Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary LLC

Reviews

• KM

  Karl Mueller

  Jun 29, 2026
  1.0
  Before I write this review I want to say everything I write about in this review takes place a few years ago. I honestly forgot about the Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary until today (It is June 29th 2026 as I write this) when I read an article from CBS 58 news about how Ginger the white tiger died two days ago (That would be June 27th 2026). This article jogged my memory and has caused me to right this review. Anyway, on to the review. I personally believe the Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary is not an ethical place. The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary is not really a sanctuary at all. It is a petting zoo with exotic animals that should be in an AZA Zoo (The Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary is not accredited). The owners I truly feel do not care about their animals. On November 19th in 2022 I went to the Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary with my girlfriend for the Christmas lights. Earlier that day two tiger cubs died because they drowned in a pond in their habitat (These deaths caused the Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary to get cited by the USDA for failure to protect the tiger cubs by the way). A normal zoo would shut down and not allow people on the premises or at the very least go near the tiger area.This was not the case at all. The zoo was still open as well as the tiger area. I did not learn about the tiger cubs death until the next day. If I did I would have never gone to the Wildlife sanctuary. Another example of how the owners do not care for their animals is on the night of the Christmas lights my girlfriend and I went to feed the goats and other farm animals. While feeding them a little Nigerian pygmy goat ran up to me. This should not have happened because all the other livestock animals were behind a fence. When I found an employee I told them what happened. The employee said in a not caring tone it didn't matter because the goats escape and run away all the time. My girlfriend and I were so disgusted by how the employee acted. We both chose not to go back unless things changed for the better. We also decided to still follow the zoo on Facebook because we trulybelieved the zoo would get better. This was not the case at all. During the summer of 2023 the owner made many posts about this family of swans that migrate to the zoo yearly and how after they got to the zoo they started dying off one by one. Instead of doing anything about it the owners talked about how "God was taking care of the situation " or something like that. Later that summer the owners wrote a post about how they do not have a zoo background and they have to figure things out as they go with some of the animals they own. It is very clear the owners and the people running the zoo only care about money instead of the animals they have. It is not a shock or a surprise to me that Ginger the white tiger died (CBS 58 news said it was an illness). I would give this wildlife sanctuary zero stars but it is not possible.
• MM

  MissLia

  Jun 29, 2026
  5.0
  This was our second visit to Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary, and it was just as wonderful as the first! My 13-year-old son and I absolutely love coming here. Since admission is considered an adult ticket for ages 13 and up, we purchased two adult tickets at $17.50 each, rented a golf cart for $45, and bought a grain bucket for about $7.50. You also have the option to purchase a produce bucket with items like carrots and apples, since not all of the animals can eat the grain. The grain is especially great for the petting zoo area toward the end of the sanctuary, where you can feed friendly animals like goats and alpacas. The golf cart rentals are first come, first served, so I'd recommend arriving earlier if you'd like one. We didn't have any trouble getting one, and it made exploring the sanctuary even more enjoyable. When you arrive, you're given a map that makes it easy to navigate the park. We also really enjoyed the educational exhibits throughout the sanctuary. One of our favorites was a Native American display where you could step inside, read about the history, listen to traditional music, and even try the drum. It added another layer to the experience beyond just seeing the animals. What makes Shalom so special is that it's nothing like a typical zoo. It's peaceful, beautiful, and incredibly relaxing. You can easily spend the entire day exploring, watching the animals, and enjoying nature. You're welcome to bring your own lunch, which makes it easy to spend the whole day without feeling rushed. They also have a café where you can purchase food like burgers, fries, and other casual favorites. As a nice bonus, we each received a free scoop of ice cream with our admission. We've had an amazing experience both times we've visited. If you're looking for a unique, serene place to slow down, connect with nature, learn something new, and spend quality time with family, I highly recommend Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary. We'll definitely be back again!
• AP

  Angie Paulson

  Jun 28, 2026
  5.0
  We love visiting Shalom! It is such a beautiful hike and you get to see wonderful animals along the way. We have been taking the kids for years. The owners truly care about the animals and have put so much time into making this place amazing for visitors and the animals. The connection David makes with the animals is really amazing. Highly recommend visiting Shalom if you have not yet! You get really close views of the animals too.
• PK

  Patricia Kassner

  Jun 22, 2026
  1.0
  I would not in any way shape or form, frequent or support this shady venue, it is not accredited and breeds tigers for pure profit, animals are in poor, cramped enclosures and if they become ill, if the illness is severe and they will not longer be able to bring in money for this establishment, they are left to die or are euthanized like a tiger named Goliath, this is currently happening with a tiger named Ginger who is dying of a uterine infection as this is being posted. it has been sited many times for poor conditions and federal infractions such as bringing in tiger cubs that are too young, yet they are still open, I do not understand why they have not been shut down
• AA

  A

  Jun 21, 2026
  3.0
  This is our 2nd time here, frist time was about 5+ years ago. This time we rented a golf cart. Paid $116 for 4 people plus cart. Took us about the 3 hours to finnish the whole place. There were ups and downs to this place. Its nice and some enclosures were huge, some were small. Some animals looks sad while others look healthy. Kids enjoyed it, lots to see, smell and hear. Alot about native Americans, not sure if this is native land but for a guy that calls himself Christian there alot of native facts, building, rocks etc. Employees are hit or miss, the one girl we got at check in wasn't very helpful, told us wrong directions lucky I asked another girl and she eas more helpful. The worker at the golf cart was nice and informative.

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