Farm Tours
Hours of Operation
Tuesday-Saturday - 10:00-4:00 pm for self-guided tours only. Self-guided tours allow you to see the property and the animals safely behind pasture fences.
NOTE: Sanctuary is CLOSED May 11, 2013 for a private event.
Have you ever wanted to rub a pig?s belly or feed chickens their favorite treats? Our furry and feathered residents would love to meet you! The turkeys will entrance you with their trills and vocalizations, and the goats love to escort visitors around the farm. We invite you to come meet the animals, hear their powerful stories, and walk away with a deeper appreciation for all life.
We offer a variety of tours at the 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California. Our 60-acre Rescue Ranch ? A Project of Animal Place facility in Vacaville, California is not open to the public.
Types of Tours:
Guided Tours
These are offered on select Saturdays and give you a chance to meet and greet with the animals directly. You?ll get to rub the pigs? bellies, scratch the cows? necks, cavort with the goats and hang out with the chickens and turkeys. You will also learn detailed stories of the animals along with information on how you can make a positive difference in their lives.
Tours last two hours and entail a lot of walking on flat ground. The facility is wheelchair accessible, although there are some rocky portions of the property.
There are picnic spots available for after the tour. All food must be vegan: Please respect the animals at the sanctuary by not bringing meat (including chicken and fish), dairy (milk, cheese, etc), eggs or honey onto the property. Peanut butter sandwiches, hummus, beans, green salads, fruits and veggies are a few suitable alternatives.
You must wear long-pants and closed-toed shoes. We share the property with wildlife, including rattlesnakes. Closed toed shoes provide added protection when interacting directly with the large animals.
Guided tours require pre-registration and pre-payment. Children under the age of five must be carried at all times inside the pastures where animals are located. This is for their safety. Guided tours are $5/person (under the age of 10).
Upcoming Tours:
May 25th at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm. Pre-registration is required.
Self-Guided Tours
Animal Place welcomes drop-in visitors on specific days during the following hours (see below).
Check-in at the education center (the white house) for a map of the property and picnic spots. You will not have direct contact with the animals. You might see the animals grazing or lounging about, but for safety and liability reasons, you cannot enter their pastures (for a more intimate tour, please see Guided Tours above).
All food must be vegan: Please respect the animals at the sanctuary by not bringing meat, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), eggs or honey onto the property. Peanut butter sandwiches, hummus, beans, green salads, fruits and veggies are a few suitable alternatives.
Visitor dogs are not permitted. This is for their safety and that of the animals. Please leave companion dogs at home.
Clothing Recommendation: We share the property with native predators, including rattlesnakes. Our recommendation is to wear closed-toed shoes. You should remain on the designated paths and not wander into tall grasses or rocky areas.
Sanctuary Hours of Operation:
Please note:
Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00-4:00 pm
School Tours
We encourage the promotion of humane education and to facilitate that offer school groups the opportunity to visit our sanctuary.
Tours are generally two hours long. Currently, we are offering tours for ages 12 and older but as we expand our program, that will certainly change.
We ask for a donation of $3-5/child and require a chaperone:child ratio of 1:5.
Children get the opportunity to interact directly with the animals at the sanctuary, learn how they are housed, fed and cared for and also from where they came. We do promote veganism in a gentle, compassionate manner.
Picnic spots are available ? all food brought on sanctuary grounds must be vegan. This includes no meat, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), eggs and honey. Peanut butter sandwiches, hummus, beans, green salads, fruits and veggies are a few suitable alternatives. This is out of respect for the animals at the sanctuary, most of whom would have been killed for consumption if Animal Place had not been there for them.
To request further information about school tours, please fill out the information form here.
College & University Tours
Learning about farmed animals in a sanctuary setting is a unique opportunity for students studying agriculture or environmental sciences. The life of sanctuary animals is far different than animals raised on most farms in the country. Offering another perspective is an integral aspect of learning and critical thinking.
Students get an opportunity to interact directly with many of the animals at the sanctuary. They will learn the animals? histories along with current housing, medical treatment and care for the animals.
There are picnic spots available for after the tour. All food brought on sanctuary grounds must be vegan. This includes no meat, dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), eggs and honey. Peanut butter sandwiches, hummus, beans, green salads, fruits and veggies are a few suitable alternatives. This is out of respect for the animals at the sanctuary, most of whom would have been killed for consumption if Animal Place did not exist.
Tours last two hours. We ask for a donation of $5/student.
To request further information about school tours, please fill out the information form here.
Private Tours
We do not offer private tours to individuals, unless a group of 10 or more is guaranteed. Please remember that as a non-profit, we have limited staff time available to operate guided tours. In order to affect the greatest amount of change, we ask for a certain number of people.
We are able to offer private tours to organizations and businesses interested in exposing their colleagues or staff to a more compassionate model of farming and perception of farmed animals. A donation of $5/person is required. To inquire about a private tour for your business or organizations, please email Marji Beach, Education Director.
Directions to the Sanctuary
Address: 17314 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, CA 95949From Sacramento (1.5 hours) and the Bay Area (2-4 hours)
80-E (toward Reno)
49-N (Grass Valley exit), turn left to get into 49-N ~10-11 miles
Lt on Wolf Road ~2 (if you go 2.5 miles, you've gone too far)
Rt on Duggans Road
Lt on McCourtney/Lime Kiln ~6-7 miles
The sanctuary will be on your left. It is the next large property after the school zone of Clear Creek Elementary.
You will see a big red sign.
From Nevada City
Take Hwy 20-W/49-S
Exit Mill Street, Turn Right, follow directions below
From Downtown Grass Valley
Take Mill Street south
Rt on McCourtney ~6.6 miles
The sanctuary will be on your right. Look for the bright red sign.
If you pass Clear Creek School, you've gone too far.
From Penn Valley/Rough and Ready
Take Indian Springs Road to McCourtney, turn right. Go about 3 miles.
The sanctuary will be on your right. Look for the bright red sign.
If you pass Clear Creek School, you've gone too far.
If your directions are missing, please contact us.
