WELCOME TO THE HERD

Welcome to The Big Purple Barn in Bowie, Maryland!

We provide a permanent home with a lifetime of compassionate care for special needs horses, ponies, minis (all equines), as well as sheep, goats and pigs.

Our residents, in turn, provide opportunities in our community for people to make meaningful connections with our animals.

We are a nonprofit organization that is dependent on the generosity of our friends and donors; and with YOUR help, we can keep our commitment to the animals in our care.

Please come on in and explore the variety of residents that call us home and see the different ways YOU can help!

GIVE TODAY

Sponsor an Animal!

It is always a great time to join our sponsorship teams!

Help us care for one of our resident animals and we can help you make a meaningful and memorable connection with your gift!

Sponsorships are tax deductible as allowed by law.

We are a 501C3 tax exempt organization, FEIN #45-5022618

Sponsor Now

Community Connectivity

Our community has always been a integral part of our continued success and evolution and we thank you for being a part of our organization and continued success of our mission. We strive to take an active role in our community and provide services and programs that are mutually beneficial in supporting our animals and neighbors.

As a small, community based non profit, we are at a disadvantage with larger organizations with larger fundraising budgets.

We have been helping animals in our Bowie, MD location for over 20 years.
We have been a 501C3 nonprofit for over 10 years.
We are the first Horse Discovery Center to be recognized in Prince Georges County by the Maryland Horse Industry Board in 2014.
Our programs not only help animals, but provide education, access and opportunity for our community members.

Give Now!

Community Gardening MANURE - Our animals provide high quality manure and organic materials for composting. Our manure bin always has FREE manure! You can come collect as much as you can take as long as the gates are open.

School Commmunity Service Hours- We have a variety of ways local students can get involved and satisfy their community service requirements. Please check out our volunteer page for more information!

Open House Events- Please be sure to follow us on Facebook and check out our events page to learn more about our event season and schedule for both on site and off site events!

Tours- We offer private, customized tours for individuals and small groups as well as corporate events and summer camp group sessions. Bring you family, your friends, your workplace family or your campers!

Legacy Youth Summer Camp- We are bringing back a limited number of camps for 2025. Watch here for news!

PLEASE NOTE:

We are CLOSED every Sunday for programs and visits.
All activities are by appointment only.
NO PETS ALLOWED
Fence line visits to our welcome area are permitted
daily between 8am and 6pm unless the gates are closed
or we are hosting an event.

ALL VISITS, TOURS AND ACTIVITIES ARE
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

PLEASE CONTACT US TO SCHEDULE.

Official Merch!

Supplied by Gingerbread House Zoo Crafts

We are pleased to partner with a LOCAL, WOMAN OWNED business to provide you with the official on demand merch that supports the animals!

Tees, tumblers, pens, hoodies and more! Show your pride and support for the horses, sheep, pigs and goats. She offers seasonal, limited edition and fully customizable items as well!

Buy Now!