Visiting the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm is one of the best things to do in the Bavarian-style town of Leavenworth, Washington. In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about visiting the reindeer farm including how to get there, what to expect, and tips for visiting.
Leavenworth, Washington is a German-style town located in the stunning Cascade Mountains, about 2 hours from Seattle. The charming village is known for its incredibly festive Christmas season and many outdoor winter activities — including seeing real-life reindeer.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm!
About Leavenworth Reindeer Farm
This reindeer farm is completely family-run and operated, and provides educational tours where guests can get up close and personal with live reindeer. During the winter, Leavenworth really comes alive with the Christmas spirit and visiting a reindeer farm is such an amazing way to enjoy the season.
So, if you’ve dreamed about meeting Dasher, Prancer, Comet or Rudolph… a visit to Leavenworth Reindeer Farm should be at the top of your Christmas bucket list!
Where is Leavenworth Reindeer Farm & How to Visit
Located just a mile from downtown Leavenworth, the reindeer farm is easy to get to and they offer plenty of parking in their lot.
During my visit to the reindeer farm, we chose to drive… but you could feasibly walk from downtown! It should take about 20 minutes from the village — depending on where exactly you’re walking from, of course.
Tickets must be purchased in advance (they don’t allow walk-ins), and they recommend getting tickets for your desired date as far in advance as possible. Booking tickets can be done on their website where you can select a date and time for your visit.
During their busiest months of November and December, they are often sold out and recommend booking tickets two months in advance!
Note that the tickets are non-refundable and the tours run on a tight schedule so definitely plan to arrive about 10 minutes early so you can find parking and check-in before the tour starts. If you’re staying in Leavenworth for a few days, consider visiting the reindeer farm towards the end of your trip, in case you run into any bad weather and are delayed arriving in Leavenworth.
Pricing of tickets varies between $25 and $40 depending on the time of year. During the weekends in November and daily in December, tickets are $40 as these are their busiest times (and they also have Santa there for the kids!).
→ Read Next: Christmas in Leavenworth: Ultimate Guide + Things to Do
My Experience at the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm
Arriving at the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, the check-in process was easy and we were given a complimentary hot chocolate. Perfect for warming up in the frosty weather!
As we waited for our tour time to start, we had the opportunity to look around the gift shop where there were lots of cute Christmas ornaments and holiday decor items. Santa and his sleigh were also there for some festive photo opportunities with the kids (or whole family!).
Once our tour started, we were guided outside around a big fireplace for a 10-15 minute educational presentation by one of the farm owners. From migration patterns to what they like to eat, we learned a lot about reindeer!
The most fascinating part was being able to hold reindeer antlers! Reindeer shed and grow new antlers every single year. And did you know that reindeer have the largest antlers of all deer species?!
After learning all about the reindeer, it was finally time to meet them! Our group was led to the large reindeer enclosure where there were reindeers of all sizes waiting to meet us.
Everyone in our group was given some reindeer food and the reindeer were very eager to nibble it all up!
The tour guides were amazing at making sure everyone felt comfortable and all visitors were able to have an encounter with the reindeer. And they knew exactly how to get the best photos with the reindeer… see our photo below with their largest reindeer, Sven!
The entire visit to the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm lasted about an hour and we felt like we had plenty of time to enjoy visiting with the reindeer.
All in all, it was an incredible way to ring in the holiday season and definitely one of the highlights from my trip to Leavenworth, Washington!
Tips for Visiting
Book in advance: If you’re planning on visiting during the busy winter months (November or December), book your tickets on their website as far in advance as you can – two months if possible!
Wear boots: Visiting in the winter often means snowy weather and chilly temperatures so along with keeping your feet warm, boots will offer some protection from reindeer hooves.
Dress in warm weather clothes: The reindeer farm tour is completely outdoors so make sure to dress appropriately for the weather. Beanies, gloves and scarves are encouraged for the winter!
Avoid sheep and goats: Apparently, sheep and goats carry an airborne spore that is deadly to reindeer so the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm asks all visitors to avoid these animals for several days prior to their visit.
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