Arbuckle Wilderness - what's the word?

[Steve]

I remember going as a kid and loving it. Is it still a good place to take the kids? The internet reviews are sparce and mixed and of uncertain origin. At least with the OKC Talk crowd I can pretty much figure out who's coming from what direction!

[nik4411]

Oh this is a good thread. I've actually been wondering this myself lately as well. I too remember going as a kid and loving it. But that was 20 years ago. For a while I figured it was closed b/c you never heard anything about it, but I talked to a guy last summer and he still regularly takes his kids down there and says it is still great for them.

[Midtowner]

My parents took me once. A giraffe bit me.

Haven't been back since.

[kevinpate]

Never been, but their website suggests they are still in operation.
.:arbucklewilderness.com:.

Many years back, and perhaps it is still there, there was a larger scale park outside Arlington. Sorry, do not recall the name.

[TaoMaas]

Yeah, they're still in operation. The place got a bit ragged there for a while, but John Rohloff, who was with them in their heyday, has been brought back onboard and they're making a real effort to improve the facilities and to expand the types of animals that you can see there.

[metro]

Never been, but their website suggests they are still in operation.
.:arbucklewilderness.com:.

Many years back, and perhaps it is still there, there was a larger scale park outside Arlington. Sorry, do not recall the name.

Six Flags?

[08hybridok]

They were still open as of last summer anyway.

We took a renovated school bus down twice last year with the kids, and had a blast. After the first trip we learned to do the picnic FIRST, then the tour as there were hundreds of large flys in the bus after the tour.

[Steve]

I talked to some friends in the tourism industry today - they say the park has definitely been improved the past couple of years and is worth visiting.
It's on my list.

[metro]

Write a review of the place and maybe your employer will pick up the tab?

[DaveSkater]

One of my employees said he had a blast last year.

I'm planning to take my kids this year.

[Steve]

"...maybe your employer will pick up the tab?"
ROTFLOL.
(For explanation of sudden hysterical outburst, please visit Poynter Online)

[oneforone]

I went last summer. The drive thru park is worth the trip.

The gift shop and amusement park seemed like they were dying a slow painful death. The restaurant was closed and being used for storage.

The gift shop was full of overpriced t-shirts and souvenirs you can find at the front of most metro Wal-Marts.

The amusement park section was just sad. The lake was green and had more snapping turtles than anything else in it.

The only ride open was the moon-bounce and go-karts. The paddle boats and everything else was shut down. We sat down and had a snack and were overcome by ants in matter of minutes.

I have to admit, if it was not for the drive-thru animal park and the stop at Turner Falls it would have complete waste of time.

[Jesseda]

went to arbuckle two years ago, it ws nothing like it was back in the late 80s, it was run down inside the park itself, the drive thru park was still good, but the inside is a sad and run down, i miss the paddle boats they had and maze the bear show, non of that exist anymore, the gift show was thinned as thinned out as it could get. to bad becasue this place could have been a great place. Dont get me wrong the drive thru part is still decent, but nothing like it was 20 years ago

[kevinpate]

No metro, not six flags. There was a drive through Animal park down near Arlington.
Six Flags is a walk through the animals sort of place.

[jawgie]

It was called Lion Country Safari.

[Charlie40]

yeah

[rag451]

The first time I went to Arbuckle Wilderness was May '09 with a friend and her daughter. The drive-through is the best part, as many posters are right in describing the less-than-ideal conditions at the rest of the park.

The "bumper-boats" were up and running, as were the go-karts, although many of the go-karts broke down mid-ride, forcing yellow-flag driving while one of the employees ran out on the track to give the derned thing a good push!

You aren't supposed to lure the animals close to your car to be fed, but that didn't stop many folks I saw from hanging a handful of feed out the window as all kinds of critters came by. As long as you don't taunt them or lose a finger, what's the harm? I did snap a picture of one car where a camel had poked its snout in the sun roof for a snack. Oops.

I'd recommend driving through any day of the week, once, twice for that matter, but unless you just need to stretch your legs, I'd skip the amusement park side and head to Turner Falls if you want your exercise!

Robert