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
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Loading...

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 California Palo Alto The Donkeys of Barron Park
AO Edited

The Donkeys of Barron Park

The world's most famous donkey lives in this pen.

Palo Alto, California

Added By
dianemwu
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Perry   Gazebo/CC BY-SA 4.0
The Donkeys of Barron Park   Alex/CC BY 2.0
Park sign.   Eirik Gumeny / Atlas Obscura User
Donkey mailbox   Amelia Bellows/CC BY-ND 2.0
Donkeys from afar   Dicklyon/CC BY-SA 4.0
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Time-line   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Children’s artwork   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Ways to show support   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In a wee pasture tucked between a hospital and a suburb in Palo Alto, California, there are two donkeys named Perry and Buddy. While these simple donkeys seem like nothing more than a pair of odd community pets, one of them is actually a sort of movie star.

If Perry (the smaller of the two) seems familiar, it may be because he was the model for "Donkey" in the Shrek movies. In addition, during Perry's previous life he served as a companion donkey for horses that needed to be calmed down by his mellow presence. While Perry has been called "the world's most famous donkey," his companion Buddy, a 21-year-old brown donkey of no particular fame, keeps him humble.

 The two donkeys spend their days doing donkey things like eating hay and braying, and will also come up to the gate to be petted by visiting children (and adults). The donkeys even receive fan mail in a mailbox by their corral, and can be spotted going on walks in nearby Bol Park with volunteer handlers each Sunday morning.

Visitors will also see a nameplate for Mickey, a donkey who passed to greener pastures in 1998. Mickey was the last of the Bol family donkeys, the herd of donkeys that originally lived on this land in the 1930s, and who were famous themselves for escaping and walking around town in an orderly line. Who could have guessed that Palo Alto had such a rich donkey history?

The Atlas Obscura Podcast is a short, daily celebration of all the world's strange and wondrous places. Check out this episode about the Barron Park donkeys.

Related Tags

Donkeys Animals Parks Film

Know Before You Go

The donkeys live along the bike path between Bol Park and Gunn High School. From the playground structure at the park, head south on the bike path about 200 yards. Immediately after you cross the bridge the donkeys will be on the right.

Children,  as well as adults, are encouraged to draw pictures or write a mail to be deposited in a provided mailbox. Feeding the donkeys is highly discouraged.

Community Contributors

Added By

dianemwu

Edited By

SEANETTA, derecognize, EricGrundhauser, Eirik Gumeny...

  • SEANETTA
  • derecognize
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Eirik Gumeny
  • CoolCrab
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

February 27, 2015

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.cyberstars.com/bp-news/mar97/history.html
  • http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Barron-Park-s-warm-fuzzies-Resident-donkeys-a-2569424.php
  • http://www.rosettastoneinc.com/california/donkeys/
The Donkeys of Barron Park
3540 Laguna Ave
Palo Alto, California, 94306
United States
37.411331, -122.139441
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Lockheed Martin Solar Astrophysics Laboratory Lobby

Palo Alto, California

miles away

Nikola Tesla Statue

Palo Alto, California

miles away

The Frenchman's Tower

Palo Alto, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Palo Alto

Palo Alto

California

Places 10

Nearby Places

Lockheed Martin Solar Astrophysics Laboratory Lobby

Palo Alto, California

miles away

Nikola Tesla Statue

Palo Alto, California

miles away

The Frenchman's Tower

Palo Alto, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Palo Alto

Palo Alto

California

Places 10

Related Stories and Lists

The Shrek Donkey of Barron Park

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

Related Places

  • It is where canine couple Pongo and Perdita meet for the first time in the Disney classic ‘101 Dalmatians’.

    London, England

    Queen Mary's Garden

    The rose garden in Regent's Park where Pongo and Perdita met for the first time in Disney's "101 Dalmatians."

  • A cat in Parque John F. Kennedy

    Lima, Peru

    Cats of Parque Kennedy

    In the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores in Lima, a pretty little park is home to dozens of cats.

  • Home for Retired Playground Animals

    Queens, New York

    Home for Retired Playground Animals

    A menagerie of concrete animals brought together from across New York City's parks.

  • Johnson Beach, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

    Pensacola, Florida

    Johnson Beach

    A pristine beach on the Gulf of Mexico with deep ties to Pensacola’s Black community.

  • Skippy

    Boston, Massachusetts

    'Frogs in Common'

    Created by a local artist, these quirky sculptures each have their own names and personalities.

  • Walla Walla, Washington

    Pioneer Park Aviary

    The oldest city park in Walla Walla is home to hundreds of birds, from wood ducks to white peacocks.

  • Young donkeys in the field

    Dampierre-sur-Boutonne, France

    Asinerie du Baudet du Poitou

    A public center dedicated to showcasing and conserving the enormous shaggy Poitou donkey.

  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Allen Park

    This former wildlife sanctuary is being transformed into an art park.

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.