Where the Wild Things Are:

Feeding giraffes, safari adventures, and picture-perfect moments in Decatur

You don’t have to travel far for a little adventure. Tucked away on 50 acres in Decatur, Texas, Giraffe Inn & Safari was created by Tony and Tiffany Dierolf as a place for families to slow down, enjoy nature, and experience animals up close. The idea grew from Tiffany’s bucket-list dream of having breakfast with giraffes in Africa—and eventually became a safari experience right here in Wise County.

I recently took my oldest daughter and two of her friends out for our own little safari adventure, and naturally, I brought my camera along. As a lifestyle photographer, these are the kinds of sessions I love most. Rather than simply posing for the camera, I love photographing people doing something they enjoy. And feeding giraffes certainly gave us plenty of those moments!

Giraffes may be the stars of the show, but they aren’t the only residents. Giraffe Inn & Safari is also home to animals including kangaroos, camels, sloths, lemurs, water buffalo and more, with a variety of guided tours and up-close animal experiences available.

We also stopped for photographs beside their covered glamping wagon, which turned out to be one of my favorite backdrops of the day. Even better—you can actually stay in it. Their Safari Hideaway is a Conestoga-style wagon with a king bed, twin bunk beds and a private bathroom, and the back window overlooks the giraffes’ area. Imagine waking up and discovering a very tall neighbor outside your window!

After exploring, visitors can stop at The Watering Hole, the safari’s on-site restaurant, for a meal with views across the property—and possibly giraffes grazing just beyond the glass. They even offer special experiences such as dining or sharing a charcuterie snack near the giraffes.

For those of us who live around Decatur, I love finding places that make you feel as though you’ve gone somewhere special without actually traveling very far. Giraffe Inn & Safari is exactly that kind of place: part safari, part Texas getaway, and a pretty wonderful backdrop for making—and photographing—memories.