Horrible service!! As I was walking around with my grandchildren I saw several workers on their phones, so unprofessional. I've heard rumors they treat the animals poorly and when I saw the animals I'm starting to believe them. I've also heard about what they do to the animals dead bodies and I'm DISGUSTED. I saw serval cages empty, really makes you think why is that? What are they doing to these poor animals because from my own knowledge you're not supposed to put an animal that been held CAPTIVE back into the wild. Even with that one of the workers told me that evil place is their forever home more like forever prison or death sentence. I also saw rust in the water the animals were drinking and this is what they claim is an animal sanctuary?? On top of all of this I saw a worker with no bra on and nearly got flashed, MY GRANDKIDS were with me. On top of all of this I met a woman Kim and she was SO RUDE and made my grandkids uncomfortable. That woman immediately gave me predatory vibes and I felt like I needed to get them out of there as soon as possible. I will NEVER return. read more

First, I just wanted to address the recurring complaint in many reviews regarding the zoo not being stroller-friendly. We left our wagon in the car due to those reviews and later regretted it. You can get by with a sturdy stroller here (with robust wheels). A flimsy one might struggle in some areas. Most of the walking areas are flat (not paved though) but there are a few gnarly areas that are pretty rocky and situated on an incline. I'm posting photos for reference although it might be a bit tough to see. The zoo could really smooth these areas out to make things easier and safer for visitors. Ultimately, the zoo is fairly small -- I had my youngest in a front-facing carrier while my 3YO walked. Second, I wanted to note that the Austin Zoo is not affiliated with the city of Austin. They are a private non-profit organization that does not receive city funding or have any management by the city. They are a rescue-based zoo wherein their animals come from seizures and surrenders, etc. They really should change their name -- I think many visitors expect this to be a city zoo (setting their standards high, only to be inevitably disappointed). I am having a hard time rating this zoo. It is a non-profit that seeks to help animals and it seems like they don't receive funding to do so. At the same time, this place generally seemed a bit run down/dirty. Some of the animals seemed sad/stressed (saw a monkey and an ostrich with missing fur/feathers). Now, I know these are rescues so I can't confidently attribute that stress to conditions at the zoo -- possible that it's related to their past experiences or just general adjustment to a new place. Last but certainly not least, many of the enclosures are way too small for the animals they're housing. This is alarming. I know they're being rescued but perhaps there's a better home for them. The tickets are not exactly cheap. Although children under 2 are free, 2+ tickets are 16.95. That's only $3 less than adult pricing. I get that they don't get city funding but at those prices, I'd at least expect the grounds to look less run down than they did. Also, they don't give you a map nor did I see one posted anywhere (you have to rely on an online map on their website). Once again, they really could invest some revenue toward enhancing the visitor experience. Don't miss the train ride since there are some animals (like the porcupine) that can only be viewed from the train. The conductor (also ticket salesman) was super nice. He also very politely asked my husband to switch spots with my toddler (so she wouldn't be on the open side of the train car). I appreciated that greatly. The gift shop was surprisingly cute and had a bunch of great souvenir options. Beautiful peacocks roaming the grounds is a nice touch. Ultimately, a bit of an uncomfortable visit given the sad animals, inadequate enclosure size, lack of general upkeep, and relatively expensive tickets. read more

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Manage your expectations if you choose to visit the Austin Zoo. It is a very small zoo - more like an animal rescue. I knew this going in so was prepared for what to expect and really enjoyed my experience. I visited on Presidents' Day holiday with my daughters (6 and 2). Tickets were under $20 which I found reasonable and felt good to know that the money is going back to maintaining and preserving the zoo. I thought the size of the zoo was perfect for younger children. My daughters loved seeing the animals without massive crowds, within a restively small space. They particularly loved seeing the Galapagos turtle, lions, and snakes in the tiny reptile house. There are gorgeous peacocks roaming the grounds. They have the option to feed some animals (goats, farm animals) which we did not do this time. They also offer tours, educational programming and some extra cost activities. What I think could be better - - Their website doesn't mention that their train has been down for a long time, and requires major repairs. This was disappointing to find out there. My girls were looking forward to it. - No cafe or proper concessions stand - Parking can get crowded and require long walks to the entrance read more

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! read more

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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! read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

Austin Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas

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! read more

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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! read more

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We went here during our vacation with our toddler who loves animals. This is more of an animal preserve than a zoo. Nearly all the animals were outside, despite being some cold weather animals. The walkability of the place would probably receive a 2 star for just that. Very hilly, most of the paths were gravel and not paved. Walking around with a stroller was difficult. The stroller we brought on this trip was a smaller stroller and not one with robust wheels. I'd say you need the robust wheels if you are going. The zoo had some animals our toddler hadn't seen before which was cool. We also loved the roaming peacocks (one of my favorite animals). read more

I wish they would remove the word Zoo from their name. They are not a Zoo, they are an amazing Rescue Sanctuary. They are continuously making improvements to create the most natural habitat for the animals, the staff is friendly and you can tell they love their job, the train ride is a MUST do and feeding the animals is a MUST do. If it is your first time, make sure you read the signs on the cages to see where they animals came from and their history. Also, plan on 2 hours to see the entire place. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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It was not at all what I expected! I go to the zoo in almost every city I visit. This was by far the worst! The path was very uneven. Animals looked so sad. Not very well taken care of, sad. It was a little bit outside of the city, a bit of a drive to get there. read more

Had Capybaras Unfortunately, I'll only get to experience this bliss on vacations, cuz I don't live here in Austin :( Anyways, was really fun :P Keep rescuing animals, owner and employees of Austin zoo :D read more

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. read more

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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 read more

Austin Zoo - Zoo visit on 11/04/2023 - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas

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!! read more

Austin Zoo - White Tiger - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas

Local roadside zoo kind of cute kind of depressing worth doing once. Not a second time. Lot of field trips.

This review is specifically for the camp: for the record, it is hands-down the best camp we've ever tried. My kid came home every night delivering TED-Talks on capybaras and other critters--our living room is basically a wildlife documentary set now. The perfect mix of learning, crafts, and chaos (the good kind). She couldn't wait to go back each morning. The staff is so fun, knowledgeable and caring and I would recommend to absolutely anyone with a kid who is interested in animals. read more

Love that This zoo is a sanctuary and the animals are now being loved and taken care of the way they should be. All gods creatures! The train ride was pretty cool with the hidden treasures along the way. The kids had fun and the gift shop was so fun! read more

Austin Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas

Parking - This place was so confusing. Signs to go places in every which way it took us so long to figure out how to get out of this place. Walking - Extremely hard to walk around and to find out where you are going. My boyfriend and I could only find one map and that didn't even help because of the way the ground was. This place almost looked run down and it was super messy. Animals - These animals seem so sad. Plus almost all the cages were empty... What kind of zoo only has 1 bird??? People - I was trying to figure out where to buy tickets to go inside and apparently the place you buy food from is also the place for tickets... Wouldn't mind that if the lady that checked us in wasn't rude. She 100% had an attitude. There was also no workers around anywhere to help us figure out where anything was. We were only in the zoo for maybe 30 minutes maximum. Wasn't much too see. Wouldn't go again. $30 for 2 people. read more

We drove a hour just to go to this place with our service dog. They didn't let us in because we had our service dog with us when on the building it says they are welcome. Manger was being rude to us because of this so if you don't want the manger to be a jerk to you then don't bring any kind of dog! read more

For being a donation dependent zoo it's nice. Prices are about what you'd expect for a zoo, it's on the small side but still fun for children. The petting goats are very sweet, amphibian house was small and mildly cramped but still fun for the kids. There was a train but we didn't partake in it, the walkway is a mixture of paved and unpaved so stroller and wheelchair users please be advised. read more

We are very lucky to have this large space for tortoises at the zoo. They have an indoor and outdoor area with water. I think I counted 5 tortoises in all. We lucked into being there at feeding time. It was so hot outside of course but this area was mesmerizing! The tortoises seem really well taken care of, which is refreshing in Austin if you've been to the troubling little aquarium in town where a tortoise with a helium balloon tied to it roams free amongst the kids and families. The Austin Zoo area looked like a great place to be a tortoise. At feeding time, each tortoise got a whole head of lettuce on a clean tray, and you get to watch them figure out how to eat it! They were very focused and seemed to be enjoying themselves. There is a ton of parking for the zoo. More shade would have been great. Otherwise, what a prize this place is! read more

Austin Zoo - Two younger tortoises eating lettuce. - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We love this sweet little animal rescue sanctuary. The animals definitely look well taken care of, and our favorite part is the feeding goats, sheep, alpaca, cow, etc. We also love the train ride! We've had a membership for a year and plan to renew it yearly. I like that you can see the entire zoo in an hour or 2, so it doesn't make it a whole ordeal every time. Is this the San Diego Zoo level amazing? No. But it's such a sweet, small place that's worth visiting with children regularly. I love supporting places like this. read more

Austin Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Had a super fun time with my family. I loved this super cute rescue zoo in Austin, all the animals were so cool and ticket lady at the front was very nice. My favor part has to be the free roaming peacocks as they were following my brothers around and we found it very funny. read more

A Most Spontaneous Adventure! On a whim, twenty friends and I did pile into my van and venture to the Austin Zoo. The creatures, though oft obscured by their fences, were a delight, and we found great joy in mimicking their cries, our voices a symphony of jest. Yet, our merry day turned tragic when one foolish companion assaulted a proud peacock, and we were cast out! A truly unforgettable outing--visit, but anger not the birds! read more

Great local zoo where you can see animals up close. My grandson loves the train and the birds that are everywhere! read more

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We truly enjoy the Austin Zoo and have been coming for years. It's become a New Year's Eve tradition to go when there is nice weather. It is the perfect zoo for families with small children, as the exhibits are smaller than a large zoo and it is easier to see the animals. Despite the rescue sanctuary focus of the zoo, they have quite a wide variety of animals. Tigers, lions, bears, alligators, and my son's favorite: reptiles! . You can bring in food and there are picnic tables throughout, as well as a food truck and a large picnic area not too far from the bathrooms and gift shop. The zoo also has a small train and an area to feed soma animals, including goats, sheep, and alpaca. A few things to note: bathrooms are near the exit, but you can cut through to them shortly after entering. The paths are all dirt/rocky, so I recommend closed toed shoes and, if bringing a stroller, bring one with larger wheels if possible. There are peacocks, peahens, and chickens that wander freely around the zoo. The train leaves every half hour, usually between 10 and 3. It's a short 15 min ride. Have your kids keep an eye out for Bigfoot on the ride, as well as other animals! read more

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I have been supporting the Austin Zoo for a couple of years where appreciate the idea of taking care of rescued animals. There are some negative opinions floating out there but I am in full support of making sure these animals are well taken care of. I have noticed there was a time where this zoo was expanding and making improvements but there seem to be a pivotal point where perhaps donations declined. I noticed some projects are taking a while to complete. Despite this there are a lot of parents taking their kids here to see the animals where the nearest zoo is near Bastrop and San Antonio. On this day I renewed my membership, and my wife and I walked around to see the animals. It was quite hot but guests were still here. We even rode the train again to relive the full experience. To get here you will need to follow the signs on the road and parking is free. There is a gift shop and can purchase drinks either at the this shop, entrance or a vending machine. Sometimes a food truck is open. As we left we found the new paver stone with our name on it. read more

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Though this Zoo can't compare to the famous popular Zoos I've visited all over the country and world, it deserves 5+ stars because of the people that take care of it and keep it going. Last time I visited the zoo was approximately 16 years ago. I was so glad to see it still here, and even better than the last time I visited. It is a testament to the dedication of the owners, workers, and the people that donate time, money, and animals to the Zoo. The improvements were amazing, and I truly enjoyed being back to visit. For those who have never been, this is not a big city operated Zoo like the ones in San Diego, San Antonio, Detroit, New York, etc. However, it is a very quaint little Zoo outside of southwest Austin, TX just off HW 290. It is a very nice casual Zoo that lives off of the generosity of people. So, you won't see lots of restaurants, food stands, shows, etc. It is simply a place to see some really amazing wild animals close up in the Hill Country. I would add more, but took a bunch of pictures and videos, that I hope will interest many of my followers to visit, and most of all donate to the Zoo. read more

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Great little zoo with a ton of access to visibility of all of the animals. The animals are all very well taken care of and they appear to be pretty happy on the whole. The employees are friendly and I absolutely loved staring at the massive tortoises, along with the lemurs and the beautiful variety of cats! It was very therapeutic as well being amidst all of the animals. read more

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I went here today for the first time with my son and granddaughter. It is an amazing, wonderful little zoo. It is a rescue sanctuary, which is absolutely wonderful. Literally 100% of the animal areas were clean and an adequate size for the animal. They even had big balls For the lion to play with! All of the animals were healthy and happy, as evidenced by their behavior. I enjoyed watching an African parrot playing with the bells in his home, which was quite large. Every animal had adequate clean water. I got to see them being fed, and they were all being fed, beautiful, healthy food. They definitely were not wary of the people who were working there, which evidences great communication between the workers and the animals. I got to meet one of the workers today, he called the white tiger by name, and the tiger stuck his head out of the area because he knew his name! I love this! This isn't like any zoo I've ever been to. It is a small zoo, we were there for three hours, and saw the entire zoo. They have a wonderful gift store. They have a cute little train, that is very fun. I enjoyed myself so very much. I don't know what my favorite part was because it was all so great. I highly recommend you visit. When I was there today, I did not see an open place to buy food so you may want to eat before you go, or bring snacks like we did. At the train station, you can buy ice creams like you would get from an ice cream man and soda pop or water. I took many pictures. I hope you enjoy them. read more

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This place is for animals who were rescued to live out their lives in peace and is a non-profit zoo. The animals are well taken care of, but there isn't going to be all the animals in your typical zoo because they can only take in what they rescue / hold in the right habitats. With that said, the place is great! It's small enough to not be overwhelming, but fun and you feel good knowing that these animals are being cared for properly (just look at the food they eat, and how clean their habitats are!) It's spacious and outdoors (reptile and gift shop indoors) Peacocks, peahens and a few other birds get to roam the area freely. Dirt parking, bathrooms clean, exit through gift shop only, and lots of shade and benches, you can also eat there if you pack a lunch. We will definitely be back because they operate on our donations! read more

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Something to note right away is this is a nonprofit rescue zoo, which is pretty amazing but if you're looking for a fancy zoo then this might not be it for you. My family and I visited not too long ago and I loved it more than I thought I would. Knowing these are rescue animals makes the place that much more special. Something I really enjoyed was each animal had a sign next to their living space with information about their species and how they got to the zoo. Knowing their back story was pretty special to read. My nephew enjoyed feeding the goats, sheep and llamas. Didn't see many food options, so make sure to take a snack or eat before (in case they don't have food there). read more

Austin Zoo - Zebra - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The fact that it's in the middle of nowhere hidden behind houses etc caused me to raise an eyebrow. The fact that it was $20 a person no matter what the age caused me to raise an eyebrow again but gave me expectations of something positive. The fact that it's mostly dirt trails and cages with animals, usually only one was incredibly disappointing. They're calling it a rescue organization. That a bunch of crap. There wasn't an accurate map anywhere. The enclosures were basically small. I wouldn't call it a zoo. It was more like the tiger King. It was a place for people to go and see caged animals. I'm pretty sure if they were rescuing they would have more than just one of the species. There were some cages with more than one animal but there wasn't a single enclosure that looked worthwhile. Just closed in places for people to look at animals. No enrichment. But you could buy food and throw pellets of food at the animals if they would eat it. I'll never go back again. It was sad to experience and I was horrified for the animals read more

A non-profit rescue zoo operated by the Austin Zoological Society. Located in the deep recesses of Travis County (better have a GPS to find it!) and quite a way away from the city of Austin, it is a small zoo that is not commercialized in the least. While it is a rescue facility, it still features a couple of lions, tigers and bears, lots of monkeys, and Texas livestock like sheep, goats, and a llama or two. PRICE: Kids under 12, $11.95. Adults $15,95. Save a buck each if you buy on line, and there are some small discounts for military and seniors. The prices are a little on the high side for the size of the place, but I figure it's to take care of the animals so I didn't mind. Remember that this is TEXAS and it's really HOT at the zoo, so bring water (or buy it there) and wear cool clothing. You can bring food and drinks with you and there are picnic tables around the park where you can eat. It appeared there might be a food truck there for really busy days, but it was not open on the Thursday we were there. The enclosures are small but adequate, and the farmyard area really smells like the farmyard in the Texas heat. There are also parrots and the usual assembly of birds, along with a small reptile house. You can easily tour the entire zoo in an hour . Don't forget the free-roaming peacocks and peahens. There is also a train ride for an additional fee. Most of the area is unpaved, so it's muddy in the rain (but there's not much rain in the summer here). The day we were there, there was a lot of construction going on as well with lots of orange plastic fencing closing off some of the areas. When it's hot, the animals naturally stay inside their shady enclosures making them hard to see. No masks required for visitors now. Of course there's a gift shop, and the profits also go to help take care of the animals. Plenty of FREE parking, so that's a plus. read more

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We had a fun time with our granddaughter even though we didn't see the big, rare animals of a larger zoo, but she didn't care. She loved the rescued animals that we did see and she loved getting a package of feed pellets to treat the goats, sheep, llamas, and alpacas. Entry was not inexpensive but I felt it was for an excellent cause and the zoo is nonprofit. read more

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Let's start by saying that the Zoo in San Antonio is much cheaper with not as many attractions closed for.... (Enter excuse of preference). However they do rescue animals I just wish we knew rescued from where. I wanted to bring my family here because the website falsely proclaimed that you may feed the capybaras by hand. This is is not the case at the austin zoo. A family of 4 will run you $70 to enter. The whole time I was hoping the Matt Dillon would walk the grounds and Hippipola from Sigur Roa would play in the background. read more

Austin Zoo - We can to feed the capybara's. But the website lied! - Zoos Near Me - Austin, Texas