8/10 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊Mommy Approved Smiling Faces
Maine Street
Tiverton, RI 02878
https://www.westplace.org/visit
If your kids love animals, then you should definitely visit West Place Animal Sanctuary in Tiverton, Rhode Island. My kids and I loved West Place. We are an animal loving family, so kindness towards animals and being with animals really checks off our boxes. Not only was West Place striving to make the world a better place one animal at a time, but it is also educating others on animal care and practicing sustainability. They take on interns and volunteers whom they train to work with their animals. They also grow food for the animals on the property. What an amazing operation! We were quite impressed with all of their hard work to maintain the grounds and passion to care for their loving animals. You should see the greetings each animal receives from the staff, referring to each one by their very entertaining names. ( Beatrice the Partridge, Maggie the goat whom my son took a liking to, Jack and Diane the Pot Belly pigs, Phyllis, Spicy and Speckle the chickens, Salty and Pepper the ducks, Baby and Sweetie the swans just to name a few). The animals are well accustomed to being around people. They are still wild and don’t want to be treated like lap dogs, they just don’t mind having a human presence nearby.
Kelly, the operations manager, was kind and inviting. She popped out during our tour to surprise the kids with a fun plan such as feeding Barnaby the sheep and Sadie the goat sliced apples and or picking up one of the chickens and letting the kids hold it! They really enjoyed these hands-on encounters.
Karen, our tour guide has been working at the sanctuary for 3 years. She knows a ton about the grounds and the animals. She is really into birds and enjoys sharing her love for animals with visitors. She led a fabulous tour for me and the kids.
The animals on the property are literally living their best lives. They come from backgrounds where they were either abused, neglected or injured. During their time West Place, they are provided a safe, caring, beautiful area to thrive. We enjoyed seeing and learning about chickens, Canadian geese, ducks, peacocks, bunnies, sheep, goats, alpacas and more while at the farm. My kids loved it so much, they didn’t want to leave. If they weren’t chilly, they would have begged to stay longer.
We couldn’t believe how well manicured the grounds were. There were several glorious locations set up for sitting and relaxing on the property, although none were in use. It seemed as though all the staff were too busy carefully and meticulously tending to the property. We saw several volunteers that were in their happy places working with the animals. The man-made pond with the small stream trickling into it was my favorite area. It looked like something you would see on tv from Insane Pools with the stone work and aeration system.
Support for this location comes from grants and donations. Open houses are held throughout the year to invite guests and help continue their cause. I for one, love what they stand for and hope others join to support them. We can all make a difference for the better.
The Skinny:
- Weather : This location is primarily outdoors with a inside giftshop and some overhanging shelter here and there so ideally a visit would require a dry day.
- Pricing & Admissions : This location is not open to the public with the exception of open houses quarterly throughout the year and private tours for $150
- Location : Basically this is a farm-like setting on a picturesque piece of property providing farm animals and wild life (mostly birds ) care who have been neglected, abused or injured.
- Hours : 9-5 daily
- Duration : We stayed about 2 and a half hours having a private tour and exploring the grounds. It was chilly so the kids were ready to warm up in the car.
- Tips and Recommendations :
1. Do visit on the open houses so you can learn as much as possible. These are a big draw for the sanctuary and therefore staff put a lot of energy into providing the most fun experience for the kids with activities such as scavenger hunts and more.
2. Dress in both comfortable clothing and shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty as there is grass and dirt to walk in throughout the property.
- Cons : This is not a petting-zoo. Some of the animals don’t want to be touched. Another thing to consider is that the location is not a walk-in place. If you intend to visit you have to set that up prior to visiting or attend one of their open houses.
Jewel Approved 👍🏼
Jamison Approved 👍🏼
This location is very close to Weetamoo Woods , Fort Barton and Fogland Beach that are also in Tiverton, Rhode Island. As always leave a comment and let us know what you thought of this recommendation. We hope you loved it as much as we did.
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