My family recently discovered what could possibly be the best kept secret in Huntsville; The Harmony Park Safari.
I have to admit, my teenagers were not excited to be pulled away from their electronic devices when my husband and I announced a family outing, but by the time we’d arrived at Harmony Park Safari, they finally quit whining and surprisingly for them, all enjoyed our excursion.
Not far from Ditto Landing Marina, the Harmony Park Safari is tucked away in a rural area of Southeast Huntsville.
The safari costs $7 per person, under two is free and for five or more paying guests you receive a large bucket of food that normally costs $5. If you’re thinking about saving the five bucks and skipping the food, I urge you to reconsider. The animals are all too eager to scurry over to your car if you present an offering.
We saw many animals at the safari. Most of the animals are roaming around unrestrained while a few like the monkey, pot bellied pig and iguana are housed in cages.
There were ponies, goats and deer...
and a zebra. This is the first time I can remember getting a picture of a zebra’s head and not its rear.
The camel was fenced, but he was still able and eager to reach his neck over the fence and into our bucket of food.
I was surprised to see the peacock wandering about. He did fan his feathers but by then we were too far away to get a good shot.
The Texas Longhorn was busy eating the hay.
The Bison was cooling off in the water.
There are even a few giant exotic Brazilian birds.
The tortoises were surprisingly active IF you visit before bedtime. By six o’clock they’re ready for bed so make sure you don’t visit in the evening if you want to see them.
There is also a reptile house which is included with your admission. We saw lots of snakes, crocodiles, and alligators.
There is a small picnic area for guests who’d like to get out and stretch and savor the day. Allow 30 minutes minimum to one hour (a bit longer if you really take your time or are really interested in the animals) to drive the two-mile path through the park-like setting, to walk through the reptile house and to see the tortoises. Fun for the whole family- Harmony Park Safari gets a thumbs- up from my family!
Ready to plan a visit of your own? You’ll find Harmony Park Safari at 431 Clouds Cove Road Southeast Huntsville, AL 35803, or you can call (256) 723-3880 for more information.
I agree--this may be one of the best-kept secrets in H'ville. I'm not sure many people know about it. We thought the animals were a bit too aggressive, though. Having them stick their heads in the car window looking for food was a bit close for me!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I really think they need to advertise more. As far as the animals,
ReplyDeletewe've been to another Safari Park that was very similar and had more animals
and I actually found it a bit scary the way the animals surrounded the
vehicle for the food. Our whole vehicle was slobbered on and pretty gross by
the time we left that one. :) This time I wasn't as bothered, we have a
fullsize van so no sticking their heads for us~ though the zebra would have
if he could have reached it. I guess that's a good point, don't roll your
windows down to far. I also think the food helped direct them away from the
vehicle- if you could fling it out far enough. They definitely know who
their food source it. :)