We had an extremely fun visit at Mr. Drew’s place. After moving their location from Lewiston, Maine in 2025 to Poland, Maine the Mr. Drew Exotic Animal Education Center has a pretty great set up with the animals they care for. Many of the animals have been rescued from unsafe situations or from being surrendered by an owner.
All that said, this Animal Education Center has a great mission and you are extremely likely to see Mr. Drew there, walking around and answering questions. The center acts as an animal rescue and rehabilitation center, educating the public about animals on-site, at traveling shows, and with a very active social media presence.
Table of Contents
- The Location
- Price and Pay-What-You-Can Day
- The Animals
- Birthday Parties and Facilities
- Geology area
- A Valuable Learning Experience
The Location
Mr. Drew’s Exotic Animal Education Center is located in a small shopping plaza with a Dunkin Donuts and a decent sized parking lot. There is a red awning on the building, but not a lot of signage to confirm to you where the actual entrance is. Mr. Drew was talking with me about it and assured me that a sign on the building is something they are working on.
Price and Pay-What-You-Can Day
The standard price at the Mr. Drew Animal Education Center is $10 per person. We had a small infant in our group that we were not charged for, but I think you can expect to pay the $10 for any age that can see the animals and participate.
As a way to support accessibility to their space, you can visit the Mr. Drew Animal Education Center on Tuesdays and pay any price you want (including visiting for free). I love to see businesses supporting the community this way and giving an opportunity for anyone to visit and learn, without letting personal finances be a barrier.
The Animals
There were multiple sections at the Mr. Drew Animal Education Center, such as: sea animals, spiders, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and a separate area for tortoises.
Each section had a staff member dedicated to answering questions and helping you to safely interact with the animals. The reptile area was particularly busy when we were there, with staff members holding snakes for close up encounters and discussions.
There were a huge number of tortoises roaming around the heat lamps. We were allowed to enter into their pen and feed them a piece of lettuce on a stick!
Birthday Parties and Facilities
Right in the middle of the venue is an area with tables/chairs for gathering and eating. The Mr. Drew Exotic Animal Education Center does birthday parties and also has a private room available for rental.
To the right of the entrance are 2 family bathrooms and a quiet area. The quiet area has books, a couple chairs, and some toys. This is a really nice room to have that could be used for infants or for children who need a sensory break. The bathrooms had wipes, lotions, and even child-sized potty seats installed, which is an extremely thoughtful thing to include for families.
Geology area
As part of your admission, kids can dig in the geology area and take home 3 of the items that they find.
We started by putting on a headlamp, then getting a bucket and shovel. Walking through a makeshift mining tunnel, we found ourselves in a small room with a large sand pit.
Digging through the sand, you can find shells, stones, gems, and small prizes. There actually is a lot of stuff packed into the sand area!
A Valuable Learning Experience
A group could easily spend 1 – 2 hours here exploring the different areas and learning about the various animals.
The mission of Mr. Drew and his animals, too, are nicely spread throughout the facility with notes and signs informing you of a specific animal’s story or general animal facts. The toys, exhibits, and displays are geared towards children and families, but the Mr. Drew Exotic Animal Education Center is worth the trip for any age that appreciates caring for and learning about the animals of this world.
Read more about the Mr. Drew Exotic Animal Education Center in our directory, or go straight to their website here.
