A great place to explore just outside the St. Louis metro area is Purina Farms in Gray Summit, MO. The farms is owned and operated by Purina, the pet food company. Purina Farms consists of a visitor center, a barn, a pet center or “cat house” as we call it, a petting area, performance arenas, fields with sheep, an event center, and an abundance of critters! Those who come to Purina Farm will enter through the visitor center, which has a theater, exhibits on Purina’s food, a friendly parrot, gift shop, and a snack bar. After exploring the visitor center you can explore the grounds.

For anyone who loves barn animals, puppies, or kitties, Purina Farm is the perfect afternoon activity! There is a barn with baby animals, a play area for kiddos, and a petting zoo. There is also a pet center filled with cats and dogs. A unique aspect of the pet center is that there is a mini three-story house at the heart of the pet center and it serves as a cat house. Additionally, Purina Farms serves as a dog show competition area and throughout the day, there are opportunities to experience “the incredible dog show” where a trainer will work with a couple of the dogs at Purina and show off their skills. Throughout the year, Purina Farms offers both cat and dog shows that are free to the public, so you can visit and explore something new each time. We definitely recommend taking a drive out to Gray Summit and spending an afternoon with the sweet critters.