And, that’s not all at the Lupa Zoo in Ludlow, Massachusetts! At the Lupa Zoo, you’ll have the opportunity to see armadillos, exotic birds, porcupines, reindeer, exotic deer, buffalo, goats of all kinds, kangaroo, proud peacocks, snakes, lemurs, pigs (babies in the spring!), and several other zoo animals. But, the most amazing experience, at least to me, is the opportunity to feed an absolutely beautiful giraffe!
For a $5.00 donation, your whole family can walk up the flight of stairs in the giraffe enclosure. Drop your vegetables, one by one, into the feeding tube. The food will land on a shelf just a couple of feet down. The giraffe will stand right before your eyes, and happily take each drop of food you offer. You will be literally a couple of arm’s length away from this majestic creature! What a great experience!
There are other opportunities to get up close & feed the other zoo animals, as well. The Lupa Zoo has several food houses throughout the park. Purchase these bags of food, using the honor system. Grab the bag you want, and slip your money into the money slot. Save some of the fruit loops for the reindeer. It’s her favorite!
Don’t forget to pose in the many wooden animal cutouts! And, stop for a nice shaded rest in one of the many shaded sitting areas available. When you are through inside the zoo, head into the gift shop for a little souvenir, or check out the petting zoo just on the other side of the parking lot.
Mom’s Review:
What a great experience! I was hesitant to go, because of a review I read. The review said it was too small, and dirty. That was enough to make me think twice. But, with all of the big zoos at least 2 hours away, I set my course for Lupa Zoo. Boy, am I glad! The cost is such a big difference from the big zoos, and it’s the cleanest zoo I’ve seen! The bathrooms were definitely the cleanest public restrooms I’ve ever seen! The monkeys were hilarious – chasing each other in and out of the enclosure, and even seemed to be inviting the kids to play tag, as they kept running up to the inside fence, looking at the kids, and running away. I’ve never seen such active wildlife at a zoo! I also loved the fact the zoo was smaller than the BIG zoos. We had less walking with little ones. We were so close to all of the animals that we truly got to experience their fun personalities! I would definitely recommend the Lupa Zoo for your family.
*On a side note: Watch the movie “We Bought A Zoo”, the night before you go. It will enhance your Lupa Zoo experience. The zoo is very similar to the story in the movie. The owners live in a house right on the premises, too!
Positives:
- Opportunity to get close to Several Exotic Animals
- Opportunity to feed a giraffe – awesome!
- Easy to get around with little ones
- Clean Enclosures & Facility
- Friendly Staff
Negatives:
- I don’t remember seeing a place to eat. But, there are several picnic tables, & the zoo is just the right size to spend a couple of hours, and head off somewhere else for lunch! I have emailed the zoo, asking about the food situation, and I’ll update ASAP. If you know otherwise – please leave a comment.
Favorite Season To Visit:
- Spring was nice – Some of the animals had babies, and the weather is cool enough for the animals to remain nice and active.
Activities/Things To Do:
- Feed the animals
- Picnic
- Shop
What To Pack:
- Stroller
- Germ-X – A must at petting zoos!
- Sun Screen – There are plenty of Shade opportunities to get out of the sun!
- Usual kid stuff
- Camera/Video Camera – Several photo opportunities
FYI:
- The reindeer prefers fruit loops! Save several for her – she’ll be so excited!
- Don’t forget $$cash- singles and 5’s$$ – you’ll need it to buy food in the food houses.
- Yes – birthday parties are available at the Jungle Enclosure – And, they are right next to the monkeys for a fun experience!
- Animals are always most active before the hot sun wears them out. Try to go early in the morning.
Is There Anything That Made This Mom Nervous?:
Yep – and amazingly it did not involve my 2-year-old, this time. My older son loves to run past the goats in petting zoos. The goats always run alongside. Well, this time, Michael decided to run beside a fence of a large exotic deer? – I don’t remember the animal. Anyway, this guy had 3-foot longhorns, and was the size of a horse! This really got the testosterone going, and the animal reared up and bucked the gate over and over! Yikes! Take some advice from this mom. Don’t run with the big animals, here!
Kid’s Review: What Did The Kids Think Of The Place?:
Abi – 9 yrs. old – Awesome! I give it a #10! “Can I have a monkey?”
Michael – “I loved the statues to take pictures with. I liked the gorilla statue the best!”
Ella – “I liked the flower and the butterfly cut-outs! I loved my pictures in them!”
(I think the picture opportunities were just as exciting as the animals!)
Dad’s 2 Cents $$. What’s All Of This Quality Time Going To Cost Me?:
13 years and up – $10
62 years and up – $9
Over 2 – $6
2 and under – FREE
Animal Food – Cash inside the zoo – 2012 prices – The food houses say $2 for small bags and $5 for large bags.
Location:
For GPS users – We used the office address for lack of a physical address – It took us close enough to follow the signs from there. The office location is:
545 West Street
Ludlow, MA
413-589-9883
The zoo is actually located on Nash Street – but I don’t have an actual street # to give you.
Hours:
Weather permitting – 10-5 every day – Closed Easter Sunday – For 2012 the season starts March 31st.
More Pictures For A Better Visual:
http://kidfriendlythingstodo.com/2012/05/lupa-zoo-in-ludlow-ma-pictures-a-kid-friendly-thing-to-do-review/
A Link To Lupa Zoo’s Web Site:
go to http://www.lupazoo.org/
~Melissa – KidFriendlyThingsToDo.Com –
