At the alaska state fair there was a reptile exhibit, and they did shows where one of the animals they showed off was a 5-6 foot gator. Not huge, but big enough to do damage if it got annoyed.

They let kids hold it, and the gator didn't even have its mouth restrained, as is often the case when letting the public handle crocodilians.

The alligator was incredibly well behaved, more than I could ever have imagined.