I've heard mixed reviews on this place. Some say it's sad, some say it's quirky. I agree with the latter. I think the place is great for people watching and animal petting. Not so much the other way around.
The place is a little rundown and some of the animals looked like they were quite old. But hey, we all get old and I'm guessing the place could use more income to really spruce it up.
The animals are kept mostly in pens in one particular area of the ranch. I think I saw the owner of the place with her walker and a box full of feed. I didn't get to meet her but I snapped a couple of pix which I've posted here on Yelp. The pens are all pretty close together so you find yourself walking through a narrow maze with a few animals wandering freely which your kids can pet.
You can buy a hamster or guinea pig if you want. I though that was kinda cool.
The place is sprawling and I had to wonder what the upkeep required as far as manpower and financing. There's an old town where they used to have several tourist shops and food places. It looks like they've shut down a number of years ago.
There are still melodramas on the weekends and some kids really get into the booing and hissing of the villians.
The little train that runs from the motel/ resort to the restaurant and old town winds through basic brush and trees of the desert. It's nothing fancy but again... to a kid, it's pretty neat.
The bar and restaurant that are open today has a sort of biker bar feel about it. Great people watching and the prices are reasonable. I dig it.
Overall, it's not a place I'd recommend to everyone. The place is old and funky and it's probably not going to interest someone who enjoys
the glitz of the Strip casinos or a modern, clean place for your kids to put their mouths on everything. (Yuck! Why'd I even think of that?!)
But... for a little roadside attraction and some great people watching,.... why not?