The Grand Canyon Deer Farm near Williams is not to miss. It’s a fun, little farm where adults and children will enjoy this unique experience of petting and feeding lots of domesticated deer.
Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by tall, gorgeous pine trees that provide the perfect spot for a quick snack. There are also a couple of picturesque spots for taking photos before entering the main building, which offers a variety of merchandise for sale. Towards the back is the ticket counter where you can purchase tickets and cups of feed for the animals.
Once you have your tickets, you can step through the side door and out onto the farm. A path leads you around the farm where you can view various animals in their enclosures. Some animals can be petted and fed while others cannot. Before starting your way down the path, there’s an open area where many deer will likely be waiting to see if you have anything for them to eat.
During our recent visit, we saw deer of different sizes, including a few baby deer. Some of the babies were hesitant to get close, while another baby was willing to walk up and lick our fingers. It’s definitely an experience you won’t have every day, especially considering these animals are typically skittish in the wild. Some of the deer even nibbled on our clothes and shoelaces, so be sure not to wear your best outfit!
Aside from deer, we were surprised to see a variety of other animals, including a reindeer, miniature pony, buffalo, porcupine, sika deer, wallaby, cavys, coatimundi, llamas, camel, peacock, and a talking parrot. The animals were active during our visit, with the porcupines napping and the parrot entertaining us on the way out.
The Grand Canyon Deer Farm is privately owned and doesn’t receive any funds, so ticket sales go directly towards feeding and caring for all the animals on the farm. Adult tickets are $16, kids ages 3 to 13 are $9, seniors are $15, and children 2 and under are free. You can purchase feed for the animals separately at the ticket counter, and tickets are good until close, so you can stay the entire day. If you need to leave for a snack or lunch, you can re-enter the park on the same day by showing your receipt.
The Grand Canyon Deer Farm has a summer and winter schedule, and it’s open daily from March 16th to October 15th from 9am to 6pm and 10am to 5pm from October 16th through March 15th. Note that the farm may close during inclement weather, so be sure to check ahead if there’s bad weather.
A few things to keep in mind before visiting: no glass bottles or fountain drinks, no straws, balloons, or other plastic allowed outdoors. Outside food is not permitted inside the farm, but picnic tables are available out front under the pine trees if you’d like to bring your own food. The farm also has a large gift shop where you’ll enter and exit, and it’s wheelchair accessible.
Located at 6769 E Deer Farm Rd in Williams, AZ 86046-8419, the Grand Canyon Deer Farm is about 25 minutes west of Flagstaff and 8 miles east of Williams. There’s plenty of free parking on site, so come and enjoy a fun day with the animals!
More great things to do around Williams can be found here!
