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Guided Tours

Guided tours must be booked at least 3 days in advance, preferably 4-6 days in advance. Shorter notice bookings may not be available. Coupons and Discounts do not apply towards Guided Tours.
 
Credit Card is required to make reservation at time of booking.  We accept (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Debit cards). Payment is due 24 hours before reservation.

Cost of Tour includes admission.
 
Must cancel at least 24 hours in advance to avoid penalty. Please remember that discounts and coupons cannot be used for guided tours.
 
Tours are guided by staff and/or trained volunteers, all of whom are knowledgeable about the zoology and ecology of the wildlife species that will be encountered, as well as about Fossil Rim’s award-winning wildlife conservation work. All guided tours are intended to be an “edutaining” learning experience for the guests, leaving them with a better understanding of nature and wildlife, a renewed appreciation for its preservation and conservation, and the work that Fossil Rim does in this regard.

Based on the number of total guests booked for a particular tour, the open-air tour vehicle might be a jeep, van or safari bus.

Tour times can vary due to park traffic, seasons, weather, and/or animals in the roadway.

 

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Behind the Scenes Tour:  Ages:  7 and up only
Jeep or Van - FR makes the decision.  

Come explore our Intensive Management Area where we have wolves, some of our cheetahs, black rhinos and Attwater Prairie Chickens. You will learn about our research and conservation efforts. See our state-of-the-art cheetah food-prep facility. Find out if you will be lucky enough to experience the 18” long tongue of a giraffe. Peek into our white rhino barn. Enjoy yourself and get a feeling of what we are doing to help stave off extinction for our 15 endangered species on property.

 Price:
$46 per person ages 7+, November – February
$51 per person ages 7+, March – October
Price includes one cup of animal food per paying guest
Members and groups of 10 or more people receive a 10% discount
Private tours are $100 per vehicle in addition to tour fees.

Availability: Available every day; advance reservations required 

Departs From: Front Gate 10:00 am & 2:00 pm For July and August, 2008 the 2:00 tour will be moved to 6:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Length: Approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours

Be Prepared: Be sure to dress for the weather.  You may bring hats, sunscreen, and water if you wish.  Please do not bring any other food or beverage items.  Please be aware that there are no restrooms on our tour route. 

 

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Family Tour: Ages: Recommended for all ages
Jeep, van or bus
(FR makes the decision based on quantity of guests) 

Come join us as we take a leisurely guided tour along the Scenic Wildlife Drive and let you meet some of your favorite animals.  Thrill to the giraffe’s long neck bending over you.  Squeal with excitement as our ostriches investigate you.  Let us enliven your morning or afternoon while introducing you and your family to our kudu, cheetah, addax and other exotic residents.  Get the chance to find our about our animal collection and the research done here.  Examine what individuals can do to make a difference in our world.

Price:
$31 per person ages 3+, November – February
$37 per person ages 3+, March – October
Price includes one cup of animal food per paying guest
Members and groups of 10 or more people receive a 10% discount
Private tours are $100 per vehicle in addition to tour fees.

Availability: Available every day; advance reservations required 

Departs From: Front Gate 10:00 am & 2:00 pm. For July and August, 2008 the 2:00 tour will be moved to 6:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Length: Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Be Prepared: Be sure to dress for the weather.  You may bring hats, sunscreen, and water if you wish.  Please do not bring any other food or beverage items.  Please be aware that there are no restrooms on our tour route. 

 

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School Group Tour: 
Van or Bus (FR makes the decision) 

See description of “Family Tour” above.

Price: $26 per person ages 3+

Availability: School group discount available on weekdays only.  Available to groups of 10 or more people.  Advance reservations required.

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Adventure Tour:  Ages: Offered to adults only; limit 6 people

Experience Fossil Rim as you never have before!  Spend a leisurely day on your own private jeep tour of Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.  Photographic opportunities abound.  Meet animal care specialists and discover some of the unique strategies involved in caring for our numerous endangered species.  We will treat you to lunch at our café with a breathtaking view.  Few guests get to see our Grevy’s zebra breeding pasture, but we will escort you to this area as well as our beautiful retirement pasture in addition to the Scenic Wildlife Drive and the Intensive Management Area.  (Animal viewing opportunities are subject to change due to animal health and safety reasons.)

Price:
$276 per person, November - February
$296 per person, March – October
Price includes one cup of animal food per guest
Members receive a 10% discount

Availability: Available every day; advance reservations required 

Departs From:   Front Gate (or Safari Camp for overnight guests)
                        9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Flexible hours may be arranged

Length: Approximately 6 hours

Be Prepared: Be sure to dress for the weather.  You may bring hats, sunscreen, and water if you wish.  Please do not bring any other food or beverage items.  Please be aware that there are no restrooms on our tour route, however this tour stops at the Overlook Café for lunch. 



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Feeding Tour:  Ages: Recommended for adults only; limit 2 people

Here’s the opportunity you’ve been looking for.  Ride along with one of our animal care experts as they do their morning feeding rounds.  Get the perfect chance to ask that specific questions that’s been on your mind.  Learn what we are like from the inside out.  Spend a Saturday morning that will keep you talking for months to come.

Price:
$151 per person ages 3+, November – February
$196 per person ages 3+, March – October
Members receive a 10% discount

Availability: Available all year, Saturday – Sunday; advance reservations required 

Departs From: Front Gate 8:30 am

Length: Approximately 2 hours

Be Prepared: Be sure to dress for the weather.  You may bring hats, sunscreen, and water if you wish.  Please do not bring any other food or beverage items.  Please be aware that there are no restrooms on our tour route.  You will be traveling in a staff pick-up truck. 

 

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Discovery after Dark:  Ages: Recommended for ages 5 to adult

 Come enjoy the nocturnal beauty of Fossil Rim, watch the stars, and listen to the night-time sounds, as we venture out into the park at dark.  We’ll start with an interactive learning experience where you can discover nocturnal animal adaptations, how animals use the night sky, Native American stories, and more.  Then, using spot-lights, we’ll go on a guided after-dark adventure that will feature both the exotic and native nocturnal wildlife at Fossil Rim and that will give you the opportunity to sit back, relax, and enjoy the night. 

Price:
$45 per person ages 3+
Price includes one cup of animal food per guest
Price includes admission to the Scenic Wildlife Drive which can be used the day of, or the morning after (before 10:00am)
Members receive a 10% discount

Availability: Offered once a month, March – October, on  a  Friday night; advance reservations required.  Visit our event calendar at http://plus.calendars.net/frwc to find out upcoming dates.  This tour/program is also available to groups of 12 or more on the date of your choice – call for availability. 

 Meets at the Eco-Center building at the Overlook: 6:00 pm

Length: Approximately 3 hours, including the educational activities and presentation

Be Prepared: Be sure to dress for the weather.  You may bring jackets, hats, sunscreen, and water if you wish.  Please do not bring any other food or beverage items.  Please be aware that there are no restrooms on our tour route.  Flash photography is not allowed after sunset. 

 

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Step-On Tours  Ages: Adult groups only

Do you already have a bus and driver for the Scenic Wildlife Drive, but are looking for a guided tour?  One of our trained guides can step onto your vehicle.  During the 9½ mile drive you’ll discover all about Fossil Rim, the amazing animals that live here, and the conservation work that we do to help bring rare and endangered species back from the brink of extinction. 

Price:
 10% off regular Scenic Wildlife Drive admission + $ 70 guide fee
Price includes 3 bags of animal food per bus

Availability: Available every day; advance reservations required 

Departs From: Front Gate

Length: Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Be Prepared: Please be aware that there are no restrooms on our tour route and we will not be stopping at the Overlook.

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Ride the Rim Mountain Bike Tours

Where in the world can you ride your mountain bike to within 5 feet of a 2000 pound black rhino, have your picture taken with a wolf hiding in the bushes and see your kids stalked by cheetahs, safely? Fossil Rim's Ride the Rim Mountain Bike Tours, that's where. Plus, what a great way to get in shape, gets out of the city, and get close to your family and friends. It's a blast and everyone should do it. And everyone CAN do it.

For More Information

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Scenic Wildlife Drive - Group Discount

School groups wishing to drive themselves through the Scenic Wildlife Drive in their own vehicle may do so at a discounted rate.  You are welcome to bring your own lunches and use our picnic area located at the Overlook halfway through the drive. 

Price:
$7 per student. 
Admission for 1 teacher is free with each 12 students. 
Additional teachers/parents are $11 per person (their payment must be included with the group’s in order to get the discount rate). 

Animal food is $7.95 per bag and is limited to 1 bag per car or 3 bags per bus. 

Availability: Available weekdays only; advance reservations required 

Payment: We ask that one person collect the money and pay with one transaction including the animal food. 

Other, non-school, groups of 10 or more people receive a 10% discount on the Scenic Wildlife Drive with advance reservations. Call for details.

For more information on the Scenic Wildlife Drive visit: http://www.fossilrim.org/visiting/scenic_drive.php

  

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For Guided Tour Reservations Please Call 254.897.2960 and press
Option #4

Guided Tour

We get the greatest guests here at Fossil Rim

Two of our long-term visitors are David and Mary Ellen Kinkel who come out most years and stay for about a week at a time. David told us: “We travel a great deal and see a lot of wonderful sights. When we want that deep rich reconnect with nature in a marvelous, caring setting, we return once again to Fossil Rim.”