Darby Safari
📍 Oakdale North, NC
Tour-based safari zoo in Charlotte housing exotic animals including zebras, camels, kangaroos, emus, alpacas, and capybaras. Add-on personal capybara encounters available. All visits are by guided tour only — reservation required.
My husband and I booked the Kit and Caboodle tour which was honestly the best way to experience all this place has to offer! We spent time outside touring the farm and feeding the animals while chickens, goats and a llama alpaca mix? followed us around the grounds hoping to score something from our feed buckets😂 We then had the opportunity to go inside where we got up close and personal with a variety of other animals including feeding and holding them! Nadia and Chase were sweethearts, super knowledgeable and full of info and fun facts. You can tell they genuinely care about all of the animals and the animals seemed so happy. Even though it’s an expensive outing, to me it was worth it! I’ll definitely be back!
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Best for animal-loving families with kids ages 3 and up who enjoy guided, hands-on encounters rather than passive viewing. Baby goats following guests around is a highlight for young children. Book the capybara add-on in advance — it sells separately and adds meaningful up-close time.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →191 Google reviews
Jim and Kristine Smith
“My husband and I booked the Kit and Caboodle tour which was honestly the best way to experience all this place has to offer! We spent time outside touring the farm and feeding the animals while chickens, goats and a llama alpaca mix? followed us around the grounds hoping to score something from our feed buckets😂 We then had the opportunity to go inside where we got up close and personal with a variety of other animals including feeding and holding them! Nadia and Chase were sweethearts, super knowledgeable and full of info and fun facts. You can tell they genuinely care about all of the animals and the animals seemed so happy. Even though it’s an expensive outing, to me it was worth it! I’ll definitely be back!”
mia hanson
“Great petting zoo for all ages. Check them out”
A Canupp
“It was a wonderful time with knowledgeable staff (Julian) and great interactions with goats, camels, zebras, kangeroos, emus, alpacas, and so many more! Plus, we paid an extra $20 per person, and got to have a personal encounter with the capybaras! We would definitely recommend Darby Acres to anyone who loves animals!”
Linus
“Went on the safari tour and had a great time! Lots of different animals to see and our tour guide was a young girl who was sweet and funny! Lots of food is given in your bucket to feed the animals. The baby goats running around and following us were super cute !”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Darby Safari operates on Kelly Rd in Charlotte as the exotic animal half of the Darby Acres operation (the farm animal section runs separately at Hutchinson Ln). Guided tours walk small groups through enclosures where animals like baby goats, zebras, camels, kangaroos, and emus roam freely. Guides provide knowledgeable commentary throughout. An add-on capybara personal encounter lets guests get hands-on with the animals beyond standard tour access.
