There's No Attraction In The World Quite Like This One In North Carolina

Zoos have long been a place to experience the wild outside of the wild. They let us witness amazing creatures we’d otherwise not be able to see unless on an African safari or primitive trip to a distant country. North Carolina is home to the amazing, natural habitat Asheboro Zoo, but there’s also another place in North Carolina to experience wildlife firsthand, and from the comfort of your car.

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Yelp / Vera S.

At Lazy 5 Ranch, children, adults, and anyone with a car can enjoy a unique, one-of-a-kind way to get up close and personal with wildlife.

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Lazy 5 Ranch is home to an assortment of animals - from giraffes, zebras, and kangaroos to ostriches, goats and even buffalo. It was all started 35 years ago by a man named Henry Hampton.

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Hampton raised a variety of exotic animals. He at first opened his property for school tours, and eventually decided to open up a park for everyone to experience the magic for themselves.

Yelp / Yaocheng L.

In 1993, Lazy 5 Ranch opened. The name coined by Henry's son who said there were "five lazy people in the family" (in referring to their family). It operated first by carriage, and today has expanded to carriage, cars, and a 3 1/2 mile safari tour.

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Visitors are provided with a bucket of snacks for all of the animals they encounter along their drive.

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Today, the park serves as an educational center (packed full of fun) and is home to over 750 animals from 6 different continents.

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Lazy 5 Ranch is open seven days a week with varying hours. The admission rates are $11 for adults and $8 for children. You really can't beat that small of a buck for such an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience!

Lazy 5 Ranch truly is such a unique part of North Carolina. Who would have thought you didn’t even have to get out of your car to experience exotic, unique wildlife? Have you ever visited here?

While Henry Hampton brought his animals from across the world, some in North Carolina simply landed here by chance and have survived since for hundreds of years, like the Corolla Wild Horses. Read about their story here.