africansafariwildlifepark.com

Plan around two things first: today's hours and the weather. THE Ohio Safari Park (African Safari Wildlife Park) is a drive-thru and walk-thru wildlife park near Cedar Point in Ohio, and the animals come to you — which means your visit depends on when you arrive and what the temperature is doing. Check "Today's Hours" before you leave, and expect certain warm-weather animals, such as giraffes and antelope, to be unavailable on cooler or rainy days. One more date to note: the Walk-Thru Safari is closed for the 2026 season and returns in May 2027, so a 2026 visit is drive-thru only.

What the park actually is

It's the Midwest's original drive-thru safari, with hundreds of animals from around the world. There are two parts:

• Drive-Thru Safari — you drive your own car through the route and animals approach your vehicle. The park's own framing: "Your car just became the best seat in the safari." Expect everything from alpacas to zebras, with opportunities to feed animals like bison and get nose-to-nose with a giraffe.
• Walk-Thru Safari — a walking section with gibbons, capybaras, kangaroos, porcupines, tortoises, and more. Animal Encounters (for example, meeting Cayenne the sloth or the capybaras) are booked separately. This section is closed for the 2026 season.

Before you go: the checklist

The park's "Tips for Safari Success" section makes the point directly — adventure favors the prepared. What that means in practice:

1. Check today's hours on the site the day of your visit. Hours are listed as "Today's Hours," so they aren't a fixed all-season schedule.
2. Check the forecast. Cooler or rainy weather can keep giraffes and antelope out of view. If seeing specific warm-weather animals is the point of your trip, pick a warm day.
3. Bring the right things. Plan for feeding and photo moments — the park notes a giraffe may be more interested in your feed cup than your camera. Feed is part of the drive-thru experience, so expect to handle it from inside the car.
4. Know the safety rules before you roll up to an animal. Animal health and safety is the park's stated top priority, and rules exist for both your protection and the animals'. Read them before the drive, not while a bison is at your window.
5. If you want an Animal Encounter, book it. Encounters are a separate, hands-on option beyond the standard drive- and walk-through.

Drive-Thru vs. Walk-Thru: which fits your trip

If you're visiting in 2026, the drive-thru is your visit. If an Animal Encounter or the walk-through animals are your priority, plan for May 2027 or later.

Making the most of the drive

The park's advice boils down to: prepare first so you spend your time watching for what wanders up next, not figuring things out mid-route. A few practical implications:

• Your first safari or your fifth, the prep is the same — know what you're bringing, know the safety rules, then enjoy the drive.
• Feeding animals from your car is the core interaction, so decide in advance who's driving and who's handling feed and camera.
• Because animal visibility shifts with weather, treat any single species as a hope rather than a guarantee, and build in time to simply watch.

Why your visit matters to the animals

The park frames admission as conservation support: "By visiting the Park, you're helping to protect animals in our backyard and around the world." Its featured animal, Conrad, is a young male Eastern bongo calf — a critically endangered species known for its chestnut coat, white stripes, and large ears. If conservation is part of why you're going, the park has a dedicated Conservation & Science section worth reading before your trip.

Quick answers

Do I need to book ahead? The park promotes online booking for Animal Encounters and lists job openings for 50+ seasonal positions online. For general admission specifics, check the site directly — the available material doesn't state ticket prices or whether advance tickets are required.

What if it rains? Some animals, including giraffes, may not be visible. Your visit still happens, but adjust expectations.

Can I do both safaris in one trip? Not in 2026 — the Walk-Thru Safari is closed that season and returns in May 2027.

Visiting African Safari Wildlife Park (THE Ohio Safari Park) supports conservation in two connected ways: the park states that your visit helps protect animals both in its own region and around the world, and it maintains a dedicated Conservation & Science section that highlights species and individual animals. The park also uses its platform to spotlight threatened species — for example, Conrad, a young male Eastern bongo calf, is featured as one of the newest members of the park family. If you want your ticket to double as a small contribution to wildlife protection, this is the mechanism the park describes.

What the Park Says About Your Visit

The park's own framing is direct: "By visiting the Park, you're helping to protect animals in our backyard and around the world." That statement appears under its Conservation & Science heading, which is the section to check if conservation is a priority for your trip.

Two things are worth separating here:

• Local ("in our backyard") — conservation work connected to the park's own region and animals in its care.
• Global — protection efforts for wildlife beyond Ohio, which is where species like the Eastern bongo fit.

The park does not publish a breakdown of exactly what percentage of a ticket goes to which program, so treat the claim as the park's stated position rather than a audited figure.

Conservation in Practice: The Eastern Bongo Example

The clearest concrete example on the site is Conrad, a young male Eastern bongo calf described as one of the newest members of the African Safari Wildlife Park family. At about one month old, he was exploring his surroundings and learning from his mother.

Why this species matters: Eastern bongos are noted for rich chestnut-colored coats, distinctive white stripes, and large ears — and the park describes them as critically endangered. That combination (a named individual animal + a critically endangered species) is how the park turns a general conservation message into something a visitor can actually see.

If you visit, an animal like Conrad is the practical link between your ticket and the conservation story: you're looking at a species whose survival is genuinely at risk, in a setting that says your visit contributes to protecting it.

How to Engage With the Conservation Side of a Visit

You don't need a separate program or add-on to participate — the conservation framing applies to a standard visit. What you can do:

1. Check the Conservation & Science section on the park site before or after your trip to see current featured animals and messaging.
2. Look for featured species during your visit. The park rotates a "Featured Animal: In the Spotlight," so the highlighted animal may differ from Conrad depending on when you go.
3. Consider an Animal Encounter if you want closer contact with specific animals. The park offers encounters (for example, meeting Cayenne the sloth and the capybaras) — note these are separate from general admission and are booked individually.
4. Plan around animal visibility. The park states that animal health and safety is its priority, and certain warm-weather animals — such as giraffes and antelope — may not be visible on cooler or rainy days. Seeing a specific featured species is never guaranteed.

Practical Notes That Affect What You'll See

• Walk-Thru Safari status: The Walk-Thru Safari is closed for the 2026 season and is scheduled to return in May 2027. If seeing walk-through animals (gibbons, capybaras, kangaroos, porcupines, tortoises) is part of your conservation interest, plan for 2027 or later.
• Drive-Thru Safari: This remains the core experience — you drive your own car through and can see hundreds of animals, from alpacas to zebras, with opportunities to feed animals such as bison.
• Seasonal staffing: The park notes it hires for 50+ seasonal positions, which is a signal that operations and animal visibility vary by season.

The Bottom Line

The park's conservation claim is simple and stated plainly: visiting helps protect animals locally and globally, and the park spotlights endangered species like the Eastern bongo through individual animals such as Conrad. There's no published dollar-for-dollar breakdown, so the value of your visit to conservation rests on the park's own commitment and the programs behind its Conservation & Science section. If that matters to you, check that section for the current featured animal before your trip — and set expectations that weather and season affect which animals you'll actually see.

You drive your own car through the park and animals come to you — hundreds of them, from alpacas to zebras. You can feed a bison, go nose-to-nose with a giraffe, and watch animals approach your window rather than viewing them from a distance. This is the Midwest's original drive-thru safari, located near Cedar Point in Ohio. The main caveat: some warm-weather animals, such as giraffes and antelope, may not be visible on cooler or rainy days because animal health and safety is the park's stated priority.

What the Drive-Thru Experience Actually Is

The park describes your car as "the best seat in the safari." You stay in your vehicle the entire time and drive at your own pace along the route. Animals from around the world roam the drive-through area, and many will approach your car directly — close enough to take a feed cup from your hand or put a head near your window.

The park frames this as an active, hands-on experience rather than a passive zoo walk. Its own examples: feeding a bison, and getting nose-to-nose with a giraffe.

What you can expect to see

• Hoofed and grazing animals — alpacas, bison, zebras, and more
• Tall animals — giraffes, which may approach your vehicle
• Antelope and other warm-weather species — present when conditions allow

The park's summary of the range is "from Alpacas to Zebras, you'll see it all."

The Weather Rule You Need to Know Before Booking

This is the single most important planning detail. The park states that certain warm-weather animals — specifically naming giraffes and antelope — may not be visible on cooler days or in rainy weather. The stated reason is animal health and safety.

Practical implication: if seeing or feeding a giraffe is the main reason for your visit, a cold or wet day may not deliver it. The park asks for understanding on this point rather than guaranteeing every species every day.

Drive-Thru vs. Walk-Thru: Two Different Products

These are separate parts of the park, and their availability differs right now.

The Walk-Thru side also offers paid Animal Encounters — the park names Cayenne the sloth and the capybaras as examples. Note that the Walk-Thru Safari is closed for the 2026 season and is scheduled to return in May 2027, so a 2026 visit is effectively a drive-thru visit.

Before You Go: What the Park Says Matters

The park's own "Tips for Safari Success" section emphasizes preparation over improvisation. Its framing: "Adventure favors the prepared." The specific points it makes:

• Bring the right things. The park treats this as the first item, though it doesn't list exact items on the page.
• Know what keeps you and the animals safe. Safety guidance applies to both directions — your behavior and the animals'.
• Feeding is part of the experience. The park references a "feed cup," implying you can obtain feed to offer animals from your car.

The park's stated payoff for preparing: "you'll make every mile of your adventure count."

Who This Suits — and Who Should Reconsider

A good fit if:

• You want animal interaction without leaving your vehicle
• You're traveling with people who prefer driving to walking long distances
• You're already near Cedar Point and want a wildlife stop
• You're fine with species availability depending on weather

Reconsider if:

• A giraffe encounter is non-negotiable and your date is cold or rainy
• You specifically want the Walk-Thru Safari or an Animal Encounter — that's closed for 2026
• You expect a guaranteed, fixed list of animals regardless of conditions

The Bottom Line

The Drive-Thru Safari is a self-driven route where animals approach your car and feeding is part of the draw. The park is explicit that warm-weather species like giraffes and antelope may be absent in cool or rainy conditions, so treat any single species as weather-dependent rather than guaranteed. If you're planning around a 2026 visit, build your trip around the drive-thru only — the Walk-Thru Safari returns in May 2027.

The Walk-Thru Safari at THE Ohio Safari Park is a separate, on-foot experience from the drive-thru route, where visitors can walk up to animals such as gibbons, capybaras, kangaroos, porcupines, and tortoises, and can book an Animal Encounter to meet animals like Cayenne the sloth up close. The critical planning detail: the Walk-Thru Safari is closed for the 2026 season and is scheduled to return in May 2027, so anyone visiting in 2026 will only have the Drive-Thru Safari available.

What the Walk-Thru Safari Includes

According to the park, the Walk-Thru Safari lets visitors "take a stroll on the WILD side" and see more animals on foot than the drive-thru route alone covers. The park specifically names:

• Gibbons
• Capybaras
• Kangaroos
• Porcupines
• Tortoises
• "and more"

This is a walk-through format, meaning you park and move through the area on foot rather than staying in your vehicle. It is a distinct experience from the Drive-Thru Safari, where you drive your own car through and animals such as bison and giraffes approach the vehicle.

Animal Encounters

For a hands-on option, the park offers a bookable Animal Encounter. The park names Cayenne the sloth and the capybaras as examples of animals you can meet up close through this add-on. Because encounters are booked separately, treat them as a distinct step from general Walk-Thru admission — check availability when you plan your visit.

Current Status: Closed for 2026

The park states plainly that the Walk-Thru Safari is closed for the 2026 season and will return in May 2027. If your trip falls in 2026, plan around the Drive-Thru Safari instead and do not expect walk-through access or the walk-through animal lineup.

Walk-Thru vs. Drive-Thru at a Glance

Practical Notes Before You Go

• Weather affects animal visibility. The park notes that animal health and safety is its priority and that certain warm-weather animals, such as giraffes and antelope, may not be visible on cooler or rainy days. This applies to the park generally, so build flexibility into your expectations.
• Check today's hours before traveling, since hours are listed separately on the park's site.
• If the Walk-Thru is your main reason for visiting, wait for the May 2027 return rather than booking a 2026 trip around it.

For the drive-through experience and how it works, see the separate explainer on the Drive-Thru Safari.

African Safari Wildlife Park — branded as THE Ohio Safari Park — is a drive-thru and walk-thru wildlife park in Ohio, near Cedar Point, where hundreds of animals from around the world come up to your vehicle or viewing path. It suits families and road-trippers looking for an interactive animal experience rather than a traditional zoo walk. The park's own description calls it "the Midwest's original drive-thru safari."

What the park offers

The park is built around two distinct ways to see animals, plus add-on encounters.

Drive-Thru Safari

You drive your own car through the route, and animals approach the vehicle — the park frames your car as "the best seat in the safari." According to the site, you can feed animals such as bison and get nose-to-nose with a giraffe, with species ranging "from Alpacas to Zebras."

Walk-Thru Safari

A separate walking area features animals including gibbons, capybaras, kangaroos, porcupines, and tortoises. You can also book an Animal Encounter to meet animals such as Cayenne the sloth and the capybaras up close.

Important timing note: the park states the Walk-Thru Safari is closed for the 2026 season and will return in May 2027. If the walk-thru portion is the main reason for your visit, plan around that closure.

What to know before you go

The park publishes a "Tips for Safari Success" section built on one idea: preparation means more time watching animals and less time troubleshooting. Key points from the site:

• Bring the right things. The park advises arriving prepared, since animals may interact with your feed cup and your window.
• Know what keeps you and the animals safe. Safety guidance applies to both directions — your behavior and the animals' wellbeing.
• Weather affects visibility. Animal health and safety is stated as the top priority, and certain warm-weather animals — giraffes and antelope among them — may not be visible on cooler or rainy days.

That last point matters most for planning: a cold or wet day can change which animals you actually see, so it's worth checking conditions before committing to a date if giraffes or antelope are your priority.

Conservation and science

The park positions visits as conservation support: "By visiting the Park, you're helping to protect animals in our backyard and around the world," with a dedicated Conservation & Science section. It also spotlights individual animals — for example Conrad, a young male Eastern bongo calf described as about one month old, learning from his mother. Eastern bongos are noted for chestnut coats, white stripes, large ears, and critically endangered status.

Quick reference

Is it right for your trip?

Choose it if you want an interactive, vehicle-based safari where animals come to you, and you're comfortable with animals approaching your car and taking feed. Check the Walk-Thru closure and the weather forecast first if either the walk-thru animals or the warm-weather species are what you're coming for. The park's own framing — "There's nothing else like it!" — rests on that drive-thru format being the Midwest's original, so the drive-thru is the core experience to plan around.