Visit Rescued Alligators at the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary
Visiting the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary.
Looking for a unique experience with alligators and reptiles in Southwest Michigan? Then make sure to add the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary in Athens, Michigan to your summer bucket list. The sanctuary is a haven for hundreds of alligators and reptiles that have been rescued from neglectful and unsafe environments, or in some cases they’ve been abandoned.
David Critchlow, the owner often gives the tours. He knows the history of the reptiles and has rescued many “pet’ alligators who outgrew their habitats or were kept in environments without enough sunlight or adequate nutrition. He works hard to help these alligators acclimate to the sanctuary, adjusting gradually to the outdoors and with other alligators. While visiting the facility, a guided educational tour is included of all the alligator’s habitats. During the tour, your guide will share interesting information about these amazing reptiles. This is a great field trip for schools, homeschool groups or a fun summer activity near Kalamazoo, Michigan.
What You Will Expect
As you enter through the visitors center and gift shop, your children can check out the snakes and reptiles, while you pay for your entrance fees. For an additional fee you can purchase food pellets to feed the alligators, which we recommend as a great interactive experience. The different sized pellets look and smell similar to dog biscuits.
Guided Tour
A guided tour will begin shortly after your arrival at the Alligator Sanctuary, once a group is gathered. On our trip, we were lucky enough to get the owner to lead us throughout the sanctuary grounds. He is wonderful at keeping all the kids laughing and engaged with his stories and facts about alligators. We were there with a large group of children and they were entertained throughout the tour with his antics. During the tour, you will have tons of opportunities to toss food to the alligators from the gazebo overlook or at the various pond habitats. Kids will love watching as the alligators glide across the water and snap the pellets up. The star of the show is meeting Godzilla, a gigantic 11 ft alligator.
Animals and Reptiles that Live at the Sanctuary
Rescued lizards, snakes, turtles, and alligators all make their home at the sanctuary. In the A heated greenhouse turtles, frogs and lizards hide among the greenery.
The grounds are handicap accessible, with a ramp leading up the observation deck offering a birds eye view of the alligators habitat. Next you will see various sized alligators in their swampy ponds and be able to toss food to them. An outdoor amphitheater provides an opportunity to sit and watch the show featuring these unique animals. Surprisingly, alligators are highly intelligent and are trained to react to their names and various verbal commands and hand gestrures.
For an additional fee, you can have a special animal encounter in which you can hold a snake or alligator.
Hours
11-4pm | May 1- Oct
Prices
11.95 Regular Price
10.95 Senior Price (60+)
10.95 Service discount price
Ages 2 and Under are FREE
Nearby Activities
John Wilson Memorial Park
A nearby park, John Wilson Memorial Park, is just down the road from the Alligator Sanctuary. Bring a lunch and snacks for a outdoor picnic. A lovely creek meanders through the park creating a tranquil atmosphere. Amenities include: a grassy open space, a covered pavilion with picnic tables, a modern play structure, slides, and a merry-go-round for children to enjoy.
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