Visit the Barn
Public Tours
In this tour, visitors will be guided through the grounds by our sanctuary guides and have an opportunity to spend time with all of the residents that call Barn Sanctuary home. We will share interesting facts about each species and their lived experiences in the agricultural industry along with specific resident rescue stories. For more information, visit our Events Page below, or email visit@barnsanctuary.org
Cost: $25/adult, $15/child (12 & under)
Capacity: Up to 25 people
Time: 11:00am with 2:00pm tours on select Saturdays
Day: Saturday (May thru October)
Length: 2 hours
Private Tours
Consider a private tour with founder Tom McKernan for a personalized visit at Barn Sanctuary. Gain insights on the residents, hear rescue stories, and get an exclusive experience. Visit our Events Page below, or email tom@barnsanctuary.org for private tour inquiries.
Cost: $250 - up to 2 people, $50 for each additional person
Capacity: Up to 10 people
Time: Best time for you
Day: 7 days a week (May-October)
Length: 2 hours
Group Tours
Group Tours are offered year round. In this tour, your group will have the sanctuary to yourselves. You will be guided through the sanctuary by a knowledgeable team member and have an opportunity to spend time with all of the residents that call Barn Sanctuary home. This tour is perfect for large groups like corporate and church groups. For more information, email visit@barnsanctuary.org
Cost: $500 (up to 12 people), $25 for each additional person
Capacity: Up to 30 people
Time: Best time for you
Day: Monday - Friday (all year)
Length: 2 hours
Senior Tours
Thanks to a generous grant from the Chelsea Community Foundation, we can now offer golf cart tours for groups of up to five people with mobility challenges. In this tour, your group will be driven through the sanctuary by a knowledgeable team member and have an opportunity to spend time with all of the residents that call Barn Sanctuary home. For more information, email visit@barnsanctuary.org
Cost: $15/person
Capacity: Up to 5 people
Time: Best time for you
Day: 7 days a week (May-October)
Length: 2 hours
Field Trips
Field trips at Barn Sanctuary give kids in grades K-8 a special chance to see our rescued animals up close, tour the grounds and buildings, and learn about our mission to provide a safe and caring home for each animal. Email visit@barnsanctuary.org for more info.
Cost: $10 per person, teachers and aides are free
Capacity: Up to 30 students
Time: Best time for you
Day: Monday - Friday (May-October)
Length: 2 hours
Virtual Tours
On occasion, we will offer virtual tours during the off-season for an educational visit with our Animal Care staff and an up-close look at our animal residents. Follow us on social media and sign up for our e-Moosletter to be notified of upcoming tours.
Special Events
At different times of the year, we hold special events and celebrations for the whole community. Follow us on social media and sign up for our e-Moosletter to be notified of upcoming special events, including the ones below.
“Oh. This place. Where you can hug a cow. Get up close to pigs and see how beautiful their eyes are. This is my place to go to soothe my soul. The staff is amazing. It is a place where kids can learn empathy for an animal and become kinder gentler humans.”
-Julie Sisson Bregitzer, Volunteer
FAQs
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Yes. All visits must be during one of our tours, field trips, or celebrations. See above for links to purchase tickets.
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Visitors are led by a trained tour guide from species to species and enter the pastures and yards with some of the residents (we do not go in the living area of our cows or pigs – but visitors get to see them!). During the tour, visitors hear the residents’ stories, facts about each species, and information about their lives within our modern food systems. Questions are encouraged!
The tour is around one mile long on rough terrain and includes walking on uneven ground and up and down hills. We encourage individuals with disabilities who may have special accommodation requests to contact us prior to booking. We want all of our visitors to have a safe and positive experience and will do our best to provide a reasonable accommodation.
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Many of our animals are on special diets. Please do not feed any food to the animals during a visit to the sanctuary.
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For the safety and comfort of our rescued animals, staff, volunteers, and visitors, dogs and other animals are not allowed on any part of the sanctuary grounds.
Registered service animals are the only exception to this rule and must be kept on-leash at all times. Contacting us in advance is strongly encouraged to assist us in preparing appropriate accommodations for the service animal upon arrival.
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Yes, but please do not bring any meat, eggs, dairy, or animal by-products to the sanctuary out of respect for the animals, staff, and fellow visitors. Visitors may be asked to put their food back in the car for consumption elsewhere if it does not meet these criteria.
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Barn Sanctuary is closed to the public at all other times. Our staff is working 7 days a week and we can not accommodate drop-ins. We are not open to visitors outside of the specified tours times and special events listed on our website. If you would like to tour the sanctuary during a time outside of our listed tour and visitor dates, please fill out a private tour request.
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No. If aware of an animal in need, please email rescue@barnsanctuary.org or call our main line. Provide name, contact information and as much information about the animal as possible. If this is an urgent rescue case, please type “URGENT” in the email subject line. Thank you!
Find Us
20179 McKernan Dr.
Chelsea, MI 48118
(734) 270-6845
We are only open to visitors during tours and listed events. All visits must be booked online in advance.