Great for families and multigenerational travel, ecotourism and feel-good travel, adventurous couples, animal lovers, voluntourism, and groups.
Happy International Tiger Day! It’s a great reason to celebrate these incredible creatures, and what better way than with a tour of Carolina Tiger Rescue, located just outside downtown Pittsboro, NC. Carolina Tiger Rescue (CTR) is a 67-acre nonprofit wildlife sanctuary dedicated to saving and protecting wild cats and other endangered animals in captivity and the wilderness through rescue, education, and advocacy. The refuge celebrated its 50th anniversary in February 2024.
CTR provides lifelong care and safety to 56 animals representing 14 species, including eight tigers. Over 5,000 tigers currently reside in the United States. The passage of the 2022 Big Cat Public Safety Act banned cub petting and other exploitative operations, leading to a recent surge in demand for rescues. To meet this need while maintaining the same quality of care for existing and future residents, Carolina Tiger Rescue raises money from donors. There are plenty of ways to give and show your support. Following contributions, tours and field trips comprise CTR’s most significant revenue stream, providing a great way to support the refuge while meeting the residents and learning more about conservation.
The rescue embodies its mission in all aspects of its operation, including tours. They are a no-touch facility: the public is never in physical contact with the animals, and the animals are never taken off-site. The staff pays special attention to the animals’ personalities. They only select animals for the tour route if they are social and comfortable around people. Whether the animal is along the tour route or not, they’ll receive the highest quality of care from CTR’s team.
Visiting Carolina Tiger Rescue
Chatham County has a mild climate, and each season in our area offers ample opportunities to tour Carolina Tiger Rescue. Public daytime tours are available throughout the year. Your guide will personally introduce you to the animals, explaining the rescue stories that brought them to CTR and the issues they face in the wild. The guided half-mile tour lasts approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the group’s level of involvement.
Travel Tip: Tickets can sell out well before the offered tour date. We recommend booking your tickets as early as possible. They do not accept walk-in visitors.
In addition to daytime public tours, Carolina Tiger Rescue offers a variety of unique visitor experiences. Some of these include:
Twilight Tours
These special walks take place after hours during the most active part of the animals’ day and are available seasonally from April to October on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. During Twilight Tours, visitors have a more intimate experience with the animals, as they are the only visitors or volunteers present in the sanctuary.
Tiger Tales Tours
These monthly programs sell out quickly! Families can enjoy storytime, crafting, and an up-close tour with the sanctuary’s most iconic residents. Tiger Tales Tours are a great way to share the wonderful world of wild cats with your children.
Holiday Enrichment Tours
Celebrate the big cats and the holidays during these seasonal tours. During this program designed to illustrate how enrichment enhances the animals’ lives, you’ll see them play with (and destroy) holiday-themed items, followed by the opportunity to indulge in some edible holiday “enrichment” of your own.
Private Tours
In addition to public events, Carolina Tiger Rescue also offers visitors the opportunity to schedule an exclusive tour for your friends and family. Private tours can be scheduled any day of the week throughout the year and accommodate up to 25 people. CTR recommends booking your tour at least two months in advance; currently, they’re booked approximately three months in advance.
Volunteering
There are ample opportunities to volunteer at the rescue. Individuals, workplaces, schools, and other organizations are all encouraged to get involved through alternative service breaks, work groups, and internships. Volunteers assist with several responsibilities, including animal care, construction, grounds maintenance, leading tours, and assisting in the gift shop.
Accessibility: The Education Center is wheelchair accessible, and CTR offers a complimentary golf cart for those with mobility issues. Please contact 919.542.4684 to reserve the golf cart.
Carolina Tiger Rescue is a leading wild cat sanctuary in the U.S. and is nationally accredited by the USDA. The sanctuary received accredited status in 2019 from GFAS, the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, the only globally recognized organization that provides standards for identifying legitimate animal sanctuaries. The sanctuary was recognized as a Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits in 2023 and is a Guidestar Platinum Member. It also holds a Four-Star rating with Charity Navigator.
Where to Stay
Our area offers a dynamic selection of accommodations, each with a unique story and flavor of Chatham County. Bed-and-breakfast inns, a robust short-term rental market (Airbnb, VRBO), over 1,000 campsites at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, RV parks, and the iconic Fearrington House Inn are all a part of the scene, with something for every taste, budget, and itinerary.
CTR is located just outside downtown Pittsboro. It’s a quick walk from 458 West Bed & Breakfast to the town’s center, where you’ll find award-winning craft breweries, farm-to-table restaurants, and eclectic local shops. The five-bedroom, lovingly restored property is a charming blend of new and old, featuring a wrap-around porch that overlooks majestic magnolia trees. Local favorites Al’s Diner and Ni Armor’s Hawaiian BBQ are just up the street. A couple of blocks down in the opposite direction, guests will find a great brunch spot in West End Kitchen & Catering and plenty to shop from at Finders & Seekers Emporium and Solstice Herb Farm.
The new Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Pittsboro is just a short, ten-minute drive from CTR at MOSAIC at Chatham Park, offering an incredibly convenient stay and plenty to experience within walking distance of the hotel, including a self-serve taproom, local celebrity Chef Sera Cuni’s Cafe Root Cellar, fresh Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, a coworking space, and much more. MOSAIC hosts events from April to December every year, including Friday night concerts and movies on the lawn, wellness classes every Wednesday, and farmers’ markets hosted on the first Wednesday of every month.
Build Your Itinerary
S&T’s Soda Shoppe
Families and multi-generational travel, groups
Pittsboro, NC
Step into this downtown soda shoppe, and you’ll think you walked through a time machine! The Oldham family lovingly restored the space into a 1900s-style family-friendly soda shoppe, complete with classic American diner food, an old-fashioned soda fountain, a jukebox, vintage signage, antique pharmacy bottles, and other nostalgic touches. Choose from over 32 flavors for a handspun milkshake or one of their massive three-scoop banana splits! Some other local, family-friendly restaurants and diners include Virlie’s Grill and Hoops Pizzeria.
Jordan Lake Educational State Forest (JLESF)
Families and multi-generational travel, groups, nature lovers
Chapel Hill (Chatham County), NC
JLESF showcases various pines, hardwoods, and wildlife found in the wetland ecosystem between North Carolina’s Piedmont and Coastal Plain. The site offers outdoor education workshops, picnic facilities, and ranger-conducted classes. The family-friendly “Talking Tree” Trail is a fun and interactive way for children to learn about trees and the natural world. The park does not charge any fees for use or programs. You can also discover great walking trails for kids at White Pines Nature Preserve.
The Plant
Families and multi-generational travel, ecotourism, adventurous couples
Pittsboro, NC
The Plant is a 17-acre eco-industrial park located near downtown Pittsboro, home to 20 of Chatham County’s talented chefs, artisans, and entrepreneurs. Tour the award-winning craft beverage distributors of the Chatham Beverage District, including a honey winery, sake bar, and sustainable brewery. Experience authentic Caribbean flavors at Kingston 99 Kitchen. You can throw some axes or explore the art gallery, playground, and walking trails, including their NEW Tree Museum.
The Inn at Celebrity Dairy
Families, nature lovers, ecotourism, adventurous couples
Silk Hope – Siler City, NC
The Inn at Celebrity Dairy is a unique bed and breakfast, partly because of the goats in residence who produce the milk that makes Celebrity Dairy’s award-winning Chèvre. Owners Brit and Fleming Pfann were doing “farm-to-fork” before anyone had coined the phrase. For over thirty years, they’ve proudly opened the doors of their Modern Greek Revival farmhouse to guests and offered them a home-cooked breakfast featuring local free-range eggs, seasonal fruits and preserves, Fleming’s Market Scones, and, of course, their Chèvre. The kids will love exploring the farm and meeting the goats!
Southern Supreme
Families and multi-generational travel, groups
Bear Creek, NC
We always recommend a fall road trip down the Devil’s Tramping Ground N.C. Scenic Byway for leaf-peeping and tasty treats from Bear Creek’s Southern Supreme. The gourmet foods business is open year-round, but the storeroom is especially beautifully decorated for the holidays. Tour the facility, taste their signature items, and shop for gifts for loved ones (or an edible souvenir for yourself)!
FireClay Cellars
Groups, adventurous couples, ecotourism
Siler City, NC
FireClay Cellars specializes in award-winning, handcrafted wines made from sustainably farmed grapes. Their tasting room overlooks picturesque vineyards and Chatham’s rolling farmlands. Pack a picnic or build your own charcuterie board from their shop, featuring Celebrity Dairy goat cheese, crackers, and select accoutrements.
Travel Tip: Several of our breweries welcome families and kids, including Havoc Brewing Company and Red Moose Brewing Company.
The Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official Destination Marketing Organization for Chatham County, NC. Contact us for assistance planning your visit to Carolina Tiger Rescue and more itinerary recommendations to complete your stay.
