The Gentle Barn Missouri

Toni Lynch

2024-04

My 2 1/2 years old grandson loved this place. He got to get up close and personal with Hope the turkey Rosie the pig, Barron the goat and Johnny Cash the black cow just to name a few. The staff was so nice and explained each story of the animals if asked. It was worth the 2+ hour to drive to come. Well worth our time for sure. I would recommend to anyone with kiddos!!

Lindsay

2023-11

We had a family tour this weekend and absolutely loved it! The guide was so knowledgeable and I really appreciated how well-cared for the animals are. The barn obviously cares for the animals’ emotional well-being, and teaches you how to interact with the animals in a way that is fun and makes sure they are comfortable as well. This isn’t a traditional petting zoo where kids can yell and pull on the animals, stressing them out, and I really appreciated that! The St. Louis Six were great to see, but all of the animals had their own personalities and were really nice to meet. Will definitely go back!

TheACMmom3

2023-10

We didn't fully know what to expect at The Gentle Barn near St. Louis since their social media is a mix of all three of TGB locations. We were SO IMPRESSED and so so happy we went!The Gentle Barn was clean and well-maintained and almost every animal had a "handler" who was super friendly, well-informed and chatty. We were three adults who spent 3 leisurely hours there, just enjoying the beautiful grounds and rescued farm animals.The Gentle Barn is perfect for all ages, but be aware that it may be hard to navigate if you have a physical disability... it IS a farm, not a paved exhibit.I really liked that the little gift shop had the option to buy a bale of hay for the animals for $20. What an easy and do-able way to help! (If you can leave there and buy 3-4 Starbucks drinks for your family, which we did, you can buy a bale of hay!)Don't sleep on this place. It is worth the very reasonable entrance fee, and the experience was incredibly special.

Jill Evanoski

2024-03

We had a wonderful time at The Gentle Barn. All the volunteers are kind and very knowledgeable about the animals that are there. Most of the animals you can pet and spend time with. It was a very calm and fun way to spend a few hours on a Sunday.

Brian Harper

2023-09

This is a great place to bring your family for a couple of hours on Sunday. They currently have horses, donkeys, cows, goats, pigs and several barnyard birds. They give you the history they know of the animals and how to best approach them and interact with them. Some are treated by chiropractors and acupuncture to relieve pain and stress. The St. Louis Six, the cows that escape the slaughter house are living out their remaining years here. One passed away and has a pond named in their honor. This is something really worth checking out and supporting if you are passionate about animals and their well-being.

Heather James

2024-05

A delight for animal lovers. Learn about these sweet farm animals rescued from neglect, abuse and slaughter. Hug these cows, horses, turkeys, play with goats and pet the pigs. Worth the drive from St. Louis!

Lynn Adkins

2024-04

Such a lovely sanctuary for some pretty amazing animals! Loved hearing their stories, giving them scratches and seeing how wonderfully cared for they are at The Gentle Barn! These animals have had very rough lives from some awful humans and are now getting to enjoy the good life, as they should! Go visit them, donate to support more animals in need, you won’t regret it! This is where I want to volunteer when I retire, or hit the lottery lol!

Barbara Pagano

2024-04

My husband and I visited last Sunday 4/14 and were very disappointed. We had the 12 to 2 pm slot. First of all, they had way too many people in that time slot and we could barely get close to any of the animals. Most did not want to interact, but I don't blame them. It was hot and there were alot of kids trying to touch them. When I did try to touch one of the cows, I was fearful because of how many times the volunteers instructed us to move away if the animals got up to walk around. Anyway, I was so looking forward to hugging some cows, pigs, etc., as advertised, but couldn't even come close to that. For $20.00 a person, they should explain that in their advertising. The grounds are also pretty primitive, no walkways just gravel and dirt. My husband had difficulty walking around. Won't visit again. Going to Purina Farms next week for some better interactions with the animals.

Michael Hizer

2023-05

An amazing place to see animals whose prior lives were full of trauma, and who now live lives full of love and kindness. You can tell that every volunteer truly cares about these animals! What a powerful experience, I highly recommend that everyone visit the Gentle Barn!

Robin Coffey

2023-11

I wish I could rate higher.I so wanted it to be amazing. We had the noon to 2 slot. First of all parking was awful. Not enough parking for tickets sold and there are HUGE ruts etc. The public restroom is portapottys. Upon checking in the closest animals were horses and donkeys, which were all being put in stalls to eat so no interactions with them. Next over was the pigs who just lay there doing nothing. After that goats, a cow laying in a display and turkeys. Further down was cows I think. We didn’t go Dow there bcuz I was so disappointed at that point that I didn’t care. $20 per person is WAY too much for what you get, which is to see horses in stables and sleeping pigs. Yes you can touch the animals. To be 100% honest I much prefer Suson park in south county where they have horses, goats that you can feed and pigs (a playground, fishing etc) and it’s free except for goat food at 25 cents. Or our free zoo where you can get in with the goats in addition to seeing so many more animals. I don’t doubt that gentle barn loves their animals and takes good care of them but it’s just not the cool experience that’s advertised. We left after an hour.

Kris Weingaertner-Hartke

2024-03

The best part of spending the day here was listening to the volunteers tell the story of each animal. Their enthusiasm and obvious love of their role at the sanctuary was refreshing.Highly recommend heading out to the Gentle Barn.

Terri Boles

2023-08

Such a treat to spend time with the animals and learn about where they came from. The volunteers were so friendly and we could tell that they love all of the animals! Update: I have been a vegetarian since our visit 5 months ago!!

Nicolle Allen

2023-08

Had a great time. We took my elderly mom she had a hard time on the gravel with her walker. Volunteers were super helpful and nice.

Heather Tullock

2024-02

It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, not as many animals as I thought and each animal had a person by it guiding where you could touch the animal. Everyone was very friendly but just thought it was going to different. Didn't get to hug a cow like they said you should and every cow I was by, they said we could only touch in certain areas. Very nice staff though.

Wendy Meese

2024-02

Experience 2 hours of hands-on animal interaction like no other! Come hear about the history and rescue stories of these loving animals. Pet and hug the cows, horses, chickens, pigs, turkeys, and goats. It will calm your soul and bring a smile to your face.

Michaela C.

2023-11

Very warm and welcoming place. From the time we got there, and even as we were leaving. All of the volunteers were so well educated on the animals, their stories, and also didn’t need to be, but were very personable. Highly recommend to everyone who loves animals

Bethany Thomas

2023-05

My family and I loved The Gentle Barn!! The volunteers were so kind and knowledgeable about each animal & helped us to understand what each animal liked. We got to know the animal's personalities. My 2yr & 6 month old nieces enjoyed touching the animals. I even made a special connection with a precious cow named Houdini.

Kyle Neely

2023-05

The Gentle Barn was such a beautiful place. The kids (2 & 5) were amazed by the animals and loved Baron Von Goat. We were lucky enough to visit on Penny’s (the pig) birthday and got to color birthday cards for Penny. The volunteers were so nice to the kids and it was clear to all how loved these beautiful animals are. Can’t wait to go back!

Jane

2018-05

Loved this place! Their mission and staff are awesome and it's a great place to take kids. In addition to the St Louis Six cows, there were goats, pigs, gentle turkeys and gentle chickens. The gift shop was very nice. We didn't get to try the vegan hotdogs, but will be sure to try them next time.

Katherine Klick

2023-10

I would recommend for older children or adults only. My four year old was definitely not ready to follow all of the rules and it made the visit less enjoyable than it would have been if he was a few years older. No running, no talking in loud voices (or above a whisper around the STL Six), no touching the bouncy balls in the pens, no picking up sticks or gravel, no kicking dirt, etc.All totally reasonable rules for abused animals living in retirement. I just wish the website would have mentioned it isn’t a good location for younger children.

Sydney Hardin

2023-08

Did this for my birthday and just loved it. Loved getting to brush and love on the animals at the gentle barn, and getting to see how freely they get to live in their new, safe environment. It was also nice to learn about their stories from the volunteers working. Everyone was knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely a worth it experience for those who love animals as much as I do.

Kristin

2022-05

Great place and definitely worth a visit! Friendly staff and volunteers, amazing cause, and if course the animals. 🐮🦆🐐 I wish I lived closer I'd be there all the time. 😊

Tracy M.

2024-01

Great experience and wonderful volunteers ❤️

Nikki Wissler

2024-03

Healing for the soul. Love this place and the animals ❤️

Rayna Clark

2024-03

Bless these animals and the people working so hard to ensure that they are loved and RESPECTED! I will definitely come back to the Gentle Barn!

Malvin Ly

2023-09

The staff's commitment to rescue, rehabilitation, and education is truly inspiring. Interacting with the rescued animals is a heartwarming experience that leaves a lasting impact. The Gentle Barn's mission to promote empathy and kindness shines brightly, making it a must-visit destination for anyone seeking to renew their connection with animals.

Scott Montgomery

2023-07

Staff is amazing, patient and genuinely cares for the well-being of the animals they keep. We learned a lot and my daughter had a blast being able to pet some of the animals that were down for.Just be sure to get the scoop on properly approaching and petting each individual animal as they all have unique personalities.

Jennifer Jeffries

2023-10

Spent our sunday hanging out with the animals! I love Chico from the St. Louis six! If you haven't been, it's a must to visit! Photo of Chico for everyone! 💙

Karen Sears

2024-04

What a lovely afternoon with the cows and horses...and the little donkeys. What a wonderful organization that does so much good!!!

Amanda Abel

2023-06

We just visited the gentle barn in May 2023 and had THE BEST time!!! Very friendly staff and beautiful, sweet animals! Had an awesome experience! Would definitely recommend!!