As a small and busy team, we are only able to accommodate visitors who have made reservations in advance. Please see our visit page to see our real-time availability and schedule your visit. To ensure the safety of our guests and the wellbeing of our animal residents, all visits to the sanctuary must be accompanied by a staff member.

We determine animal intakes on a case by case basis. Please contact us at info@charliesacres.org for assistance and advice on rehoming or rescuing animals.

Our main entrance is at 3281 Napa Road, Sonoma, CA 95476.
It is safest and easiest to make a right turn onto our property as Napa Road is a busy and fast road.

When you pull onto the property, follow the signs for visitor parking. Come into our Education Center, the large grey building, where your tour will begin.

Children are encouraged to attend and interact with the animals but are expected to follow the same safety rules as adults. Please be mindful that Charlie’s Acres is a sanctuary for rescued animals, not a petting zoo. Parents are responsible for ensuring that children do not harass or interact unsafely with animals. Children under 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult and all minors must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.

Learn more about the difference between a sanctuary and a petting zoo here.

We are a working farm sanctuary, so please expect to do some walking, potentially get dirty, and be exposed to the natural weather elements (rain, heat, wind). Also expect to meet some amazing animals — including chickens, cows, pigs, turkeys, ducks, geese, sheep, and goats — and hear their incredible stories. Tours last approximately 90 minutes and involve about 1/2 mile of walking.

Please note that tours of Charlie’s Acres are educational experiences with rescued animals. It is always the animals’ choice whether or not to approach and interact with tour guests. Please stay with the group at all times and follow your tour guide’s safety instructions.

If you would like to go into the animal pastures, please wear closed toe shoes. Boots are preferable, but any closed toe shoe will do. If you are wearing clothing that we do not think is safe to be with the animals, we may ask you to wait outside the pastures.

Please bring a water bottle in the summer months as it gets hot! We have filtered water on site, so you can refill it as needed. We have limited shade and coverings, so an umbrella and/or hat could be useful as well. Please do NOT bring any food or really yummy smelling items on your body or in your purse during the tour as our animals love to eat! Feel free to bring your camera and take pictures. Tag us on Facebook /charliesacresfarmanimalsanctuary and Instagram @charliesacres.

Out of respect for the animals at the sanctuary, please leave behind any non-vegan food items (dairy, egg and meat products). You are welcome to bring any plant-based food with you and we do have some picnic space available after the tour. Please leave this is in your vehicle during the tour.
Please leave your companion animals (dogs, cats, etc.) at home. We do not have a space for them to be left safely during the tour and temperatures heat up tremendously in cars in Sonoma. If you do bring an animal, you may be asked to leave and come back for a tour on another day. 
The only exception will be made for service dogs required to assist with a medical condition. (This does not include emotional support animals) If you have a service dog, please contact us at info@charliesacres.org in advance so we can arrange accommodations.

As a non-profit animal sanctuary, we serve as a forever home to our 150 animal residents where they will always be protected and cared for. All of our animal residents have been rescued from various situations, including abuse, neglect, abandonment, and our food system. Their only job is to relax and be free without providing anything in return. By sharing the names, unique personalities, and stories of our rescued residents, they are able to serve as animal ambassadors to help visitors learn more about the challenges faced by farmed animals and see a new side to these often misunderstood beings.

Our priority is the physical and emotional well being of the rescued animals who call Charlie’s Acres home. Our animal residents always have a choice as to whether or not they want to interact with visitors and will reside at the sanctuary for the rest of their lives. In contrast, the goal of a petting zoo is profit and entertainment, meaning that animals may be forced to be handled regardless of what they want and are often discarded when they are no longer profitable.

Your donations go to our life-saving work at Charlie’s Acres. We take care of our rescued animals for the entirety of their lives, ensuring they have proper veterinary care, housing, medicine, and food. Charlie’s Acres is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit, so all donations are tax deductible.

We have a lot of hay and alfalfa on site so if you suspect this may trigger your allergies please plan accordingly.

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