Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary Review

This is a friendly family-oriented establishment with an assortment of small to medium-sized animals. There is very little in the way of amenities though there are a few food trailers and a gift shop. The exhibits are linked by dirt trails and the animals pretty up close and personal. There are no large ungulates, but there are some big cats and some amazing turtles. Go with low expectations and you'll be happy.

Very nice location. Friendly staff. Under renovation, but that's always good. Great for kids.

Decent selection of sad animals. The wolf had bleeding elbows. It seemed that every time any of the employees walked by any of the cages all of the animals were completely sidelined because they were not getting fed normal rations. Most of the animals were separated from each other and I can only imagine that is because of the poor animal morale that if they were put together it would cause some kind of incitement. This is definitely a zoo I will never go back to them at the same time I really hope that they make some kind of effort toward the animals well-being. Most of the animals were kept in such small enclosures that it really made you feel bad for them.

I really admire the principles behind the Austin Zoo which is more of an animal sanctuary than a traditional zoo. It has a lot of local and North American animals which are being relocated or rehabilitated. It also housed several more exotic animals which were abandoned pets. There is also a cute little train!

A lot of fun, especially knowing these little fury jokers need the help of visitors, our money goes to their care and these critters need human help! The zoo attendants I spoke with were super knowledgable and had great animal stories. They clearly had a bond with our fellow earthly inhabitants. Go check it out!

Knowing that this was a rescue and rehab facility made me happy to visit.

Pleasantly surprised. The drive to it was gorgeous and was worth it. The zoo rescues animals and gives them a better life than their previous owners gave them. Peacocks wander the grounds. The animal seem content and there is plenty to see.

Great little zoo and price is not bad for a quick day of fun

This Zoo is a rehab for animals which is cool. Had a great day there with the family.

Its a cool place because all of the animals are rescued but they charg 10 $ and they are missing 1/2 of the animals

Great trip with the kids! Seeing different types of animals up close was an enjoyable experience. I questioned why they couldn't be released to the wild and a staff member informed me that because they had been domesticated from rehabilitation or as previous pets/rescues, they would struggle to survive. It's great they have a sanctuary for them and the kids loved seeing them!

Lots of big cats, monkeys, bears, foxes, wolves. It's hot for animals. Due to the pandemic, a ticket cannot be bought on the spot, only online.

This is a great zoo for children, especially small children. It's affordable and all money goes to a good cause as the zoo is a rescue zoo that takes in wayward animals. They also have a cool little train to ride.

Nice zoo. Intimately small which is cool. Highly recommend listening to the stories about the animals that zoo keepers tell. VERY informative. Food/concessions need some work as well as bathroom cleanliness (bring sanitizer and/clorox wipes). Very nice place to bring the family to for a cpl of hours.

A lot of the animals have been rescued or surrendered and I found it interesting reading their back story and where they came from. This is not a large zoo, but they do have a lot of animals from big cats, bears, monkeys, reptiles, birds, etc. When you purchase your ticket ($11.95 adults, free parking) you can also buy a $3 bag of food so you can feed the llamas, alpacas, deer and goats. My daughter loved feeding the animals, watching the monkeys, and talking to the birds because they will talk back to you. They also have a nice gift shop that is affordable.

Had so much fun, even in the rain! All my little cousins enjoyed it too. There's just enough to see without having to stay all day and get burned out.

Great for young kids. The zoo is very accessible and small enough to see the whole thing before they lose steam and interest. Very few exotic animals, but the animals are close up and some can be fed. All animals are "rescue" animals.

Excellent experience for a small Zoo. I'd go again when the opportunity presents itself

Worth the side trip. Exotic animal rescue. Nice shady walk in hill country with bonus of contributing to these animals upkeep.
Don't miss the train ride.

Really like this place. All the animals are rescues or were injured and can t be released anymore. Only issue is it s not cheap.

Nice shady environment, good animal enclosures, clean

It's a pretty small zoo, but it's still good for little kids. They have a fairly good variety of animals, but nothing compared to the San Antonio zoo and Houston one.

Small zoo for such large city but offers a few surprises.

COVID-19 precautions in effect. Aside from this, it was a great experience!

This zoo rocks. Amazing animals, helpful staff, not too much to handle comfortably, and lots of shade. Big plus, all the animals are rescues!

It's more of an animal shelter. Probably the worst zoo I have been to, but still had a good time. If you are used to going to big city zoos you will be disappointed. If you are just looking to see some animals with no expectations, you will have a good time.

Such a great little zoo. I love that they help animals in need.

Small and in need of expansion for the size of Austin now but still a good experience. Plenty of rescue animal variety for the size.

Wasn't even there an hour...not stroller friendly...place should be called a safari instead of a zoo... maybe a good place for 5 and 7 yr old...

The enclosures were small. The whole experience was a little underwhelming. I have been to better zoos in smaller cities.

Lion pacing back and forth staring at 3 legged pig.......
Makes you kinda hungry remember to eat before you go

Not a typical zoo, it's actually an Animal Rescue that eventually became a zoo. But interesting and unique, weird the way Austin likes places to be

I love this place, and I've brought my daughter here twice. They take good care of the zoo, for it being fairly small.

Pretty small zoo... would really just call it a animal rescue center sense that's how they got most of the animals

I took my daughter here for her birthday weekend and we really enjoyed this zoo. The landscaping is so natural to the Hill Country and the story behind their animals is awesome (they are all retired zoo animals or rescues) the train and feeding the alpaca where the high light of our day. I would highly recommend packing a picnic and bringing your water.

Fun zoo. Very intimate. Went early in the morning, not too busy.

Great zoo/rescue. I always have a hard time patronizing zoos, as they kind if just seem like some kind of gross menagerie. I felt good about visiting the Austin zoo because it feels like the care of the animals take precedence over their display.

Small zoo, struggling to survive and dealing with covid.

Loved the visit. Nice to see animals being cared for in their old age. The train ride was a fun little attraction. Nice way to spend an afternoon with the kids.

Great zoo. You get up close with some really cool animals. I like how all the animals have been rescued /saved not bought and traded like other zoos.

Great zoo - animals are all rescues & well taken care of.

Enjoyed the place not your typical zoo, right as you walk in you see peacocks walking around! Although it's medium and not as your usual zoos, you can really see how it's a non-profit zoo and they really do their part to their max extend to care for the animals with the resources they have!

Love the amount of animals you get to see. Since this is a non-profit, you can expect they use a lot of donated shelters and what not. It isn't the San Diego Zoo, but it is a nice place to take the family! We had a blast.

It's little smaller than I thought. Very few animals,so don't expect a standard zoo. For the price it's OK.

Great time. Rescue animals. Friendly staff. Perfect size

Great environment!! Small zoo but really like it . 2 lions impresses me big cats and tiger so beautiful I really recomend

Wasn't what I thought it would be. It was smaller than I thought. Definitely not your typical zoo.

Great experience for young and old! Many animals to see and learn about and great exercise while touring the hillside habitats all from a non profit operation! What's not to love?

I do not live in Austin, but we love going when visiting our relatives there. The zoo is a great size for our toddlers- we can easily do the whole thing in the morning. They love seeing the animals up close, and the farm animals are always a hit. And, of course, the train!

Smaller zoo than I thought it would be. With corona, they've done a pretty good job of managing the flow and capacity of the grounds. Kids had a fun time, but they're younger. I think older kids might be bored with the zoo. Prices are reasonable. I'm sure I'll be back again.

Like the inte tion, great variety of animals, looks underfunded

A place to go with the family and have a great hot time

They have organized where it's a one way trail, some areas are off reach but we got to see all the animals that we wanted to see. You can go around as many times as you want. The sitting areas and restrooms are unavailable, there are portapotties in the entrance and exit. We brought a snack but the picnic area was at the very end and no other area to sit throughout. The train was unavailable that day. The shop is now by the train area set up outdoors.

It's a zoo that runs off donations. Their animals all have a description out their cages that explain how they were aquired by the zoo, and its all usually due to people buying exotic animals that got too out of hand.
The staff I met were really nice explaining the layout, and you can bring your kids to feed the many goats around the barn. Those goats will track you if you have food, but it was all under zoo volunteers and workers eyes so kids are safe from being run over in the animal's zeal for snacks.
It's also quiet and calming when I went and was able to have a nice stroll while listening to music. The more exotic animals seem to have huge areas, and it doesn't look too cramped for any of the animals, there were even construction while I was there to expand several habitats. Would totally recommend and come back again. It's a very unique experience. I wouldn't go expecting a giant zoo with steel cages where the animals a half a mile away with city branded merch. Its more of a sanctuary type of zoo.

After two visits, my family is really loving our little Austin zoo. Small and efficient to get around and the exhibits seem to be setup well as we always seem to get great views of the animals. My son just loves the train as well which is always a great way to end the visit.

interesting place. a lot of different kinds of animals. fun~~

You can feed animal years ... and for all ages more for the little ones .. !!

Me and my wife went to the zoo on April 23,2017 with our grandson. We had a great time we are from Edinburg Texas

It's a small Zoo, but very up close and personal. All of the animals are rescues.

Bare minimum zoo at best, bear cages look VERY unsecured.

I took my kids to the Austin Zoo for the first time today, and I have to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised! It was great to see such a wide variety of animals, the grounds were clean, parking was easy, and the kids loved the goats! Having grown up in Chicago with the Lincoln Park Zoo as my frame of reference, I thought the Austin Zoo was fantastic. Despite the COVID restrictions, the animals were out, the visitors were respectful, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed my experience, and will for sure be back!

First, this is not necessarily a traditional zoo, rather it is a rescue zoo. As a result, it is not what some people who have been to the Bronx Zoo, National Zoo in DC, or San Diego Zoo might expect. That said, my son (7 yo) and I thought it was great. It was a lot of fun to look at the various animals and to read about their back stories and how they ended up at the Austin Zoo. Additionally, when we walked by the monkey, one of the keepers was out working with them and he stopped to tell us about each monkey.We also paid a little extra ($3, I think) for a bag of food for the sheep, llamas, and donkeys). The bag lasted us a long time and was the part of the visit that my son told everyone was his favorite!

Nice layout and a good variety of animals to see. They had peacocks roaming around and a giant pig big enough to ride just to name a few.

Really a great place especially considering it is all run by donations.

Cute little rescue zoo. They are doing lots of construction and the train was broken, but we had fun anyways. The poor white tiger kept crying and it was so sad. Only if we knew what he/she was saying. The birds like to say Hello.

The Austin Zoo is located outside of The city limits about 15 minutes northwest of Beecave. It is a small park by zoo standards, which in my opinion makes it stress free and allows you to really experience the animals. Its very easy to park, stroller and wheelchair friendly, and very affordable. I d recommend to pack a lunch as there s only snacks and light refreshments in their cute little gift shop lobby. You can probably walk the zoo circle in an hour depending on how long you re at each exhibit. The walkways are gravel and shaded, and there s benches you can just go and watch the animals. The park is mainly a rescue facility consisting of big cats, wolves, birds, and primates that have needed to be homed. They have a cool reptile building, as well as a fun petting area full of tortoise and goats.

I love their donation system. You can specify which exhibit you want to help with, buy a mountain lion a treat, or help fund a monkeys new tree-fort. Always a fun and relaxing visit. Thank you for your dedication, @austinzoo.

1 bathroom, raked poop gravel towards us, just not fun

Juju & myself had a great time at this zoo. Even though it was a bit hot we both loved it. People that work there know the correct answers to your questions. The trainers or zoostaff know the needs of the animals they take care of. I would give this place a 10out of 10rating.