Things to do at Fort Hood: Topsey Exotic Ranch Edition

We’re still living in a hotel during this longest PCS ever. Which means we’re bored.

Really, really, REALLY bored…especially on the weekends.

So, after a quick Google search, we found something to do that the whole family agreed on….a trip to Topsey Exotic Ranch!

This was our first trip to a ‘drive-thru zoo’ and it did not disappoint! Here’s what you can expect at Topsey:

Feeding and petting the zebras at Topsey Exotic Ranch. — *(My first selfie with a zebra!)*

Laughter!

We had SO.MUCH.FUN at Topsey Exotic Ranch!

Seriously, I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.

The animals coming up and sticking their heads in the windows was equal parts terrifying and fun (especially the ostriches and camels)!

The overly friendly llama at Topsey Exotic Ranch. — *(This….this is the one that caused the commotion!)*

At one point a llama got so far in my face that I panicked and threw the whole feed bag out the window! Another time, we watched a camel reach into the car in front of us and grab a bag out of someone’s hand.

We laughed at riders in front of us that were facing backwards and didn’t see the animals until they were already eye to eye.

It was so fun the first time that we drove through again before we left!

My girls loved feeding the animals at Topsey Exotic Ranch. — *(The girls LOVED this and have already asked to go back!)*

Topsey Exotic Ranch is Self-Guided

Driving through the safari is a self-guided and self-paced. You have to stay on the path, but you can stop and take extra time feeding the animals you like. And hurry past the rude ones (I’m looking at you, Ostrich Boy).

The brochure from Topsey Exotic Ranch told us the names of the animals. — *(There are 34 different types of animals listed in the brochure.)*

We got a brochure on the way in with the pictures and names of the different types of animals there.

My little girl was scared of the goats in the petting zoo at Topsey. — *(Lyvi was terrified of the goats once she realized there was no barrier between her and them.*)

There is also a petting zoo, but my kids preferred the driving experience better.

The Ranch Rules

Rules! Every zoo has them and this one is no different.

The rules at Topsey Exotic Ranch are all exactly as you would expect from a zoo, the only one I didn’t expect was the ban on lifted trucks.

I mean….it IS Texas. But apparently lifted trucks are more likely to run over the smaller animals, so it’s understandable.

Also, you can’t take your Jeep without doors. So keep that in mind.

Its Affordable

The cost of admission at Topsey Exotic Ranch was very affordable. We had never been to a zoo quite like this and I assumed that it would cost more money. I was glad to be wrong!

Tickets for adults (13+) are $12 and children are $10. Bags of food are $1 each.

And once you pay, you can drive through as many times as you want.

For our family of 4, we spent a little over $50 and it was worth every penny!

Feeding the animals on the drive-thru safari in Topsey, Texas. — *(It was a beautiful day to feed some exotic animals!)*

This might have been our first adventure at Topsey Exotic Ranch, but if definitely won’t be our last! We are already planning to take our niece and nephew when they come out for a visit.

I’m currently in the process of creating a Fort Hood Bucket List, like the one I made for Fort Bragg. So, if you have ANY suggestions, please leave them in the comments!