A Global Wildlife Center LA safari puts you on a canopy-covered wagon rolling across 900 acres in Folsom, Louisiana, while giraffes, zebras, bison and camels wander up for a snack. The guided wagon tour lasts one hour and 15 minutes. Fireside RV Resort is a short drive south of the preserve, straight up LA 445 to the LA 40 turnoff, so it makes an easy home base for a safari day.
First-timers usually want to know the same things: what tickets cost, how much feed to buy, when to go and where to sleep afterward. You’ll find all of it below, plus a few ways to stretch the trip into a weekend.
Global Wildlife Center at a glance
What is the Global Wildlife Center in Louisiana?
Global Wildlife Center is a free-roaming wildlife preserve in Folsom, Louisiana, and the center’s website says it’s home to over 2,000 exotic, endangered and threatened animals from all over the world. You won’t find exhibit glass here. The animals roam open pasture, and you ride through their habitat on a guided wagon while a tour guide talks about each species.
Global Wildlife Center calls itself one of the largest free-roaming wildlife preserves of its kind in the country. Its wagon tour page lists free-roaming bison, giraffes, zebras, camels and elands among the animals you’ll meet, on 900 acres of Louisiana countryside with 12 ponds and a lake. The preserve opened in 1991, according to FOX 8.
The preserve has picked up some hardware lately, too. On January 27, 2026, the Louisiana Travel Association announced Global Wildlife Center as its Attraction of the Year at the 2026 Louey Awards. “We are thrilled and honored to receive the Attraction of the Year Award from the Louisiana Travel Association,” Executive Director Christina Cooper said in the center’s announcement.
Global Wildlife Center also offers add-on animal encounters at its Visitor Center, including capybara, tortoise and Kangaroo Walkabout experiences. The Walkabout lets you stroll among a mob of red kangaroos, and the center says it’s normally open Saturdays and Sundays.
How much do Global Wildlife Center tickets cost?
Global Wildlife Center’s wagon tour page lists its Guided Wagon Tour Ticket Prices as “Ages 12-61 $21.00,” “Over 62 $19.00,” “Ages 2-11 $15.00” and “Ages 1 & Under FREE.” The center’s FAQ adds that tour prices vary seasonally, so double-check the rate for your date when you book.
Don’t skimp on feed. Global Wildlife Center’s first-visit guide recommends at least a Family Bucket for a few people on a Safari Wagon Tour, since many of the animals eagerly approach the wagon for a snack, and it suggests buying the feed with your reservation.
For a smaller group, Global Wildlife Center’s Private Pinz tour rides in a 4×4 Pinzgauer that can go places the safari wagons can’t. A private Pinz booking requires a minimum payment of $199.80 that covers four admission tickets, while the Semi-Private Pinz tour has no minimum and combines groups, up to 6 guests per Pinzgauer, according to the center’s private tours page.
Where is Global Wildlife Center in Folsom, LA?
Global Wildlife Center sits at 26389 Hwy 40 in Folsom, LA 70437, in St. Tammany Parish. The center’s own first-visit guide says Hammond is 20 minutes away, Baton Rouge is 45 minutes away, and New Orleans is about an hour’s drive.
Here’s the drive from Fireside RV Resort to Global Wildlife Center:
- Pull out of Fireside RV Resort (42053 Hwy 445) and head north on LA 445.
- Stay on LA 445 until you reach LA 40.
- Turn right onto LA 40.
- Look for Global Wildlife Center at 26389 Hwy 40.
Our tip: leave the rig hooked up at your site and take the truck or toad. And watch the clock. Global Wildlife Center’s FAQ says each tour leaves about 30 minutes after its listed check-in time, which leaves room for check-in, seating and handing out feed, and anyone who shows up at departure time has to buy passes for the next tour. Got a free afternoon after the tour? We rounded up more things to do around Folsom in a separate guide.
When should you visit Global Wildlife Center?
Fall is a great time to go. Global Wildlife Center’s first-visit guide says Louisiana spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) “typically offer the most temperate weather conditions for touring the preserve,” and it notes that morning tours are usually significantly cooler than afternoon tours.
Cold or stormy days change the tour, too. Global Wildlife Center’s FAQ says the giraffes stay in their heated barn when it’s below 50 degrees or conditions are adverse, a tour is canceled if lightning is within a 10-mile radius, and there are no refunds or rainchecks once a tour begins.
Planning a weekday trip? Fireside RV Resort’s weekday special covers Sunday-to-Wednesday nights during September, November and December (not holidays): Fireside’s standard RV sites are $35 a night and premium sites $45 on those nights.
What should you bring on the safari wagon tour?
Dress for a farm, not a mall. Global Wildlife Center’s first-visit guide strongly recommends closed-toe shoes, because you may be walking on uneven ground and near large animals.
- Closed-toe shoes
- Sunscreen and a hat, especially for an afternoon tour
- A raincoat or a jacket, since the wagons are built to shade you from the sun rather than keep off rain
- A camera or a phone with a good camera
- Animal feed, bought with your reservation
Global Wildlife Center’s guide suggests planning roughly two hours for a wagon tour from start to finish, including check-in and time to explore the grounds, plus an extra 45 minutes if you add an encounter. Global Wildlife Center accepts cash, check and credit cards, and the center’s FAQ says alcohol isn’t permitted at Global Wildlife Center.
Bringing little ones? Global Wildlife Center’s guide says children under 3 may find the large animals a bit startling up close, though most kids quickly warm up to them.
Where should you stay near Global Wildlife Center?
Ponchatoula’s Fireside RV Resort makes a natural base for a Global Wildlife Center trip. Fireside RV Resort’s address is on LA 445, and that highway runs north to LA 40, where you turn for Global Wildlife Center. Fireside has 10 cabins plus 165 RV sites with full hookups. The best place to stay for a safari weekend should tick a few boxes, and Fireside ticks every one:
- A short drive. It’s a straight run up LA 445 from Fireside RV Resort to the LA 40 turnoff for Global Wildlife Center, and New Orleans is roughly an hour south of Fireside.
- Room for everyone. Every full-hookup RV site at Fireside has 30-amp and 50-amp service on top of its water and sewer connections. You’ll also get a picnic table at your site and a fire ring built to double for grilling.
- No surprise fees. At Fireside, the rate is the rate. There’s no resort fee stacked on top, no site lock fee for picking your spot, and no “community impact fee” either.
- Something to do after the safari. Fireside’s lazy river, family pool and adults-only pool are free for registered RV and cabin guests.
From November through March, Fireside’s standard RV sites drop to $55 a night and premium sites to $65. Stay a week and Fireside’s weekly deal kicks in: buy six nights, get one free. Check current RV site and cabin rates before you book.
Each standard Fireside cabin sleeps the family in a queen bedroom, a pair of twin bunk beds and a full-size sofa that pulls out, and the full kitchen has a range, oven, fridge, microwave and coffee maker. Linens aren’t provided, so bring sheets, pillows, blankets and towels from home. Cabin stays also carry a one-time $18 cleaning fee. Fireside keeps its cabins pet-free, but dogs are welcome at the RV sites as long as they stay on a leash of 6 feet or less.
What’s happening at Fireside RV Resort in October?
October weekends at Fireside RV Resort are all about Halloween, so a Friday safari can roll right into a full weekend. Every Friday in October brings Spooky Spins, a DJ dance party, and every Saturday is the Halloween Spooktacular, according to the Fireside events calendar.
On Spooktacular Saturdays, Fireside packs the day with trick-or-treating, hay rides, a costume contest, a pumpkin carving contest, bingo, live music, a jambalaya cook-off and a contest for the best-decorated campsite. The remaining 2026 Spooktacular Saturdays at Fireside are October 10, 17, 24 and 31.
See the giraffes Friday morning, then spend Saturday hanging skeletons on your awning for the decorating contest. Honestly, it’s one of our favorite weekends of the year!
Frequently asked questions
Often, but it’s never guaranteed. Global Wildlife Center’s FAQ explains that its giraffes are free-roaming and decide for themselves whether to approach the safari wagons. If giraffe time is your top priority, the center recommends its Private Pinz tour, because the 4×4 can reach parts of the property the wagons can’t.
The guided safari wagon tour at Global Wildlife Center lasts one hour and 15 minutes. Counting check-in and time on the grounds, the center suggests planning about two hours for the whole visit.
Book ahead if you can. Global Wildlife Center’s FAQ says pre-booking is strongly encouraged to secure your seat, and its first-visit guide notes that tours frequently sell out in advance, especially on weekends and in busy seasons.
Yes. Global Wildlife Center’s FAQ says its Safari Wagon Tours are handicap accessible according to ADA guidelines, and an American Sign Language interpreter is available with a 7-day advance reservation. Fireside RV Resort also has a handicap-accessible cabin that sleeps 4.
Not on the tour. Global Wildlife Center’s FAQ says service dogs can’t ride along on tours and may stay only on the Visitor Center grounds, leashed at all times. Back at Fireside RV Resort, leashed pets are welcome at the RV sites, though not in the cabins.
Close enough for a morning tour. From Fireside RV Resort, take LA 445 north until it meets LA 40, then turn right on LA 40 to reach Global Wildlife Center in Folsom.
Book your Global Wildlife Center weekend near Folsom
Fireside RV Resort sits a short drive south of Global Wildlife Center in Folsom, straight up LA 445, with New Orleans about an hour away. To claim a cabin or a full-hookup spot for safari weekend, see what’s open on the Fireside booking calendar or give the front desk a ring at (985) 277-1059. The giraffes are waiting!
