Whether your ideal animal encounter would take place on a farm, on a lake, or behind doors, we’ve got plenty of ideas to help you make contact with the creatures of your choice.
SUNSET VIEW CREAMERY
(607) 594-2095
4970 County Route 14 Odessa, NY 14869
Only in Odessa will visitors find the experience offered by the friendly cattle at Sunset View Creamery. If you’ve ever wanted to snuggle up next to a gentle giant, sign up for a thirty-minute appointment to cuddle a cow. Cowcuddlers can also hang out in the barn with some members of the Hoffman family farm. If visitors want to get even more personal with the cow, they can take a milking lesson. The hour-long class will teach the process of extracting and cleaning the milk by hand and with a machine. If you’re even more committed to the dairy farming life, you can invest in a discovery camp for kids between the ages of eight and thirteen. Learn farm chores, train and care for a calf, and participate in a calf show at the end of the week. After you’re done playing with the cows, head over to the retail store to get some cheese, fresh raw milk, or ice cream, produced on-site from the very friends you just made. Remember to dress appropriately in closed-toed shoes for an authentic farm day!
HIDDEN VALLEY ANIMAL ADVENTURE
(585) 535-4100
2887 Royce Road Varysburg, NY 14167
Always wanted to go on a safari? Hidden Valley Animal Adventure in Varysburg has just what you need, with more than 350 animals to visit. Bus tours or self-drive tours are available to navigate the two-mile sanctuary. There are bison, sheep, camels, emu, kangaroos, zebras, swans, and many more that visitors can feed and interact with up close. A small animal adventure is offered to those who’d like to walk around among smaller and young animals. Three dining options can fuel you on your trek, featuring grilled food, dairy products, snacks, and beverages. Spend the day (or the night) in the beautiful valley to enjoy the experience Hidden Valley has been building to share since 2005.
LAZY ACRE ALPACAS
(585) 455-1203 (Mark, Owner)
8830 Baker Road Bloomfield, NY 14469
Huge, fluffy alpacas like Greta and Napoleon await visitors at Lazy Acre Alpaca farm. You can take an extensive walking tour of the 200-year-old farm that has historically housed cattle and horses but now is exclusively home to alpacas. If you’re feeling a bit uptight, get loose and participate in an hour-long yoga session surrounded by the many alpacas that live there. Alpacas’ lush fur provides a dense thermal fiber that you can learn to weave in either a beginner or intermediate felting class to make an adorable gnome as a souvenir from your day at Lazy Acre. Supplies of needles and wool are included for the project and available for purchase if you’ve discovered this is a new passion. If your birthday is coming up, they can come to you with two alpacas, or you can book a private party there that you’ll leave with a gift bag and awesome alpaca memories.
ROCHESTER SPORT FISHING
(585) 797-3735 (Captain Kip Mammano)
105 East Manitou Rd. Dock C, Rochester, NY 14612
If furry friends are not your thing, and you’re bold enough to find some sea legs, look no further than Captain Kip Mammamo and Captain Brendan White to lead you on a fishing trip. For a shallow water trip, you could be on Honeoye Lake, Conesus Lake, Irondequoit Bay, or Canandaigua Lake casting for Pike, Bass, Walleye, Tiger Muskies, and more. For a deep-water trip, Lake Ontario is sure to send you home with some monster salmon. Your catches can be cleaned and packaged at no extra cost, and success is guaranteed, or the trip is free. All ages are accommodated (over sixteen must have valid fishing licenses) and there is a private, clean bathroom on board. They say you should be prepared to leave with stories you’ll tell forever!
LAMBERTON CONSERVATORY
(585) 753-7270
180 Reservoir Ave, Rochester, NY 14620
monroecounty.gov/parks-conservatory
If you’re not up for such an extreme excursion and want to stick close to home, Rochester’s own Lamberton Conservatory offers a relaxing environment to observe small critters. Though it is known for its botanical gardens, plenty of birds, mice, fish, and turtles are there to enjoy the peaceful greenhouse with you. Keep your eyes on the ground to see tiny mice scurrying out of the bricks to eat off the birds’ fruit trays. Also roaming the ground is a special turtle named Minivan who will most definitely put a smile on your face. The koi pond outside is a lovely garden to bask in the sun with huge orange and red fish swimming beside you.
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