3 Palms Zoo & Education Center

About 3 Palms Zoo & Education Center

3 Palms Zoo & Education Center calls itself Delaware's only rescue zoo. Its website describes it as a rescue sanctuary for the forgotten, the surrendered and the non-releasable. Residents include former exotic pets and non-releasable native wildlife transferred by local wildlife rehabilitators. The zoo says it provides lifelong care for these animals.

The zoo's website describes the property as a working farm with gravel driveways and grass paths. It says the zoo is privately funded rather than state funded, and that donations support animal care. The zoo's directions page gives the address as 1060 Vandyke Greenspring Rd., Townsend, Delaware 19734.

The zoo's website lists a phone number of (302) 715-1326, a contact form, volunteer opportunities, a gift shop with gift cards, and a donation page.

Exhibits and habitats

The website groups its residents by type. Farm animals include llamas, goats, cows, sheep and mini pigs, and visitors can hand-feed farm animals using food sold on site. Free-range birds include turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese and peacocks, and the farm area also has an emu. The zoo lists foxes in silver, leucistic, red and gray varieties, along with prairie dogs, rabbits and giant tortoises.

Native species include a screech owl, black vultures and native turtles. The zoo advertises what it calls Delaware's only alligator exhibit; its field trip page calls the area Gator Alley and says it is viewable year-round, with full views from April to October. The pond area holds domestic, Canada and cackling geese and Muscovy ducks, and the zoo says wild mallards, blue herons and killdeer also visit. Named residents on the website include Todd the red fox, Gus the goose, the turkeys Antioch and Seleucus, Ambassador Pete the brown pelican, and the prairie dogs Chip and Dale.

The visitor rules on the website include not feeding the alligators and respecting designated feeding restrictions for certain animals, such as prairie dogs and rabbits.

Conservation and programs

The zoo lists field trips, private zoo parties and seasonal events. Groups of 10 or more are asked to book a field trip online; smaller groups can visit as a self-guided tour. The field trip page says the zoo has a porta-potty, six picnic tables and grassy areas for picnics, and that parking is bus-friendly on a gravel driveway.

Two seasonal evening events appear on the website. Boo! at the Zoo runs Friday and Saturday evenings from October 2 to October 31, 2026, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; the zoo describes it as spooky but not scary, with an autumn hayride, fire pits with marshmallows, illuminated displays and nocturnal animals such as the eastern screech owl and foxes. Zoo Lights and Christmas Nights runs Friday and Saturday evenings from November 27 to December 26, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with light displays and blow molds, Santa photos in a life-sized Gingerbread House, and hot chocolate and marshmallows included with admission.

The website also lists volunteer opportunities, a supply wishlist, scout projects and a sponsors page for those who want to help.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, the fall schedule is daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting, with last entry 45 minutes before closing. Ticket details, including free entry for infants under 12 months and membership options, are on the zoo's website.

Strollers are welcome, though the website recommends off-road or jogger-style strollers because of the gravel driveways and grass paths. The site suggests wearing shoes that can get dirty and bringing a camera, and recommends arriving early, when it says the animals are most active.

The directions page warns that GPS units often route drivers onto Blackbird Forest Rd. by mistake and tells visitors to turn onto Vandyke Greenspring Rd. instead; the entrance is across from an old chicken house. Once in the driveway, drivers are told to go straight back to the visitor parking and gift shop signs rather than turning toward the private residence. Cash is preferred for payment, with card or tap payment available for a small fee.