Where to Pet a Capybara in Ohio (and Near Columbus)

The short answer: you can pet a capybara in Ohio at Majestic Meadows Alpacas in Medina, African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton, Westmeister Farm in Shelby, Wild Hearts African Farm in Lewisburg and, in warmer months, Paws and Claws Encounters in Bremen near Hocking Hills. If you’re in Columbus, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also runs a small-group Capybara Experience. Every option is a paid, staff-led encounter you book ahead. We checked the details below on November 5, 2026, but prices and schedules change, so confirm on each venue’s official page before you go.

Quick list

• Majestic Meadows Alpacas (Medina): private 30-minute feed, pet and brush session, $45 per person, minimum two people, daily year-round.
• African Safari Wildlife Park (Port Clinton): 30-minute Extended Capybara Encounter, weekends in the off-season.
• Westmeister Farm (Shelby): private 30-minute encounter with Winnie and Winston, $45 per person.
• Wild Hearts African Farm (Lewisburg): small indoor encounter where you sit on the floor with a young capybara, ages 6 and up, year-round.
• Paws and Claws Encounters (Bremen): 30-minute outdoor feed-and-pet session, $54, late March or early April through October.
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Powell, just north of Columbus): 25-minute Capybara Experience, $99, ages 12 and up, plus admission.

You can see the Ohio venues in our directory on the Ohio capybara map.

Majestic Meadows Alpacas, Medina

This 20-acre farm south of Cleveland is the easiest year-round option in the state. Its Capybara Encounter is a private 30-minute session where your group feeds, pets and even brushes the capybaras with staff guiding you. It costs $45 per person, groups are two to ten people, and all ages are welcome, though everyone in the group pays, including small kids. Anyone under 18 needs an adult with them.

Private encounters run daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all year. The capybaras aren’t part of the self-guided farm tour, so booking the encounter is the only way to be sure you’ll see them. You can add the farm tour for $15 per person. Details: Majestic Meadows Alpacas on CapyFinder.

African Safari Wildlife Park, Port Clinton

Up on Lake Erie between Toledo and Sandusky, African Safari Wildlife Park offers two capybara encounters. The 10-minute Basic Capybara Encounter runs several times a day in the summer season and needs general admission. The park says more Basic dates are coming in summer 2027.

For a visit now, book the Extended Capybara Encounter. It’s a 30-minute session for up to eight guests where you feed the capybaras, feel their coarse fur and maybe give one a belly rub. In the off-season it runs Saturdays and Sundays at 2:15 p.m., and general admission isn’t required then. Everyone needs their own encounter ticket, including anyone who only wants to take photos. Guests must be 3 or older, kids 3 to 15 need a paying adult, and closed-toe shoes are a must because the ground can be muddy. You book and pay online ahead of time. Details: African Safari Wildlife Park on CapyFinder.

Westmeister Farm, Shelby

Westmeister Farm is a small, appointment-only farm in north-central Ohio. The farm itself says it’s about an hour and a half from both Columbus and Cleveland. Its capybara encounter is a private session of up to 30 minutes with two capybaras named Winnie and Winston. You hand-feed and gently pet them and watch a short training session. It costs $45 per person for all ages.

Read the fine print: Westmeister says appointments can’t be refunded or rescheduled, and it asks for a calm, quiet group, so it’s best for families with older or patient kids. Available dates show in bold on its booking calendar. If nothing is open, check back for cancellations.

Wild Hearts African Farm, Lewisburg

Wild Hearts is a small farm and mobile teaching zoo in western Ohio, west of Dayton. Its capybara encounters are indoors and run year-round. You sit on the floor with a young capybara and can pet and feed it while staff guide you and take photos. Encounters are for ages 6 and up, and parents have to stay with their kids the whole time. You can book them directly through the Wild Hearts website.

Regular walk-in hours are paused through the fall and winter and resume in spring 2027, so the encounter is the way to visit this time of year. General admission in 2026 is $14 for adults and $12 for kids 3 to 12. Wear closed-toe shoes, and if you have long hair, tie it up. One visitor wrote that the capybara mistook her hair for straw.

Paws and Claws Encounters, Bremen

Paws and Claws sits in Bremen, which calls itself the gateway to Hocking Hills, southeast of Columbus. That makes it an easy add-on to a Hocking Hills hiking trip. Its Capybara Encounter is a 30-minute session inside the capybaras’ outdoor enclosure with hand-feeding, petting and a farm tour. It’s $54 for ages 6 and up, kids 6 to 15 need a ticketed adult, and each guest can bring one spectator for $21.60.

Timing matters here. The capybaras move inside at the end of October and aren’t available again until late March or early April, so plan this one for spring or summer.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

If you live in Columbus or are visiting, the zoo’s capybaras live in its Adventure Cove area. For more than a look from the visitor path, book the Capybara Experience. It’s 25 minutes up close with a capybara, in its habitat or behind the scenes, with time for photos, stories about its training and possibly a chance to offer treats and feel its fur. It costs $99 per person, guests must be 12 or older, and teens 12 to 17 need a paying adult. Zoo admission is separate.

The zoo lists sessions from January 1 to May 26 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1 p.m., and says the tour books quickly with no waitlist. If you cancel within 48 hours, you don’t get a refund. Service animals aren’t allowed on the tour because it happens inside animal habitats.

Which one should you pick?

• Visiting right now, in the colder months: Majestic Meadows (daily), African Safari’s weekend Extended Encounter, Westmeister or Wild Hearts.
• Near Columbus: the Columbus Zoo is closest. Bremen and Shelby are both drives out of the city.
• Near Cleveland: Majestic Meadows in Medina.
• Near Toledo or Sandusky: African Safari Wildlife Park.
• Near Dayton or Cincinnati: Wild Hearts African Farm in Lewisburg.
• With little kids: Majestic Meadows welcomes all ages. African Safari allows ages 3 and up. Wild Hearts and Paws and Claws start at 6. The Columbus Zoo starts at 12.

Tips for a good capybara encounter

Capybaras are calm, but they’re still large rodents with big front teeth, so follow the staff’s lead on where to touch and how to feed. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Skip dangling jewelry and loose sleeves. Most venues sell out on weekends, so book as soon as you know your date. Because most of these places don’t give refunds, double-check the day before you pay.

Thinking about bringing one home instead? Start with our guide to capybara ownership laws by state before you go any further. For more places to meet capybaras across the country, see our list of US capybara cafes or browse every US state.