Yorks Wild Kingdom

What Yorks Wild Kingdom does

Yorks Wild Kingdom is a privately held, seasonal zoo and amusement park founded in 1980 in York Beach, Maine. The park operates annually from May 23 through September 27 and draws more than 200,000 visitors per season to a combined attraction that includes more than 55 animal species, 16+ amusement rides, an 18-hole miniature golf course, and a 5,500 square foot indoor Butterfly Kingdom. Its core offering integrates a traditional zoological collection with amusement rides and experiential features such as live animal encounters and budgie feeding, targeting families, school groups, scouts, and summer tourists visiting the Southern Maine coast.

The business model is a diversified consumer-attraction revenue stack. Day-of pricing is itemized across zoo-only admissions ($2-19.50), zoo-and-ride combo tickets ($20-25.50), individual ride tokens ($1 each), live animal rides ($7), and interactive feeding ($2.50/stick). Group and event channels layer on top: school and youth group bookings at $10-20 per person, and corporate catering at $30-42 per person. The company also accepts donations, which are explicitly noted as not tax-deductible, and runs food and concession operations on site. Critically, the park receives no state or federal funding, meaning the entire operating budget is funded through ticket revenue, on-site spend, group bookings, and donations.

The operation is lean and privately controlled: firmographic data indicates 1-10 core employees, supplemented by seasonal staff for the ~19-week operating window. Strategically, the company has pursued a long-running conservation partnership with the Monkey Park Foundation supporting the Howler Monkey project since 2005, and has invested in proprietary animal-enrichment hardware (foraging units). There are no documented funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes, or geographic expansions; the company has grown organically over more than four decades at a single coastal site.

Name

Yorks Wild Kingdom

Legal name

York's Wild Kingdom

Website

https://yorkswildkingdom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yorks Wild Kingdom is a privately held seasonal zoo and amusement park in York Beach, Maine, founded in 1980 and operating May through September. It serves families, school groups, and summer tourists with 55+ animal species, 16+ rides, mini golf, and a Butterfly Kingdom, generating revenue from admissions, rides, catering, and donations without state or federal funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Zoo and Amusement Park

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

Keywords

• Zoo amusement park
• Wildlife family attraction
• Animal rides entertainment
• Seasonal tourist attraction
• Interactive animal encounters

Headquarters

HQ city

York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Zoo Admission: Individual tickets for zoo admission priced by age group (Infant $2, Children $12.75, Adult $19.50). Over 200,000 visitors annually.
2. Zoo and Ride Combo Tickets: Combined admission to zoo and amusement rides for $20 (child) / $25.50 (adult).
3. Ride Tokens: Tokens required for amusement rides, priced at $1 each. Rides cost 2-4 tokens depending on ride type.
4. Live Animal Rides: Pony and camel rides available for $7 per rider. Pony weight limit 60lbs, camel requirement 3+ years and under 215lbs.
5. Budgie Feeding Encounter: Interactive parakeet encounter with feeding sticks available for $2.50 per stick. Over 300 colorful parakeets in free-flying habitat.
6. Food and Concessions: Concession stands offering variety of foods including 'Seacoast's Best Fried Dough', snack bars, and catering for events.
7. Group Bookings and Corporate Events: Group rates starting at $10/person for zoo only, $16/person for zoo and 12 tokens, $20/person for unlimited rides. Corporate catering packages from $30-$42 per person through Nancy's Catering.
8. Donations: Donations accepted to support animal care including veterinary care, animal diets, enrichment, exhibit maintenance, and staff. Note: donations are not tax deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

York's Wild Kingdom operates a privately owned, seasonal zoo and amusement park in York Beach, Maine, selling admission tickets, ride tokens, and add-on encounters to families and group visitors from May through September. The park combines traditional zoo exhibits covering 55+ animal species with family amusement rides, an 18-hole mini golf course, signature interactive experiences (Butterfly Kingdom and Budgie Feeding Encounter), and group/corporate event hosting with catering.

Product overview

York's Wild Kingdom is a privately-owned zoo and amusement park in York Beach, Maine, operating since 1980. The company offers a unified visitor experience combining a traditional zoo with animal exhibits (mammals, reptiles, birds, butterflies) and an amusement park with rides. Core products include zoo admission and amusement park rides, with add-on experiences such as the Butterfly Kingdom exhibit, Budgie Feeding Encounter, Live Animal Rides (camel and pony), and 18-hole mini golf. The company also provides group packages for schools and organizations, corporate event hosting with catering, gift cards, donations, and educational/conservation programs including breeding initiatives and the Monkey Park Foundation conservation project in Costa Rica. Visitors can purchase tickets online via FareHarbor or in person; the park operates seasonally from May through September.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zoo Admission General admission to York's Wild Kingdom zoo featuring animal exhibits including mammals, reptiles, birds, and butterflies from around the world. Includes access to the Butterfly Kingdom and petting zoo. Priced by age group (Infant $2, Children $12.75, Adult $19.50).
• Amusement Park Rides Family-friendly amusement rides including go-karts, bumper cars, wacky mouse coaster, merry-go-round, train, sky fighter, scrambler, bounce house, balloon wheel, kiddie boats, and space age rides. Operated on a token-based pricing system ($1 per token, rides require 2-4 tokens).
• Butterfly Kingdom Exhibit A 5,500 square foot enclosed exhibit featuring diverse South and Central American butterfly species, with culturally informative exhibits including other birds and small mammals and a sparkling waterfall. Included in zoo admission.
• Budgie/Parakeet Feeding Encounter Interactive experience where guests can get up close with over 300 colorful parakeets in a free-flying habitat. Visitors purchase food sticks for $2.50 per stick to feed the birds by hand, supervised by zoo team members.
• Live Animal Rides (Camel and Pony) Live animal riding experiences including pony rides and camel rides at $7 per rider. Pony weight limit 60lbs; camel rides require riders to be 3+ years old and under 215lbs.
• Mini Golf (18-Hole Course) An 18-hole miniature golf course located within the park for family entertainment.
• Petting Zoo Interactive petting zoo area where visitors can engage with friendly animals, with animal feed available for purchase at machines throughout the zoo.
• Group Packages Group discount pricing for schools, religious organizations, scout troops, camps, and families with 15+ guests. Includes Zoo Only ($10/person), Zoo & 12 Ride Tokens ($16/person), and Zoo & Ride Combo ($20/person) packages, with one free chaperone per five children for schools, camps, recreation departments, daycares, and special needs organizations.
• Corporate Packages and Catering Corporate event hosting on picnic grounds with catering through Nancy's Catering, including Classic Chicken Barbeque ($38/person), Chicken and Sirloin Tip Combo ($42/person), Tex-Mex Barbeque ($42/person), Old-Fashioned Barbeque ($30/person), and Down East Maine Lobster Bake (price varies).
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase allowing recipients to visit the zoo and amusement park at their convenience.
• Donations Financial contributions to support the zoo's veterinary care, animal diets, enrichment, heating, exhibit maintenance, new exhibit design, and staff. Donations are not tax deductible.
• Concession Stands Food and beverage options including snack bars with a variety of foods, featuring the Seacoast's Best Fried Dough. Multiple concession stands located throughout the park.
• Equipment Rental Stroller and wheelchair rental services for visitors. Single/double strollers at $5 and wheelchairs at $10, with ID required as deposit. Electric wheelchairs and scooters are not available.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ annual visitors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Monkey Park FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Since 2005, York's Wild Kingdom has participated in the rebuilding of a zoo and wild animal release facility in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Contributions of specialized animal food and exhibit building materials are sent annually. The partnership includes staff training in tropical rainforest exhibit design and financing. Primary goal is release of native wildlife including white-tailed deer, coatimundi, and howler monkeys. Most complex is the Howler Monkey Project addressing habitat fragmentation from human development. York staff visit annually for 2-3 months to train, design, finance, and rebuild exhibits.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Direct peers

• Story Land: Family theme park in Glen, New Hampshire. Comparable as a regional New England family destination with rides, themed attractions, and a similar day-trip ticket price point.
• Southwick's Zoo: Privately owned zoo in Mendon, Massachusetts with animal exhibits plus rides, a giraffe encounter, and a sky ride. Directly comparable as a privately operated New England zoo layered with amusement attractions.
• Palace Playland: Family amusement park located directly on Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Closest comparable in concept: a small beach-adjacent amusement park competing for the same Maine seacoast tourist traffic as York's Wild Kingdom.
• Canobie Lake Park: Seasonal family amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire. Comparable in scale, New England geography, mix of classic flat rides and family attractions, and seasonal ticketed-admission model.
• Edaville Family Theme Park: Family theme park in Carver, Massachusetts with rides, a railroad, and seasonal events. Comparable as a smaller, family-oriented New England attraction using a token/pass-plus-add-on revenue model.
• Funtown Splashtown USA: Seasonal amusement and water park in Saco, Maine, ~30 miles from York's Wild Kingdom. Same regional Southern Maine/New England family market, seasonal operating model, and mix of rides with auxiliary attractions.

Broad incumbents

• Roger Williams Park Zoo: AZA-accredited zoo in Providence, Rhode Island. Broader and larger New England zoo competitor with deeper animal collections, but operates without the amusement-park rides component that defines York's Wild Kingdom.
• Franklin Park Zoo: Urban zoo operated by Zoo New England in Boston. Comparable as a New England zoological attraction with similar educational programming, but located within a major metro rather than a beach-tourism catchment.
• Six Flags New England: Large-scale regional theme park in Agawam, Massachusetts. Broader incumbent in the New England amusement category; overlaps on the family-ride demand pool but operates at a much larger scale and price point.

Regional players

• Aquaboggan Water Park: Seasonal water park in Saco, Maine. Operates in the same Southern Maine summer tourism corridor and competes for the same family day-tripper segment, though it lacks a zoo component.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/YorksWildKngdm
• Facebookfacebook.com/YorksWildKingdom
• Instagraminstagram.com/yorkswildkingdom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yorks Wild Kingdom