Fall/Winter 2009

Tucked away in small-town southern Illinois is a unique rural treasure that is home to quite an exotic family. With alpacas, llamas, donkeys, sheep, peacocks, potbelly pigs, emus, swans, zebras and camels, Rainbow Ranch Petting Zoo & Exotic Farm in Nashville, Illinois, rivals even the best zoos with its intimate, interactive tours and relaxed, friendly environment.

“It’s so fun to see how the kids react to the hands-on experience,” owner Alan Blumhorst says. “Especially the city kids.”

Blumhorst’s forebears immigrated to Illinois from Germany in 1851, and since then, five generations have lived on the farm. The barn that now houses horses, cows and more is the original, built more than 150 years ago.

“I’m sure [my ancestors] never expected to see zebras and camels around,” Blumhorst jokes of his livestock’s exotic profile.

The ranch is a petting zoo in the most literal sense — there’s no feeding allowed. Blumhorst wants the animals to approach the guests for love and attention, not for snacks, a practice that assures animals are approachable and friendly.

For the fall and winter months, the ranch celebrates in style. A corn maze and pumpkin patch open in September, and during Christmas in the Barn, December 5–6, guests are treated to a live nativity featuring the farm’s cows, sheep, donkeys and camels.

Full tours are available in the winter, but reservations are necessary November through March. During the frosty season, when fewer travelers tend to stop by, the animals truly appreciate the company.

- State - Pennsylvania

- Type - Family Vacations

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