Sustainable Safari recently opened a new location in Burnsville Mall and here’s our review!
Have you ever been to Sustainable Safari? They’re a local business with one location in Maplewood Mall and they recently opened another location in Burnsville Mall. My son and I had the opportunity to visit the new location in Burnsville Mall last week and we had a wonderful time!
How can I describe Sustainable Safari? It’s like a small zoo, but with lots of animals you can feed and different interactions you can choose to add on. There are tons of animals here– around 200 at any given time so there’s a good chance everyone in your family will get to see an animal on their wish list!
When we visited the Sustainable Safari location in Burnsville, we immediately loved all the guinea pigs (in a Harry Potter themed enclosure no less– it was so cute!), the cutest kangaroos, the goats (with the funniest portraits for them to stick their heads through during feedings), the capybaras, the alligators, the otters and so much more. Literally everywhere we turned, there was something else we wanted to see!
As a mom, here’s what I loved about Sustainable Safari– they are super clean with lots of hand washing stations, lots of staff available to answer questions but also to provide the best animal safety, the animals have large cages and don’t have to come up to you for food, although many do!
Plus the animals get a chance to live on their owners farm in addition to both Sustainable Safari locations! You can tell these animals are extremely loved and well treated by the owners and all the staff. We had a lot of fun talking with one of the owners, Mishelle Pilz, during our visit and we could tell very quickly what a special place Sustainable Safari is!
During our visit to Sustainable Safari in Burnsville Mall, my son and I got the refillable souvenir feed cup and had the opportunity to participate in a few of the experiences.
I’d highly recommend adding on at least one experience while you are there. Not only do you get the chance to be up close with a special animal, the staff can answer all your questions!
My son chose the Guinea Pig and Capybara experiences, where he got to enter the cages and feed the animals. I chose to snuggle with a baby kangaroo and I’ve got to tell you– they are even softer than they look!
Experiences are timed from 3-4 minutes depending on what you pick and closed toed shoes are required. Certain experiences have different age or height requirements for safety so be sure to double check the website if your child is set on a certain experience.
There are also free wildlife shows throughout the day at both Sustainable Safari locations included in admission. We got to see part of the alligator show at Burnsville and wow– it was super fun to be that close to an alligator.
Hearing about Roger, the alligator, and how she (yes she!) was rescued was amazing. Her caretaker at Sustainable Safari does daily therapies with her since her original owner kept her in a cage that was too small. I always love to hear the animal rescue stories!
Sustainable Safari Admission
Admission to Sustainable Safari is $16.50/person, with children 4 and under FREE! Each admission receives a small food cup, but you may upgrade for refill souvenir cup that comes with $5 unlimited refills. It took my son about an hour to use the entire souvenir cup of food to give you an idea of how big it is. Additional animal experiences range from $5-$15 depending on what you want to do.
No reservations are required. Hours at both Burnsville Mall and Maplewood Mall are Monday – Saturday 11am -7pm and Sunday 12- 6pm. Tickets include all day re-entry so feel free to come and go as you please the day you visit!
Sustainable Safari Discount Tickets
Currently you can save 35% with this discount ticket offer. The tickets are valid at both the Maplewood Mall and Burnsville location.
Going on now through February 26th, there’s $10 admission on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at both Sustainable Safari locations! Visit their Facebook page to learn more.
We would highly recommend Sustainable Safari. My son and I had a wonderful time, learning about the animals, supporting a small business and making special memories together. Big thanks to all the wonderful staff and owners there! We hope you go check it out too!
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Hannah is a married mom of 3 kiddos in the Twin Cities. Born and raised here in MN, she loves finding deals and special events to share with others.
Hannah enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading books, going on road trips up north, singing along with the radio and finding new thrift stores to shop! Hannah is also a fierce advocate for people with disabilities and is always on the lookout for more sensory friendly opportunities in the Twin Cities.
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