Our Family’s Visit to Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas

Wichita, Kansas probably hasn’t been at the top of many people’s travel destination lists, but that’s changing right before our eyes.

One of the biggest reasons? Tanganyika Wildlife Park.

This isn’t your ordinary zoo. It’s one of the most unique and incredible wildlife experiences we’ve had as a family!

I mean, who knew that you could actually swim with penguins in Kansas?

Our family recently visited Tanganyika, and we were honestly shocked by how many animal feedings and up-close encounters we were able to experience. Our animal-loving kids were absolutely in heaven…and my husband and I had just as much fun as they did!

In this post, I’m sharing what we loved most about Tanganyika Wildlife Park, what you should know before you go, and some of our best tips for making the most of your visit.

*Disclaimer: Thanks to Tanganyika for hosting our family. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means if you click the link and sign up, I will receive an affiliate commission at no cost to you. All opinions remain my own. See our privacy policy for more information.

Our Experience at Tanganyika Wildlife Park

We started our day by grabbing breakfast from the little café right in the middle of the park. And the best part? Your day pass includes breakfast, lunch, drinks AND snacks! (And all the moms said, “Amen!” 😂)

Next, we headed straight for the ring-tailed lemur experience, where you can actually feed the lemurs right from your lap.

This was SO cool and just might have been my favorite part of the entire day. The lemurs were adorable, and being able to get that close to them was such a fun experience.

And this is just one of eight feeding experiences included with your day pass. Even better, you can go back to the feeding experiences as many times as you want throughout the day. So if your kids have a favorite (and trust me, they will), you can let them come back again and again.

We spent the rest of our day hopping from one feeding experience to the next, checking out animal encounters, exploring the park, and stopping to see all the different animals.

There is a lot to see, but the park itself is also really beautiful and relaxing to walk around. It never felt like we were rushing from one thing to the next.

We also added on the Rhino and Giraffe Feeding Experience, and I’m so glad we did. Actually getting to feed a rhino was pretty incredible! Plus, they are all named after characters from The Office. We had the pleasure of feeding “Dwight”. 😂

The staff were stationed throughout the park and were always happy to share interesting facts, answer our questions, or tell us more about the animals. This made the whole day not just fun, but educational too!

And here’s something that really surprised me: we stayed ALL DAY.

We’re honestly not the kind of people who typically spend an entire day at an attraction. But we got to Tanganyika right when it opened and didn’t leave until closing time!

Between the feeding experiences, animal encounters, meals, and just taking our time exploring the park, there was plenty to keep all of us entertained. Our animal-loving kids were completely in their element, and my husband and I had just as much fun as they did.

Want to see what it’s really like? Check out our YouTube video of our day at Tanganyika! ⬇️

What You Should Know Before Visiting

• There are a couple of different ticket options. We had the single day passes, which include park admission, unlimited animal feedings, and unlimited breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
• There are a handful of animal experiences that you can add on for an additional cost. These include swimming with penguins or otters, big cat feeding adventure, capybara meet and greet, rhino and giraffe feeding, baby penguin feeding and more. These are very popular, so if you’re interested, you’ll want to book your experience online in advance.
• Tanganyika is closed during the winter, so be sure to schedule your trip from mid-March to mid-November.
• There’s a fun playground located right in the middle of the park. Plus, if you visit during the summer season, you’ll be able to enjoy the splash pad.

Where to Stay

If you are traveling from out of town and want to stay right near the park, I would recommend staying in Goddard, which is outside of Wichita and right where Tanganyika is located.

If you are visiting other spots around the metro, you could consider staying in Wichita, which is a larger city with even more options, while still not being far from the park.

Check out the best hotels near Tanganyika Wildlife Park

Prefer vacation rentals? Here are some great options.

Is Tanganyika Wildlife Park Worth It?

If your family loves animals, Tanganyika Wildlife Park truly makes for one of the best family getaways in Kansas. And while tickets cost quite a bit more than your typical zoo admission, I really don’t think you can compare the two experiences.

Between the up-close animal encounters, feeding experiences, and the fact that breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks are included with your day pass, there’s a lot that comes with your ticket.

I’d definitely recommend getting there right when the park opens so you have plenty of time to experience everything without feeling rushed.

Whether you live in Kansas or are coming from a little farther away, if you’re looking for a truly unique animal experience, Tanganyika Wildlife Park is absolutely worth the trip.