We just moved to the area and found a great deal on Groupon. Ordered our tickets and went for Mothers Day. We really enjoyed ourselves. If I did have to say something negative it would be that the park really is not handicapped accessible, I had such a hard time pushing a wheelchair.
The animals are lovely and very playful. They are not shy and the greatest experience was seeing the beautiful white tiger named Zulema
In general it is good for small children. Unfortunately there is no variety of species and the facilities were neglected and dirty. The price is accessible and you can feed goats, llamas and deer
If you re looking for a normal zoo experience, this isn t it. It s a much more intimate experience where the animals are active and healthy, very good staff and a quiet environment. Happily donated after our trip! Paid for my girlfriend to be able to sit with and feed capybara, which made her entire week. I usually hate any zoos, but this one really cares for their animals.
Peacocks roam everywhere! Hilarious to be walking and hear a squawk about every area of the zoo. Will return next time in Austin!
Small but comfortable - the Austin Zoo is friendly and welcoming. There are not, thankfully, huge crowds, which is a welcome change from most other zoos I've been to.
Fabulous place, all rescue animals with stories on each of them. The animals seem very well cared for and happy. Staff is great. I love this little zoo!
The zoo is very well taken care of , nice for an afternoon walk.
Not the most modern or "realistic enclosures" for the animals, but decent enclosures. They get 5 stars because the large number of their animals are really rescue animals: wild boar with a club foot, groundhogs/prarie dogs that had socialization issues and fought each other after being raised as sometimes pets. Really dedicated and knowledgeable staff that truly loves these animals.
Its a rescue zoo so nothing compared to the glamorous Houston zoo. But good scenery anyways.
Great zoo!! My children were able to walk through the whole zoo without getting too exhausted. I ve been to other zoos that take forever to see everything. This one was just right. The kids had a blast. Definitely will be back.
Was a nice little place. They are priced like they are a huge zoo. A lot of the big animals weren t on exhibit. And no play area for the children. It was nice for a 1 time only visit
Animals looked in good condition and my nephew loved the train.
It was a fantasy and unforgettable imagination, people good attention in different areas
Nice place to vist when you are visiting Austin. Very awesome that they have free strollers for you to use.
A nice rescue center that is called a zoo. This place only has rescued animals but they have a fair share of them including lions, tigers and bears (oh my). Its an affordable trip that gives you a parenting opportunity to talk about the purpose of that zoo versus other zoos.
It's a rescue facility so there's no giraffes or rhinos. Great place to take the kiddos for a couple of hours though and you can feed the goats!
Couldn't see the animals because half were under vet care or to far off its personally not worth going there I would rather go to Waco zoo the animals seem happier and have a better enclosure
It's a fun place to get together with a family and watch those cute animals
Interesting rescue zoo. Loved the stories by each animal
Small zoo, some cages look like they haven't been cleaned, alot of the animal's didn't have water or cooling areas in the summer heat. Pro was feeding area was very fun for the kids.
Nice family outing location! We had fun esp when feeding the sheep. All the kids we saw there enjoyed the visit.
Been honest I expected more. It's so so. Nothing great
Small zoo enough to cater to my little ones. Its a nice place to have a picnic with freely roaming peacocks and chickens. My kids love that part of he trip. Though a small selection of animals as it is a rescue zoo and a non profit. We love it for that reason as you are not spending your towards branding and marketing overhead other zoos have.
I cannot say enough positive comments about this Organization.
The level of Kindness to Customers is astounding. The Level of Compasion for these Beautiful Animals will bring tears to your Eyes.
Do not expect the "Fluff" that all the other Zoos have. This is not an Organization primarily for the Guests, this is an organization that places its residents FIRST.
The Focus here is Rehabilitation and somewhere the precious animals can call a Forever Home!
I was humbled to see how much they truly care for the Animals here.
And again, Customer Service is Awesome!
Do not forget to ride the Train when you are there!
It is a small place but it has interesting animals.
This visit was for my great grandson's 1st birthday. The facilities were good, the staff was very helpful, and we all had a great time. The animals appeared to be well cared for and healthy or were under veterinarian care. This seems to be a fine place doing good work for the benefit of the animals.
Parking could be improved.
The Austin Zoo is great. They seem to really go all out to provide appropriate environments for their animals. The staff is helpful and friendly.
O my goodness it was so awesome for the kids they wants to go every day
A great place to go through multiple times, particularly in the morning when a lot of the animals are being fed. The enclosures have a good mix of places for the animals to hide and places for them to be seen.
i liked it but would have perferred to also see more animals
I personally like it. The zoo is a bit out of the way but, the price is reasonable and it's great to take someone with!
There is a really loveable donkey that really tugged at my heart. Never been to a zoo and I'm 27. I had a lot of fun.
A decent amount of animals and even ostriches. Nothing really likes to be pet unless you have some food aha.
But that donkey. You don't have to feed him at all (even though you aren't allowed to as well) but he just leans a bit on the gate and looks at you like, "rub on me!"
I had fun none the less. The cashier gave us a free paper map so we can plan our way out and circled what we could feed on it.
All and all. If you need a good date spot this is great. If you can control your kids it's great here too.
Gotta keep in mind these animals are rescued and all came from different backgrounds and must be respected with the rules.
Love this place. Everytime we go we have a blast. Today, Gabby was stationed around the goats and deer (feeding area) and she was so sweet and helpful and friendly. I just loved her. Hope we run into her again. The train is always a must for the 4 year old, and the gentlemen running the train are always so professional as well. I want to praise them for running another train ride. They usually do them at the top of the hour, but there were too many people to fit on the train, so they happily ran a second ride right after the first. It really made our day. Anyway, the animals are always well taken care of. They got a new bearcat which I enjoyed learning about. They have discussions about the animals and ask the workers in the zoo know about them. Like we had to leave because it was basically a time, but someone stopped and told us about the turtle talk that was about to start. Have also let us know the train was leaving soon. I just feel like the staff truly love what they do and are always there to help you. The animals are all rescue animals, so you're contributing to a truly wonderful cause with every visit... I just love this so. Can't wait to be back!
Very different than a big commercial zoo, but in a great way! Large habitats, not cages. Wander freely through the space rather than being shuffled along in crowds. Non-profit rehabilitation for animals rather than $8 soda and tons of people. No gimmicks, just animals. My family had a great time!
Absolutely loved it!! The little monkeys were quite a show.
Perfect for young kids! You can really get up close and personal with all the animals. Plus you don't feel like the animals are being exploited.
Very friendly staff and nice stroller accessible facilities. This is a rescue zoo that helps animals that have been rescued. All animals seemed to have adequately sized cages.
I really enjoyed the wildlife rescue zoo. At first I was expecting a typical city zoo, but realized Austin doesn t have a city zoo. This privately owned and funded zoo is doing a great job of providing homes for rescued animals. I enjoyed learning about the animals, but I especially loved reading about their stories. Some of the stories really tugged at your heart strings. I noticed they had some company sponsors, which is great too. They are doing a great job for being privately funded. If you need a place to sit while at the zoo I would recommend bringing a chair, because all the benches are blocked off due to COVID. They also require masks while outside even with social distancing so be prepared for the heat with a mask on. I would recommend bribing water. They do have a vending machine for water if needed. All the animals were well cared for and I felt like my ticket went to a good cause. Just come with the mindset of animal rescue and you will enjoy this zoo. Oh almost forgot they do have a train ride for $5 per person on top of your ticket where you can see more animals.
Had a great time with the family. Great zoo for younger kids (ours are 3 and 1.5, had a blast) as park is on the smaller side and can easily be completed in a few hours. Don't have to rush to try to get through the whole thing.
Food vendor trailer at sight seemed a bit sketchy, I would plan on eating before or after, but besides that a great experience.
This is a different kind of zoo. It focuses on rescue animals which is a cool concept for a zoo I guess. It's a great way to spend a couple hours. Unfortunately I didn't get to ride the train but I did check out just about everything else. There's a lot of big cats like cougars, lions, bobcats, and servals. There's a lot of wolves/hybrid wolves too. It's weird seeing them in cages because they look like huge dogs. The monkey section was pretty big too. I didn't get to see a giraffe or an elephant but that's fine it was still worth it. There's a "hands on" place where you can buy feed and give it to the goats.
It's ok. Very dusty and not so much green. Yes my daughter had fun because she seen animals, but I feel like they can at least do better on putting more green for the animals where there is not.
The animals look in good condition but they need more
We had a great time walking through the zoo. I was interested to learn that this was a rescue zoo. I would have liked to learn more about each animal's journey to finding their forever home at the Austin Zoo. I was happy to see the names of the animals on the information place. we enjoyed the train ride, especially the parts when we went by the animals. It was like a mini safari! There was a small food truck for concessions and the gift shop had a great selection of souvenirs and mementos.
First and foremost, this places is quite far and in a remote area. Therefore be ready to make the drive on twisty and narrow roads. Once you arrive it's in a nice location. It has more of a personal feel therefore it is not a big zoo like San Antonio's zoo. It might take you 30 minutes to 45 minutes max to see all the animals and feed some animals (sheep's, goats, lamas). The training ride is about 15 minutes long, it has nice views and it goes to the side of the zoo when its almost done, viewing a few animals on the way. Either way it's a ride that children mostly will love.
Staff is very nice and courteous.
This is the best zoo in my opinion to go! Everyone is nice there and all the animals are close up with visitors. Your able to watch lions eat a blood popsicle and the monkeys are very inactive with you. The goats are very fun to feed. Also the my spouse and I was able to watch the tiger pace back and forth stalking other people which is awesome to watch since the cages and walk paths are only a few feet away unlike other zoos where you stand almost half a mile away and try to find the animal hoping it s not hidden.
We went yesterday and actually considering going back again today instead of trying to find a popular attraction I. The Austin area.
Small but it was so great. A lot to see. Definitely coming back when we visit Austin.
Really cool animal sanctuary. Different feel from most zoos. So worth the trip.
Great little rescue habitat. Small but worth going to, animals actually are pretty active and you can get some pretty up close looks at them to compared to other zoo's. Highly recommend
It's not the biggest zoo but it's a good size considering all the animals are rescued from different places I don't think it was meant to be it zoo it just became one. Good staff seems they really like the animals.
Loved the rescued animal zoo, went with the whole family and had fun.
Minus the fact that there are no paved sidewalks throughout the park, it is a really good zoo and a fun place to take kids and adults alike. Hard to push a stroller but the fun makes it worth while. Second time I have been and I will return many times again.
Rescue zoo.. Great source of information and education... Support our zoo please
The Best zoo in the world! A true sanctuary with happy animals. Amazing place where you can feed llamas and deer!
It is a nice little zoo. The drive to it is pretty as well. Animals are friendly, and loved feeding some of them. Will definitely go back next time we are in the area.
Small zoo, previously rescue facility, making considerable improvements recently. Busy weekends, limited parking.
Awesome way to see animals up close and love feeding the goats and trian ride is fun for little ones
Lovely rescue zoo with a good variety of animals to see. Some animals you can feed, which is a hit with young children.
Friendly staff, beautiful animals and scenery, and a very fair admittance fee. Nice way to spend a few hours enjoying the hill country.
I really liked it, the only thing I was a little concerned about was the was no where to rest along the way, but really amazing outside of that.
By far the worst zoo I been too. Train ride is a rip off, unless you want to see cardboard cuts outs:(. Very ruough. Walk ways. :(
I only wish that I could get my side by side stroller thru the entry doors.
Definitely this place should be closed, it is in horrible condition dirty and neglected and very few animals in sight, sorry but it was a bad experience, the animals look sad and unkempt.
Definitely this place should be closed, it is in horrible condition, dirty and neglected and very few animals in sight, sorry but it was a bad experience, very expensive to see such a neglected place, the animals look sad and unkempt :(
It was a nice zoo with active animals. There was a train ride and lots of eating areas. Great place for kiddos. Staff was friendly. Recommend buying tickets online.
This is a rescue zoo in the hill country and it shows. Nothing fancy, but they really do care for the animals. They do have a train that goes around part of the park, just don't expect anything fantastic. Rugged terrain, unimproved tails, food trailers, and tucked into old winding country roads. Definitely a hill country experience. Great for kids and supporting good causes.
Having only ever experienced the hustle and bustle of "big" zoos, this was night and day better! Just more relaxed and family friendly. Kids loved the train ride. The cages are still "cagey", but since the animals are all rescued and surrendered animals, that makes it far less depressing. We had a fabulous time and will be back! Especially loved feeding the goats and the free, roaming birds!
Went on a deal from groupon . Enjoyed the zoo had a nice amount of animals to see. You will have a good time if you have kids. There are animals that roam free like the chickens and peacocks . And there is a spot that you can feed the animals if you buy a small feed bag at the entrance. This is a rescue locationbut the bears are a nice attraction when they hide the food in different locations and the bears climb the cage to find the hidden food.
Nice place not very good on wheel chairs all rock trails thru out
They are doing a terrific job here. Please join, your money goes to a great cause!
I love the Austin zoo. I like how they have all kinds of animals. I like how they have a petting zoo or you can feed the goats. I like how they have a train to.
The front counter staff was Amazing! My wife took me here to use my new camera. She had gone before and the paths were always close with limited distance restrictions. However, they seem to be changing that. The glass In the reptile house was dirty. The trashcans were full and surrounded by bees. The animals seemed very healthy and well maintained. I will likely give them another try come spring to see what's new. The worth here is feeding the animals as a family in the friendly part of the zoo.They are super friendly and love attention.
Did a good job with making sure people wore masks and not too many families around to make it crowded. Plexiglass between the train cars. Kind woman working the gift shop gave every child peacock feathers. It was a fun adventure!
Cover restrictions cause you not to be able see the all the animals. SMALL zoo. Pricey for the size but still worth the visit. They need support to improve the big animal water situation.
Wolves, Big cats, lots of monkeys, birds, Llama, reptiles, and lots of sheep and goats to feed!
I've been before I called about my wife having a medical condition not allowing her to wear a mask women at first on the phone said cdc was the reasoning after me quoting what they said she then changed to its because we want you to so changing story is way to childish be a little less upset if she wouldn't have lied at first and just been honest the first time wont be coming to visit ever again :)
I had a great time and I love how well they take care of their animals
Great little zoo where you can safely get close to their animals
austinzoo.org