Adventure & Relaxation at The Old Game Farm Inn

Update September 16, 2022: We stayed on the property described below in late winter of 2021. However, they now only accept bookings from groups interested in renting the entire estate, which includes six bedrooms and starts at $1,500 per night. They are currently not accepting individual reservations, except for their on glamping sites, which start at $135 per night. Access to the property is only allowed to guests staying at The Old Game Farm Inn.

On our most recent trip to the Catskills, Matt and I chose our destination based on where we wanted to stay rather than activities we wanted to pursue. It was early March, too icy for either snowshoeing or hiking, so we wanted an interesting destination that required little exploration beyond the boundaries of the property. We decided on The Long Neck Inn, a stylish hotel that was once a barn for giraffes, located on the grounds of an abandoned Catskills zoo.

Read on about the history of the once-thriving zoo and what our experience was like at The Old Game Farm and The Long Neck Inn. For more information on where to eat and what to do nearby, read my post on why you should visit the village of Catskill, NY.

From Thriving Catskills Game Farm to Abandoned Zoo to Boutique Hotel

The Catskill Game Farm opened in 1933. Over the course of 73 years, they evolved into a privately owned zoo that saw 10 million visitors and featured more than 2,000 animals, including lions, elephants, zebras, kangaroos, mountain goats, and giant tortoises.

Set on 200+ acres, the zoo attracted visitors from around the world until its closure in 2006. The 100+ animal shelters and other zoo buildings were abandoned and the sprawling land was left unused until 2012, when Ben and Cathy Ballone purchased and began to revitalize the property. The Ballones opened the grounds to public tours and then in 2019, renovated the former giraffe barn into The Long Neck Inn.

The property, now called The Old Game Farm, was sold once again in late 2020, this time to a group of private investors who have big plans for its future (see below for more about future plans). 

If my description interests you so far, then I strongly recommend booking a stay at The Long Neck Inn. The sense of curiosity and adventure that staying here evokes makes it a perfect destination for kids. The inn also manages to pull off a romantic vibe if you’re looking for a quiet couple’s escape. 

Sleep Where Giraffes Once Roamed at The Long Neck Inn

The experience begins immediately upon entering the inn from the parking lot. Whether you look right or left, you’ll be peering into the pens of the former long-necked residents.

The pen to the right is now a common area for guests, complete with games and spaces set up to work, dine, or simply sip coffee or a glass of wine while perusing zoo memorabilia, including historical signs hanging on walls left unpainted to retain the nostalgia of the giraffe house.

The signs are a throwback to the zoo’s heyday and one of the reasons I loved staying at The Long Neck Inn. For me, they created a sense of the past and made me feel almost as though I were watching a film dissolve into a flashback to the 1930s, complete with Depression-era music scratching out on a record player.

On that note, let me not forget another throwback to the giraffe house era: the slightly gamey smell of hay that hit me as soon as I walked into the inn. Matt did not smell this, so I’d be curious to hear from others about their experience. It wasn’t a bad smell, it just…smelled a little like a zoo. 

(The entire hotel was sparkling clean all weekend, so this is no reflection on cleanliness!)

Another charming relic are the spots on the walls, way up impossibly high near the ceiling, leftover from the giraffes rubbing their heads (see framed section of wall in the photo at the top of the post). Who knows, maybe one of the head rubs came from April the Giraffe, who was born here in 2002 and who later grew to fame when millions of people witnessed her giving birth at another New York game farm, via a live-stream. (Sadly, April passed away on April 2, 2021).

Onward to the kitchen, which is furnished with a huge farm table and stools, a refrigerator and stove for guest use, and all the pots, pans, and utensils you need to prepare a meal, if that is what you desire. I personally love the opportunity to fix my own breakfast and lunch when I’m traveling and then go all out for dinner at a nice restaurant. 

The Old Game Farm website provides information on where to eat nearby, and I also spotted—on the dining table in the common area—a list of restaurants that deliver to the inn.

There’s also a beverage station with complimentary water and other non-alcoholic drinks. Keurig coffee is always available and the innkeeper brews fresh coffee every morning. 

The most luxurious guest suite is the Giraffe Room and is located on the main floor. The additional four rooms are on the second floor; we stayed in the least expensive one–the Menagerie Room. As expected, it was small and perhaps could have used an additional hook or two to hang our towels on, but overall, the room suited us very well. 

It was warm and stylishly decorated and furnished with a comfortable queen-sized bed with a memory foam mattress and plenty of pillows for two. The traveler in me loved sleeping beneath the giant wall-sized map of the world hanging behind the bed. 

The rain shower head had good strong water pressure, and the environmental-friendly shampoo and conditioner were a nice touch and didn’t do anything weird to my hair like hotels products often do. There was also a mini-fridge and hairdryer. Our view out the window was pleasant—we could see the hot tub and beyond that, the woods. 

One thing to note—and there are signs around the inn acknowledging this—The Long Neck Inn is loud. The high ceilings and concrete walls don’t absorb noise so well, which means you can hear doors opening and closing, people walking up and down the stairs, and even distant conversations depending on the volume of voices. I always use earplugs when I sleep and my usual pair was all I needed against the noise. I strongly recommend planning your own noise-cancelling method if you think you’ll need it to sleep. 

• Address: 400 Game Farm Road, Catskill, NY
• Check the website for more information on rooms. Some are pet-friendly. The Elephant and Zebra rooms can be combined into adjoining suites.

Let Loose: Explore an Abandoned Zoo

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I booked a weekend at The Old Game Farm. I’ve always been drawn to ruins and abandoned places, which New York has plenty of, from the Ellis Island Hospital complex to the crumbling 19th century estate at Franny Reese State Park to Garner Arts Center, an old Hudson Valley factory that now serves as an artist colony.

Actually, one of my favorite destinations in the world is Angkor Wat in Cambodia but I knew that The Old Game Farm was certainly no 12th century temple built by a Khmer King. The zoo closed in 2006 and I wondered—was that even sufficient time for nature to have reclaimed the property? But ultimately, it was the enticement of visiting the past that attracted me. Recent or distant, there was still the promise of stepping into a bygone era. 

There are more than 100 abandoned buildings scattered far and wide over 200 wooded acres and we didn’t nearly see them all. We sometimes consulted a map of the grounds (available online and also provided in our room) and we sometimes left it to chance and just wandered.

We walked deeper and deeper into the old zoo, long after The Long Neck Inn was out of site. 

We passed a sign that led us to the African Section, where rhinos and rare antelopes lived. We saw a deep moat, now filled in with weeds, that separated the humans from the rhinos. Inside one building was a spiral stairway leading into such a dark abyss we couldn’t see what was at the bottom.

There was a tiny pink house that stood out against the icy landscape and pearl winter sky that the map told us was once an animal nursery. 

There was a building with a sign announcing both animal food and ice cream for sale. One small building looked like a house where fairies could live, except that the paint was peeling off in large chunks and the whole structure, even though made of concrete, appeared mid-way through the process of collapsing. 

One building had empty cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and stubbed out cigarette butts on a concrete floor already littered with unidentifiable debris. I imagined my teenage self and thought what a perfect place to come and sneak a smoke.

In the end, what I really enjoyed was the simple freedom of wandering around so much space, unsure of what we’d come across next. We explored the property on three separate occasions over the weekend and never came across the same area twice. 

We also had the grounds entirely to ourselves–one reason I love traveling in the off season. Other than the sound of our winter boots punching through the layer of ice-on-snow that the most recent weather cycle had created, there was nearly total silence.

How to Get to The Old Game Farm

The Old Game Farm is located in the town of Catskill, NY in the Northern Catskills. It’s about a two-hour drive from New York City and less than an hour from Albany, where the nearest major airport is. The closest Amtrak station is in Hudson, located across the Hudson River from Catskill. It’s possible to take a taxi or car share service from there but if possible, a car rental is the most convenient option. 

Amenities and Overall Experience

• The day before our arrival, I received a detailed email with precise driving directions, information on the self-check-in process, and a phone number to call or text with staff if I needed anything. The Long Neck Inn follows strict COVID-19 safety protocols, including masks, social distancing, and contactless room entry. 
• Shortly after we arrived, we met Moshe Toledo, the live-in Innkeeper. He was around all weekend to answer our questions, light a fire in the firepit in the evenings, and bring freshly baked goods (oh, the chocolate chip scones!) in the morning. 
• Again, the kitchen is fully equipped for cooking, and a list of restaurants that deliver is available onsite.
• There is free Wi-Fi throughout the inn.
• We had a view of the hot tub from our room so I was able to keep an eye on when it was occupied (in fact, I never saw anyone else using it during our stay). It was very clean and very hot and since the air temperature hovered in the 20s all weekend, I got a lot of joyful use out of it.

Glamping in the Catskills

Upscale camping is also possible at The Old Game Farm, which has partnered with Tentrr to provide four luxury tents, each located on secluded wooded sites. One is available year-round while the others are open from May – October. A lovely spot for camping in the Catskills. Prices start at $135 per night.

Upcoming Plans for The Old Game Farm

Since the purchase of the property in 2020, several news articles have been published detailing future plans. They include expanding the number of guest rooms available by converting additional buildings into hotel space (including the Equine Stable, shown above), building a miniature golf course and archery range, and bringing animals back to the grounds with the promise that they will be able to roam free and never confined to cages. 

Why You Should Visit The Old Game Farm

If you are anything like Matt and I, then you’re probably looking to shake off the stress and confinement of the past year. Maybe you’re craving a spring and summer in the great outdoors, while still remaining safely socially distanced. The Old Game Farm offers all of the ingredients for a perfect weekend escape to the Catskills. It’s also a good home base if you’re looking for hotels near Kaaterskill Falls or other nearby attractions.

More Information about Abandoned Places in NY

• While having coffee in the common area one morning, I picked up a copy of the book, “Abandoned Catskills: Deserted Playgrounds” by photographer Cindy Vasko. Her chapter on The Old Game Farm is very informative and her photographs—including the cover photo for the book—are absolutely beautiful.
• For a variety of destinations, read Atlas Obscura’s section on abandoned places all over New York State.