What began as a place of respite for children with disabilities has grown into a nine-hectare home for animals and a familiar destination in Jantar.
The story of Jantar Mini Zoo began not with the idea of creating a visitor attraction, but with a desire to give children a different kind of experience. In 2002, the newly established "Wróć" Foundation began organising regular Encounters with Nature on the grounds of the WUFLOR Farm for children with disabilities living in the Vistula Spit and Nowy Dwór County.
Hippotherapy, walks around the farm and afternoons spent around a campfire offered opportunities for relaxation and respite. Encounters with animals and visits to places such as Gdańsk Zoo became part of those experiences, showing how powerful contact with nature could be.
Encouraged by Michał Targowski, then director of Wybrzeże Zoo in Gdańsk, the Foundation decided to introduce animal therapy into its support for children. A project prepared by Targowski in 2003 identified the animals required and the welfare conditions they would need.
The Wuflor Farm subsequently provided land for the Mini Zoo. Over the following years, enclosures equipped with electricity and water were constructed, and the Mini Zoo and its aviary eventually covered more than two hectares.
An idea for therapy became part of community life
As demand grew, the Foundation expanded its work with children and adults with disabilities across several counties of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Animal therapy sessions at the Mini Zoo became a permanent part of the programmes offered through these facilities.
At the same time, the animal population continued to grow. Some animals were purchased, while others were born at the Mini Zoo, creating a changing collection that brought its own memorable moments.
Some births proved particularly remarkable. The arrival of twin donkeys attracted widespread attention, including coverage in the national media. Another unexpected episode came when a newly arrived zebra escaped the keepers' vigilance and spent several hours walking through the nearby amber forest.
Those stories brought publicity, but they were never the purpose of the Mini Zoo. The foundation of the project remained the relationship between people, animals and therapeutic activity.
As the Foundation's work with people with disabilities developed, its involvement in running the Mini Zoo became more limited. It continued to conduct therapeutic activities for its beneficiaries, while management and administration were transferred entirely to the Wuflor Agricultural Farm and the Jantar Farm, which operated the adjacent recreation centre.
Over time, the names became closely connected, and the zoo came to operate under the name Jantar Farm Mini Zoo.
A new chapter on more than nine hectares
After 20 years in its previous location, the Mini Zoo had reached the limits of what could be developed there. Its next chapter therefore required more space.
The Jantar Farm Mini Zoo moved to a new location at Spokojna Street 44, where more than nine hectares provide space for modern enclosures housing more than a dozen animal species, including 13 wild species.
Animal welfare remains a central consideration, with all the animals under constant veterinary care. The new site has also been arranged with visitors in mind, creating a setting where encountering animals forms part of the experience rather than simply observing them from a distance.
At the centre of the site is the Lemurki Stop, alongside a food court, playground and an alpaca. For younger visitors, the Small Zoo provides opportunities for more direct encounters with particularly friendly animals.
The scale may have changed considerably since the first Encounters with Nature at the WUFLOR Farm, but the underlying connection remains recognisable. The Mini Zoo grew from an initiative intended to provide relief, engagement and therapeutic benefits for children with disabilities. Today, it also welcomes local residents and the many tourists visiting the Vistula Spit.
Its history is therefore less about how a small collection of animals became a larger attraction than about how an encounter with nature became a lasting part of community life. The animals remain at the centre, but the story of Jantar Mini Zoo has always been, in equal measure, about the people who come to experience them.
Visitor Information
Jantar Farm Mini Zoo
Spokojna Street 44, Jantar
Tickets
Regular: 47 PLN
Reduced: 35 PLN
Opening hours
9:00–16:00
The 2026 season ends on 31 October.
