Alice
Visited · With 4 yo and 2 yo
Tortoise Ranch is one of those wonderfully weird finds — someone's actual home that turned into an internet-famous spot for tortoise encounters, birthday parties, and field trips. The main draw: feeding (and even riding!) giant Galapagos tortoises, alongside 10-15 other tortoises of various species roaming the pen. Fair warning, it gets a little chaotic with everyone in the pen at once, and there's tortoise poop underfoot, so closed-toe shoes you don't mind getting dirty are a must. Facilities are a bit cluttered, but that's part of the charm — this is a home, not a polished zoo. The owners are friendly and clearly passionate. The one hiccup: the intro safety talk ran a long 20 minutes, tough for toddlers to sit through. Still, my kids loved it, and there's a great playground right next door for after. It’s a memorable experience.