Was not impressed with the enclosures here. Most were overgrown and the animals seem stressed/neglected for the most part. There's nothing for engagement or enrichment for the animals. I felt like we stepped back in time to zoos of the past, prior to the movement towards conservation, education and enrichment for the animals. The staff was friendly and we did see two zookeepers, a male who seemed to be in training and a female who was very kind in speaking to the animals she was feeding. Overall though, the zoo needs to really improve the animals environments. We experienced the same as the prior reviewer regarding the penguin enclosure....filthy and stinky. The penguins even looked depressed. read more

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The Penguin facility smelled awful of poop and pee. Their swimming pool was not operating and was full of black poop. The pool even had a plant growing out of the pool filter. Disgusting that these beautiful animals have to swim in the gross water. read more

I've been thinking of what to say for this review for a while, and it's very hot and cold for me. You can certainly tell there are animals who get better treatment/care than others. For example, the deers have this huge enclosure with a plethora of trees and shade, whereas other animals have smaller enclosures with little to no shade. And they're clearly distressed and breathing heavily with no water in sight. Also, I don't recall seeing any zookeepers the entire time we were there. But there sure were a ton of train rides happening. The only concession they have is at the entrance, which is not ideal for how hot this place got. However, I do like some of the interactive aspects of this zoo. At the lion enclosure, you can get a more up close view by duck walking through a tunnel and peeping through a round bubble dome. You can also feed the goats, and there are a couple of playgrounds for little ones as well. read more

How can you not love this place? Lot's of animals... lots of walking... they have a brekkie before the zoo opens that you can enjoy ... and a train you can ride if you want to see it all but don't want to walk anymore. I love it in the summer time and in the winter! Bring some quarters so you can feed the animals. The staff is always so nice and always answers questions. read more

Man if 0 stars was an option this zoo would deserve that. I'm not super against nor super pro zoo but this one definitely makes me despise zoos. So filthy and not taken care of. The animals seemed so unhappy. I just wish this zoo would be better for the animals! read more

For North Dakota...no wait...for Bismarck...this is a fantastic zoo! I was really impressed! I love zoos of all sizes and locations, but I have to admit that this was one of my favorites. Although they don't have certain classic animals like monkeys (chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, etc.), they have a lot of really interesting critters that I had either never seen before or don't normally see when out zoo-ing. The goat exhibit at the entrance is just ridiculous. So cute, and you can pet/feed those dumb dumbs! Same with the pigs and donkeys. The location is really nice, built into nature, and it's nice and flat for a walk. Some of the cages are small and kind of ghetto, but on the other hand, maybe it's good to have direct exposure to the outside and air instead of being inside an artificially built pen. Favorites? Buffalo/bison, tigers (they have so many!), owls, moose, otters, wolves, and bears. Have I mentioned how active these animals are, too? They just seem happy. Most of the time, the animals I see at the zoo are either hiding or are in a comatose state. These guys were all over the place! And the snacks - 1 word - SLUSHIE!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I lived here, I would definitely get a membership! read more

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I went to the Dakota Zoo today (08/11/24) and had a decent time seeing all the animals. The reason I'm giving this place 3 stars is because I noticed most of the animals have either no water or gross water.. granted it wasnt the hottest day of the year but it was just sad to see. Most of the animals bowls were empty and dirty, the raccoons habitat not only was really low on water, but it was also black.. way past the point of stagnant, I was also upset to see that some of the animals looked depressed and honestly like they were losing their mind. For example.. the badger was running back and forth aimlessly, panting and looking like it was under a lot of stress. I'd like to see (and im sure many other people would like to see) the animals have better access to clean water as well as access to activities of some sort (opportunity for more climbing or better hiding areas, especially if larger enclosures are not possible) to stop them from becoming stir crazy in captivity. I know this review may be long and annoying, but it's the least that could happen for these animals if they have to spend their whole lives in captivity, give them more the bare minimum. read more

Hello everyone. We recently came to bismark North Dakota. Saw they had a zoo. We love to visit to zoos in city's where we visit. But onto the review plenty of stuff to see. But on some exhibits they need to be better taken care of them. Some of the smaller animals are in tight spaces as it would be compared to a large dog stuck in a one bedroom apartment all day. Further more some large exhibits have little to no shade even by 10am-12pm it gets hot. And not many places for people to sit down as well. But i had a good enjoyment of the place and glad i went before i move on to another state and new city. F.y.i. best time i have seen to go in be there by the time they open less crowds and more time to take your time and take plenty of photos. I recommend you visit at least once. read more

Dakota Zoo - Alittle picture of the flower garden with a few bees on them - Zoos Near Me - Bismarck, North Dakota

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Our kids enjoyed the afternoon. Lots of animals I was not expecting so was a plus! Nice play area for the kids and discovery center! read more

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Gotta say I was impressed that the capital city in North Dakota would have a zoo that housed so many animals. I expected just to see a few buffalo, deer, and elk. I did see them, but I also saw tigers, grey wolves, camels, bald eagles, monkeys, and more! The layout is easy to navigate and covers a large acreage with a tree canopy and prairie grassland. And, the "train" ride will take you through the whole park in about 20 minutes and give you background on all the animals. Great place to spend a day with the family. The staff or educational and share about each animal during feeding times. I look forward to the additional exhibits under construction that include penguins and an animal barn for the kids. Affordable? Yes. Plus, there's free parking. Worth a stop if you're in the area? Yes. Will I keep coming back? Yes. read more

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This zoo is a lot bigger than it looks and is home to some really interesting animals. If you want the full experience, I would recommend coming during warmer season as during the winter some of the exhibits are closed and animals relocated due to the cold. I came in the winter and definitely plan to come back again when it gets warmer. It was still pretty worth it, despite some of the exhibits being closed. This zoo has some endangered animals and helping some species come back from near extinction. They even house some injured animals that would otherwise die in the wilds. All of the animals have really big homes and for the most part are kept pretty well. There is ample water and food supply for them all. The only exhibit that I was concerned about were the bison. They had a big range, but there were poop everywhere. Their home obviously has not been cleaned out for a long time. I think that might have been because of the weather though. All of the other exhibits were better. I would recommend starting on the left side of the zoo going through the wilderness trail to the moose, bison, elk, sheep and etc. You will eventually loop to the right side of the zoo where all the tigers, wolves and bears are. It will be like building up the excitement level, from cool to super cool. Be prepared for a 1+ mile walk through this park. There are a lot of benches to relax and trash cans if you need to throw away stuff. Here are some of the exhibits that were memorable to me. THESE ARE NOT ALL OF THE ANIMALS AT THE ZOO, JUST THE ONES THAT I LIKED THE MOST Goats - First exhibit that you see as enter the zoo. They live in harmony with the roosters. They are very nice and you can buy feed for them. A quarter will get you about 5-7 pellets. The one closest to the entrance does not work. Go to the one behind the bridge. They will gather around and push each other for the feed. So, make sure you have a lot of quarters to feed them all. These goats are very photogenic and love taking selfies. Miniature Horses - you can buy feed for them too. They have surprisingly very soft lips. Don't be afraid to pet them. They are nice and will not push each other for the feed. Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pig - Being a Vietnamese person, I was super excited to see the pig, but sadly it wasn't there. I think it might have been relocated because of the winter. However, the other relocated animals had signs on their exhibit saying they have been moved. The pot bellied pig did not have that sign. These pigs make for a very delicious dinner. I can't help but wonder....... Camels - SUPER COOL!!! I have never seen camels before, but these are a lot bigger than the ones you see on T.V. Monkeys - My favorite exhibit. The monkeys are really playful and love to show off. If you press your face against the spider monkey exhibit, they will jump to the glass and press their faces against the glass as well. The monkey exhibit has an outside and inside part. The monkeys are free to travel between indoors and outdoors during warmer weathers, but will only be inside during the winter Arctic fox - If you love small white cute animals. This is the exhibit for you Bengal Tigers and Snow Leopards - There is a tunnel where you can crouch and walk through to get up really close to the animals in their habitat but still be safe. If you have back problems, I would not recommend going through the tunnels. It is really cool getting up close to the animals. My girlfriend and I heard roaring and we went over to the tiger area, but we got there too late. The tigers were play fighting (at least I hope they were) and we missed it. Luckily, the people that were there recorded it and showed us the video. By the time we got over, the tigers were just sunbathing. Horses - you can feed these horses by putting the feed through pipes. They are smart and will run over if they see you standing near the pipes. However, they get impatient and will kick the fences if you don't feed them. If you have a couple of hours to kill, you will not regret coming to this zoo. I used to think zoos weren't much fun, but this zoo definitely changed my opinion. Remember to bring a lot of quarters!!! read more

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Watching the animals this time of the year when it is cooler outside makes them more active and they tend to show off more to the public. A nice variety of cats, small and large animals and a train ride, has variety and very well kept! We are glad we have visited this zoo during our trip to North Dakota. Check it out, cuz it's all happening at this zoo! I would highly recommend stopping with kids! What a treasure for Bismarck! A must when visiting Bismarck! read more

This place was great. We especially loved the areas to feed the pigs, goats, etc.... bring change! Lots of space to walk here. They do have the train that drives around with the driver giving narration, but we walked to all the exhibits. The monkeys were super active which was fun to watch. The camels were shedding so we nabbed some fur from the nearby grass. Lots of birds of prey here which was cool. Parking is easy and free. read more

One of the many things my wife and I like to do together is visit zoos. From the Toronto Zoo during our honeymoon to San Diego and San Francisco, it's generally a low-cost option with plenty to look at. Probably the one exception to the rule was our stop at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in 2012 (actually, I believe it's in Aldergrove, but I associate the trip with the city that everybody knows of), which we found out later was privately owned, and a significant argument against that method of running such an organization. I have to say that when I first found out there was such a place as the Dakota Zoo, I thought it might be more like the Vancouver version than the San Diego edition. And if one measures a zoo's likeness in terms of number of visitors or interesting animals, that would be an accurate assessment. But it'd also be a bit unfair - for those animals that were in fact present, they all appeared to be well-taken care of, and even entertaining in the case of the prairie dogs... really, one could spend all day looking at those creatures act like humans in a certain way. And monkeys are always entertaining to visit, and we were thankful they were kept in an air-conditioned building, as it was about 95 degrees with humidity to match that day. The admission was $7.50, and given that it entertained us for about 90 minutes, not the worst deal in the history of the universe. That being said, the Dakota Zoo is an adequate way of killing some time. It is not a destination per se. read more

I was so disappointed in this zoo. I actually felt guilty for purchasing a ticket, thereby supporting the organization. Many animals were alone and without sufficient water to help them cool off on a very hot day. The grizzly bear pool was completely empty. Many animals were pacing in a manner seemingly representative of neurosis. I never saw any evidence of a zookeeper or anyone checking on or caring for the animals. read more