discussing locations where individuals, couples, or families can go to schedule animal encounters, how much it will cost, and what they will see.

The following list does not contain all the animal encounters in North America and the locations specified have more encounters than what is shown. For more information on that location’s specific encounters, click the associated links provided.

Bronx Zoo

is located in New York City and offers animal encounters in-person and online. It is 265 acres with over 10,000 animals on the premises. The Bronx Zoo has a special treat where before meeting the main animal, they provide guests with a free meet and greet with another surprise animal for that day.

Animal encounters do not include admission to the park. All encounters must be scheduled before the visit. Members get discount pricing.

Popular Bronx Zoo encounters are:

Cape May County Park and Zoo

is in Cape May, NJ. It has 200 wooded acres housing 500 animals within its park. This zoo is mostly outside, and each encounter is dependent on good weather. Inclement or severe weather may cancel an event and guests will need to reschedule their visit.

Admission is free and encounters should be scheduled before the visit.

Popular Cape May Zoo encounters are:

San Diego Zoo

in California is famous for its 100 acres and housing 3,700 rare and endangered species. However, admission is a separate price from the animal encounters. Guests must arrive earlier at a specific meeting point mentioned in the email to experience the encounter. Members get discount pricing.

Note the San Diego Zoo is not the same as the San Diego Safari which has a guided tour of various exotic animals to freely see from the confines of a vehicle.

Popular San Diego Zoo encounters are:

Cosley Zoo

is a small little zoo in Wheaton, IL. It is a cute place with 5 acres of land to house several native and barnyard animals. This place is perfect for family activities and a day trip to show young children their first farm animals.

Cosley Zoo animal encounter

Miami Zoo

is in the warm and sunny region of Miami, Florida. It has 2,500 animals within its 750 acres, including 4 miles of walkways for guests to explore. Depending on the specific encounter, touching animals is prohibited unless authorized by zoo staff.

Admission to the park is not included with the animal encounter. Schedule an animal encounter before visiting the zoo. Members get discounts on pricing.

Miami Zoo encounters are:

Georgia Aquarium

is the largest aquarium in the U.S. and the fifth-largest aquarium in the world. Opening in November 2005, it was the largest in the world before being usurped by Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China. It is 13 acres and contains more than 11 million gallons of water.

Admission is not included with the animal encounters and tickets for encounters must be scheduled beforehand. Discounts are available for members.

Popular Georgia Aquarium animal encounters are:

Virginia Safari Park

is a drive-through zoo and safari adventure where families can traverse the 180 acres of land and meet with dozens of animals. It is a perfect vacation spot for families who want to see dozens of exotic animals without leaving the confines of their car.

Animal encounters at the Virginia Safari Park do not include general admission. Park staff recommends all guests wear closed-toe shoes to protect their feet. All encounters are outside and susceptible to cancellation permitting weather.

Popular Virginia Safari Park encounters are:

New England Aquarium

in Boston is a premier vacation location for families of all ages. Like other aquariums and zoos, this location is dedicated to wildlife conservation and research to the study and protection of marine animals. The aquarium contains 150,000 US gallons of water to house their numerous sea creatures comfortably.

Admission is not included with animal encounters. Discounts are available for members.

Popular New England Aquarium encounters are:

Wild Wonders

is a small 10-acre wild animal refuge in San Diego. It protects over 120 animal ambassadors with extensive education and conservation programs for adults and children.

Admission is not included with animal encounters. Schedule animal encounters before visiting the park.

Popular Wild Wonders animal encounters are:

Lehigh Valley Zoo

Finally, is a delightful 29-acre space where zoo staff offer educational tours, host parties, and provide wildlife conservation tips for all guests. They have approximately 130 different species with a total of 340 animals on the premises. The Lehigh Valley Zoo is located in Schnecksville, PA.

Some encounters include general admission to the zoo. Discounts are available for members. Closed-toed shoes are recommended.

Popular Lehigh Valley Zoo animal encounters are:

Animal encounters are an amazing way for families to get up close and meet exotic animals they may never see in the wild or up close. The animals work with professional trainers to be comfortable around people, and they only work when they feel comfortable. No animals are pushed into the ambassador program if they are timid or unwilling.

Next time you and your family are on vacation, take a moment to see if there is an encounter you can schedule so you have a rare moment that will last a lifetime.