Unearth The Voyage
There is a place in southern New Jersey where goats, donkeys, peacocks, emus, and hundreds of other animals walk right up to you without a fence between you and them. Most sanctuaries keep animals at a comfortable distance, but this one operates on a completely different philosophy.
The animals here are not exhibits. They are residents, and they move through the property as freely as the people who come to visit them.
With more than 600 rescued animals calling this place home, and a founder whose dedication has become the stuff of local legend, this sanctuary has built something genuinely rare. The story behind it, the daily life on the grounds, and the way the whole operation runs on community support makes it worth knowing about before you plan your next weekend trip in New Jersey.
Where to Find the Funny Farm
Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary sits at 6908 Railroad Blvd, Mays Landing, NJ 08330, tucked into a quiet stretch of southern New Jersey that most people drive past without a second thought. Atlantic County is not exactly known as a hotspot for animal sanctuaries, which makes this place all the more surprising when you turn off the road and realize the scale of what is happening here.
The property is large, parking is free, and the whole setup feels like something between a working farm and a community gathering place. There is ample room for families, groups, and solo visitors who just want to spend a few hours surrounded by animals that have been given a second chance.
The sanctuary is open on Sundays and Tuesdays from 8 AM to 4 PM, so planning ahead matters. Admission is free, though donations are genuinely needed and warmly appreciated by everyone on the grounds.
The Woman Who Started It All
Behind every great sanctuary is a person willing to do the hard work that nobody else will, and at Funny Farm, that person is Laurie. She is the founder, the driving force, and by most accounts the heart of the entire operation.
Her passion for animals is not something she keeps behind closed doors.
Laurie has written a book called “Funny Farm” that tells the story of how this sanctuary came to be, and a number of people who visit have read it before arriving. Meeting her in person after reading her story adds a layer to the visit that most animal attractions simply cannot offer.
Those who have had a chance to speak with her describe the encounter as genuinely moving. She is mission-focused, approachable, and clearly invested in every animal on the property.
The sanctuary reflects her personality in the most direct way possible, and that consistency between founder and place is rare.
More Than 600 Animals and Counting
The number itself is hard to process at first. Over 600 animals, and in some accounts closer to 700, live on this property at any given time.
That is not a petting zoo headcount. That is a full-scale rescue operation that has grown steadily over the years as more animals in need found their way here.
The variety is just as striking as the quantity. Goats, donkeys, horses, cows, pigs, chickens, roosters, ducks, peacocks, emus, dogs, and cats all share the space.
There is even a dedicated area called the Catio where adoptable cats live together, and it has become a favorite stop for visitors who want to meet a potential new family member.
Each animal has its own background, and many of them have names and distinct personalities that volunteers are happy to share. The sheer diversity of species in one place makes every visit feel like a new discovery, even for people who have been before.
Free Roaming Is the Real Draw
What separates this sanctuary from a typical petting zoo or animal park is the freedom given to most of the animals. Many of them roam the entire property without restriction, which means a goat might walk up beside you, a rooster might cross your path, or a donkey might decide to follow you around the grounds for an extended period.
That kind of direct, unscripted contact with animals is increasingly hard to find. Most facilities keep animals behind barriers for liability reasons, but Funny Farm takes a different approach.
A waiver is provided at the entrance that outlines the realistic risks of being around free-roaming animals, and the expectation is that visitors come in understanding the environment.
The result is an experience that feels genuinely interactive rather than curated. Animals approach on their own terms, which makes every encounter feel more authentic.
A goose nipping at a pants leg is part of the deal, and most people find it more charming than alarming.
Feeding the Animals on a Budget
One of the most popular activities at Funny Farm is feeding the animals, and the sanctuary has made it easy and affordable. Small buckets filled with treats like apples, carrots, and lettuce are available for a few dollars each, and they go fast once the animals catch on that you are holding one.
The donkeys, in particular, have developed a reputation for being enthusiastic about snack time. One notably persistent donkey has been mentioned by many visitors as a highlight of the trip, mainly because it will follow a bucket of food with remarkable dedication and zero shame.
For families with young children, the feeding experience is the centerpiece of the visit. Kids who might otherwise be nervous around large animals tend to warm up quickly when they realize the animals are more interested in the carrots than in being intimidating.
The buckets are small enough to manage and generous enough to last a solid half hour of feeding rounds.
The Catio and Adoptable Cats
Tucked within the broader sanctuary grounds is a dedicated space for cats known as the Catio, and it has earned its own fan base. The cats living there are all adoptable, which gives the space a different energy from the rest of the farm.
Visitors are not just watching animals here. They are potentially meeting their next pet.
One cat named French Toast has become something of a local celebrity among regular visitors, partly because of a particularly expressive face that photographs well and partly because the name alone tends to stop people mid-sentence. The Catio is a quieter corner of the property, which makes it a good place to take a break from the more energetic animal interactions happening elsewhere on the grounds.
For anyone who has been thinking about adopting a cat, walking through the Catio at Funny Farm is a more personal experience than browsing an online listing. The cats are right there, living their lives, and making their own cases for adoption in real time.
A Garden with a Waterfall on the Grounds
Among the many things that catch visitors off guard at Funny Farm is the presence of a garden with a waterfall on the property. In the middle of a working rescue sanctuary housing hundreds of animals, finding a carefully maintained garden space is not what most people expect, but it is very much there.
The garden adds a different dimension to the visit, giving people a quieter spot to pause between animal encounters. It is the kind of detail that suggests the sanctuary was built with the whole experience in mind, not just the practical needs of the animals.
For families who spend a few hours on the grounds, having different zones to explore helps keep the visit from feeling repetitive. The garden area is a natural stopping point that appeals to adults who want a moment of calm while kids continue burning energy with the goats and chickens nearby.
It is a small but well-considered part of the overall property design.
Events, Live Shows, and Birthday Parties
Funny Farm is not just a place to visit on a quiet Tuesday morning. The sanctuary also hosts events, live animal shows, and private parties, including birthday celebrations that take the whole farm experience to another level for kids and adults alike.
A renovated barn on the property is available as a party venue, and it has been used for milestone events ranging from children’s birthday parties to group gatherings for book clubs and community organizations. The combination of a beautiful barn space and hundreds of animals wandering the grounds makes for a party setting that is genuinely hard to replicate anywhere else in the region.
Live shows are another draw, giving visitors a more structured way to learn about the animals in a short period of time. For groups visiting with children, the shows provide context and entertainment simultaneously.
Booking ahead is recommended for private events, and the sanctuary’s website at funnyfarmrescue.org has details on what is currently available for reservations.
Runs Entirely on Donations
There is no admission fee at Funny Farm. The gates are open to anyone who wants to visit, and the only ask is that guests who are able to do so leave a donation on their way out.
That model is both admirable and genuinely necessary, because the cost of caring for 600-plus animals is substantial and ongoing.
Donations can be made in cash, and there is a card minimum for purchases made at the snack area. Visitors can also donate physical treats for the animals, with apples, carrots, and lettuce being particularly useful.
Cutting donated produce into smaller pieces before dropping it off is a helpful detail that the volunteers appreciate, since it saves them preparation time.
The sanctuary also sells merchandise, and purchasing items from the small shop on the grounds is another way to support the operation financially. Every dollar that comes in goes directly toward the care of animals that have nowhere else to go, which makes spending money here feel purposeful rather than transactional.
The Snack Bar and On-Site Shop
Funny Farm has thought about the human visitors as well as the animal residents. A small snack bar on the property offers drinks and food at prices that will not leave anyone feeling taken advantage of, which is a refreshing contrast to what most attraction-style venues charge for the same items.
Cold beverages including water, juice, and other non-alcoholic options are available, making it easy to stay comfortable during a longer visit without having to bring an entire cooler from home. Baked goods have also been mentioned as a pleasant surprise by people who were not expecting anything beyond basic refreshments.
The on-site shop carries Funny Farm merchandise, which includes items that serve as a reminder of the visit long after it ends. Buying something from the shop is also a direct way of contributing to the sanctuary’s operating costs.
It is a small commercial element that fits naturally into the overall experience without feeling out of place or overly commercial in tone.
A Place That Welcomes All Ages
Few places manage to genuinely appeal to every age group, but Funny Farm comes close. Toddlers who have never seen a live chicken, school-age kids ready to chase a peacock across a field, teenagers who might arrive skeptical and leave completely won over, and adults who just need a few hours away from screens all find something here that works for them.
The sanctuary has hosted children as young as a few months old alongside grandparents, and the experience translates across all of those age gaps without requiring separate programming or zones for different groups. The animals themselves do the work of connecting people across generations in a way that is hard to plan for and impossible to fake.
For families looking for an activity that does not involve a screen, a ticket line, or a gift shop markup, the Funny Farm model is a genuinely appealing alternative. The combination of free admission, affordable animal feed, and open-ended exploration time makes it accessible for a wide range of family budgets.
Every Animal Has a Story
One of the quieter but more powerful aspects of Funny Farm is that the animals are not anonymous. Many of them have names, documented histories, and specific reasons why they ended up at the sanctuary rather than somewhere less fortunate.
Volunteers who know the animals well are often willing to share those stories with visitors who ask.
That layer of individual narrative turns what could be a passive walk-around into something more connected. Knowing that a particular goat came from a neglectful situation, or that a specific pig arrived underweight and has since thrived, changes the way a person looks at the animal standing in front of them.
The sanctuary’s philosophy seems to be that rescue is not just about providing food and shelter. It is about restoring dignity and allowing animals to live on their own terms within a safe environment.
That philosophy shows up in the way the animals carry themselves, comfortable, unhurried, and entirely at ease with the humans moving through their space.
Why This Place Is Worth the Drive
Southern New Jersey does not always make the top of travel lists for people planning a day trip from Philadelphia, New York, or the Jersey Shore, but Funny Farm is the kind of place that changes that calculation. It is not a destination that requires much convincing once someone has seen what is actually there.
The combination of free admission, hundreds of animals that actually interact with visitors, a genuine rescue mission behind every animal on the property, and a community of volunteers who clearly love what they do creates an experience that most people do not expect to find in Atlantic County.
People who visit once tend to come back, and many of them bring others the next time. The sanctuary’s open hours on Sundays and Tuesdays from 8 AM to 4 PM keep the crowds manageable while still giving plenty of people the chance to experience it.
For anyone within reasonable driving distance of Mays Landing, this is one stop that genuinely delivers on its reputation.
