Cook’s Bison Ranch | Roam with the Herd 2 1/2 Hours from Indy

This past weekend we visited one of the many unique experiences Indiana offers, Cook’s Bison Ranch in Wolcottville, IN. After snagging a brochure earlier in the summer at one our favorite restaurants in Northern Indiana, we’d been dying to visit.

The 83-acre farm offers tours most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, between 10 and 2. We arrived on a Saturday around noon, and were only one of a handful of families. Tours are conducted on a covered wagon ($8 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $5 for children under 12), and our tour guide, Sue, was very friendly and informative about the history of the ranch. A tractor pulls the covered wagon out into Cook’s breeding herd of around 100 head of bison. For $2.50 you can purchase a large bag of bison feed to use on the ride. The wagon parks and the giant animals come right up to the side and stick their long tongues out in anticipation of food. All while we were feeding the bison, Sue filled us with bison facts and notes about their behavior. Our group had visitors ranging from a year old to mid-60s, and everyone on board was having a great time.

After about 30 minutes the wagon returned to the main building, where more bison feeding was available at some of the penned area. A baby bison was roaming around the building with a staff member and welcomed small hands petting him.

We watched a short video on the bison farming business and our children engaged in one of the many free activities. There were scooters to ride, Lincoln logs, checkers, bison bones to investigate, and a necklace making station where children could color cross-sections of tree branches and string them on a piece of yarn. Everything was very nicely done, and the food was delicious. If you weren’t quite satisfied with your lunch, bison meat was available for purchase in gift shop to bring home. We were very pleased with our visit to the ranch and will definitely be making return trips in the future!

Make plans to visit the ranch today!