Caldwell Zoo Reviews

First visit. Nice easy to navigate paths and walks. Small, clean, inviting zoo. Great variety of animals and such. Want to return with family and more time to explore. The parrots are uncaged and very talkative ( in a squawky way ). Exhibits and surroundings are top notch and it's clear that great care is taken for all of the animals.

Great local zoo, habitats are well planned and viewing of animals is easy. Grounds are immaculate. Can enjoy many times.

The river otter exhibit and the penguin exhibit are so much fun. The observation deck for the elephant and giraffe exhibit is great.

Took visiting family of adults to the Caldwell Zoo. We loved it! Easy wandering pathways to all exhibits with lots of benches to sit and watch animals.
The zoo has made great improvements to the animal enclosures and fencing to make viewing easier than ever!
Take the family and enjoy the animals!

Very good zoo and clean place. We had a nice relaxing time here and we will definitely come back. Highly recommend

The Caldwell Zoo is pretty good. We purchased memberships because it was cheaper for us with our big family. They don’t let the Giraffes out if the ground is too soft so don’t go if it has been raining (or has recently rained). We have yet to experience feeding them because they aren’t allowed to come out.

This small zoo is really really good, Great for the whole family. Highlights where the African vista and the walk through Aviary where the bird will feed off your hand. Very clean and well kept throughout. Highly recommended.

Nice zoo, well laid out. They provide a map and you will need it to see everything they have to offer.

The Caldwell Zoo is a great small zoo. They have beautiful Bengal tigers, huge black bears, magnificent lions, cute penguins & so much more. The sidewalks are mostly all shaded which is a plus for Texas heat. The zoo is very clean & well maintained. We had a wonderful time visiting the zoo.

This is a nice little zoo. Very little. However, the animals and their habitats are set up very well and if you were to come when the food area is open I think it would be a great place to sit and eat and watch. Quite a large area is currently closed for construction and there is confusion on different sites as to the exact time they are open.

I spent a wonderful day at Caldwell Zoo with my grandson, and it was the perfect experience for little ones! The zoo is just the right size—not overwhelming, but with plenty to see and do. We especially loved the amphibian exhibit, the safari area, and the incredible variety of birds. Everything was clean and well-maintained, and the animals seemed well cared for. It’s a great place to create special memories with family. Highly recommend for a fun and educational outing!

This zoo has been around here for a very long time and continues to please everyone. The tickets feel high at the gate but are worth it once you get inside. Includes a cage full of hundreds of parakeets that you can touch and feed by hand. Also the most majestic white tigers the world has to offer... they are absolutely huge and breathtaking. This zoo is a local treasure and can be pretty busy during peak hours. I promise you will be pleased though!

It's been a while and I will try them again but I was very disappointed when I last visited the zoo. It was not clean and half of what they said would take place did not. When my kids were small, we took them to the zoo several times during the year. It was very clean and we'll kept. We were so proud of our zoo and was very surprised when we went to other zoos in large cities. They were not as spectacular as our zoo! It was awesome. Please who ever is in charge of it, get it together. I will be returning, hoping that it is back to its "old self". I know that David King Caldwell and his wife would be upset if this continues.

The layout of the enclosures gives the illusion that the animals are all free to roam on the open plains. For the price I would rate this zoo up there with a large zoo like Ft. Worth. Worth the trip!

They do a wonderful job here with habitats for the animals! It's nice to come from Dallas and Fort Worth to find a zoo that is smaller and more intimate. There are a surprising number of rare species here.

The senior male docent in the bird feeding experience was a gem! He really helped to make it a wondrous experience!

The restaurant had a good variety of food. It's worth buying the zoo cup for the 99 cent refills on a hot Texas day!

Hope this review helps!

The guest parking is not well marked and neither is the actual entrance - you need to head down the steps to the left (or the ramp) from the parking lot. You won't see the entrance/ticket booth until you head down and there are no arrows/signs to point the way. Since it was October, there were some cute Halloween decorations in the front.
The giraffe-feeding was closed on the day we visited (Sunday). If that's important to you, call ahead to verify it's open. The bird walkabout wasn't open until 1pm either.
Overall, the zoo is really pretty - all natural landscapes, lots of water features, plenty of photo-ops, and some of the enclosures allow for close interaction.
I agree with the previous reviewer - we spent about 2 hours here. Could have been three if the food service had been open, or the petting area had been open, or if the playground (aka giant sand box) hadn't been wet from rain.
I was impressed with the gift shop - they had a wide range of items at all price points and each sign was marked with the price/tax amount/final price. The staff was friendly too.
Animal highlight: White tigers (one with black stripes, one without).
12 year old - Enjoyed it
8 year old - Enjoyed it
3 year old - Enjoyed it

Used to come to this zoo all the time when first moving to the E. Texas area. It was free at first. Then a small fee. Prices seem to keep gong up and not much improvement. We arrived with our family about 1-1/2 hours before closing. They charge the full fee (11.50 per person - $46 for our family) no matter if you arrive at the beginning of the day or shortly before closing. Probably not a return anytime soon.

Recently completed building program. For me, the highlight was feeding giant lettuce leaves to the giraffes. The grandkids ran my butt off. They wanted to see everything. You will be surprised to see such a fine zoo in Tyler.

Very well maintained, animals all looked healthy and our favorite was the Giraffes and Monkeys. Granddaughter loved petting the goats

I grew up in Tyler and went to the zoo faithfully for over 20 years. I've since moved away, but was in Tyler for the Thanksgiving holiday. My husband and I knew they had started charging to get in the zoo so we were expecting expansion or at least improvements. We were disappointed that hardly anything had changed in the last 20 years since we had been away. The cost was almost the same as the Ft. Worth zoo, which is much larger. We probably will not go back.

The Caldwell Zoo has come a long way since I was a child, but the cost is getting a little out of hand. The African section is great, better than most zoos I have visited and they have a snack area right next to it where you can watch the elephants and giraffes. They have added some new animals in recent years including penguins and black bears. They have quite a few animals and it is worth a visit if you've never been.

This was a very nice zoo, the animals seem to be very well taken care of. Parts of the zoo are under construction. Meerkats😻

The zoo is medium size so is not much tired to walk, but have great variety of animals love the African and Bird section!

Caldwell Zoo is one of the best I have ever been too. The cost of admission doesn't reflect all they offer.

This is one of the zoos for more family friendly activities. Has Great choices for all types of animals, reptiles, birds, rides, etc. Can easily spend a fun-filled day with the family.

Caldwell zoo is a very vell kept small zoo with much to see .
Most paths are shaded and the restrooms and food places are air conditioned if you need a break
I went with four of my grand kids 12-7 .and two daughters
what they enjoyed most was feeding the giraffe lettuce leaves and parakeets seeds on a stick ! The birds will sit on your hand and eat !
We went in the morning and animals were active for the most part ,we watched an elephant eat all the leaves off a very large tree branch pulling them off with his trunk then he Broke the branch apart and ate the whole thing !
Everyone enjoyed our zoo visit and I would highly recommend 🐆🐘🐊🦓

The zoo has plenty of shade trees and is just the right size so it is comfortably walkable for someone maybe not able to tackle a giant zoo. There were some animals there I had not previously seen in zoos, so very interesting and fun for the kids. They also have very large snow cones--I recommend a small one--in several flavors. Kids can feed giraffes, too. Nice place for pictures and plenty of places to sit and rest if needed. Nice zoo.

You are allowed to feed the giraffes lettuce, and also had a lot of neat animals their in a clean enviornment. The staff is friendly and have a nice cafe to eat in. They had a few monkeys, however no chimps or grorillas.

We make at least one trip a year and they recently did some renovations where you are now able to feed the giraffes and the walk ways are closer to the animals in the Africa area. Of course you can also feed the birds for only 1$. It's a great day out with the kids or just a fun time for you and you're someone special. Every time you go you catch the animals doing something different and it's so much fun!!

For a neighborhood zoo ...... it was pretty nice. Our family had a fun time. But it may be awhile B4 we go back

This a a beautiful zoo. It's a nice place to get your exercise while observing animal antics. They have a good annual membership price for those who like to come often.

My kids love the Caldwell Zoo. There is a great variety of animals, snacks, and even a petting zoo with goats. My 3 year old especially enjoys the bird house, where you can feed birds from a popsicle stick covered in feed. There is a nice outdoor eating area. Not exactly a hot weather activity though!

This is a great zoo! So much to see and do! Plenty of animals is unique & natural environments. Feed the fish. Pet the goats. Play with the otters.

Best Zoo in East Texas. Kids always have a great time. Spring and summer the big walk thru bird cage is open and you can feed the birds. Kid favorite!

Although relatively small, the Caldwell Zoo is very well laid-out, very walkable, and educational. It is especially good for young children as many of the animal enclosures are easily seen from the walkways. Especially nice are the zoo’s white tigers.

This is one of the coolest zoos we've ever been to. The layout of it is fantastic. Huge variety of animals amd definitely worth the price of admission.

We've been taking our kids here for years and it is one of the best zoos anywhere. Seriously, it is on par with Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston Zoos. Obviously it is a bit smaller but the variety of animals and the enclosures they're in is absolutely second to none. Go there and if you live here become a member and come often!

The Caldwell Zoo is a hidden gem when visiting East Texas. The exhibits are done beautifully. This is not a zoo where you will find animals in cages. They have done a fantastic job creating habitats for animals. Great value. This is a zoo any age would enjoy.

This is a great outing for families. The zoo is impressive; love the elephants and giraffes. Be sure to visit the gift shop.

Took my kids today to the zoo and we spent 3 & 1/2 hours there! They offer a military discount so that's always nice for our family since my husband served. The zoo was very well kept and the animals all had very nice enclosures. We got to eat lunch at the new cafe and sit and watch the elephants and giraffes while we ate!!! It was just simply stunning! Will definitely be back to visit this zoo again!!

What a wonderful zoo. The animals seemed happy and well taken care of. The walking paths are wide to it's easy to get around. There are some mild hills, but there are benches if you get tired.

Clean. Well maintained. Stroller and wheelchair friendly. Well worth the drive! This was the best bird feeding experience we’ve ever had! We will be back!

For the size of Tyler, the Caldwell Zoo is very nice. Feeding the birds is a lot of fun, and of course just visiting each type of animals is also interesting.

We have visited some of the best zoos in the US and the Caldwell Zoo, for a smaller city, is quite nice. Well maintained and clean and the animals are displayed in their natural environment. We encountered several keepers who were very wiling to answer any and all questions.

I recently made another trip to the Caldwell zoo and again had a great time.

Caldwell is a pretty small zoo but it has a great collection of animals and the presentations are great. I saw several animals that I haven't seen in any other zoo.

The kids love the environment, especially the Africa exhibit.

I recommend it to anyone who likes zoos.

Great place to bring the children for some entertainment and learning. Great Zoo, clean facilities, lots of animals, birds, snakes, penguins, and a couple of places where they have interaction with birds and goats. The lions were impressive as well as the elephants.
The only issue we had it was that some of the access to go back to the main entrance were blocked making it difficult to come back, specially after walking a lot in the heat.
Nice restaurant to take a break with plenty of seats.
Plenty of parking spaces.

This is a small zoo, but it has a variety of animals. The setup is child and senior friendly. We spent 2 1/2 hours walking with 4 children and everyone was entertained. There are some areas under construction, so we plan to go back when they are open.

This Zoo is Awesome! Very Open and easy to see all the animals. Friendly staff and they also have great events for the kids around all the holidays

This is a fantastic zoo at only $10 a person! They have so many great exhibits and they are constantly growing.

We visited the zoo while in Tyler. It was just big enough without being overwhelming. The animals were very well taken care of. My 15-year-old nephew really loves animals and enjoyed reading about all of the animals. It was a great visit.

I’ve been to quite some zoos now and the Caldwell Zoo is by far the best Zoo I’ve been too. Plenty of shaded areas. Animals are happy and seem to actually enjoy their habitats unlike many other zoos. The scenery around the Zoo is very happy and life like unlike others I’ve been too as well. Definitely coming back!

Great Zoo for a small town. The Caldwell foundation has continued a super job over the years. They have done a great job educating the community.

best zoo experience we’ve ever had! not so big that it’s overwhelming but not so small that it’s disappointing. We took boys 3,9,11 and all had a wonderful time! Only had 2 hours, we should’ve allowed 3-4 hours. Feeding giraffes was amazing! White tigers amazing. Very few empty habitats, and all were very up close & personal. it wasn’t crowded and was such a nat intimate, quaint zoo experience! Highly recommend!!!! Oh but take water bc it was hard to find and we couldn’t get the vending machines to work!!

I have always loved this zoo. It is beautiful and wonderfully kept. I feel it may be a little pricey, but if you go often, you can buy a membership. One of my favorite places to go in Tyler.

This is a very nice, well maintained, and well organized zoo. It is one of the best zoos that we visited and we have visited a number of zoos around the country. The animals looked healthy and the staff inside the zoo were very friendly. Sadly, the back office support (insofar as it related to enquires about the zoo hours, when tickets would be available on the website, etc.). Either the general inquiries email box is unattended or the person that is responsible for answering emails is unfamiliar with the tenets of polite society, particularly with respect to answering emails in a timely basis. That disappointment aside, it is a lovely zoo and well worth a visit.

I went with my grand daughter and her mom as part of a school outing. The park is well manicured with lots of shade but has a lot of hills. Because the zoo is smaller the walking is not too bad for older folks like me, but wear comfortable shoes. The kids loved feeding the giraffes lettuce. It was a hoot seeing the giraffe's long tongues just grab the lettuce out of the kid's hands. For a Texas boy like me, the area displaying longhorns and bison together was cool. The otters put on a funny show. Overall, there are a good variety of animals to see in a clean environment. There are also some onsite restaurants serving food. This is a nice option for folks in the Tyler area.

My boyfriend, my three year old son, and I went to this zoo last weekend. It was such a beautiful day. A bit warm, but there is plenty of shade and water fountains/concessions. The animals are fairly active, and not a bit of trash in sight. It's a great way to spend a few hours of your day.

We came to Caldwell Zoo in order to see the elephants my kids favorite animal but he was unavailable they are reconstructing the elephant enclosure so we enjoyed the Penguins we ain't never seen Penguins or black bears and they have that and they are awesome

We are members of the Houston Zoo, and were in Tyler to visit theirs. It's very different from Houston's. There are different animals and it's laid out in kind of a one way path, whereas Houston is more open. I kind of liked the one way walk, because it made sure we didn't miss anything!

Most of the animals were out. I love their African Plains area! It's huge and watching the zebra graze was really nice, rather than seeing them in a small enclosure somewhere. The same with the lions. They were beautiful. There was plenty to see.

I wish they had more indoor buildings, like Houston. The heat is really something in Texas, and the only refuge we found was the reptile building and the cafe. To their credit, a lot of their pathways are shaded, which helped a lot.

We went on a Friday at 9am when they opened. Not crowded at all. I could imagine it would be later in the day or on weekends.

It was very, very clean. That's always nice to see! The staff we dealt with were also very friendly! We would definitely go back, especially in cooler weather.

Absolutely loved my visit to the Caldwell Zoo! It's a great destination for a field trip! The weather was great and the kids loved seeing all the animals. The facilities were clean and the staff was friendly and informative.

What a great zoo for a small city like Tyler. The zoo has a lot to offer with a blend of native and exotic animals. With a few more visitor friendly amenities like more concessions, this can be a top notch destination.

I have been to the Tyler Zoo many of times and it doesn't seem to grow or anything. Very small Zoo and would rather spend the money at the Dallas Zoo or different Zoo with more animals and things to do. You can pay around the same price and have a better experience at a larger zoo.

Loved the layout and visiting all of the animals. The size of the zoo is just right, not too large. We visited several Tyler sites, and we were able to see all of the zoo complex all in one day. Their landscaping is beautiful. Very helpful staff. We had hotdogs which were very good.

I've grown up going to Caldwell Zoo, even on field trips as a small child and to see it grow over the years has been amazing. The people that work there are experts and very profesional. So many things to do!

Very nice small zoo. The animals are well cared for. Great for an afternoon with children or just a stroll.

I've been to this zoo several times and plan to return. The zoo is small enough that you can see all the animals without feeling rushed, and the design of the enclosures allows you to get great views; attached pictures taken with my phone.
If you've not visited this zoo, you're missing out.

Nice small city zoo in tyler we enjoyed the animals. everything was clean and animals look well taken care of although with the cooler weather not all were out. enjoyed the couple of hours

We always love visiting the Caldwell Zoo. The elephants were playing in the mud. Love watching the penguins, the flamingos, and the zebras. We were able to feed the birds and pet the goats. Bring quarters so you can feed the ducks, and fish. There was a game that the kids played which taught them about a giraffe tongue. The zoo has several places to rest.

Always see this is centrally located in town and has great parking with a great parking attendant named Patrick

Great small Zoo. Very accessible and clean. They offer yearly passes which is great for families who like to visit often.

Amazing zoo especially for a smaller city. My family loved getting to hand feed giraffes. It is a very well done zoo and the staff is very friendly and helpful. Highly recommend it if you’re in tyler.

Love taking my kids to the Caldwell Zoo. Big zoo feel on a smaller scale. Clean, friendly, easy to navigate! Will continue to return!

We had a wonderful visit today. The highlight was feeding the birds. The landscaping here is beautifully designed and the variety of animals and their habitats are amazing! We loved our visit and wish we lived closer so we could visit more often!

Nice size zoo, we stayed about and hour & 1/2. The kids enjoyed themselves looking at all of the animals. We will definitely return.

This zoo has very good prices. It's not overly large and the Elephants are not on exhibit since they are rebuilding their habitat. But there are many other animals to see, so it's worth the time.

This zoo has been a staple throughout my life, as I am a native Tylerite. Sharing experiences here with my family (my 4 year old loves it) just brightens my world. I love visiting this zoo as it is immaculately kept clean. The animal runs and buildings are always clean. The African Safari overlook is always clean and never any nasty tables from my visits. The employees are always warm, welcoming, and willing to help and educate. Great job!

Our grand kids enjoyed it, so did we. Beautiful white tiger. Lots of birds. Lots of shade & nice walkways. Nice gift shop.

Good for a local, half-day excursion. Not a big zoo. Some attractions are heartwarming: the new elephant, giraffe enclosure is awesome. Could watch the meerkats for an hour. Grab lunch, stroll around, and talk to the animals...

Go in the morning by 2pm everyone was ready to leave getting to warm Take water if possible or spray bottles if you are planning to stay later. We were on vacation and the humidity got the best of us. It was very enjoyable.

My husband and I went to the 85-acre Caldwell Zoo on the last Monday in October. The zoo has all of the typical animals from around the world and is absolutely beautiful. The walkways made us feel like we were in a beautiful park. Flowers were abundant as well. There was plenty of parking and it was not crowded. The animals had lots of room. The temperature was in the low 70’s and the animals were very active. The zoo was extremely clean but the giraffe area was a little stinky. Near the entrance, lots of macaws were in the trees and free of cages. The concessions were closed except for the ones at the front gate. ‘The Outlook’ is a great place to rest and watch a bunch of animals. It looked like elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, lions, African crowned cranes, ostrich, kudus and warthogs are all in the same huge enclosure. That was super cool and deceiving. The penguin area was interesting as well. We looked through the glass window and saw the water, penguins, then another glass window that showed the outlook area again. There are several waterfalls and ponds at the zoo. I could go on and on. We spent a little over 3 hours at the zoo. Children under 3 were free, children 3-12 $10.50, adults $14.50 and seniors 55+ $12.50. The zoo hours are March 1 to Labor Day, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. After Labor Day to the end of February, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. I have been to lots of zoos around the country and this zoo is certainly one of my favorites.

Good Zoo in a great Piney Woods location. The Zoo does not have a lot of animals like the huge city zoos, but a great selection and they are all in large natural habitats and they are easy to see. The location is great. It was hard to find parking, it was that popular!

EXCELLENT...enjoyed every minute. Can't wait to go back weather permitting. I live in Tyler and didn't know what I had been missing. Family in town and suggested we go. Not disappointed at all.

We live in Tyler and have made this the second visit to the Zoo. The walking paths are great and the exhibits are well maintained. The Cheetah was off in the corner somewhere and I suspect an early morning visit would be better than when we got there a little later in the day.
A good variety of animals. Bring your own water if you object to paying for it on site.

One of the better, smaller zoos in Texas. Employees courteous and helpful. Grounds are very clean. This is one of the fun things to do in Tyler with children of all ages. Would highly recommend going. Entrance fee is very reasonable.

Was our first visit to Caldwell Zoo which is a Nice Zoo started off lil late 1:00 due to rain in the morning. Still we had plenty of time to get thru. It is a smaller zoo but very well kept . We will be going back with the grandkids at a later date.

We visited on a nice cool day during the week. It wasn’t crowded, plenty of parking. Price is $14.50 for adults $2 off for age 55+ and $10.50 for ages 3-12. Members get in free. The zoo is small but impressive, perfectly manicured flower beds, grassy areas, nice walkways, good map. Wheelchair/stroller rentals are available and are recommended as there are some uphill pathways. We saw quite an impressive array of animals: lions, rhino, elephants, giraffes, monkeys, bison, bears, birds, reptiles, etc. We enjoyed the bird house where you can walk among parakeets or feed them as they land on your hand. The cafe had good sandwiches and fries, the gift shop offers a lot. A very nice zoo. We spent three hours here.

Good place for smaller children. Not too big. Well set up with a good variety of exhibits.3 to4 hours to see it. Elephants were very entertaining.

We love going to the zoo. There is always something to see that you couldn't find anywhere else. The zoo is hidden in Tyler and immediately upon entering, you feel like you're in a new location.

I've gone to a lot of zoo's around the country and I was very pleasantly surprised at how beautiful this zoo is for being smaller in size. The animals all look like they are well cared for and have plenty of space. The grounds are gorgeous and makes for a nice relaxing stroll. They have parrots along one side of the walkway that are out in the open. And they have an option to feed a giraffe, which seems like an awesome thing for kids! I'd definitely come back if I'm ever in town again

Taking mother to the doctor decided to stop for a quick visit on our way home afterwards. Heard one of the giraffes had a baby so wanted to see.

I was shocked the first time I went to the Tyler's, Caldwell Zoo. There's lots to see and it's beautiful and clean. Don't miss the aviary center, you can actually feed the birds, this may only be during the summer and holidays, I'm not sure. There is an indoor reptile center and the kids really enjoy. There is a large variety to see here, Including penguins. There's even a bald eagle that had been injured and can no longer be in the wild. They even have an albino alligator.
There's food for sale near the giraffe and elephant I had exhibit or you can pack a lunch.

This zoo is a great size for kids to explore. I would say it takes 1-1 1/2 hours to explore. The selection of animals is limited but animal types hit the highlights. The zoo landscaping and interactive exhibits are very well planned.

This is an interesting and fun place to see, make sure you bring the stroller if you have little ones and plan to spend most of the day or you will not get to see everything and enjoy the visit. We enjoyed the animals exhibits mostly the Penguins as they come out and feed them and tell you amazing facts about all that they have there. The kids really enjoyed feeding the fish and the snake exhibit is really cool.

We really like the zoo. It wasn’t super huge, but it had about everything you would want to see. Longhorns, zebras, elephants, giraffes that you could feed, all kind of tropical birds, snakes, otters, and the list goes on. This is a do not miss if you happen to be in Tyler

This is the BEST zoo you will find almost anywhere! They have so many animals in a great atmosphere!

We are local to this zoo & I feel I tend to take it for granted after visiting other zoos across the country. It's a good sized zoo with LOTS of neat animals to see (some of our favorites include the white tigers, the meerkats & the golden lion tamarin). Be sure to bring some cash & quarters to feed the ducks, fish, birds & giraffe ($5 for the giraffe). We have a membership & go monthly sometimes several times a month & my daughter STILL loves to go after 6 years. I would recommend it for animal lovers.

For a relatively small zoo, this one is impressive. Well laid out. Many different species. Food available but nothing special. But this Tyler zoo is close to several delightful restaurants.

Went on weekday and was wonderfully quiet. Sometimes at huge zoos it's so packed I feel we are rushed from one exhibit to the next. This is a wonderful mid size zoo. We loved all the water features. Construction happening on new African exhibit looks near completion and will be large. Picnicked near parking lot w tables & garbage cans.

We thoroughly enjoyed this zoo. They have done a very nice job of setting up the exhibits for both the animals and the people. Staff was friendly and helpful. Due to covid we had to buy the tickets online and chose an arrival time. The whole process was smooth and easy. One of my favorite pieces was feeding the giraffe.

This Zoo is very well kept & clean. There's lots of fun activities for the kids as well. Great variety of animals & a petting zoo for the little kids too - which they LOVE!

My 18 month old was totally mesmerized by the zoo. It was his 1st trip. I am handicapped and have to ride scooter, from parking lot to entrance is a bit of a walk for others and the cafe isn’t really set up for the use of my scooter. Otherwise it was accessible for me.

I don’t love zoos but my family enjoys them. Compared to New Orleans, Jackson, SanDiego, Memphis, & Houston, this was a really really good experience! All animals were out & appeared to be healthy. Not too big & exhausting for 3 children 6 years old and under. Wish we would have looked for coupons but the price was reasonable.

We were so impressed with this zoo!! It was super clean. The whole time we were there zoo keepers were in cages cleaning, draining water, putting fresh water and food out. The animals looked great and happy. Each exhibit was wonderful. My 12 girls favorite was the wild walk about were you can feed the birds!!

I grew up going to the zoo. I remember when admission was free several years after they passed away is when they began to charge admission. I assume the funds ran out. But We have always enjoyed visiting. My children and grandchildren have enjoyed visiting over the years! Thank you Mr & Mrs Caldwell for your valuable contribution to the city of Tyler!

There are parts that are under construction. But that doesn't stop the awesomeness from this zoo!! My family and I had a blast!

The visit at the zoo was amazing. I liked all of the display the animals. The price was extremely reasonable.

It took us having a grandson to visit the zoo in Tyler! It was a spontaneous trip, but we picked a nice spring day so the weather was great and it wasn't too crowded . My husband is handicap so it was a little challenging with him and his walker plus an excited three year old, but we were able to navigate the entire zoo. I thought it was a great zoo for our area, just the right size for small children. Next time I would take a couple bottles of water and snack. There are concession areas and drink machines , but drinks are $3 (which I think is high). Overall a great day trip!

We enjoyed the diversity of this zoo. The enclosures were well maintained, and the animals were easy to observe. The enclosure for the bison, white tailed deer, and Longhorns was especially beautiful. Lots of shade. Any day I can feed a giraffe is a good day!

We go to a lot of zoos on our travels and this one is just perfect for younger ones! Not too big, not too small, not too crowded. They have a petting zoo with friendly goats, a giraffe feeding station and beautiful animal enclosures with multiple species housed together. The animals seem very relaxed and happy. A couple places serve food and a great park to finish your day off at. I'd recommend this to any young family or zoo lover in the Tyler area!

It's such a compact nice zoo. Wonderful for kids and adults alike. The scenery is so soothing and ice. The petting zoo area is wonderful for the kids.

I have been visiting this zoo since I was a child and still love it as much as I did then! If you are even in Tyler, make sure you add this to your list of places to visit.

Nice zoo in Tyler, 89 acres. My first zoo in years, had everything you expect at a zoo. One warning the smell in the penguin house.

Great day at the zoo with our grandchildren. They had a blast! We pack a bag with snacks and drinks. As long as you do not bring glass they let you bring bags into the zoo.

Caldwell Zoo is a wonderful small to midsize zoo. Very nice, well kept enclosures. The African and American Savannah's were very nice. It was a very warm June day and there is plenty of shade all over the zoo. Very worth your time if you enjoy a nice trip to the zoo. Inexpensive as well!

I enjoyed visiting this zoo and I was pleasantly surprised by how spacious it was. The safari animals had a good chunk of land to roam and they looked comfortable within their community. The only exhibits that seemed too small for either the amount of animals or size of animals were the penguins and the black bears.

It’s great to take children, especially in the spring when there are new babies. Up and down walking so wear good shoes.

We drove 5 hours and spent $118.50 to explore the CALDWELL ZOO as our main attraction. We arrived prepared to deal with the rain. We purchased 11 tickets at (time 12:19)walked in the zoo gift shop purchase 11 ponchos and started out on the path to our first exhibit (20 yards from the front entrance. time 12:29) when there came a terrible storm that had knocked out power to the zoo. Limbs, trees and debri were down all over walk ways back to seek shelter, contacted head manager for some type of compensation to come back next day and visit was advised absolutely nothing he can do he's the main man in charge and there was NO ONE else to talk to, searched online and contacted Mike Tucker, (Director of visitor services)called on Saturday left a voicemail, called on monday after 4 calls two voicemails I finally got in contact with him, explained situation and still no progress. Mike advised me at that point I'm more than welcome to drive 5 hours back so he could give me a discount on my next visit to the zoo, other than that AS DIRECTOR OF VISITORS SERVICES nothing he can do. I asked if he would be ok for this with his family and did not get a response!!!

This zoo isn't huge, but it's well laid out for a family outing. We have been numerous times and my kids love the way the habitats are set up for maximum view ability. It's also generally very clean and the staff are very nice.

Nice, clean atmosphere. My grandchildren loved it. They can’t wait until it reopens. The kids are 7 and 6 and this was the 1st time they had a chance to visit. We originally planned a couple of hours but we ended up there the whole afternoon. Great food and great fun.

Great zoo! Not huge but still lots to see and well laid out. The giraffe feeding was fun for the kids. Food average as expected. We spent about 3 hours.

We live only 20 minutes away so we frequent the zoo several times a year. It has grown so much since I was a little girl. The price is average but it seems like something is always under construction. The kids were excited to visit the new Giraffe feeding area but the Giraffes were not out both days we visited. A little disappointing to the kids but they got over it. The kids really enjoy the small play area, they love to see who can jump on the big concrete tube first.

The zoo was just the right size. You could walk it in 2 to 3 hours or so. It was well laid out with a large variety of animals. Some larger than I would expect like a lioness, giraffe, black bear, and Bangle tigers.

Would go again if passing through.

My family loves the zoo! Lots of great exhibits and very clean! Best time to go is when they open so it’s not so crowded!

Really enjoyed visit. Animals all look very healthy and good variety for small town Zoo. Easy to see close up viewing. Lots of shade over walking paths.

For a small city like Tyler the Caldwell Zoo has an amazing selection of animals. It’s hidden treasure of Tyler, support the zoo often

Our favorite zoo!! Have been here several times always a huge hit! Our kids actually love the wild bird walk about, where they can actually feed and interact with the parakeets and cockatiels! Just left, and already look forward to coming back!

We have visited this zoo often on days where we do not have much to do. It is not too large, or too small, so it doesn't completely wear you out walking through it. There is a nice variety of animals here, though I have never seen them very active. This probably because we general visit in the summer time when it is the hottest. Other than that, the staff are very friendly, and it is still a fun time with the family.

Very nice zoo where you can get close to the animals. Alot of shade and sitting places (great for me with a bad back!). The zoo is pretty and clean and can be pretty much completely toured in a couple hours (half a day if u stretch it out). We enjoyed our visit...great for families!

We enjoyed the assortment of animals in their settings. A relaxing walk thru the zoo. We found it to be well taken care of.

Tyler may be a small town, but they do have a museum they can be proud of. While the selection of animals may not be as vast, or the size of the park not as grand as the nearby Metroplex, it has some nice displays and is very well tended.

I visited this zoo for 20 years when it was free when my children were small. For the last 10 years I have purchased the family plan that enables my wife and I as well as all of our grandchildren under the age of 18 to join us for no additional fee and we get discounts on food and the gift shop because of our yearly plan. Such a wonderful place. I have probably been there well over 200 times and still enjoy it immensely.

Very beautiful. Great variety of animals in their own surroundings. Especially love the giraffes and elephants.

Small but very good organize. this is the second time that we visit and is a really good and organize zoo, they have good vision for the animals and the variety is good too.

the are under construction but they aware on the entrance.

The trip was wonderful, my sons loved seeing the animals, I was surprised they did not have a male lion (my boys wanted to say Hi to Simba) or any hippos (they told the rhino to say Hi to Beshte for them) the foliage was great and the petting zoo was lovely

For a small-town zoo, Caldwell is great. It is not cheap, but maintaining/improving a zoo is expensive and this zoo provides an opportunity for people who may never get to go to the Dallas or Ft. Worth zoos. They have recently completed more "natural" areas for the animals, which is great!

Nice zoo. Pleasant walking paths. Nice variety of animals. Fairly priced with discounts for children 12 and under as well as seniors.

The Caldwell family still runs this zoo and it shows. They have an amazing selection of animals to view. They take excellent care of the animals and the grounds. You feel extremely safe and secure here. This is a zoo you would see in a top city in US. Great job!

This zoo is one of the best for a town the size of Tyler. Clean and arranged is way that you are never in the sun too long. Well kept and the staff are always ready to answer questions about the animals. Some times the animals are a little difficult to find in their confinement. Overall it is top notch.

We went here with teenagers, and they were still blown away. A great selection of animals in a variety of settings made for some great photography, also. The best part was the shade - it was perfect for Texas in the summer. The zoo was also very clean and the grounds were beautiful.

This zoo is small but packed full of everything from birds to elephants. The landscaping was gorgeous. The staff was very friendly.

First, I have to say that this zoo really needs to give most of the big cats a LOT more space than they have. The lions are the only ones with enough space, the rest of them pace their cramped habitats. It's sad to watch. I'm not sure what all they are doing with the renovation, but I hope it includes better space for the big cats.

I go to to Caldwell zoo every now and then and I quite enjoy it! It has quite a bit of animals with plenty of information about them. The gift shop is very cute, overpriced, but still has some lovely merchandise. There is a nice restaurant there with moderatly decent food, again overpriced, but that's to be expected. I would recommend the Caldwell Zoo to anyone who wants a nice stroll around. It's very kid friendly as well.

Surprising to find such a beautiful Zoo in a relatively small town. Worth a day to visit. Great fun!

The zoo was very clean. It was very well laid out. The trails were very smooth, with lots of benches and bathrooms if you needed to take a break. Lots of different animals and birds.

Very pleasantly surprised to find this beautifully landscaped and maintained zoo in Tyler Texas. Perfect size zoo for a couple hour visit with all of the great animals you would expect and more. I would call this a mini-Ft. Worth zoo. Absolutely worth visiting.

This zoo is awesome sauce. If you don't see anything else, you have to see the giraffe exhibit! They have a full deck and allow visitors to feed them lettuce, for a small fee of course. All the other exhibits were nicely fully developed and the map is kid friendly. Our 4 year old daughter played Dora the Explorer w/ it as she took us around the zoo. We saw bears, lions, elephants, birthday, anteaters, monkeys...even the really small ones, otters, and schools of fish. We really enjoyed our time there. Definitely going back.

Nice visit. My young kids loved the petting zoo and feeding the giraffes. Their favorite exhibit were getting face to face with snakes and lizards.

The exhibits that they have are very well done, and they are expanding. Other zoos have a wider variety of animals.

The walks are shaded, with some hills.

The zoo has a good cheetah breeding program. The staff makes an effort to keep the animals stimulated.

The African Savannah and other enclosures are spacious and natural looking.

The zoo is building an Amazon exhibit that should be good.

I found the bird walkabout to be small.

People who visit this zoo are always extremely surprised at what a fabulous facility we have in Tyler It is beautiful and clean and so charming. I try to go at least once a year

We went not long after the remodel and didn't enjoy it as much as we'd like because we traveled there to find the weather almost arctic, brrrrr. (Well, it was New Year's Day, sure, but way colder than usual I think ... 19 degrees?) But that's not the zoo's fault of course. We bundled up and walked the zoo for maybe a bit over an hour before going for hot drinks in the new concessions space, super nice employees there, great seating, wide menu selections. The one sour note was an extremely snippy employee who seemed to pretty much trying to run us off as we were at the pay window, told us since it was so cold that virtually no animals be available for viewing. We persisted in paying and going in anyway (boy, did we have that place to ourselves, lol). The thing is, turned out there were lots of animals viewable. Oh, another unpleasant thing was an Asian family had some mix-up at the pay window and the same person not nice to us wasn't too nice to them. Language issue maybe. By the way, we were there Jan 1 2017 I think but the dropdown menu doesn't go that far back so I just have to pick a year they have since it's a required field.

Stopped in for a visit to this small zoo and was pleasantly surprised! This zoo was started with only birds, and they still have a lot of different birds in residence. They have more parrots then I have ever seen at a zoo. They have an African exhibit that is amazing. The way they have it laid out, you can look out and you see giraffe, elephant, lions (which were roaring loudly), and cattle. The animals are separated, but it gives you the illusion that they are co-habitating in the wild. It was very cool! They also had a couple of white tigers that were so beautiful. We had a really nice visit.

This place is awesome and my grands love it!!! So many animals in great habitats. Don't miss this zoo!!

I have lived in Tyler for 25 years. I remember when this zoo was free admission. And it was always packed. So when they started charging a fee to enter, it was way less crowded, which was nice. Well they have continued increasing the fee and now it costs way too much for a family of 4 to go to a zoo. All that being said, they have pretty good displays of cool animals and fun route to walk. Just can't go as often- which makes it more special I guess.

Really enjoyed this small zoo. Got there at 10 and parked on ft row. Left at 3 and lot was full with only parking in overflow . New baby animals to see and super gift store . No kidding . Not one to shop but the items were one of a kind.
Worth your $10!

My husband and I took 2 of our grandkids to this zoo last Sunday because one of his coworkers told him how they had taken their grandkids and really enjoyed it. They were right we really enjoyed it. We went intending to pay for full price tickets but they were having a phonebook recycling day. Free entrance with any phonebook. We didn't have any but two women with children gave us 4 to allow us free entry. This park is well laid out and there is shade throughout the whole zoo which is great for me as I sweat alot and going places in Texas heat is uncomfortable at best. The majority of the exhibits were awesome but I was disappointed in the rhino enclosures. They were very barren. No trees or bushes with a lone rhino in each enclosures. I have never been one to get on my high horse about how terrible it is to keep animals in zoos but seeing those pitiful Rhinos did make me feel they needed to do something different or send them somewhere else to live. It was sad. The rest of the zoo was really great. We loved the birds! That was awesome to see all those brightly colored parakeets in one place and it was fun to be able to feed them. It took ua about 3 hours to make it through all the exhibits. Oh, the elephants were not out. They are rebuilding their enclosures so we didn't get to see them. Over all this was a great outing. I definitely want to go again with more of the grandkids in the future.

Caldwell Zoo in Tyler Texas is an awesome experience! Wonderful exhibits, very well kept zoo. You can spend the day traveling through the many, varied exhibits and educational centers. Have watched it grow over the years and it continues to get better and better. Highly recommend it for everyone!

We had a wonderful day. My grandsons, 6 and 8, loved it. Well worth a visit and good value for money.

As we were paying for our admissions, we were told of several areas that were closed due to construction. I asked if the admission could be discounted because we were not getting to see the whole zoo. No discounts given. Because that was our planned activity for the day we paid and stayed. What was open was worthwhile. There were several species that we did not remember seeing elsewhere.

A nicely thought out layout with lots of different animals and birds in large areas. The elephant enclosure is being re-vamped and the zoo hopes to have a restaurant open next year.
There is an enclosure where lions appear to be in with other animals, but it is an illusion - a deep ditch and fence actually separate them.
We were given a map on arrival, which was useful and spent a while chatting to two of the volunteers, who provided some useful insight about the various animals and birds.
There is a hot dog/coffee, etc. place in the grounds, but it appeared to be shut. Cold drinks are available near the ticket office and there are loos in various places.
There is also a nice gift shop with all sorts of things to buy. Well worth a visit.

It is a very nice place for having time with kids during weekend. I enjoy it with my daughters for several Saturday. In particular in the Summer.

The Caldwell Zoo is lovely. It is not too small & not too large. It's just right. Our grandchildren loved it, especially the aviary where they fed the birds. And the giraffes as well. We had a kid friendly lunch & thoroughly enjoyed the day. We will go back again & again.

Wide variety of animals. Kids liked feeding the giraffes lettuce from their hands. The zoo is a decent size and will take 1-2 hours to walk through and see everything. There are lots of shade trees along the path.

Newly refurbished--love our zoo! Very nice landscaping, and exhibits. Nice date day out. Very relaxing and easy to get around. Great experience for all ages!

Very nice and clean, and animal well kept with the zoo keeper and very informative. Nice gift shop and souveneirs

Even though it was winter, we enjoyed the friendliness of the staff and the zoo experience! The animals were close and the grounds were clean!

A good portion of the Africa exhibit is under construction. I really appreciated that the ticket window informed us of that before we bought tickets.

We were greeted warmly and given a brief overview of the zoo from a friendly staff member. This is a small zoo so don't expect to see the array of animals that you'd find in a major city zoo.

Our favorite exhibit was the Wild Bird Walkabout that allows you to feed parakeets and cockatiels by hand.

We walked the entire zoo in less than 2 hours. It was a gorgeous Texas spring day.

PRO: Wild Bird Walkabout! Buy some feed sticks. Beautiful grounds! Chat with the large macaws!

CON: The layout and hills spread throughout could be problematic for those with mobility challenges. The "petting zoo" is pretty small and only has goats.

Love this place. Beautiful presentation of Africa especially. Love the open feel and wide open areas for the animals. Hate those zoos with small metal bar cages that remind me of an animal jail.

What a beautiful Sunday at the zoo. The animals were glad for the Texas cool off and it made our visit extra nice. Part of the park was under construction but there were plenty of exhibits to visit. We also visited the gift shop and found it extra nice and the items were very reasonable in price. If you plan on repeat visits a yearly pass will pay for itself.

Me and my boyfriend came here while I was pregnant and it was fun but not to much walking for me and we enjoyed it

Lions, Zebras, Elephants and Giraffe!

There are many things to see and do, including the always fun bird feeding - especially fun for small children. There are many interesting animals to see.

Do visit during a cooler day, while most of the walking paths are covered somewhat, it still does become very hot.

Feeding Giraffe is very fun! We had an excellent time, and one can see everything in about 1/2 a day.

A lot of rare animals and not as crowded as the large metro area zoos. Reasonable price and a very nice facility.

I have been going here since I was a child with my pawpaw. It used to be free but is now kind of expensive, so my husband and I get the membership to take our kids, which ends up being way cheaper if you go frequently. This is a smaller zoo but still has all the main animals you would see at Dallas and Fort Worth but without the huge crowds. They have been under construction in the Africa section for awhile (they recently finished) but when we went none of the big animals were out, due to feeding or something. That is why I gave four stars. We went in the middle of the day, prime time, so why they would put up the most popular animals during this time is beyond me. Because of this and construction, we haven't seen the African animals in quite some time. Another reason I gave four stars is because none of the food stalls ever seem to be open. At least when we go. It's kind of weird...but overall a clean and family friendly zoo that offers fun activities like feeding birds (super fun and the kids love it), a small petting zoo, and a fun play area. You can also bring in outside food and drinks which is nice.

This is a must see if visiting. We are from out of town and this was our first time here. I have been to many zoos and this one is just well done, quaint and so wonderfully planned out! July in Texas you would expect to be too hot to enjoy anything, but this zoo is full of wonderfully planned shade and excellent landscaping. The zoo is one big circle, so you don't feel lost or like you have missed anything. The new Africa section was wonderful, the restaurant and outdoor dining were very nicely done. We fed giraffes and they were a lot of fun and vey family friendly, other zoos you get less than a minute in the crowds, but this was not crowded and we didn't feel pushed or rushed. We also fed the birds which the kids loved. Everywhere you turned was another well planned animal exhibit, and we didn't have to walk far to see another really fun habitat. One of my favorite things was that there was only one restaurant, and a closed snow cone stand and one gift shop - there were not stands everywhere trying to sell you something else like at other zoos. This was such a family friendly and nice place to visit, we went on a Monday and it was quiet and peaceful.

Visited this with my wife, daughter and grandson. One of the best zoos I have visited. Animals seem well looked after and good to see them close up. Ideal place for children and adults.

We have a large blended family and are zoo members. We go as often as we can. We feel like family there! Not too small and not too big. Lots of great memories made!

I loved everything about this little zoo. The landscaping was absolutely beautiful even though we visited on a cold February morning. We wanted to feed the giraffes which was super fun. For $5 you buy a few pieces of romaine lettuce which is easy to hold out to the giraffes. The day we visited there was a mama and a couple young giraffes that were interested in eating from our hand. Not everything was up and moving about, but we saw several types of big cats, some beautiful birds including a lot of pink flamingos. Very enjoyable and worth the time and admission.

This is a good zoo as far as small zoos go with a collection of North American, South American and African animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and even insects on display. Great window views of river otters and penguins while they swim. You now can get up close and personal as you feed the giraffes at the feeding station.

We've always enjoyed our family gatherings at the zoo. The children are never bored and the adults love watching the children's reactions to the large variety of animals and birds. Simply a funday out in East Texas.

Work brought me to Tyler for a few weeks so on a free Saturday morning I visited the Caldwell zoo. It is a very nice zoo and a great place to spend a morning. A pleasant surprise was the admission cost after I presented membership to a reciproical zoo-- it was 1/2 price. They also have senior, student and military/veteran discounts available. The zoo is very easy to navigate and has quite a nice collection of animals and birds. I went on a very nice day and got there just as it opened at 9 am. Very few people at that time, but when I left at noon it was very busy. Lots of families and children, who seemd to love it. I would recomend getting there as early as you can.

Awesome zoo feeding the giraffe is a must.reasonably priced family fun . Must see if your are visiting tyler

For it's size, this zoo truly impressed me with the the quality of the exhibits and uncluttered layout. We had a delightful time there with our daughters and grandkids. It was a wonderful experience and offered many nice photo opportunities, but best of all, we weren't exhausted when we left.

My husband and I enjoyed our trip to the zoo. I think most animals were out and about and visible! Very clean and staff friendly!

The park is handicapped accessible with ramps throughout takes about two hours to walk the park would recommend the African exhibit.

great place to take your grandkids for a day outside.wait until the weather is better and no rain.then go to McDonald's for lunch.they will love you for it....................

Big enough for animal diversity but small enough to see everything in half a day. Family/kid friendly!

I would highly and genuinely recommend this Zoo if you are wanting to see some really cool animals!! They have a wide variety of animals: White tiger, foxes, bald eagles, lions, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, meerkats, penguins, cheetahs, mountain lions, Tortoises, Black bears, deer, bison and Longhorns, and so much more! I went with my mom to this zoo and we truly had a great time, we got to feed the giraffes lettuce, and even got to hear and see the male lion roar in person! This is the perfect zoo for families if you have kids! (NOTE: Please teach your kids to be respectful towards animals, I know kids will be kids but seriously. I often see many kids screaming near the animals or at the animals, or just being disrespectful in general.) Again, I would highly recommend, go check it out if you’re in the area!

This is an excellent zoo for a city the size of Tyler. It is very clean, well maintained, and a great place to take the family.

I enjoyed my experience. The prices were kind of expensive, but I would still recommend. Great family experience.

Experiencing a Zoo is always fun, and the layout of the Caldwell Zoo is astonishingly good. It is clean, a great variety of animals who appear to be well cared for. It was a great day for our family of 3 generations.

Great place to take the kids. Very nice, clean and great variety of animals. Would definitely go again. Feeding the birds was the kids favorite.

We go every year that we drop my child off for summer camp. This is our go to place every time. We just went the first weekend of July and the elephants put on a great show! We got to feed the giraffes and it’s not very expensive. We have some great pictures and videos with great memories! I highly recommend it! They also have a new attraction coming and we’re excited to see what’s in store for next year!

The giraffe feeding station & the painting elephant were the favorites of the grandkids. They also liked the reptile house especially since there was a step that allowed them a better, close-up look of the snakes, lizards, etc. Overall a wonderful experience.

This zoo is surprisingly nice for a small town zoo. It’s a very nice way to spend a few hours on a nice day in Tyler. It was perfectly walkable for my newly 5 year old and had enough interesting animals to keep my almost 10 year old interested. It was clean and you could tell the animals are well-cared for, although some of the exhibits are just too small for their animals 😢 Overall, it’s a good value for what you get and makes for a lovely morning.

Great place to spend time with family and kids! I like to feed the giraffes and the staffs are friendly! Bird feeding is great too.

Today was a wonderful day for the zoo. The weather was perfect and not crowded at all. The workers are very friendly and helpful.

Last spring, they didn't have the giraffe feeding availlable yet, so we really enjoyed doing that this time. The animals all looked in great condition, and their habitats were clean and there were plenty of workers tending them. The Wild Bird Walk-About is always great. For $1 you get a popsicle stick with birdseed glued on, and they last for a half hour!!! The birds are friendly and will get on your stick or your hand pretty easily. A GREAT place for kids!

My wife planned for several weeks for this day of taking our 4yr old granddaughter and our 33yr old special needs son to the zoo. It wasn't the best weather, but not to cold or wet. But a big concern for me was being able to make the long walk around the zoo park because I am 58yr old and walking on feet that were really messed up in a wreck several years ago. Standing is ok for some periods of time, but combine that with walking also and it gets way to painful in a short distance and time. I spent 6 months in a wheelchair while the bones mended and decided that getting in and out of a wheelchair aggravated my hips and knees way to much for me to consider that type of service aid. My wife found a "Mini Segway", YES a Mini Segway, a 2 wheeled motorized vehicle that you stand up on. It is self-balancing, I found it to be VERY Easy to control and use as a way to GO with the family and NOT be in so much PAIN. It is NOT one of those Cheap Hover Boards with exploding batteries that are popular with the young kids.. One thing is for sure, it is not a TOY. This is my Service Vehicle for when I need it. It works well everywhere except stairs, and then it is not too heavy that I couldn't carry it up or down stairs. It works very well on inclined surfaces,(ramps ext.)anywhere a wheelchair can be PUSHED..

On Sat April 22 my wife and I took my granddaughter, daughter, son-n-law and our son to the Caldwell Zoo. After walking in from the parking lot to the ticket booth,(I let my segway power itself while I walked beside it), my wife purchased our tickets and we walked through the entrance. After getting inside the entrance, there was a female Zoo manager that talk to me. She question me about my segway, I explained that it was my service vehicle that will help me make it around the park without so much pain from my feet. She questioned if it was for only myself, and I replied yes, it is only for me. She said that would be FINE..

My Granddaughter was already having a great time seeing all that she could from where we were at, and directing us to come on, lets go see MORE...

We got together and decided which direction to start out on our tour through the park. I then mounted my Segway and we proceeded to the Flamingos on the left and then to the right toward the Meerkats habitat. When we got to the Meerkats, two park officials ran up in front of me, I was standing still(on the segway) at that time watching my granddaughter looking for the Meerkats. The Officials were a man and a woman. The woman had a troubled look on her face. The man had an inquisitive look. I figured they wanted to know where they could get one of those for themselves.(i get that a lot). Turns out, they were Park Security..

The woman asked, “What is that?" I replied, "It is a Segway, my service vehicle". As the man was asking, “How does it work?" the woman is mumbling, "This doesn't look safe". I explained how it operated, the woman still mumbling to herself "this don't look safe, this isn’t safe". The man never said such. Then the lady says "YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT IN HERE, it's not safe". Oh, the thoughts that went through my mind...... like (drag me out of here like I was on a DELTA flight..!! )

To not cause a scene, I said, "Ok, I will go out to the car and wait for my family to finish enjoying the zoo. The lady reminds me that the zoo has Wheelchairs that I could RENT! I've done that before, it meant that I wouldn't have a good experience at all do to propelling myself around, or someone else wouldn't enjoy themselves because of pushing me around the zoo. My daughter said that we could all just leave, the Rent-a-Cops did not have a problem with that and wanted to gladly refund our money!!

On the way out, my granddaughter was asking " Is that all the animals"..

I have always enjoyed going to the Caldwell Zoo..

I am now HURT.. They didn't CARE!!

This is a top rated small zoo! It has been featured in Southern Living Magazine. Recent renovations have made it even more true nature like. All ages will enjoy the animals plus the well kept and landscaped grounds. A real must if you visit Tyler.

This is a local treasure. Who would expect a neat zoo like this in a town of just under 100k people. A must see.

This is a wonderful zoo with a wide variety of animals and exhibits. One of our favorites is the bird aviary where you can feed the birds seeds on a popsicle sticks. Always a great photo op!!! The elephants, rhinos, and giraffes are always wonderful to watch as you enjoy a lunch from the snack bar.
Highly recommend!!

Visited the zoo with my family in March. I usually go to the Fort Worth zoo but made a little road trip to Tyler. Was pleasantly surprised. A pretty large zoo with numerous exhibits and just am overall enjoyable experience. A must see if in Tyler as both kids and adults will find reasons to enjoy. I almost like this zoo better than the local Fort Worth one.. And that's pretty significant. Will definitely return when I visit Tyler again.

We love coming to the Caldwell zoo! It has such a fabulous layout, always clean, and always such a great experience!

A great place to take the family and enjoy the day together! The animals are in a very natural environment and well taken care of, the aquarium is awesome and so are the Penguins!

Haven't been to a zoo in many years - remember why now. The facility is rather small with limited displays. The lack of crowds was a testimony to the limited display. As zoos go this one was pretty clean but the animals were pretty much dormant and distant. Some of the animals were behind bad plexiglass so the view was poor. There was construction going on so there was a portion that you couldn't access. It was a nice way to walk off some lunch and get some pictures but we probably won't be back for a long while.

They are renewing lots about the zoo!! the new cafe is awesome - up and running. When we went, we were still unable to feed the giraffes but that is a feature soon to come we were told. the birds are gorgeous and it's a great past time for the kids.

Though smaller than large city zoos, the Caldwell Zoo is great! Lots of great animal exhibits.
It's a great place for grandparents to take the grandkids.

This zoo was amazing for such a small city. Wide variety of animal. Good places to eat and plenty of bathrooms. Animals were well kept. We were able to feed the giraffes. It wasn’t expensive and we had a blast. It was a perfect trip with small kids because it only took about 3 hours to tour. Will definitely go back. Nice to have such a neat place in a relatively small city without any of the big city hassel

I've been here several times, the most recent when my husband and I took our 6 year old daughter for her first visit. We live about 5 hours away, she has been to other zoos but this was her first visit to the Caldwell Zoo. We all had a great time. Parking was a little tight but I loved that they had people in the parking lot directing you where to go to be able to find a spot. I love the way they have the tropical birds displayed here, you are able to get so close to them and get such a good look at the beautiful colors. I'm sure we will be back eventually for another visit!

Our son loves this zoo. It's a small but finely kept zoo with a nice range of animals and groundkeepers. It's nice for an outing.

I have been to Caldwell Zoo on numerous occasions and I always enjoy the visit. Lots of interesting things to see in a friendly environment that gets you close to the animals. It's always been clean and a safe place to go. Lots of rest areas with shade to rest as you make your way around the zoo. One of the better things to do when visiting Tyler.

This "small town" zoo competes well with any larger zoos in the variety of animals and ease to navigate. But the best quality to me was beautiful the landscaping and layout that puts you in shade for the majority of the walking path.

If you want a Zoo experience that is Just right I have to recommend the Caldwell Zoo. Its not too big: and not too little. It is easily accessible and navigated, even for this 67 year old with a cane. The animals look well kept and cared for.. The habitats are clean and the landscaping is very nice. Even though we were there at Spring Break and the place was packed, the walkways are spacious enough that we didn't feel crowded in. Great experience!

This is a nice zoo to visit with family, friends or hangout alone. This was a good average size zoo my wife and I took our grand daughter to. It was clean and had a good selection of animals for its size that we enjoyed.

Very nice Zoo and was nice day the temp. was cool to begin we finished up just as it was starting to heat up. Wasn't our first time at Calwell but first time we took the grand kids 6 & 5 which a great age they loved all the animals and the Zoo is small enough they didn't give out on us was a good visit and I'm sure we'll be back.

Clean and well designed small zoo for the family. Animals appear to be well cared with adequate room (it is a zoo) for most of them. It's a little difficult for me to see animals that are caged, but most of these could not survive in the wilderness anyway. Good value for the money.

We have been to the Caldwell Zoo numerous times over the years and have always thoroughly enjoyed our visits. They are currently going through some construction in there Africa exhibits so the elephants are not easy to see and the giraffes are not easy to view either. The cheetah was not in its area, and there was no notice to this upon entering the zoo. The staff were all very friendly and helpful as always. I have a service dog and they were more then accommodating and accepting of me having my service dog with me. It's just not that big of a zoo. I would say a full zoo experience is worth the drive out to Dallas or our favorite the Fort Worth Zoo if you really want a grand experience. All in all not a bad place though and will always be a regular visit for us.

The tyler zoo is a special gem in East Texas. There are plenty of different breeds of animals ans is kept very clean.

Zoo once again. Always enjoy, is clean and good outing. We are retired, but still have a good time walking the zoo.There were some positive changes. EX: the area for the elephants and the giraffes. (this area is still up by the cafe (it too has changed). During certain times you can get up close with the giraffes, buying lettuce leaves to feed them. They WILL COME UP CLOSE to get the lettuce. DO NOT PET OR TOUCH THE ANIMALS!! Always go to the bird aviary.Feed (NOT TOUCH) the birds there too.

This is one of the best zoo experiences that my children have had. We live in a small town so the zoos close to us are relatively small, but this was the first time seeing the elephants and giraffes up close and personal. My children and I had a blast. But be prepared to walk a little, the property is spacious. We'll be back!!

This zoo is the cleanest, most beautifully landscaped, and well arranged ever. We take our grandkids to the zoo very often and find it delights over and over. The animals are in natural habitats. The Aftican Plain with a cafe that looks down on giraffes, elephants, lions especially receives grand praise.

The Caldwell Zoo is the only AZA credited zoo in this area of East Texas and is worth a visit.
Unfortunately at the time we visited, some of the zoo was closed for construction of the new Amazon River's Edge area. The food vendors were closed. So prepare for that by having a picnic outside. Only bottled water is allowed inside the gate.
Also, this zoo closes earlier than other zoos so be sure to check out the operating hours.
One of the first things you'll notice as you pull into the parking lot (parking is free) is the breadth of natural plants and African-style themed decor. The thatched umbrellas along the stairs are nice. There are a ton of stairs down to the entrance but there is a wheelchair/stroller friendly path just to the right that winds through more plants. The ticket windows on the outside are closed so just walk straight to the gate inside where you can purchase your tickets under the cover. There are some nice rocking chairs if going down the stairs wears you out (or you can take a break after walking the zoo). The gift shop and exit are directly across the ticket windows on the left side of the building.
What really impressed me was the wheelchair/stroller friendly walkways and the directional signs along the trails. The signs depict the animals visually so young kids can follow them.
The penguin exhibit is excellent - the penguins swim right up against the glass for great photo-ops. The fish tank is also fun. The tanks do smell fishy.
Even though the zoo feels small, they feature all the major animals - lions, giraffes, elephants, and rhinos. Their exhibits are well-sized and offer nice viewing windows.
We lucked out during our visit and got to witness the feeding of the Alligators and the Soft Shelled Turtles.
The Savannah area is located right next to the main restaurant/food court (which was closed at the time of my visit). They had a nice patio with chairs. Normally the giraffe feeding is open during the day except the lunch hours ($5 per feed) but it was also closed on our visit.
The Herpetarium is located right across from the Bison, Deer and Longhorns. Warning for those with kiddos that are afraid of the dark or snakes, you may want to skip it. Inside you will find lizards, frogs, snakes and fish. The air conditioning is nice too!
Sadly, the petting zoo and playground are closed as part of the construction.
Overall Family Review:
17 year old - Liked the rocking chairs at the entrance pavilion
12 year old - Liked the alligator feedings
8 year old - Liked the penguins
2 year old - Liked the penguins and walking along the trails

We love to go to this zoo. It is well laid out with many trees in natural habitats. The elephant and giraffe enclosure is being enlarged so that part is closed for now (we will go back for the grand reopening)but, still a fun, relaxing, informative time. My boys loved this zoo when they were small, it was free entrance then and we spent many days here. The animals are still well cared for and it is worth a visit or two or three...

Love Caldwell zoo. It isn't a large zoo but it still has plenty for the kids to see and do. My only complaint is they don't have any bears. :( I've been going since I was little and always wanted to see a 🐻 bear there

this zoo was so shady and saw many animals. only one kinda big hill. so easy to walk! 75% of this zoo was in shade when we went in the morning hours.
$16.5 adult
$5 for 3 leaf of lettuce to feed 🦒 🦒 🦒 🦒. they were so adorable.

The zoo is a fun and exciting place to take family and friends to see the animals! It has places to eat, rest, and observe. It has a really neat gift shop that you will really want to see.

Nice sized zoo with many species of animals, birds, freshwater fish aquarium and alligators; food booths throughout

As a solo traveler I was looking for something to do outdoors. This was a nice walk, even though the weather was cloudy and windy.
Worth the trip.

This place is really nice. Well kept, tons of animals. Food, snacks and all kinds of stuff. Tons of displays that let animals be in a pretty nice natural habitat. It's a great place for kids and adults.

Visiting family in Flint this zoo was our first outing. We had a blast! The grounds are beautiful. Nice selection of animals. Be sure to get there to feed the giraffes. Well worth your time.

This zoo is smaller than Dallas but it’s cleaner an better by far, it’s got a nice setting around it, it never smells an the staff is always courteous

DK and Lottie Caldwell loved children and were so generous to build a very fine zoo for our community. It was free for many decades but after remodeling they began charging. It's still a bargain. And it's just large enough for toddlers and little children before they get tired and grumpy.

Can't believe we've never been here. Late spring weather was perfect and the zoo is a great, low-impact activity, especially for those with small kids. You can do the entire thing easily in a half day. There's enough shade that it has to help even when it's hotter. The new African Overlook is a very nice exhibit and you can tell the've worked hard to improve the facilities with new benches, landscaping, etc.

Never would have thought a zoo this nice was in this town. We have came here numerous times. It is a nice zoo, clean, lots of animals and great to have lunch and watch the giraffes.

The last time I had been to the Caldwell Zoo was when it was free, so it’s been a while but I must say they have not wasted a cent of the admission fees. The zoo is almost entirely shaded which is necessary in East Texas in the summer. Even though it was over 90 degrees it did not feel that hot, the same cannot he said for the Baton Rouge zoo so this is really an accomplishment in my book. It only takes a couple of hours to see the whole thing but it’s a fun outing for the kids. The cafe food is better than what you might expect but the view is wonderful. You can sit and eat lunch and watch the elephants. Feeding the birds is always a favorite and they were surprisingly still hungry when we got around to them around 2.

The zoo took about 4 hours to see everything. Was a little chilly outside. Good value for money, cost was about $40 for 2 adults and 1 child. We ate hamburger, chicken strips with fries and drinks was about $40 over 2x price for same type of food elsewhere. Some of the animals was not on display. The grandchildren enjoyed very much. Would recommend, worth the visit.

This zoo is absolutely an amazing!!! The display of all the wildlife is unexplainable!!! It is truly breathtaking!! The wildlife scenery is gorgeous!!! They an excellent variety of Gods creation!! The entire layout of the zoo is excellent!!! Price of the entrance is totally worth it.. I recommend a membership you will definitely return for sure!! Restroom and Parking is great!! Your entire family will love it!!!

We have been to zoos all over the country and I have to say that this is a terrific little zoo. It is the perfect size in my opinion. You can see so many interesting animals that aren’t always found at smaller zoos (white tigers, elephants, etc.) It has a beautiful area to eat outdoors by the cafe that overlooks the giraffe/elephant area. It was shaded through most of it so even in the warmer months it wouldn’t be too bad. My kids are two and they really enjoyed it as did the 3 adults! There is a kids area at the end with a petting zoo and sand.

Absolutely loved the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler TX...we got there later than expected so wasn't able to see the giraffes outside of their pen but still could see them...Lions, tigers, bears oh my...absolutely loved the blue macaws and parrots and monkeys and a penguin that acted like he was putting on a show for me as I was taking pictures...and of course the snakes, lizards, spiders and birds were awesome too...and the history behind the zoo is pretty cool as well

This was a great little zoo, give it a chance! You know how sometimes, animals in captivity just look ratty and miserable? Not here. The animals are clearly thriving and well taken care of. The enclosures were a bit small, but it is a small zoo. We had such a great time and had our fill of animal viewing without a day-long commitment! My fave.

Bring along strollers and carriages appropriate for your kids. There is a lot of walking and I have seen children in their wagons enjoying the zoo without tiring. The entry fees sre a consideration if you are on a budget. Parking is plentiful and free. The Zoo is in the northwest part of Tyler and not far from the Main Postoffice so use the signs to get there or GPS.

This is smallish zoo, but really well kept and neat. We enjoyed spending about 1.5 hours there. Not a huge time commitment but a nice stroll around with a good selection of animals. Reasonable price for something to do a spare day.

I took my 2 & 8 y/o today & we had the best time. We arrived @ 9:15, was able to rent a stroller. Giraffe feedings were at 10:00 in which we were able to participate in- $5 & totally worth it for the experience. The animals looked as if they were taken well care of. Landscaping was beautiful. Here were soda machines throughout so have cash available. Unfortunately the concession stand by the birds was closed. There is an area to go in and feed bird seed off of a stick ($1). Great experience! We will return.

Probably the biggest, best zoo around, not in a major city. African section currently under remodel, but still visible. Divided into sections by country or region. Fantastic settings.

We arrived an hour and a half before they closed. This was enough time, but could have spent several more hours here. Lots of shade trees and benches to sit. Nice level paths.

We love coming here and get passes often. The zoo is wonderful, especially for the size of the town. Lots of animals and often babies to see!

Great zoo to have in a small area, currently doing big renovations and can't wait to visit again. Hands on bird feeding is the most fun to do here, you can get up close and the birds are friendly. Always have a schedule of events for the day and a playground and petting zoo are fun as well.

I have been going here since a small child , it is a great zoo , with an always expanding array of animals the man who opend the zoo loved children they were once free now they charge but it's worth it , hope you have a wonderful time !

We always enjoy a leisurely stroll thru this beautiful zoo. Even on hot days it’s pleasant because there is plenty of shade. The animals also have shade so you can still view them in their habitat on hot days. Good variety of animals. The staff is friendly and the zoo is very clean. Not smelly like some I have visited . It is beautifully landscaped. The bird feeding hands on habitat is always a family fav. We had a lovely visit!

Very well-maintained and beautiful grounds. A great experience for all ages and very educational. We were very pleased with the price and entry procedure.

I went as a volunteer chaperone for a local elementary during a first grade field trip. This zoo has great educational exhibits for educational purposes. The displays are well done and the animals have an accurate setting for the children to view. All of the animals are well cared for and healthy. The zoo has a great side eating area for the school children. There were twenty-nine school buses that morning encompassing six schools.

My grandson really likes it here. He especially likes the giraffes. Great for kids. Easy to get around. Nice snack bar area. Not bad at all.

I have been to several "big city" zoos but I actually enjoy this zoo more than any of those. There are many different animals to view and the zoo itself is broken up into sections. The landscaping is very well done. My favorite attraction would have to be the penguins. There is even a show in the afternoons where the keepers do a presentation while feeding them. All in all it's a great time for children and adults.

This zoo is beautiful. Tall pine trees, beautiful flowers, and amazing animals, including a large anteater and white tigers.

The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. The layout of the zoo was great. very spacious yet layed out so that you can easily make your away around w/o getting lost.

We took my 90 year old mother and 4 little girl grandchildren. All were thrilled and enjoyed the day.
Zoo was clean and lovely.

I loved the variety of animals. It was so fun to see the white tigers, penguins, fox, and so much more. I also liked how many covered areas there were. Even though it was a partly cloudy day or was nice to have the shade. They have a great wide variety of animals. I would definitely recommend this to friends and family.

We really enjoyed this zoo. We went during the week and practically had the zoo to ourselves. It's not a huge zoo, but it's just big enough to get through in half a day or less. The African exhibits were awesome and we loved the giraffes! Our favorite part was feeding the birds! Hands down the best exhibit.

This place continues to expand in an impressive way. Definitely one of the highlight attractions when in the Tyler Texas area. You will not be disappointed I assure you.

I wasn’t expecting such a great zoo to be in Tyler. I would highly recommend any families visiting the area to check it out.

Rain or shine, this zoo is always nice to visit. We’ve been coming here since it was free way back in the day when my wife and I dated. Now we keep a family membership and visit several times a year including the special events they host. It’s worth your money and a great cause to support as well. You will get a lot out of your day at this beautifully kept zoo.

Fantastic zoo in Tyler. Have gone to see the animals here since I was a kid. Raised my kids on regular visits. It has continued to upgrade and become a world class zoo. The story is supposedly that Mr. Caldwell started the zoo in his backyard for neighborhood kids with an alligator, duck and pet squirrel. It grew to a full zoo which he always wanted to be free. It was free for most of it's history but unfortunately, no longer. Sad, as you don't see the large families who might have limited means enjoying a day at the zoo with a picnic lunch. When they decided to become more 'big time' with the more natural animal enclosures, came the big ticket costs like most other attractions. If you weren't spoiled by years of free admission, like me, it is worth the ticket price. I still try to enjoy an occasional visit to this wonderful zoo.

We took our 3 grandchildren here for the day and they really enjoyed it. It's a smaller zoo but has all the major animal attractions that larger zoos have from N America, Africa, etc. They have a petting zoo area where the children can mingle with the goats; there's a reptile area; they have a recently opened Africa overlook area with elephants and giraffes and a really nice covered viewing/outdoor dining area near the Chakula Cafe and the souvenir store. The zoo offers many programs for children as well. Last, but not least, the favorite area for our grandkids was the Wildbird Walkabout - for $1 you can get a stick covered in birdseed and roam inside an enclosed aviary with the birds - they flock to you to snack on the stick, perch on your fingers, nibble on your toes. Kids (and grandparents) had a great time in here. Would definitely recommend Caldwell Zoo to families in the area.

My family has been a member of this zoo for over a decade and do not regret the time and money spent here. While it used to be free, it is still fairly reasonable in price to get in. The exhibits are wonderful and everything is well kept. While our kids have been many times, they still enjoy every visit.

This Zoo is large and requires a lot of walking. Bring sunscreen, water bottles, and umbrellas. The Zoo does not have tours available to inform you about the animals, so the staff here is hard to find. The animals were very sleepy the day i came. Perhaps hiding from the sun? Overall fun zoo but most of the animals hid out from the sun. They have ice cream available for 5 dollars.

Very pleasant zoo. Good landscaping. Plenty of shade. Easy walking path. We got there when they opened and had no wait

My husband and I enjoyed our visit at the zoo. It took us around three hours to walk the zoo but this may have been because several areas of the zoo were under construction and we had to retrace our steps a couple of times. Because of this construction, we did not get to see any giraffes or elephants and the Birdwalk was also closed. They did have some unusual exhibits such as the white tigers which were beautiful. There was also an exhibit on animals found locally such as deer, longhorns, ducks and turkeys. The zoo was clean and well-kept.

This is the best zoo in roughly a one hundred mile drive , it's definitely a good place for you to take your children to so they can learn about animals

I chaperoned an elementary school to this zoo. It is a nice zoo. They have a large parking area for buses. A large group area with tables. It has a learning building we’re someone teaches the kids about certain animals and allow the kids to touch them. They have a bird area we’re your allowed to walk into it and purchase popsicle sticks with bird food on it to feed the birds. The also have an area that allows you to feed giraffes. It has a lot more things, but I’m not going to text about each of them due to time restraints.

Great small zoo. They have done a lot to improve exhibits over the past several years. Would like to see the cheetahs given more room. I really appreciate that they House many birds and animals that were injured and cannot be returned to the wild. Worth the price.

This used to be our favorite place to go when we moved to east Texas. We were shocked that it was free. We were then told that Mr Caldwell set up the zoo to always be free but his children want to make a profit. Long time employees remarked that Mr Caldwell would roll over in his grave to know what his family was doing. It’s still a nice place but won’t support his greedy family again.

One of the better zoos' I have visited. It has a lot of wonderful animals and birds! Highly recommend if ever in the Tyler area!

Amazing for a privately owned zoo! All the habitats look well maintained and the animals seem healthy. Visited on Sunday after the Rose Festival and there were no problems with parking or crowds. October is still warm so many of the animals were snoozing in the shade by mid morning, but mostly visible. The variety of species was worthy of any big city zoo and they’re doing a massive addition to expand the habitats. Excellent family attraction at a very reasonable cost.

I cant wait for the new area to be finished. With the area closed off it seems like you miss half the zoo.

We went with our son, wife and twins boy and girl 6 years old. Since we are senior citizens I thought the entry fee was a little bit pricey. The zoo was great, lots to see, some of the attractions were closed for winter.
Twins wanted to feed the giraffes. 3 lettuce leaves for 5 dollars, now that was a whole bunch too much, but who wants to disappoint there grandchildren, so cough up 5 dollars we did.
The on-site restaurant exceeded my expectations. The burgers and fries were really good, again a little on the pricey side.
Overall a great trip

Really a quality zoo. Lots of different animals. Clean and attractive environments. Easily walkable with wide sidewalks and benches.

I spent two very enjoyable hours at this small but well organized zoo. There is a wide variety of animals which mostly can be seen up close. The layout lets you walk around easily with places to rest and shade. The habitats are well presented. and maintained There is a cute gift shop that is accessible without entering the park.

We last visited abt 6 years ago. We live about 3 hours away but decided to stop in on the way home from Dallas. Loved getting to visit again. This is a small zoo but it is beautiful and well maintained. Lots of flowers and landscaping too. A nice variety of animals including penguins, longhorn cows, baby goats to pet, cheetahs and an excellent African savanna setup with giraffes elephants zebras and lions (cleverly kept at a distance from the rest) the Cafe is a very nice place to est with the patio overlooking the African savanna it almost feels like you're in a much larger zoo in a much larger city. Affordable entry fee and no fee to park.

A great place to visit with your family lots of things to see all different types of animals very exciting

This is a very nice little zoo. The animal exhibits are well laid out, with pathways that lead you through woods or open spaces from one to the next. At the lion exhibit, for example, the division between lions and the rest of the African Plain is well camouflaged, so you would almost think the lions where on the same plain as the zebras.

Very nice and larger than expected. The habitats are very well maintained and spacious for the animals. Very low admission price.

Nicest place in Tyler Tx- if your going on a hot day show up at 9am it’s cooler and you can be done by 11am. I suggest going to the wild bird walkabout First because the birds seem to eat more in the am. The white tigers are so big and don’t miss out on a snow cone at the stand infront of wild bird walkabout. Also they sale fish food so I bring a roll of quarts or you can buy them at the cashier window. The lunch area is nice and being so close to the elephants and giraffes is neat.

We loved everything about Caldwell Zoo and my lil boy had a blast and we will be back for sure friendly staff and beautiful environment!!

I can only echo the accolades of other writers; this zoo was a delight--perhaps our favorite across the country. It is designed for people to enjoy being close to the animals, and for the animals to have authentic environments in which to live and roam.

First off, it was completely accessible. Although some of the hills were a bit steep (pushing a hand-operated wheelchair could be a challenge), the mobility scooter worked really well there.

Secondly, the setup was amazing. The cafe is located slightly above the Elephant, Giraffe and Savannah areas; visitors can easily see the animals. While we were there, two young elephants decided to play in their pool, so we spent our lunch time watching not only them, but also the giraffes that came to observe the fun! Every exhibit was a photo waiting to happen.

Add to this the spotlessly clean environment, the friendly and helpful staff, and the gorgeous fall day and we couldn't have had a better time.

Well done, Caldwell Zoo!!!

P.S. They participate in the reciprocal zoo membership program. Check the list and bring your membership card and photo ID for each eligible person.

We had a great visit that had something for everyone, including feeding lettuce leaves to a giraffe up close and comfortable. We went on a Friday so it wasn't too crowded and loved seeing the elephants bathing! Great time!

I love this little zoo! The elephants always entertain and the primate village is entertaining as well. The cats could do with larger enclosures, but overall it is very well maintained and just an overall pretty zoo. It is kid friendly and probably one of my most favorite zoos across the southern states (and I've been to several).

Tyler itself is a progressive, nice little city that I've always enjoyed visiting. Wouldn't mind living there. This zoo is not in the best part of the city, but that seems to be typical for most city zoos. The staff at the Caldwell Zoo are seen walking around and tending to the animals. The gift shops are typical for a zoo and the eat shops pre-COVID were well manned and well maintained. Not all reopened after COVID began, but you can still find snacks and drinks when you need them.

The Caldwell Zoo does a great job of exhibiting a wide variety of animals in their natural habitats. Most are allowed to roam around their enclosures and have plenty of room. Some exhibits may be viewed from different locations.

Caldwell Zoo is by far the best bang for your buck in Tyler. Young or old, it's a fantastic experience - the variety of animals, especially in their natural habitat is so amazing. And the staff at Caldwell Zoo are so friendly and helpful. The kids can feed the birds and the giraffes, both for a small fee. Definitely worth the visit...don't miss it!

Caldwell Zoo does a wonderful job of the zoo business. The animals are well-cared-for and the most frequent cause of death in their animals is extreme old age. The exhibits are nice, and are constantly being refurbished and/or enlarged to make the animals as comfortable as possible while being as visible to the public as possible. The landscaping of the zoo is beautiful, with lots of shade (very important in the summer in Texas!) along the paths. We have all learned so much about the animals that share our world from visiting the Caldwell Zoo - it's an hour away from us, and we go as often as we can to "our" zoo!

The zoo is small, but you get a much better look at the animals and for small kids the size is perfect. The grounds are clean and well shaded. We choose to take our grandkids to the zoo for a day trip and both they and we enjoyed the Tyler zoo over the others we have taken them to. On the cool October morning we were there, the animals were very active. The cost is also reasonable. Overall another fun days with the kids.

Great zoo for the size and price. We loved feeding the birds and the reptile area. Plenty to see and do while at this zoo. The elephants are beautiful as always. It's always clean and a pretty good size. The animal exhibits are also a good size as well. We've been to this zoo many times and plan to go back again.

I have taken my kids to this zoo numerous times. This trip was an anniversary trip for my husband and myself. We enjoyed the atmosphere and all the animals. As always, the animals all looked great and well taken care of. I would recommend this zoo to everyone. The staff is very helpful and nice

What a great zoo. I wasn’t expecting such a big city zoo in a small town but we were pleasantly surprised. The place was huge with large exhibits, well groomed grounds and every animal imaginable. Admission was only $12.50 each and well worth it. Great experience.

We spent a Saturday afternoon here and were surprised how shaded it was for the time of day. There were such a variety of animals to see. We were able to see most everything in the 2 hours we spent there. There is an area for petting goats for the younger kids. There was also an area to feed birds, and we were able to get some really cool pictures of the kids with the birds feeding from their hands! They had some nice, shaded areas for resting, bathrooms throughout, vending machines for drinks, and of course a gift shop. I think they also had some concession areas as well. It was probably the nicest "small" zoo I've been to!

We came here on a beautiful fall day. It has been several years since we had been here. The exhibits had not changed, and fewer animals were on display. The biggest drawback we had was that is not handicapped accessible. The handicapped parking is at a long, steep set of stairs. They do have a ramp, but it is 50 yards away from the handicap parking. There are no concessions for seniors, or handicapped. Benches to rest are few and far between, and the terrain is very hilly.
If you are young, and full of energy with young children, it will be Okay. Older children will be bored. If you want a good zoo experience, I would drive a little farther. It was fine when it was free-- but not now.

We really like the zoo. It wasn’t super huge, but it had about everything you would want to see. Longhorns, zebras, elephants, giraffes that you could feed, all kind of tropical birds, snakes, otters, and the list goes on. This is a do not miss if you happen to be in Tyler

This is a great little zoo where you can get a closer view of the big cats than you can get at a large metro zoo. My husband and I enjoyed the 2 hours we spent looking at the animals. Unfortunately it was January, and a few of the habitats - mostly monkeys - were closed due to the cold. That was the only bummer. Otherwise, we got in for the great price of $12.50 each since we are "seniors". There is free parking - something else you don't get a the larger zoos. We were there on a Saturday in mid January, and it was not crowded at all. We are glad we took the time to see this zoo while we were in the area.

Really laid back zoo. My family always has a great time! Getting the family membership pays for itself within 2 to 3 visits.

I've been to alot of zoo's with my children and grandkids all over the United States and this one is soooo...nice because its not so busy. Relaxing visit and enjoyed the animals so much.

The hour walk around the zoo was the perfect circuit for my 3 and 4 year old kids and there was a playground at the end they loved.

My wife and I have made it a tradition to visit any zoo in the areas in which we visit. Very rarely do we stumble onto a zoo that we don't like, this one is no exception to that.

The Caldwell Zoo is, in every category, a great zoo. During our visit, the attendance was fairly low. The zoo was well laid out and easy to navigate. Everything was extremely clean and all of the pavement along the walkways was in fantastic condition, which made pushing a stroller a breeze. The zoo had a pretty good number of animals, all of which had great exhibits. We also took the opportunity to feed the giraffes, which turned out to be a huge hit with our two year old. We ended up having to go through the area again, just so he could have another go at it. But, he absolutely loved it.

The zoo's location is very convenient and easy to get to. Parking appeared to be abundant, but since attendance was light, we were able to park extremely close to the entrance. All of the employees that we came into contact with seemed incredibly friendly and helpful. All in all, I'd consider the Caldwell Zoo to be one of the better small zoo's that we've visited. I'd definitely recommend visiting them if you're in the Tyler area.