Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Side profile of the bomb prototype.
Petwood Hotel Bouncing Bomb
RAF Harrington
RAF Harrington
The Beaux-arts interior with Pool layout still visible.
Écomusée du fier monde
Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
about 7 hours ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
1 day ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
1 day ago
The first photo of the “woolly devil” made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Michigan Newberry Oswald's Bear Ranch

Oswald's Bear Ranch

Two dozen rescued bears roam (mostly) free at the largest bear ranch in the U.S.

Newberry, Michigan

Added By
Allison Middleton
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
A black bear on Oswald’s Bear Ranch.   Rachel Kramer/CC BY 2.0
A black bear on Oswald’s Bear Ranch.   Rachel Kramer/CC BY 2.0
“See Bears.”   All Things Michigan/CC BY-SA 2.0
Yearling black bears climbing trees.   All Things Michigan/CC BY-SA 2.0
Bear cubs are protected by a fence around their habitat.   All Things Michigan/CC BY 2.0
A bear in a swimming hole at Oswald’s Ranch.   All Things Michigan/CC BY 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Oswald's Bear Ranch is the largest in the United States, with roughly two dozen rescued bears. They live in huge enclosed habitats that visitors can observe from viewing platforms. The cubs have their own smaller habitats, complete with a waterfall for them to play in.

Dean and Jewel Oswald opened the ranch to the public in 1997, though they had been taking in orphaned bear cubs for 13 years before that. Dean, a former firefighter, had previously been a bear hunter but decided he would "rather save them than hunt them" after his retirement. 

Though the ranch found itself in controversy when an attorney reported seeing visitors feeding Froot Loops to bears, which led to a complaint from Michigan's Fish and Wildlife Department, forcing a brief closure. However, the Oswalds have repeatedly been commended on their safety provisions for both humans and animals alike on the ranch, where visitors can walk about and see bears much as they would be in the wild.

Related Tags

Bears Animals Fauna

Know Before You Go

Admission is $20 per vehicle or $10 per individual, cash only. For a further fee, you can get your picture taken with one of Oswald's bear cubs.

Community Contributors

Added By

allisonjwallace

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson, Stareagle

  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • Stareagle

Published

January 5, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2013/02/former_bay_city_firefighter_ow.html
  • http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/01/feeding_fruit_loops_to_bear_cu.html
Oswald's Bear Ranch
13814 County Rd 407 (H-37)
Newberry, Michigan
United States
46.430748, -85.591921
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Tahquamenon Falls

Paradise, Michigan

miles away

Top of the Lake Antique Snowmobile Museum

Naubinway, Michigan

miles away

The Seney Stretch

Seney, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Michigan

Michigan

United States

Places 268
Stories 28

Nearby Places

Tahquamenon Falls

Paradise, Michigan

miles away

Top of the Lake Antique Snowmobile Museum

Naubinway, Michigan

miles away

The Seney Stretch

Seney, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Michigan

Michigan

United States

Places 268
Stories 28

Related Places

  • Bruno.

    Munich, Germany

    Bruno the Bear

    The taxidermy remains of the first brown bear to enter Germany in 170 years.

  • A brown bear in the Alutaguse forest.

    Palasi, Estonia

    Brown Bear Watching Hide

    Two well-hidden huts let animal lovers spend the night among the bears, wolves, and other predators of the forest.

  • Knut the Polar Bear

    Berlin, Germany

    Knut the Polar Bear

    Berlin's beloved bear is immortalized at the Museum für Naturkunde.

  • Smaller Old Bear Casle

    Helsinki, Finland

    Old Bear Castles of Korkeasaari Zoo

    These historical landmarks stand as reminders of the evolution of animal care and conservation.

  • Charlton, Massachusetts

    Grave of Grizzly Adams

    The final resting place of a man who claimed that he could tame even the mightiest of bears.

  • A view of the enormous centerpiece of African animals

    Ritzville, Washington

    Lasting Legacy Wildlife Museum

    A diorama lover's dream world.

  • Topi

    South Sudan

    Topi of Boma National Park

    Every October, one of the largest migration of mammals in the world thunders through Boma National Park.

  • Koala Conservation Reserve

    Rhyll, Australia

    Phillip Island Koala Conservation Reserve

    A conservation sanctuary for rescued koalas, some of which were saved from devastating Australian bushfires.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.