Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary Reviews

The Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary is a wonderful place. They are a private non-profit zoo that rescues and rehabilitates animals. It's a small zoo, takes about 2 hours to go through the whole thing. They have a fun petting zoo for kids and you can buy food to feed the animals. You can also bring your own food and drinks . It's a great place for kids and adults!

It's a Farm Zoo!
Also not organized at all
Restroom not clean
They cut all Peacock tails and they are selling feathers in gift shop!

Seems like an exotic animal rescue that found a new life. Still, pretty nice . It's a small zoo and I'd recommend it if you've got time and a car while in Austin.

I didn't think it was worth the price. It's pretty small

My wife and I came up from Michigan and we're looking for things to do, so we went to the zoo. We had an absolute blast. The staff is very caring towards you Beautiful Creatures

Low key, no-frills zoo southwest of downtown Austin. Very cool that most of their animals have been rescued. Great place to take little ones to ride the train and feed some animals in the petting zoo area.

Very well organized, staff friendly, animsls look well cared for. Good times, we'll take the kids again.

It's so wonderful and super family friendly! Staff is AMAZING and knowledgeable about the animals and their condition(s). Overall great experience and I have gone twice. I do intend on going a 3rd :)

Great place to bring the kids. Plus, the Austin Zoo is wildlife rescue refuge dedicated to helping animals, not exploit them.

Lower your expectations if you have been to big city zoos. No Giraffes. Close views for tigers and lions though. You can sometimes hear wolves howl an hour before sunset.

I really enjoy this zoo it is a little smaller but is great for my young child as she gets to see everything before becoming too tired and wanting to leave. They also have a lot of informative little demos and all the staff are friendly and willing to stop and talk to you about the animals and maybe even point out there favorite one.

Took Gbaby here for her 4th Birthday.This place us a Wonderful place to visit .There were Lions, Tigers & Bears, LOL Very clean and the animals were very well kept

You can feel the animal probably in the closest vicinity over any other zoo in the US. Facilities are pretty worn down but who cares? They have enough animals and offer good experience to kids.

This was my first time to the Austin zoo. It is very unique and different from any other zoo I've been to. The meaning behind this zoo is really awesome. The employees and staff were very well educated about this zoo and very friendly. We've fed the Galapagos turtles. They were so friendly and so cute I recommend you and your family should do this as well. The lady that was helping us was named Val. (I think) she was very friendly, smart, knew all the animals,was down to help us even in the Texas heat. there was a lady on the phone I spoke to as well and I cannot remember her name but she was so sweet this morning and very helpful getting us signed up to feed the turtles.

Very cool place. The staff were friendly, informative and helpful. There were a good variety of animals, affordable snacks and rides, and free-wandering peacocks everywhere! It was a great time for me and my kids.

Sweet little zoo dedicated to rescue and rehabilitation. Great for kids and grownups, too. Nice little Austin gem!

Not commercial zoo. Decent selection of animals to see just wish they would have closed off the buildings the animals go in so we could have seen them. Were not able to see several of the animals because they were hiding. Also many of the enclosures are kinda far away making it hard to see. Overall nice to visit at least once. Train ride was nice as well.

It's not impressive if you go here thinking of it in a traditional zoo sense. However this is more of a rescue habitat.

That said you can really get great views of the big cats and the bears

Great to go with kids during covid. Everybody using masks, open place, and not so many people

Our Austin plans got cut short a bit so we were looking for something fun to do and happened upon this zoo. I don't think I've ever seen such a wide range of animals all together. It was also cool seeing the peacocks just walking freely through the park. If you're in Austin and you have the time, definitely make this one of your stops.

Large cats and bears! It's a lot more than you would expect and a lot of fun! Kiddos loved feeding the animals!

This Zoo seriously sucks. It's really small and they don't have hardly any animals. It was a waste of time and money if you ask me (even though it was only $10). I mean seriously, this is all that Austin, Tx. has to provide. I come from Wichita, Ks and they even have a zoo that is about 20x (literally) the size of this zoo and about 50x as many animals. The staff were great and very nice, but I just cannot get over the fact there are hardly any animals and it is so small. Austin should look into providing its residence more because they deserve it.

Nice zoo, like the layout of the zoo and easy to walk through the zoo.

Very cool little zoo/animal sanctuary. Fun way to kill a couple hours.

This place is a FANTASTIC animal sanctuary and my first (and only) choice for a kid party venue, every year!!

Good exercise walking around the zoo! Be prepared to walk alot so dont go on a very hott day like I did

Having been born and raised in Austin, I have been to the zoo a number of times. But I had never really BEEN TO THE ZOO until my last visit with coworkers for a team day.

It was an incredible experience!

When I was younger I would go around and be amazed at the animals due to their sheer size. When I was a teen I thought the entire zoo was kind of small and pathetic compared to other zoos I had visited. But when I went this last time as an adult, we had a private guided tour with a woman who is seriously the Zoo Whisperer. She knew each of the animals personally, told us the stories about all of them and because she has such a relationship with them, they all ended up coming up right within arms length.

Reading the information by the habitats is a lot different than hearing someone passionate about these rescues speak about it. If you can afford the private tour, it is absolutely worth it.

That experience definitely changed my opinion of this zoo and I am glad that we have something as incredible as that in Austin.

While this small zoo is lacking in many areas, its efforts in rescuing and saving animals in danger is commendable.

One of the down to earth zoos. It was super rainy and cold so we were basically the only ones there! Such a cool experience! My favorite bird lives there and I will be back to visit again.

A lot of people are disappointed by this place, but it's misunderstood. It really is more of a refuge for injured animals. I like it because they're taking great care of animals that regular zoos have given up on.

It's a small zoo but it has all the elements. Really liked it. Lots of peacock roaming freely, tiger,lion,cougar and many more. Don't miss train ride

We love visiting the Austin Zoo! It's a rescue zoo, meaning the animals at this zoo were either found in bad situations or were otherwise surrendered and in need of a forever home. We visited this morning and my young kiddos especially loved the monkeys, peacocks, tortoises, lions, tigers, bears, and parrots. We appreciated the measures that the zoo is taking for safety during these Covid-19 times (masks for everyone 2+, hand sanitizer and hand washing stations, efforts to reduce touch surfaces, etc.). There's also a train ride for kids, and an area to feed goats, and they have various food trucks on-site. It's a fun afternoon!

Came here for my friends kids birthday and it was super fabulous! I enjoy going to the zoo, this is a different type of zoo than most people are used too. The zoo is smaller than most, but it's also more laid back and casual to me. It is more of a re-homing facility for animals who have a long back story. They are definitely doing good work here! All the animals seem to be enjoying their time and they are getting love. I think it is much different than a standard zoo but it's also different in a good way. It is a non-profit and to me I think they are doing very good things for the animals and educating the children in our area. I noticed it might be difficult to get around for those who have strollers and or wheel chairs, they gravel is a little tough and there are some dips and holes, but I don't mind watching where I walk. I feel like they are spending the money on the right things. I think it's a great place to take children! The birthday party pavilion was great! It was very cool in there and plenty of space. The staff was super friendly and helpful! If I had kids I'd bring them back here often, I'd probably even take guests who are animal lovers here to visit as well!

The parking lot is not paved, but we didn't have issues coming in a car. Just something to keep in mind for those who have low cars, etc.

Nice little zoo. Love that they have the peacocks just roaming around.

Beautiful place to visit! Not to expensive and there's a lot to see! I loved the free roaming Peacocks and chickens and I really loved feeding the animals!

I visited this zoo today. They honored the Groupon deal. Not sure what I was expecting but what I got definitely was not it. Most of the animals could be seen on a farm. The biggest thrill was the lion and tigers. Great for small kids (4 and under) but I would not recommend it to an older crowd. Whole zoo can be explored leisurely in 1.5 hours.

The zoo is very small, but we had a great time and the animals were very active. The lions were playing with each other, and the bears were climbing the cage to grab their food at the top. It was great seeing the animals play around.

I love this place I also like that they help animals and the workers where helpful its my favorite zoo

A very clean, very sweet zoo that will occupy a couple of hours of your time.

Great place to bring the kids and see some wild life.

Great place to take younger kids. Not the biggest zoo ever, but that's why it's great for toddlers! Lots of cool animals and wonderful feeding opportunities!

Kids loved seeing all the animals...zoo could really use funding for larger spaces to house lions, bears, and other animals... Lots of protesters today... Thanks to all caretakers who work so hard there & share their time and knowledge with visitors...

Small zoo but very intimate experience with the animals. Would definitely go again.

AWESOME!!!! More of a natural style zoo vs the commercialized type. The animals seem happy and the Staff is always so friendly and informative

Fun spot to hike around with the fame.. Also cool place for photo shoots or to check out some cool street art.. Grab a camera and explore.That is so much awesome.

300 Animals all rescued or surrender. Wonderful fun place, they have a train and food in the gift shop for llamas and deer.

Super sad animals , well ,...no animals, in a lot of cages, I dont like this zoo

It was not what I expected. It's very small and low budget. The staff seemed to care for the animals.

So fun! Great place to take the kids. Just know that the animals are much more active in the early morning hours and late afternoon. They sleep during the day!

The kids had a wonderful time here feeding the animals. If you have little ones this is the perfect size Zoo for them. The train ride is cute as well. It only took 2 hours to see everything once and we took our time while they did all the walking. So I made them walk it twice hahaha. You can get snacks and a great gift from the gift shop on the way out. The staff is extremely helpful and close to answers questions about the animals. Everyone that works there is nice and friendly. Great adventure for the children and I enjoyed it myself.

Small but we'll maintained all animals here are resucued... go support it...

Austin Zoo is located at 10808 Rawhide Trail, avoid at all cost , question every 5 star review. The one and only run down restroom,and over priced food truck here at the entrance is the least of any concerns of this location. Besides small drinking bowls, the turtles had no way to cool off besides hiding out crammed into small huts. The lack of water resources also go for the k-9s,and cats which had only a few inches of water in a blazing hot metal container to lay down in, besides the tiger. All animals,besides goats are lethargic and clearly not comfortable. Knowing that this zoo is a rescue one , makes one believe that a peaceful death would be a better option then to live in these inadequate, run down ,enclosure conditions. If the owner of this facility cannot provide a true sanctuary for the animals through donations, admission fees ,and gift shop purchases ,then the zoo should no longer take animals in. If I can't provide adequate accommodations for my pets cats/dogs,then they get taken away, if not adopted then put down. Cameron zoo is a much better non profit choice all around, and worthy of the drive, it also has a aquarium . These are just a few of the observations that my wife discussed. I hope that people start being more truthful with rating on this place.

The zoo itself is fairly nice and has an array of different animals. However, if you are worried about social distancing, people wearing masks, etc., you won't find it here. There seems to be no enforcement or encouragement to wear a mask or stay away from groups of people. I understand that they may be understaffed, but I believe more signage around the park would help encourage more compliance.

I noticed that most of the animals we're tired the zoo is falling apart go help them plz also there are a lot of trips g hazards my nephew almost fell but I tried numerous times

Lots of kinds of animals, just the right size to go with small kids not too big, loved the train ride. Worth the trip.

Smaller than most zoos. All animals are rescues. Happened upon feeding time at 2:30 so able to see most animals. Very friendly, helpful staff. Great train ride.

Several animals were not out, but it was "chilly". Maybe they were in their enclosures where they couldn't be seen.

Good zoo for the price, they have Lion's, tiger's, and monkey's. Also smaller animals too and reptiles. Also a mini train for a additional charge.

Cool little zoo. Definitely not what you would expect from a zoo though if you have been to the San Antonio or Houston zoos

All of the bad reviews are from people that don't actually like conservation or animals. This zoo is bangers and a really cool place to go to outside of Austin. The free roaming peacocks added to the overall vibe. I saw a zookeeper snuggling a chicken. 10 out of 10, will return.

This was a completely random trip, but were pleasantly surprised during our trip to the Austin Zoo. All the animals look happy and healthy, and it s a great way to spend an afternoon.

LOVED this Zoo! Perfect size for kiddos (not too big not too small) and a rescue zoo at that! Fair priced admission. Food available to feed some animals for I think $2.50 a bag. Most animals are out and about most of the time. Train is simple but cute and fun for kids - that's what counts. The mission of this zoo is wonderful and obviously shared among employees. This place makes my heart smile!

The zoo was lovely. Quite a great amount of rescued animals. They are loved! The pathways are not very wheelchair friendly. My strong son did a good job pushing me around.

I had a pleasant day there, even though the tortoise didn't come out. One of the tigers charged at the fence and growled at a bunch of kids - it was pretty great. Go when it's consistently above 60 degrees if you want to see the tortoise.

UPDATE: I went back and saw the tortoises!

I was at the zoo last week with my family, and overall I had a good time, until I got to the ostriches. There seems to be something seriously wrong with them. I don't know how many there really are, but out for display were four huge birds in a very small space. All of them were missing feathers, I don't know if they fight or if thats something they do to themselves. I'm disappointed in a rescue zoo allowing their animals to live in that kind of conditions. One of the reasons I decided to go to this zoo was I thought that the animals would be taken care of better, but I guess not.

This zoo is like someone said really underestimated! It's a fun place with really great people who love their jobs. The animals seem really happy and the zoo keepers are knowledgable on their stories and the animals themselves! Really great place for kids or a fun date.

I was really surprised at how small this zoo was being that it s in a big city.
Quickly I understood that the animals are all rescued from poor situations or other zoos that couldn t keep them. That is really neat. You can get extremely close to the animals. The reason I m giving 3 stars is because some of the animals had trash in their cages. That made me sad. One had a target bag, one had a frozen dinner box and some napkins and another had a Wendy s bag... I was confused by why they would have this trash in their habitats.
Other than the trash, it was an interesting zoo. It was cool to read the rescue stories of each animal.

We have been here twice. I'm amazed that you can take a closer look at the animals specially lion and tigers

Not sure who rated this 5 stars but I was not pleased at all. This zoo was very old not a lot of animals to look at and the train ride was the worse thing of them all.

Very fun zoo to take the kids to. The sprawling layout is sure to wear the children out.

This is now my favorite zoo. I grew up going to the Houston zoo and when I went to the Austin zoo I was amazed how close I was able to be near the animals. I took incredible pics of the animals. I think it is awesome to know all the animals are rescued. The staff and volunteers we so friendly and kind. My 2 yr old granddaughter had a blast and I think a big reason is because she could actually see all the animals.

Best zoo ever! A little "rough around the edges" compared to other zoos though. Your money really makes a difference there, so try to leave a little donation on the way out.

One of our favorite places to spend an hour or a few. Nicely shaded and animals are always well keep. They also have a train available for additional purchase.

Worst experience. Boo at the zoo was a joke. Poor visibility of the animals that we were allowed to "see". If your establishment couldn't offer much then don't offer anything. The director said you could feed the animals...goats? Really. Go somewhere else. Don't waste your money on this place.

Loved the zoo. I stopped going to zoos years ago because I didn't like the sad animals I cages. I often thought up the worse stories of how they got there. This zoo is an animal sanctuary and the animals have all been rescued from circuses or forfeited as pets. These animals cannot be released back into the wild and that makes me feel so much better about visiting a zoo. The caregivers are so nice and knowledgeable and make it a really fun experience. You can tell they really care about the animals and aren't just doing it for a paycheck. During my visit, it was goat bathing time. It was hilarious to see the staff trying to catch the goats for bath time.