Now Reading
Harmony Park Safari in Huntsville: a Parent Review

Harmony Park Safari in Huntsville: a Parent Review

  • 431 Clouds Cove Road, Huntsville AL
  • Opens for the season March - November
  • 10:00 AM - until Sunset, 7 Days a Week
Harmony Park safari bison

Harmony Park Safari is one of Huntsville’s most surprising gems! When entering the park the first thing you do is pull up to the little hut and pay. Make sure you get at least one bucket of food for the animals. The animals know the cars have treats and if you don’t feed them you won’t get very much attention. The attendant will open up a large gate and you are on your own. Almost immediately you will have 5-10 various animals around your car!

The speed limit is 5 mph but many times we moved slower than that. We decided to let the kids out of their seat belts so they could see better and toss food out the windows. They ask that you don’t lower your windows more than eight inches and there is a reason for this rule! The animals are very friendly and they aren’t afraid to get up close and personal for a treat. When the animal wanting a treat is their Scottish Highlander, Mr. Wilson, it can get a little intimidating!

Harmony Park Animals 1
While we were there we saw bison, zebras, ostrich, llamas, goats, deer, a donkey, a camel, gators, antelope, buffalo, peacocks, a giraffe, snakes, iguanas, ducks, kangaroos, turtles, lemurs and a TON more that I can’t even remember.

About Harmony Park Safari

Harmony Park Safari opened in 1990 with 30 acres of land to house the animals they care for. The park is unique because most of the animals roam freely nibbling treats tossed out from the visitors’ car windows. HPS is a federally licensed nature preserve of free-ranging exotic & endangered animals. Things are constantly improving on the property and the park is always adding new animals. The newest addition is a brand new Reptile Room that is at least twice as big as their old one. Their newest resident is a young giraffe that is now living peacefully in his new south Huntsville home.

Harmony Park reptile

Much of the admission fee goes towards just feeding all of the animals. They use over 8,000 pounds of grain a month to feed them all. The food that they give you is more like candy to the park animals and they don’t get it from anywhere other than the visiting cars so they are really excited for visitors!

Harmony Park Safari Pro-Tips

After you finish your drive don’t leave yet! There are a lot of animals that you can walk around and see (some that need to be more contained) as well as a giraffe and kangaroo. There is also the opportunity to touch and feed some very large turtles! Updated May 2020 – Harmony Park is drive-through only until further notice due to Covid-19. 

Harmony Park Turtle

The 2-mile driving trail is laid out in a loop. Once you get in the park you can drive around as long as you like. There is no way my kids would have let us leave after only one go around anyway!

See Also
A one year old girl sits in front of the tulips at Hubert Family Farm.

Make sure you buy the animal food. If you don’t buy the food they figure it out quickly and go visit the other cars that are tossing out treats. If you want their attention, you need to buy the food.

Ask for extra cups. My kids accidentally dropped every single little cup they gave us when tossing the food out the window. You can also bring a few from home.

Plan on taking your car through a car wash after your visit. There is no way around it. Between the fingerprints from my kids’ hands on the inside of the car and the animal mouths & noses on the outside, just factor in a car wash when you are thinking about price. On that note, judging from other reviews, I wouldn’t advise taking your brand-new car through the park either. These are big animals and there’s always the risk of minor dings & scratches. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, the park has rental SUV’s you can borrow for $15 to drive through the park.

Harmony Park Safari Details

Address: 431 Clouds Cove Road, Huntsville (map)
Phone: 256-723-3880
View Website | Frequently Asked Questions
Cost: $10 per person (cash or check only), kids 2 and under free; food buckets $5
Hours: Opens for the season March – November, 10:00 AM – until Sunset, 7 Days a Week

Editor’s Note: We are aware of the controversy reported both on local news and to us by local parents about Harmony Park. Those that wish to know more about the safety & practices of the park before they go can easily research that on their own. This parent review is one mom’s experience with her family at the park. 

You Might Also Like…


Advertisement

Scroll To Top