Manage your expectations if you choose to visit the Austin Zoo. It is a very small zoo - more like…read morean 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

First, I just wanted to address the recurring complaint in many reviews regarding the zoo not being…read morestroller-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.

Kevin was nice and helpful and made in very fun for me and me and would come back againread more

Overall the experience was pretty cool.And Kira our guide was very friendly and informative.Me and…read moremy wife got the full experience which was the cave the little gravity room and the little safari park.The only thing I can say is,it's a bit overpriced for what you get.Other then that it was good.

On our drive back to Austin from Houston, we saw this drive through Safari and my husband stopped…read moreon a whim so we could check it out. 1. Camels and emus are very intense upclose when you have food. 2. This drive thru was HUGE and a lot more animals than we anticipated. Ticketed entry allows for an indoor petting animal area, but we wanted to get home faster after driving for 45 mins in their grounds. If you're looking for having a fun family time, this is it. Our loved all the friends and they know the drill of free noms. Ps. We got 2 giant 64oz buckets of feed and we still ran out

Covid fun times FROM YOUR CAR!…read more My wife has been going stir crazy over the past six months of quarantine. With a new baby it was easy to become homebodies but six months will get to anyone. As part of a post birthday celebration we decided to do something special. Drive through safari was a quick search away and before we knew it, we were on the road! The only interaction was with the gate staff and off we went. It took about 30 minutes to go through the park and you can go through as many times as you want. We were first met by some pot bellied pigs and then immediately after a couple of donkeys slowly sauntered over knowing the score. "Walk up, get fed!" This was the story throughout the whole park. We met plenty of fun animals including a camel who stuck its head right into the car! Ostriches, emus, alpaca, donkey, deer, goats, cows. A number of Giselle looking animals. Long story short. It's great family funtime and our baby loved it. One bucket of food lasted us two trips around. Definitely would recommend. Worth the drive!

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.

My 5 yr old grandson and I did the VIP private experience with tour guide Tucson along with the…read moreRhino experience , after which we drove through on our own.. This did make it more expensive, but for us it was worth it...We have been able to feed many giraffes, but never have met a rhino up close and my grandson loved being able to brush them and touch them.. I chose the private tour , so I could relax and enjoy it without having to drive...and all the info Tucson gave us on all the animals and all their programs made the drive back through on our own a lot more interesting. I was very impressed with their setup and how many babies they have.. I would recommend getting their early...The tour was a wednesday at 930 and we only had one other car on the road with us....when I drove back through , there was a lot of car stoppage , cause of course every car wants to stop for every group of animals and I will say the group at the entrance gate holds you for ranson so you better have food for them so you can get thru.. Didn't try the food , but the fudge at the restaurant was really good. The only thing I was disappointed in was the avairy...If you just want to see a lot of beautiful budgies and a few chickens, then go for it, but they had no interest in the food sticks and just flew away from it for the most part...We are used to the lorikeets that land on you, so my grandson was just bored with it...

We had a great time at Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch! Took our 3yo daughter and 1 yo son last…read moreweekend. I thought the safari drive was just okay. First, I was a tad disappointed in the quantity of the animals out there. There were long stretches of the drive where I caught myself thinking, " there's nothing out here". Second, don't bother buying feed. A lot of the animals were more interested in food provided in their troughs than the passing vehicles. And, I have a feeling they're fed well enough ...they don't care if you're throwing food. Third, cars tend to bottleneck to look at NOTHING. I think the staff should do a better job explaining you can pass. At least I hope you can, because I did. I wasn't waiting for some of these people. Other than that, I thought the facilities themselves were clean, well lit, and impressive. They've got a great restaurant where you can have lunch (although I felt the prices were exorbitant as they often are with these "tourist traps"). They've got some great exhibits with monkeys and you can get pretty darn close to some giraffes. My little girl had a particularly good time in the aviary. Seeing her face as that bird landed on her stick was just the best. Solid gift shop. Overall, felt the cost was higher than necessary, but solid family outing. It's worth going.

Such a fun place and the person doing the tour was nice and passionate about reptiles. My kid…read moreloves snakes and this was a nice close place to check out all sorts of snakes and reptiles and it was a super Fun tour and was great to check out the town of Bastrop afterwards. Close to Austin and very interesting tour. Enjoyable and a must see and will be back! Highly recommended!

This place was so much fun! My bf took me here because he knows I love animals of all sorts. And I…read moregotta say it was such a pleasant surprise I'm drawing a blank on the owners name, I believe it was Tim, but he was so helpful! And clearly very knowledgeable about all the animals in his zoo. You could just tell how much he loves those animals and you can see all the work he puts into caring for them. Very awesome dude! There were lizards of all kinds, snakes, tortoises, and even some crocodiles which I did not expect! There are so many animals comfortably hidden away in this cute little zoo. You wouldn't think it bc the outside looks so small, but once you get inside you see that the place is filled with exotic looking creatures of all walks of life! We were the only ones there at the time, probably because we got there as soon as they opened lol But the owner made sure to show us all the animals and point out the ones we couldn't find ourselves. He took us on a sort of guided tour of the place while he fed the animals and cleaned the exhibits We later learned that most of the animals were either pets of his or were rescues which I thought was pretty amazing I recommend this place if you love animals like I do, have kids or are looking for a fun little place to spend an hour or two! And they even have a gift shop :)

Best Valentine's Day ever!!! Of course the elephants were…read moreamazing but so were the staff. Incredibly well trained and you get a sense they truly care about the animals. We got to wash an elephant, feel the bottom of their feet and take several pictures with the elephants, especially Becky - whose artwork we purchased. Katie was superb in providing information and everything was so well organized. Cannot recommend more highly. Thanks!

An amazing up close and personal experience. If you're an elephant lover, you need to go. I didn't…read morewant to share any personal photos but there are many photo ops with the elephants.

From Chicago, just moved to Austin. First time at the Meadows Center at Texas State. Here are some…read morethoughts: -Run entirely by students, done very well, very enjoyable. -We wanted to check out the glass bottom boats, and we were not disappointed! -We went on the 45-minute tour. Our guide was knowledgeable, funny, and passionate--great combo! Cost was about $15 a person. -Saw a lot of wildlife, including deer, many birds, including a hawk, turtles, and many fish. Don't forget to check out the aquarium! -About a dozen people on our tour boat, from toddlers to 60's. Everyone enjoyed the experience. -Boat was covered, so it felt cool enough on the water even on a warm spring day. Highly recommended!

What a lovely little side trip for our out of town guests to enjoy. This was actually our first…read morevisit as well, it was very much enjoyed. I'm going to have to go again as there was so much to see I didn't hear most of what the boat pilot had to relay.

My family has wanted to check this place out for a long time and we finally made the drive. Lots to…read moresee and my granddaughter was over the moon with the capybara encounter and petting one of the tiny foxes. Then there are the baby goats in the petting area. So cute! Plenty of shade available on a warm day and several educational moments.

Animal World and Snake Farm was a surreal experience. The most impressive part was how close and…read morepersonal you can get to the animals. Seeing the lions and tigers up close was absolutely beautiful and unforgettable. We also watched the big cats interacting and playing with each other it was incredible to witness. The park itself is on the smaller side, but it is definitely small and mighty. What makes it special is the proximity and visibility of the animals. You really feel connected to the experience rather than far away from it. The monkeys were especially cute and fun to watch. If you enjoy close-up animal encounters and unique photo opportunities, this place is well worth the visit. We would definitely go again. 4 stars only because I thought the facility was quite small, despite having such mighty animal presence and you run through all the site seeing so quickly.

I had the pleasure of coordinating employee appreciation event, and there was no better place to…read morehost it than the zoo. I was especially happy that my family was able to attend. Since I don't have children of my own, my nieces and nephews mean the world to me, and getting to share such a special day with them made it even more memorable. It was truly a beautiful day and an amazing experience from start to finish. Huge credit to the SA Zoo Events team, especially Jessica, Morgan, and Abigail, for creating such a wonderful and unforgettable event. I visit the zoo from time to time, and every visit brings something new and unique. It's always an experience in itself.

It is an older zoo, and is confined to its limited location, but it is also not too bad except when…read morethe summer hits. And then trying to find the small AC area already packed with screaming kids that become road blocks as you try and see their awesome alligator snapping turtle in a way to small enclosure. I have been coming here since the mid 80s, and feel little has changed aside from revamping old into new exhibits. The gorillas are back from an absence of I forgot how long. The aquarium needs a facelift, as well as the reptile house. I avoid eating here since it is worse than high school cafeteria fare. Prices could be better adjusted to the income of the populace to at least enjoy some of the fantastic rare creatures they house. I still will come though for I do like seeing one of the only zoos' that has a pair of Tomistoma schlegelii and an Orinoco crocodile. Bring back the mini boat ride!