Red River Zoo Reviews

I love zoos and visit whenever possible while traveling. This was a wonderful place. It was fairly small but well kept and the animals looked healthy and happy.

Parking was easy and convenient. It was reasonable to get in. There was a carousel and playground for children.

There was an air conditioned building with seating for wolf viewing. There was a baby Bactrian camel that was adorable. The red panda was awake and eating. The sloth was sunbathing. There was a lot of wonderful animal viewing.

We had hot dogs chips and pop for lunch. There were picnic tables with umbrellas. Prices were reasonable and there wasn’t a long wait.

This is a great place if you have a few hours for a visit.

Was not that enjoyable. No animals, no toys, no gaming for kids, expensive to see empty cages and no live true animals in a regular zoo. We saw a farm animals not a zoo animals. And underground rodent.

It was a nice zoo, small but nice the otters were pretty awesome, we will definitely stop by the zoo again.

Very nice animal displays in nicely landscaped areas. Fairly easy walking with lots of rest areas. Refreshments available. Very well kept zoo. Loved the outdoor time!

Each of the grandchildren had their favorite animal and we all went on the Merry-Go-Round. It was a fun day. nice to be out in the sunshine and fresh air. We shopped at the gift store on our way out. The boys bought snakes (stuffed) and our granddaughter bot a stuffed Sloth.

Great zoo with good success breeding Red Pandas, Takin, and Pallas' Cats. Nice exhibits for wolves and otters

My kids and I couldn't check into our hotel right away, so we went to the zoo to kill some time. It cost us $17 for my 5 year old and me. She enjoyed the playground, but there were not too many animals there. The "petting zoo" was cute, but the goats were too shy to come near her without purchasing food from the candy machines. I didn't have any quarters, so she was a little upset. Having change machines near places like this would be great, but they didn't. The carousel was nice, but it was just like every other carousel we have been on. Besides some free roaming duck families, it was pretty unimpressive. My daughter had fun running around and we used up an hour and a half and got to check into our hotel. $17 for two people is a great deal for most zoos. However, it is right on the edge of breaking even for what we saw at the zoo.

Even though the red river zoo is a small zoo, I still love going there. They always keep it so nice and clean and the animals always look very healthy and well taken care of. I recommend not going in the heat of the day, most of the animals are hiding and trying to keep cool. We went one time during the winter and that seems to be when the animals are very active!

Great little zoo if you have the right perspective when visiting. It is small but it has more than enough to entertain most kids. I went with my wife and teenager and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice loop around zoo makes it easy to see all the animals and exhibits. Plenty of animals to make it interesting. Lots of descriptions on each animal for anyone to learn something new. People that work it are really nice as well. Overall a fun experience.

The day we visited was cold and blustery but that didn't matter because this mostly outdoor zoo has little buildings that offer warmth...and not just from the heaters. The views of the animals were great and there were touches of cool objects to admire, read, feel, and grin over. The carousel area was large and sunny. The zoo staff was informative and friendly. We took advantage of their reciprocal zoo membership discount as we are members of the MN Zoo.

I look forward to visiting again!

I can't wait to visit again in the summer.

A great experience for families, lots of things for children to do. Numerous animals that are not seen elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was very warm when we visited so not able to see all of the animals but still a good place to visit.

We held both our wedding ceremony and reception at the Red River Zoo. What a lovely location! We rented a tent and the carousel pavilion which created a unique and memorable environment. We were so pleased with the detail oriented staff who made sure the big day went perfectly for us. Guests of all ages enjoyed strolling along the path while viewing the variety of creatures, riding the colorful carousel, and dancing the night away in the softly lit and natural setting. The event took place in August and months later we are still getting compliments on our location choice. We have visited the zoo since and they now have a wonderful otter exhibit. We are excited to see the zoo growing! I could not recommend this zoo more, not just for a wedding, but for a fun day of activities and animal education. Thank you Red River Zoo! (photos added from the wedding (credit Brooke Ringdahl of Ta'rooke Photography) and one from our last visit).

nice small zoo they are adding animals all the time need to get out and enjoy the zoo your kids will love it, it is a good time for the whole family. When family comes to Fargo we always take them and they had a really good time.

Located in the center of town, but still felt like being in a bit of wilderness! A great experience that combines a view of beautiful animals of all kinds and sorts, birds, fish, cats, camels, sheep, farm animals , wolves, and more with beautiful grounds to enjoy. Very adult and kid friendly. Can be enjoyed by all ages! Easy walking and very close viewing. In a minute you are in the center of town, and then you are in the wild looking at the beautiful animals!

Very friendly staff not much to do but what there is can be a great experience They also have an indoor carousel which is great for the kids

We had so much fun at this zoo. Animals are easy to see, there is a great walkway and easy to follow path through the zoo. It may not have all of the animals other zoos do, but it has some unique ones that I have not seen at other zoos. The zoo grounds are well kept. On this visit we heard the wolves howl. A local family told us they come a few times a week and have never heard that. We were excited to be able to experience that. There is also a petting zoo of farm animals, a playground, and interactive things for children. Don't miss the carousel. This carousel was built by the famous Hershel Carousel Factory in New York and the horses are hand carved. No matter how old or young you are, make this a stop on any visit to Fargo.

The Red River Valley zoo in Fargo, ND is a relatively small zoo, but it is a great place for young children. It takes about 1-2 hours to go through the exhibits, including a petting barnyard area, and you end up at a playground and an indoor carousel (that offers long rides and cotton candy)....does life get any better than that when you are 7 and 2 years old?

Went here to see the red pandas. But it was too hot for them and they were inside somewhere cooling off. Bummer. There were other animals such as the cats, the otters and Eagle that were not out either. I would say spring or fall are the better times to visit.

The location of this zoo is right by the AmeicInn hotel. This zoo is very small but very customer friendly. I asked about renting a wheelchair and they loaned me one. No charge!

The visitors center had a coupon for one dollar off. The prices are not bad. If you just don’t have anything g to do, check it out.

Went to see the red pandas and they were in an area that was easy to see them. It was all clean and well kept . Its always sad to see animals in captivity but for a zoo it was nice.

This zoo is a perfect way to spend the afternoon. My 11 year old loved feeding the alpacas and goats and looking at all the cool animal exhibits. We took a picture in front of the colored pencil fence near the children playground and the picture came out so fun!

Have been many times. Always something new. Weekends only in the winter. The smaller walking area is nice for young children

The Red River Zoo is a shining gem in the Fargo-Moorhead community and the announcement of their new baby camel proved that their conservation efforts are working. The newly expanded camel exhibit is wonderful. They also have a new brown pheasant exhibit that was interesting. Always worth the visit when in Fargo.

For a zoo in a smaller community, you definitely can't go wrong. Family friendly, diverse animal exhibits, and you have to go just to see the camels.

It was a small zoo, but we did have fun. The price reflects the size of the zoo so was not overpriced. There were a couple animals I have not seen before.

This zoo is rather small but it does have a nice barn section. I rate it as average based on experience today. I've been there before during summer months and it was better.

Perhaps it's due to the season, there weren't a lot of animals out and about...the river otter had no water to swim in, he was just lying around on the grass. I'm sure they must have water for him inside to swim about (I would hope).

The little fox has a small enclosed and tended to stay in his little tree burrow...so we saw little of him.

The wolves have a nice sized space to roam and there's a glass encounter area where you can get some great photos.

There are plenty of areas to check out...the deers, red pandas, bald eagle, camels, etc.

My favourite part was the barn animals. They have pigs, goats, sheep, and cows. There are feeding stations where kids or adults can purchase treats for the animals...it costs a quarter. The feeding stations are located outside by the goat section and another in the barn where the cows are located.

Oh...and there's a bunny area, chicken coup, and other areas of interest for the kiddies.

It's a small zoo but worth visiting... not rushy. Oh...and there's a carrousel and a play structure area for those with little ones.

Parking is free for zoo patrons.

If you're visiting Fargo, it's worth checking it out.

I'm a veteran of 28 zoos so far, and Red River Zoo is among the best I've seen for small-town zoos. Clean, compact, and a varied collection. Nice carousel! Good parking. Very well-maintained landscaping. Animal enclosures are on the smaller side, but in very good condition.
It doesn't take all day to encompass the entire zoo, and is well worth the stop if you are visiting Fargo.

The Sunrise and Sneakers program was refreshing. The staff was wonderful, the animals just waking up. We got some exercise, time to visit, saw the animals and the volunteer even had donuts and coffee in the room with the beautiful carousel! Lovely morning activity. Wish you offered it more than once a week!

This is a small zoo with exotic animals and birds. The habitats were nicely laid out and natural looking. We saw almost every animal; sometimes it's hard to see animals in a zoo.
It's definitely worth a visit.

The Red River Zoo animals are northern species that love the climate here! They can be seen playing in the snow, scampering around, even sliding on the ice! Their coats are nice and thick...probably the prettiest they get all year. There is an antique carousel that is available to ride and a limited amount of snacks. Even though the zoo is only open on the weekends during the winter, it's well worth the stop!

This little zoo is a great way to spend a couple hours with your kids or with friends. It has a little petting zoo and some big animals as well. This zoo is not big though, so be aware that it will not take a whole day to walk around by any means. It does offer some food but to save money, You could easily pack a lunch and bring it. there is a git shop too when you walk in.

Well kept zoo and the monkey licking the glass was definitely the funniest part. We enjoyed our time over there and it made our trip to Fargo memorable. Staff was friendly.

Small zoo but nicely maintained. The otters were entertaining and not afraid of visitors. Nice playground for the kids and a petting area with goats. The only thing I wasn't impressed with was the otter feeding. The staff at the entrance building were nice and informative, but the lady doing the feeding demonstration did it so quick and didn't say anything to the group standing to watch. She wasn't very personable to talk to. Most Zoos give a bit of information about the animals during presentations. The lady didn't even say what she was feeding them, until we asked her. Then she promptly ran off. It was over in maybe 40 seconds. Overall it was a very nice visit. I will be taking my son the next time we are in Fargo.

We always enjoy your visits to the Red River Zoo. They have a fabulous focus on education and cold-climate species, and their special events are always very well arranged and enjoyable.

We've lived in ND our whole lives but have never been to The Red River Zoo. Could have lived without it. Most of the animals weren't even visible either hiding or not there. Most of the zoo has farm animals cows, horses, chickens, birds etc... Fine if you've never seen farm animals, but then lets call it a trip the the farm.

First of all, yes, it's a small zoo - basically a loop. It doesn't take long to go thru but you can stay and linger around, there's no rush to leave. The price does seem a little high for the what you're getting (I'm comparing this to our zoo and others we've visited) but it is a smaller zoo that no doubt needs those funds to continue. So, we had no problem with it. It was about $20 (roughly) for the two of us.

It was fairly not the day we went (high 20's C in the morning) so the animals were either trying to get shade or already in the shade / dens.

However, we saw a couple river otters, monkeys, wolves, cute little fox, eagle, prairie dogs (like being at home), deer, etc. We also saw a red panda and came upon it as the zoo keeper was feeding it bamboo. The staff were great at answering questions and educating folks.

I know I saw plenty of more animals but I was captivated with the barn animals. It's not a "children's petting zoo" as both adults and kids are able to go in and experience it. It's a lovely setup and my favourite part of the zoo!

First you enter the building that is certainly designed for the children. It has a little beehive spot to see the bees at work. It was great to see. Once you walk thru the building, you come to the farm area. There's a carrot patch (bunny area), chicken and rooster coup, a section with Jacob sheep, goats, and pigs (they were in the shade resting).

You can go inside the penned area to pet the animals. The staff asked if I wanted to - clearly they could see I wanted to but with white capris on, I wasn't chancing it. Next time! There are little feeding stations around the barn area...for a quarter you get about 10 pieces of food for the animals. There are also hand sanitizer stations located throughout the barn area.

Inside the barn are the cows and the horse. You can't feed the horse as its on a special diet but you can feed the cows. Slimy tongues...hubby captured some interesting facial expressions of mine with the camera.

There's also a corn and sunflower patch in the barn section. It was great fun and absolutely my favourite part of the zoo. I bet the kids would say the same.

There's a carrousel too and as much as I would have loved to try it, I'm not sure it was for adults too.

For those wondering, there's a little cafe on the grounds, drink machines, and bathroom facilities.

There's plenty of wide open space for the children to run and play. It has a little mini playground area too.

Upon leaving, there's a gift shop you can stop in to pick up souvenirs.

Oh yes, there's free parking for zoo patrons.

Yes, I'd recommend visiting the zoo - especially if you are homesick to be back home on the farm. ;)

When we arrived we were a little put off by the bison statue in front of the zoo that was painted like a tiger since it was a little disorienting. We later found out it was a city wide charity thing where the bison statues were painted in different ways, but it still seemed a little odd. The zoo itself was a little more expensive than I would have liked considering how small it was. We stretched things out as we were with 2 and 4 year olds, and we only really stayed 1-2 hours.

There are some neat highlights including the red pandas and some of the other Asian/Russian animals. They have a few domestic animals, and were constructing an otter exhibit while we were there. We saw a porcupine training session, and I hadn't realized exactly how cute these waddling, prickly creatures could be. There was also a farm area with feed and a small reptile house (all of them are in smaller tanks).

There is a pretty decent playground area with a drinking fountain. Unfortunately the fountain has a leak in the bowl which sprays kids' feet with water, so they slip and slide on the play structure! This is right next to an indoor restored carousel that costs extra to ride, though parents accompanying children are thankfully free.

I'm not sure I'd go back at the same price unless there are some additional exhibits, but the grounds were well-cared for, and everyone was very helpful. My kids really enjoyed it.

We were impressed as to how the exhibits have expanded over the years. The carousal is a big hit. We will be going back again.

Although the Red River Zoo is small compared to larger city zoos, it has done a great job of being relevant. A quick read of the information lets you know that there are very rare species to see and learn about. You may not ever see some of these animals in another zoo. It is very family friendly, and continues to grow and develop. I enjoy myself each time I take my family, which is typically 2-3 times per year.

I have been to zoos all over the country and for its size the Red River Zoo is very nice. No way can it be compared to larger zoos such as Denver or Pittsburgh but it is very nicely laid out and makes for a pleasant day.

We came in a somewhat big group, not completely sure what to expect; the zoo was small in size, but had a pretty good array of animals and lots of good information. I was particularly fond of the red pandas, the ravens, and the prairie dogs. It's absolutely worth the stop.

great atmosphere, different animals then you normally see.. Habitats absolutely beautiful... Love love this zoo. !

A visit to the Red River Zoo is always enjoyable, but add some baby otters and now folks, you are making memories! The zoo has come a long way and they are now heading in the right direction. The Otteres will bring a lot to the zoo and displaying them before their exhibit opens is the perfect way to promote their big arrival. Great work.

Love the Otters, could watch them all day. Easy to get around, nice variety for our area. Fun the the family.

We are happy to be members of the ever growing Red River Zoo. This little zoo is the ‘youngest’ zoo in the state and it has big goals for its’ future. The Otter Rapids are under construction and even though their home isn’t ready, the otters are on display in the contact area. The spring is one of the best times to see all of these cold climate animals enjoying the weather. If you live in the area, your best bet would be a membership as they pay for themselves after just a few visits. Loved our march visit and look forward to our next.

We visited in Dec '18 as a last minute stop. Very welcoming even in winter. It was nice. Nice exhibits. staff was very knowledgable.

Kids loved the zoo and did me and my husband kinda wished more animals where out. Can't wait til next summer to see there new addition

We visited the zoo with a group of young children this weekend and had a great time. The zoo is not particularly large bust does have some interesting exhibits featuring local wildlife the river otter and wolf exhibit were particularly interactive. The kids had a blast in the petting zoo section.

This is your average nice little family zoo, good for the little ones! They have nice exhibits and everything is nice and tidy!

We went here right at zoo opening. Only took us 90 minutes to see everything and we looked at a few animals twice. Nice variety of animals. Large group of little kids in blue shirts were running around, screaming, and walking/standing right in front of us when we were trying to view almost every enclosure. Way to teach manners! Kind of ruined our visit. Even tho the zoo is small and priced a bit high (I've been to a few larger zoos that were free), it was still OK.

We really enjoy the variety of animals at the zoo. It is a small zoo so as my son is getting older it isn't quite as exciting for him. I think he would really enjoy the "summer helper" program that the zoo has. It's a great opportunity for kids to work hard serving our community and the animals at the zoo.

We enjoyed the Red River Zoo a great deal. While not large, it is well kept, the animals are clean, healthy and bright-eyed and the staff are super! We spent several hours (we went around the zoo a few times!) enjoying the animals and talking with staff, who were eager to share information, such as what they feed the animals, the animal's behaviors, etc.

There are several areas designed for young children, such as play areas, a large petting area designed like a farm, a merry-go-round, and coloring area. I commented to my husband that when our children were small, we could have spent an entire day there!

I was pleasantly surprised at the number and variety of animals for such a small zoo and very pleasantly surprised to see how clean the entire zoo is and how well cared-for the animals are. There is a also a nice giftshop.

Last year, I thought it was pretty sad went back again to give them another chance. Our family has been members since before the zoo even started… have a brick have a few Rocks have some pencils made donations, supported at auctions will be going to Wahpeton from now on… Or the Como zoo or the Minnesota zoo. The petting zoo is no longer a petting zoo… the wild animals are not particularly impressive save the red panda and camels… It’s not particularly surprising to see a bison, a prairie dog, or a deer or a raven in the state of North Dakota. How many wolves, otters, birds, and even cows does a zoo have to go through to realize that there’s a problem? Also the smell in the lobby… You need to move quickly it’s bad… The armadillo and sloth weren’t there so is that all from one monkey????

We spent about 1.5 hours here. Most of the animals were visible in their exhibits although the red pandas did not come out. Several of the animals seemed restless, pacing their small enclosures (skunks, Pallas cats, lynx). The small prairie dog exhibit was well placed for viewing them close up with a clear panel to protect them from being fed by visitors. It was cool to see some species I don’t remember seeing anywhere else: a black-footed ferret, some Przewalski's horses, some Sichuan Takin, and a couple of white-naped cranes. They have good signage at each exhibit telling about the animals. They have a restored historic carousel ride that was operational. I think kids would enjoy this zoo.

Went on a roadtrip with my daughter. A stop in Fargo was due to a concert with Celine Dion. Had free time and visited the Red River Zoo. It's a small, very cute zoo. Had a chance to chat with a few zoo keepers and learned a few things while doing that. There is a huge pencil crayon fence by the kids playground. Very cool and creative. Good subject to photograph.
Positive aspect, we were pretty much alone there, cause we visited quite late in the year. It was freezing cold though. For that matter l think l would choose a different time of the year. But definitely would visit again.

We live near here so we buy a membership every year. The best part is the membership gets you repository free admission and half off into many zoos. I think Watertown SD zoo and Souix Falls SD are free with the membership.

If you are traveling thru it is a small zoo that is well kept with a new kids area. However the food while not expensive is microwaved hot dogs as an example.

I would not recommend traveling to Fargo just too see the zoo but if you have a membership to another zoo and can get in for free or half off it would be a good stop to stretch the legs.

I have gone to the Red River Zoo twice with my Grand Children this year(2014), the 2nd visit was for the October "Boo @ the Zoo"
I loved every minute!!!!!!-This is a beautiful zoo and it is diverse and educational.We were there around 2 hours and what a fun family experience it was!! The Carousel was great-went a little fast for me but my grandchildren rode more than a couple times each-so they enjoyed themselves.Thank you for all your hard work to make this such a positive family outing.

The zoo has worked had the last few years to add new exhibits and improve existing exhibits! They are extremely successful breeding red pandas. They are our favorites. They look like large fuzzy teddy bears!

The Fargo Zoo was an interesting place for our large group to visit. It has a nice variety of different colder weather animals. The Chinese red panda is one of the favorites. The wolf exhibit is very nicely done, with both indoor and outdoor viewing. We had someone talk to us about several different animals and birds, and we got to hold and touch a couple of them. This is not a huge zoo, and it has very nice walking paths, It also has a nice gift shop and a wonderfully restored 1928 Allen Herschell Carousel that you can ride on. The Warren Diederich family donated it to the zoo in 1998.

This is the smallest zoo I've ever seen! But it was big on quality and I am so glad I spent time there. Staff is very friendly, the grounds are clean, neat and lovely. The animal habitats seemed well thought out and well maintained. Three camels in three different colors were worth seeing. They are rather large! Children's zoo/farm was adorable, and again, grounds and animals are clean and neat. Otters were fun to watch, wolves interesting...if you are in the area, do visit! And ride the carousel!

We went there in the morning when they opened. It is smaller than some other zoos, but the weather was overcast and cool which made great day for seeing all the animals. They had camels, reptiles, a great area for smaller kids to play and a petting zoo. The Russian squirrel was adorable and the river otters were fun to watch. The landscape was beautiful and they kept everything really clean.

I was thoroughly impressed by the Red River Zoo. It is small, but really the perfect size to take kids to. It takes 1-2 hours to go through, depending on how much you stop to look. It's very clean and you can tell they are constantly improving their exhibits. There's a fun petting zoo and the carousel is a lot of fun. Reasonably priced gift shop.

We have been visiting this zoo for the past few years after purchasing a membership each year. For our family, it is the best bang for our buck to do this since 3 visits pay for the membership. We have also utilized other zoos that are part of the membership making it an even better deal.
Truth be told, this is a small zoo. You won't find many exotic animals, but the staff do a nice job keeping it clean and caring for the animals. My boys enjoy feeding the ducks and stopping to play at the playground. They don't love the carousel as it goes a bit fast.

We - and the grandkids - love the RRZoo! Wonderfully laid out and easy for children to view the animals. If you want a great day, go to the RRZoo!

Our family visited the Red River Zoo while staying in Fargo this past weekend. We saw unusual animals there that you do not always get to see. Loved the two-humped Bactrian Camels. Also the Red Panda, white/gray wolves (they are so large!), tree sloth and South American monkeys. Well laid out, easy walk for kids and older citizens alike. Nice petting zoo and beautiful carousel. Located near hotels, places to eat. Great afternoon!

We absolutely love the zoo. We love that they're always bringing in new animals and new exciting events that they are offering. Little disappointed that the membership card when up $10 but it's still cheaper to buy the membership within it is to get in the zoo. We were lucky today we caught them giving Aragon the horse a walk. The young gentleman was a great teacher. He allowed us to touch and pet the horse. And told us a lot of great facts about eragon. Thank you so much for allowing us to get up close and personal you were the highlight of our trip

The zoo has free parking. Adult admission is $11.25 with discounts for seniors and children. As it is an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) member, they give free admission if you hold membership in any AZA member organization. It is not very big. To encourage social distancing there are "one-way" paths throughout the grounds. I did manage to see Bactrian camels, a lynx, and eagles. It was a warm day and most of the animals, as usual, had enough sense to stay out of the heat. There is a good sized gift shop near the entrance/exit.

Kids are 5 & 7 and really enjoyed it. They were very inquisitive after seeing the animals. The zoo has both outdoor and indoor exhibits.

I've visited the zoo about once a year for the last 5 years. I recently went with my kids and was pleasantly surprised by the new addition of the family/volunteer building back by the farm animals. It was colder than our usual summer visit, and my son loved getting to warm up indoors and play a board game. Feeding the sheep is always a highlight, and we love the heated room for viewing the wolves as well.

Our family loves visiting zoo's. Most of the animals were unable to be seen. Probably due to the hot weather. If you've never been here and have time to kill it's worth a visit.

My boyfriend and I visited this zoo because we had never been there and always drive by it. The most fun for us was feeding the sheep and the cows. We are in our 30s, I think this zoo would be better suited for families with younger kids.

This zoo was a nice surprise. It was clean, the animals were easy to see and the merry go round was fun! We would definitely recommend this to people that aren't looking for a large city zoo, but rather something that is a fun visit for an hour or two.

It is a nice zoo. But they charge too much to get in. However they are expanding. My family has been a zoo member for years in Fargo and my kids still love it.

Small but very well laid out with some different animals. Looks like the place is growing and is worth a couple hours. Become and member and go as often as you want

Maybe it was the time of day or maybe they all ran away...but not many animals here. Still definitely worth the money...not expensive.

I hadnt been to the zoo for a few years.. When I walked in I couldnt believe the difference. Wolves, Otters, Eagles, Camels, Chinese Red Pandas, Meercats just to name a few some I never knew they had. Lots of new walking paths and areas to see. Bring a camera as there are tons of photo opurtunities.

I traveled here with my 2 girls ages 6 and 3. It was the perfect zoo for them. We went on the carousel, fed the farm animals (bring quarters for the food machines), and loved the river otters. If you have a coin, the otters will follow it on the pool side of the exhibit. Also a cute gift shop you have to go by to enter and exit. The only down side is the cost of admission being a little steep for the size of the zoo.

Probably the smallest zoo I have ever visited. It takes 15 minutes to walk all the cages. Not a lot of variety of animal but kept pretty clean and neat. When I visited last summer, it was pretty much two of us in the entire zoo. There are peacocks gazing freely which we loved. Camels, wolves, ground hogs, ducks, eagles and 4-5 other animals. Again, it's Fargo and it gets pretty darn cold here, considering that the zoo staff has taken care of these animals well and kept the zoo neat and tidy which I appreciate. The ticket price can feel a little pricey when you just get to see a handful of animals.

We shared a wonderful couple of hours here with our grandchildren. They enjoyed the closeness of the animals.

This is a very well kept zoo. It's small but the exhibits are really nice and well done. Aminals appear to be well cared for.

We had a very nice time at the zoo. We were very pleased with the low price of admission and concessions at the zoo. We were really impressed with the petting zoo with the play areas and gardens.

We went mid morning and were disappointed when most of the animals were sleeping in the shady areas and not really visible. The zoo does have many spots to stop and rest which was helpful with my father who walks with a cane and needs to rest frequently. Well laid out and informative for a small zoo.

The Red River Zoo is a very nice facility for a city the size of Fargo, and is definitely worth investing an hour or two to visit. They've very wisely chosen to specialize in animals that thrive in cold climates, so they've actually got a few species that aren't common in U.S. zoos, such as the Pallas' Cat and White Naped Crane.

Animal enclosures are clean and well-maintained, and offer good up-close viewing opportunities, which visitors with small children will appreciate. In fact, this is a great zoo for kids, as it has a nice Children's Zoo Farm area, a playground, and a carousel. Because of its size (33 acres), the zoo is big enough to be interesting to older kids, but small enough that you might actually make it all the way through before your preschooler decides that they've had enough.

All of the staff members I encountered were friendly and happy to talk about the zoo and its residents. Admission prices were reasonable, and there was plenty of free parking. Food is available on premises, and if the available options don't interest you, there are a number of restaurants within a block or two of the zoo.

Whether you live in the Fargo-Moorhead area or you're just visiting, the Red River Zoo is worth checking out, especially if you're looking for something fun to do with kids of elementary school age and younger.

Pros: The staff is very friendly, and the zoo is clean and well organized with nice placards. The carousel is fun and a lot of little activities for kids to do (in the barn building, etc.).

Cons: Expensive! It cost nearly $26 to take my niece and nephew. No exotic animals. They have some cool camels, but mostly it's just basic animals (wolves, farm animals, etc.). No tigers, lions, bears, or gorillas.

This is a very small zoo and isn't what you would expect. You can get very up close and personal with many of the animals and see a wide variety. We visited in the "off season" and a few exhibits were closed but we look forward to coming back in the summer!

We are use to the large city zoos, however we were pleasantly surprised by the Red River Zoo. Very nicely laid out and extremely clean. The zoo featured many animals that we have not seen at our local zoo.
The zoo was well kept and had a nice lay out.
It was nice that you can view everything in a few hours. We loved the petting area. Cost was a bit high for this size of a zoo, but I am sure it costs a great deal to maintain it.
It is nice for a family with small children or older adults. If you are looking for an activity in the Fargo area, then I would suggest checking out the zoo.

We have stayed in Fargo but had never visited the zoo. It is a very small but nice zoo. I hope that it is able to expand and carry many more animals.

This is a charming little zoo in the heart of Fargo. They have very special animals from similar cold climates. Their red panda program is helping to keep these adorable animals from extinction. They are so much fun to watch! The zoo staff holds frequent, informative talks outside the enclosures where you learn more about the inhabitants. Some areas are a work in progress but it's well worth a visit. Be sure to check out the Takins.

I had never thought of a zoo as a wedding venue but it was a great place for such an event. Fargo is a big city, I expected a big zoo, but after some thought I think its size is perfect for families. It's not so big that you get lost or the kids get completely drained and have a meltdown getting through it. Friendly staff. Loved the carousel!!

Zoos are a favorite of us, and the Red River Zoo didn't disappoint. While it is small, they have narrowed their focus to cold climate animals, so we saw quite a few we had never seen or even heard of before. The exhibits and grounds were well-maintained, and the staff were more than willing to engage with visitors.

We spent about two hours touring the zoo, including lots of time to stop and observe the animals; it was a mild day when we went, so they were quite active. The signs outside each enclosure had lots of "fun facts."

I was so excited to go to this zoo because of some of the reviews I had read but I was sorely disappointed. I posted the best pics I got and they are nothing to brag about at all. I had heard great things about the otters, and yes there were two, but their tank looked dirty and it was nothing impressive. There were three camels which was the largest animal we saw the whole time. I was told the wolves they have are cool, but unfortunately, we could only see one and it was probably a football field length away sleeping so my daughter definitely couldn't spot where it was. There was a red panda that we went to look at three different times hoping we could see it better, but unfortunately, it was very high up in a tree. Besides that we saw a snake, some ducks, chickens, and a cow. We would not go back.

Great place. Fun for kids. As an adult gets old seeing the same animals all the time. Be nice to see larger animals.

We are members of the Cincinnati Zoo. We went here with my kids ages 2 and 7 when visiting family. The zoo is small, but it has some different animals that you do not find in the large zoos we have been to. It is a good size for little kids. The kids enjoyed feeding and petting the goats. The zoo is very clean and they do a great job in having a small zoo with the kind of climate Fargo has.

The price was not too exorbitant for entry and my kids both counted as kid prices since they are under 14. There were some unique animals that we haven't seen before such as a Russian Red Squirrel and the Red Pandas. We were in town to visit friends and this was a great little stop before heading back out onto the road again for the day on our way home. I would recommend, and also ride the carousel because sometimes you just have to!

Have visited several times. It is a Small Zoo, often overcrowded. Most enclosures are more traditional in that they are similar to cages rather than having natural barriers. Very high priced for such a small zoo. Have visited many zoos around the country that are larger, have more interactive things to do in the zoo and more "natural" habitats for the animals that are free or much more inexpensive. Staff are challenging to find, interactive features that they do have, have very limited schedules. Limited food selections. The one great feature is they have one of the only successful breading programs for red pandas.

The landscaping in the zoo was very nice. It was the perfect size to spend a couple hours. There were presentations each hour about a different animal at the zoo. We watched the 10:30 am Sunday red panda presentation and enjoyed it. Beautiful grounds and friendly staff.

This zoo is currently being expanded, it is a decent size for being in Fargo but could definately be bigger for the price and hype it has recieved. Could be a fun little outing for a family with a few little ones, but personally I would drive the extra 40 min south to the Wahpeton Zoo if you want a real experience.

Not a large zoo, by any means, however it's set up nicely for a family afternoon visit. It is recognized for helping breed endangered species, having a great result with some of them (the Pallas cat, for example). They have a free day every fall, and the keepers give talks about some of the animals, sometimes bringing them out of their enclosures so you can see them up close.

Have been several times with our 3+5yr old kids. There is a variety of cold weather species, some local and some exotic. They also had a few South American animals, exotic lizards etc. They had some animals we hadn't seen at the MN or Como zoo. There is also a farm with some animals you can feed and pet. They have a beautiful indoor carousel (with quite a bit of 'go' to it!). They sell concessions + have a pretty nice little gift shop. They also do pass-outs, so you can eat off site and return

Our zoo loving kids enjoyed it. We'll be back again next visit to Fargo.

You could spend 2-3hrs here, including lunch.

Cute zoo. We enjoyed the experience, the zoo is very small compared to other zoos we have visited. The attractions were nice and viewing animals was easy for the kids, as well as adults.

Very small zoo and expensive for the price you pay. Animals looked comfortable and it was easy to get around

A great place to bring smaller children. The zoo is small enough they don't get bored and can get close up to the exhibits.

We really enjoyed this small, well-designed zoo featuring animals from cold regions. The mascot is a red Chinese panda; other notable animals are Bactrian camels and Himalayan takins. Founded in the 1990s, the zoo has humane habitats and informative signs (though I did raise eyebrows at some grammar mistakes!) Well worth a visit.

Went here with a group from work. The zoo itself has a somewhat limited range of animals, not a lot of large exotics. On the other hand, has an excellent collection of animals from the area. Interesting display of oriental fowl. We had an excellent gathering. Enough to keep the kids busy and entertained, enough to keep the adults busy and engaged and get everyone going. Excellent experience for our group.

Cute little zoo, loved the animals and how you could get close to the enclosures and really see the animals close up, unlike some other zoos where you have to view from behind 2-3 fences.

Visited later in day to see more of the nocturnal animals. Price not really great for small zoo. Exhibts that were open were very nice. Childrens area probably the best part of the zoo. We found too many animsls not on display.

We really enjoyed this Zoo. There is plenty of parking in front of the small entrance building. The size of the entrance is deceiving because the grounds and walkways are pretty vast once you pay for admission. The entrance also has a Unique welcome of a couple of monkeys, sloth and armadillo. The map trail is marked well so you can visit in any order but we chose to follow the path to the left. As with most outside zoo exhibits a lot of the animals were sleeping or hidden but there was plenty to see within the zoo to experience several of the animals. We were especially entertained by the dancing porcupine. Very nice stop on our trip.

I would bring younger children here. Any older children would get bored fast. Older people who can still walk on there own would enjoy the uncrowded walkways.

This is a fun little zoo built around a community restored carousel. Warren Diederich and his company Industrial Builders restored it in the late 1990’s as part of a dream that every child could affordably ride it. It has 30 horses and 2 benches. The horses are in good condition and beautifully painted, each one a specialty. It would have been nice if the girls running it could have shared its history with visitors. The zoo is small, but does a very nice presentation of American and Asian animals. We got to watch the red pandas get a snack. It takes about an hour to go through it and ride the carousel. It’s very good for younger children.

Went to zoo with daughter and two granddaughters. Went when zoo opened for day so wasn't too busy for a Friday morning. This is a nice attraction in the Fargo, ND area and not too big so you don't have to spend all day and not be able to do something else in the area. They have a very nice indoor merry-go-round to ride on. Small fare to ride. Staff is very good and they have animal talks and special events throughout the year. Also have red wagons for small children to ride in but it's a first come, first take so you might not get one if you come later in the day.

We had a short window to fit the zoo into our trip but were determined to make it. We were the first ones in the door and the staff were friendly and quick. Once inside it was immediately clear to us that the zoo is well maintained and clean. The zoo itself isn't giant but they make very good use of the space they have and there are lots of great opportunities to see the animals. There was a zookeeper cleaning an exhibit and she was very friendly and talked with us about some of the animals and shared the story of an injured Canadian goose.

A few things seemed to be closed or under maintenance which didn't bother us since we were on a tight schedule. One thing I would love to see though is increased signage to the washrooms, in my panic to find one the signs were obvious enough.

I also really liked the vote by donation boxes for the baby animal (a Takin maybe? I can't remember). A cute idea to raise funds that is less obtrusive than some fundraisers can be.

We only had about 1.5 hours but I would recommend 3 for adults and more for families with kids.

We had a great time taking our daughter to the zoo. She enjoyed seeing the animals and even my husband had a great time witnessing the wolves howling. We go so many great close ups of the animals. Also, the indoor Carousel was a lot of fun for us and our little one.

The Red River Zoo is as nice as any small zoo you can visit. Beautiful grounds with great paths and easy to push strollers. Some unique animals. Exhibits are close enough for smaller children to see. Fun petting zoo. Find time to check out and maybe ride the beautiful restored carrousel. A great place to spend a family afternoon.

Went with my wife, daughter and grandchildren. Had a wonderful time. Large enough zoo to experience a large number of different animals.
Nice little area to get a snack and cool down if it is warm out.
Take the kids and have a wonderful day

This zoo does have some impressive features, including two red pandas and some camels. It also has several animals that are not typically found in zoos: common cockroaches, cows, chickens, and goats. One of the cockroach displays does not simulate a natural environment; it simulates a kitchen, which makes them look more gross than interesting.

I would recommend the Red River Zoo for families with young children.

I really enjoyed this zoo with my 2 children, it was so big that it took hours just to see everything, but was too small either. We spent two hours at zoo and that included playing at the playground on site for a bit and riding the Merry-go-round. We really enjoyed the animals and grounds.

Took grandchildren there in July. There was some construction going on. Not too interfering. Medium size with plans for more exhibits. Cute little animals and birds mainly . some larger ones camels, wolves, etc. There are wagons available to pull kids in. Good selection of animal exhibits. We had fun. Would like to have a picnic but no outside food allowed and no picnic area out front like some zoos. Just a grassy hill by parking lot. The eating place there was sad. Overpriced snacks and popcorn only Don't plan to have lunch there. Go after lunch.

I took my 4 small children and they had a great time. They especially loved the otters; I think they could have spent the whole day just there, lol. This zoo is on the smaller side but has a good variety of animals. We also saw that they are in the process if building a new baviary exhibit that is due to open next month. Also, I GREATLY appreciated that they provide wagons for free; most of the zoos I've visited make you pay to rent them. Made it much easier to haul my brood around. :)

It's a nice zoo that is easy to go thru and enjoy the surroundings. It's also great to hold a function there as well. Easy to work with.

Loved going with the grand kids. They thoroughly enjoyed as did I. The most fun was watching them however. Many different animals and the experience encouraged my grandson to be a junior volunteer for a summer.

The Red River Zoo is a small but very nicely designed zoo. Great signage and activities for children. Kids seem to love the petting zoo area and they have a great program with middle and high school kids serving as docents in the summer. What a great idea!

The zoo specializes in northern species and the highlight of their collection is the red panda who were born at the zoo. Adorable.

For children, the zoo also has a lovely carousel.

Great Zoo, some things you don't see in some zoos as this is a cold weather climate zoo. (its worth a visit in the winter too as many of the animals are out enjoying to cooler temps and snow)

I'm not a big fan of zoos but our grandsons really like it. I think they are growing in a positive direction. Everyone please remember that funds are limited and we should support this endeavor. I really do believe they are trying to do the right thing and not just hold animals captive for a show. I would like to see some improvement in the food service, but I do understand growth will be slow with the limited funding they have. Continue to support this project.

This is not a very large zoo but it is a very well laid out zoo. Most zoos I've been to, you have to backtrack a lot to see everything. I love the way this one is designed to just stay on the path and you will end up at the next area without backtracking. It is a very relaxing stroll through this zoo and you don't have to feel hurried. It actually makes you want to slow down and enjoy the animals.

My granddaughters love spending time visiting the Red River Zoo and feeding the animals, birds, fish; especially feeding the goats; riding the carousel; and visiting the gift shop. A $65/yearly: Household or Grandparent membership to the Red River Zoo is the best buy for admission for 2 individuals in the same household & their children or grandchildren under 18.

We LOVE the Fargo Zoo and while it is on the smaller side, you need to remember it has a lot for such a small town.

We were in town for a wedding with a few hours to burn. We are members if our zoo at home so we get in free or discounted at lots of zoo's. The red river zoo happens to be free! Our family had a great time. The prairie dogs were my favorite exhibit with the way it was built and them digging tossing dirt in the air. Other highlights were the duck exhibit and camels. I would recommend this to enjoy 1-2 hours on a nice day.

Don't expect to see the usual zoo animals! This small zoo exposes you to rare northern animals. Asian Red Pandas - related to raccoons - are breed here for zoos around the world. Double humped Bacterian camels live outside in the winter - just like in the Gobi. Have you ever seen a Takin? Or a Palas Cat. They are in this zoo. Your little ones will love the meerkats. Wolves are a favorite - Also a Farm, a carousel and great bug area, and so much more.

Maybe this zoo has improved a hundred times in the last two years. It is amazing. The cleanest zoo I have ever been to, I almost let my kid eat a hot dog off the ground, had to think about it first. You are not being pushed around by staff and big groups. It's not the biggest zoo, but at 33 acres, it's no slouch either! It's just not as easy to get lost as at the big ones. Animals sometimes sleep, imagine that! That is charming to look at also. It's not just good for kids, it's great for them! If adults can't enjoy the zoo, there not much reason for them to keep trying to have fun. At under 9.00 per person, this is one of the only wholesome inexpensive joys left in ND. Worth a visit for sure!

Visited for a corporate event. Red River is an awesome little zoo. Saw a sloth, a porcupine, and a fox. But the real stand out are the wolves. They are awesome and surprisingly large. It was a highlight to get to see them. Enjoyed the visit immensely.

We have joined the zoo for our grand children but we enjoy it too! The carousel is beautiful and the kids ride and ride and never get tired of it. We have had a birthday party at the zoo. Saturday was Party for the Planet with many activities for the kids. We enjoy all the northern cold weather animals and never leave disappointed. A great place to take your children for many interesting classes & activities they offer throughout the year.

It was a really hot day, so I was glad the zoo is small! Perfect size for a short visit. Most of the animals were resting because of the heat. I enjoyed reading about each animal. It seems that all of the animals are either threatened or endangered.

Took my grandson there for the 3 time in as many years. He loves the animals and visiting the zoo. It's interesting to see him as he ages. We enjoyed the zoo keeper talks. He was fascinated by the red panda talk, and wolves. But is totally engrossed with the meerkats. I bought a membership for the family for the next year which the kids are taking great advantage of. There's always a new experience, the zoo is always clean and very well maintained. The staff is friendly knowledgeable and helpful. The carousel rides are a lot of fun for the little ones. And the play area gives us tired adults a place to catch our breath as well. We have been there in all seasons amid its fun every time we go with much different experiences each time.

Just stopping in Fargo on our way through North Dakota, decided to stop at the local zoo to stretch our legs. Such a cute little zoo. Looks well-maintained. Staff was everywhere maintaining the exhibits. Construction of an otter exhibit is taking place right now, but did not interfere with viewing. The red panda was the best, but there were other animals I had never seen before. Good, inexpensive way to spend an afternoon with small children.

We visited the zoo with our daughter's family that included a grandchild and a great grandchild. The location is close to the interstate, motels and restaurants but you wouldn't know it. The terrain is nicely landscaped to be a separate little world. There are several opportunities for kids to touch, feed or pet animals safely. For the kids, this was thrilling. The entire family enjoyed the old time carnival merry-go-round. A fun half day for all!

Its a very small zoo but very well set up.
It cute, quite and had more things to look at than I expected.
Nice place to visit if you have a little extra time while in Fargo.

If you are visiting Fargo - Moorhead with your kids don't miss the Zoo. This is a great zoo for a community this size. They have some animals that are outstanding. It is clean. Just plain nice!

This is a little zoo, and I enjoyed the simplicity of it. It was hot and the animals were just trying to find shade and their own comfort, but you could see them. They did a nice job with the exhibits. You can also feed some cows and goats, which my husband and I enjoy. We even rode the merry go round. The best part is it was right next door to our hotel! It is worth the stop. Support your local critters.

In a community the size of Fargo Moorhead, one would expect something more than the Red River Zoo. The customer service was deplorable. I took two small children there and both left crying because the "lady" in the gift shop refused to sell me two toys because it was 7:03 pm. Even though there were still a large number of people still in the zoo. The zoo should be allowing at least 15 minutes after the posted zoo closing hours for people to purchase items in the gift shop as it is the exit. Perhaps if they would allow people to make purchases, they could afford more exhibits and better staff. Customer service is key and we will not be back.

The zoo always looks very nice and clean. The employees are friendly. I observe the animals. They look healthy and well taken care of. I'm glad we have wolves in our zoo. I'm glad we can see the wolves up close. They also serve good food and do fun things for the kids. I know the zoo director. I will see you soon.

It is a sad pathetic place. There is no shade and the animals also look sad and pathetic as well. There is playground and a carousel. They have birds, a snake, an otter and a fox. The two wolves looked like white German shepherd. The camels looked as if they had mange. We saw one crane and they do have a bald eagle. To pay $20 and it take less than an hour to go through the entire zoo, is pretty sad. I told the people who worked there, and there excuses were they are self funded and that they have only been around for 15 years. Through our conversation I found out that two of the animals were pets at one time. I was also told that they are a conservatory, but they could not answer any questions on that. I would not recommend this zoo to anyone. It is sad when the children are bored and they only got excited when they went to the gift shop and were asking where was this animal mommy. The staff also told me of there future plans, which adding a petting zoo seems like they are trying to compete with summer fairs and are losing. $H students can pull together and give you a better show and you will see more variety. save your money and go to a movie, the mall or to a pet store you will have more fun.

The zoo has a nice variety of animals. It is also clean and well maintained. However, there isn’t much to do there. We ended up only staying a little over an hour and that included spending sometime on the playground. If you lived in the FM area, I could see the benefit of getting a pass. I don’t know if we would go again though just passing through.

A very small zoo which you can walk around in less than 1 hour. It is very well maintained. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They do not have a large number of animals. What they do have are in very modern enclosures and you can get up and close with them. I was especially impressed with the wolf exhibit. This is a nice place to spend an hour or two walking around. I would definitely recommend it if you have some free time.

Definitely not a large Zoo. But they do have a lot of great attractions. Between the Otters and the wolves there's definitely a lot to see. We normally skip the carousel although it's only a dollar to ride. We do enjoy the bug barn and the Animal Hospital

This zoo is a gem! I absolutely love it and it's very walkable for young and old alike. I do wish they still had the goats where you could go inside the "pen" with them and pet and feed them . . but oh well. Times change.

This is a small zoo but it is well done and the habitats all look inviting. We especially enjoyed the Pallas cats and the Bactrian camels--especially the little one. The prairie dogs were very entertaining and if you haven't seen them before, you should certainly stop for a look. The staff were all very knowledgeable and accommodating. The carousel was lovely and lots of fun to ride.

I was lucky enough to be there when the animals were active, which was nice. The prairie dogs were very active. The weather was nice. It looks like there is room for the zoo to expand a bit if it wants to in the future. Since I take pictures, it took me between 1 & 1 1/2 hours to go through it. We took time to watch the animals and let the zoo sink in before heading to the next enclosure.

If you're looking for a fun time with your kids, Don't miss out going to the zoo. Located in a nice area of town, This small town Zoo is not too bad. If you're looking for a Zoo with more animals go to Wahpeton. But overall for a small zoo this is a nice zoo. Very clean and upkept.

It only takes 1 1/2 hours to see the whole zoo, and I think the enclosures are way to small but the staff was excellent in answering questions and they had small group time with the animals which was cool.

True, that this is a small zoo but we had a wonderful experience there. The animals' enclosures were so clean and the animals were happy and relaxed. There seemed to be a lot of environment enrichment going on and that ensures stimulated and comfortable animals....The education component of the zoo also seemed unique. There were kid friendly edu-carts that were interactive and fun. Our family had a great time and learned so much! Thank you Red River Zoosters!

Fairly small zoo, but clean, well run, knowledgeable staff. There are days where it is free admission, with up close interactions/education about some of the animals. Part of the endangered species breeding program, very successful with some of the more difficult animals (like pallas cats).

This zoo was a small but wonderful zoo. It was laid out to be easy to stroll through & was spotlessly maintained. The animals & habitats were very nice.

Great little zoo. Affordable, very helpful staff and nice selection of animals. Otters were and will always be my favorite!

We've been members of one of the largest and most well known (Columbus) zoos for years and we knew the Red River Zoo was going to be small. It's a great little zoo and the animals seem to be well taken care of. Three animals that we really enjoyed seeing were the bactrian camels, the takins, (especially the baby), and the Russian red squirrel. We don't have those at our zoo. I would like to come back again in the future to see the new petting zoo when it's done. Overall I think they're doing a great job with what they have, two thumbs up from this family of Columbus zoo members!

This was a first time zoo trip for my son and it was great you get to feed some of the animals and he just loved it. Make sure you have plenty of quarters.

Our family bought a zoo pass for the summer, and my kid loves the zoo! We went for an Earth day celebration. They had activities and other things around the zoo for children of all ages. If you are ever looking to kill some time in Fargo with kids, this is a very good place to go.

Not a whole lot to say about this place. It's meh. Would be fun for kids who haven't experienced much else, or to kill an hour or two on a slow weekend. Don't expect much and you might be pleasantly surprised.

This past August was my first visit to the Red River Zoo.

It is small in comparison to other zoos I have been to however, it was a nice size and very well laid out. My daughter loved merry-go-round and the petting zoo.

Make sure to bring quarters as they have some feeding stations where you can purchase pellets and feed the ducks/geese or the horse/cow/donkey & goats.

The Grey Wolf exhibit was beautiful. The river otter exhibit was not yet complete but we look forward to seeing it next year. We also missed the red panda as it was simply just too hot the day we visited.

Not too badly priced for a zoo and can be seen within 2 hours without rushing through & stopping for a couple of animal feedings. They do have some wagons there for free if you're lucky enough to get one.

Not badly priced for

Wonderful stop on our family weekend! It was smaller in size but packed full with animals to observe.

This was the second year I have taken my grand children to the Holiday Nights at the Zoo. This will likely become a tradition. It is decorated so neat ! They really love it. Only drawback is that its expensive., by the time you pay admission, cocoa, cookies and a ride on the carosel, it really adds up. It would be nice if they could lower the prices for thsi special event. or offer a package deal. or some sort.

It's not a huge zoo, so don't expect a ton of animals. However, this is a great zoo for the size. The animals are well cared for and the staff and volunteers are EXCELLENT at answering questions and giving presentations. We've learned something new every time we've visited! They're upgrading the farm area and adding new enclosures and exhibits as well.

Make time to go on the carousel and have some cotton candy. Be sure to stop at the gift shop to get a few things to bring home.

Support the zoo by getting a membership. They are inexpensive and pay for themselves if your family goes to the zoo more than once a year.

We visited on a nice fall Friday afternoon. Pretty quiet and lovely weather. Some exhibits under maintenance but enough to see. The red pandas are the best! Nice mix of animals. Nicely maintained too.

We went with my 3 year old Godson this last summer - he had a BLAST. My 12 year old guest however was not impressed. With what basically amounts to farm animals plus a Red Panda it can be a little less that amazing, but my Godson absolutely adored the goats and horses, all the animals he could pet. It was a great time for him with plenty of space to run and romp and play. He enjoyed watching the prairie dogs and the chickens.

We had a great time as a family and I very highly recommend it for anyone with little kids, it's a blast. But don't expect the older siblings to be as enthused as there wasn't really much for them to see. ;)

We were staying down the road and kept seeing signs for the zoo. The day we went, the animals were active even in the cold weather. The zoo prides itself in keeping animals that adapt to the weather. The Eagle display and birds were not available.

We had fun visiting this zoo while we were in Fargo. We were pleasantly surprised by how well kept this zoo is. There is not a lot of animal variety, but we knew when we were visiting that this was much smaller than the zoos we are accustomed to in Chicago. We did think the admission price was a little steep for the quality of the experience, but we are still glad we visited. Our kids enjoyed the kid-friendly atmosphere and the carousel was a huge hit! We were especially impressed by the friendliness of the zoo employees.

A lot in a little package and a small price to enter! Red River Zoo delivers for young and old. Took only a few hours to go through and enjoyed every minute. The Wolf den was great, as well as the Red Pandas, White Faced Saki, Bald Eagle, to name a few. Small ones will like the farm animals and sitting at the giant picnic table! Bring Quarters to feed the cows, goats, and ducks.
The River Otters are a blast to watch and a small reptile house was good. Many zoo helpers around to tell us all about the animals as well as names and their personalities. The refreshment building had popcorn, dippin' dots and drinks and has a carousel to ride for only $2. I was impressed they had some wagons and wheelchairs for people to use, Free Of Charge! Was a very clean and well kept zoo you will enjoy.

I just love the Red River Zoo. It is small, but a fun zoo to go see. For a small zoo, they have quite a few different types of animals. I would recommend it to anyone.

This little zoo was fun for the kids. The enclosures look clean and I like the layout of the zoo. This is a good way to spend an hour to an hour and a half in Fargo. The carousel was a lot of fun to ride with our kids.

We decided to check out the zoo in Fargo since we had run out of things we normally do. The price was decent for entry fee. It is a small zoo with a small selection of animals. I quite enjoyed it regardless. The animals looked happy in their enclosures. It was clean and there were plenty of activities for the kids. I really enjoyed the area with the farm animals that you could feed by hand and pet. I spent a lot of time there! It’s a small quick visit of course but I thought it was fun and would recommend if you have kids and looking for something fun for them (or if you’re an avid animal lover). I rated it a 3 because I have been to bigger zoos with larger animal selections and would say they could work on their variety. Otherwise we loved it!

Our favorite thing about this little zoo, was that some of the animals not only had the typical info placards by their enclosures, but also displayed their personal names given to them like Rollo the Armadillo, Titan & Zeuss the Hereford Hogs, etc. I guess it's fun to remember that each of these animals is special and unique with their own personalities and that is why they are given individual names.

It took us less than 2 hours to go through, and we really like to take our time. It's worth stopping in if you're in the area. I have a teenager and a 6 year old, and both really enjoyed our visit here.

This Zoo is relatively small for the price. Animals were easily seen on exhibits which was nice. Petting zoo was closed which was disappointing for my 3 year old. Clean facilities. Friendly staff.

A small but very new and nice Zoo. Animals look content and happy and the staff was nice and knowledgable.

Visited with our 2 year old, and we thought we were just getting started but this is a very small zoo. Compared to the zoo in Minot, this one is diddy and not as fun. The carousel was the best part.

The Red River Valley Zoo is not big, but it's big on quality! The exhibits are well arranged and kept clean. The zoo is a fun time for all ages, from the tiny ones to adults. It's worth the visit.

This has always been a top notch small zoo. The animals are great and great environments. This must be one of if not the premier red panda breeding programs in the world

If you are in the Fargo are or passing through this is well worth a stop if you're in to zoos. As noted in their description they are only a 33 acre facility dedicated to captive breeding of endangered northern species. Grounds are very nicely arranged with good signage etc. If you are accustomed to jumbo zoos like San Diego, St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston, etc this one will seem very small...it is nice though. Takes about 1 hour to see everything. New Otter Rapids exhibit to open late in 2013. Paring is free. Food concessions are limited, I suggest eating elsewhere. Several choices nearby.

This is a small but fun zoo for kids. There aren't a lot of animals but the zoo is well laid out and can be visited in 2 hours. It has a carousel, play ground, and the animals are displayed in above average habitats. Definitely enough here to entertain zoo lovers and young kids.

This place has so much potential. You can tell they really care about the animals.
They have improved it so much in just the last 5 years.

I wish the land across 42nd would be donated to them, so they could really open up and give the animals the space they need and deserve. A little foot bridge could be designed for access.....

Anyway....

The animals are interesting and easily viewed, The wolf exhibit is pretty.

Be sure to visit the cow, it is awesome. The reptile house is not to be missed. Ride the carousel, and visit the otters.

So many peacocks wondering around, you're sure to see some feathers!

One of the highlights of our vacation was the trip to the zoo. Our 6 year old son had a blast. He was excited to see the animals, fed the sheep and goats, and rode the carousel.

This is a very clean fun zoo. The animals really like to interact with the guests. The staff outstanding. And they have a cute little gift shop. It is not a very big zoo but they have a wide range of animals and a fun play area for the kids.

A good zoo... not a great one. Clean facility and friendly staff. Animals seem well cared for. If you are looking for something to do for a couple hours with kids, I'd recommend stopping here. There are wolves, red panda's, eagles, otters, reptiles, and a small variety of other animals.

My wife an I visited the Red River Zoo in the morning right after opening at 10am. July's in Fargo are quite warm, so heading over at opening gives you a better chance at seeing more animals, being more active. Made it through in under an hour and as members, we got in at no additional cost! The biggest hidden gem in Fargo-Moorhead.

For being a small zoo, they have a lot of neat animals. Several exotic that you will not see at larger zoos. They do a lot to keep the zoo updated and fresh. Kids areas a plentiful with some interactive areas as well. The carousel is a fun place to cool off on hotter days or even plan a birthday party.

This is a nice zoo it was very clean and had many different animals for such a small zoo. It was 95 degrees when we were there so I appreciated they they had several air conditioned exhibits with bathrooms where I could splash some cold water on my face! We ate lunch at the cafe and the food was good and inexpensive.

Spent four hours at this annual event with six kids, ages 5-9. There were free carousel rides and admittance thanks to local businesses. The kids also got to decorate a cookie, make paper hats, and go sledding on the hill.

Very clean. Really nice staff. Nice size. My son an I spent a couple hours there and really enjoyed it.

I was underwhelmed by this zoo, as it takes less than an hour to go through. With that said, the Red Panda exhibit is great (can get up close and personal), and the river otter exhibit was great as well. Only one zookeeper presentation – at 11am relating to the Lynx – which was good, but I was surprised there wasn’t anything else until 2pm – because no one would be there for 3 hours. Many of the exhibits seemed a bit small for the animals, but I suppose that’s normal. Overall a good value considering the reasonable ticket cost. I’m surprised Fargo doesn’t have a bigger/nicer zoo.

Average trip. We arrived at approximately 10 am and made our way towards the entrance of the zoo. We entered the zoo, bought our tickets, and started the loop around to see the animals. There were informational plaques in front of each animal, which told us about the animal and some fun facts. The animal exhibits were quite small, and there were several times where I did not see any animal inside of the exhibit. There was a feeding station, where you could feed alpacas and sheep. The zoo itself was quite small and there were not that many animals/exhibits to see. The zoo was clean, and there were several employees in the area, ready to answer questions or help guide you to a specific animal. There was also a carousel in the middle of the zoo, along with a small cafe and plenty of restrooms and playgrounds for kids.

Tip: I recommend spending 2.5 hours here if you truly want to see everything.

The zoo animal environments are sited around with comfortable sidewalks for all ages and abilities to see the animals.

We went to the zoo as soon as it opened at 10 a.m. It is a small zoo with a big price. Plus at that time many animals weren't even out, which was very disappointing to our young kids.

Some fun animals like camels and red pandas are here. Hourly zoo keeper talks are given on various animals too. Cute place to go for an afternoon visit.

The zoo keeps getting better and better every year! I have been visiting it annually for years with grandkids and my 13 year old grand daughter pooh poohed the idea recently but we made her go and she actually put her phone away and enjoyed it! Great changes, super clean and love that the merry go round is still a feature. This place will not disappoint,,,

Love what they have done with the place i was really impressed last time i went and they were adding on to more animals. Love this place.. hope they get Tigers soon.

This is a small zoo but they're doing a great job. The keepers are knowledgable, friendly and make themselves available to guests. They are updating their exhibits and expanding. They have features of much larger, modern zoos but just on a smaller scale. For example, they just opened a vet clinic where guests can watch what is happening through glass windows. You get a chance to be very close. I think that's very cool.

What a pleasant experience. The staff were helpful and accommodating. The animal enclosures were very well kept. We even managed to see all the creatures , none were hiding. Not the biggest, but certainly a pleasure.

They had good exhibits for the wolves, camels, & lynxes. The swift foxes were darling. The animals were pretty active because it was in the low 50’s.

Nice zoo with beautiful conifer trees. We saw several species of northern latitude animals including wolves, otters, bactrian (two humped) camels, prairie dogs, red pandas, buffalo and goats. We also rode the carousel. Adult tickets for the carousel cost $3 each. Tickets for the zoo were $14 each. It is a relatively small zoo. Took us about 90 minutes to cover it all.

While it is small, it very nicely organized and a probably just the right size for our impatient 3 year old. We heard mixed reviews going in, but were pleasantly surprised.

This was an ok zoo. Not very big and very few animals. Probably just right for small children who might get tired at a bigger place.

Even though it was much smaller than the zoos we are used to in Minneapolis, the staff was excellent and gave us a great experience. You can tell much care and thought has been done in planning out the habitats for the animals. Our kids' favorites were the otters body-surfing in the snow and the wolves.

Such a cute zoo! Very enjoyable and relaxing. The baby camel was adorable as were the new wolf pups. The indoor carousel was quite the ride and very nostalgic!
The indoor reptile exhibit was very interesting. We even got to watch them being fed!!
Will return again during our next visit to Fargo next year!!

Red River Zoo is where you and your family can have a wonderful time.They have a Carousel ride, a kids petting animals area and lots of animals to enjoy. Great Family Fun!

Very small. Still cost $15 with a discount. Couple in front of us asked where the steak dinner was that they should get with admittance.

Employees were really nice and would answer any questions.
The zoo is small and only took about an hour to go through.

I went here with my two cousins, my great aunt, and my grandmother. I wasn't very happy because all of the animals I actually wanted to see were sleeping, but it wasn't there fault. Would recommend for the people going through Fargo sometime.

Went for Holiday Nights event and had a great time. Very nice event, the zoo staff did a great job. Returned on Sunday because it was the only thing open before 12 pm, and glad we did. Cute little zoo.

Not having read the reviews and being use to large zoo's like Busch Gardens and Animal Kingdom, I had pretty low expectations but this small zoo certainly exceeded those expectations and I was impressed with the numerous animals and the well maintained habitats. Not only were there were species that I hadn't seen anywhere such as the bactrian camels (see picture) but you got a much closer up view than you were typically get in a large zoo. Overall a great visit and if you're traveling to or through Fargo, I highly recommended it.

The Red River Zoo is very small. You can easily see the whole thing in 30 minutes. But, I would still encourage everyone to visit. The animals are well cared for, the enclosures are ample, and the grounds are beautiful. We swung by on a road trip from Spokane Wa to Lexington Mi. It was exactly what we needed. A great place to stretch our legs and enjoy some wildlife. The staff is great as well.

Cute little zoo. Certainly not as grand as some of the big city zoos but at $10 a ticket I wasn’t expecting that. It has a good assortment of animals and kept 7 year old entertained for a few hours. The zoo is pretty easy to navigate. They have a petting zoo and kid’s activity area in addition to a pay to ride merry go round. Adults may blow through the zoo in an hour or so but we took our time and enjoyed it.

This was a great little zoo. Easy to get to and a nice variety of animals. They even have one of my spirit animals!

Very nice little zoo, We still had a great time walking the park and seeing the animals. We spent about 1.5 hrs in the zoo.

Its a small zoo with not very much animals to see!!
Better off going to Wahpeton, ND zoo which isnt very far away and see allot more/

When we were in Fargo, we decided to go to Red River Zoo. Its a smaller zoo, but well done. It was enjoyable to walk through and see the different animals. There is a carousel to ride. Staff is pleasant. Small entrance fee (however we had purchased the Fargo- Morehead Pass and the zoo was inclued as one of the attractions. For $8.00 we were able to see many of the main attractions, including the zoo, for one low price.)

Parking is free and close to the zoo. Nice zoo to visit for all ages.

Last time we went was last summer during a safety event throughout the zoo. Get to see fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, and car accident demonstrations. It was also nice to see all the animals they have there. The place is small but is slowly expanding every year. I won't pay to go see the animals but I be glad to take my kids when it's free admission. Definitely worth a look and walk through with the kids.

We visited on a wet cool drizzly day in April and still enjoyed our visit! Highlights for us were the Pallas cats, the Russian squirrel, the Bactrian camels, the Eagles and most of all the wonderful Wolf enclosure. The Carousel was fascinating and the staff throughout were helpful and knowledgeable.

We bought a year-long family membership this year to get the most out of our zoo. With a little one, it's tough to devote an entire zoo tour (even though the RRZ isn't huge, it's a lot to take in) but knowing we can visit every weekend or any weekday evening means we can go for an hour or so and not feel like we wasted a trip. A bonus to the membership, beyond supporting our own zoo, is discounted admission to other zoos around the country.

This zoo was so much fun to visit before my husband ran the Fargo Half Marathon the next day. The admission price seems a little pricey for as small as the zoo is but it's clear they use it to maintain some great exhibits! It was not very busy at all the day we visited, so we were able to really take our time enjoying the exhibits. I love how many unique cold weather creatures they have here that you can't find at just any zoo!

Its a nice friendly "small town" zoo. Nice play area for the kids too and they like the carousel. Good variety of animals.

My 7 year old son loves this zoo. He has been to several zoos around the US. This is his 2nd favorite. It is small enough to walk around but has many interesting animals to see (we love the otters). There is a playground and carousel.

This zoo is not large by any means, but when a 5 year old is the one who you go for, they dictate what you are looking at. This zoo has some fun exhibits for kids, and great viewing areas of the animals. If you are looking for something with Tiger, or Elephant exhibits, this is not your zoo. If you are looking for a fun experience with a taste of different wildlife, this is your zoo. We will definately go back.

If you come from a big city this zoo may feel rather small, however they have it set up well. Due to location they are limited on room to expand. They have a wide variety of animals. My favorite is that most enclosures allow for great photo opportunities (unlike other zoos with high chain fences). I would like to see more large exotic type mammals in the future (large monkeys, tigers, polar bears, etc.) They also remodelled the petting zoo area which turned out really nice. Cost to get in is reasonable. Always a fun way to spend an afternoon if you don't know what to do.

took the grand-children to the zoo. they enjoyed seeing the camels. They were hoping for more animals in the petting area. Enjoyed the carasel ride.

This zoo is amazing! My daughter and I went on 06/09/2014 and we had a blast! It was a unique experience and it was a clean place. I would go every day because we saw animals that we can't see up close.

Loved the animals. Would definitely recommend it. Will come back for sure with my nieces and nephews.

We visited this past summer and had a great time, but weren't sure what we would be able to see in the winter. We weren't disappointed. We spent a full two hours and had a great time (kids ages 12, 11 and 8). The wolves were howling when we arrived, so that got everything off to a great start! We were in the Discovery Barn at 11 for up-close interactions with several animals - the zookeeper was fun and informative. We had a great chat with the zookeeper cleaning out the porcupine exhibit, and then watched part of a procedure being performed on a Pallas cat and chatted with Dr. Tom the veterinarian. Everyone was gracious and interesting.

We also learned this zoo may be better known internationally than right here in Fargo - for their role in saving endangered animals. And they are 100% nonprofit - so donate freely!

Our family had the zoo all to ourselves during our visit. It was a cold brisk day but we were still able to enjoy many of the animals. We watched as an otter build a warm nest, wolves, spiders, snakes, turtles, lizards, bugs, camels, lynx and many more. They have and indoor interactive farming center which we stayed and played at for a while.

They had a nature play ground that the kids loved. Nothing like walking on logs and climbing on and through stuff to make you feel adventurous. The farm area was fun with up close interaction with the animals.

They have a carousel but it is only running on the weekends. That was the only bummer. They also had a regular outdoor play ground. Overall we were happy with our experience. When you go to this zoo go into the buildings they are full of fun activities and learning. Also bathrooms are at these indoor sections.

We will come back and I would even consider buying a zoo membership it’s $75 for the family. My sister in law stated she had used it at lots of other zoos and received 50% off entrance fees. That is a huge incentive when on family vacations.

They also have a cute gift shop and a species of monkey to enjoy behind glass in the entrance building. Overall great experience.

Attended a function at the zoo -- first time! Very impressed by the faculties and the variety of animals. Very impressed. The zoo is small, but very well maintained and an excellent variety of displays. Very well laid out. The otters were amazing. Wolves were interesting. Kids would love it. Even the gift shop was nice!

Zoo is relatively small but is well maintained. Has a couple of great exhibits but needs some more sophisticated wild life like lions, tigers or, bears. Oh my!

I haven't been to The Red River Zoo in a long time. I used to live up there and relished every single visit. The animals there are all amazing, especially the Pallas Cats. Who knew a cat could be so fluffy? The animals are all unique and a pleasure to look at. The gift shop is awesome, and there are always beautiful peacocks roaming around. Nowadays, whenever I hear one I am reminded of this amazing zoo. It is perfect for kids, and the prices are all awesome. This zoo... Is amazing. It's a missed opportunity if you do not visit it.

This zoo is at most average because it was fun to take our granddaughter here and watch her expression. But as far as animals (which is the main point of a zoo) it's pretty limited. Nice wolf, camel and otter displays. But really, ducks, geese and deer? The zoo needs a couple bears and maybe some kind of big cat or two in order to actually get up to even average. The grounds are nice and there is room to grow. They need a generous donor or two.

This is a very nice little zoo. It's Fargo...so don't expect the San Diego Zoo or anything...but the facility was very clean and the animals appear to be very well taken care of. It was also a little more affordable than the bigger zoos. I would definitely go back

The RR Zoo has had a lot of additions to exhibits over the last few years - it's much better than it ever has been!

The zoo was tiny and there were no exotic animals. And they charged big city prices to get in. If you wanna see some chickens and some peacocks wandering around then go check it out. Otherwise, save your eight bucks.

This is a very nice little zoo. We were able to see pretty much everything in about 90 minutes. The exhibits are nicely designed. Highlights for us were the river otters and the wolves. Well worth visiting.

The critters are taken care of very well. Nice habitats for each species. Good viewing unless the critter happens to be sleeping.

the kepppers and the red pandas/ wolfs/ ottters/ealels/ i loved waveland/ sheifeild

And i relly liked moose the wolf who got kiced out of his pack nikial was the one who started the fight Eimly was the one who cought it on camrer
and i rellly ike is i loved haning out with the keppeers named marcy jess Emily Even i got to feed Waveland Sheifeild pepper baboo with macry

I got to feed moose Ella kowloik nikali rohen then meat / furit but alson got to pet the red panda shelfeild and wavland

We got a beautiful day to visit the zoo this weekend. Was pleased with the quality of the animal exhibits and all of the displays were very informative. The children's area was impressive as well. Our party was very happy to hear about all of the conservation and re-population efforts the zoo does.

Plenty of parking, nice gift shop, and nicely set up. Lovely place for a stroll, some interactive activities for the kids, and affordable, too.

I visited the zoo during the winter hours, so most of the animals were in their "homes". The price was discounted, but I was able to see wolves, Camels, Otters playing with their food, and the reptile house. It's a smaller zoo, but I think it would still be fun for younger children.

This zoo has red pandas. While not as rare as their cousin the giant panda, the red panda is IMO just as adorable. Also, as an interesting note, if you see a red panda at another zoo in the United States the chances of it being born at the Red River Zoo is better than 50%.

Visited this zoo last week and loved it! It took about an hour and half to walk through it and the price was reasonable. Most of the habitats were nice in size.

Walked to zoo from hotel, very convenient. Wolves and fox were very close to people. Petting area was also fun. Small.

Took nephew on a field trip from Grand Forks.. had a fun time. Enjoyed the animals. Also enjoyed the playground and the carousel (which isn't too bad at $2 for one ride).

The Zoo has wonderful indoor and outdoor exhibits. We always enjoy spending a few hours at the zoo. The zoo also has special activities/days for something special. My son, who is 10 years old, enjoys going to these activities or just spending the afternoon at the zoo.
We love to watch when the animals or fed, and even buying food to feed the animals ourselves.
Great outing!

The zoo has grown a lot over the last few years with a new entrance and new exhibits. The otter exhibit is a great recent addition. We enjoy slowly strolling the grounds. The petting/feeding part of the Zoo is always a favorite. It is a very nice way to spend a couple of hours.

It does lack any meaningful food service. What is there is rarely open. If they had a good grill, supplemented with other snacks available; open more often, with better quality, and presented in a better way; that would expand the experience.

It is a little pricey for daily visits. The last couple of years we have done the family membership. It is more economical, helps support the Zoo, and we can drop in whenever we want without worrying about the cost.

We have been to the zoo many times with our grandchildren. They ranged in age at the time from 3 years to 11years old and enjoyed every visit. They especially like the wolf pack and the red panda. Their favorite Ativity is riding the life size horses on the carousel, which goes fast enough to thrill the older children and adults.

Easy to get to, very affordable and just the right size. The otters and bald eagles were cool...why no bison?

Sure, it's fun to see animals at the zoo, but once you've been to this zoo there's little to draw you back. The quantity and quality of the enclosers leave much to be desired, particularly if you've been to larger cities' zoos.

On the small side, but quite fun and an entertaining selection of animals. It only took about half a day to enjoy. The kids loved feeding the goats.

We've been to several larger zoos, including Bronx Zoo in NY. The kids loved this one all the same.

My husband and I took our great grandaughter there today. We were very impressed..lovely grounds..clean..nice selection of animals..especially for the little ones..bathrooms available thorought the grounds..places to get a lunch or snacks..very nice carousel ride..animals look content and well cared for. There are a few wagons and little safari carts to use..free of charge..very nice gift shop..the otters were quite the little performers..and the goats...

Affordable, interactive for the whole family. Liked the size and completed all activities within 3 hrs. The carousel is a must and the adjoining playground let kids blow off steam. Fed the animals and played with toys in activity stations. What a gem

My girls love animals, and really enjoy going to zoos.

The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is our hometown zoo, so this one in Fargo was underwhelming. Even taking our time at each exhibit, walking slowly, and riding the carousel, we were finished seeing the entire place within 90 minutes.

Even so, I'd still recommend this as a place to visit. They have a good conservation program, their animals are healthy, and the staff members were great (many of whom are volunteers).

We like zoos and have been to a lot of them, mostly large ones. This zoo is easily covered in a couple of hours if you don't stop to read too much but it's well worth the visit because they have animals here that we have never seen anywhere else. Some that we had seen before, like the Gray Wolf, were easier to observe here. They seem to do a very nice job of presenting cold weather species, especially rare ones. It would be a great place for families with small children. We were all adults but we loved riding the carousel!

This is a nice little zoo with great accomplishment in being the top breeding place for the rare red panda. This place is responsible for 25% of all the red panda born in captivity in zoos all over the world. That is Fargo! Should be proud.

This is a great zoo to see if you have a couple of spare hours- unlike larger zoos, it is convenient to visit if you have 1 to 2 hours to spare. Small and cozy, it is a lovely place to visit and seem some local and exotic animals.

A smaller zoo with animals more likely to live in this region. Very much enjoyed hiking around it with my great nephew and looking at the animals. The carousel is amazing!

After years of driving past the zoo, we finally visited. We were pleasantly surprised at how nice the zoo is. It is very clean & well cared for. You forget that you are in the middle of Fargo.

Our family loved the Wolf enclosure and viewing area, the river otter pool, and the goats. It's not a huge zoo, but it seemed to be well cared for. with friendly staff.

The Red River Zoo is "just the right size" for comfortable viewing without children or elders getting overly tired. The zoo has a wolf enclosure...we were even treated to 3 wolves howling at the same time...quite a thing to see and hear. New this year is the river otter habitat. It is observable from both outside and inside with an underwater view. It is GREAT and worth the cost of admission all by itself. What I really appreciate is how accessable the zoo is. My husband uses a rolling walker and at times we are shut out of some areas of parks and museums. Not so with this newer zoo. He can go anywhere....that also means families with strollers can go anywhere. There is plently of seating for a short rest and bathrooms available in 3 different areas.

This is a nice little zoo in Fargo. Parking is free, and there is an indoor carousel that kids would enjoy. It only takes about an hour to see everything. The admission even with a discount is pricey, but the grounds are very well kept up. I really liked the little prairie dogs.

This is a very small zoo, without a large variety of animals, but the displays are well built and allows for good viewing of the animals.

It only took us a little over an hour to make it through the whole zoo, but the kids found it enjoyable.

It was a cool little zoo! Not super busy and good parking. Maybe not worth the $10 to get in but I'd take my son there when he gets a little older.

It's a small zoo but the layout is great and the variety of animals is good for its size. Able to get close to the animals and the mini farm where you can buy food and feed the goats is a big hit with the kids. Ride the classic carousel for only $2.
Price of admission is very affordable for a family on a budget.
Besides the animals the zoo also has a great play ground for the kids once they are done looking at the animals.

I love seeing zoos in different cities, and hold a membership to my local zoo. With that, I paid half price at the Red River Zoo, and would have been a bit irritated to pay full price to be honest. I knew the zoo was small going in, but on top of there being a small selection of animals, even more of them were off display because it was chilly out -- yet they specialize in cold weather animals? It was cool to see some animals I don't see at most zoos, and it was an easy walk, but I did the entire thing in 45 minutes, which included stopping at several animals' habitats to watch them for awhile.

I feel bad because I've always been under the impression that the Red River Zoo is not that great. Maybe because it is pretty small considering the size of Fargo? I don't really know, but living in the area a number of years and now just visiting, the zoo has never even really been on my radar. This time we had some plans fall through and had an open evening. Decided to give the zoo a shot and we were pleasantly surprised! We loved the landscaping and shady trees, the clean and well-maintained grounds, and of course the animals. We only had an hour before closing, but enjoyed having the place mostly to ourselves. We were able to see all of the animals, without being rushed too much, but I would recommend giving yourself a little more time if possible, especially if you have kids that would enjoy the playground! Tip: They participate in a reciprocity program, so check if your local zoo membership covers admission.

Just a small place from the interstate. But bigger than it looked. Lots of exhibits, things for little ones to do.
Special seasonal events. Clean and roomy.

This zoo is well designed. I was impressed with how many of the animals could be seen up close. Usually at zoos it’s a challenge to find the animal in its enclosure. The flowers are beautiful and full of painted lady butterflies. There’s a playground and indoor inter active area for the kids. We had 8 adults and 1 small child and we all had a wonderful time. Food prices are decent too.

My son and I went to Red River Zoo for my b-day as something fun to do together on vacation. I checked out the website beforehand and it sounded great with a lot of varieties of animals to see and explore. It was much smaller than described and only about 1/4 of the animals were present that had been stated on the website. What animals there was I'd never exhibited before so was still and experience and had a nice time. Gorgeous weather too. Just advise if go there don't make it the only thing you do that day.

The Red River Valley Zoo is a perfect size zoo. It is not too big & not too small. Very reasonably priced. All the animals are well taken care of with lots of room to roam, which is great to see now days. You can feed goats, sheep, pigs, cows, & various poultry. The animals/mammals are from cold climates across the world. There is a gift shop & snack bar. There is also an indoor carousel that is only $2 pp to ride. The flora & fona at the zoo was beautiful. Especially all of the pine & other trees. A very nice visit that doesn't take all day. Also a playground for the kids at the end. Plenty of free parking.

The animals were cool, the wolves were great, the camels were huge. Feeding the ducks were fun, our three year old loved it, bring quarters. Had fun!

What a little gem! We truly enjoyed this zoo. It is small , we liked that we didn’t have to walk miles! There are informative talks at different areas at different times. Not a huge selection of animals, but great enclosures, very tidy and clean everywhere. The carousel is beautiful, a real memory. Refreshments available hot and cold, and the Dippin Dots ice cream was certainly different. You can also interact with some animals , the Jacob sheep just love to be fed, watch out for the Big Guy, he’s pushy lol. This was a Fantastic inexpensive morning out. A MUST on any trip to Fargo.

Just a tad boring. But, the opportunity to pet the horse that they had for an "animal talk" was pretty cool.

Small zoo that is a fun walk. Great place for small children. Carousel is a must visit. Nice and relaxing place to visit.

My grandchildren are ages 6 and 2. I was thrilled that the kids got to hear the wolves howling and watch them race across their enclosure, displaying dominance right in front of us. The children’s area is much improved over four years ago. Feeding the goats was a hit with both children. There is a lovely carousel with benches for the timid as well as the horses. The paths are wheelchair friendly. It’s a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.

They were just opening this zoo at the time I moved out of the area. Then it was kind of a petting zoo with a couple of camels. It has progressed very well in the intervening years. In fact this is the first chance I have had to see a Red Panda, also the first time I saw a Takin (a very large member of the Goat family). This zoo is worth going to see when you are in the area.

This is a nice, though small zoo. (No lions, tigers or bears) The largest animals we saw were the camels. They have a baby camel! The wolf pack was great, and we enjoyed the "wolf chat." Adult tickets are $9.75 and 1 - 2 hours was enough time for adults.

What a wonderful place. Just great for Grandmas. Clean. Lots of volunteers. Was even given a free ticket by a member. You have to go!!!

Good zoo for young kids, stopped in for a leg stretched on our way to minnesota. I was pleased with what the zoo had to offer. My daughter enjoyed the carousel and the petting zoo. The zoo has some areas that could be developed and for price it was a good value. I would recommend young travellers to visit

Have been to the Red River Zoo several times. My daughter (5) loves walking around and checking out all the animals. It is a small zoo, but very clean, and easy to navigate. Her favorite exhibits are the "farm" animals....feeding the goats, and horse, and the little building that houses reptiles/amphibians. No trip to the zoo is complete without a ride on the carousel (extra charge-$2). The membership we have through the Dakota Zoo gets 1/2 price admission. There are small wagons on property for small children that are free of charge, but seem to be few in number, so a stroller may be a good idea for small children. I would estimate 1-2 hours to be sufficient time to see everything without feeling rushed at all. Overall, we have always enjoyed our time there. Just know that it is small, and you won't see many "exotic" exhibits.

The Red River Zoo has changed a lot since my first visit back in 2008. Even with the frigid temperatures of our winter, we managed to enjoy our morning at the Red River Zoo. The otters were having a blast in the snow and the red panda's were basking in what little rays of sun they could manage to rest in. Most of the animals loved the sunny winter day, and were very active. This allowed us to get some great photographs and made the frigid temperatures a little more bearable. Love the progress that is going on here and the ethical conditions of their living collection. A visit is well worth it!

This little enclave in Fargo is one you don't expect to compete with a big city zoo, and for that it lives up to expectations. The grounds on the whole are clean and the animals well tended. You can see interesting animals which thrive in Fargo's climate. I do not think the eagle cage was humane, however, because that magnificent bird is given far too little room to be minimally comfortable. Zoo staff give periodic informational presentations during opening hours, which I think is a cool perk. I was most interested in seeing the Pallas Cat, however at the time of day I was there it was inside napping - it's best to go in the late afternoon if you want to see this rare cat,

If you live in Fargo and have children membership at the Red River zoo is the best investment you can make. For a family membership you get one years membership to the zoo but also membership to all AZA zoos in the nation. There are zoos in almost every state that are either free or 50% off with your red river zoo membership.

The Fargo zoo is great for children because it's very small and easy to get around and provides an hours worth of entertainment over multiple visits.

There is also an original carousel that has been restored and only costs two dollars per ride and is a wonderful gift to the Fargo zoo from the Diedrich family.

In short:
1. Great small zoo worth multiple visits for small children.
2. The yearly membership is worth it's weight in gold due to free memberships in other AZA zoos.
3. Big enough to have some variety yet small enough to feel cozy and comfortable.
4. Great restored antique carousel.

This zoo is tiny and over priced. Me and my 10 year old son cost $20 and took us about 30 minutes to see every exhibit. We enjoyed the red pandas and camels. It was very clean and friendly staff.

Took the family and had a great time. There are plenty of things to entertain young ones and had some really cool animals. You can also feed some cows and goats!

We spent an afternoon here and the kids had a great time. Loved the monkey exhibit and fish pond. Barn yard exhibit and antique carousel were a nice feature as well. We recommend if you have smaller children.

Every time I come through Fargo I stop to see this beautiful oasis in the flat lands. The animals are unusual, not what I usually see at zoos and I like that. The grounds are immaculate and I always enjoy seeing what is new and changing. I can't wait to see the new otter exhibit opening later this year. It looks monolithic as they build it. I might make a trip just to check it out.

We felt the signage should be a little larger. Saw the first sign as we were coming into town, but got a little lost looking for it. There appeared to be a lot of improvements going on, BUT
All in all it was great!! My granddaughter really enjoyed it. It was warm the day we were there but the route gave us shade in many areas. It was nice to see that a graduation party was also in progress. Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Keep up the good work.

I don't know what I expected, but my friends wanted to go. There weren't very many animals, and it was a very subpar zoo experience. Probably good for kids who haven't been to any decent sized zoos.

This is a smaller zoo, which is great for small children. It is well kept and there is a nice loop for walking around the perimeter of the park. There is also a carosel and playground for the little ones. They also had wagons to pull the kiddos around in, which was great as we forgot our stroller!

We had only a few hours and decided to try this. Got there at 6 pm and had the place almost to ourselves! Perfect for a couple with no children! The exhibits were well kept and easy to spot the animals. Staff was super friendly.

The zoo was clean and the staff was friendly. There just wan't too many exciting species of animals here

Guys, this is the tiniest zoo we've ever discovered, but it was worth checking out while we were in Fargo for a couple of days. Reasonable entry fee so I was happy to donate a couple of extra dollars to their site (mostly because the staff at the reception desk were very nice and personable).

All the exhibits are incredibly clean and well designed; undoubtedly the animals are as happy as possible. Wolves were big and beautiful. Farm area was charming. The otters' slide was super impressive. I think we spent an hour and a half inside the gates overall.

Watch out for weekday mornings: this zoo is so small, it can hardly accommodate for multiple school groups; when the second gaggle came in, there was no escaping their shrill cries, their irreverent rudeness, and overall obliviousness to other visitors. As we were leaving, a third (or fourth?) group was headed inside.

We were on a family roadtrip and looking for something to do in Fargo when we discovered the Red River Zoo. It doesn't really compete with the larger zoos in the bigger cities, but this is a very nice small zoo. They seem to specialize in smaller, cold-weather animals (this is Fargo), and we saw some unique animals that we hadn't seen in other zoos, such as gray wolves, red pandas, Sichuan takin, and Pallas's cats. It's not very big at just 33 acres and we were able to spend time at every exhibit and see everything in about 2-3 hours. Our kids had a blast at the farm animal petting zoo.

This is a small zoo but it's certainly big enough for my toddlers who LOVE this place. My two year olds scream YAY, the minute we pull up to the zoo entrance. I agree with other members that the zoo membership is a little pricey, but this is a private well maintained zoo, with a good variety of animals for such a small zoo. We have renewed our membership and look forward to seeing this zoo improve and expand of the upcoming years. I also am in agreement with others regarding the limited opening hours of the refreshment stand. I've been to the zoo multiple times this year, and it never seems to be open. I wish the zoo would extend it's summer hours at least until the end of October, as the 5pm closing time, makes it very difficult for working parents to take kids during the week days.

Go here a few times a year with the grand kids, small Zoo in size but works great for the grandkids.

We took our teen-agers to the zoo on a recent trip to Fargo. They have a nice set up. You wander from area to area. The enclosures seem to be large enough for the animals to be content. They have red pandas there, and they alone are worth the price of admission. They have talks by the zookeepers on every couple of hours on the weekends. We happened to be there the day they showed off the red pandas. They were simply beautiful and curious and cool as can be. They have a concession stand out in the middle of the zoo when you're getting hot and thirsty, and a learning center with a wonderful petting zoo with a small gift shop. It took us about 90 minutes to go through the zoo. On our way out we stopped in the larger gift shop to buy a stuffed red panda, but they were sold out. Even the teenagers had a good time at the zoo.

Pros: A nice layout lets one easily see everything without backtracking. The exhibits were well-marked. The animals were happy. Also has some rare/different species.

Cons: Very small. Not too many species.

This is a very small zoo, but the animals were fun to check out. They have chickens, goats, miniature horses, red pandas, armadillos, monkeys, eagles, ducks, geese and some other animals. An enjoyable visit!

I love this zoo. The red pandas are cute and the gray wolves outstanding. Other animals that can live in our climate are represented, such as camels, llamas, yaks, etc. The zoo is exceptionally clean and easy to transverse. Do not miss the wolves. I can watch them through the window for hours.

I've been here a couple times and I just think it's pretty average. No one real big attraction. Grounds were clean.

Great little zoo. The biggest animals they have are camels and wolves but it is still a nice zoo. They have a new kids area that was fun.