PA Animal Attractions

Exploring Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County

A collage of four photos from Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, featuring a white bison, brown bison, and a rhea in a grassy field, visitors feeding fallow deer from a safari bus, two giraffes near a shaded feeding area, and the park’s wooden entrance sign with a banner celebrating 61 years under a blue sky.

Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County is a family-friendly destination where visitors can enjoy wildlife encounters in a beautiful Central Pennsylvania setting.

A large herd of fallow deer with velvet-covered antlers, including white and spotted brown varieties, gathers on a grassy field under the shade of trees at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA during the safari tour on a sunny day.

Located near Halifax, this 150-acre wildlife park and zoo has become a beloved stop for animal lovers of all ages.

Visitors on an open-air safari bus at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA watch a group of eland, the world’s largest antelope, walking along a fence line on a sunny day with cornfields and trees in the background.

A visit here offers the chance to see exotic and native animals while experiencing the scenic countryside.

Two adult bison and a bison calf stand near a puddle under a tree in a grassy field at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with an ostrich visible grazing in the background during the safari tour.

Directions | Hours | Admission Fees

Lake Tobias Wildlife Park is located at 760 Tobias Road, Halifax, PA 17032.

The park opens daily at 10 am from May through Labor Day, and on weekends only in September and October.

A male lion with a thick mane lounges on the grass while a female lion rests beside him in their stone-walled enclosure at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, under partly cloudy skies on a warm day.

Closing times differ by day and month – please see the park’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for the most up-to-date information.

A young child on an open-air safari bus at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA reaches out to feed a friendly, shaggy brown burro standing on a gravel road surrounded by green grass and trees under a sunny sky.

Admission fees as of 2025 are $10/person for the zoo exhibits and $19/person for the zoo exhibits and safari tour (children 2 and under get in free.)

A sign at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA showing admission prices, with the Walk-About option for \$10 covering zoo exhibits only and the Explorer option for \$19 including zoo exhibits and a safari tour, against a patterned red border and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

What You’ll See at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park

Lake Tobias Wildlife Park was founded by the late J.R. Tobias, whose love of wildlife inspired him to create a place where families could learn about and enjoy animals up close.

After serving in the Marines and operating several successful businesses, he used his experience and equipment to build the park’s lakes and habitats.

A wide gravel walkway lined with animal banners and fencing leads visitors toward the main zoo buildings at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with a small pond on the right, trees in the background, and a bright blue sky filled with puffy white clouds overhead.

What started as a hobby in 1965 has grown into a popular attraction that now welcomes over 240,000 visitors annually.

The wooden entrance sign for Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA hangs above a gravel driveway lined with fencing and trees, with a colorful banner below it reading “Celebrating 61 wild years” on a sunny day with blue skies and scattered clouds.

Managed by his children and grandchildren, the park is fully self-sustaining and does not receive state or federal funding.

Two giraffes stand near a wooden fence and thatched umbrella in their outdoor enclosure at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with green grass, trees, and a partly cloudy blue sky in the background.

One of the most unique features at Lake Tobias is its open-air safari tours, which J.R. Tobias pioneered by converting old school buses into safari vehicles.

A camouflage-painted open-air safari tour bus filled with visitors drives along a road at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with green grass, trees, and distant rolling mountains under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds in the background.

These buses take guests through rolling pastures where animals like bison, elk, and fallow deer roam freely around the safari buses.

Visitors on an open-air safari bus at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA reach out to feed a group of white and brown fallow deer with velvet antlers gathered along a gravel road, with rolling green fields, cornfields, and distant mountains under a sunny blue sky.

Visitors can even purchase food to feed some of the animals from the safari buses for an extra memorable encounter.

A large elk with velvet-covered antlers eats from a visitor’s hand over the railing of an open-air safari bus at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with a wooded area and sunlight filtering through the trees in the background.

The safari tour also offers opportunities to see ostriches, rheas, and llamas along the way, creating memorable moments for visitors.

An ostrich stands near a llama wading in a muddy watering hole on a grassy hillside at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with more ostriches and a sheep resting in the background under a partly cloudy sky and tree-lined ridge.

Beyond the safari, the park features walk-through exhibits where you can view African lions lounging in the sun and giraffes stretching their long necks for treats.

A young boy wearing a baseball cap feeds a carrot to a giraffe while holding leafy branches, as two giraffes extend their long tongues to reach the treats at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with a fenced grassy area and trees in the background.

The reptile and exotic animal building lets visitors observe various creatures from around the world, while the petting zoo offers hands-on fun with goats and miniature horses.

A cotton-top tamarin with a white crest of hair clings to the mesh ceiling of its enclosure at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with climbing branches and a forest-themed backdrop in the background.

A highlight for many visitors is seeing the park’s rare black leopard, a striking example of melanism in the animal kingdom.

A black leopard lounges on a wooden platform inside its enclosure at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with tree trunks and a rock wall backdrop visible behind the cage bars.

Visitors will find that the park continues to grow while maintaining its family-run, welcoming atmosphere.

A young woman crouches to feed a brown and black miniature horse wearing a pink halter in the petting zoo area at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with other visitors and wooden fencing visible in the background on a sunny day.

Informational displays around the park, including a small museum about J.R. Tobias, share the history of the park and the founder’s vision.

An indoor exhibit at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA features displays about the early years and life of park founder James “J.R.” Tobias, including photos from his childhood, military career, and family life, with informative text panels and artifacts beneath wood-paneled ceilings and windows letting in natural light.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking to see wildlife from around the world in a peaceful Pennsylvania countryside setting, you’ll love spending a day at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park.

A white rhea bird stands in tall grass in the foreground while a white bison with shedding fur and a dark brown bison graze behind it at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, with trees and a blue sky with scattered clouds in the background.

The open spaces, reasonable prices, and chance to get up close to so many animals make Lake Tobias a fantastic day trip destination for the whole family.

A large elk with velvet-covered antlers stands beside an open-air safari bus at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Dauphin County, PA, reaching toward a visitor holding a green cup of food, with a backdrop of leafy green forest.

If animals are your thing, be sure to check out my PA Animal Attractions page for an interactive map/guide to the state’s best zoos, aquariums, aviaries, and wildlife viewing areas.

A collage of 6 photos from some pf the best animal-themed attractions in Pennsylvania.

Discover more than 1000 exceptional destinations all across Pennsylvania with the interactive PA Bucket List Travel Map!

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