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.... featuring New York area weekend trips with 10-year old James and his Mom as they search for fun, excitement and learning adventures! ....

Catskill Game Farm

James feeds a grateful goat.

What James says : Have you ever pet a baby deer? Bottle fed a baby goat? Me either, until today. We went someplace really interesting and fun, we went to the Catskill Game Farm.

Being in with the animals walking around you, being able to feed and pet them was an awesome experience. There is so much to do and see. Its kind of like a mix of farm and zoo, with some kiddie rides.

They have around 95 different types of animals, and like 100 baby animals right now. There are regular farm animals like sheep, goats, horses and cows. There are zoo animals like zebras, camels, monkeys and bears.

Then there are unusual animals like the black leopard, endangered onager, and the cassowary which totally looks like a descendent of the oviraptor.

Anything that doesn't bite you can pet, the pens have signs on them letting you know. You can buy crackers and feed almost all of the animals. There is an elephant show with three trained elephants. They are huge. There are so many baby animals. Almost every other pen had a baby in it. There are three giraffes, they were funny and friendly. There were crocodiles and a giant tortoise.

The park is not as big as some others I have been to but it was just the right size, I thought. Some stuff was kind of old fashioned like some of the ride on stuff and the shops and benches but they were neat anyway. Mom said it looks pretty much the same as it did when she was a kid and came here. I don't know of any other place like it, everyone had a great day. They seem to care about endangered animals and conservation. I think that is very cool.

What Mom Says :

Very sadly I must tell you that 2006 was the final season for the 73 year old park. Roland Lindemann founded the park in 1933 with a couple of white-tailed deer, some donkeys, and a few sheep. His daughter, Kathie Schulz, took over in 1989.

Many people including ourselves were there with three generations of Catskill Game Farm lovers. As a New Yorker, this place is near and dear to my heart. It is an institution and the day it closes it's gates will be a very sad day indeed.

It is not a big, fancy park with gimmicks and roaming characters. It is a small zoo that is about simple family fun and the love and awe of the animals. We have always enjoyed the interaction that is possible with the animals, especially being able to bottle feed the young ones. It is just a good, fun, place to go. They added a few rides for the young thrill seeker and mini golf for family fun. They have a picnic area and playground, a few refreshment stands and only a couple of gift shops.

At the end of our day we visited one of the gift shops, They are still selling the wild animal art that I remember seeing as a child. My daughter picked out a sweatshirt for $4.99, my little guys picked up small, plastic, animal figurines for $.29 a piece, and James picked up a banner and pencil for $2.99. Imagine leaving a park gift shop and only spending $10.00 for the whole family.

Well, if you didn't make it to the Catskill Game Farm you missed a chance to experience for yourselves a slice of Americana that, like so many others, will sadly be just a fond memory for those of us who were lucky enough to partake. The park closed on October 9th, 2006.

Thank you Catskill Game Farm for the memories.

The Catskill Game Farm, 400 Game Farm Rd. Catskill, NY 12414,

(518) 678-9595 , Directions, Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 29th thru October 9th,

Admission: Adults $17.95, Kids 4 - 11 $12.95, kids under 4 free, Seniors 65 & up $15.95, Group rates available by calling.

Fees other than Admission: Elephant ride $4.00, Mini golf $2.50 p/p, kiddy rides 4 tickets /$4.00 one ticket per ride, train ride adults $1.00, kids $.75, animal food $3.00/20 crackers, $5.00/40crackers, $1.50/bottle, $1.00/cone.

also in Travel -> New York State Tourist Attractions