Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Austin Zoo

    3.9 (497 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Austin Zoo Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Austin Zoo

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Kate C.

    Cute zoo with a lot of rescue animals. All the animals have backstories of how they came to the zoo. A lot of them were rescued from illegal breeding situations. Very friendly staff. Worth a trip outside the city!

    Theo P.

    This zoo does their best. It's a rescue zoo that has very specific exhibits. Not a big zoo. You will probably spend 1 hour max here. Great job guys!

    White Tiger
    Roselia G.

    This is a good sized zoo, not big, but not small either, and under $20 per person. If you want to ride the train, that's an extra $5, and if you want to feed the giant tortoise's, it's like double the entry fee. We didn't pay that extra fee, but we did get to see them get fed. They're so cute! There are so many different animals here! Lions, both male and female, black bears, a Timber Wolf, a White Tiger, a cheetah, silver foxes, zebras, monkeys, macaws, alligators, giant tortoises, and a reptile room with snakes and lizards, just to name a few. You can take your own food and drinks, or purchase there. The gift shop has some really interesting jams and relishes, which we had to get! So glad we made it out here!

    Wendi K.

    This place is much too wholesome to be labeled as a "zoo". They are a non-profit rescue sanctuary with the most lovely staff in the world. The enclosures are for sure budget-friendly, but not shabby or sad at all. In terms of animals - I was completely surprised by the diversity - primates, canines, amphibians, farm animals, you name it! We had booked a capybara and it was as magical as I could have ever imagined. Shoutout to Tamra :) There are large areas with picnic tables for eating and hanging out, and of course, lots of family and children.

    Angelique G.

    We are not from Austin so I thought oh cool, a zoo! Which can be a little misleading. When you see zoo, you think of the big ones. Nonetheless, a neat walk through to see some animals. Bring lots of water when its hot!

    Karla D.

    My second visit to Austin Zoo was met with disappointment and it was purely weather-related. For six months we had a capybara encounter booked and it finally came...so did the torrential thunderstorm. Of course the weather didn't get crappy until just after we arrived. It's ok though because we were able to reschedule for September. I just love the capybaras so much, all I want to do is squeeze them. When you think of zoo, typically a large place comes to mind, right? This zoo is more like a wonderful sanctuary and living space for all the special animals from capybaras, peacocks, and lemurs, to goats, turtles, bears, parrots, and more. Entrance is $19 for non-member adults and it's absolutely worth it knowing that money goes right back into making the place run to keep the beautiful critters alive. They've got ample picnic area with tables for family lunches, tours, educational information, etc. Of course, exit(ing) through the gift store is a thing but, again, all the money goes back into the zoo. The gift shop carries all the trinkets you'd expect but all fairly priced. You can purchase drinks and snacks as well. The staff are amazing, they truly want to be there and truly love their work and the furry friends they take care of. I literally cannot wait to get back!

    They charged us way too much for what it was . Paid 58$ dollars for two adults a 4 year old and 1 year old ...Small rescue zoo , super crowded. Could barely see any of the animals and the ones we did see were sleeping . I will say it had decent shade in many areas , the goats were cute and the peacocks being free was cool . If the price was lower I'd have no complaints just don't come here expecting a typical zoo experience.

    Daily feeding schedule
    Kristen M.

    I wouldn't call it a zoo, more of a rescue. There were lots of animal enclosures but we didnt get to see many animals. Im sure that was due to the time if day- we got here about 12:45 pm and all the animals were in their covered enclosures where the fans were im sure. The staff was nice, we were able to see them feed the bears which was pretty neat. We had a good time overall but I was a little underwhelmed just having the expectation of a "zoo". I thin had I done a little more research my expectations would have been tempered. I would also recommend going in the morning so you can see all of the animals. We were able to see lots of turtles, a wolf, goats, snakes, a boar, zebra, alligators, and a bobcat. We did see LOTS of peacocks roaming around.

    Goat
    Kelsie D.

    Visited in the late summer during a vacation and was glad I did. Was neat to learn it was a non profit zoo and I enjoyed that each animal exhibit had information of where the animal was rescued from. They had a good variety of animals and seemed to be trying to give them what they needed. Some of the habitats seemed slightly lacking in either size or stimulation for the animals but I understand being a non profit they can only do so much and rely on donations. All the animals seemed healthy though thankfully! I would enjoy visiting again and the petting zoo was fun and a good space for children.

    White Tiger
    Danielle F.

    I love this small, quaint zoo! They rescue their animals and give them a decent place to live. Some of the enclosures were so cool with pools and toys for the animals! My favorite animals I saw there were the white tiger, the lemurs, the lions, and the bears. We took the train ride and it had beautiful views of the surrounding greenery as well as more animals. I had a great few hours there!!

    Zoo visit on 11/04/2023
    Rebecca R.

    Just wanted to update my Yelp review of the Austin Zoo since my last review was over 6 years ago & I am happy to report that the Austin Zoo STILL gets 5++++++ stars in my book! My recent visit was on 11/04/2023 & I was lucky enough to get to see some "turtle action" (see video included in this review :))) and got to see the majestic gray wolves howling together (see video) they sounded so sad to me but I'm sure is just their way of communicating. I also wanted to share that there are goats that you can buy food to feed them & the kiddos just love getting to interact w/ them this way. And so much fun for us adults as well. A visit to the Austin Zoo is still a favorite of mine because it's big enough to spend a few hours enjoying yourself but not overly big that you're having to do lots of walking like some of the bigger zoos in other cities. I also love that each of the animals have a little bio posted about their story of how that animal made its way to the Austin Zoo. Hope this info helps! Till next time! Rebecca

    See all

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    20 days ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kate C.
    86
    1047
    3750

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Toni A.

    Toni A.

    Helpful 101
    Thanks 21
    Love this 108
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Toni A.

    Toni A.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 3
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Toni A.

    Toni A.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Toni A.

    Toni A.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 2
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Toni A.

    Toni A.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Elle W.
    3
    20
    24

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Toni A.

    Toni A.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul D.
    251
    650
    5348

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Felix G.
    720
    376
    835

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Robert B.
    208
    128
    58

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jon S.
    0
    99
    10

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 13

    Austin Zoo Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Austin Zoo

    Do they have stroller/buggy rentals or do you have to bring your own?

    There are some to rent! If you bring your own keep in mind most of it is dirt paths!

    Can you actually enter the petting zoo area or you have to feed animals through the fence?

    You can only feed them through and or over the top of a fence, not inside.

    How much is admission?

    14.95-adults 13.95-Seniors & military & students 11.95 -12 and under… Read more

    How much time do people usually spend here?

    Maybe about 1h30 more or less. It will depend on how many kids are with you, if you are planning on feeding some animals, and if you were going to do the mini train ride. Hope this helps.

    View All 5 Questions

    Review Highlights - Austin Zoo

    It is also a rescue zoo which makes it stand out against others because their focus is to rehabilitate the animals.

    Mentioned in 39 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Zoos 524 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Austin Nature & Science Center - Red tail hawk

    Austin Nature & Science Center

    4.6(147 reviews)
    9.8 mi78704 (South Austin)

    Great FREE option in Austin for kids!…read more One of the best parts is you can see an axolotl (two, actually) in their visitor center building. Then you can head over to the birds of prey, the reptile/fish building, and the animal enclosures. There's also a little lake and a large sand pit (dino dig). There's a cool room in the visitor center that has all sorts of nature items (bones, dead bugs, shells, rocks, etc.). You can bring in your own stuff to trade! Is it a huge amount of things to do/see? No but for a free attraction, it's pretty great. Parking is across the street -- lot is shared with Zilker Park and all the nearby attractions so it can get busy.

    The Austin nature and science center is one of our favorite places to take our 4 kids in Austin and…read moreeven better, it's totally free! But when you do go, please make sure to scan the QR code to track and log your visit. It helps with their funding and takes less than 2 minutes. My kids spent close to 30 mins in the Dino dig area alone. There are so many different sand pits for them to dig and use brushes in. The birds of prey area is awesome! And while the indoor reptile area is small, my kids always have fun finding where everything is hiding nonetheless. The indoor welcome center has so much for them to learn and touch, and they love bringing things to turn in to the front desk to collect points and coins to use in the "shop". I highly recommend! Great for a homeschool field trip too :)

    Photos
    Austin Nature & Science Center
    Austin Nature & Science Center - Fishing pond

    Fishing pond

    Austin Nature & Science Center

    See all

    Austin Aqua-Dome

    Austin Aqua-Dome

    4.3(152 reviews)
    9.5 mi

    I visited this store today (3/13/26) and was genuinely excited because I had heard nothing but…read moregreat things about it and how knowledgeable the staff was. My daughter recently received a betta fish for her birthday, and I wanted to upgrade her tank with driftwood and plants. Since I'm new to this, I was looking forward to asking the "experts" a few questions. Unfortunately, that excitement disappeared the moment I walked in. As soon as I entered, the older gentleman behind the counter looked directly at me and then immediately turned away without saying a word. He wasn't helping anyone at the time. I walked around the store for a while and noticed a young woman cleaning items nearby. Not once did she greet me or ask if I needed help. When I was looking at the driftwood display, she walked by, so I asked a question. She gave me what felt like a dirty look, gave a very quick answer, and walked away. I initially thought maybe she was busy helping other customers, but that didn't seem to be the case. What made the experience worse was what happened next. While I was still browsing near the entrance, several other customers walked in. Every single one of them was greeted by the gentleman behind the counter. I hate to even bring this up, but it left me wondering why my experience was so different. I'm a Hispanic male with tattoos, and every other customer who was greeted appeared to be white with no visible tattoos. I truly hope that wasn't the reason, but I honestly can't think of another explanation for the difference in treatment. Either way, it was disappointing. I had specifically chosen to visit a local specialty shop because I wanted the advice and expertise that comes with it. Instead, I left feeling unwelcome and will likely just go to a big box store instead--something I was hoping to avoid. I hope this isn't the normal experience for customers, but it was certainly mine today.

    Cool spot to bring the kids (on a budget). Also, nice activity to do on a rainy or cold day. The…read morefish were colorful and unique and fun for the kids to look at. There are also some turtles outside (back of parking lot). Located in an interesting dome structure (saltwater fish is on the second floor). Parents: I'd avoid a stroller, if possible. It's a bit cramped in here plus it can get crowded. Also, there are stairs to get to the top floor. Small parking lot in the back but also additional parking in the strip mall. Check out Uncommon Objects (interesting antique store) next door.

    Photos
    Austin Aqua-Dome - Hours of Operation

    Hours of Operation

    Austin Aqua-Dome - Inside

    Inside

    Austin Aqua-Dome

    See all

    Austin Aquarium

    Austin Aquarium

    3.2(1.1k reviews)
    15.6 mi

    We had a fantastic time here and can't wait to come back! The animals are wonderful and so…read morefriendly. You can tell they are loved by all the staff. Sloan was our guide for a couple of encounters and was super knowledgeable! He added to our great experience. We walked away from here with full hearts and an even greater respect and love for our animal kingdom.

    This is by far the worst aquarium I had ever been to. In fact, this shouldn't even be called an…read moreaquarium. It's a fish petting zoo that also had a capybara, lemurs, tarantulas, and birds. When I first walked in through the doors, it gave me pet store vibes right away. I should've turned back but I had already paid for the overpriced tickets. This was definitely not worth $20 per person. It's even more if you pay for the tokens that get you access to extra things like the sloth encounter or a picture with a Disney Princess, which is so random and odd. Princess Jasmine had a whole set up by the lemurs. It was so chaotic inside. The space itself is pretty small and each room is packed with tanks and exhibits of animals. I'm sure this place is pretty busy on a regular basis but we happened to have gone on a day where there was a birthday party. On one hand, you have little kids with balloon pirate swords running around (yes, there's a booth with man doing balloon animals for a few tokens). On the other hand, you have lemurs screaming from their cages. I can't imagine the stress all the animals must be feeling on a daily basis. While I get the whole hands-on, interactive experience aspect, I think this aquarium overdid it to a point where it's impacting the animals' habitats and stress levels. Every open tank was filthy. Even the facility itself is dirty. There's no signs anywhere to ask guests to wash their hands before touching the animals. In fact, there's no one even enforcing a two finger rule or educating visitors on all the animals that people could touch. I was flabbergasted when I saw a child ran to a small open tank, shoved his whole arm in and tried to grab the poor little fish swimming around. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if animals have gone missing from this place. The tegu exhibit was fully out in the open. Even a small child can easily just step over the short glass wall and grab the lizard. I think what shocked me the most was the lack of staff monitoring visitors' behaviors and enforcing the rules on how to handle animals. When I went by the shark tank, I witnessed a lady grab a shark by its tail and attempted to bring it out of the tank. My jaw literally hit the ground when I saw that. Thankfully the shark slapped her in the face with its tail and swam off. When I looked around, I saw an employee by the tank but she didn't say anything and was more focused on passing around these balls of fish bait to the same family that lady was with. I honestly left that "aquarium" angry and feeling incredibly sad for the animals. I would never go back nor would I ever bring my family back here. I've been to aquariums and zoos in developing countries where the animals were better cared for than this place.

    Photos
    Austin Aquarium
    Austin Aquarium - Shark!

    Shark!

    Austin Aquarium

    See all

    Capital of Texas Zoo - Rust in one of the many rusting bird cages.

    Capital of Texas Zoo

    3.7(182 reviews)
    28.7 mi

    Personally I think this zoo should be closed down and the animals should be rescued. There was…read moredebrie all over the place chemicals and bleach everywhere. Rotting wood on the animal enclosures. Turtles so dirty they had moss growing in them. The owners dog growled at my five year old myself and my mother. When I told her she said it was a nice dog just don'tapproachhim becausehe can ne naughty and he was laying very close to the exit gate. The bear enclosure was so overgrown it's hard to believe it was there. The deer pen was held shut by literally a screw. The monkey cage wasn't even locked. A breaker box was opened with wires exposed. Outlets at baby level also with exposed wires. Bathroom house had rotted floors and sinks. The entrance ramp to the park was rotted and falling apart. It honestly is lawsuit waiting to happen. Enter at your own risk.

    I purchased tickets through Groupon and it was a good deal. Ticket included a food bag to feed…read moreanimals. I liked location a lot, it's out of way, off 290 and almost in country area. I love that fact and driving was nice part. They have kengaroos, including baby, talking parrot, beautiful wild cats, lion, rino, lemurs, alligators, turtles, wild pig, and lots of deers and other small creatures. The best part was a big old owl by the entrance. Before leaving the property we stopped to look at him, and he was making noises. He was interacting with us. They have small playground and restrooms on site. I would say for us an hour was enough to spent in there.

    Photos
    Capital of Texas Zoo - Breaker panel left open on the public trail.

    Breaker panel left open on the public trail.

    Capital of Texas Zoo - Rotting bench

    Rotting bench

    Capital of Texas Zoo - Just left right out right near the public area next to enclosures.

    See all

    Just left right out right near the public area next to enclosures.

    Pioneer Farms - Pumpkin Display

    Pioneer Farms

    3.5(121 reviews)
    18.2 mi

    We came here for Pumpkin Nights, and it was a fantastic walkthrough Halloween light show. There…read morewere different themed exhibits including Harry Potter, Forbidden City, Dia de los Muertos, pirates, and coral reef. The visuals were beautiful with themed music and the occasional smells that fit well with the exhibits. We were really impressed by how long it was. It was about a one mile walk on a dirt trail, and it took us over an hour to go through at a leisurely pace and take some pictures. Our shoes got extremely dusty, so make sure to wear shoes that you can wipe off afterwards. We were thrilled to see seesaws at one point on the trail. There were so many kids here, but I think it's enjoyable for all ages. I would even take my parents here. They advertise weekday night tickets on their website as $22, but after all the fees, it was $28.24 per ticket for a Tuesday night. It was surprisingly worth it though. I just wish they were more transparent in their fees. I am really glad we didn't come on a weekend because it would have been even more crowded. Parking was an additional $10 in a dirt lot. There were some vendors with extremely overpriced food. My friend got a cute ghost T-shirt from their official merch store for $25, which was surprisingly reasonable.

    We have been here for Pumpkin Nights twice now and it has been an incredible sensory experience…read moreboth times, without feeling too repetitive. It was literally pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere as we walked through different themed exhibits put together with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. The music, lights and smoke gave it all a fun, spooky vibe. Our favorites were the Ocean theme, the neon lights made it feel surreal! The fire show at the end of the walk was a cool highlight too. We accidentally booked the wrong date while clicking through the links on the phone and had to pay an additional $5 per ticket to change it through the online account later. That was a bummer since it was an honest mistake but the customer service is pretty much non-existent and send canned responses to emails. Parking is an additional $10 at the venue.

    Photos
    Pioneer Farms - Pumpkin Display

    Pumpkin Display

    Pioneer Farms - Pumpkin patch

    Pumpkin patch

    Pioneer Farms - Entrance from Parking Lot

    See all

    Entrance from Parking Lot

    Inner Space Cavern - StalagTites. The "T" stands for "The". They start at The Floor. Or the Ceiling. I forget.

    Inner Space Cavern

    4.4(422 reviews)
    28.2 mi

    We took the adventure tour today to do something special on Valentine's Day…read more It was so very busy! Our tour guide was Tom and he was so informative and fun and kind. He had sweet little stories for all the children. He was very knowledgeable. I learned that he has been going to that cave his entire life, he even took his dates there and he's probably a grandpa now. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Our group was probably 25 people. They had a group descending every 20 minutes. It was quite interesting. The cave actually goes underneath the 35 freeway! We paused and listened and it sounded like lightning as the cars passed over the top. There's an old ladder inside where explorers used to climb down into the cave. That same ladder is on the side of the freeway just like a half mile down inside of a black shed. Nobody knows what's there without taking this tour. They have a beautiful gift shop with lots of wonderful things to buy. They take a photo of each party along the tour and to buy that photo is only $13! They have three different tours to choose from. The adventure tour was one hour. Then they have a 90 minute tour and a 3 1/2 hour tour. The one hour tour that we took was 1 mile long. The terrain is up and down and sometimes slippery so wear your good walking shoes with tread. When you get down to the very bottom, it's pretty warm so don't overdress. Layer with a hoodie that you can tie around your waist. This is not a place for anyone who can't walk a mile on varied terrain--No wheelchairs no strollers, nothing like that. I look forward to going back and taking the longer tour. Every employee that I spoke to was so very kind and helpful. I really like this place. I highly recommend you visit!

    This was more interesting and fascinating than I thought. I enjoyed my tour with Myles…read more The parking lot is very large. Plenty of parking. The tour to the cave is about a mile round trip. I don't think you can take kids strollers on the tour. And you should be in capable condition to walk the distance. The walk back is more upward, some areas are steep. It is humid as you get down, which I thought it would be cool underground. I had curly hair going in, came out with straight frizzy hair. The tour guide stops along the way and talks about the rocks, the forms, and some extra surprises along the way. The guide will also take a photo of you and your group, and you can purchase the picture at the end when you go back to the gift shop. Myles was a great tour guide. He explained everything so well. Answered questions we had. Friendly and knowledgeable. Was a very nice hour or so tour. Well worth the time and drive there. Happy I did something new and a little adventurous.

    Photos
    Inner Space Cavern - Inside of the Cave (May 2025)

    Inside of the Cave (May 2025)

    Inner Space Cavern - Another room, love that ceiling

    Another room, love that ceiling

    Inner Space Cavern

    See all

    Austin Zoo - zoos - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...