Henry's Ark was officially opened to the public in 1992 after serving primarily as a safe refuge for elderly or unwanted animals, both domestic and exotic.
Henry's Ark, named for its founder Henry Wallace, was opened to provide a peaceful refuge for animals in need of a home. Of equal importance was conserving the land in which the animals were inhabiting and providing a place for the community to learn about a multitude of animals.
Mr. Wallace believed that there should never be a price tag for learning, hence the free admission offered to the community--something that has persisted to this day. His hopes to give back to the community and keep it accessible to those who could least afford it have always been of high priority.
Today, Henry's Ark consists mostly of domestic farm animals with the exception of a few exotic animals of smaller varieties. This is because exotic animals are especially costly to care for--this being said with enough funds we could bring them back!
Due to strict regulations and restrictions implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other local entities, limited roaming space and the feeding of animals by guests has become restricted at the ark. This long-standing tradition is something that is missed dearly by staff and guests alike.
The staff and volunteers at Henry's Ark truly keep Mr. Wallace's vision alive. They hope with the support of the community that they can keep this tradition going for another 30+ years!
Over at the ark right now they are hoping to begin a revitalization campaign to help fix up some of the infrastructure. After 30 years, the fences and gazebos are fast deteriorating. It's been estimated to be a $50,000 fix for this alone. These are just a few of the structures around the facility that need to be fixed or replaced. In addition to this, it would be great if they could bring back the "petting zoo" aspect of the organization, however, due to strict regulations they would need to have specific dispensers for the visitors to use. The list goes on and on!
All this to say, their volunteers and evangelists are the people that can help keep Henry's Ark alive! As you may know, there are donation boxes located throughout the facility. These days, Henry's Ark is only bringing about $200 per week in from donations--barely enough to buy feed for one animal. The link below is for a fundraiser to fix the fences.
https://www.youcaring.com/henrysark-904327
Please consider donating either through the fundraiser or go visit and donate in person!
Henry's Ark is open to the public Tuesday through Sundays, from 10AM-4PM. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram. 
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