Let me just lead with this: Jamie hated the farm. Full-on, did not want to be there, refused to be put down, gave us the look. You know the look. The "why did you bring me here" look.
And I would still absolutely go back.
Darby Acres Farm is a family-owned petting zoo just outside Charlotte that's been around since 2013. It's run by Dwayne and Jennifer Collins, who named the farm after their daughter Darby. Most of the animals are rescues or donations, which I love. It's not a polished, corporate animal experience. It's a real farm on private property with people who clearly care about their animals. And honestly, that's what makes it worth the drive.
Two Locations, One Farm
Before I get into our visit, this part is important: Darby Acres has two separate locations about a mile apart. The farm has your classic farm animals (horses, cows, goats, llamas, sheep, camels, donkeys). The safari has the more exotic crew (capybaras, zebras, kangaroos, lemurs, foxes, porcupines). We went to the farm. We haven't been to the safari yet, but it is very much on the list, especially now that Jamie has decided camels are his entire personality.
Booking and Getting There
This is a reservation-only operation. No walk-ins. You book online, and they release tour dates about two weeks at a time. Once you book, you'll get a confirmation email that is... a lot. It's long, detailed, and packed with rules. But read the whole thing because there are two critical pieces of info buried in there:
- The actual address. Do not Google "Darby Acres Farm" and drive to wherever Maps sends you. It will be wrong. The real address comes in your confirmation email. Use that one.
- The arrival policy. They are very clear that you cannot arrive even one minute late. The gates open for the tour at a set time and that's it. They recommend 10 minutes early. We were 15 minutes early and people were already there.
We originally had a tour booked for early March, but Jamie spiked a fever the night before and we had to cancel. There's a $25 rescheduling fee for canceling within 24 hours. It stung a little, but it's a small family business running tours on their private property with live animals. I get it.
Also worth noting: the drive in is part of the experience. The road starts paved, turns to dirt and gravel, and you pass horses along the way until you hit a tractor at the end of the road and turn right. It's charming and also a good preview of how rustic this place actually is.
What It Costs
The farm tour is $15 per adult and $13 per child, and that includes a bucket of feed per person. You can buy extra buckets when you arrive for $5 each, but cash only. They don't accept credit cards at the farm at all. We didn't need the extra. One bucket per person was plenty.
The safari location is a separate booking and runs $25 per person with a feed bucket included.
Before the Tour
When you pull in, there's a small parking area where everyone gathers. They have a porta potty (use it before the tour, because there's nothing else out there), and there's a little play area for the kids to hang out in while you wait for the rest of the group to arrive. It's nothing fancy. A sandbox with some tractors, a few playhouses, a geodome, some tractor tires. Jamie sat on the tractors and was perfectly content. It bought us a solid 15 minutes of pre-tour entertainment, which is all you really need.
Once everyone's there, you sign waivers, grab your feed buckets, hear the rules, and head out. One important note: there's no water fountain and nothing for sale on the property. No food, no drinks, nothing. Bring a cooler for your car with water bottles, especially if it's warm out. With kids, this is non-negotiable.
The Tour
A few things to know before you go:
Leave the stroller in the car. The path is a horseshoe shape through fenced-in animal areas on the actual farm property, and it is not paved. This is not one of those farms with mulch trails and manicured paths. It is a real, working farm. If it rained recently, it's going to be muddy. Wear boots or old shoes that you don't care about. It is also not wheelchair accessible.
Tours are rain or shine. Plan accordingly.
The tour guide was great. Walked at a good pace, gave everyone enough time with each animal, and it never felt rushed or dragging. We saw horses, a miniature highland cow (adorable), lots of regular cows, goats, an alpaca, a llama, rabbits, sheep (including a four-week-old baby lamb that was impossibly cute), two camels that were easily 10 feet tall, and a whole crew of donkeys that were extremely vocal about wanting to be fed. Like, aggressively loud every time they saw you feeding another animal. It was very dramatic of them.
You can hand-feed some of the animals and bucket-feed others. It's very clear which is which, and I never felt unsafe. The only thing to watch out for is the bucket feeders. They're not aggressive, but they really get in there. One guy in our group basically lost his entire bucket to a cow who was not interested in sharing. Consider it a donation to the livestock.
The whole thing wraps up back where you started, and there's a hand-washing station at the end with the tour guide's Venmo QR code if you want to leave a tip. We did. Bring cash or have your phone ready.
Jamie's Experience (Honest Version)
Here's the part I want to be real about. Jamie was not into it. At all.
He loves looking at pictures of animals. He will flip through his animal books all day long. But being physically close to live animals that are bigger than him? Absolutely not. He didn't want to touch anything, he didn't want to walk, and he spent most of the tour in our arms giving us the face.
I spent the first 20 minutes trying to make it work. Pointing at animals, doing the voices, being way too enthusiastic about a goat. And then I just let it go. We walked around, he observed from a distance, and we were the first ones out the door when the tour wrapped up.
The kids who did the best were about three and older. The walking toddlers in our group were mixed. Some were cautiously into it, others were very much on team Jamie. If your kid is under two and not yet comfortable around animals up close, just know that going in. It doesn't mean you shouldn't go. It just means adjusting your expectations.
And then, hilariously, Jamie became obsessed with camels that night from a photo on my phone. So. You never know.
The Details
Darby Acres Farm (Petting Farm)
📍 Address provided in confirmation email after booking (do NOT use Google Maps) 🕒 Reservation only, book online at darbyacresfarm.com 💰 $15/adult, $13/child (includes feed bucket)
📞 Text 704-738-4444 for tour questions
👶 Best for ages 3+, though younger kids can still come along
🅿️ Free parking on-site
Darby Safari Zoo (Exotic Animals)
📍 Separate location, about 1 mile from the farm
💰 $25/person (includes feed bucket)
🦘 Capybaras, zebras, kangaroos, lemurs, foxes, camels, emus, and more
Good to know:
- No strollers on the tour
- If someone other than a legal guardian is bringing the kids (grandparents, nanny, babysitter), you need to print and sign the waiver ahead of time from their website. They won't let anyone on the property without it. Don't learn this one the hard way.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Rain or shine, wear boots or old shoes
- Arrive 10-15 minutes early, no late arrivals allowed
- No refunds, $25 rescheduling fee within 24 hours
- All animals are rescues or donations
- Tip your tour guide (Venmo QR at the end)
- Follow them on Instagram. The zookeeper content is genuinely funny.
Would I Go Back?
Yes. Without question. The price is right, the tour is well-run, the animals are clearly well cared for, and the guides know their stuff. Jamie's reaction was a Jamie thing, not a Darby Acres thing. I'm already planning to take him to the safari family day on March 28 so he can meet a camel in person and (hopefully) actually enjoy it this time.
If your kid is three or older and likes animals, this is a no-brainer. If your kid is younger, go anyway, but go with low expectations and be okay with leaving as the person who got the least out of their feed bucket. It's still a great morning out.
