Less than fifteen minutes from downtown Chattanooga, nine alpacas stand ready to greet new friends at Rosie Mae’s Alpaca Farm. The farm, which is owned and operated by Max and Maegan Lewis, came about from a somewhat unusual request from their daughter, Rosie.
“Rosie asked for alpacas for Christmas when she was three,” shares Maegan. “Of course, we told her no, but we did go and look at two local farms.”
In the process of visiting the farms, two very important things happened. First, Rosie fell in love with an alpaca named Vanna, who is now her best friend. Secondly, they found out that alpacas are hypoallergenic, which is a key component for Maegan and her allergies.
“When we saw how much Rosie loved the alpacas, we ended up buying them in December of 2019,” says Maegan. “At the time, we didn't have a barn or fencing, but thankfully, my husband is super handy. He built the barn and the first set of pastures, and we brought our alpacas home in April 2020.”
Over the next two years, Max and Maegan added a second daughter, Sparrow, to their family and continued to expand the space to include a boutique and coffee shop before officially opening to the public in November 2022.
Exploring the farm and meeting the alpacas is free. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy the ambiance as well as the many fun games available. The farm has plenty of outdoor seating, a play area for kids, and a small kid’s library, making it a great destination for family outings or gathering with friends.
For visitors who want a more hands-on and interactive experience, bags of alpaca feed are available for a just few dollars. “Alpacas are super unique, and they each have their own personalities, which is really fun to watch,” says Maegan. “Alpacas also don't have top teeth. They just have a dental pad up top and teeth on the bottom. They have a split top lip that they use like fingers, so they are very gentle.”
For those worried about an unhappy alpaca spitting at them, Maegan reassures, “They do spit at each other, and you can get in the crossfire, but it's not super common.”
The coffee shop serves fresh, locally roasted Mean Mug coffee, a selection of pastries, and gourmet popsicles while the boutique features alpaca products alongside wares from local vendors. “We have stuffed alpacas that are made out of real alpaca fiber and the needle felted alpacas. We also have other alpaca products such as blankets, socks, clothing, headwear, and keychains,” explains Maegan. “My favorite part, though, is that we have products by local vendors in our shop. These are small businesses that don't have a storefront, and so they're able to put their stuff in our boutique.” Items range from pottery and handmade cards to candles and hats.
For the Lewis family, life on the farm brings lots of joy. The family loves having a place for their own family, and others, to make life-long memories. “The animals themselves are amazing and it's just fun because kids don't get to see them every day. So, they get to experience how cool alpacas are,” shares Maegan. “We also love getting to meet so many people from all over the world. We've had visitors from every state and over 15 countries.”
Rosie Mae’s Alpaca Farm, located at 550 Old Birmingham Highway in Wildwood, Georgia, is open Monday-Thursday 8AM-12PM, Friday and Saturday 10AM-6PM, and Sunday 12PM-5PM. The farm can also be reserved for private tours, birthday parties, weddings, and other special events. For more information, visit rosiemaesalpacafarm.com and follow @rosiemaesalpacafarm on Instagram.
For the Lewis family, life on the farm brings lots of joy. The family loves having a place for their own family, and others, to make life-long memories.