Inside: A list of petting zoos and farms near Greenville, SC where kids can play with animals
Would a fun day be an adventure with your family to a farm or petting zoo near Greenville, SC? It’s hard to resist a photo of your child petting or interacting with a cute animal at a farm or petting zoo.
I know what you are thinking, “are there any petting zoos near me?”
Yes! There are quite a few! We’ve pulled together a huge list of petting zoos and farms where you can interact with animals. These farms and petting zoos are located near Greenville, SC, in Western North Carolina, Northern Georgia, as well as in Charlotte, NC, and the Midlands. So wherever you are, find a petting zoo near you, or a farm that makes a great day trip.
Our list includes places open year-round places to pet animals, plus seasonal farms, and mobile and event-based petting zoos. We have tried to make sure these are places that treat their animals kindly and with respect as well. If we missed any, let us know in the comments.
If you’re wondering “where are farms with animals near me?” the answer is likely somewhere close by. We’ve visited lots and lots of petting zoos and farms and added them to our lists. So yes, you will probably find a petting zoo on this list near you! Use the links below to navigate this list by location.
View Petting Zoos and Farms by Location:Petting Zoo: Greenville, SCPetting Zoo: MidlandsPetting Zoo: Charlotte, NCPetting Zoo: Northern GeorgiaSeasonal Petting Zoos in the CarolinasMobile Petting Zoos Serving Upstate, SC
Petting Zoos in Upstate, SC, Near Greenville
Cuddle with cows at Moo Cow Farms in Simpsonville. Visits are by appointment only and you get a tour of the pasture with the cows and opportunities to cuddle and engage with mom-fed, hand-feed cows, and potentially help feed bottle-fed babies. Totally awesome.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Moo Cow Farms155 Mosley Rd, Simpsonville | Moo Cow Farms Website
Pet and meet bottle-fed babies at Famoda Farm. Visiting this amazingly welcoming farm is FREE. Don’t forget to purchase ice cream from Amazing Grazin’ on-site ice cream or farm-fresh treats and groceries from Grazers when you visit the farm. Spend some time playing at the playground, too.
Famoda Farm Kidding Around Review7410 Mountain View Road, Taylors, SC | Famoda Farm Website
If you love unicorns, Hidden Pasture Farm is the perfect place to take your kids. Plan to spend about an hour there. Be sure to check out the pony rides, they are a true memory maker!
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Hidden Pasture Farm245 Little Virginia Road, Fountain Inn | 864.477.9284 | Hidden Pasture Farm Website
Located in a residential neighborhood in Spartanburg, the owners invite the public to come and check out their alpacas.
262 Hollis Drive, Spartanburg | 864.680.9845 | OnAgain OffAgain Alpaca Farm Website
An alpaca farm that also has goats and chickens. Gloria, the owner, makes hats, scarves, mittens, and blankets from the alpaca’s fleece and gives great tours on the property.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Lucky Acres Farm1024 Milford Road, Townville | 864.903.1856| Lucky Acres Farm Website
Home of Red Clay Soap, Double Blessing Farm offers events throughout the year where you can visit the farm and the animals, including baby goats! The farm makes goat milk soap, and you can also sign up for field trips, homesteading classes, learn about the dairy, soapmaking, homeschool events, and more.
Red Clay Soap- Double Blessing Farm Website2310 Tigerville Road, Travelers Rest
Petting Zoos in Western North Carolina
This isn’t a petting zoo actually. It’s way better! It’s a llama farm on an apple orchard in Hendersonville, NC where you get to interact with llamas, hike with them, and run with them through an obstacle course.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Ellaberry Llama Farm4178 Old Clear Creek Rd, Hendersonville, NC | 828.606.3577 | Ellaberry Llama Farm Website
This adorable farm is beautiful and has lots of great animals you can play with like goats, donkeys, bunnies, and even emus, horses, and cows. And it’s free!
555 Brackett Town Road, Nebo, NC | 828.925.1070 | Brackett Town Farms
The WNC Nature Center not only has wolves, red pandas, lots of reptiles, otters, and several play areas, they also have a cute little petting zoo that’s included with admission.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of WNC Nature Center 75 Gashes Creek Rd, Asheville, NC | 828.259.8080 | WNC Nature Center Website
Perhaps the only place that allows guests to get in the field and barn with the goats to play with them. There is also hiking and touring the house.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Carl Sandburg Home1800 Little River Rd, Flat Rock, NC | 828.693.4178 | Carl Sandburg Home Website
Located on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, the farm at Antler Hill Village has lots of animals for kids to touch.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of BiltmoreOne Lodge Street, Asheville, NC | 800.411.3812 | The Biltmore Website
A beautiful drive from Greenville through the mountains to Waynesville in Western, NC, this farm has alpacas and lots of miniature animals like horses, cows, and donkeys. You can feed and interact with some of the animals. Read our review here.
Kidding Around Review of Winchester Creek Farm386 Walker Road, Waynesville, NC l 828.246.9486Winchester Creek Farm Website
A miniature donkey farm in Western NC where you can pet and cuddle with the donkeys.
942 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville, NC | [email protected]
Petting Zoos in the Midlands, SC
We have a whole list of petting zoos and farms in the Midlands on our sister site Kidding Around Columbia. For all the best petting zoos in that area, you’ll want to head there. There are some pretty awesome options!
Pet, feed, and learn about animals at Goat Daddy’s Farm. We would suggest setting aside at least 1 to 2 hours of your day in order to get the full Goat Daddy’s experience! There is so much to see and learn and even some opportunities for hands-on experiences!
Kidding Around Review of Goat Daddy’s Farm144 Tomahawk Trail, Elgin | Goat Daddy’s Farm Website
Petting Zoos in Georgia
Home to many exotic animals, the North Georgia Zoo offers several different encounters with the animals for guests. Admission includes a zoo tour and access to the petting zoo but the personal animal encounters are extra fees. Be sure to look at the age requirements if you are going to book an animal encounter.
2912 Paradise Valley Rd, Cleveland, GA | 706.348.7279 | North Georgia Zoo and Farm Website
This non-profit takes in rescued animals who have been orphaned, illegally purchased, or abused. They take donations of food as well.
469 Old Dahlonega Hwy, Dahlonega, GA | 678.300.0019 | Chestatee Wildlife Preserve Website
Petting Zoos Near Charlotte, NC
Just outside of Charlotte, this farm has lots of animals to see and pet, plus it offers wagon rides. Please note they only accept cash.
15100 Mooresville Road, Mooresville, NC | 704.663.5100 | Lazy 5 Ranch Website
Seasonal Petting Zoos & Farms
These petting zoos and farms are open on a seasonal basis such as in spring or fall.
One of the very best farms in the entire Upstate and a fall favorite for so many families in the area due to its award-winning corn maze, fall farm activities kids love, pig races, live entertainment, and a little petting zoo area.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Denver Downs1515 Denver Road, Anderson | 864.515.4554 | Denver Downs Website
The Roper Mountain Science Center is part of the Greenville County School System and has a planetarium, science hall, and Living History Farm. They offer animal encounters with sea creatures during special events!
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Roper Mountain Science Center402 Roper Mountain Road, Greenville | 864.355.8900 | Roper Mountain Science Center Website
The petting zoo is part of Tweetsie Railroad theme park near Boone, North Carolina.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Tweetsie Railroad300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock, NC | 800.526.5740 | Deer Park Website
The family-run apple orchard is a fantastic fall destination with tons of great activities for kids – and they have a petting zoo with gentle goats and a pond where kids can feed fish (bring quarters!).
Kidding Around Greenville Review187 Garren Road, Hendersonville, NC | 828.974.1232 | Justus Orchard Website
Known for their spring strawberry patches and fall corn maze and hayrides, Stewart Farms also has an area for kids to pet a variety of farm animals.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Stewart Farms6600 SC-92, Enoree | 864.969.7270 | Stewart Farms Website
The farm animals are part of the larger experience at Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, NC, known for their cider donuts and apple picking.
Kidding Around Greenville Review of Sky Top Orchard1193 Pinnacle Mountain Rd, Flat Rock, NC | 828.692.7930 | Sky Top Orchard Website
Mobile & Event-Based Petting Zoos
If you’d like to plan an event like a birthday party, scout outing, or office event with animals, these places can either host you or will come to your location.
Based in Campobello, SC, Zuber Petting Zoo is a mobile-petting zoo with goats, pigs, chickens, llamas, cows, and more.864.316.1302 | Zuber Petting Zoo Website
Safe Haven is a permanent sanctuary for exotic wildlife that have either been abandoned, abused, lost their home for some reason. They do educational programs, including birthday parties, and bring their animals to educate and be loved on. 864.246.4425 | Rescue Exotics Website
Super popular in the Upstate, the Critter Keeper “brings the jungle” to you for parties and events with reptiles and fluffy critters for kids to enjoy.864.640.2295 | Critter Keeper Website
Snakes, squirrels, spiders, lizards are some of the neat animals that consist of the Wildlife Geeks traveling show.Kidding Around Greenville Review of Wildlife Geeks843.592.8079 | Wildlife Geeks Website
They have bunnies, alpacas, goats, and guinea pigs and bring all the cute animals right to you. They are located in Greenville. 864.346.6991 | Herbert and Friends Mobile Petting Zoo Facebook
A mobile petting zoo based in Easley, SC. They have miniature cows, goats, donkeys, and offer pony rides.
864.908.8640 | Triple Lake Farm Website
Located in Northern Georgia, Sam Path Petting Zoo has zebras, monkeys, camels, kangaroos, and all kinds of other animals perfect for a cute party. 706.717.8837 | Sam Path Petting Zoo Website
Right across the border in Western North Carolina, Jackson Farm will bring the zoo to you with their mobile petting zoo full of sweet animals like goats, unicorns, and bunnies. 828.273.9586 | Jackson Farm Sprinkle’s Mobile Petting Zoo Facebook
Which is your favorite petting zoo?