While reindeer don’t fly as they do in “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” and other holiday lore, they do have some pretty unusual characteristics that give them a magical feel. (See our box of reindeer fun facts!)
It may be surprising to discover that you can visit reindeer somewhat close to Chattanooga at The Reindeer Farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Anderson family purchased the farm, previously a soybean field, in 2019, when they built their home and started the four-year process of getting state approval for owning reindeer. Reindeer are highly regulated in Kentucky and Tennessee, which is one reason why The Reindeer Farm is such a rarity.
“We had always talked about wanting to have at least a small farm with animals and a way to give our kids a childhood similar to what we had growing up, and to get them away from social media and electronics as much as we possibly could,” Jessica Anderson says.
As for the reason behind the reindeer, she credits her love of Christmas.