There is 1 drive-thru safari park in Illinois. You drive your own car along a mile-long path through more than 100 free-roaming exotic animals in the heart of central Illinois Amish country.
- Aikman Wildlife Adventure (Arcola)
AIKMAN WILDLIFE ADVENTURE
Type: Self-drive safari, walk-through zoo, and dinosaur museum. It’s a wildlife sanctuary that’s been open since 2015.
Location: 125 N County Rd 425E, Arcola, IL 61910 (east-central Illinois, about 35 minutes south of Champaign)
Phone: (217) 268-3500
Email: info@aikmanwildlife.com
Website: aikmanwildlife.com · Drive-Thru Info · Book Drive-Thru · Park Map · Tours & Encounters · Annual Membership
Social Media:
Size: A mile-long drive-thru path with 100+ large free-roaming animals. There are 200+ animals and 70+ species across the whole park.
Animals:
- Drive-thru: zebras, bison, Watusi cattle, water buffalo, camels, llamas, donkeys, wildebeest, elk, nyala, and Scottish Highland cattle.
- Walk-through: sloths, spotted hyenas, kangaroos, wallabies, lemurs, a caracal, wolfdogs, a Eurasian eagle owl, an aviary, and a petting zoo.
Admission & Packages:
- Drive-Thru Only: $25 per standard vehicle
- Walk-Thru Only: Adults $10 · Children (12 & under) $8
- Triple Crown Adventure: Adults $15 · Children $11. It includes the Walk-Thru, Drive-Thru, and Museum of Prehistoric Life.
- Wagon Adventure: Adults $25 · Children $20.
- A guide takes you to pet and feed the large animals, and the Walk-Thru and museum are included.
- It’s sold in the gift shop, first come, first served, and is seasonal and weather dependent.
- Off-Road Adventure: $175 for up to 5 people. It’s a guided UTV ride where you feed the drive-thru animals, plus the Walk-Thru and museum.
- Behind the Scenes Adventure: $250 for up to 5 people. It includes a UTV ride, a guided walk-through, and personal animal encounters.
October Hours:
- Friday: 10 AM – 3 PM
- Saturday: 10 AM – 4 PM
- Sunday: 12 – 4 PM
- Monday – Thursday: Closed
- The drive-thru is only open on Saturdays and Sundays in the fall. It closes 30 minutes before the park does.
Drive-Thru Rules: Windows must stay rolled up the whole time, so you can’t feed the animals from your car. To feed them, book a Wagon, Off-Road, or Behind the Scenes tour.
Other:
- Museum of Prehistoric Life with 40+ life-size dinosaur models
- Junior Zookeeper Experience
- Elk Ridge cabin rental on the property, booked through Airbnb
- Wedding venue and gift shop
- S.O.A.R. annual membership with monthly perks
Explore Drive-Thru Wildlife Parks in Neighboring States:
Wisconsin · Iowa · Missouri · Kentucky · Indiana