The Purina Farms Visitor's Center incorporates a Pet Center, a full-size barn
containing domestic farm animals, and a theater and informational center.
Demonstrations, dog obedience shows and hands-on petting areas are some of the
highlights of this popular attraction, which draws nearly 200,000 visitors a
year.
The Visitor's Center Building
The Purina Farms Visitor's Center offers an educational
experience by providing exhibits that help explain to owners how to determine
the optimal diet for their pet based on its health and nutritional status. In
addition, a 75-seat theater offers an ongoing video presentation.
Visitors can experience the excitement of operating a pet food factory in a
hands-on exhibit that demonstrates Purina's expertise in creating leading dog
and cat foods. Plus, displays and a timeline help to connect visitors with the
history of Purina.
While at the Visitor's Center, visitors can browse through the Purina Farms
Store to pick up Purina momentos or breed-specific sculptures, ornaments and
shirts. Food services also are provided at the Visitor's Center.
The Barn and Play Area
The Barn and Play Area allow visitors to interact with a
variety of domestic animals found on a typical working farm. Romp in the Barn's
hayloft, swing on a rope or milk a cow. The Barn and Play area are geared
toward fun and education for children as well as adults.
The two-story Barn houses sheep, horses, cows, hogs, rabbits, chickens and other
barnyard animals. A petting ring in the Barn's nursery area allows children to
get up-close and personal with baby bunnies, chicks and piglets. Milking
demonstrations are held throughout the day.
An enclosed area next to the Barn features scheduled performances of herding
dogs, demonstrating their expertise at corralling farm animals. The
demonstrations provide a firsthand look at how dogs have been used through the
ages to work "hand-in-paw" with man.
The Pet Center
The
Pet Center allows visitors to view dozens of dogs and cats that call Purina
Farms home. The building's key attraction is a 20-foot-tall, multilevel cat
house, complete with windows, stairways, rocking chairs and other furnishings,
creating a feline paradise. A staircase surrounding the structure provides
visitors with an eye-level view of the cat house's inhabitants. The Pet Center
allows visitors to view dozens of dogs and cats that call Purina Farms home.
The building's key attraction is a 20-foot-tall, multilevel cat house, complete
with windows, stairways, rocking chairs and other furnishings, creating a
feline paradise. A staircase surrounding the structure provides visitors with
an eye-level view of the cat house's inhabitants.
The Pet Center also features educational displays and videos that help visitors
better understand their pets and the role pets play in our lives. A unique
display lets visitors experience the scents a dog's sensitive nose perceives
while walking through a field.
The Pet Center's staff of professional handlers conducts grooming demonstrations
throughout the day and is available to answer questions on pet care and
training. Dogs from the Pet Center also are featured performers in obedience
demonstrations staged in the Visitor's Center amphitheater.
Field Trips
Thousands of St. Louis-area school children each year travel
to Purina Farms on field trips. The educational emphasis of Purina Farms makes
it perfect for integrating into the curriculum of preschool and elementary
school students. During the off-season -- November through March -- Purina
Farms offers classroom presentations that focus on the role pets play in our
lives and the importance of obedience training. For more information on
scheduling a field trip to Purina Farms or to request a classroom presentation,
call (314) 982-3232.
Hours of Operation
Open seasonally mid-March through mid-November, closed all major Holidays.
Reservations Required. Call 314-982-3232 or 888-688-PETS (7387)
Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day)
Open Tuesday to Sunday - Reservations starting at 9:30 am and running through 3:00 pm, closing at 4:00 pm.
Spring and Fall
Open Wednesday to Friday - Reservations starting at 9:30 am and running through 1:00 pm, closing at 3:00 pm.
Saturday and Sunday - Reservations starting at 9:30 am and running through 3:00 pm, closing at 4:00 pm.
Free admission and parking, however, a nominal fee may be charged for special events.
Individuals and groups are welcome.
Please, no picnics.