There are 2 places in Kansas where you can see animals from your own car. One is an accredited zoo you can drive straight through, and the other is a tallgrass prairie refuge where wild bison and elk graze along a public road.
- Lee Richardson Zoo (Garden City)
- Maxwell Wildlife Refuge (Canton)
LEE RICHARDSON ZOO
Type: City-owned zoo with a drive-thru route through the park. It’s AZA accredited, and walking through is free.
Location: 312 E Finnup Drive, Garden City, KS 67846 (southwest Kansas)
Phone: (620) 276-1250
Email: zoo.department@gardencityks.us
Website: leerichardsonzoo.org · Hours & Admission · Zoo Map (drive-thru route highlighted) · Animal Encounters · Membership
Social Media: No official accounts linked on the website
Size: About 50 acres, with around 300 animals
Animals: Lions, Amur leopards, jaguars, sloth bears, giraffes, camels, bison, elk, addax, alpacas, bobcats, black-footed ferrets, and more
Admission:
- Walking: FREE for everyone
- Drive-thru day pass: $20 per vehicle. Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo members drive through free.
- Wild Wednesdays: The drive-thru is free on every Wednesday from November through March, and on the first Wednesday of each month from April through October.
Drive-Thru Hours:
- April 1 – Labor Day: 8 AM – 6 PM
- After Labor Day – October 31: 8 AM – 4 PM
- November 1 – March 31: 10 AM – 4 PM
Walking Hours: 8 AM – 5 PM from after Labor Day through March 31, and 8 AM – 7 PM from April 1 through Labor Day
Closures:
- Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, plus some special-event days.
- It may also close in extreme weather, so call ahead to confirm.
Rules: No pets of any kind on zoo grounds. Only service animals are allowed.
Other: Keeper chats, animal encounters, the Finnup Center for Conservation Education, and shelter and room rentals
MAXWELL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Type: Non-profit tallgrass prairie refuge with free-roaming bison and elk. You can drive the public road through the refuge yourself or take a guided tram tour.
Location: 2565 Pueblo Road, Canton, KS 67428 (McPherson County, about 50 minutes northwest of Wichita via I-135 and K-15)
Phone: (620) 628-4455
Email: maxwellwildliferefuge@gmail.com
Website: maxwellwildliferefuge.com · Book a Tram Tour · Before You Visit · Group Reservations · Wildlife
Social Media: Facebook
Size: 2,560 acres of native tallgrass prairie, protected since 1944. Less than 4% of North America’s native tallgrass prairie is left.
Animals: One of the last free-roaming bison herds on Kansas grassland, plus Rocky Mountain elk. There are also 100+ prairie plant species in season.
Self-Drive (FREE):
- You can drive Pueblo Road through the refuge in your own car.
- Bison and elk are often seen right along the road, and sometimes walking on it.
- Stay in your vehicle near the animals.
Public Tram Tours:
- $15 adults · $7.50 ages 4–11 · Free under 3
- Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10 AM, with an 11 AM tour added if the first one fills.
- A guide leads the covered tram out into the herd. Tours run rain or shine, and you can cancel for free up to 48 hours ahead.
Other Tours:
- Private group tours: $7 per K–12 student, custom dates, naturalist-led
- Seasonal photography tours and fall elk rut tours
Hours:
- Office: Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM
- Visitor Center: listed as Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 9 AM – noon on one part of the site and 9 AM – 4 PM on another, so call ahead.
Tips:
- Wear closed-toe shoes, a hat, and sun protection. Bring water.
- The tram is ground-level. Call ahead for help with mobility needs.
- Parking at the Visitor Center is free.
Other: Free primitive camping with fire rings, fishing with a Kansas license, and seasonal trail rides
Explore Drive-Thru Wildlife Parks in Neighboring States:
Nebraska · Missouri · Oklahoma · Colorado