See you later at Insta-Gator

Learn all about Louisiana’s favorite reptile, even hatch one in your hand, at Insta-Gator Ranch

If you’re interested in alligators—and, really, who isn’t?—we’ve got the place for you. Insta-Gator Ranch and Hatchery near Covington is home to more than 2,000 alligators and a few humans who interact with them. Insta-Gator offers fun and educational tours and programs that will teach you all about the prehistoric reptiles and even give you a chance to touch one.

The ranch is open year-round but is more active when the gators are. Spring and summer are great times to visit, especially August when you can make a reservation to actually hatch a baby gator in your hand! It’s quite an experience to hold an egg and see the little creatures emerge from the shell.

Visitors hear all about the harvesting of gator eggs, often from area waterways like Bayou Castine, and watch a video before visiting alligators in tanks in their covered barns. Catch gators at the family-friendly, tabletop catch pools and visit the gift shop at Insta-Gator to top off an unforgettable, interactive education on conservation and the history of this incredible species.