Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary Review

Very cool place !! Non profit zoo, up close to the animals, keepers talk about different animals every 30 mins or so. GO BY AND DONATE !!!

This is a rescue sanctuary zoo so you can feel a little bit better about viewing animals in cages. You can get up very close to most of the animals, some of them you can even feed and touch.

Beautiful scenery reflected the beautiful mission of this zoo. All are rescues or animals surrendered from private collections. We stopped at the info center on our way into Texas and got one free bag of feed with a voucher, but they're only $3 and can feed plenty of the adorable animals they allow you to feed. The facilities were rustic, but it fit the vibe of the location, the zoo is situated outside a residential area in a hill and valley area, which makes it feel like a safari more than a zoo. The staff were all amazing and helpful, and knowing the core mission of the facility made seeing those animals so much more heartwarming. I will absolutely be returning

This zoo is wonderful! The creatures of this zoo are rescue animals. This is a great place for a family outing and the profits are used to help rescue animals.

The Austin Zoo is a delightful rescue that houses a wide variety of both wild and domestic animals. You can walk around the facility and see lions and wolves or go to the petting zoo area where you can feed goats and sheep. I have gone many times because I enjoy the walk and being so close to the animals is something that many zoos no longer offer.

However, I removed a star for the customer service. As a donor and patron of the Austin Zoo, I noticed that the restrooms could use an update. They are not well maintained, especially for people who bring small children and are looking for cleanliness in the women's restroom. I politely asked on Instagram if there are any future plans to upgrade the bathroom facilities and I was blocked. My inquiry was not offensive and I think visitors to the zoo should be able to ask these type of questions to a business they frequent quite often.

The Austin Zoo should consider finding a new social media manager because blocking people who love the organization and want to see the animals on social media for simply asking a question is not good policy. I am disappointed that a page that has around four thousand followers would be so flippant in blocking those who truly support and donate as much as they can.

We went for Boo at the Zoo and had a really good time. Except this year it was really busy and it was really hard to do anything because of the long line

Great time. Small town zoo that cares for their animals. Very family friendly!

Amazing zoo. So glad we took the drive out to see it. All rescue animals being really well cared for makes for a great experience. They were even acclimating an elderly pigmy goat to her new Walker to help her get around and invited people to feed her.

Pretty fun little zoo. Monkeys, lions, bears and more. Could be a great family outing

This is a great rescue zoo. I love that it is a smaller size, making it easy to walk around to all the different habitats. The roaming peacocks are also so fun for the kids. The animals are all easily viewable and up close. My kids love it! Fun little train ride!

Very pricey in my opinion for what they offer even before covid measures. One of the covid precautions is to rope off areas and it makes it harder to see the animals. Next time we will drive further to another zoo.

Great place with interactive exhibits where you can pet some animals. Staff is very friendly and informative

Animal Sanctuary its all for a good cause, kids loved it.

Nice place ... There is a white tiger and lion here

We received a groupon for the Austin Zoo. It is a small cute zoo. My husband & I enjoyed ourselves. Some of the animals were sleeping, so we didn't get to see all them. We didn't mind because the employees informed us of this. =) And I love the fact they rescue animals!!

We had the best time ever.. we stayed 3 hours there.. we are from Dallas and want to go back again... I tell every one how wonderful it was

This is a very small rescue zoo and is located quite a ways outside of Austin.

We were lucky enough to get a private tour thanks to a GHA/Omni Local Experience and really enjoyed meeting its Director, Patti Clark.The Zoo has the admirable mission of 'not existing at all' since without abused, injured and abandoned animals to rescue, it wouldn't need to be here.

Patti could relay every story of each animal on our tour, and although many of its inhabitants were transfers from closed pet stores and zoos, the majority were exotic pets from owners who never considered what happens when a bear, panther or alligator grows up. This zoo is the final destination for these animals where they get to live out the rest of their days without transfer.

While there are no giraffes, polar bears or theme park rides, there's an enthusiastic and friendly staff caring for several hundred animals that otherwise most likely would have been euthanized. This non-profit is continuously building new enclosures and facilities and hosts daily programs and talks for kids and adults alike, in its effort to house animals from the 40-50 calls they get every month.

Austin Zoo is not a flashy place and doesn't have multi-million dollar enclosures and exhibits. You can see your entrance fee and donations in action, and the focus is on providing the best possible support for rescued animals. I'd strongly recommend visiting - kids will always love a trip to the zoo - but for adults the ethical mission is the real draw.

Small zoo, but very nice. We love that its a rescue zoo. My 2 yr old daughter loved the train ride and feeding the animals.

The website makes it clear that this is more of a conservation effort than a traditional zoo, and staff there are keen to share information on the animals. Kids loved the train ride (additional pricing) and we spent a fun morning here.

It's much better than your average zoo, the animals seem quite happy.

Its a great place to take your children but if you want to see lots of animals not the best place.

No elephants, no giraffes, little number of animals

Sweet place, it's a rescue, non-profit zoo... Lots of really interesting animals! Super friendly staff & great train ride for kids & adults!!

We love the Austin Zoo! We are from out of town. When we visit my sister and brother in law, we always come to the zoo. And support there efforts in the care of the animals.

The zoo staff is friendly and informative. My family enjoyed our time and I that these animals have been rescued or surrendered. I would love for the animals to be in their normal habitat but I'm grateful that they are being taken care of here instead of worse.

A very nice little zoo/sanctuary. :-) The best part is that you get to see the animals a lot closer than you can at other places. The bear cubs were really cool to see.

We go a couple times a year and our kids still haven't outgrown it, great family times.

It was not as expected. I was hopeful due to the 5 star rating. Alot of cages were empty and due to barriers it was hard for my 4 year old granddaughter yo see what animals were there.

We really liked the zoo, especially my 8 yr old daughter lived it. Also getting to feed the animals was the best part.

Warm welcome when you step in. They are a rescue zoo and need donation/sponsor. The place is clean, it can be a it difficult for strollers. A lot of cages though, which would probably be better if it was open like houston zoo.

I absolutely LOVE how they take in and rehab all the hurt animals. I'm not one who is terribly excited about typical zoo's and keeping animals from their natural habitat, but when they are doing it for the right reason, and rehabbing the injured, I am all for it. Way to go, we donated to y'all and keep doing what you are doing!

I haven't been in several years; I wasn't very impressed at that time. WOW! The change is like day and night ! The enclosures are new, clean and spacious. The variety of animals is remarkabie. I felt like the ~ $ 12 admission was a bit steep, but when I saw all the improvements, all my misgivings went away. The staff appear to be quite conscientious and the animals appear to be in no distress. A great experience.

If feels like every animal could get out of their cage at any moment....its a cheap and awesome zoo. They sell paintings by monkeys

The zoo has a surprisingly large amount of animals, for being rescued animals. We were interested to learn that some of the animals were given to the zoo after their original zoos were damaged in hurricanes. The feeding area was a fun addition to just viewing the animals. My two year old nephew loved the short ride on the mini zoo train. The ride doesn't go by many animals, but It was his first train ride, so he was thrilled. Another fun part of the zoo is the wondering peacocks and chickens. Overall, a great little zoo!

We love this zoo! It is an amazing institution that provides a safe haven for animals, AND a chance for kids and adults to see those animals up close and personal.

It's critical to understand that this is a rescue zoo, and much smaller than most zoos. It is situated in the Texas Hill country, and feels more like a ranch than a theme park. The weather makes a huge difference in how pleasant it is to be there, as well as how active the animals are - so time your trip accordingly.

Not your typical zoo as all of the animals are rescues from illegal animal trade, "pets", etc. There is still a huge variety of animals to see and learn about. Staff was very friendly

First time in Austin and came to the Austin Zoo & It says on every sign when you come in that and on office building it closes at 6 from sometime in september to october 31 and the lady at the desk insisted since its "winter hours" they close at 5. Just bought items from the gift shop and left. Train closes at 3 also so there is that.

This is a rescue zoo and do a wonderful job was nice to see

Such a n eww at zoo! You are fairly close to the animals and there is a decent variety of animals! This was a really great stop on our vacation! Everyone was friendly and informative at the gift shop and all the animals were active and happy!

This was our very first visit and we can't wait to go back. We saved a couple of dollars purchasing the tickets online. You're able to buy food pellets and feed the llamas, goats, and sheep ($3 a bag); this was our favorite aspect. They've also made the train ride rather special but I won't give any spoilers. The staff was beyond helpful and friendly. This zoo allows you to get closer to the animals which we loved. I find the San Antonio Zoo depressing and prefer Gladys Porter in Brownsville. This zoo has them both beat.

Drove from San Antonio only to be told the groupon we purchased wasn t applicable durning week of spring break.

We always enjoy a stroll in the park while seeing the great animals! I personally love the fact that most are rescued and not brought! Plus they have free stroller for small ones.

Absolutely loved it, the animals seem far happier than those at the san Antonio zoo, particularly the primates.

The fact that it takes forever to get there, and the rates are pretty high for a mediocre zoo. Some of the employees look upset when you ask them questions. The limit of animals that are in the "zoo" makes me think it should be changes to Austin Shelter for Wild Animals.

Small, but a nice trip. You can see everything within an 1 hour or 2. However, these animals are up in your face, eating, playing. Definitely a treat to be that close. The train is fun for the kids too. Definitely a nice family trip to enjoy at least once. Plus it's for a great cause.

Quiet, small zoo that is good for little ones. Nothing spectacular, but generally fun.

Very fun. Smaller zoo but the animals are very well taken care of. Plenty to look at and view.

The place is not a real zoo, just an animal rescue place or sanctuary. But a nice place to visit. Facilities are not considered as good as zoo because it is a non-profit zoo.

Educational but not a lot of animals because they are a rescue zoo

Very clean, nice place to enjoy with family, wonderful train tour, seeing animals closely...

This is a nonprofit zoo made up of rescued animals. So, manage your expectations about what is available. Perfect for young children, who are allowed to feed the goats and the llama independently. Giving it only four stars because the gift shop is quite pricey.

One of the best zoos. May be small but it's a amazing addition to the area. Awesome rescue zoo.

Great rescue zoo. Definitely go here over supporting for-profit petting zoos like Austin Aquarium and SA Aquarium.

I love it here, and the fact that its a rescue zoo makes it way better.

Amazing place ... completely beautiful and nicely managed .. this zoo takes very good care of all animals .. all animals had protection against winter and also this place has good variety of animals... the train ride was worth 3$ per person .. it gives you a beautiful view

I like the idea of the Austin Zoo actually being a sanctuary for rescued animals, but it hardly looks or feels like a "sanctuary". The zoo itself is small, so they enclosures they have for these animals are the bare minimum size. The lions obviously don't get along because one lion had huge gashes on his side from his cage mate. The monkeys are in small cages with one or two branches (they live in tress in the wild, come on!), and when they're not screaming at each other, they're staring out into space with the most depressing looks on their faces. Some of the monkeys looked like they were losing hair, although I don't know whether it was from stress or some type of mange. They have construction going on directly next to one of the only nocturnal animals in the park. That's like having construction right outside your house while you sleep during the night! Oh, and not to mention the whole place literally smells like poop. Does no one regularly clean the cages? I know the zoo means well (which is the only reason I gave two stars instead of one), but the amount of land they have is not ideal for the amount of animals they take care of.

Good zoo but a lot was blocked off due to covid and there were other entry procedures, masks were required for the animals not to catch covid, and otherwise it was a pleasant experience but not all areas were able to be photographed.

Awesome zoo in a neat location. Great variety of animals and there s a train! Train costs extra but totally worth it. They decorate it for Halloween and probably some other holidays. Wasn t very busy so we could take our time without having to worry about getting funneled through by other groups.

Great experience, my kids lived it. The train ride was awesome.

Very nice zoo set in a natural setting in the hills of Austin. This is a rescue/recovery zoo, so all animals here have been rescued in some way.

The place has a lot to offer. You have exotic animals like lions, tigers and Galapagos turtles, and the staff are friendly. All animals here are rescues, and the entry fee goes into their upkeep. The train ride is nice too. Great for the whole family!

Best Zoo Ever, all the animals are recused and come at 11 or so for feeding. All the animals were alert up and interactive.

Went and loved it. Glad that the animals were rescues. Great for little kids. Especially the area were you can feed the animals. And the little kids loved the train

This is a private zoo, different feel from your typical city zoo. That being said they have done a great job. Nice variety of animals. Most animals have a story on how they ended up at the zoo. Most rescued from a bad situation. Price for admission is fair. Also one of the longest miniature rail roads I have seen. My son loved the train.

Lots of animals and you can really get up and close to them

Went here with my dad last week, we were both surprised at how much fun we had. its good to know these animals were rescued. trainers/zoo keepers seemed to really have a connection with animals(specifically the wolf trainers we saw them feed the wolfs they seem to have a love for their animals) it does my heart good to see that. thanks for a good experience.

Awesome drove from SA to come here. Kids loved it and was way cheaper than SA. Not overly big but you actually see the animals here close up.

All of the animals were well fed although I thought the lions enclosures was a bit small. I still enjoyed my time there.

The wolf-dog hybrids were really cool. The wild cats were very active around 4 pm. We couldn't get close to some of the exhibits due to Covid restrictions, but great experience overall.