Although not exotic, this red fox is a new additon to the collection at Animal Adventures in Bolton, which features creatures from around the world. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

With gas prices still hovering close to $4 a gallon, people may not be willing to drive a great distance to find some family entertainment to fill leisure moments this fall. But there are a number of entertainment possibilities not far from Harvard, including opportunities to learn about animals, both domestic and wild.

The closest is Animal Adventures in Bolton, about four miles from the center of Harvard. The place provides an opportunity for visitors to see a number of different animals “up close and personal,” from those commonly found in our own backyards—such as a red fox, wood chuck, snapping turtle, or milk snake—to those a little more exotic—an alligator, a lynx, a green tree python, and more. Animal Adventures takes in exotic animals that their previous owners could no longer keep.

About 10 miles away in Sterling, Davis’ Farmland preserves rare breeds of farm animals, and offers visitors a chance to learn about them; the animals at Davis’ Farmland are the ancestral breeds of most modern farm animals. The farm also has a corn “Mega Maze” for enterprising explorers age 8 and older.

The Butterly Place at Papillon Park in Westford has more than 500 species of butterflies. (Courtesy photos)

The Butterfly Place at Papillon Park in Westford, about 13 miles from here, is a 3,100-square-foot man-made atrium housing about 500 colorful butterflies, of 50 different species at any one time. Visitors can stroll the paths in the atrium at their leisure for close encounters with some of nature’s most colorful creatures.

In Lincoln, about 15 miles from Harvard, Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary features farm animals in a typical farm setting, as well as wildlife exhibits and a garden where visitors can learn about how various foods are gown. Visitors can take a hayride through the sanctuary for an at-a-glance view of the exhibits.

Alta Vista Bison Farm, about 20 miles away in Rutland, offers visitors a chance to see animals that once numbered in the millions in this country, making up a large part of the diet of the Plains Indians before being hunted to near-extinction by white hunters who made their way West in the 1800s. The farm’s store sells Native American crafts as well as bison meat (which is lower in fat and cholesterol than most meats that commonly make up the American diet today, including chicken).

A little farther out in Rutland is Overlook Farm, a learning center of Heifer Project International. Heifer Project’s mission is to end world hunger by providing people in need with a “hand up”—a way to become self-sufficient and self-sustaining by raising farm animals. Heifer provides training and then the animals, with the understanding that the recipient “pass the gift along,” providing offspring of some of the animals to others. The farm offers programs from two-hour tours to multi-day and weeklong experiences designed to challenge people to examine how their own habits, consumption patterns, and beliefs impact the global community.