JAMESTOWN, PA. Park offers a variety of creatures

Except for the petting zoo, visitors are kept away from most of the animals.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- I grew up a stone's throw from Jamestown, Pa., but as a kid, I never went to Pymatuning Deer Park to pet the animals.
Now that I'm all grown up with a small daughter of my own, I decided it was high time I paid the park a visit.
I expected a modest petting zoo with a few deer and maybe a couple ponies and goats.
What I found instead were surprisingly spacious grounds teeming with a plethora of animals -- everything from farmyard favorites such as donkeys and sheep to more exotic species such as monkeys, lions, kangaroos and camels.
I soon discovered that Pymatuning Deer Park is home to 300 animals from all over the globe.
"Wow! Who needs the zoo? I never knew this place had so much to offer!"
Those were my words to my husband as our gleeful 2-year-old fed a handful of yellow corn to a playful pigmy goat that capered in circles around her knees.
My daughter loved that goat.
She also loved the baby black bears that frolicked on their play gym, the dainty marmoset monkeys climbing high in a cylindrical cage and the shaggy ponies that were saddled up for a ride. (Pony rides cost $2 for children 100 pounds or less.)
Train ride
My daughter was too small for a pony ride, but she wasn't too small to take a ride on Pymatuning Deer Park's famous train.
Both kiddies and adults can board the park's cheerful red choo-choo and chug happily through forest and tunnels.
The train ride lasts about 10 minutes and costs $2 per person.
While aboard the train, riders will roll past flocks of long-legged ostriches, herds of deer feeding in shady thickets, and even a pack of lanky wolves loping playfully through the trees.
But don't worry.
The wolves roam strictly inside the perimeters of a large pen, and all of the park's other predatory animals, such as its lions, tigers and lynxes, are securely caged as well.
That brings me to my next point.
Not all of the animals at Deer Park are for petting.
One section of the park is classified as a petting zoo, but most of the park's remaining animals are for looking and not for touching. (Heed the warning signs, and keep your fingers intact.)
Other details
Of course, kids will probably love the petting zoo best.
Petting zoo pals include llamas, pigs, goats, ponies, geese, ducks and donkeys.
A handful of corn costs a quarter, and there's a sink near the gate so kiddies and adults can wash their hands before departing.
This year marks Deer Park's 50th year of business.
Since its early days, the park has expanded to its present size of 25 acres, and park owners have consistently welcomed new species of animals.
As a result, visitors can enjoy a zoolike experience without having to travel to a major city or pay a hefty cover charge.
Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for kids ages 2 to 15.
The park is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays during September and October.
Jamestown is about 10 minutes north of Greenville, Pa., and less than an hour's drive from Youngstown.
For more information, call (724) 932-3200.