If you are looking for the most eclectic store ever, you have to head to Dunrovin Country Store in Vass, NC, which is part store and was formerly part exotic animal sanctuary.
For more tips, planning your trip there, check out all of our post about the Sandhills region.
When my mom and I were heading to Moore County last summer, we were looking up things to do in the area and she found Dunrovin Country Store.
When I lived in Pennsylvania, I lived near a large country store.
Basically, it was like IKEA, but for knickknacks. There was a path with designated arrows that you had to follow to make sure that you didn’t get lost in the store.
There were sections with kitchenware and home decor and gifts. It was just filled to the brim with things to purchase, some of which I still have, decades later.
So when my mom found Dunrovin Country Store, I thought it would be similar.
It was not.
The store in Pennsylvania, and basically every store I’ve ever been to in my entire life, was not attached to an animal sanctuary.
Oh, that’s not a typo. Dunrovin Country Store was one part gift shop and one part zoo.
Unfortunately, the zoo portion closed in November 2024 because proprietor Patrick Milcendeau, at 72, was ready for a change.
The animals have been rehomed, however, you can still visit virtually with our post, which is based on our visit in July 2024 when we were in the area for Peach Week.
Dunrovin Country Store History
The Dunrovin Country Store was opened in 1950, making it Moore County’s oldest country store — and making 2025 its 75th anniversary. It just so happens to be the largest country store in the county as well.
It hasn’t always been a country store, though. Since the building opened 100 years ago, it has been a myriad of businesses, including a car shop, electrician, and beauty parlor before becoming the version of Dunrovin Country Store that stands today.
Currently, as a general store, you can buy wares like “penny” candy, dry goods, home decor, plants, specialty foods, and more. There’s a room upstairs with animal busts (plaster ones, not real ones).
Honestly, there’s a lot to look at.
It’s not an antique shop, but the store does aim for that traditional, old timey feel, with items like milk in glass bottles and honey sticks and a vibe that reminds you before, as Brooks Hadley would put it, “The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.”
The store went up for sale in January 2025, although I can’t find any information on if it sold yet.
Dunrovin Country Store Location
The store is located right off a main highway: U.S. Hwy 1 in Vass, North Carolina. This would seem out of place except I live near Tregembo Animal Park, which is a roadside zoo in Wilmington, North Carolina, also situated on a main highway.
Common sense would tell you that anything with animals should be tucked away, far off a busy roadway, however, well, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve seen this, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
I guess that’s why I don’t design zoos.
The shopping area of the store is located on the left side of the space, in a large two-story structure.
To the right is a small unassuming entrance that leads to the animal sanctuary portion of the shop.
Dunrovin Exotic Animal Sanctuary
The animal sanctuary, which closed in November 2024, much to the dismay of everyone in the area, operated on a donation only, honor system. That’s just a fancy way to say that it was free and you entered the zoo at your own risk.
The animal sanctuary, which operated as a non-profit, was amazing, by the way. It was way larger than you would expect from the road and filled with really unique animals like a capybara named Pistachio (Pete‘s favorite animal), ostriches, monkeys, a wallaby (which reminded me of Cougar Mountain Zoo in Washington), and more.
It wasn’t a petting zoo, and there wasn’t a way to feed any of the animals. It really was a space for animals to be admired while they exist in their homes and are looked after. Many of the animals were rescued from residents who were able to own exotic animals because the laws about that in North Carolina are pretty loose.
We actually spent much longer walking around than we had anticipated. Once we got inside, we forgot that we are at a store off of the highway. We really did get immersed in our surroundings and felt like we are at any other zoo.
Honestly, we should’ve expected something like this in Moore County because it is also home to Misty Morning Ranch, an ostrich farm, in Robbins, NC. That is actually a pretty unique farm because while you can “meet“ the ostrich there (although someone who works for the farm told me that the ostrich are jerks in general), they’re bred for consumption as opposed to an animal sanctuary, where the animals are living their best life — emphasis on living.
Dunrovin Country Store
So, with the sanctuary gone, right now, you’re just visiting for the store and its history.
The store was put up for sale in early January 2025, which area residents immediately noticed. However, according to multiple comments on Facebook, the store is not closing and is operating business as usual.
If I hear anything about new owners, I’ll be sure to update this post. But for now, you can still head there for items like Wilma’s snake oil — sold at the store for half a century. Now, before you laugh, the snake oil was made by Southern Pines resident Wilma Cunningham who died just six days shy of her 108th birthday.
Her obituary actually contains my favorite line ever in an obituary: “Preceded in death by nearly everyone, since she lived to almost 108, those of us still remaining will miss her dearly.”
So, sure, maybe you were heading for the animals, but perhaps just head over for the snake oil. Will it keep you alive until 107? Who knows. But it’s worth a shot (or whatever the appropriate serving of snake oil is).
Have you been to Dunrovin County Store? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.