Fort Rickey Game Farm

I can’t believe I lived in Upstate NY for well over a decade and never checked out the Fort Rickey Petting Zoo in Rome, NY. We stopped by today for their Fall Fun Festival which only cost a mere $ 5 per person to get in. I was really amazed at the variety of animals they had, and especially the interactivity they allowed (and encouraged) with certain animals.
Off the top of my head, they had chickens and peacocks roaming freely, Timber Wolves, porcupines, donkeys, Pygmy goats, rabbits, a monkey, llamas, deer, and a duck pond stocked with minnows, catfish, and more. They had a «maternity ward» which allowed visitors to pick up and hold baby Pygmy goats, and also had a fenced off area where visitors can walk amongst the deer and pet them, as well.
I really enjoy bringing my daughter to places like instead of traditional zoos, as she can see and interact with animals in their natural habitats as opposed to in cages or tanks. Huge hat tip to Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo for their setup they have going on.

The Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo had been a favorite destination for my family for the past few years now, until today. It is with great disappointment that I write this review to inform the public what kind of a person the proprietor of the zoo is. From all of my past experiences, he appeared to be a friendly & courteous gentleman, and a wonderful host to his patrons. But alas, this outward appearance is a façade. For if some sort of misfortune befalls you on his property, his true, discourteous, condescending self shall rear its ugly head. Let me tell you of what happened this fateful day. My children had been longing for a day at the discovery zoo, & we had yet to make a visit this summer, so I finally decided to enjoy the day there on this bright, sunny Friday. Upon our arrival, I found the parking lot to be full, & in an unsuccessful attempt to find a space to park to the right of the lot, I tried to swing around & turn to drive out of the lane of cars rather than back up all the way to the center of the lot. The far portion of ground on the right side of the lot levels lower & is covered with green overgrowth, so anyone unfamiliar with the property would not know until it is too late that the earth beneath is wet, muddy, & marshy. This misfortune befell me, & my front tires sank into the ground & I became quite stuck & in need of assistance to get out. Mind you, I have a large, powerful 4wd SUV with a v8 engine & have never have had any trouble maneuvering around any type of terrain before. When I alerted the young lady at the entrance to the zoo of the situation, she had another young lady go & speak with Len Cross, the owner & proprietor. This second young lady returned to tell me that he suggested I call AAA or someone to tow me out. I was taken aback at this. I responded that I was not going to pay someone to tow me out of a sink hole on his property, & that is was the zoo’s responsibility & I again asked for assistance. I then walked over to Mr. Cross & spoke with him directly, asking him if he could please assist me in getting my car unstuck. He proceeded to speak to me on the most disrespectful, condescending, & accusatory tone. Telling me I had driven into a ditch, & that although he was not obligated to assist me, he would have his maintenance man pull me out whenever he happened to return to the zoo grounds. Basically, he treated me like I was some stupid jerk who had intentionally driven into a ditch. I was flabbergasted at this repugnant & chauvinistic behavior. Instead of being courteous & apologetic, willing to assist one of his patrons, he instead was accusatory & defensive, stating repeatedly that no one else all summer long had had such a situation arise. When I suggested that if there was a section of his parking lot that was not safe to be driven on, he should have it roped off or the like, he said it wasn’t necessary nor his responsibility to do so. Then, he continued in his attempt to belittle & humiliate me by making an announcement over the zoo’s intercom system that «the lady in the ditch (with repeated emphasis on ditch) come to the lot to have her vehicle pulled out». Regardless what I was stuck in, is this any way to treat a person? A patron of his establishment? In front of her children? Did I ask to get stuck in his marshland lot (because there is no ditch. Its marsh.)? I was so shaken by this experience. Please think twice about giving a person like this your business. A shameful way to act towards a person in distress, caused by a hazard of his own disregard & negligence to keep his patrons safe. Thank you.

Five Stars for Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo!
I worked here as an animal caretaker for several summers, but had been going to Ft Rickey as a visitor since I was in diapers. My favorite part has always been the Maternity Ward, where you’re allowed to frolic with and hold baby African Pygmy Goats. FUN! In addition to barnyard animals, there are rehabilitated wildlife, deer you can feed, and exotic primates, among other critters, plus throughout the day the staff members give a number of fun (and often hands-​on) presentations.
Behind the scenes, I can say that all of the residents of the «farm» are all very well cared for by hardworking young animal-​lovers. The very nice and knowledgeable Cross family owns and runs Fort Rickey on their property, which is on a historical Revolutionary War site. Plus, the last I knew, you could still get real Slush Puppies there. (!!!)