Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo

Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo and its collection

Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo, opened in 1902, is a zoo in Hot Springs, United States.

Alligators have been kept here, without being bred, from the start in 1902. Beyond roughly 200 alligators, the collection includes cougars, wild boars, bobcats, turtles, ring-tailed lemurs and poultry.

History

Campbell started the farm in 1902, reckoning that the town needed a draw beyond its thermal baths. It once traded as the Hot Springs Gator Farm, holding as many as 1,500 alligators along with a small museum. Ownership later passed to Jack Bridges, Sr.

Exhibits

On site are a museum of mounted alligators and a gift shop, but no food stand. Among the displays is a dried body billed as a Merman, of the kind Ripley's holds. The petting area is stocked with goats, emus, llamas, white-tailed deer, pigs and hatchling alligators, and the feeding demonstration carries a teaching element.

What the venue says

• feed baby alligators small pieces of meat on a stick
• hand-feed parakeets
• live alligator feeding shows
• There are typically no major dining options or full-service restaurants operated inside the zoo grounds, but light snacks or souvenir refreshments may be found at the gift shop.
• Parking is available on-site for visitors.
• accessibility can vary, and guests using mobility devices may want to contact the facility directly to prepare for specific terrain challenges