Hand-feeding a giraffe is the moment most families remember from a day at Plumpton Park Zoo. Three reticulated giraffes live here, and our giraffe feeding station runs every day the zoo is open: at 12:00 noon on weekdays and 11:00am and 1:00pm on weekends for most of the year, and at 11:00am and 1:00pm every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting. The zoo is in Rising Sun, Maryland, about ten minutes from I-95 and within easy reach of Wilmington, Newark, Elkton, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Feed a Giraffe at Plumpton Park Zoo
Giraffe feeding every day in Rising Sun, Maryland — ten minutes from I-95.
When the giraffes are fed
For most of the year there is one session at 12:00 noon on weekdays and two sessions, at 11:00am and 1:00pm, on Saturdays and Sundays. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, feedings run at 11:00am and 1:00pm every day. If feeding a giraffe is the part of the day your family is coming for, plan your arrival around it rather than hoping to catch it in passing.
Feedings do not take place when the temperature is below 50°F or in inclement weather. Within those limits the giraffes decide whether they take part; on a blustery day they may prefer to stay put, and that is their call to make. If a session is called off, keepers will tell you at the station.
How it works
Head to the giraffe feeding station a few minutes before the session starts. No booking is needed — just show up. Feeding costs $5, paid at the station, on top of regular admission. From Memorial Day through Labor Day a keeper hands you browse — leafy branches, the giraffes’ natural food; at other times of year the giraffes are fed lettuce. You hold it out from the raised platform, which is wheelchair accessible, so you meet the giraffe at eye level.
A giraffe takes food with its long, dark tongue — up to eighteen inches of it — so hold the branch out and let the giraffe do the work. Wash or sanitize your hands afterwards. Children should be accompanied by an adult at the station.
Meet our giraffes
The giraffes at Plumpton Park Zoo are reticulated giraffes, one of the four giraffe species, from northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia and Somalia, with the large, sharply outlined polygonal spots that give it its name. Every giraffe’s coat is unique, so once you have met ours a few times you will start to tell them apart. Read more on our giraffe page.
Giraffes have a long history here. Jimmie, who arrived from the Phoenix Zoo as a calf in 1996, lived at Plumpton Park Zoo for 25 years and was the oldest living male reticulated giraffe in the world when he died in 2021. His story is here.
Why feeding matters
Reticulated giraffe numbers in the wild have fallen sharply over recent decades, and the species is now listed as endangered. Meeting a giraffe at arm’s length does more for conservation than any sign can: it is the moment a child decides giraffes are worth protecting. Plumpton Park Zoo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and your admission goes directly to caring for the more than 200 animals who live here, about half of whom came to us from owners who could no longer care for them.
Planning your visit
Plumpton Park Zoo is open seven days a week, with longer hours from Memorial Day through Labor Day; the zoo is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Current hours and admission are on the Hours & Tickets page. Parking is free, and you can leave and come back the same day with a hand stamp. Tickets are sold online or at the gate.
The zoo is at 1416 Telegraph Road, Rising Sun, MD 21911. From I-95 take Exit 100 onto MD-272 north, turn left at MD-273, and the entrance is about a mile ahead on the right. Full directions, including route guides from Wilmington, Newark, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Giraffe feeding questions
What time is giraffe feeding?
12:00 noon on weekdays and 11:00am and 1:00pm on weekends for most of the year; 11:00am and 1:00pm every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Feedings are cancelled when the temperature is below 50°F or in inclement weather.
Does it cost extra?
Yes — $5 to feed, paid at the station. Watching is free with admission.
Do I need to book?
No. Just be at the feeding station a few minutes before the session.
What if it rains?
Feedings do not run in inclement weather or when the temperature is below 50°F, and the giraffes always have the final say. If the session is cancelled, keepers will tell you at the station.
Can small children feed the giraffes?
Yes, with an adult beside them. Giraffes are gentle feeders and take the browse with their tongue.
Is the feeding station wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The raised platform is handicapped accessible, so wheelchair users can feed the giraffes alongside everyone else.
Can I feed any other animals?
Giraffe feeding is the animal feeding experience open to every visitor. Special feeding events run through the year — see Yearly Events.
Is there anywhere else in Maryland to feed a giraffe?
A few larger zoos offer scheduled giraffe encounters. What is different here is the scale: Plumpton Park Zoo is a small, rural zoo where parking is free, the crowds are small, and feeding runs every day the zoo is open.
More to see
Once you have fed the giraffes, the rest of the zoo is a relaxed walk: white lions, tigers, bears, wolves, sloths, zebras and camels, plus the 1734 Jeremiah Brown Mill beside admissions. See all our animals, our family activities page, or the FAQ.