We really enjoyed our trip to the zoo. On the smaller side but plenty to do. You can purchase animal food to give to the pigs & goats. We also purchased train tokens - a small train perfect for the kiddos and a little ride through the entire park, they take you around twice. The train conductor is really great at his job, which made it really great for the kids. They have a little cafe on site, with seating, and great prices and slushies! They have two smaller parks inside the zoo for the kids, both fun! If you are in the area and need something to do, go check this place out. You can also walk through a wildflower garden - not much in bloom yet but still beautiful to walk through and some fun things hidden within. (: read more

See all

This was fantastic! I would've paid the admission price to simply run in and see a red wolf, but got to see two! And a snow leopard, Pallas's Cat, Red Panda, Bald Eagles, black bear, and others! Red wolves are critically endangered, and to be able to see one was a real treat! Right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking trails are around and the Mill Mountain Star! Zoo has admission, but grounds are free! Lots of parking and a snack bar! read more

See all

Nice place for kid can do it in under a hour a little bit small, review about unfair animal treatment is wrong you can only do some much to keep them entertained, loved the raccoon read more

See all

We visited Mill Mountain Zoo for the first time. It was wonderful. I felt like a kid again. It is a small zoo with nice walking paths. We loved the trees. The Snow Leopard is beautiful. There is a small pond filled with Koi and turtles. There is also a reptile section and aviary. The birds are beautiful. We sat down at a bistro outdoors and enjoyed seeing the excitement on the children's faces. There was a great energy at this zoo and the people working there were very helpful. We highly recommend visiting this zoo. It's a lot of fun for any age. read more

See all

We visited Mill Mtn with my five nieces and nephews all under the age of 6 and had an absolute blast! The zoo itself is on the smaller side but just the right size to take 5 kids and spend about 2-3 hours. Plenty of interactive activities and each staff member we spoke to were very knowledgeable about the animals in their care. Cannot wait to return! read more

I read the reviews before I went to Mill Mountain Zoo. I am so glad I did not let the unfavorable reviews deter me from going. We went to the Night Howls Tour (third Thursdays). It was awesome. The pens for the animal seemed adequate. Many of the animals are rescue animals that cannot be returned to the wild, one of which is a Bald Eagle. This is a Zoo that rehabilitates and educates. This zoom should be supported for continued success. Bambi was our tour guide. She was such a good guide, I would do it again. This is a great well kept zoo. It's very beautiful on the mountain It's a great little outing, especially for kids with short attention spans. read more

Mill Mountain Zoo - Zoo entrance sign. - Zoos Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

We took our 10 month old and she loved it. The animals are Beautiful. We were there for about 1.5 hours and got to see all the animals. This was perfect since our daughter is still young and her attention span is still quite short. read more

Zoo This is a rather small zoo sitting up on the mountaintop right next to the Roanoke star- sort of an unexpected place to find a zoo. The grounds and enclosure are all on the small side and with that being said, the variety of animals are also on the small side- you are not going to find elephants and rhinos here. Overall it was a very nice visit and my two boys loved it - there was enough variety to keep them occupied for an hour and the icing on the cake was the train ride you can take around the grounds. Prices are very reasonable and the staff are super friendly. Animals looked healthy and cared for. Definitely worth a visit if in the area. read more

It's not anything like the San Diego Zoo (which I have been a member for years) but this zoo is wonderful and perfect for children. The drive to get here is beautiful and there is plenty of parking. Be sure to take a stroller for little ones as there is a long walk from the parking area to the entrance. We enjoy the short wild flower garden hike to the entrance...however there are not many flowers at this time of year. We enjoy seeing all the squirrels and chipmunks along this way. I'm sure it must be beautiful during Spring. The zoo has a nice variety of animals to see, too many to list here. The reptile exhibit houses 2 Burmese pythons. One was very active the other day and we enjoyed watching it slither around for several minutes. There is also a very nice cougar to watch roam around in a huge outside enclosure and a large red wolf exhibit as well. The zoo is nicely spread out and perfect for children to run around to get some exercise as well as be entertained by the animals. I love that this zoo has staff walking around to help and give you information regarding the animals. They offer "chat" about different animals at different times throughout the day. You can also watch them feed some of the animals at different times of the day. Be sure to check out the board just inside the entrance for theses times. An added plus that we enjoy is they have a train ride that takes you around the zoo. It runs every 30 minutes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I highly recommend you take your children on this ride. There is also a small playground for kids to climb and slides to go down..another way to allow your children to play and have fun. Since we are in the area I decided to get a year pass. It's good for a family of 2 adults and 2 children. If you are coming back more than a few times it's a great deal and highly recommended. We can't wait to go back!!! read more

See all

Big disappointment! The only things worth seeing were the snow leopard and red panda. The black bear was vomiting. The red wolf looked pretty bad. The zoo was very small and unkempt. The lady in the gift shop was very nice. read more

The Mill Mountain Zoo is a small zoo nestled on top of the mountain near the Roanoke Star. We visited late in the afternoon on a Saturday and we may have been the only guests there. The zoo and the garden just outside the gate could definitely use some TLC as the animal exhibits, and even some of the greenery in the general zoo vicinities, we're pretty overgrown. We saw some animals in their exhibits but there were also some exhibits that looked empty. It was really neat to see a pair of bald eagles, and they also had a lynx that was pacing in its cage and a leopard that was taking a cozy nap until it heard us talking about it and posed for a picture. This would make a nice day trip to entertain little ones, but the view from The Star is really the site to see at the top of the mountain! read more

See all

I gave this place of one star because I can't give it a zero. the animals enclosures are extremely small. Way too small for an animal like that to live in. Generally, just a really sad place. Do not recommend. read more

Not only is the zoo its self small, the cages for the animals are incredibly small. They had two beautiful bald eagles in a cage that was barely big enough for them to stretch their wings. A large African tortoise that was out in the sun in an open cage less than 6 feet wide without any water. Save your money and go to a reputable zoo that cares about its animals. read more

Located next to the Roanoke star atop Mill Mountain. Nice place for a quick zoo visit. The kids that I saw there were having a great time seeing the animals and riding the miniature train. Whoever designed the train to look like a small Norfolk Southern train did an excellent job! Now I know it on top of a mountain and some things have to be placed carefully to fit there, but the first thing one experiences in a trip to this zoo is one fairly long walk from the parking area to the entrance. I'm not sure how handicapped/elderly are expected to be able to get there. The exhibits are not viewer friendly, and the fences and places for animals to rest are definitely not camera friendly. The Snow Leopard for example was under what looked like a plywood box which was built with the back of the box facing the viewing area. Combined with a visit to the Roanoke Star this was a nice diversion for 90 minutes. read more

Mill Mountain Zoo - Red Wolf - Zoos Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

See all

The animals look well cared for but absolutely none of the enclosures are large enough. We left feeling very depressed. The staff is friendly and helpful but whoever owns this zoo should take less time with the garden outside of it and instead expand the enclosures. read more

See all

Great views and enjoyed seeing the animals. Nice to be at a higher elevation.staff is friendly and some of the plants have labels to identify them read more

If you're looking to work here (more on the zoo at end of review)... Management, and more than anyone the current Zoo "Director", will quite literally gaslight all new employees. I unfortunately personally watched it happen to several employees, and then finally it happened to me, a long term and dedicated employee. You will be "love bombed" by management, and by the director, upon starting the job. You will be praised and made comfortable. You will be made to feel like family! I thought I had found the most perfect job of my career. Really. After a few months management will put more and more on the already difficult job/task load you are already working with. Whether you are a zookeeper, security, guest services, or maintenance; no matter how much experience or education you have... It does not matter. When you raise any sort of concern for your well being or the well being of others, you will be spoken to like you are ungrateful and crazy no matter how polite you are. You will then be targeted. You will be made so uncomfortable, you will want to quit. If you don't quit, they WILL find a reason to let you go. Budget cuts, seasonal changes, straight up firing you... It's a soap opera. The turn over rate at the zoo is very high and there is good reason. I still love Roanoke's zoo and the fantastic keepers/staff, but after recent changes in management, I just could not in good heart recommend a job here to anyone. I watched SEVERAL employees break down in tears regularly, I also watched many employees quit on extremely bad terms (putting it nicely). Management started putting out safety bulletins at one point because there had been so many disgruntled fellow employees. They will milk you. Bottom line. Best of luck on your job search journey. I hope I can save you some grief. As for the zoo, the director is more concerned with impressing donors and the board by keeping up appearances, and giving constant "VIP" tours. Rather than taking care of enclosures, the amazing animals, and the incredible staff. The college educated zookeepers here get paid less than McDonalds employees. Yes, really. Treat them well if you visit. They care so much, too much, and break their backs every day. They are also very kind, and helpful to visitors. Recently Mill Mountain Zoo has began working in cooperation with the notorious "Safari Park". So... I can only hope the future of these animals, isn't in jeopardy. read more

I so badly want to give this zoo a good review, but it does not even come across as the little zoo that could. It is not that the animals do not look well cared for, because they look fed, no wounds or other obvious illnesses, but the habitat seems pitiful. The eagles looked as though they were barely able to open their wings to fly and the heron paced nervously as though they were trying to plan their escape, but knew the electric wire was going to shock them again. The wolves and most other animals were hiding in a plastic igloo bought at a home supply store with little or no attempt to conceal or look like a cave with rocks or sticks or something not created in someone's backyard. The wolves were just laying there. The tiny eastern screech owls were about the only animal that did not seem depressed. read more

Disappointed that the zoo keeper took such a long time to clean the bear enclosure after the zoo opened at 10 AM. We paid all that money and never got to see the bear roam in his enclosure. read more

My Daddy used to bring me to this zoo when I was a little girl. I've been bringing my children to this zoo since they were little. Every time we come back home to visit, everyone still wants to come here. I like to call it the little zoo with the big heart. If you are looking for huge displays of animals, this is not your place. If you are looking for a unique experience set on a mountainside, don't miss it. The animals are well cared for, and the displays and enclosures are every changing. The views are amazing and riding the Zoo Choo is a must. There is an abundance of wildflowers, butterflies and trails leading to the zoo entrance. A short walk to the star for the best view of all, especially at sunset. People can say what they will, but our family chooses to support the little zoo that could. read more

See all

It's a small zoo, but they do a great job with the space they have. They're always updating the animals' habitats (so unfortunately there are usually a few closed exhibits) to be a better fit. The little train ride is pretty fun and gets you a nice breeze when it's hot out. The animals seem pretty comfortable; summer is not the best time to visit because most of them are trying to cool off hiding in the shade. I was kind of disappointed they didn't have many of the animal paintings in the gift shop this time--I got one done by the Pallas cat a year ago and was hoping to get another by a different animals! read more

Don't support zoos like this. We went today, TINY enclosures with no room for animals to have a life. Most of the animals do not have a buddy meaning they are lonely and more prone to boredom and depression. The black bear was so distressed that he paced back and forth the entire time we were there. Poor thing is obviously unwell and no one cares to give him stimulation. He should be in the wild. They don't rescue pets. They buy them. Go to a wildlife conservation instead. It's fun to see animals up close like that. But it's not fun to watch an animal suffer for your entertainment. read more

Seriously small zoo up on the beautiful Mill Mountain in Roanoke. There are just a tiny handful of animals on exhibit and a few of the exhibits are under renovation. The few animals they do have including red fox, snow leopard, Pallas cats, otters and fishing cats are great to see. They also have a miniature railroad you can ride around the park that only operates at certain times of the day so be sure to check out the times. It's only $9 to get in do it's not a total ripoff, just not the most exciting zoo you'll ever visit. read more

See all

We visited Mill Mountain Zoo this past weekend and we were shocked at the horrible conditions the animals are kept in. We have visited numerous zoos across the nation and this one is without a doubt, the worst in our opinion. Upon arrival, at the ticket booth, we showed our AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) pass and we were told that they are no longer a part of AZA (this should have been a clue on what was to come). We later found out that AZA revoked this zoos' accreditation because the zoo did not meet AZA's high standards of great animal care. We observed animals being kept in unclean, cramped enclosures, some without having sufficient shade in the hot weather, ants/bugs/insects all in and around their food bowls, their poop not cleaned up (and even seen in their food bowls). Many animals seemed to be stressed out as seen in their nervous pacing back and forth on the same path, wearing out distinct paths. Also, instead of having access to inside enclosures for very hot days (like better zoos) we seen fans in their enclosures, with the animals panting excessively and drooling at their mouths. We felt like we went to a 3rd world country zoo and we left depressed for the bad care of the animals. This zoo should not be in operation for the standards that we saw. We will not be back and we wanted to pass the word on the horrible conditions here so that other potential guests can be aware and decide for themselves if they want to visit this zoo. read more

Very small zoo with limited animals. Very little variety of animals as well. Be prepared for a long walk from the parking lot as well. Gift shop is very tiny and overpriced. You can get through this zoo in an hour. Last time we went the little playground was the most exciting part of zoo. Overall you pay too much for what you get here. read more

It's nothing big by any means, but I like to think of Mill Mountain Zoo as a landmark of Roanoke. It's great for kids because they inevitably get tired at larger zoos, this is just the right size. All the animals are cared for expertly and loved by all their caretakers. The gift shop has been remodeled as well-check out the amazing mural inside, done by yours truly and friends. I miss "Ruby" the Tiger-RIP. But there are still many other amazing animals, the red panda, "Beau" the wolverine, the fisher cat, snow leopards, even the infamous escapee snow monkey "Oops". If you're in the Roanoke area, or even just visiting, this is the perfect sunny afternoon adventure. They are open everyday, rain or shine, except for Christmas. read more

This zoo was not well kept, animals looked miserable, no room for animals that fly to fly, no room for the cat animals to run. Waste of money & honestly feel bad for all the animals being kept in this zoo. Makes me so sad seeing how poorly these animals are kept. Waste of your money. read more

This zoo was a pleasant surprise. I'm used to big zoos in big cities (e.g., Brookfield in Chicago). This is a small zoo -- you can easily cover it in a couple of hours and go home before everyone gets crabby. There is no attempt to be comprehensive; rather, their few exhibits are varied and attractive. I had never seen a Red Panda before, nor a Fisher Cat. Nicely landscaped with abundant shade. And yes, there is a miniature train ride that circles the grounds. read more

See all

We just left and I had to write. This zoo is really small, but it is perfect in every way. The animals are unique : baby red pandas, wolverine and the staff is so friendly. Our daughters asked many questions and they happily answered all of them. The zoo looks as if it was built into the environment, there is very little concrete, and the habitats are close. You can really see the animals up close. We went through it in about 2 hours. read more

Cute little zoo, much like I remember from childhood. I wish the train was running and there was more info available about the animals at the exhibits, and maybe more gift shop options. Beautiful views, and they're doing their best with COVID restrictions- it was super easy to reserve a time online and that way I didn't have to worry about the crowd when we arrived. We'll definitely be returning, since our daughter loves animals and she's the perfect age. read more

Great small zoo! Great for family's and kids. Recommend to everyone.

Wanted to love this zoo. Small, so is a fantastic zoo for children. However, many exhibits were entirely too small. Loved being able to see a snow leopard, which many zoos do not house, but the enclosure was so sad. The leopard had almost no room to roam let alone run. It was pacing back and forth in the front of the enclosure. So sad to watch. Same thing with the lynx. Entirely too small of an enclosure, and was pacing in the front of the enclosure. I feel as if the zoo does not have bad intentions, and wants to share the importance of conservation with the public. However, this does not justify keeping animals in incredibly small enclosures. Zoos are not natural. We should not feel great about seeing an animal penned up at a zoo. However, zoos who put animal welfare first, then engaging zoo goes about the importance of conservation, are zoos that should be open and have a purpose. Not ones such as Mill Mountain Zoo, who does not keep the well-being of their animals at the forefront of their mission. read more

This is the smallest and unkept zoo I have ever been to. I paid $32 to get in .. there was about 10 animals there a bird cage and raccoon cage .. We did the whole zoo in about 8 minutes if that .. not worth the money read more

Went there with my parents and my girls (6 & 4). It's a very small zoo. Inexpensive, which was good, because max you'll probably spend there is 2 hrs. It's clean and cute. Has lots of potential. read more

Went to the zoo today. There were five of us (three adults and two toddlers). We came from Lynchburg and - based on online reviews - we were pretty excited, but when we got there, it was a major disappointment. It took us less that 20 minutes to walk the whole zoo as most of the animals were hiding or out of their cages due to "medical reasons." The kids couldn't see any of the animals. We did get the chance to see the Lynx up close but that alone wasn't worth the drive. They have a train for kids under eight but it wasn't running and you would have to be comfortable letting your child ride around the whole zoo without you. read more

My kids enjoy going there, they are young and it is manageable for small ones. My in-laws gave us an annual membership as a Christmas present and we have used it so many times. It is important to support our local treasures, so check out membership. read more

I just left this zoo and it was completely fantastic! I cannot say enough about this zoo. It had beautiful animals in a captivating environment. As a zookeeper myself I understand the day to day struggles of keeping zoo animals. They had pristine water bowls and at 3 in the afternoon this is a huge accomplishment! The price was fair with all of the amazing animals you got to see. I will be coming back to this zoo! read more