and Rachael H. from Triad Smarty Pants
The Lazy 5 Ranch is a perfect day trip for you and your children if you want to go somewhere close, yet feel like you are in an exotic place with unique animals. It is located in Mooresville, NC, so it is only about forty-five minutes from Charlotte and minutes away from the lake.
The Lazy 5 Ranch is an animal drive thru park, where visitors will see over 750 animals from six different continents. You will also see several endangered species. You can drive through the park in your own car or ride in horse drawn wagons. The kids love it! They can reach out to pet animals or feed animals. We called ahead and reserved a ride on the wagon. Zoe loved feeding the animals. I am not much of an animal lover, so I have to admit that I had difficult time with the giraffes’ giant tongues reaching out for food, but it was really a neat experience for Zoe to be able to get that close to the animals.
The Lazy 5 Ranch is open all year round! Spring is a great time to go to see new little animal babies including zebras, giraffes, goats and cows. Summer is perfect because school is out and your family can easily spend the day here. There are plenty of picnic areas to use. Autumn is a beautiful time to visit if you enjoy seeing the changing leaves. It’s also a great time to purchase a pumpkin to take home. In the Winter, you can enjoy hot chocolate and a live nativity scene while riding in the horse-drawn covered wagon.
You can also choose to walk around many areas of the ranch. There is a petting area, which is a favorite for the kids. You may also enjoy checking out the black smith shop, horse barn, and of course the gift store. You can easily spend most of the day here by packing a picnic lunch. There is also ice cream available and a few drink machines. There are plenty of picnic areas, plus a play ground.
Hours of the Lazy 5 Ranch are Monday – Saturday from 9am until one hour before sunset. Sundays 1pm until one hour before sunset. Adults are $8.50 and children 2-11 are $5.50. Babies under 1 year old are free. If you decide to use the covered wagon, add $5 for adults and $3 for kids. Getting a group together is a great idea, we had about nine of us in our group and it was perfect. If you have a group of 15 or more people, it is only $5 per person with $2.50 extra added for the wagon ride.
You can also contact the Lazy 5 Ranch to schedule a birthday party! Rates range from $7.50 to $11.50 per child depending on which package you choose. Click here to see the packages available.
A few Smarty Tips:
They do not accept credit or debit cards, so come prepared with cash or check.
Bring your own bottled water, as there are not water fountains around. It gets very hot in the summer season.
They do have hand sanitizer stations, but I’d bring my own. Remember, your kids will be touching the animals!
If you plan to take a wagon ride, call 704.663.5100 to make your reservations.
Arrive 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time.
If you are taking the wagon ride and have more than one kid with you, remember that they need to be sitting down when the wagon is moving and there are no seat belts. Older kids are usually fine, but toddlers may need an adult to help them stay seated. Keep this in mind and bring another adult along if you think you’ll need help!
Check out the website for more specifics. We hope you have a great time and let us know about your adverture at Lazy 5 Ranch!
4 comments
We just went here a few weeks ago and it was great – I agree with the blog though that summer months can get really hot. Maybe wait until fall!
We LOVE this place! We go as often as possible and since we live in LKN area it's a 20 min trip for us. We take out-of-town families and it makes for great fun. One note of caution, do NOT let the cute little goats (or any other animal for that reason) put hooves up on your car…one did that to mine (we drove thru ourselves) and I still have the scratch marks in the paint. Ugh. Otherwise, totally fun outing!
We too LOVE Lazy 5! Our virgin voyage up there was with our shiny new car just weeks old. When we first entered the park, some emus boxed us in and started ramming the car. It actually was hilarious but I think my hubby had a heart attack! It's all good now since our car is covered in scratches over the years! I still think driving through the park is the best way to do it. You will not stop laughing the entire ride.
We went about a month ago, and WOW it was packed compared to when we went in early March, much less enjoyable when crowded! (and of course the 100 degree weather didn't help.) If it is packed, then I recommend the horse cart. It keeps moving, which is important for young kids, whereas the cars got backed up at the end for at least 20 minutes of looking at the bumper in front of you. If it isn't crowded (can tell by whether or not you have to park in overflow), then by all means drive thru.