Personal Animal Encounters

Get up close and personal with our fascinating zoo collection, creating unforgettable memories. Discover the thrill of being face-to-face with incredible creatures and gain an appreciation for the natural world like never before. Come and join us on this extraordinary adventure at your Hometown Hutchinson Zoo!

Keeper Chat

Join your Hometown Hutchinson Zoo in this new adventure of Personal Animal Encounters just in time for the holidays. 

We are offering several specialized encounters that can be given as gifts, used for you and your family, or given to staff to show employee appreciation. Our experiences include a one-on-one with the animal and their keeper. Don't miss your chance to share this experience during the holiday season.

Experience Days

Education Animals: Tuesday - Saturday

Herps: Sunday - Tuesday

Mini Farm: Thursday - Sunday

Pelicans: Tuesday - Saturday

Otter: Thursday - Saturday

Beaver: Sunday - Tuesday

Bison: Tuesday - Saturday

Additional Experience Information

Education Animal Options: Skunk, Ferrets, Rabbit, Iguana, Kingsnake, Milksnake, Toad, Legless Lizard, Box Turtle

Herp Animal Options: Gila Monster, Desert Tortoise, Sailfin

Mini Farm Animal Options: Donkeys, Mini Horse, Llama

Adult, child, and llama

Pricing is based on animal type.

Education Animals: $25

Herps: $35

Mini Farm: $45

Pelicans: $45

Otter: $55

Beaver: $55

Bison: $100

Disclaimers

Pricing is based on groups of 5 people. If you would like to bring more than 5 people there will be an additional charge of $15 per person up to 10 total people. We cannot accept groups larger than 10.

All encounters must be booked at least two weeks out from the current date. 

All participants must be 5 years old or older. All children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

You will be contacted by a staff member shortly to confirm your date and set a time for your experience. 

Pricing for your Animal Encounter is based on the animal that is used during your experience.

You will be sent an invoice 48 hours before your encounter with the final bill. Payment must be completed prior to your experience to participate

We reserve the right to cancel an encounter at any time due to the behavior of the animal(s) or due to inclement weather. In these cases, we will contact you to reschedule at a later date. 

You are responsible for all of the people attending the Encounter and will be required to listen to all instructions given by staff during your experience. If anyone in your group does not follow the instructions as they are given we reserve the right to cancel your Animal Encounter with no refund. 

Tickets cannot be transferred after purchase.

Animal Experiences are held rain or shine.

Tongue out Mini Horse Long