North Carolina Zoo Reviews

Kids and I really enjoyed this trip. We learned a lot from animals in a fun way. The animals seemed content and well-cared for, and their natural behaviors were evident.

The friendly staff added to the positive experience. They were ready to answer our questions, share interesting facts, and ensure our visit was memorable.

Overall it was so fun! Bring your camera and apply sunscreen, as you'll be doing a lot of walking.

Went to the zoo but not what I expected… there was a lot of walking for limited animal viewing!! The highlights were the butterfly enclosure - even though it was not very big for the ticket price and feeding the giraffes! The giraffe feeding was an amazing experience and one we would do again !!

The North Carolina Zoo is the largest natural habitat zoo in the United States. We have visited Raleigh NC many times and can't believe we are just finding out about this zoo. We visited during the off season, February 2020, so NO crowds. Five miles of meandering large and beautiful animal exhibits. We enjoyed such a large variety of animals, noting that their enclosures were almost as beautiful as the animals themselves. We especially enjoyed the dessert and tropical enclosures. The two baby chimps were adorable, watching the chimps interact with each other was a highlight. Plan in advance to note feeding schedules and staff interactions at many of the exhibits. They have a helpful website for planning your visit. Prices were really reasonable. We ended up purchasing a season pass as the total cost for our larger family was just about equal, so we are sure to return! Trams are located throughout the park for those less inclined to walk and wander the miles of beautiful trails. Strollers were easy, sandwiches, drinks and snacks can be brought in. Coolers are prohibited. Located about 1.5 hours from Raleigh, but well worth the drive!

Visited the North Carolina Zoo for the first time while I was visiting family last week. What a beautiful place!
Having the the time slots for entry really helped pace the amount of people inside the zoo grounds and made it so that everyone could enjoy seeing the animals without having to climb over one another.
I was really impressed with the enclosures for the larger animals. There is so much outdoor space for them to wander. It really seems that all of the residents there are well kept which always makes for a nicer zoo experience.
Be prepared to walk a lot..this is a large zoo!

While I'm here, and in the event they might read this, I would like to publicly mention the 2 women who decided it would be fun to carve their initials into the bamboo along the Treehouse Trek area. In a place that supports and practices conversation you should be 100% ashamed of yourselves for even thinking that was cool.

We were looking for a day trip from Charlotte and decided to visit the zoo. It turned out to be a very enjoyable experience, with a great variety of animals and well-maintained exhibits. Unfortunately, the giraffes and polar bears were unavailable during our visit last Tuesday. The exhibits are spread out, but the convenient shuttle service makes it easy to get around — the drivers were both informative and friendly. We look forward to returning once the new Asia exhibit opens

My wife and I, senior citizens, visited the zoo for our first time. This was after Covid restrictions were lifted so we could buy our tickets at the gate. We found it clean, staffed by friendly, helpful people, the animals seemed well cared for. We rented two electric wheelchairs because neither of us could handle all the walking. This presented a challenge for us when we approached buildings because we had to depend on other guests to help us open doors ( we didn't have other family with us). We got out of our chairs at the aviary and discovered the end of the path took us out away from where we parked the chairs. Luckily a volunteer helped find the entrance and our chairs. All the buildings should have handicap accessible door openers but don't. The tram from North America to Junction was a great choice. The staff were very accommodating on loading our chairs and helping us board. We carried refillable water bottles and refilled them at convenient water stations. It was a hot, humid day , so some animals were not easy to see. The butterfly garden was a treat. Several habitats were closed and the safari ride in Africa was not running. Overall, a pleasant visit and hopefully the doors to the buildings will be improved for accessibility.

My sister & I had a lot of fun, saw a lot of animals with a lot of room to to roam, a great family day.
Animals from Africa, America & Asia

The NC Zoo in Asheboro is fantastic! We went in the rain (b/c we thought it would stop, but just kept pouring), and it was still great! The bad thing about the rain is that we couldn’t feed the giraffes. It’s a fall risk if they are out in the rain. I highly recommend the zoofari, as you see lots of animals and learn a lot about conservation and the animals. Its about $25/ person. The zoo is huge!! It’s a lot of walking and somewhat hilly, so make sure you wear good shoes!! There are trams to take you back and forth if needed! Helpful in the rain. It is really great for children as there are a lot of hands on climbing things along with a playground. The exhibits are large but close enough to see the animals! It really is a fun zoo. We have a 3 yo so we did take a stroller and did not do the zip line. They have feeding times listed too when you walk in, which is a great way to plan your day. Have fun and enjoy seeing some really cool animals!!

Lots and lots of uphill walking. Disappointed in how many animals we actually saw! Food and beverages were sky high, which is why we saw many families eating food from their backpacks, even though it's clearly prohibited. The zoo itself needs to be remodeled and deep cleaned. Appreciate the wide open spaces but we won't be going back.

A bit of a drive to get to but this is a big zoo with lots of walking, big exhibits spaced apart so not as much to see. We parked in the Africa entrance.

We really enjoyed all the walking but could see how this could be hard for children and families. Was a hot day and although you are in the trees in most spaces it can get extra warm.

Really enjoyed the gorillas.

Visiting the North Carolina Zoo felt like a mini safari adventure. The animal enclosures are well-maintained. If you're planning a visit, make sure to allocate plenty of time because there's so much to see. I recommend bringing some comfortable walking shoes, as you'll cover quite a bit of ground.

This is such a fun place for a family fun day and really in our back yard. The staff is always friendly and the animals are always out putting on a show.

Our family had a great time at the zoo! It’s a lot of walking so take advantage of the trolley. I’d suggest seeing your favorite animals first in North America and then in South America. Like if you know you have seen lemurs before then why stop? It’s a lot of walking so seeing the bigger animals like the polar bear, elephants, gorillas first is what I recommend. Pick everyone’s favorite animal and make two stops one going in and one going out. Take advantage of the trolleys and wear sneakers and comfy clothes. As for food it’s expensive but I would suggest buying the $7 drink with $1 refills throughout the park. Yes a family can share one or two of these drinks easily. We ended up eating Billy D’s chicken sandwiches. The waffle fries were awesome. The sandwich not so great but you get a sandwich and fries for close to $9. The customer service was awesome. There was a sweet young brown haired girl there that was so helpful and seemed to enjoy her job😊 I always love it when I go somewhere and the workers are happy!

giraffes among other animals. There were NO gitaffes zebras or baboons. Only 1 sleeping lion and 1 lemur. It wouid hae been nice had been given a “feads up” as to what animals were not available to bevseen. We were so disappointed we didnt even bother with the North American exhibit

We went with our 3 year old son and had a great time! We brought our own wagon which was really a necessity. I wish the zoofari was available 7 days a week- we defiantly would have done it. Our favorites included the alligators, dessert dome, and gorillas. The kids play area appeared closed. The aviary was closed. The bees were closed for the season. It was definitely worth the 5 hr trip though.

If they had advised me that most attractions were closed i coukd have saved a trip and this bad review..what was open looked neglected and had nothong or almost norhing in each one ..is saddeat i have i have ever seen..def wont make this a place to see again ...very disappointed

12. Phone calls to the zoo and every person answering the phone gave us different information. The online system for tickets is not working. 6 of us lost money on reservations in campgrounds and hotels because we are being told they are closed for cleaning and no one can give us the exact dates for that! Very frustrated and bad management!

Soooo much walking to see nothing really!! Way overcrowded, too expensive, too spread out, and couldn't hardly see any animals. Definitely not your 'typical' zoo. If you want to go to a good zoo go to Omaha or Saint Louis!

This zoo has huge, lush areas for animals in NATURAL habitats. Animals are surrounded by living and non living elements that allow them to live healthy and happy.
You do need to prepare for walking but the walkways are paved and shaded in most areas. There are benches along the way of you need to take a break. While some have mentioned the distance between animal exhibits, there HAS to be space to provide the animals with the most room to roam, and the walks are enjoyable, just wear good shoes and stay hydrated on warmer days.
The animals here are very well cared for and the grounds are very well maintained. If you take the time, there are many displays that educate you about the animals lifestyles and efforts that are being made to increase protection and conservation.
Though many go to the zoo to see the animals, be sure to take time to appreciate the fantastic plants and trees! The flowers in the Bird Aviary were jaw-dropping beautiful!
My son especially loves the KID ZONE and PLAYGROUND areas! The activities that are set up for kids encourage free play and creativity. Some discovery places charge $10-15 for the activities that are INCLUDED in your zoo admission.
BONUS: All staff I encounter are friendly and helpful. There are smiles on faces and you can’t beat southern manners.
If you have a container, you can get free ice water at any building that has fountain drinks. Also you can take in small snacks and there is a picnic area outside the main area if you would like to bring a cooler lunch. See the website for more details.

We REALLY LOVE our experiences here and strongly recommended that everyone should give it a try!

I was a little disappointed that some of the animals didn't have enough space for living in a zoo. Definitely not a Bush Gardens.

Let me start by saying that I've been to around 70 zoos in the United States so I am a zoo fanatic. The zoo is very big they call it the largest natural habitat zoo in the world. It has two ends to it one is a North American end in the other is an African end. So think of it as a one-way walk-in Theory where you can catch a shuttle or tram back to the original land. That walk is over a mile and a half each way. Prepared to walk. Does go uphill and kinda peaks in the middle and then goes back down hill. Parking is free which is very rare these days. There are plenty of food stalls throughout and also your normal options for stroller rental and all of that. They do have a very nice kids area in North America as well as a carousel in the middle Junction. All of the walkways are very well shaded so whether it's hot outside or not you're going to enjoy the experience. They do have some average enclosures of course but they also have some very well done enclosures. The polar bears are one of the great exhibits with multiple viewing areas and also the baby bear. Polar bears are harder and harder to find these days so enjoy this exhibit. They had a nice Marsh area for the Gators and they have a nice prairie area at the top for your normal prairie animals. The lion exhibit was average-at-best. The giraffe exhibit was kind of decent but I only saw one giraffe out. There was several viewing areas for it. The elephant exhibit was one of the greatest I have seen as they have acres and Acres of room to roam. And they have many many elephants. They have a Grizzly Bear exhibit which was under construction and then a Black Bear exhibit which was pretty decent. There's a lot of prairie area where the animals can just roam which is really really nice and that's what makes it the largest natural habitat zoo in the world. This is definitely off the beaten path in the middle of North Carolina. But in my mind it was worth the trip. The only issues I had was with the trams at the end of the day there's a long line of over 30 minutes to get on a tram to get back to your original side of the park. I ended up walking it. There is a nice lemur Island and a nice chimpanzee area as well. No tigers at the zoo which was kind of weird. My best advice would just be prepared to walk and allow at least several hours to visit the zoo. Pictures included

Beautiful! Friendly staff. Took friends visiting from Minnesota who watch a show about the zoo. Appreciate the trains and mobile carts.

My parents and my kids love it. Is great see the animals in their habitat. So clean and organize We came back

I had not been to the NC Zoo in maybe 12 years. As another reviewer said, it's more of a hike than a zoo. It struck me as rather tired and unchanged in the intervening years. The collection of animal species is OK, not great. Many animals were out of view or some stations were closed. In the expansive African habitats are pay per use magnified viewers. No one carries pocket change much these days. why can they not just be complimentary? I found the educational placards lacking. More detail is needed. Finally, the food vendors in keeping with the zoo's pledge to be more "green" and sustainable should stop service food and beverage in plastic. It is a lovely place to visit for sure, but falls short to the world-class zoos one finds in larger metro areas.

Spent the whole day there with family and even celebrated our Grand daughters 3rd Birthday there. Got to the Zoo right when it opened and walked around, enjoyed all the sights, had a picnic lunch and purchased ice cream to go with the Birthday cake. Rode the carousel and saw the 3D movie ( at an extra cost ). Walked from one end to the other and rode free tram car back to the front.

My wife, myself, and my 1.5 year old had a blast. It was a bit chilly so there was hardly anyone there. Went hours without seeing another person. Had a great time, super well designed and easy to see everything they have. Great exhibits that shows with the size of the park. Plan on being there all day. Even though it was slow they still had some restaurants open and the cost was on 15) per adult entry. Some things under construction but that’s awesome, more to come! Can’t wait to head back and do it again! Loved every minute.

Although I'm all for "natural habitat", this zoo has such large enclosures that the animals are no-where to be seen. Add unclean dining areas and basically you pay $25 to hike around the endless trails. We did manage to catch a glimpse of a few animals but the impression is, this zoo is a private conservation preserve with a few token "viewing areas".

Where are all the animals? Several attractions were shut down. Remolding being done. Park for kids was closed. Spent more time walking than seeing anything. Not what it used to be and not as clean as it used to be. Dissappointed again. Visited Mother's day weekend.

Returned for our fourth time to the zoo that we first experienced on our honeymoon 31 years ago. Largest natural habitat zoo in the world, but when you're there, you feel like you can almost reach out and touch the animals! Currently undergoing quite a bit of construction/expansion, which means some exhibits are closed. Disappointed that we didn't get to see the polar bears this time. Overall, this is one of the best zoos we've ever visited. Gift shops are nicely spread throughout the zoo. Food quality and prices are not outrageous. Ticket price is average. *Watch out for snakes and keep an eye on your children!*

I bring my son to the zoo on Saturday morning and my kids want to see the giraffes. However, we found all giraffes are attracted to the giraffe's deck for the feeding leaves. The deck is far and almost impossible for others to see the giraffe.

Fine, let's buy the FUN tickets. So we went to the giraffe deck and bought the tickets. However, the kids of the two families in front of us get at least a whole fresh lettuce leaf for feeding the giraffes. On our turn, the staff there only give each of us 3 pieces of 2 inch dirty leaves. When my son goes close to the giraffe, he was a little scared and lost his leaves on his hand. I tried to request the staff to give him more, but the staff refused that and lied that everyone has 3 pieces of dirty leaves.

All right, I gave up and tried to pick the dirty leaves lost from my son's hand. Guess what, the female staff with short blonde hair started to picking up leaves from the deck and even physically squeezed me with her body! Ironically, when we are fighting for picking up the silly dirty lettuce leaves on the ground and at the same time, she says "excuse me" politely! Finally, I recycled 2 pieces of the silly dirty leaves but lost all fun from the zoo.

When we left, the staff on the giraffe deck clipped their hands.

The worst thing is I just renewed my membership from fall 2019 to fall 2020 before I enter the zoo and this is no-refundable even before the start date of the renewed year.

Although we are not the white, the staff on the deck is all white and I'm still not sure if this is a discrimination action, I still feel very awful for this experience.

This was an absolutely awful experience!

The animals here look completely and utterly depressed, bored, sick and even upset by human presence. And I can’t blame them!

With no “rangers” or employees stationed at any indoor OR outdoor exhibits people act in the most intolerable manner with complete and utter disrespect and appreciation for the animals they are witnessing. I saw one volunteer standing OUTSIDE the entrance to the outdoor gorilla exhibit. This was the only employee (other than working at the food stalls) that I saw in the entire park, in which I spent the entire day. I was ashamed of the human race for being incapable of respecting the animals, but the zoo should care enough to take measures to prevent the tormenting of the animals.

I witnessed a Rock Hyrax lying on a rock, and I was unsure of whether it was dead or alive. It lay with its eyes open in what seemed a very unnatural position, motionless - with no sign of it breathing evident. A little girl even asked her dad, “Is it alive?”

I witnessed a teenage boy turn on his phone flash in the ‘nocturnal building’ and put it right up against the glass where the bats where hanging and hold it there for a fair amount of time while he showed his little sister the very clearly upset bats.

I witnessed a fully grown man banging on the glass of the enclosure in which a lizard was lying, trying to get it to do...something? He eventually walked away looking very upset that the lizard hadn’t done anything.

There were also whistles and repeated shouts to get the attention of animals such as lions and foxes. And banging on the windows to the gorilla enclosures, and that of the sand cats.

There needs to be more education at such a zoo. It seems common sense to me to respect all lives no matter how big or small. But obviously not everyone has grown up with this mentality, or been taught these things. That’s why a zoo should aim to fix this and take the opportunity to educate rather than turn a blind eye.

I would never return to this zoo, and quite frankly if I knew the animals would be place somewhere better - I’d say I hope they close down. The management here is horrendous and extremely disappointing. It was so hard for me to watch people acting like this, with no way to stop them, and realize that this is what these animals tolerate everyday, that I was literally brought to tears. If I had not been here with family that wanted to stay to see the rest of the animals, I would have left without walking through the entire zoo.

I love this zoo. It is big and roomy, and it feels like most of the animals have plenty of space. Most animals are there for a reason - the grizzly is an ex-national park garbage collector if I remember correctly! We went on a beautiful day in December. There is more transportation within the zoo available in season, but we enjoyed the walk. The elephants were quite feisty. Special plus - you can get a AAA discount on top of a Sr discount.

The North Carolina Zoo is the largest natural habitat zoo in the world. This does not mean that it has the most animals - it doesn't- but it means that the exhibits themselves are large (some are several acres large). Most of the animals have large enclosures that mimic where the animals are found in nature. Bring binoculars as many of the animals can be hard to spot - especially the plains animals. The Aviary is a must see. One of the best I have been to with an amazing selection of tropical plants as well as birds. Look closely and you will see some lizards and other wildlife roaming around. The price of admission is cheap at $15.00, but the food inside is pricey. You cannot bring a cooler or a picknick basket inside; however, you can bring a bookbag or a stroller and can bring drinks and snacks inside. Generally speaking, drinks in the vending machines are cheaper than drinks purchased inside the few sit-down places inside the zoo. Like all similar outdoor experiences, not all of the exhibits are open at all times so call ahead if there is something that you really want to see. The ropes course, safari, and other similar activities may not be open (even on the weekends) early or late in the season i.e. March and October. Walking the zoo just once from start to finish takes about 5 hours. There is a free tram that will take you from one end of the zoo to the other so you can park at either entrance and get to the other end of the zoo fairly easily. Even with the tram there is a lot of walking so bring your walking shoes, sunscreen, and bug spray.

Love that this zoo has tons of land, focuses on large habitats, loads of green space and provides lots of exercise for visitors!
We spent the day here and loved every minute of it. The animals seem happy and content and the staff were all very friendly. The layout of the zoo was a little confusing but after studying the map and checking out the info on the website - we parked in the American parking lot and took a tram to start our day on the African side of the zoo.
Wear good shoes!!!!!
Feeding the giraffes was fantastic and I HIGHLY recommend the safari tour. It was very educational and I have never been that close to a rhino before!

I’ve been looking forward to this trip ever since my grandson was born almost 3 years ago.

I knew about it before, but what better opportunity then to see it through the eyes of a child.

The NC Zoo is known to be the largest zoo in the world, by land mass. And believe me, it is expansive. Thus the title of my review.

Due to the Covid virus, admission is only by prepaid tickets for specific time frames, so plan ahead. Get your tickets on their web site.

The zoo was amazing. Very large enclosures for all the animals, looking natural. No cages. The walkways were well kept and clean. There is plenty of shade and bench seating on the paths.

The weather was perfect, cool and clear.

We had the best time. I hope we have a chance to go back.

Wonderful zoo for all ages. Be prepared to walk a lot. If you have toddlers take a stroller or wagon. Wear walking shoes. Be prepared to take all day! We spent 2 hours and saw only the Africa exhibits. We walked 2 miles in that area. Well worth the time and money.

Beautiful grounds! Great experience for little ones. We greatly enjoyed our experience and will be back in the near future!

Plenty of room for them to roam. Hard to see the animals. I suggest feeding them and keeping them in a smaller area for a few hours a day. Some
water features need fresh water and larger such as flamingo. $15 entry fee was reasonable.beautiful grounds to walk, it must be spectacular in the fall.

I have been visiting the NC Zoo since I was a small child, and while I have grown older, the Zoo has grown and improved its services, exhibits, and the diverse array of animals and flora that populate the NC Zoo.

On this visit, I had the pleasure of accompanying my partner, who is a massive fan of zoos, and this was her first time in North Carolina. I had to treat her and take her to the best Zoo on the East Coast!

As always, the signage and park were well maintained and accurate, there were only a few closed exhibits and you knew well in advance that they were closed, so there was no extra walking, as the NC Zoo is a prominent place, my partner and I even rode the Tram twice, and still managed to rack up over 6.5 miles on our pedometer. Therefore, bringing good walking shoes is essential, as well as considering hydration and wearing temperature-appropriate clothes.

The NC Zoo is working on an “Asia” area, which promises to feature animals from this region, and what appears to be a walking deck for viewing the animals from above. I am particularly excited for this, as some of my favorite animals and plants hail from the Asian region of the world.

The food and beverages are a little pricy. Still, with that being said, the admission was only $22, which is only $2 more than the Greensboro Science Center, which takes maybe 2 hours, if you walk at a very leisurely pace, and the NC Zoo REQUIRES a whole day to get to every exhibit and see the lovely creatures within. And, I know the food & beverages are a way that the Zoo makes a profit, as there is no way $22 covers any cost related to the upkeep of exotic animals.

The last few years, I’ve taken my now 12 year old daughter. She loves it every time! We always see something new! We’ve made some great family memories at the NC Zoo! This trip happened to be on a rainy Saturday. It was still fun! The food is always great at the Junction! We are already looking forward to going back again!

This was such a big zoo. Definitely take the tram to the Africa side of the park. The polar bear display was amazing! A real must see. Plenty of shade and benches. Give yourself 4-5 hours minimum to see everything. Free parking. It was real easy to use the recipocal zoo discount. Very friendly and helpful staff.

The zoo is a favorite of ours, but would not recommend going when it is cold. Very few animals around. Most were inside where it was warm. Also a lot of work going on as they build Asia. Might go back in a couple years when that if done.

In Greensboro, NC 9/27-10/2 for business and visited with my husband and our 7yo. Weather was pleasantly warm, parking was ample. The Zoo was clean, staff was friendly and the animals seemed happy, healthy and active. Their is a trolly available to guests, however, wear comfortable walking shoes and/or rent a motorized scooter for the physically challenged as it is a very large zoo.This zoo was a nice surprise/experience for us. It has some great animals and exhibits to see, but I couldn’t help think the size of it could accommodate more. The elephants, polar bear, brown bear and chimpanzees were highlights for us. We could stand and watch them all day long. They were so active and happy eating, swimming, and interacting with each other. It really was the first time for me to feel like I had witnessed how animals would be if I were watching them in their natural habitat. Kudos to the people that developed and take care of the animals’ individual enclosures and to the animal care takers. I highly recommend everyone to visit the NC Zoo if they are in the Greensboro/Ashboro area.

We have been members of the NC Zoo Society for 35-40 years and have never been disappointed in our visits. The staff is always very helpful, and the various presentations provided by the volunteers and paid staff are always extremely interesting. I love the fact that the animals are in areas similar to their natural habitats. The animals in the range areas have plenty of space to run. The only downside to that is they may be on the back side of the habitat, making it difficult to see the animals up close. This can be resolved by taking one of the tram rides through the plains area. The Zoo is also working with other zoos in the country on research and conservation projects to protect all species.
Any family with young children should consider a membership to the NC Zoo.

I LOVE the N.C. Zoo- I think it is the best zoo I’ve ever visited. The habitats are well maintained and you can tell the animals receive top notch care. What left a bit to be desired today was the lack of attention given to maintaining social distancing. While the zoo attendants are requiring people to wear masks in the habitats I found that many guests removed their masks once in the habitat or moved them down below their noses. There were clear social distance markers in each habitat and in lines but they were not enforced and I found myself crowded by strangers not wearing masks properly both in line and in the habitats.
I hope they address this moving forward. I plan to visit again but maybe not until after the pandemic.

Well worth the visit. Take the time and spend an entire day. Restaurants on site, no need to leave the grounds. Picnic are allowed. There are designated areas that have plenty of room for picnics. Catering is available with reservations. Clean restrooms.

Arrived and the signs directing us were very confusing. We were 7 minutes early and the lady @ ticket booth made a big deal out of being admitted before assigned time. no instructions/signage of where Rhinos/elephants/big cats were. Left and felt a bit let down...

Went on a cool day this week and walked out legs off. Spent most of our time in North America and spent three hours. Could have stayed all day but a little four or five year old ran out of gas walking. Saw many animals and Had fun with grandchild trying to find them.

We have annual NC Aquarium memberships so we were able to go for free which is a wonderful perk. I haven’t been in years and I love the NC zoo. It’s a huge natural enclosure zoo with winding paths so people don’t get so clumped up. Parking is free and easy to park and walk up to front gate. We went on a very hot day so most of the animals were hiding in their enclosures which is expected on a hot day. But overall we had a wonderful time. There were a lot of people there so when you went up to enclosures you had to wait your turn to walk up for a good view. But everyone was courteous and moved around the park no problem. Don’t forget good walking shoes and the zoo is quite large and you will do a lot of walking. There are plenty of food carts and restaurants around the zoo and we got dip and dots and waters near the center of the zoo. The paths are a bit confusing at first and we got turned around a couple of times but we figured it out. The grounds and beautiful and full of plants. The whole zoo is very organic and fluid in the trails and enclosures. The animals seemed happy and relaxed. There were shuttles and trams to move you from the 3 sections of the zoo. The gift shops were cute and I bought several things. Will definitely be back hopefully on a cooler day.

The Zoo is a wonderful place to visit. It is large and it takes a good three visits to see everything. If you have the ability purchase annual membership. It is cheaper than two visits. The Zoo could do more to cater to older people. There use to be about seven stops and it made it easier for older people to visit more attractions. There are now only three stops and all the walking is too much for most older people. They need to add at least one stop between North America and Junction Plaza. Staff is friendly and informative. Do not go when its a real hot day. A lot of the animals will not be out or be active. Polar Bears are my favorite attraction. Too many days they are not out or only one will be out. I would like to see both bears in the pool area more often.

I never realised that this is the worlds largest natural habitat zoo. We've been to the national zoo, Phoenix, San Diego, St Louis, Chicago, and several others. While they don't have as large a selection as some of the others, it's apparent that they care about the ones they do have. There are no bars or cages except for a few birds, and all of the animals have large enclosures to roam around in. You do a lot of walking, but the well paved walks have frewuent benches, water fountains, and rest rooms. There is also a feee tram that runs between the north American and African exhibits. We visited several hours a day for 3 days in order to see everything and not kill ourselves. The elephants, lions, and giraffes were our favorites. It helps to go in the morning in hot days because the animals hunker down in the shady corners as the day wears on. There are many volunteers scattered throughout to guide and give information about the park and animals. There are several food places, and the prices aren't out of the ordinary except for drinks. They range from $5-7, but keep your cup and you get unlimited refills for a dollar. They also have strollers and powered carts for rent. The entire park appears to be wheelchair/cart accessible. TOTALLY worth the trip for anyone who enjoys animals.

This zoo has the largest habitats for their animals. There are 2 sections, North American and Africa. They plan to add Australia and Asia in the near future. You can walk from section to section to take a van or team. Most of the zoo is covered by trees but it is NC and will be hot during the summer. The polar bears are fun to watch. Dont miss any part.

We visited the zoo in the afternoon hours on a beautiful sunny day. Our concern about the sun was relieved as we discovered that the most of the walk was shaded. Enjoyed the playful lemurs with black and white long tails; brown elephants and the honey bee are exhibit. The section was divided into little educational units with fun facts. The treehouse course looked very inviting, organized and safe but we just watched the participants. The gears are provided. Clean restrooms, labeled plants, section dedicated for extinct birds, easy paths made our visit very memorable. Loved it and hope to visit again.

For the size of this place, there's not a lot to see but trees and plants. The very few animals there were all "hiding" from the heat, supposedly, which left even less to be seen. No tiger, 1 lion...nothing exciting there. Needless to say, I was highly disappointed. And I will not be returning!

Love the zoo. This zoo is HUGE. If you go, start at North America and walk downhill and then take the tram back up so you can go to parking. Loved seeing the animals that were out on habitat, many were not due to the heat.
The things I don’t like that are not the zoo’s fault, is the people who are up front and hog the view of the animal and aren’t respectful enough to look, take a picture, and the. Move over. Also, the parents that don’t watch their kids and allow them to slime all over the viewing windows so no one can see through all of the face and finger prints. Also allowing their children to hog the view or run around, push and yell.
I do think having misters throughout the park would be amazing especially on hot days like today.
I may go again one day when Asia opens up, but maybe I’ll try to go on a day where there won’t be so many kids!!

Great price. Great facility; however, we were disappointed because of how few animals were out and couldn't be seen. We arrived early (as recommended) but 2 of the first 3 animal habitats had no animals (elephants & rhinos). We continued through the park and saw the other animals but had to back track to see those ones that were not out. This facility has huge habitats for the animals which is great for them....but not great for customer viewing. Many animals were far away so you couldn't see them very well. The food/drink prices are pretty high considering. The employees we spoke with were very, very nice and helpful. Overall we give it a 5 out of 10.

This is a fantastic zoo! We went on the first day of our vacation which was a Saturday and finding parking was a nightmare. We finally found a space in an overflow gravel lot and were pleasantly surprised it didn’t feel at all crowded once we entered the zoo. It is very spread out so be ready to walk a lot. The animals were amazing and seemed happy and well-cared for. My son begged for a slurpie which was a whopping $7 but the admission was very affordable so I knew the zoo had to gain more income somehow. We spent about 3 hours there and were VERY thankful for the free tram that took us back to the parking lot.

Most epic place in north carloinoa so much fun the monkeys dance and break glass with dance! Rexy approved!!!

We had a great time with our grandkids over Father's Day weekend. The main thing I didn't like at the zoo was that there was an hour+ wait for lunch, and the food was both overpriced and poor quality. That's pretty typical of amusement park food, but at least you can usually get your expensive, not-great food more quickly! My only other criticism is that I wasn't allowed to go into the butterfly garden with my mobility chair. I can kind of understand that, as there are many inexperienced scooter drivers renting the devices, and the butterflies do light on the walkways. Big potential for crushed insects! But I have used a power chair for over a decade and know what I'm doing, so I wouldn't have posed the same risk to the poor butterflies. However, the policy is no mobility devices. So I wasn't allowed to go in with my grandchildren and family in my chair. I couldn't have walked/stood that long if I tried to go without it, so I sadly missed out on being able to enjoy that experience with the grands.

If you have limited mobility, be aware too that the zoo is very hilly. Make sure your battery is up to long, steep climbs! The tram that takes you between areas is accessible and can load scooters/power chairs, so you can definitely use that to save your battery AND your family's stamina. :)

I've been to many zoos. This zoo is in the top 5. It is the World's largest zoo (area-wise). Animals aren't confined to small caged, or enclosures. This year they have a birds in flight show. Awesome! There are a lot of trails and nature walking. I try to go several times a year. The zoo is a definite must for everyone!

I've been to a lot of zoos in my life, including the two that are probably most famous to U.S. citizens; the Bronx Zoo (New York City) and San Diego Zoo. Although it has been many years since I visited the NC Zoo, in my opinion, it is far better than any other zoo in the U.S.! The wide-open spaces for the larger animals (and visitors), and specialized viewing areas for many animals (like the Polar Bear exhibit) make this zoo stand out from the pack. And when you consider that the San Diego Zoo charges an arm and a leg to visit, this zoo's "almost free" pricing (Adult - Ages 13-61 $15.00, Child - Ages 2-12 $11.00, Senior - Ages 62+ $13.00 , Under 2 - Free) makes it a must do if you are in NC! After thinking about my last visit here, probably almost 20 years ago, I want to go back!

Drove down from Virginia. $100.00 to get in and it was so packed we had to leave. Can’t believe they sell tickets past capacity. Couldn’t even get to any of the animals. Then long, hot hike back to the car. Waste of a day.

My wife and I have visited this zoo twice..this time we brought our 1 year old and let me tell you, she had an absolute BLAST!! She loved seeing the animals! This is an all day thing and tons of great exhibits. My only complaint was it was very hot the day we went so we wanted to get some drinks. They have vending machines all over and at $4.00 for water or soda is a bit excessive!! We used them but because we were thirsty!! This would be the only ding I had for them. The only other issue that I have seen both times we have gone is with the gorilla exhibit. It seems once a person gets to the front of the glass they NEVER MOVE. We waited there for 20 minutes and NOBODY at the front moved!! They need to put an automatic sidewalk up there so everybody can get a chance to see the animals!

A full day of walking adventure while exploring the zoo. Interesting facts and animals. We were able to see more during the earlier (cooler) part of the day.

This was a nice zoo. Lots of different animals. There is a lot of walking. You need at least 3 hours to see the whole place. The price was not to bad for the size. Food was not cheap but was good tasting.

This zoo was very large and currently expanding with a new Asia park in 2026. All sorts of animals but be prepared to walk! If you have small children, trust us - bring the stroller! Will definitely come back to see the new expansion.

Visiting the area I had a spare day and decided to visit the zoo as it had such good reviews. Really was not disappointed- it is a brilliant zoo, and for me it showcased many amazing animals that we don’t see in our zoos at home: polar and grizzly bears, alligator, wolves, cougar etc. I think it’s well presented, there are lots of facilities along the way, plenty for kids to get involved with and the animal enclosures are spacious and well thought out. The African plain And the wetlands are really unique! All in all a great day out - thank you!

We loved the North Carina Zoo. If you like a long walk you can do the North American and Africa section in the same day. If you dont feel up to the 5 mile walk then I suggest the Africa side first. The new baby rhino was so cute! We were a bit disappointed that the polar bears were nowhere to be seen and the otters were off exhibit but had a great time overall.

The zoo was gorgeous and all the animals were out enjoying the 40-65 degree spring weather. The extra exhibits weren't open, but that was fine with us. We spent about 5 hours at the zoo. There is a fair amount of walking. Most of the habitats were fairly large as advertised, but some habitats like the red wolves seemed small. I really enjoyed the aviary. I spent a long time watching and searching for the birds in there. I also was able to see the arctic foxes being fed and the polar bear sleeping in the cool shade by the observation window! Overall, I liked this zoo, but was also slightly disappointed that they were missing Asian animals (tigers, Komodo dragons, pandas, etc.) and Australian animals (kangaroos, koalas, etc.). They specifically have African and North American. However, in the end, I would still recommend this zoo!

This zoo was sooo fun! i went with my family last year! it was a super fun expirience and i enjoyed seeing every animal and how clean everything was!

Let me start by saying we loves zoos and have visited a lot of them. Visiting the World's Largest Zoo was a no-brainer. I really wanted to love this zoo, but there were issues. First of all, I have read a few reviews saying that it was like hiking with a few animal exhibits along the way. That is VERY true. We started with Africa, per the suggestion of a friend local to the area. If you want family pictures in front of the green screen, stop at the end of the day in North America though, because they don't do pictures in Africa anymore. Anyway, it is not a zoo that would be good for anyone with knee problems or mobility issues, due to the amount of walking and the hills. I wore my knee brace, but my knee was still little sore later in the day. That being said, I do love that the animals have good size enclosures. It's better for them, but it makes them hard to see, especially the ones that are all the way in the back like the rhinos. The signage could be better in some areas, like by the lemurs and the gorillas. The middle area with the food...wow, what a nightmare. Everything crammed in there and the food options aren't great and can't seem to manage all the people there, as the waits were crazy long. Thankfully the Tram was running and we could take it from Africa to North America or I think the kids would have voted to leave. The animals that were out were fun to see, though.

Visited the zoo on labor day weekend, the staff are great and the layout of the zoo allows you to never feel crowded. Lots of walking, a lot of uphill. Wear good shoes and bring a light stroller. Babywear if it's not too hot so you don't have to take the kids out constantly. Bring lots of water!

The NC Zoo claims to be the largest walk-through zoo in the world. I don’t know if that’s true or just hype, but it is impressive with beautiful natural areas, large and well-crafted animal enclosures, and lots to see and do. We had a reciprocal membership from our local zoo, so we got in for half-price, but even at the full-price, the zoo would have been well-worth the money. If you are traveling or live anywhere nearby (Charlotte, the Triad, Raleigh/Durham), and you enjoy zoos, it’s a must visit.

This is undoubtedly the most fantastic zoo I've ever visited. Extremely clean and very large and the habitat for the animals is second to none. With my children and grandchildren I have visited many zoos and this is by far the best I've ever seen. The animals seem quite healthy and content and are given plenty of space. It is so large that it takes 2 days to enjoy it all.

Largest Zoo in The World. Miles of Walking, Lots of Shade, Trams between North America and Africa, if you get a chance purchase the Zoofari ticket so you can see most of the African Animals via the tour.

Perhaps it should be 5 stars. I had two issues - some spots had glass making photos hard to get ( I know how to shoot thru glass) and many animals were nowhere to be found. The zoo is huge - 5 miles of walking I believe. So, if animals are not out, for an old guy like me, I’m not walking back again to see if the animals came out. Lots of benches to sit, clean zoo, animals seemed well cared for and it felt more like a safari - not a lot of fences to get in the way - and you might see animals- maybe not. Great weather, low 60°s. Visit - it is nice - and great entrance pricing.

It was a great warm fall day. Lots to see even though a few exhibits were closed. Saw the new baby puffin, the giraffes were out even though that exhibit was closed.
It was a record turnout for veteran's who could go free that day.

We love the zoo and have been going for years, however this is the first time we have been during COVID. It didn’t feel safe. We have been to other NC science centers and museums where we did feel safe, but unfortunately at the zoo our experience was different. Prior to COVID, you could go into either entrance and there were multiple paths you could take - this allowed people to naturally be able to spread out. Now, with COVID protocols in place that I am sure were well-intentioned, you can only go in one entrance and everyone must adhere to the same path- this funnels large groups of people into smaller areas and makes things crowded. Few people were social distancing and many had their masks off or below their noses. Crowds were nearly shoulder to shoulder and several layers deep at exhibit windows like the gorillas. People in lines to get food at Junction plaza were often not masked or distanced. Tram was quick and well spaced - one of the few protocols that seemed well done. Unfortunately, we would not go back during COVID.

We came from Knoxville just to spend the day at the zoo. The staff at the front gate were very friendly and helpful. I loved how this zoo is laid out. There are 2 distinct areas; North America and Africa. You can ride a tram all the way to the Africa side and then walk through to North America or walk back to Africa and take the tram back to the parking lot on the North America side. Trust me when I say use the tram for one direction. I had no idea that this park has 5 miles of trails!!! I'm positive that we walked 4 and a half of them. The only section we did not walk was the rhinos and antelopes, but we could see them from the elephant enclosure. I loved all the exhibits because it seemed less like an animal behind bars and more of an animal in a natural habitat. The employees we spoke to were very friendly. It was a great visit.

This zoo is so big that from end to end we walked around 10 miles to cover all exhibits burning 1000+ calories. There is an option to take tram after reaching other end but seeing crazy crowd, took walk back to my parking lot. Coming to exhibits, don’t expect all animals to be active like jaguar, lion, gorilla were all sleeping but some like elephants, giraffes were so active. There is a viewing deck for giraffes which comes for 3$ but its better to check at deck first if giraffes are available to view or not and then get that ticker. For me it happened that I bought couple of tickets for butterfly park and giraffes deck but since giraffes deck was closed as giraffes left the deck I ended up using second ticket for Virtual reality. Would suggest going in morning by 11 if you wish to cover exhibits on your own pace. Buy tickets online as there might be a long queue at onsite. Would prefer buying refillable drink cup as well as we can refill them at certain stations. Park as other activities too like zoofari, behind the scenes too but plan ahead if you wish to take them as they are limited. But overall a nice place to kill time especially if you have kids, a place where you have to take them considering the kids play are and animals they can view. Butterfly park, dessert and other specific areas were well maintained and they really give a good feel of them.

I enjoy going to different zoos for vacations. North Carolina Zoo is lots of walking between animals. There is a tram that was running while we visited. It wasn't very crowded that day. Almost all of the animals were out, and we were able to see everything. We really like the desert animal building.

First, Ive been to zoos in FL, WA, CA, WI, AZ, MN, TX, MA, NY, CT, SC, and more, this was not my first experience with zoos. If you want to see animals, learn something about them, this is not the zoo. If walking is a challenge for you, this is not the zoo. If you are looking for a place to drop off school age children and let them run, this appears to be the preferred zoo. Its wonderful to see youth out visiting the zoo, watching a demo, enjoying the day, its another to deal with thousands of children running, pushing, shoving and screaming, We arrived at opening to enjoy the cool of the morning and have plenty of time. In the Africa section we managed one zebra, a couple of pigs, a baby bird along the walking path. Many animals were not out of their enclosures. If more time is needed to prep for the day, thats understandable, open an hour or two later. This zoo is aprox a five mile hilly walk to see it all, dont expect people to make half the loop a second time because you are not ready to open. Most zoos have people placed at stops to educate, answer questions, help with directions, not this zoo. We were there for hours and not once did we encounter any educational input from the zoo. The enclosures are spacious, which is good for the animals, but viewing areas are small, cramped and visually restricted. Bring binoculars, animals are closer on safari than they are here. The gorilla enclosure was especially popular with hundreds of children cheering on the gorillas as they bullied each other in the enclosure. Not sure if it was just a bad day for those gorillas or they were being wound up by the deafening noise, but hopefully there is staff somewhere who is watching that those fights dont get out of hand for the animals sake.
All in all, this was five hilly miles of free for all of running children, screaming adults and limited views and animals. There are better zoos out there so I cant reccomend this one unless you can day trip it and you are looking for a playground for your children with a few animals sprinkled in.

My daughter and I love zoos! This zoo did not disappoint! We went on Saturday, 9-8-18.

Each exhibit is designed for both animals and visitors. The educational moments are everywhere. If you have young children, the walkways are mostly shaded and smooth so this is a very stroller friendly zoo. If you have young children, there are plenty of things they can touch and climb on to keep them entertained while you stroll the zoo. For older folks like us, the educational opportunities are everywhere. The staff is open for questions and the reading materials are wonderfully enlightening.

We have decided that the zoo should be seen in two separate visits, Africa & North America. There is just too much to see to really enjoy everything in one day. Plus, the price of admission is so reasonable, it is worth coming twice (or many times)! Oh, we each have a AAA Card so we each saved $2 on our admission!

We asked a staff member where they like to eat, and they suggested Billy D's restaurant! We each ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich with fries. The sauce on the side was amazing. The pickles were crunchy not wilted! The Potato Bun was out of this world good! The chicken puts Chick-Fil-A to shame! When they say it is all made fresh and with wholesome ingredients, they mean it! Be sure to eat here!!! It is located in Africa's Akiba Market!

The shuttle is very convenient so if you end up on the other end of the park from your car. Do not worry about just grabbing the shuttle!

The entire zoo offers free wifi; however you may experience a few dead spots so do not roam around if you need to keep your connection for a few minutes.

You may contact the Zoo Society for guided tours. During our next visit, we will be scheduling these!!!

We are already planning our return trip this Fall. See you there! MOST SINCERELY!

We love this Zoo! It's a great way to spend the day as a family! We have 4 kids ages 15, 13, 8, and 6 and they all love it. We buy the membership every year.

The NC Zoo is not like it used to be. We went yesterday and were very disappointed. Many of the exhibits were closed. The entrance fee was atrocious and most of the exhibits were closed. No giraffes, no zebras, no lions, no polar bears, no otters, no penguins, no monkeys, a few alligators and many turtles. It was so crowded with busloads of loud kids rampaging through the jungle!! We'll probably never go back.

The zoo is truly designed for the comfort of the animals... big, wide-open spaces, and tailored to the likes of the different species. We loved seeing the giraffes, lions, gorillas, monkeys, and elephants. However, we were somewhat disappointed that the Safari ride was not open. That is actually one thing that we had hoped to do.

Perhaps it was just our timing. The park was full of packs of school kids on a field trip. Maybe next time we will check ahead. All in all, however, we had a good time

We visited the zoo and had a wonderful experience. The day was perfect, not too hot or cold. We did a lot of walking . We saw most of the animals, except the polar bears , that never came out . Had cheeseburgers with fries and dipping dots for desert. When they get the new section built , will take a full day or two to visit. Bought the grandparents membership, so we will be back.

There was a TON of walking and NOT VERY MANY animals to be seen. We entered the park about 10:30...would suggest if you decide to take the risk...buying tickets on line before you go. Mostly uphill walking. Everything is far apart. But very few animals were out and it WAS NOT THAT HOT. Not impressed.

It was a super hot day! Giving a shout-out to Kaylee who was working in the front restaurant where we got our drinks. She was super happy and friendly. The trams were free and air conditioned. There was a lot of loops and hard to get around. The animal enclosures were nice and huge! The animals seemed happy. This is not a little zoo, we did feel like we did a lot of walking.

Overall the zoo is beautiful, tons of trees throughout the park and most importantly giving shad to a majority of the trails that go back and froth. We took the recommendations we found online and started by getting on the tram at the entrance and going to the central hub, walking down one side, taking the tram back to the center, and walking back to the entrance on the other side. Really glad we did, the kids would have not made the entire thing walking on their own.

We planned on stopping for like 2 hours on our way from Ohio to Myrtle Beach but we ended up in the park for over 4 hours including lunch and we feel we could have extended that another hour but we wanted to get back on the road. Exhibits were overall good and many were relatively spacious compared to other zoos.

Food that we had was above average for a place like this. Our only complaint really was the price of drinks was pretty high. $7.50 for a fountain pop and $4.50 for a small bottle of water is pretty steep. But there are water fountains throughout the park so I can't complain too much.

Definitely will go again next time I'm driving through that area.

We made the two hour drive to take my three year old to the zoo for his birthday. Reservations by time slot made the entry painless. Friendly and courteous staff.

Lots of walking so be prepared. Everything was very clean and orderly. Exhibits were well maintained. Large variety of animals. Would definitely recommend!

This zoo is a great place to spend the day. It is very large in size so be prepared to do a lot of walking. Lots of selfie opportunities

Don’t ever go in January if you want to see animals. We saw 1 gorilla, 1 chimpanzee, 1 polar bear, snakes, 1 fox, 1 zebra, 1 bison and 10 elk. I’ve been to this zoo before and this was so disappointing from what I remember. Also note that if you start in North America and want to take the tram back from Africa- make sure your stroller breaks down FLAT. We have a BOB stroller and the jerk who drove the tram wouldn’t let us on because our stroller didn’t break down enough so we had to walk back to North America which is all uphill. It was miserable.

Had a great time today at the zoo with animals running around and yoga pants
The joint was clean, nice bathrooms and great food at reasonable price.

So happy we went on a sunny weekday that people in-state consider too cold (30's-40's). We dressed warmly, brought water bottles and granola bars, and got to see everything because there were no crowds. It did take six hours, so comfortable walking shoes are a must. Starting in November and through the winter, only the North America entrance is open. That works out well since the African animals aren't very active until the day gets a little warmer. You might think you know what your favorite animal is, but there are many really interesting lesser-known animals at this zoo, too. Seeing the exotic birds and plants in the aviary alone was worth the price of admission. If you are anywhere near this zoo, find a day to go. It's amazing.

Very large zoo. Lots of walking. You can get close to some large animals like chimps and gorillas and see through glass. Some zoos like the Indianapolis Zoo are much more compact. Bring good binoculars and good walking shoes.

North Carolina Zoo is an incredible zoo! It’s huge, and I reccomend that you try to get there as soon as it opens as it takes a long time to see everything, there is a LOT to see! You should bring a reusable water bottle as there is a lot of walking, and there are a lot of water fountains everywhere that you can refill your bottle at. We had an amazing day, the animals looked happy and well cared for and we were lucky enough the female polar bear playing in her pool! There is a huge amount of places to eat, but they are a little pricey. You aren’t allowed to bring picnics into the zoo, but there are a lot of places to eat a picnic just outside! The best zoo I’ve ever been to.

Nice area to walk and ride trams to see animals. Many people however were extremely rude and refused to wear masks in indoor areas. Enjoyed seeing a wide variety of animals, however there were a large number of animal sites that were completely shut down. I do not think I have ever seen so many attractions completely closed. This was extremely disappointing. The employees that we came in contact with were all very nice. I wish I could say the same for the visitors. Lots of rude and inconsiderate people pushing their way through. We are in a time of Covid 19 folks. Pushing and shoving is completely off limits.

This magnificent zoo is not close to the city but it offers an excellent escape from the day-to-day. Visit a natural habitat zoo covering over 2,000 acres. We walked about 7 miles and rode the TRAM the rest of the way (it runs from from one end of the park to the other). We enjoyed habitats from Africa and North America and Aviary, Desert, and Butterfly greenhouses. There are three major spots/ points with food and picnic areas. We loved the soft serve ice cream at Junction. To make the best of the day: plan to arrive as close to the opening time as possible, look up the weather (sunglasses and hats), most of the zoo offers shade bring your own water or buy bottles there, and even if you plan to eat at the zoo, pack a few snacks. You can see most of the zoo in about 6 hours (but probably not). This is more of a two trip mission. I'll be back (again and again)!

Wow, this is a fantastic zoo! I've been to zoos all over the country and this is one of the best. We were only able to be there one day, but we could have been there two days. The layout is amazing, the separate it by continent. Our favorite was the bird sanctuary. This is a must to see while you are there!

We have gone so many times and every single time we discover something new! I mean I have literally taken a mini vacation in Nov. just so I can see the newest edition to the chimp family,,, I had left the day of her birth.. However we have planned another vacation there! We LOVE this zoo!

Was 7 of us, 3 adults and 4 kids one being 4 years old. We parked in Africa and did that loop first before getting too hot. We were lucky and were there to see the elephants 51st bday party. It was awesome. We also got to feed the giraffes. These 2 things and seeing the baby baboons were the families favorites in Africa. We then too tram to North America walking zoo back to africa where we parked. We ate at farm to table which had great food with the carolina burger being enjoyed the most. We were thankful for all the free water refill stations as it got hot in the afternoon. The tree cover was a great help and the indoor areas in North America made it obvious we made best decision for route to take in July heat. The grizzly and desert area was the family favorites in North America. Our only disappointment was not seeing the arctic fox, seals and polar bear. We wish the nice polar bear window area was viewing the cave the polar bear stays in. I hear on internet few people see polar bear so feel a need to work on better ability to see her in cave. Also a bit if maintenance going on. Wish that could be done in winter not Summer. But overall a wonderful family day

I would have been extremely disappointed had I not called prior to my visit. Multiple areas are currently closed. I was told that the animals have access to warmer inside aress and would not be moving until afternoon. That was true. I knew this and chose to come anyway. That being said this zoo is very family friendly with diaper changing stations and family bathrooms. The trail was easy to walk. We brought binoculars so that helped see the animals in the very large habitats. It was not crowded. The zoo was clean. It was not super smelly. It was a beautiful day for looking at lemurs!

I've been to this zoo several times throughout my life since I grew up close by. I took my finance for her first visit for her birthday and it was a great day. This is a huge zoo so plan for lots of walking (i.e. miles) when you come. There is a tram that runs to various parts but they can be busy depending on the number of people there. In the winter some exhibits may be closed for maintenance so check their website for updates. Its great to see the animals in their natural habitat but there is not much interaction here. Sometimes the chimps come up to the window and will interact with you. If you have never been then you should go at least once. I would spend at least a half day or more in order to see everything. They have a couple of places to buy food and a gift shop. The biggest thing is to wear comfy shoes since you walk a lot here.

Get there early and wear good walking shoes. You will walk several miles if you visit all the major exhibits. The zoo is a hilly, which takes a bit more energy. There are plenty of places to get food and drink, althiough it is a little pricey. Be prepared to spend $10 to $20 for lunch. The nice thing is that you can walk the entire zoo length and see evrything and catch a bus ride back to your starting place and parking place....you will be glad to ride back I expect. There are long distances between exhibits sometimes, and it would be nice to install some more interesting sights along these stretches, such as the pretty geysers, that we enjoyed.
It is a huge and very pretty zoo and wooded property. Lots of happy and healthy animals, but interaction and closeness is not too prevalent. They are in the wild mostly and quite a distance from viewing areas.It can be a fun day!!

One of the most fascination places to see. You should plan on 2 days to see everything. Everything from animals to insects to plants you name it. Highly recommended.

May 2019 -
We went to the NC Zoo with friends in 2019. It is huge. It is a 500-acre zoo with 1,600 animals from Africa & North America. It was very hot (94ish) when we went so I kept getting Dippin' Dots at every location I saw them at. It was a bit hilly so be prepared for that. Great workout! They say it is five miles of walking. You can learn about the animals, conservation and other exciting things here.

I really enjoyed seeing all of the animals since I am a huge animal lover. It is the best zoo I have been to and the biggest (it is actually the largest in the world). I went to several zoos in multiple states in 2019. This was my favorite.

My favorite animals are always the big cats since I love cats of any breed, wild, or domestic. I enjoyed the giraffes, ostriches/rhinos (they were walking and very active when we visited), otters (a fave, always), and the prairie dogs. The cougar was very active with the toy they had in his enclosure. I stayed there several minutes to watch him!

It is perfect for people of all ages. They have up close and personal experiences with animals such as elephants, rhinos, ostriches, giraffes, etc. We actually did multiple experience - the butterfly garden exhibit, virtual reality expedition AFRICA, and the giraffe deck. I love to feed the giraffes so that was my favorite. My husband took pictures and video. Each of those tickets were $3 a piece per person or you could do the FUN strip and it was cheaper for a saving of $3.

We were there for probably 8 hours walking around. Be prepared to walk a lot but there are benches, picnic tables, and other areas to just rest for a while. They have a shuttle to take you from the North America side to the Africa side and we did that multiple times. Make sure you watch for snakes, etc. on your walk as it is in their natural habitat. They do have ATM's so you will have those in case you need them. There are other things available so just check out their website and find what you are looking for - there are times for the seasonal attractions so pay attention to that so you don't miss anything, same goes for the feeding times! Plan ahead for the special encounters too.

I did visit the gift shop on our trip and got a few things for myself and something for my little nephew.

This place is amazing so special to visit. When my nephew gets older I hope to take him here so he can have experiences of a lifetime.

An excellent way to spend the day with family, significant other or friends. The food is a bit pricey. We generally bring a picnic and sit in the picnic areas. Especially nice when they are putting on displays or demonstrations. The horticulture program has a Spring plant sale every year - - avid gardeners should not miss out! It's not heavily advertised so do give the zoo a call in late Winter to ask about the sale.. it's worth a drive.

So this is the largest zoo by acreage. Not by animals. There are buses but you will still end up walking a lot. Like most zoos there are extra things you can pay for, like a safari through the massive elephant, Rhino, antelope area. Zipline canopy adventures. Giraffe feeding area. There's more. There are always some areas being worked on, because it's an ever growing zoo. I personally love this zoo. One reason is because it's big the habitats are great for the animals. It may not always be easy to view the animals because of this. Really you will see well cared for animals and lots of them. It's a must in North Carolina.

We took a Friday off to do some exploring, and picked Asheboro because I had not been to the Zoo, even after living in the Charlotte area for four years. It was not very crowded, other than a few school groups. The weather was just right; not too cold or hot, with just a few sprinkles. We visited all areas in three hours, and even though it was a lot of walking for me, I did so enjoy all the animals, birds, etc (not so much the reptiles but Hey! I’m sure others do!) I appreciated that, for the most part, the animals had a large space to live in and roam, and it was great to see them so close. It was a great way to spend part of our day off, and you can’t beat the price - $13 per adult with the AAA discount.

Three different and distinct parts of the park, very well laid out but be prepared to do lots of walking!

We traveled about 3.5 hours from Charleston, SC to meet friends from Christiansburg, VA (they drive just under 3 hrs) for a overnight trip. We arrived at the zoo and even though it was Halloween weekend, we were only in line for tickets about 30 mins. We had severely underestimated how large this zoo actually is! And it was fantastic, even with a 10 mo old and 2 3 year olds! The exhibits/enclosures are big enough for the animals it seems and situated just so you can still enjoy them. It is a lot of walking and we decided that when we go back, we will park at one side, take the tram to the other entrance and then spend the day just walking 1 way through the park instead of the 8 mile round trip walking through and then back through the park at the end of the day because the team was too full! The food also seems decently price and tasted good. Overall it was excellent experience.

Most of the animals were visible and active. Wide variety of type of animals and the habitat was appropriate for each animal. First time visit for a 3 year old and he was thrilled over and over again. The polar bear was particularly fascinating.

This zoo is beautiful and is many acres so be prepared to walk at least 2 miles to go all of the way through. It does offer shuttle stops and one is at the very end to take you back to the front of the zoo. The enclosures are nice and seem more roomy for the animals. We were there in December so a lot of enclosures were closed which was disappointing, but understandable given the season. The zoo would be a nice visit in the Spring/Summer/Fall when things were in bloom and the enclosures were open.

The North Carolina Zoo is quite large (2,600 acres) though only 500 are developed at this time. It is well organized and well-maintained though somewhat subdued in the time of COVID. We were a little disappointed that the giraffes were absent (due to rain) along with the monkeys (also due to rain) and the rhinos (algae in their pond) along with the closure of the indoor exhibits. On the other hand, it was very quiet and you could take your time. The lions, gorillas, zebras, antelopes and a few other animals make it an interesting and worthwhile visit. Food is in rather short supply at this time and the tram is abbreviated (some repairs, apparently) but the restrooms are open and it was quite pleasant.

This is really an amazing zoo and we're so fortunate to have it here in NC (practically in my backyard).

Zoo is very well kept and no doubt the residents are treated like royalty. Lots of new construction to better the habitats. Plenty of information on the animals making it for a great learning experience.

Park was well organized under the COVID conditions. Very clean. Employees wearing masks. Bathrooms spotless. Unfortunately though, lots of exhibits closed and even the trams were limited (not sure why). The system of reserving a time slot worked well

I took my grandsons to this zoo before we saw the new Lion King movie. We enjoyed everything at the zoo, they didn't want to stop and eat in fear of missing some animals. I enjoyed it as well because I had the opportunity to share seeing some animals with them that I never saw. An experience that I will never forget.

We went here on a Monday in February. This zoo is a lovely place. There is lots of walking but that is a nice part. The exhibits were all clean and well cared for. It is pleasant walking through the woods on the way to another exhibit. They are not all clustered together. Great family place. They have several places for food and snacks.

I love Zoos! I found this huge zoo was only 4 hours from my house. We made a trip specifically to go to the zoo. The exhibits were amazing. They had large amounts of property for the animals to roam with multiple viewing sites for most of the animals. As some people have written, there is walking involved, but I'm not sure what people would expect, being that it is a zoo and all. I personally didn't think it was a lot and I'm not very active. If you have small children then they would probably get tired so I would use a stroller. They do have trolleys that will take you back to your car if you are parked on the opposite end. The park is divided into 2 sides that make round trips back to the center/entrance or you can walk to the end and grab a trolley back. Our only complaint was the food lines. They were really long and they didn't see to have enough staff to fill the orders as quickly as they were needed. The food was what you'd expect at a zoo. They did have gluten free buns though. It was not clearly labeled on the menu, but they did have it when I asked if they had anything so if you have food sensitivities, you can still eat safely.

Actually a family visit, but no children with us (praise God)! So let me start this review off by saying it’s not the Zoo’s fault but when it is so hot out that you sweat standing still, the animals are all like, nope! The elephants came out because it was time to eat. Most animals came out or were active ONLY when it was time to eat. We did not get to see half of the animals because it was ridiculously hot! I believe in the 90’s. So, the animals felt it was time to hide, hibernate or lay down far out of view! They charge you to look through the giant binoculars. They will sell you bottled water or a small Gatorade for $3.50/bottle. The fountain water was warm and tasted like dirt water. Mmmmm....
This is a 5 mile hike (that doesn’t include the hike from your car in the parking lot) and you do go up hills, so if you bring your children you should prepare for this. As adults dying of heat exhaustion (or so it felt) imagine that tenfold for a child!!! Be prepared to spend a small fortune. Then they overcharge for souvenirs and still have the gumption to ask for donations!! I donated enough buying three waters!!!
However, the animals definitely have a lot of room to roam and rest and they look happy and healthy! Hence, the zoo being hidden in the mountains.

Huge zoo. Takes all day to see. Wear comfortable clothing, you will walk many miles. If you get too tired there are lots of shuttles to take you back to either end of the zoo.

Very big zoo, spread out. All animals have large, appropriate enclosures that are attractive and give the animals some privacy. Many animals from N. American and African continents. A few from other places, like the cute ocelot (spotted cat) is from S. America and grouped separately. The Zoo plans to develop land so they will have other continents shown. Very helpful volunteers, nice gift shop. It happened to be a very hot day so I could not see the whole zoo, plus due to COVID some exhibits were closed. Worth the trip even so, and it is not expensive compared to other zoos I have visited. The polar bear can be viewed above AND below water. In fact, they have 2 polar bears and that is very rare these days for a zoo. There are signs naming the diverse vegetation throughout, so even if you prefer plants to animals. you will enjoy this zoo. GO! The Zoo is also working to save endangered species with other accredited zoos.

I've always found The North Carolina Zoo Team help make their guest experience as pleasant as possible, If a guest finds themselves lost in one parking lot like ( North America ) they can always take a bus from that lot to the parking lot they're parked in like ( The Africa Parking ) and vice versa,

They accommodate those with disabilities, IF someone has a disability the Transportation team will load them ASAP, Each Tram can seat up to 64 guest and buses can seat 17 guest.

Trams and small buses run all day from North America, Junction and Akiba Africa totalling 3 stops from opening to close 7 days a week.

The drivers and Conductors make it their mission to aid every guest that has strollers, wheel-chairs and motorised personnel carriers.

All employees at the North Carolina Zoo do their very best to ensure all guest get 100% out of their visit from the department in-which they work.

The North Carolina Zoo team is very knowledgeable when it comes to the trails and exhibits giving advice of which trail's they can take and where the Tram & Bus stops are.

I've found when visiting the North Carolina Zoo always get a Free Map of the Park and if you have any questions just ask any North Carolina Zoo employee and they will be able to direct you to the area you wish to go. Also always check your weather report to make sure you're wearing the proper attire, some days can be a bit warm during the summer and cool during the winter.

Good walking shoes would be advised because you could walk as far as 3 to 5 miles on the trails. The new Asian exhibit is currently being built so check nczoo.org for more information on the opening date and the animals that will be living there. I've always enjoyed my time at the North Carolina Zoo,

YOU really should check out Going on the Safari bus,

IT was a very Fun experience and well worth the trip my wife and I take often when visiting the North Carolina Zoo, I will ad that individual experiences may very but every-time we go we see everything we wish to.

As a Photographer I would suggest you take your Camera.

The Picture's I've posted are from our many trips to the North Carolina Zoo.

We drove all the way from Virginia to see this zoo. We were very disappointed however when we walked through. Didn't see any elephants or rhinos. Saw 2 bison, one lioness, 3 giraffes. Not much. Certain areas looked like they were unkempt. Cougar area was missing water in their habitat. Other areas had dry, empty "pools". Was looking forward to seeing birds, but only saw one roadrunner and one burrowing owl. Aviery was closed. There just wasn't much variety for such a large zoo. Amphibians were placed in glass habitats that were incorporated into "rock", however you could barley see into them due to the small window opening. All in all, not worth all the walking you do.

You buy your tickets ahead of time and then go to gate at your time. There were people at the very beginning but as we walked, we were able to pace our time to see everything without being in a group. We found most people (maybe 1 didn’t the entire day) masked around other people. People were respectful in lines, maintaining their distance. And at no
time were next to someone for more than 30 seconds. Hand sanitizer available around the zoo. We did have a weird experience getting a drink refill. Staff passed cup back and forth. One staff took it from us, then passed it to second team member who filled and handed it to third person to hand back. We threw it away 🤷‍♀️ The animals, as always, were awesome.

When the weather is perfect (in the 60's) and I've got comfy shoes, this place is where I want to spend the day! I took 5 teens and we had a great time! The paths are paved and wide, accommodating the large numbers of people that visit there daily. Most of the zoo is shaded and the landscaping is very nice with a variety of trees, flowering shrubs, flowers throughout. The otters & polar bear put on swimming shows for us & the chimps' antics had us all laughing. The Aviary is an amazing tropical jungle with unique birds & gorgeous plants from around the world. I noticed photographers with huge cameras taking advantage of the unique photo opportunities in there. If you have young kids, I'd recommend a smaller zoo, but for adults & teens, this place is the best! It took us 5 hours to cover the whole thing. We even paid the extra few dollars to feed the giraffes from a treehouse balcony which was so worth it!

I had expected to see more than a herd of elk and two Bison. The viewing area of each exibit was so small that just kids were able to stand close to the enclosure. The trails are not marked clearly. The restrooms are not large enough to get my scooter in,,I am handicapped and use a scooter. My opion is ,use more
area for viewing and larger restrooms. Boasting a five hundred Acr zoo sounds great, some of it could be put to better use.

We went to the NC zoo July 21. We love this zoo and the animals are very well taken care of. The zoo staff go out of their way to insure these animals have the best habitat closest to their natural environment. we love the shady trees that are over alot of the zoo. We always wear sneakers and enjoy the walk and the animals. Love love it!

Excellent zoo with lots of nice creatures to view. Because it was colder than usual some animals were not available. There was still plenty to see and lots of nice people. Had lunch at the zoo and it was definitely above average and was served quickly. The tram drivers were great. Great place for kids and families. The zoo is making great strides in updating the
Gorilla area and the lion/tiger enclosures. We are planning to go back when they are complete and done.

We visited the North Carolina Zoo on our way to Florida. This was a very nice zoo. The elephant and gorilla exhibits were my favorites! The entire zoo was easy to navigate and took approximately 2-2.5 hrs. This is a must see if you're passing through!

The N.C. Zoo is always a fun trip Great for families. They have a fun playground for kids. Our favorite animal is the polar bears. Asheboro is a great town.

The conservation efforts and natural habitat enclosures or the animals more than met our expectations, however, unless your children are older than 5, it wasn't as enjoyable for them as the exhibits relied mostly on being held above so they could see and the distances from the viewing area to the animals was quite far for little people. The "fresh squeezed" lemonade is in fact, made from concentrate, very sour and outrageously expensive. There is NO REASON for concentrate lemonade to be $7 a cup! Fresh squeezed with the lemons in the cup is what I expected and would have been happy to pay for, not concentrate. I was completely appalled by this and my family highly disappointed. The gift shops located within the park are less than worth the time, the selection of actual zoo memorabilia was less than adequate and extremely high priced. Why are dinosaurs and mud trucks at a zoo gift shop anyway? There were no elephant paintings available, no homemade items, no ZOO related gifts or even gift cards for future visits and what was there was made in China at US prices. The animal conservation efforts are great, the walking paths are confusing too but nicely maintained. The park is pretty clean as well. All in all we had a good time but I will start in Africa if we go again. N. America was rather disappointing for the walking involved.

Nice zoo but a lot of the animals weren't out. We were not able to see any of the bears or the Avian center. There were enough other animals to satisfy my nine year old granddaughter, however. Wear comfortable shoes and arrive early as the parking lot can fill up. There's lots of overpriced food for purchase and gift shops with lots of inventory. They're building a new Asia exhibit (to open in 2026). There's playgrounds for kids in case looking at animals bore them. I'm glad we went but probably wouldn't go back.

They talk a good talk: masks required for entry, only 100 groups allowed each 30 minutes, one-way trails. And all the indoor exhibits are closed. But there’s no enforcement. Once inside, many guests took off their masks and ignored the social distancing rules. They did have good enforcement on the tram. We’ll be back, but only after there’s no more virus.

Great family venue, we loved the trees covering most of the walk, especially as it was hot! The kids were most excited for the Giraffes!

Took my niece to the zoo and most of the animals looked SICK! Also, it’s a lot of walking so your seeing more trees then animals. won’t visit again. visit 6-28-19

The land is huge, and you have the possibility to see the animals almost in wild context except for lions, all monkeys like gorilla and macaco, and few others. The safari is a little bit too expensive considering that the trip is a little bit too short but you can watch the animals very close. You need an entire day to visit all the space!
I'd love to visit it again

I don't normally leave bad reviews but our visit was pretty miserable. For simplicity I'll put our experience in list form:
1. more than half the exhibits we went to we didn't see any animals
2. Most of our walk was uphill with long gaps between exhibits.
3. Prices were high and inconsistent in park. At the junction we got water for $8 but they had water at other areas for$4.50. Seemed like were taking advantage of people not knowing was different prices through out zoo.
4. The tram ride was very uncomfortable, many people commented how fast they were going around turns feeling like it might turn over
5. And lastly there were many busses of children in the park, if you have issue with lots of larges groups of children running around I'd keep that in mind.

Just overall ended up walking 3-5 miles uphill most of the time to see exhibits hoping their to be animals in and usually disappointed. With overpriced food inside and an uncomfortable ride back to start. Would not recommend to anyone really.

We were very excited to come visit as we used to go to the zoo very often when we lived in Jacksonville, FL (Jax zoo is fantastic).

We finally made the 1.5 hour drive from Raleigh to give our kids an adventure and were incredibly disappointed at the fact that there were yellow jackets EVERYWHERE! You couldn't stop more than a minute before the yellow jackets would swarm the stroller and start buzzing around our two toddlers.

At the chimpanzee exhibit they were so bad that at one point our older toddler went to play with a spinning wheel they have with different facial expressions of the chimps and what they mean that he got stung!

We though we would have some time to take a break and eat in peace, but no. As soon as the food came out and we sat down we had yellow jackets coming to the food, the ketchup, the drinks, etc. I had to stand swinging a towel so my wife and kids could at least take a few bites before we called it quits due to the amount of them that kept coming and decided to go home.

The food was so expensive. We paid $75 for three burgers, a pepsi, two waters, and two brownies.

We are NEVER coming back if the yellow jacket problem is regularly this bad.

This zoo is huge which means lots of walking, nice zoo with many animals and activities especially for kids. Some of the animals were not out.

We enjoyed seeing all the animals..but was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see the Polar Bear and most animals were sleeping.

Be sure and wear comfortable shoes and/or use the tram. It wasn’t so crowded (weekday) which was nice. Right now Africa is closed. But we still had a great time. Desert section is great! Not sure when Africa reopens.

This was my second trip to the North Carolina Zoo and 14 years since my last visit. One of the most amazing natural habitats. The animals are very well taken care off. We parked on the Africa entrance and took the tram to the North America entrance. The North America side is on a higher elevation and the walk downhill for 1.5 miles is not bad for a hot summer day (mid 90 degrees) under the thick foliage.

My husband and I took our two kids to the zoo this Saturday. We had a fantastic day. We’ve spent there 4 hours and decided to only see Africa side this time. It’s easy to walk around even with the double stroller.
We came early at the morning and were surprised to see that there wasn’t that many people there, it seems like most people come later or even in the afternoon.
I highly recommend bringing your own food and snacks since it’s allowed and you know what your kids like, though local food smells delicious. We like the ice cream here.
The Bird in Flight show is awesome, they do a great job working with the public, involving volunteers in their program. We sat in the front so we got to feed some birds and my daughter got to touch an owl! I really recommend it. It was $3 per person well spent!
My daughter loves the carousel and the workers are really nice and polite there.
We have a membership and enjoy going to the zoo about 2-3 times a year. Very excited about their renovations and how they are going to expand.

Came with the family and had an amazing time. Didn’t feel like the Animals were mistreated Luke some zoos and the service from the staff was excellent

Will definitely come again

The large size of the zoo allows for the larger animals to have plenty of roaming room. The zoo tries to fit in multiple viewing areas because of this. You can expect 3 miles of walking and a 3 hour visit time. A free tram is offered to move you from one end of the linear zoo to the middle or the other end. Parking lots are offered at each end so for example if you only have time and interest in African animals, head to the Africa lot. Much of the trail is shaded, but there is an elevation gain if pushing strollers. More water stops or misters would be helpful on hot days. Several exhibit areas had staff to either point out animals or go into more detail about them. There are a few paid extras such as paddle boats, carousel, butterfly house and Africa virtual reality experience.

So glad we planned on two days. We needed it!!! We did the North America side one day and the Africa side the other day. It is a TON of walking and everything feels like it is uphill. Water is $3.50 a bottle but there are drinking fountain around the zoo. The staff is willing to help and answer any questions no matter how many they are asked. It’s best to come at 8:45 before the park opens so you don’t feel too rushed by the crowd. We can’t wait to come back to do the Africa Safari. We did not know it only ran Thursday-Sunday and was $25 PER person. Next time...

Very easy to a navigate a stroller in spite of overflow crowds. Concession food was fresh . Staff very friendly . Great family adventure .

Best zoo we have ever been to. The horticulture and shady paths make it so much more enjoyable. They have a great variety of animals that are very well cared for!

We came to Asheboro to visit the North Carolina Zoo. The Zoo is the worlds largest natural habitat zoo. That being said, the size of the exhibits are very large and spacious for the animals, which is wonderful for them but no so much for the guests. If you are familiar with a regular zoo which allows the guests to be closer to the animals, this zoo ma not be for you because it does not offer that intimacy. When we went, there were several exhibits closed for expansion. The zoo offers a tram to move you between three main locations in the zoo. You can walk the entire zoo property which has more steps in between exhibits than your normal zoo. The zoo was very clean and maintained. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

I am not trying to be negative, i am just providing information for someone going to this natural habitat zoo to set your expectations when you arrive. It is wonderful for the animals to have the amount of space to roam freely.

We assumed this zoo would be small because the ticket prices are cheaper than the zoo nearest to our home. Boy, were we wrong! We were there for four hours and still didn't see all the animals. If we go back, we will start on the African side instead of the North American side because we missed part of the African animals. (The grandchildren and adults alike were too tired and hot to continue.) Thankfully, we did get to see the chimpanzees in action (some of them got in a heated 'argument' which was quite a show). Overall, we were impressed with the zoo's size, cleanliness, design, and children's areas.

When you go to the North Carolina Zoo, be prepared to do a lot of walking! However, the design of the zoo is such that everything flows together and you won’t get lost. Make sure to pay attention to the signs at the forks in the paths so you cover all of the exhibits. The entrance fee is reasonable ($15) and the entry process is simple and quick. It’s always a great place to visit!

Well done natural settings for animals' habitats with good variety. Desert and aviary were both interesting. New rydable carts are a hit!

I was surprised by the pricing. For the cost, I had low expectations.

We pulled up right at opening and Parked in the North America lot. The way the park works is that you have North America on one end and Africa on the other. You walk from one end to the other and either walk back or take a free tram. So when parking, you can park at either end.

The line to get in was short. It was $15 for adults and $11 for kids. You get an easy to understand map and you are on your way. The park is simple to navigate with no major worries of missing anything. The attractions are spread out perfectly so you are not on top of other viewers. There some issues with the viewing glass being dirty and making it difficult to see the animals.

Everything blends in to nature! All of the exhibits look natural and blend into the landscape, even the walking paths are tree covered with shade!

There are three main food areas. One at each end and then the junction in the middle. This is why it only got 4 stars for my review. We were lucky to get to lunch earlier than most and had zero wait, but by the time we were finishing lunch that had changed!

We are at the junction(middle of park). We went for pizza and found it cheaper to buy a full pie than individual slices. It only took 5 minutes and cost $26. This fed all 5 of us...not bad!! But by the end of eating, the line was wrapped around the outdoor seating area and was at least an hour long. We had people hovering around tables waiting to sit down. It was insane!!!

Then when we went to leave, the tram lines were crazy, so we walked all of the way back through the park.

Overall we were very impressed with this park and would for sure go back!!

Pros:
Well payed out
Affordable
Clean
Blends into environment

Cons:
Parking was over packed when we left
Needs more seating for food areas
Needs more food choices, lines were insane
Needs more trams

What a wonderful place to spend the day. We arrived early and had no crowds. The bird sanctuary and the chimpanzees we definitely favorites. We wil absolutely be back

We went on the weekend of Mother's Day so I knew there would be crowds. The short story is the playground for kids were closed due to a private party (ON MOTHER's DAY WEEKEND remind you). I thought okay maybe it's just for an hour, so we hung around the area for a while (at least 2 hours)... NOTHING not one kid was on the playground. Just caution tape and a sign saying "Closed for private party". There was no indication the area would be closed. SO literally the entire walk from Africa, through the all the exhibits, my 5 year old wanted to know "but how much longer until we get to the playground?" I told him 20 times "If you make it to North America you can play as long as you want." He walked the entire park and made it finally to the long awaited playground... only to find it closed for a private party. I'm so glad I decided to get out membership tickets til the end of our trip today. We get them every year. But I've decided we'll get a membership to anywhere else. It really said something to the ethics of the park. To put a private paying party above and beyond the regular Mother's that were there to enjoy their Mother's Day with their kids. There are so many other places to enjoy our Summer this year. I don't think we'll be back for a while.

Excellent zoo. Was able to walk even in 90’s degree weather as there is plenty of shade/benches. Trails were very clean and well maintained. Start at North America section and walk to Africa section as it is mainly downhill. Take tram to go back.

Very disappointing. Yes they may be the most natural habitat zoo but if you’re looking to see lots of animals go somewhere else. We saw a handful of animals on a beautiful spring day and walked over 10,000 steps just one way. The walkways are beautiful, but if you have kids, they want to see the animals. So if you wish to wear your kids out on beautiful trails It’s perfect. Natural habitat or not the population of animals is so small but you can’t even see the ones that are there. The viewing areas are small and if the zoo had been full we wouldn’t even have gotten up to where there were animals. Lots of new construction, so a whole bunch were detoured. Hopefully this construction will include larger viewing areas to see animals and maybe they will increase their population of every type of animal. We love zoos, but this one fell short.

A beautiful day, a wonderful zoo, and CROWDS! As always, the North Carolina Zoo is one of the best in the nation to visit. But the day we chose, a Friday in April when we thought there would be few visitors, was the wrong one. Apparently, unlike when I was a child, elementary and high schools were on spring break. It was crowded, very crowded. We were surprised. We heard that on Easter Weekend 15,000 people visited the Zoo. I think they all came back the day we visited.

We entered through the Africa end of the zoo. I had forgotten it was nearly an uphill walk all the way to the North America end of the park. Be prepared for that if, as I, you are older. At the other end, though, there was a free shuttle to take us back to the parking lot. Even if you do not eat at one of the many places for snacks or burgers, expect to spend at least 4 hours visiting the zoo.

On a sad note, their once wonderful aviary is permanently closed. It had been closed because of encroaching bird flu, but recently it was inspected. After 40 years in use, maintaining a high temperature and a high humidity inside has caused it to deteriorate and the structure is very close to being a danger and collapsing. The birds young enough will be moved to other zoos before summer. Those not able to be moved will be moved to an area away from the public to live out their lives in comfort.

Perhaps, however, the planned Asia exhibit that now seems to be moving ahead apace will, in the future, make up for the loss of the aviary.

While visiting my daughter in NC we celebrated her birthday by a day trip to the zoo. This was an excellent way to spend a beautiful February day. I was super impressed with the size of the zoo and the many animals to see/watch. When we visit again we will be sure to add a trip to the zoo on our list of things to do.

While it was very hot, the animals were not wanting to be out. Most were looking for cool spots. The Zoo was dirty. You could barely see through the glass of most exhibits. The staff, except for 2, were unfriendly and not willing to be very helpful. On a 90 degree day the concession stands did not have ice to go in drinks, and didn't seem to care, they just wanted $6.99 for a large drink.

It was a miserable day.

More aptly called a park with some occasional views of animals. Some of these were difficult for small children to see. No indication that they are trying to educate the public about importance of diversity, saving habitat, saving species, etc. Just place for greasy lunch and visit occasional crowded viewing space. Major tip for the wise: allow about 2 to 3 HOURS to get a ride on the tram or shuttle bus back to your gate and parking lot. TERRIBLY disorganized transportation system that must cover huge territory. Be sure to ride with someone in a wheelchair - they and their 10 or so companions are seated as soon as they walk up, ahead of those waiting in line for hours. Rare to see any staff helping in any way. But the animals, though bored, seemed healthy.

My family and I went to the Zoo on a beautiful Sunday. We arrived shortly after 11 which was well ahead of the crowds. Several of the exhibits were closed (Giraffes, bears, monkeys) but we still had a great time. be prepared for a lot of walking especially if you intend to see the entire complex but there are enough sitting areas, benches ans shade to make it tolerable for folks of all ages. We had a great time and will definitely go back again.

So we've been here a dozen times or so and always seen a great number of animals and have some great shots of some super cool animals. The zoo covers a good area and there is a lot of walking so if you're lazy and out of shape this isn't the place for you. You need to trek on down to the drive through zoo or sit in some VR booth but either way quit the whining about walking! As always the the chimps are where very active and the elephant were awesome. Zoo is clean and staff was friendly.

We really enjoyed this zoo. It may not have as many different species as some of the more prominent zoos but it has an amazingly large and beautiful tract of land where the animals, and especially the large animals, have a great deal of room. There were large groups/herds of animals of a single species and I felt that we observed a lot more natural behaviors in the animals than at many others zoos (and we've been to many zoos as our daughter is a zoo vet).

There is a new highway bypass that is almost complete that will take you from Highway 64 to the NC Zoo Entrance without having to travel on the residential roads anymore. Opening soon!

The experience is like walking a trail through the forest to each "habitat" with some human amenities along the way. One way out, one way back. The trail is paved and there are some uphill parts. We walked over 4 miles according to someone's Fitbit, took the tram for the last half of the walk back to the entrance. There are also some very interesting sculptures and playground equipment along the way to entertain the family. The eating places are at approximately the halfway point. Food was good, pricey as you would expect.

During COVID, not everyone is keeping their distance or keeping their mask up (masks required). So just step away and take care of yourself. The tram was only operating from the halfway point back to the entrance, no trams in the direction from the entrance to the back. Also, some of the indoor animal pavilions are closed.

I visited with my daughter-in-law and two young grandsons. The zoo itself is wonderfully maintained and shaded making it comfortable to visit. I understand that there are two parts, The American side and The African. We did not visit the African. The boys enjoyed seeing the animals and the natural habitats were terrific. Be prepared for lots of walking in between animal habitats!

We love coming to the NC Zoo so much that we bought annual memberships and visit multiple times throughout the year. It is a BIG zoo so bring comfortable walking shoes, but the animal enclosures are large as well which is always a positive thing to see. We've done the zoofari tour of the Watani Wetlands and it was fantastic, well worth the $20 each. The zoo is also involved with conservation efforts so we know our support is going to a good cause.

Visited the zoo today with family. Had a great experience. There was a minor issue during lunch but it was handled quickly and properly by zoo restaurant staff (mobile order had issues and was severely backed up). We always enjoy visiting this zoo. It's a really great one. We will definitely be back.

We visited over 2 days which is really necessary with small children. This is a huge zoo. We brought water bottles and there are many places to fill them. Pack small snacks and ice for the water. We all drank a lot with the high temps and lots of walking. I loved that they were so laid back. We have been to dozens of zoos and many if they close at 5 then they are literally shutting doors and pushing you out. We stopped at a gift shop and we shopped about 30 minutes after the zoo closed. It was nice not to have to take time from seeing the animals and still grab a souvenir.

Nice zoo. Spread out and lots of walking, so wear good shoes. One thing that made me nervous walking through this zoo was the fact it's literally in the woods. You walk on a path through forest areas with signs that say watch for snakes as local wildlife...including posinous ones! Didn't see any, but I sure stand in the middle of the paths

The Africa parking lot and the shuttle to and from there were not open today, 6/9/21, so be prepared for a lot of walking if you want to see those animals, which is why most folks go to the zoo. You also need to buy tickets online.
That said, there are many pleasant surprises at this zoo. Besides the vegetation, accompanied by explanations, there is a misting station for cooling people down, and one for the chimps, too. We ate at Wild Burger, where the meat is 1/3 lb., yielding a substantial burger and tasty fries. It was certainly way beyond the usual fare for like venues.

We were very disappointed. As a resident of NC, we were embarrassed that our state had this minimal zoo. There was lots of space and nice wooded areas, but there were hardly any animals. We drove 1 1/2 hours each way, on a mild fall day, to see this and our grandchildren were disappointed with lack of animals they were able to see. There were several exhibits closed, but truly, even the ones that were open had few animals. We saw mostly animal statues. I would not recommend this zoo.

It's a hit or miss to see all of the animals, but this time we got to see most of them! Kids had a blast! We went on a day that wasn't to hot! Lots of walking but well worth it! Staff was nice an helpful!

What a beautiful zoo and I’m glad we decided to stop here on our weekend stay. The grounds are magnificent and the staff is very nice. Make it a point to stop here and enjoy the animals

DONT GO!!!!!
ITS OVERPRICED

Ok so most animals are far away if you get to see them
You'll be walking long distances in up hills, no one wears a mask
The food options are Terrible, a bottle of water is 4 dollars and they only sell fountain drinks at 6 dollars in a tiny plastic container marked zoo. So basically they sell you water with sugar for 6 dollars

It's a rip off

Wonderful way to see the animals in their natural habits. They were drawn to the large viewing windows and fences so the adults and babies had great views of them.
Use the free tram to get between sections because it’s very spread out. And prepare to walk a lot, including rolling hill paths.
Staff were friendly and helpful. The gift stores have an extensive selection and we bought hats for both babies and adults there because it was sunny.
The restaurant food is hit or miss. The double patty melt was delicious and served two adults. The chicken sandwich was just ok and the club sandwich was awful. The peppermint cocoa was delicious too.
We visited on a sunny day in mid November and there were few people there.
We’ll definitely return to see more. The entry price is very reasonable

My wife and I stopped by for a quick visit while passing through, which turned into an amazing 3 hours.
This is a huge facility, but is laid out extremely well, and all exhibits readily accessible. The animals are neat, but don't miss the phenomenal plants that are also displayed.

This zoo is way bigger than we anticipated. Thankful for the trolley service they offer inside the park. There seemed to be quite an expansion project going on also. We love zoos, and this one did not disappoint. The only issue we had, and this could have been solved with better planning on our part, was that some of the animals were not visible - like the giraffes, zebras, and elephants. They could be seen, but not close enough to get pictures. (We were literally steps away from the cougar, but couldn't get a good, clear pic of the animals mentioned above.) We would definitely recommend for anyone in the area.

I was very excited to take my kids to the zoo. We had researched the differences between NC Zoo and the zoo in Columbia, SC, and we settled on NC Zoo because of its size. I had thought with such a large zoo, we would be able to escape crowds. I was wrong. We left Charlotte, NC, early on a Saturday to make sure we would arrive when it opened at 9 - we had read it takes the whole day to see the zoo. We arrived about 9:30, and we were already directed into the Overflow parking. When we arrived at the entrance gates, there was an Enormous line to get in. I started the timer on my phone, and got in line with my kids. 55 minutes. Almost an entire hour waiting in line to buy our entrance tickets. Mistake #1. Now, the lady checking us in said they have been seeing record crowds for a couple weeks - and never this early in the season. We didn't arrive early enough to catch the morning feeding times, because we were waiting in line.

I was determined to make the most of it. We reviewed the map and decided to catch a tram from North America to Africa. Another 30 minutes waiting in line at the tram. Mistake #2. Once we got on the tram we noticed the first problem: Strollers. Every other person had a stroller and the tram isn't designed to haul strollers. The staff was overwhelmed, and had to turn parents back to the line because too many strollers were already loaded. Even though there were signs that said "Break down your stroller and remove personal items" Most parents waiting until their turn to do just that - which likely added wait time for everyone else. Quite simply, strollers should be banned - and yes, I have three kids. After that experience, we decided we would just walk and skip the tram.

The exhibits and the animals were well done, but the crowds were oppressive. Even walking through the pathways, there were too many people, too many strollers, and nobody was curteous.

When it came to have a break and a snack....you guessed it....you will have to wait in line at a cafe for at least 30 minutes. Also, there is not any water bottle fill stations. Only water fountains, which I don't find sanitary, and there are not enough of them. There are several vending machines with $3.25 bottles of water, but I would expect water filling stations instead. Let's be mindful of waste.

My suggestions to make this a better trip: Purchase your tickets online in advance and I believe you can skip the line. Or, if you are a member, the yearly membership was reasonably priced. All in all, the value you receive the for price of admission is pretty high, as I believe the ticket prices are reasonable. #2, pack your own lunch and your own water bottles. At the entrance it says you can't bring in backpacks, but since the offering for water are few and far between, bring a backpack anyway. #3, walk the park and skip the tram - the wait isn't worth it. #4, for the love of God parents leave the stoller at home. Carry your kids if you have to, but make them learn to walk.

I don't believe we will return to this zoo. It just isn't equipped to handle the crowds.

The property is pretty. There is no doubt. A restful stroll thru a NC forest. And yet it feels like because the zoo has all this land, then why not have people walk 50 yards or 100 yards to get to the next animal habitat. Habitats were pretty average in design, in terms of signage and multiple viewing opportunities. Lots of messaging here, about conservation and protection of wildlife. Signs were not very consistent in design. However, signage to help guests navigate around this very large property were plentiful, making navigation pretty straight forward. Bottom line, a large zoo that could have been more compact, or used the land to display even more animals than offered. Go, but know there are better examples of zoos out there.

We had an AMAZING experience!! We absolutely loved it and would do it again.

The NC Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world. The key to having an awesome experience in the summertime is two-fold. 1) Do your homework. The website gives you TONS of information to help you plan your visit so you get to do everything on your agenda, and 2) Go early in the morning. Like us, the animals to not want to eat and frolic for our entertainment when it is 100 degrees outside.

Buy this ticket first! We took the first Zoofari bus and got to see every animal that was on site in the Watani Grassland exhibit. We got to feed the giraffes when they were VERY hungry and watch butterflies hatch. It was a perfect mommy-son day for my almost 14 year old son.

This zoo boast an amazing variety of animals spread over a huge amount of land, with beautiful and natural enclosures for the animals. Such a surprise to find and an incredibly pleasant day. Very shady paths to walk between areas, which is great when it's hot, and there's a trolley too since it is so spread out. The ticket price is extremely reasonable as well. We loved our visit.

We spent 5 hours here. The kids enjoyed it but of course were beat at the end. You could get up closer to all of the NA exhibits. Unfortunately because the African exhibits were so big, most of the time the animals congregated on the far side of it making it difficult to even see them. The reptile exhibit was under construction so we couldn't see that :( It was a decent zoo imo.

I have visited the zoo a handful of times over the last decade I have lived in NC but missed last year and was glad to be able to return. I live just under 1 hour away and have a zoo membership. This is the first time went alone for some exercise and time away on a beautiful 70 degrees day.

I would encourage all N. Carolinians (especially those in short driving distance) to get a membership. It not only gives you free admission but discounts or fee admissions at a ton of other aquariums and zoos around the US - including a discount for Greensboro. Also, it helps the animals and the zoo's efforts. The biggest advantage of having a membership - is you don't feel like you have to do it all in one visit.

I agree with everyone's comments about the shuttle but I will also say plan ahead - you need to request your ticket online at least 24 hours in advance, make sure your cell is 100% charged if you are using it for pics (as there are no charging stations that I could find), print a copy of the map (that comes with your confirmation (as I found it helpful to have in my bag vs. relying on my cell phone), bring water for each person and snacks (as it is permitted and there are a lot of benches where you can stop and take in nature and take a break.

So well done, including natural areas as well as exhibits. They are developing
Asia and Australia sections, too. Don't miss feeding the giraffes!

We go to zoos pretty often so we have expectations and this zoo exceeded ours. They have inexpensive admission prices and there are activities that you can buy in addition to but are not required of you. The zoo is expansive.There is ample parking, for free and free shuttles available. The enclosures were all very clean and a decent size.There are a few places to eat in the park.They have rhinos which i always seek out as they are so endangered and they are hard to find.. Another animal hard to find was a polar bear. He seemed very well cared for and happy. They also have time listings for feedings and keeper talks for more of an educational experience. Highly recommend

This zoo is amazing. Certainly the best zoo I've ever been to. Be sure to budget extra time to get around, this zoo is large! (largest in North America). It was really odd driving out there, (it's in the middle of no where) but it's worth the drive!

We visited on a weekday morning hoping to avoid crowds. Alas, every school group in North Carolina seemed to choose this day to visit. That being said, this is a very nice wildlife facility which is more a cross between a zoo and a wild animal park. Tickets easy to buy online which helps to streamline admission.
The facility is divided between North American and African zones and the website and the maps (you get one at the admission window) make it clear that visitors should allow between 2 1/2 and 3 hours to visit each zone.
This is a great place for walkers. The habitats are large enough to allow the animals quality of life and there are viewing scopes in the larger areas. There are walking trails to some of the more remote areas. Yes, there are warnings about snakes, but hey, you can expect to find snakes in a vacant lot. They tend to avoid people...
This was our first visit and we limited it to the North America zone. My 90 year old mother was able to walk through with little difficulty (the biggest risk was that of being run over by out of control kids). Happily, the tram at the junction provides a nice ride back to the parking lot.
The animals were very relaxed and obviously well cared for. The Polar bears seemed to find the patrons entertaining. The aviary was especially well laid out.
This place is worth visiting BUT you must plan ahead:
1) If you want to avoid crowds, visit on a weekday and e-mail ahead to see what days are likely to be less crowded.
2) Allow yourself plenty of time and DON'T expect to see everything in one day.
3) Leave the toddlers and babies at home: They won't have any fun, and neither will anyone else.
4) Wear WALKING shoes: Blisters are no one's friend.
5) Dress for the weather: Although there are plenty of areas to get out of the rain, there are also stretches in between where you can get caught in a shower. A hat will protect you from sun or rain.

Nice big zoo. Wear comfortable walking shoes! We were somewhat disappointed to only see 1 lioness in the lion exhibit and no other lions with her. She looked lonely and sad. The eating establishments are all in one area it would be nice to have them spread out so there's not a huge crowd in 1 area.

Very impressed by this zoo! It’s very large and there is so much to see. There were so many different animals and areas and I really liked the set up. My husband and I brought our 1-year-old in her stroller and it was very easy to get around. The exhibits are all very nice and everything was clean. We also really appreciated the parking lot shuttle service. Unfortunately, it was extremely hot and muggy the day we visited, and many of the animals were sleeping and hiding in the shade. I’d like to visit again on a more pleasant weather day to hopefully see more activity.

Wonderful place but I wish they had a was to rent carts or some other transportation for people with trouble getting around.

I haven't been to the NC Zoo since I was a kid, so it was fun to take my kids recently! Compared to the Denver Zoo and the San Diego Zoo, this one has LOTS of walking while not seeing many animals. If that means the animals have more room in their habitats, then I'm all for it! Just an observation! I'm sure it's a COVID thing, but it was frustrating to not be able to enter through the Africa entrance when my favorite animals are down that way. As it was, it took us about 2 hours to get to Junction Plaza and have lunch and then we had to run to see everything else before we had to leave. Of course, the moment we got past the giraffes and to the chimpanzees, it started pouring rain. We had to run back to the North America entrance pushing our strollers (uphill most of the way!!) What a day! I got my exercise! All-in-all, it was a fun time. Of course my oldest said the best part was the carousel. Facepalm. Of course it was! HAHA!

Not suited for seniors. Too much walking between exhibits, many trails are uphill, tram stops are few and far between. Many exhibits had no animals there. Very annoying when you finally get to an exhibit and you find that it is closed.

The North Carolina Zoo is a great place to take your family to enjoy animals from all over the world. These animals are kept in settings resembling the habitat you might find in the wild. It doesn't take long to drive to this zoo no matter where you travel from. Take a trip and enjoy nature.

We went twice in 2018. My daughter loves the animals, especially the sand cats, cougars, and other cats. Its a good value. To me, the zoo is laid out well and a great long walk. If you dont like to walk, its not thr best zoo for you as it is spread out.its not a quick drive to Asheboro but worth it. Allow yourself 6-8 hours unless you hustle. We can see everything in 4 hours but we only stopped for her to get a slushee as it was hot. Luckily there iz alot of shade and some indoor areas with AC.

Went again for the 3rd time this year and we could finally do the air hike course! My kids were so excited since the first two times we went the air hike was closed at 3 pm and or just not open and we don’t know why! Today we finally got a chance to do the air hike! The kids were allowed an hour which was perfect for their little arms. Trees all over that make the hot temps bearable. The free tram make it nice so you’re not walking 13 miles all over. Their isn’t a ton of animals it seems. But the property is lovely and the food court is cute and updated. My kids did wish that the paddle boats were running as those also never seem to be running. So strange! It’s summer!! :) All in all we will drive 55 minutes again as season pass holders!

My wife, daughter, grandson, and I went to the NC Zoo today. The weather was perfect with a high temperature of 77 degrees. So, all of the animals were “out” and very close for viewing. Our 7 months old grandson had a great time, as did we all. The zoo is big and there is a lot of walking. But, the animals are not in small cages and seem to be happy. I lived in St. Louis, MO., which has a great zoo, but, the NC Zoo is at least as good if not better. Great place for the entire family to visit!

Arrived at 10 AM, started leaving at 5 PM. We had a good time and stayed busy all day. Some animals were not visible. Weather was great today and the walking was just as expected. There are no huge hills to climb and everything seemed accessible for most anyone. Food and snacks were good as well. We had a good trip.

This is really the best zoo I've ever been to. It's actually like being on the African Plains. The animals have so very much room, it is wonderful. All the trails are paved and there's trams that can help you on the long walking areas. Wonderful also for exercise!

Lots of walking good for exercise. Fun and decent food. I loved the pizza. The kids enjoyed it. We must come again to make it a 2 day trip because it was a lot to see and we were there from open to close. We had a good time!

I love animals - the NC Zoo is among my favorite places to visit. I go as often as I can. This visit, I prearranged the Ride and Guide Tour, which is a golf cart tour through the zoo. This enabled me to bring along two people who wouldn't have been able to do all the walking. Our tour guide (Ann) was very knowledgeable about the animals and made sure we got to see our favorites. We did the 3-hour option which included a lunch break (with prearranged meals) and an opportunity to feed a giraffe. I believe you could have done the butterfly garden instead of the giraffe feeding. It was well worth the money to have this wonderful day and experience. The tour must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance, is weekday only and is on a first-come-first-served basis. It is also very lovely to walk - but if the walking is too much, don't push yourself...one time we went and just did Africa, another time just N. America and another time, the whole thing taking advantage of the free tram. I look forward to the new Asia section coming in 2024!

I love the NC zoo. The polar bears are my favorite, but the Grizzly bear though always entertains. Since it was March some animals were lazy sleeping but most all were available to see, and it was worth it. I love it. The picture here is of the grizzly lol sticking his tongue out at us.

Start on the African side . We started on North American side and we're exhausted by midpoint around noon. Most of the interesting animals were in the shade beyond view in the heat of the day . Our 3 yr old was no longer interested and extremely irritable that flamingo exhibit was removed and ostriches were in hiding . We see N.A. animals on drive home .

Beautiful zoo that I will go back to but.....
We got to zoo to specifically get to the giraffe deck between the hours of operation. As we walk up the employee on duty pit up a sign that they were closed. She told us to come back a few minutes before 2. We hurried back from the other side of the zoo to get there before 2. The same employee would not let us on stating they close at 2 and we were too late. Completely disappointed.

Beyond that...wear comfortable shoes and rent a stroller as you have to for up your own to ride the team. Mine is loaded down with kids stuff so sort of a pain. Also, the zoo strollers will hold older children. There is a lot of walking.

Advertised as camping and tour the zoo at night. "Fun activities". Well, the very first activity is a lecture that starts "Animals Die. Then Vultures come down and eat them". Nice opening act. But it gets worse. "Poacher poison the dead animal so the vultures will die.: " OK..that was the first lecture.

Second and last lecture - "Ok we have an app that park rangers use. As they walk around they can touch the screen and mark the location of animals and poachers. Let's do a game." Each child is given a clipboard. They are sent in the field to find markers that indicate animals or poachers. Kids mark the spots in Green and Red. When done, the lecturer holds up a good example showing red and green marks. "What does this show. Yes! Groups of animals here and two groups of poachers here! What can the Rangers do? Yes! Send people out to get the poachers!"

I didn't pay $50 a person to have my kids trained to hunt poachers and parents to be lectured about the evils of poachers in Africa. OH! Someone brought that up. "Sir, poachers are not just in Africa. If you are a hunter in Cary, North Carolina (nice suburb town) and you hunt out of season, YOU ARE A POACHER." Nice a suburban Dad is the moral equivalent of someone killing Elephants for it's ivory.

I paid for cute animals and a tour of the zoo at night. Yes, poaching is a serious problem. Dead animals being eaten by vultures is a fact. But all totally inappropriate for this type of kids event. This is really an accurate portal of this event.

The camping was fun and the dinner was great barbequed burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Perfect kid food. (BUT WAIT! Hamburgers? Are we eating Bessie? OH, so inappropriate!)

I was saddened by the whole event and will be dropping my Zoo Membership when it runs out.

Me and my husband and our 2 grandchildren ages 7 and 3 had a wonderful time at the zoo Sunday . There were strollers to rent . We all wore sneakers for the great walk around the zoo under the shady trees. We love the animals . They are very well cared for and beautiful.we ate ice cream and rode the carousel. A blessed fun time!

This is the best Zoo experience I have ever had! We entered at the North American entrance and exited at the African entrance walking about 5 miles through a well labeled course and stopping to view all kinds of animals Harbor otters, polar bears, giraffes, elephants and so many others in about 4 hours. At the end we caught the tram back to the North American parking lot. The weather was great and there were lots of foods and gift shops. If you join the Ft Fisher Aquarium membership, you can enter the zoo for free. Definitely going back so they can do the high tree obstacle course which is an additional charge of $18 per child and takes an hour. Also you can stay at the Surestay Best Western Hotel which is only 3 exits away should you spend the night like we did. Love this zoo and the easy access via I-73/74!!!

We were told when we made our plans to travel to the zoo & arriving on Monday the 1st day of Spring break it would be busy & Boy Howdy it was!
We had reserved the "private" guided tour & it was suggested that we start at 9:30 which we did. The tour was 3 hours & it's hard to estimate the additional amount of people that were there when we left.
We have not been to a lot of zoo's to make a good comparison, but we will really impressed with the NC Zoo. Layout, habitat, cleanliness, care & concern of the animals, etc.
But a real tip of the hat & big thanks to Lisa & Karen for making the arrangements & providing the tour. It's pricey, but worth every penny especially for me since there's no way I could have done that much walking.
Hope to make a return trip to see Asia when it's done. Sure will do the cart tour again.

The kids had a great time and so did we. We didn’t get to see all the animals as most of them were either asleep or hiding. But we had a blast regardless.

Some areas were closed - but was still was very interesting. Very well layed out and really enjoyed seeing the variety of animals. For those counting steps, we walked over 10,000 steps just in the zoo!

This zoo is a great zoo to visit! All the animals look well taken care of. My favorite part of this visit was seeing the elephants. We will definitely visit again.

We decided to celebrate our granddaughter's 5th birthday at the zoo, and it turned out to be a fantastic choice. The park offered a plethora of interactive experiences tailored for children, making it an enjoyable adventure for her from start to finish. The variety of animals on display was truly impressive, and we were captivated by their beauty and diversity.

While exploring the zoo, we encountered investigation stations that added an educational dimension to our visit. Most of the attendants at these stations were engaging and helpful, enhancing our understanding of the animals and their habitats. However, I must mention one instance where an attendant did not respond to my granddaughter's questions and even went so far as to ignore her. It was a disappointing interaction, considering the enthusiasm a young child brings to such experiences.

The kids' play area was a delightful diversion, providing both fun for the little one and a much-needed break for the adults. We also opted for tickets to the carousel, which our granddaughter thoroughly enjoyed, adding an extra layer of joy to her special day.

Amidst our exploration, we took breaks for snacks and lunch. For a quick snack, we indulged in Dip 'n Dots and a Bavarian Pretzel. The pretzel was a standout, arriving hot and soft with just the right amount of salt to complement its deliciousness. Our lunch at Billy D's Fried Chicken was a culinary highlight. The fried chicken was exceptional - extra juicy, bursting with flavor, and made even better with their homemade sauces. We accompanied it with fries, collards, mac 'n cheese, and coleslaw. The only minor downside was that the collards had a bit too much vinegar for our liking, but this is a matter of personal preference.

As our day at the zoo came to a close, we appreciated the convenience of a bus driver who transported us back to the North America parking lot. Here's a helpful tip for future visitors: consider parking in the North America lot as it offers level ground or downhill walking within the zoo. Then, utilize the trolley or the bus for a return trip to North America, sparing you from the uphill trek.

I've been to a lot of zoos in my life, big and small. However, I feel like for as large as this zoo land-wise is, there aren't a whole lot of exhibits. They boast on their website that it can take 6 or more hours to go through the entire zoo and see everything. I made it through in 2 hours. A lot of their exhibits are of animals that are indigenous to the area. I did enjoy the fact that the enclosures were large, which is great for the animals. And the African savannah one made me happy for the animals because they could roam. However, don't go in expecting to see the rhinos unless you want to pay to see the savannah tour.

We had a great time at the north carlina zoo. I went as a group of 6, three being teens, and no one was bored through out the three hours we were there. There was so much to see and do with over 1,700 animals, more than 250 different species (like the red wolf with only 15-20 left in the wild), and the park spanning over 2,800 acres.

The north Carolina zoo is split up into two parts North America and Africa. They are also working on a third section, Asia.

I loved my visit at the north Carolina zoo but i do have one complaint, price. We went to the zoo during a special so the tickets were real cheap. But the food wasn’t good. $20 for a burger (give or take) and regular water was almost ten dollars, and what i didn’t get was that the prices were different through out the park. But the sheer amount of animals definitely made up for it.

Had a great time at the NC zoo definitely coming back 5 stars.

I visited the North American side of the zoo. Lots of work being performed by park staff on sites. Staff friendly and informative. Area clean and well kept. Easy walking to various sites where animals were observed. Handrails needed to be repainted and some not all park benches needed to be replaced. Admission very reasonable. Tramp service operating on a timely manner.

Bring good walking shoes as this is a large zoo with many outside and indoor exhibits. Lots of fun to visit.

I have been to zoos all over the US and this one is by far my favorite. I cannot wait for the Asia expansion as it’s going to make an already great zoo even greater! Everything is laid out so you can see everything without having to backtrack a lot. Plenty of animals and education displays for the kids.

The zoo is really nice. Very clean. Lots of different animals all in natural habitats.They have two areas: North America and Africa and are in the process of building Asia. Each area has animals and plant life indigenous to that part of the world. Be prepared to walk a lot!! They have a free tram that travels between areas. Food was ok,but expensive. Would recommend going!

The NC Zoo is a beautiful, well maintained zoo with lots of activities for everyone. Having said that, It is a very expensive trip for a state funded zoo. For 2 adults and 2 children, the entrance fee is $52. That wouldn't be so bad if they didn't charge you $3 per person to visit the Butterfly Habitat ($12 more dollars), $3 per person to view the giraffes and zebras ($12 more dollars). Off brand bottled water is $3.29 per person ($13.16) for a water break. If you wanted to ride the very short carousel ride, it is $3 per person (another $12). I didn't check the cost of the paddle boats. The food offerings are not too costly. A small Pepsi is $3, medium Pepsi is $5 and large is $7. Perhaps I am extra sensitive to cost because I am a senior citizen with grandchildren. If you have plenty of money, this place is for you. it is beautiful.

We enjoyed our trip to the NC Zoo.
We parked in NA and saw the gators and cougars before taking the tram to Africa. We then saw the elephants, antelope, and rhinos before feeding the giraffes. Totally worth the 3 bucks a person to feed them.’ Get there early! The polar bears were a total not miss! Let the kids play before you leave in the Kidzone! Bring a bathing suit and change of clothes.

This is our second time visiting this zoo. Definitely a day FULL of walking!! The zoo is spacious, well maintained and offers a wide variety of animals to see. The Grizzly bear is always very animated and entertaining. We were saddened that we did not see the polar bear, giraffes, new baby chimp, or either of the two baby rhinos! These were some of the biggest reasons to re-visit the zoo. The aviary was amazing both years and we love that you join the birds in the habitat and need to look to find them in the different areas.

It's a beautiful place in the fall. You definitely get your steps in. I decided to go while working in Greensboro. Drove the 45 minutes. I definitely do not recommend eating here. For the price for a cold burger and old fries with nacho cheese (the cheese was the only thing that was hot and worth eating) and I water, I could have got a steak dinner at texas roadhouse. Since I had never been here before, I was unaware that u could walk in and order your food. It seems they want u to use the scan, order and pay systems. This was what I did. After 30 minutes, I had to go inside and ask about food. Which still was not ready, but they were serving walking in. When I finally got my food. It was cold. I choked down what I could and threw the rest in the trash. You spend more time walking from exhibit to exhibit than actual seeing animals. They exhibits are nice, but I feel the dining experience ruined it for me. They did have a nice tram system. I would not go out of my way to go here if I was on vacation. This came highly recommended to me by coworkers and definitely fell short of my expectations. It's not the worst zoo I have ever been too but definitely nothing close to the best. There are several snack options and ice cream places here, so I would stick to them.

Great zoo, reasonable price. Recommend early start if you want to see the whole zoo. It is very large, so wear comfortable walking shoes. Recommend parking on the Africa side to be able to have a little less congestion and closer parking (most people park on the Americas side). There is a shuttle from either end to parking on the other side. There are also shuttles at the half way point to take people back to either end. Large eating area in the middle with merry-go-round ($ extra) and butterfly garden ($ extra). Small child area on the North America side is nicely done as is a small playground. Bring your own snacks and water (there's water bottle fountains along the way) to save $$. They have strollers to rent if you don't bring your own and need one.

NC Zoo uses nature to create animal exhibits. The zoo organizes the animals by thier continent of origin. It is a fabulous walking space. There are plans to expand so expect minor construction aggravation during 2019-2020. The zoo will add 2 more continents with the addition.

This is the largest natural habitat zoo in the world. No cages anywhere. Animals easy to view. Scooters are available for $28.00/day for those who can't walk the well laid out paths. The scooters are a bargain for us older folks. Stroller rentals are also available at entrances. Zoo is divided into Asia and North America with a food/ relaxation plaza in between. Food is a bit too expensive but tasty. Probably would go in April or May for better weather. Entrance fees are very reasonable.

I have been to numerous other zoos, and this is one of the best ones. The animal enclosures are spacious and give the animals plenty of space. The viewing areas can get crowded during busy hours, but are placed in such a way as to offer wonderful and close views. The walking paths are wide and well marked, and are almost completely shaded by tall trees, giving some well needed relief from the heat on Summer days.
There are a LOT of inclines and declines, and many of those are steep,so be prepared to walk! Some of the inclines are so steep that they require at least 6 months of calf burning step aerobics before attempting them. The declines can be hazardous to people with small children; I witnessed numerous parents having difficulties ranging from pushing strollers uphill that began to look like some event in a strong man competition, to trying to control the same strollers going downhill, which looked like a skinny kid trying to keep up with a self propelled lawnmower on a hot Summer afternoon.
The facilities are spread throughout and kept as clean as can be throughout the day. Water fountains are available, but some of them do not work. There are several snack bar type stands throughout, as well as some permanent structures that sell food. The food is a bit pricey, but decent.
Overall, a great zoo. I would recommend being in at least somewhat decent cardio shape before trying to ascend the hills here. Can do at a slow pace in 4-5 hours or so and see most or all of the animals.

This was my second visit with my wife. We traveled from Columbia, SC and the drive was worth it, hands down. It was wonderful day filled with excitement and adventure. They offer a wide variety of options for the young and old with a Kid Zone and Gift shop. Most of the animals in Africa and North America continents appeared much more lively than other Zoos. Animals were housed in their natural habitat with wide open spaces and cages. The walking trails were well shaded with plenty of tree cover. There’s enough water fountains, restrooms and concession stands throughout the Zoo. At the end of our visit, we enjoyed their famous Minute Maid Water Ice. It is without hesitation, we give our highest recommendation to families and friends to go to Asheboro to enjoy the World’s largest Zoo!

Wow! This is a great zoo! The grounds are well kept and clean and the animals are very well cared for.We arrived a few minutes before 9 am opening on a Monday..there were 4 people in front of us.No waiting was great.There were no crowds the whole time we were there,so I'd say Monday is a very good day to visit.(we've been there on Saturday before and it was crowded).Tickets for seniors are $13,and WELL worth every cent!! Parking is free.
Wear comfortable walking shoes and plan to spend at least 4-5 hours.You're given a free colored map that is very helpful and makes navigating the zoo really easy.
Walking paths are paved and mostly shaded,with lots of benches for resting or just taking a water break. Backpacks are allowed for water and snacks,... there is also a variety of places to purchase food .I can't speak to that since we didn't eat on the premises.We took our time,rested frequently and had a great time.
Free trams are available at several places,and shuttles to parking areas,which we were very thankful for! Exhibits are spacious,giving animals plenty of room to roam about, and not too close together.On this day we were able to see everything except the lemurs,rhinos and giraffes.We especially enjoyed the Aviary with so many gorgeous plants(many in bloom) and birds of many varieties.
So many photo opportunities! What a beautiful place! We greatly appreciate the smoke free environment and highly reccomend this place;we'll surely visit again.

It was a very hot day, so we only saw some of it. Keep in mind that you will be walking a lot up and down hills. The elephants only came out around 10:30 or 11. I enjoyed the gorillas and the giraffes. It is well set up to see the animals even though they have a pretty large area to move around in.

I went to the zoo on opening day as a little 9 year old and was so excited and loved it! I went off to university and lived away for a while. Now I am back and using a wheelchair, but my husband pushes me and we BOTH love it now! Thanks for giving the animals so much of their natural habitat. The zoo is about making them comfortable, not about just letting me “see” everything.

It's a wonder zoo. It sits in a large plot of land with a lot or area for animals to roam. It's definitely a great environment for the animals and an enjoyable zoo. The negative reviews are laughable because people clearly didn't research the park prior to thier visit.

The NC Zoo is our favorite in the world! They keep the zoo very clean with plenty of restrooms along the way. There are trams between North America, Junction Market and the Africa sections. All the animal exhibits were open with the exception of only one or two. There is so much to see it is hard to claim a favorite. Of course the elephants, rhinos and giraffes are so large and spectacular they probably get the most votes but some of the smaller ones like the harbor seal, the puffins and all bears always bring a smile. It was a beautiful cool spring day and perfect for a visit. Lots of school children early in the day but they generally clear out before 2 PM. Bring a picnic for the parking lot and a water bottle. Food and drinks are VERY expensive. Water is $5.50 a bottle! Do buy a special treat for the kids at one of the gift shops though. They have a variety of items and prices and some really cute and unique items. We live about an hour away and try to go at least once a year! Enjoy

We came on an extremely hot day which probably played a roll in this rating. That being said, this zoo is wayyyyy too spread out. It felt like we were walking 1/2 miles in between any animals. The exhibit sizes are extremely generous which is nice, it just took to long to get anywhere. We powered through the zoo in about 3hrs but that was definitely due to the heat. I would expect you would really need the 4-6hrs they recommend on their website which is just too much for a zoo.

I visited NC Zoo for the first time today with my service dog! I would just like to say the the staff was incredible! They were very friendly and knowledgeable and knew exactly what the law said about service dogs! They greeted me and asked the two questions and we went in and had a great time!! 10 STARS!!!!!

I have been here many times over the years and have enjoyed every visit. This time was no different. It is a great way to spend the day and learn about the animals. The animals are well taken care of and the place is clean. I will be back.

Wear good walking shoes and binoculars. This is a 5 mile up and down terrain hike. Some animals were relaxing at a distance in fields. Enjoyed what we did see and disappointed what we didn't. March is "out of season" for some animals such as Giraffes. Plenty of benches for rest stops and a shuttle for return trip.

I am so proud of the NC Zoo. As a NC citizen I wonder how some of my taxes are spent, well the zoo is a place to go. It is divided into two sections (North American and African). The trails were well maintained and wide to accommodate strollers, wagons, and wheelchairs. The plants were beautiful and lush. The animals and their enclosures were clean. I was with my family (children and grandchildren’s) and we had a wonderful time. Staff and volunteers were stationed throughout the park and talked to the different groups. They answered questions about the different species. The signs posted along the trails informed people about the flora, fauna, and what humans could do to help our environment. My granddaughter picked up a kid map and got involved in those signs. Great friendly park. A must in NC.

We had a good day! Parking was easy and they have several lots.
The volunteer at the gate gave us the best advice. He recommended taking the tram to the center area, then walk the loop around Africa, then walk the path thru North America to return to the front gate where we came in. That way we got to see everything and the last part at the end was a gentle slope.
Lots of shade which was nice on a hot day. Definitely want sunscreen though! They have some calmer areas to decrease sensory stimulation for those who get overwhelmed.
It took us (adults) about 4 hours to see everything. It was not crowded on a Thursday, but school was already back in session.
Decent prices to get in, but $5 for a bottle of water and $7 for an ice cream cone was a little ridiculous. There are a few places to fill/refill your own water bottle though.
We wanted to see the sand cats most of all, but they were not in their habitat the day we visited. :( The otters were being fed and were adorable. Could not see the polar bears.
There is a gift shop, and various penny pressing machines if you like those!

Loved the zoo! We arrived around 1230pm, it worked great as the animals were pretty active. Was impressed by how well they take of it, how clean it was and the ease of getting around. Loved the space and natural habitats the animals have..very humane.

Walking paths were shaded, and easy to follow. It's a lot of walking but we took tram to other side and walked back. Well worth the visit, it's a gem in NC!

Extremely disappointed at variety of animal species and number of animals per exhibit!! For boasting a lot of land, too bad they don’t actually use it. Inexpensive to get in but will have to sell your soul for purchased food. Bring your own.

The zoo had excellent paths, great exhibits that seemed spacious for the animals. BUT if you find walking even a bit challenging, this zoo is not for you. Lots of up and down small hills and no good way to get around. It offered the basics like parking spots and ramps for handicapped but went no further. A zoo this size needs to have easy access to spots where you can get on and off a tram or shuttle. One in our party uses a cane and it was a long day for them. The buses between parking lots were nearly more than they could climb into, the driver clearly impatient. Its a great zoo, guys. Make it accessible to everyone please.

Really a quality zoo experience,great price and free parking a real value.Foodca little pricey but I imagine that it goes to upkeep.Be prepared for lots of walking,but good displays.We especially enjoyed the cougars,elephants,gorillas,bobcats,red wolf family,zebras all gave us great looks.
No chimps,no polar bear,or seals,and sadly the grizzly bear died recently.Butterfly house was really good.
Not SanDiego or Philly,but overall a good place for the price.

The zoo is very large with exhibits spaced out. Most exhibits had a lone animal but saw some amazing creatures. Food was expensive but, ticket prices were reasonable.

This zoo has it all. There are a wide variety of species located in appropriate habitat areas. The zoo is extremely clean and the animals look to be well cared for and healthy. There is shuttle service available throughout if you have tired little ones and area is handicapped accessible. There is a food court available and areas for snacks in different areas. There are education programs during the day and encounters for certain animals.

The zoo is a great place for everyone to visit. You will see exotic animals, learn about each animal and their habitat, and much much more. Take the time to talk with the many volunteers and staff. They will give you point out things you may have missed along with some unique information. The park was clean and there are strategically placed restrooms and concessions. It takes time to walk from end to end and see each exhibit but it is worth it. Sometimes the animals do not want to come out but don't let that discourage you. Like us, the animals just need some time to themselves. Each exhibit is handicap accessible and there are shuttles you can take at no extra charge to access different areas of the park including the parking lots. Take a moment to learn about the animals and their habitat while you are here. Each one has a unique and often sad story but it is crucial to know in order to help protect them in the wild.

We took the grandchildren now that they are big enough. we were anticipating a good visit based on previous experiences. What we found was highly disappointing. Lots of exhibits closed. The children’s play area was closed .Lots of the exhibits were dirty and unkept. Food prices were ridiculously high. $58 for three hotdogs and three sodas. $13.50 for a bottle of water and a bag of popcorn . very few animals to see . we did partially see one lion and one seal. Many of the animals appeared under nourished and unhappy . This place has really deteriorated from what it once was. We were embarrassed for the citizens of North Carolina to see our tax money so poorly spent. Cannot believe they are building a new Asia exhibit when they can’t even maintain what they have. Certain that we will not be going back, unless things improve dramatically .

The kids had a great time. They love the kidzone! They wanted to feed the giraffes but there were issues and they wouldn’t come out. We waited and eventually they were able to feed them. They really enjoyed that.

I went to the Asheboro zoo today - these animals are not being cared for - the Lion was thin - the polar bear looks like he is about to die any day - the black bear looks depressed- the fox was terrified- the Baboons paced around looking for a way out - the giraffe’s were so thin they looked as if the we’re starving- the grounds are horrible trees and sticks everywhere- the grass has no nutrition- the chimpanzees we’re eating what looked like old dry shredded cabbage the gorillas had green balls in their area they chewed on it so bad which is a clear sign of starvation or depression- it’s not the attendants fault it’s the investors - they have the audacity to be under construction for an Asian exhibit to house even more animals- this is just an animal mill that needs to be shut down-

Very nice zoo! Clean, pretty, laid out great. Lots of neat animals to see.

Snacks/drinks are expensive, but that is expected. Admission is very reasonable.

Would recommend buying tickets online before you go - the line to buy tickets was pretty long.

Lots of walking - wear comfortable shoes!

Great zoo. A lot of animals and they aren’t all in small cages like some other zoos. Most in natural type environment. Get ready to walk.

The zoo is worth visiting. Great concept and lovely location. Worth the trip. I recommend it as a great family outing.

This is an excellent zoo. We decided to visit after seeing the zoo on one of the Animal Planet shows that takes you behind the scenes. It is a large zoo with a lot of hills so good walking shoes are a must. It was nice to see all the animals in natural habitat settings especially the large area for the elephants. Staff was very friendly. They have a tram that will take you across the zoo. We spent a day and a half here to see everything.

Family oriented. This place is physically huge so plan a full day and you still won't see everything! What the State did right was buy up a large section of land for this zoo. They have continued to add new habitats over the decades it's been around. But be prepared: Large strollers that don't fold up flat can't be put on the tram so plan for a good bit of walking. They post this on their site but many folks miss this important detail. Toddlers cannot walk the entire zoo. Parking is easy and close to the entrance. The walkways are mostly completely shaded by the trees at this point and they are wonderfully wide and well kept. We saw many animals. There wasn't any exhibit where we didn't see animals. There were some earlier complaints in early spring about animals being too far away or not out at all which had us concerned, but that was not the case on our visit. I can only imagine that it was the unusual cooler spring weather we had in NC that kept some of the animals in their enclosures. They are free to roam their space. On our recent visit, we had no difficultly seeing animals pretty close up, given this is a natural habitat for them. With school out, there were not many large groups and you can check on line for the number of groups that are planned for any day you want to go. There are plenty of shaded places to eat lunch and more than ample activities for kids of all ages. There is a carousel that younger kids will enjoy and a rope and climbing section for older kids and adults. Both are reasonably priced at $3 and you can get your ticket right by the activity so you are able to decide on your walk if you want to do this based on your energy level. Two things that surprised me and need to be addressed are the lack of electric doors for handicapped patrons (and folks with strollers) to enter buildings and the poor condition of the bathrooms. While they were adequately clean, it's clear that they need to be remodeled with newer materials. Touchless faucets should be installed along with paper towels as an alternative to air dryers. Many children are scared of the noise of the hand dryers and having an alternative can lessen their fear of the bathroom and add to getting those little hands clean and dry. Lastly, the food is kind of average and high priced for the quality. It's been this way for decades and it's not unusual for many places like this. But, I had hoped that it had changed given how other museums in NC have embraced the opportunity to provide excellent local food venues in these situations. So plan to pack some good snacks and possibly lunch as well. All in all, still one of my favorite zoos in the country and a solid day of activity for a family.

Great place to visit . I live close to the Zoo so it's something I get to visit often. Great place to take children who love animals. You can make this an all day adventure.

This zoo is awesome!! Lots of things to see and do. Just bring the best walking shoes you can, because it is A LOT of walking!

We visited the North Carolina Zoo with family and had a great time! The animals did not disappoint! Loved the Polar Bears, Seals, Black Bears, Giraffe's, Elephants. This Zoo has everything! It was a picture perfect day!

We enjoyed our visit to the zoo. Transportation from the Africa side to the North American side of the zoo was available form the parking lot, as well as from within the zoo on a tram. The zoo was not very busy so we had a little bit of difficulty locating some food but otherwise really enjoyed our visit. It is a hilly zoo and those with disabilities should get an electric wheelchair. this zoo took us about 4.5 hours to g from one end to the other at a very leisurely pace. Both black bear and grizzlies are viewable. Good view of lions, elephants ( African), and giraffe's, as well as Gorillas and other primates.. The only reason this review inst excellent was lack of open food vendors throughout our morning.

I am a zoo connoisseur, so I'm very picky about what I see, both in the animals that are there and the habitats that they live in. This is a very good zoo. They had local animals , North American animals, as well as African animals. But my favorite part of it was there Desert section. I had never seen anything like it! It was a glass dome filled with the plants and animals of desert life. It was very realistically done, and the dome was beautiful. The whole zoo was good, but this dome made it unique. Well worth going to see.

We walked 4 hours, up and down inclines, and saw maybe 10 different species of animals and 3 of those were at such a distance I could not identify them. Very disappointed.

This is one of our favorite zoo's to visit and is an excellent value. The zoo is very large and spread out as the animals are in habitats rather than cages. They do have an excellent tram system to get you around the zoo, if you don't want to use the walking paths between the larger habitats. The zoo is very clean with plenty of concessions available. Most people did seem to bring in their packed lunches. Seems to be plenty of added education, interactive, and entertainment stations throughout the zoo.

Very clean and easy to navigate! My husband and I brought out two sons (8 and 2) along with my mother and Aunt (both in their 60's). it was a lot of walking but we all did really well with it and it wasn't too much. Worth the visit!

A great place. I recommend starting in the morning at North America going through the cypress swamp. Then head to the rocky coast and see the polar bears while they are looking for their treats before it gets too hot. When it gets hot they retreat to their air conditioned quarters. The red wolf puppies are also more active earlier in the day. From North America it is downhill to Africa where the animals aren't bothered as much by the heat. It is also good to know that money spent at the zoo is used in conservation efforts around the world.

We drove from Anderson, SC on 10/17 to camp. Visited the Zoo on 10/18. Was very impressed with the amount of exhibits in Africa. Disappointed somewhat in exhibits in North America. The walking was A LOT which wasn't horrific. Felt like with this being the largest Zoo in the USA it would have made more sense to have larger viewing areas. Disappointed in number of exhibits that were closed and not much signage to let you know. Extremely frustrated that only 1 tram was running between Africa and North America on a Boo at the Zoo weekend. Very upset that it was $10 for children to trick or treat and kids got less than $2.00 in candy, had 1 person doing face painting (which we stood in line for) only to be told they were taking a break and were only finishing up the kids in line. No clue as to where these pumpkins for kids were given either. Looking forward to the Asia exhibit opening.

We had such a fun day at the North Carolina Zoo! It's a perfect spot for families. There tons of shade, space to explore, and the animals all seemed well cared for with spacious habitats.

Food options were OK. Next time we might pack a small lunch just to have more flexibility.

Overall, it was a great family outing. Educational, relaxing, and a fun way to spend the day outdoors. We'll definitely be back!

We brought our grand daughter here for a weekend outing. We all enjoyed it. But we’ll plan our hours better next time so maybe we’ll see the animals feeding.

I am giving this place three stars because it is a very nice place & the animals are in pretty good conditions & the habitats are nice. However, this is NOT a Zoo! I am not sure if any other Zoo is set up like this, but every Zoo I have been to & even worked at, you would see one animal exhibit & then maybe walk 20 feet & there is another. Unless of course it’s something large like for Elephants but then once you left that larger area it typically goes back to where there are more animals. This place, you’d see an animal & then have to walk almost another mile to see another. It was insane! They have the grounds of this place dedicated more for Hiking trails than animals. So I would call this more of a Nature Center with occasional animals throughout & a lot of hiking trails through the woods. There are not really any educations materials which they could at least put signs or games throughout the grounds when you have to walk so far to get to another exhibit, because overall it’s just boring after so long. I like hiking & nature, but when most of your day is used up just walking down an asphalt path through woods, it starts to get annoying when that isn’t why you came to this place. The layout overall is terrible, the signs are hard to understand with which direction to go as well & the Map is very misleading. Do not look at the map and think this is what the place actually looks like, because the map makes it seem like the animals are close together. For example when you are at the Red Wolves, you have to walk down this path through the woods for three quarters of a mile before you end up back at anything. So I wanted to leave this review so people knew this, because if I would have known I was mostly going on a Nature Hike, I would have went somewhere else for the first time I was taking my daughter to a Zoo. I picked this Zoo because I heard it was amazing. Not saying it isn’t a nice place, but a Zoo… I wouldn’t call it that.

What a great way to spend a day or two. You may want to pick a day that is moderate in temperature, but the Zoo is wonderful.

It was a good purchase and we had a good time, but in the heat of the day, it was hot, hot, hot. Fortunately, there are places around the zoo to cool off and stay hydrated.

Zoos, especially on a hot summer day, don't really excite my husband and I but we read great things. Indeed, this zoo is unlike most others, and as zoos go, this one is spacious and very well laid out (as long as you are ok with some exercise!) in terms of both shaded paths and animal enclosures. Two major dings are for unhealthy food choices (not a single vegetable offering on children's menu!) and missed educational opportunities, especially around climate change and its impact on the habitats of all of these animals. It is rare to have a polar bear exhibit, and if you do, the #1 priority of the exhibit (especially as the zoo is "one of two state-sponsored zoos") should be to provide visitors with an understanding of why the polar bears are going extinct. A side board on recycling is very out of touch, and a sad insult to the polar bear, whose habitat is disappearing! This is also not consistent with the spirit of the zoo's statement that the zoo has been involved in conservation efforts in the wild for over 2 decades.

I don’t know they got the top one zoo of US, but I regret every minute and every penny I spent for the trip.
The parking lot is always overflow. The butterfly garden costs $3/person which is never heard of.
The zoo is so big that they separate it into 2 parks which makes no sense to me because you can count how many animals with your fingers and toes.
The tram shuttle takes forever to get on. We’ve waited for one hour to get on a shuttle finally.
Food is expensive.
Too much walk. It tired you out. Water has a smell of mold. Everything is terrible. My experience there is “totally not worth my time and gas and single penny”. And the ticket is way too expensive for such a small number of animals. They are just greedy. Not trying to make your visiting experience better. Just to ask money for everything. If you plan to go, listen to me. Don’t go. Or you’ll regret. Thank me later.

This zoo was amazing and we had so much fun! There's a lot of walking so wear good shoes. I wore shoes and my legs and feet were still sore afterwards. The exhibits are huge and the animals have room to roam. The zoo does have certain times they feed the animals, which you can watch. Wedding watch the animals being fed unless we were already in the area. Wedding want to walk back.to the exhibit to.see the animal being fed if it wasn't close by. The zoo has paved sidewalks and ramps so its good.for.wheelchairs. Plenty of restrooms and places to eat. Definitely worth going to. it took us 4 1/2hours to see everything. We would go back.

Was easy to find. Very reasonably priced. Nice zoo. The only complaint I had was it is stretched out so much there was a lot of walking, uphill and down. Nice for the animals though.

Overall, a great experience and would make a good family excursion.

The zoo is very large, and imitates the natural habitats of the animals ( especially outdoors). Large animals have sufficient space to roam. Despite of the size, it is not hard to navigate even without a paper map. The trail concept is good, it is like hiking with animals sights during the hike ( we like to hike, so a lot of walk is not an issue ). Due to large exhibit area, the animals may not be close enough to see, so we brought binocular. Good variety of animals, such as giraffe, elephants, elks, gorillas, to polar bear. We completed the visit in approximately 4 hrs. Animals looked like they were well cared, however we think the flamigos' pond needs to be cleaned. The water looked dark . dirty and moldy. Not sure if the birds drink the water, but for the sake of their health this needs to be addressed. During feeding time, zoo keepers put lettuce leaves on ground where we saw gorilla's poops nearby that should have been cleaned beforehand. Other than that, it is a good zoo, and we will be back when the Asia region opens !

Along with walking much of the zoo, we took the Safari bus ride. It was $25 per person and well worth the hour long adventure. I highly recommend!
The zoo is great to visit. All the employees and volunteers seem to love working with animals and educating the rest of us. Feeding times for the animals are posted and one of the highlights for us. Great adventure going to the zoo!

This is probably my kids' favorite zoo that we've been to. The animals seem to actually have adequate space and don't distressed like some of the other zoos we've been to.

it can be VERY crowded sometimes, which can be an issue at some of the more popular enclosures and/or lunch time.

The attractions are also a good bit more spread out than some other zoos, but that's clearly a byproduct of the animals having enough space, so, easy to forgive. But if you have little kids, you'll want to bring/rent a stroller.

Better to go in spring/fall when it's not so hot.

The NC Zoo is one of the largest in the United States. Located right in the heart of the state, there is something for everyone. So many animals to see and so much info to read on each one. This place is a great day trip. My family had a season pass and it is always fun to see what the animals may be doing this time. The Polar bears are always putting on a show! After you visit once you will want to bring more folks back with you the next time.

The line to get in the park was 2 miles long. It took us two hours to get our tickets. There were multiple employees standing around doing absolutely NOTHING to help the situation. Once we were in we had to wait at least an hour to get food and ALL of the soda machines were completely empty. The enclosures that the animals were kept in was so large that you could even see them. We were there for a total of 5 hours and only saw one wild pig and we had to walk through such a crowd of people that we could only see the animal from 25 feet away. The park was more crowded then Disney World. By far this was the WORST experience ever! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!

We visited here yesterday for first time. It was a very nice zoo. spread out and clean with plenty to see. great assembly of animals. I was disappointed the polar bear, grizzly bear and red wolf were not out to view on way past but were all out on way back. Park is only open 9-5 so would think all animals would be available in that short window. There is a lot of walking up and down small hills so comfy shoes is a must. plenty of free parking fairly close to front gate. Fee is reasonable for entry at around $15 for adults. What I didn't agree on was they charge an additional $3 to go into the butterfly pen and $5 to visit the giraffe deck. Should be included in entry fee, that's not something extra. Vending machines 16 ounce soda is $4! you expect to pay little more for convenience but not double. heard from several families was too expensive to buy their kids drinks. It was fairly busy and a lot of the food areas were closed. However, they sure pushed taking your picture so could charge extra for that. Park itself was very nice, just don't agree with several things about nickel and diming guests.

THE GOOD: Lots of animals. LOTS. And a nice variety too. Everything from flamingoes to porcupines to ocelots.

The pathways are all nicely maintained, with plenty of shady areas and lots of random seating.

The foliage and landscaping was great. Especially inside the aviary and along pathways.

Lot's of interesting large sculptures for the kids to enjoy playing, climbing and posing on.

Plenty of very friendly and helpful staff members.

THE NOT SO GOOD: Money, money, money, money. The entrance fee to the zoo is low, but they get you in other ways.

Butterfly garden? $3 per person. ( At other butterfly exhibits I've been to, you're given a splash of nectar on your hand so butterflies can land on you and you can admire them up close. At the NC Zoo's exhibits you're told to watch where you walk and not to touch the butterflies at all.)

Soda from a machine? $4 for a can

See a giraffe up close? $5 a person

Tree House trek? $3 a person

Ride the carousel? $3 a person

Ropes course? $15 a person

Lunch at the Junction Springs Cafe for 4? $81.67 (That's 2 double cheeseburgers with fries, 2 chicken sandwich with fries, and 4 sodas. Now get this, because it SHOCKED me. Your drink choices? $1.49 for a coffee, $4 for a bottled water, or $7 for a large fountain soda. Those are your choices! Who pays $7 for a SODA? Even if it comes in a "souvenir cup"?) Our fast food meal cost us $22 more than we paid to get into the zoo!!!

THE REALLY NOT GOOD: We visited once before 10 years ago. The exhibits have gone downhill since then. The flamingo pond, and several of the other water features (like at the polar bear exhibit) were dirty, brackish and unhealthy looking. Plus the smell. I heard many other people commenting on it too.

On our previous visit we saw nearly every animal. This time it was a bit like that scene in Jurassic Park where Dr. Ian Malcolm is riding through the park and asks after another no show exhibit, "Ah, now eventually you do plan to have dinosaurs on your, on your dinosaur tour, right? Hello?" No black bears. No brown bears. No wolves. No warthogs. No cougars. I should note that we were there at 9 when the zoo opened and didn't leave until nearly 4. It wasn't a hot or rainy day either.

There's a lot more but I'll end with this bit. They don't pass out maps anymore. This is a BIG zoo. You need a map. Instead they offer you a code to scan to get a map on your phone. The zoo employee laughed and said, "Half the time it works, half the time it doesn't." It didn't work for us. I ended up taking a picture of a posted map with my phone and zooming in on it so we could see it. We still had to stop several times and ask for directions.

Wonderful experience with our 2 year old. We aimed for the bigger animals- giraffes, zebras, elephants, polar bear, gorillas. It was great to see the larger animals with more room to move in most cases. It does mean being a bit farther away than if they were in cages, but seems better for them. Of course 1-2 miles is nothing compared to migration in the wild. It was great to see the native plants and trees on display as well!

Tips: Go in the spring before it gets too
hot. Go earlier in the day. Figure our what you want to see so you don't get too tired. We probably saw 10% of what they had.

I recently went back to the NC zoo with my nephew after not going for 10 years and was very excited to begin with and I can happily say I was not let down! I don’t understand why people complain about the walking, it is a zoo and the trams are very helpful when you’re very tired and just want get back to your car. With the amount of animals they have in order to give them enough space you have to walk a lot and some of them may be closed for maintenance, but I believe that’s common sense and it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying yourself! Definitely start at Africa first! The first thing your likely to see are the Sahara animals and it’s a great introduction to the habitat exhibits, I was much happier knowing the animals had enough space then being able to see every single one one of them up close just for a photo op. If you want to see all 1800 animals up close, look for the feeding times or when the keepers answer questions. Also it is a zoo, and like any attraction the food inside will be expensive but that’s also common sense, so if you’re willing to try to get it through the entrance pack sandwiches or something to get you through the day!

This was really fun. We love taking the kids for a hike a d we love zoos. This really was a blend of both. The animals, while not packed together, were really in nice enclosures with lots of space. The animals are fairly far apart so walking through the woods from one to the next was pleasant. I would love a bit more of a food selection but I get we are in covid and we are trying to be safe. The crowds were well spaced and proper mask wearing was about 90% compliance which I also appreciated due to good signage and movement through the zoo.

I've visited the NC Zoo many times in my life. It's a great way to spend the day with your family and worth every penny.

Protip: Start with the North America entrance and make your way downhill to the Africa entrance. The entire zoo is on a slope, and the North America entrance is uphill. If you park by the Africa entrance, you can take a tram up to the North America entrance.

Save your money ! $9 for pretzel-$9 for icee ----only animals close were chimps and alligators and elephants--- 1 giraffe 400 yards away -no polar bear, no black bear-lion 300 yards away----very disappointing

This zoo is huge - lots of space for the animals and lots of space for expansion. The location was odd - was about a 2-hour drive from Charlotte to the middle of nowhere. There also weren't as many animals as other zoos, which was surprising for the amount of land there was. But all in all, not a bad way to spend the day.

I hadn’t been to the Zoo in Asheboro in many many years. It’s a wonderful
zoo with lots of walking to see each animal. They do have trams to ride and I especially recommend getting a tram on the way back to the entrance. Highly recommend for a day trip!

Superb zoo, well laid out, but bring your walking shoes. Zoo claims to be the largest (in area), can verify that but we walked nearly 6 miles as we toured the zoo and did not go to the end of several of the trails in the Africa section that would have added several more miles of walking. Zoo has a reciprocal policy with other zoos as a result we got in for half price. Plan to stay all day as it takes 2 - 3 hours to go through each part of the zoo. One of the best buys at the zoo is the refillable cup a little pricey when you first buy it but refills are free for water and about a dollar for sodas. If it is a hot day you will go through 5 or 6 glasses.

Great zoo! Be prepared to walk a lot though and many hills. We prefer to start farthest away from where we park then walk back to the area where we parked (for instance if parked at main entrance then take tram back to Africa then track back towards front). The ropes course is also a lot of fun for older kids and adults. If you want to feed giraffes it’s 10 to 2.

My wife, Son and grandchildren all went to Asheboro to visit the North Carolina zoo, boy were we pleasantly surprised. It is a spacious, wide open, well kept open grasslands and exhibits which would just exhilarating. Everything from the how to a monkey exhibit to the orangutans, and my favorite the giraffe's all roaming freely as well as elephants lions and tigers. I could not have been more pleased with the day's events the kids loved it and all the adults loved it. there were trims to move you about the park if you would like where you can walk which we did, they have restrooms as well as places you can get something to eat. I absolutely love the entire day and absolutely look forward and going back again. It is a wonderful place to take the kids or absolutely anyone, because once you're out in that Park you forget all your problems and enjoy nature as it should be seen.

This zoo is one of the best in America. It is the largest in America allowing for plenty of space for the animals to roam while still providing avenues to watch and explore them unclose. The transportation system is good. It is situated on hills so you will want to walk from N. America to Africa and then take the tram or bus back to N. Africa. Great experience

Our favorite place to go! Was absolutely amazing! You can feed giraffes and paddle boat! Food was a bit pricey but worth it! Definitely recommend

This was much more than a hike through this Zoo. We walked for 3 1/2 hours to see very few animals but lots of bushes, trees and flowers. Thank goodness there were ramps for those who needed them. So disappointed in the lack of animals to view. Several exhibits were closed. The landscapes were lovely especially if you were touring a botanical garden. There was an extra charge for the butterfly dome, after you had to pay admission to get in. I also agree with another comment about the lack of educational material to help children get information. Masks were required inside ALL buildings but that was not enforced. The food was okay a little pricey but still good. If taking small children please take a stroller, wagon or rent one.

Once again I brought the grandchildren ages 6 and 9 years. They always have so much fun whether they play in the stream and mud kitchen, hike the park to see the animals, play in the playground, build forts, or whatever makes them happy for the day. Having a season pass allows us to enjoy the park at our own pace and take advantage of special events. NC Zoo is AWESOME!

Our favorite, the gorillas. The Zoo is awesome. All employees are friendly and helpful. I would advise taking your own water. Refreshments are steep.

First trip to the North Carolina Zoo since they built the new Polar Bear enclosure a year or so ago. We were there for 5 hours and though it was cool and overcast most of the day, it was such a good day for us: wife, myself, daughter and two adult grandsons. Our grandparents membership paid for four of us. It cost only $13.00 for the fifth. First time visitors should note that adult entry fees begin at the age of 13.

Younger grandson took some amazing photos. I think some of mine were pretty good, too.

As it was January, the parking lot at the Africa end of the zoo was closed. The tram back to the North America side of the zoo at the end of our visit was most welcome.

I have always enjoyed the very large enclosures, which I have never seen at other zoos, including the highly touted Omaha Zoo. I am including a couple photos in this review demonstrating the spacious enclosures. This zoo should be on all the top ten zoo lists, but it never seems to make any that I have seen.

The Zoo is an excellent day trip. As with all zoos you may or may not see the animals. The tram is a welcome way to get around, you don’t see the animals from it, but it helps people to get around.

A lot of the animals were not where they could be seen. The Polar Bear and Black Bear were hiding. Some of the plains animals were several 100 yards away, you could seem the but not up close. The aquarium area had a real strong fish smell LOL.

The food prices are high as are the drinks and bottled water. Water fountains are available.

Plenty of parking and clean restrooms. I recommend you visit their web site for information that will make your trip a trip to remember,

I carried a back pack with my camera equipment, water bottles, crackers and some sandwiches.

This zoo is awesome! We spent all day here and walked 4.5miles. Plus, they have dippin dots! Facilities are nice and clean, air conditioned sections, and a great gift shop.

This zoo is the best in the US. I’ve been to many zoos, but this one is state supported and far exceeds the other zoos. Beautiful natural habitat zoo. We stayed at the Wild Safari house with Air B n B. It was amazing and super clean. Newly renovated and so close to the zoo. One mile from the zoo!
Great experience and I would go back anytime!

Was so excited to visit the zoo after it was described as being one of the largest natural area zoos.. I thought this meant animal exhibits, however I believe it meant you walk 5 miles and see very few animals. Also, we went on a cold Monday morning and there was probaly 1,000 children there running rampent. We couldn't get close to any of the animals for all the screaming children. The kids were even beating on the glass of the enclosures, not cool! The cougar enclosure was esp. small which made me very sad. This was not worth the 3.5 hour drive.

if you have children or teens they would love this place it is fun you can take pics and you can ride the elephants.