The Highest Quality, Award Winning
Educational Animal Attractions
The Great American Petting Zoo was founded in 1983 by David and Dianne Linderman. Since then, they and their partners at Great American Entertainment Company, have dedicated themselves to providing the highest quality animal attractions in the country. Their quest is pure and simple... keeping agriculture alive with real life experiences.
David and Dianne first began working together at an Oregon dude ranch and gained a reputation for helping troubled teenagers using practical building and farming skills, along with cooking, gardening, and raising livestock, to encourage these kids to develop their own work ethic. Seeing what they were accomplishing, the aging owner of a nearby 5-acre roadside wildlife park asked if they would be willing to take it over. This was a huge undertaking, but armed with eight troubled teens, they began the adventure of a lifetime. David and Dianne found that bringing troubled teens together with animals that needed their care was the best therapy on earth.
Letters...
Dear Great American Entertainment Co...
Your petting zoo is the best ever. I went to the one in Orange County (Southern CA.). I could have spent the entire day there. Got some excellent pictures.
One genius goat was just waiting by the food dispensing machine. When people put money in, he pushed them out of the way and ate the pellets right out of the machine. A much smaller goat could never reach where the pellets came out so he was standing on top of the hay to get the sympathy vote.
I was especially impressed with the variety of animals. I had never seen where children (and adults) were also allowed to brush them.
I hope you come again every year. I will be there. I will plan it so that I can spend at least 1 hour there. Had a great time. Your animals are clearly well taken care of.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patty Boge (veterinarian)
Because of their desire to share this important experience with kids living in cities and people of all ages, from the young to the young at heart, they had the idea to start a traveling petting zoo with the motto, “We Bring the Zoo to You”. David designed and built a beautiful enclosure to take on the road, and the Great American Petting Zoo was born. Their company, later named Great American Entertainment Company, became famous for cleanliness and professionalism at state and county fairs. Next, they ventured into the rodeo industry, and it soon became one of the most popular entertainment companies in the country. Over 40 years later, Great American Entertainment Company is still the number one, most beloved agricultural attractions company in the industry, and many of the teens now grown with their own kids are now partners and junior partners of the Great American Entertainment Company.
Great American Entertainment Company is not only a hub of excitement working with fairs, movies, and events around America, but it now has 14 different attractions to choose from. David and Dianne Linderman will never lose sight of what’s important; quality, professionalism, dignity, love, and vision are the basis of their management style. Their commitment to quality in everything that matters with their employees, partners, clients, animals and the public are what makes them tick!
Their dream was always to have a ranch in Texas where families from everywhere in the country could join them for a real-life ranch adventure, something that should be on everyone’s bucket list of things to do in life. Now that dream has become reality at Great American Entertainment Company’s two ranches in Stephenville and Hico, Texas! For more information visit: GreatAmericanLoneStarRanch.com and AmericanPioneerRanch.com
