Lake Tobias Wildlife Park and Zoo is located about 40 minutes outside of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. In central Pennsylvania we have smaller zoos and wildlife centers but Lake Tobias is the biggest one in the area. It’s open seasonally, so you need to check their website for hours of operation.
Every year we get together with family to visit Lake Tobias Wildlife Park. We plan an entire day to be together. Everyone looks forward to it. The park does charge an admission fee to enter. You’ll be doing a LOT of walking, so you want to wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for current weather conditions. Bring along sunscreen and bug spray…you’ll most likely need it.
The facility is half a wildlife park where you can go on a safari tour to see all kinds of herd animals while riding in the comfort of an open-air mini bus. You can purchase animal feed before you go on the Safari and then when the mini bus stops at various places along the safari tour you can feed some of the animals. Many will come right up to your window to be fed!
They have a petting zoo area where you and the kids can pet rabbits, goats and other animals. The majority of these animals are ones you would find on a local farm. Younger children really enjoy the petting zoo. You can again…purchase food to feed to the animals.
You’ll find some indoor and outdoor exhibits. For one…we really enjoyed the indoor Sloth presentation. You can cool off in the air conditioning and sit down for the presentation. They teach you about SLOTHS and allow you to ask questions about them. They’re very knowledgeable too. The Sloth is a BIG draw at the wildlife park!!!
There’s a big food court area where you and the family can grab a bite to eat. You’ll find your classic grab-n-go fast food menu items like pizza, burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, french fries, onion rings, soft pretzels, ice cream, beverages, etc. Just be a little prepared for the prices which are typical for a tourist-style attraction.
When visiting the Lake Tobias Wildlife Park and Zoo we recommend that you allow at least 3 hours in your schedule. If you want to avoid the crowds trying visiting during a weekday. During the summertime the weekends can get really crowded…so be prepared.