Visitor Update
The Sanctuary Experience
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Sanctuary Tours
Our 2025 Public tour season commences May 2025
Guided tours are offered May through October. Visits are approximately an hour long and start promptly! Please plan to arrive 15 minutes ahead of your tour. Advance registration is required.
June through August:
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- The Sanctuary Shop is open during tour season from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Wednesday-Sunday
- The Kitchen at Farm Sanctuary is open from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm, Thursday – Sunday
May, September and October:
- Friday, Saturday and Sunday and select weekdays in September and October
- The Sanctuary Shop is open during tour season from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and weekdays in September and October
- The Kitchen at Farm Sanctuary is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Our 2025 Public tour season commences May 2025
Guided tours are offered May through October. Visits are approximately an hour long and start promptly! Please plan to arrive 15 minutes ahead of your tour. Advance registration is required.
June through August:
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- The Sanctuary Shop is open during tour season from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Wednesday-Sunday
- The Kitchen at Farm Sanctuary is open from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm, Thursday – Sunday
May, September and October:
- Friday, Saturday and Sunday and select weekdays in September and October
- The Sanctuary Shop is open during tour season from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and weekdays in September and October
- The Kitchen at Farm Sanctuary is open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Private tours are available for individuals or groups year round.
A limited number of private tours are now available to book online on select days! Your group of up to 8 guests will enjoy an intimate hour long visit, exclusively for you, led by one of our Sanctuary Guides. If you desire a private tour on an alternate date or time, please email [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Admission charges will be waived for middle school and high school children that are visiting Farm Sanctuary as part of a school group tour. School group tours are limited to ages 12 and older.
For additional information, or to book a school group tour, please contact [email protected].
The research on the transmission of COVID-19 to animals is ongoing, and as such, we will be taking extra precautions to protect our animal residents, including reduced capacity.
Our main priority is to keep guests, animal residents, and our staff safe! If anyone in your group is feeling unwell, please contact us directly to cancel or reschedule your tour. We thank you for helping us in this effort.
Farm Sanctuary does not discriminate against sanctuary visitors on the basis of a person’s disability and will work to provide reasonable accommodations to visitors who need such accommodations to ensure equal access to our tours, programs, services, events, and activities. We want to make sure that all of our visitors have a meaningful and safe experience and are comfortable during a visit to our Sanctuaries. Therefore, we encourage individuals with disabilities who may have special accommodation requests to make a prior arrangement. To set up arrangements or for more information about accommodations that we can make, please contact [email protected] or call 607-583-2225 x278.
We cannot bring wheelchairs or walkers in with the cattle or pigs for the safety of the animals, guests, and staff. The residents can become too curious, which can lead to a dangerous situation. Our staff will try our best to facilitate cattle and pig interactions over the fence or gate, though we cannot guarantee that the animal residents will interact.
We cannot bring power wheelchairs into any animal area since they have a higher potential to hurt our residents. Manual wheelchairs are permitted in certain enclosures.
Please note there is limited shade and seating areas while on the tour. The road through the shelter area is used by farm equipment and is largely composed of compacted dirt and gravel. The path can be slippery when wet and dusty when dry. Short segments of the tour path have a steep grade. While the tour path itself includes a hardened surface, the connections to the animal enclosures may include grassy areas and uneven terrain.
During winter months, please wear boots and winter apparel that will keep you warm as we will be outside for an hour. Please note that there may be snow and ice along the tour path.
Scenes from Sanctuary
VISIT US
Accommodations
Coming Soon!
The Kitchen at Farm Sanctuary
Part of a broad program to support kind and sustainable food systems, the new cafe and plant-based education center at our Watkins Glen sanctuary will serve flavorful vegan meals prepared with love by Chef Gail Patak.
Join us at a place of cuisine, compassion, and community! The Kitchen at Farm Sanctuary will proudly feature ingredients provided by local farmers and grown in our own garden, and soon, host plant-based cooking classes, kids’ activities, and more.
Visitors to our sanctuary can soon enjoy fully vegan meals before touring our scenic grounds, meeting our rescued animal residents, and staying in our charming tiny houses or cabins.
We always have a seat at the table for you! Plan a visit to Farm Sanctuary New York soon. For more information, email [email protected]
Local & Surrounding Area Vegan Restaurants
Grandma’s Kitchen
Arnot Mall Food Court
3300 Chambers Road
Horseheads, NY 14845
www.grandmaskitchenarnotmall.com
Green Elephant’s Thai Vegan Restaurant
507 N Franklin St
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
greenelephantsthaivegan.com
AngelHearts
401 E State Street, Suite G2
Ithaca, New York 14850
angelheartsdiner.com
Parlor City Vegan
81 Clinton Street
Binghamton, NY 13905
parlorcityvegan.com
For area restaurants with vegan options, visit Happy Cow.
Visiting a winery, brewery or distillery? Visit Barnivore, your vegan beer, wine and liquor guide.
Getting to Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary’s New York shelter is located just west of Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The Sanctuary is one-and-a-half hours southeast of Rochester and half an hour north of Elmira.
Physical address (for mapping purposes only):
3136 Aikens Rd
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Please note: It is best to use our driving directions once you reach Watkins Glen as navigation apps might direct you to take small, unmarked seasonal roads through the surrounding forest. Mail may not be sent to this address. All Farm Sanctuary mail should be sent to PO Box 150, Watkins Glen, NY 14891.
Farm Sanctuary’s New York shelter is located just west of Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The Sanctuary is one-and-a-half hours southeast of Rochester and half an hour north of Elmira.
Physical address (for mapping purposes only):
3136 Aikens Rd
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Please note: It is best to use our driving directions once you reach Watkins Glen as navigation apps might direct you to take small, unmarked seasonal roads through the surrounding forest. Mail may not be sent to this address. All Farm Sanctuary mail should be sent to PO Box 150, Watkins Glen, NY 14891.
From Watkins Glen
- From Route 14/Franklin Street, head West on Fourth Street/Route 409
- Turn right onto Route 23/28
- Stay on Route 23 as it branches off to the left (one mile)
- Continue on Route 23 for eight miles and then turn left onto Aikens Road
- Follow Aikens Road for two miles until you see the Farm Sanctuary Visitor Barn on the left. Look for Farm Sanctuary signs along the way
From Rochester
- Take 390 S to 17E (86) and then take Savona Exit 40
- Turn left on Route 226 North, then right on Route 23
- Take a right on Aikens Road and proceed two miles to the Visitor Barn
Please note: Route 17 is also Interstate 86.
Unfortunately, there is not any public transportation available that will take you to the Sanctuary. If you are flying or taking the bus, you will need to rent a car or take a taxi to the Sanctuary. Taxi rides do need to be scheduled in advance.
Elmira/Corning Regional Airport
45 minutes from the Sanctuary.
Ithaca Regional Airport
1 hour from the Sanctuary.
Rochester Airport
1.5 hours from the Sanctuary.
Taxi Services
Elmira/Corning Regional Airport
Bells Taxi
1 hour notice required; approximately $75.
607-731-8801 • 607-731-8880
Ithaca & Elmira Airports
Ithaca Dispatch Inc.
1 day or several hours’ notice preferred, approximately $80.
607-277-7777
Bus Transportation
Greyhound 800-231-2222
Shortline 607-734-2001
NY Trailways 800-295-5555
Coach USA 800-647-6471
Car Rentals
Avis 800-831-2847
Enterprise 800-325-8007
Hertz 800-654-3131
National 800-227-7368
Area Accommodations
Black Sheep Inn
Hammondsport, NY
stayblacksheepinn.com
Ginger Cat Bed and Breakfast
2475 Altay Road
Rock Stream, NY 14878
gingercat-bb.com
Cozy Private Home
Watkins Glen, NY
(5 minutes from Farm Sanctuary)
vegvisits.com/rooms/45378
West Lake Manor
Bradford, NY
vegvisits.com/rooms/vegans-in-the-fingerlakes!
Please visit the local Watkins Glen Chamber Commerce website for a comprehensive listing and information on places to stay near Farm Sanctuary.
Local Attractions
Frequently Asked Questions
Closer to the West Coast?
Our 26-acre Southern California Sanctuary is located on a beautiful hacienda ranch in Acton, just 45 minutes from Hollywood, and provides Sanctuary for approximately 100 animals.