COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho. – The owner of Big Red’s Barn, a popular indoor petting zoo in Coeur d’Alene, is thanking the community for years of support and curiosity as she prepares to retire as owner May 26.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better, they have made Big Red’s Barn, that’s the short and sweet of it,” Jeannene Christ, the owner of Big Red’s Barn said.
An indoor petting zoo in North Idaho has welcomed families with open arms, paws and claws, since 2019.
“First everyone thought we were crazy, who’s going to come? But we built it and the community [showed up] and it’s awesome,” Christ said.
Christ has loved animals all her life, some could argue maybe a little too much, she described herself as somewhat of an animal “hoarder.” Yet, inside Big Red’s animals of all kinds – from snakes and lizards, to ferrets and goats, sloths, otters, wallabies and more, are all cared for by Christ and her team, provided with tons of love.
Christ said at first when families walk in, the petting zoo can feel daunting; many of these animals are exotic, which means they’re not animals you see every day. In turn, it can be very exciting.
“But when they leave, they’re like ‘wow, I learned something, and my kids had a great experience,’” Christ said.
The goal at Big Red’s is to inspire curiosity, and Christ hopes that curiosity will continue to thrive after she says goodbye. Christ is retiring as owner on May 26.
“It’s become a little overwhelming for me,” she said. “In the beginning it was nice and small, small-town feel, Coeur d’Alene as everyone knows has grown and this has taken off substantially, which is awesome.”
But now, Christ said it’s time to wind down and spend more time at her home in Athol with her partner, Stan. At first, Christ wasn’t sure she wanted to sell the space. However, after the business announced closure on social media, more and more people reached out showing interest in taking over the business.
The community is clearly not ready to let go of Big Red’s.
“So, we said OK, we have interviewed a few people,” Christ said. “We have one where nothing is signed on the dotted line, but they are under contract.”
The big question is, will the animals be staying?
“They have different ideas that they would like to incorporate, that would be up to them, but yes, they want to keep the animal experience,” Christ said.
So, it looks like this unconventional petting zoo is sticking around, just under new ownership. Christ is ready for her next chapter but would be remiss not to say thank you to all who joined her in her love for animals over the years.
Big Red’s doors will close May 26; however, Christ said the new owners will hopefully have a grand re-opening a couple weeks after that.
