riverside wildlife center

As others have said, this isn't a normal tourist stop, and the upkeep on the place just isn't a priority. However, my adult son, and 2 of my grandchildren stopped here on our way to St Louis. We thought an hour would be plenty of time, but we had to rush through the inside portion, as we had an appointment in St. Louis. The kids loved it. The animals are well taken care of, and the owner is quirky, kind, and interesting. My granddaughter, especially, loved holding "snowball", a white snake, and an alligator. We will be going again this spring, with another couple of grandchildren in tow, and we will make sure we have plenty of time for the inside animals, as well as the magnificant creatures outside.

I will start out saying Leo the most magnificent lion I have ever set my eyes on. I have been to many wildlife centers, and seen many big cats, but Leo surpasses all the rest. He is a beautiful real male lion like none other. He lives in a relaxed environment with people who truly love him, as his caregivers, and it shows in his attitude, as well as the rest of the critters passing their time in this Heart of the Midwest wildlife center. They have other exceptional exotic animals, with the people here offering a very personal experience on every tour. They have a hands on relationship with the animals, which shows in each of them. It doesn't look fancy from the outside, but that is because animal care is a priority here over superficial looks. I live just an hour away, but discovered it only a few years ago. I have visited many times since, with different folks, and recommend this venue to anyone going that way. Go, if you like animals, you will not be disappointed.

Don't be fooled by the outside it's an interesting place. Some might think the enclosures are small but this place is accredited and has been on the news. The people that work there do love the animals. That being said once you get past the look of the place enjoy your adventure! You get to see tigers, a male lion, a wolf, bobcats, foxes, emus, and of course reptiles! We got to feed the emu. After the outside once you get used to the critter smell you get to see a ton of snakes, some turtles, and gaters. The also had some lemurs they rescued. This part of the tour is the most hands on. You're allowed to hold a large snake and alligaters! Makes for a good profile pic!Overall I think this is a great place to visit. Even if you don't have a Groupon this place is inexpensive. I'm down the highway from here but if you live far away I suggest planning a while day or weekend depending on how fast you do stuff. Meramec Caverns is down the road and there's the Jesse James wax museum too.

My husband and I took a mini vacation to St. Louis this past weekend and prior to leaving I was looking online for things to do. Luckily I found a groupon to the Wildlife Center. What a great place. Don't let the outside fool you, there are some really cool animals there! We were there during the week so there wasn't much traffic. I would have loved to spend more time there especially viewing the outdoor animals ( Big cats, alligators, foxes, bobcat, emus, wolves, etc) but there was a storm that was fast approaching, so we hurried inside. Once inside you will have to deal with the typical animal smells, but if you enjoy animals you won't find it to overbearing! I wish I could remember our tour guides name (man with a long beard) but he was fabulous. So knowledgable! So was his wife! We got to see all of reptiles as well as hold an alligator and we learned a ton about wildlife! I would definitely recommend that everyone stop here if you are going to Meramec caverns! It is located about 2 miles before the entrance to the cavern! You won't be sorry that you stopped! Oh, Don't forget to get your Groupon for this attraction! You can get a tour for $10 for 2 people if you do!