School & Youth Group Tour
Group Type |
Child |
Chaperone |
Teacher/Counselor |
| Schools: | $9.00 | $14.00 | $9.00 (1 free per 20 students) |
| Camp, Church or Scouts: | $10.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 |
Group Options
| Catch Pool (catch 25 different alligators in our counter-top high pool):
“Snap” Shot (hold a 4 ft alligator and leave with a photo of the big moment): |
$4.00
$5.00 |
Our Mission
In September, 2001, Insta-Gator opened its doors to provide educational guided tours. We offer tours to all ages from Pre-K students, as well as College Biology students. Our tour is adjustable to be age appropriate. We offer 45 minute abbreviated tours for our younger visitors and the full tour, which is 1 1/2 hours in length for most everyone else. We can satisfy the basic senses, allowing our visitors to touch ’em, hold ’em, and feed ’em and we are prepared to delve as in-depth educationally as the group requires.
A Gentle Introduction!
At our 1st station, you’ll learn why alligators need to be protected and what we need to protect them from. You’ll be mesmerized and awe inspired as to how Louisiana Alligator Ranchers, under the direction of the Wildlife and Fisheries have conducted the most amazing program of protection for any wild animal on earth. You’ll then be introduced to “Red Beans” and “Rice”, 2 of our most recent babies and offered the opportunity to touch them, up close and personal.
Why #1 in Sustainability!
At Station 2, we will delve into how this amazing program of protection works. You’ll see a short video of Insta-Gator Ranch employees taking off by plane and air-boat to harvest alligator eggs from the wetlands of Louisiana. Learn about the incubation process, including how we can control the sex of the alligator and even increase the speed of growth. You would never believe how fast the wild population has increased since 1985.
Feed Em!
Next, you’ll venture into our Alligator Barns. Here you’ll see hundreds of alligators ranging in size from hatchlings to alligators as large as 8 feet and all sizes between. You’ll see them eating the food that you toss ’em.
Touch ‘Em!
Here at our Anatomy station, we’ll check out a 4 foot alligator up close and personal. You’ll never forget lifting an alligators ear flap or seeing him looking at you through his closed, clear eyelid. Feel how hard his bony scutes are in the skin of his back and how his feet and tail are so well designed for swimming. Now that you’ve gained some confidence, go ahead and touch his teeth. After all, his mouth is taped shut.
Hold Em!
Now, with all that courage, saunter on over to the Catch Pool and pass some time catching Gators like the Pros. Our Catch Pool has 25 alligators in it, born in the summer, they are 10″ – 20″ in the fall and 20″ – 30″ in the spring, but watch out in the summertime because they’re gettin’ to be as strong as a middle schooler and maybe even a little meaner.
Your adventure of a Lifetime!
Time permitting, we will even select a few students and/or teachers to hold an alligator in front of the class for a class picture to commemorate YOUR EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURE.
Set a Spell, Y’all Come Back Now!
You may want to consider an extended visit. We have a large picnic area, a soccer field and a pond full of hungry catfish to be fed, all in a beautiful park setting. Our Gift Shop has dozens of items under $5.00, as well as Insta-Gator Logo t-shirts, toys, jewelry, and alligator meat. For the well dressed, we offer belts, wallets and purses. So, bring your group and enjoy the day at Insta-Gator Ranch & Hatchery.
Let’s Make the Wetlands Real for Students!
Our tour has been designed to help teachers meet their requirements in teaching to state and national benchmarks and to give students a sense of Louisiana’s natural environment and culture.
Please review the Education Materials that we offer, which includes activities, worksheets, discussion questions, and other resources for teachers. We encourage you to include this information into your class activities, resulting in your visit to Insta-Gator Ranch truly becoming an extension of your classroom. All of our information is, of course, age appropriate for students from K-12