We attended the Brew at the Zoo Night on Saturday, September 12th. It exceeded our expectations. The food, drinks, and activities were fabulous. The staff did an amazing job with the entire event. The icing on the cake was when I won a basket from the raffle. Thank you for a great evening. We cannot wait to attend the next event in the Spring. Connie & Dave N. read more

What a treasure! This family-owned zoo is populated by a lot of rescued animals, and their philosophy is to save animals injured in the Wild, or taken or surrendered from folks who had them illegally, unable to care for them. All the staff are incredibly knowledgeable about all of the animals in their care. A standout was Nick, who shared the backstory of the gibbons, the sloth, and others, we learned so much from him in just a few minutes! They are currently seeking status that will allow them to apply for grants, and they have a donation box to help them improve/increase one of the bear enclosures. If you can visit, definitely do so. If you can donate, so much the better! read more

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I'm an empty nester and I enjoyed it very much I did go right after feeding so a lot of the large animals were taking a siesta. I think next time I will go at meal times or before they close. They do have a lot of goats and all they want is food haha the larger ones will buck the smaller ones I put one or two pieces in one hand then a handful in the other and feed the smaller ones haha I'm thinking of buying a membership for those days I just don't know what to do. I think it's worth it because you are invited to other events. They do such a great job with recuses an if I go 4 times it pays for my membership. Thanks for what you do to all the staff read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - My favorite turtles - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

Poor signage; rutted walkways; park reeks of animal excrement - odor absorbed into clothing; several inhabited enclosures overrun with weeds and refuse. Saw no adult staff; any staff seen, seemed to be no older than high school. Despite some animals listed as rescues, their current living conditions can't be much better than what they came from. Is this "zoo" accredited or overseen by any animal welfare agencies - if not, it should be. The posted "sponsors" should each adopt an enclosure and/or section of the park for improvements. A real disappointment to our family. read more

At first, I thought the ticket price for the zoo was a little high, but after going through and seeing how many animals they had, I knew it was worth it! A lot of the animals were very beautiful. From the giraffe to the tigers to the bison! I love reading the stories of each of the animals, and knowing that many of them are rescued! Although I thought some of the animals had fairly small areas, it was great to see so many of the animals up close. This was a great place to take kids. read more

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Very disappointed with my visit. I made a 3-hour round trip to visit this zoo and left feeling heartbroken by the condition of some of the enclosures and the overall appearance of the facility. The turtle enclosure in particular was very concerning, with murky water and poor visibility. What was even more disappointing was the owner's response to my honest review. Instead of addressing my concerns, I was accused of being a liar and an "animal activist." Please look up my full review on Google, along with the owner's response and my reply, so you can see exactly what happened. I believe visitors should be able to share their experiences and concerns without being attacked. read more

This zoo was so sad. We went on a cold, muddy, snowy day. The conditions for the animals were so sad. A parrot was ripping out his feathers. Cougars were crying and pacing the fence. The camel looked distressed and the bison had no water, food, or any grass. The pigs seemed to enjoy the muddy pens though. Please look up the animal welfare violations before attending. read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Caged bear. Tiny enclosure. Heartbreaking - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

Surprised by the the amount of large animals they had. Lots of spots that kids can interact with some animals (feed them). The staff I saw and interacted with were very nice and friendly. My daughter had a ball and would definitely come back here again. read more

Nice little zoo. Staff were friendly and interactive. They genuinely seemed happy to be there. Highlights of this zoo for me were a white tiger, black and brown bears, nice walking path. Animals were active although I know this can be hit and miss. Hard to take good photos tho because of wired cages. read more

Kids had fun with the animals especially the ones they could feed or pet. It was great!

We had the best time especially feeding the goats, giraffe,at the kids petting zoo. Our 1 1/2 year old had a blast. It was a terrific place to educate him while he could feed them. He had his favorite spots! read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - The children were at the feeding zoo having fun! - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

The animals look very sad. Didn't like it at all, not to much animals to see like the pictures from the reviews before. Wish the animals would have a bigger enclosure some of them are very small and they don't even look happy there felt sorry for them. Admission fee is way to high for the quality of the zoo and animals personally I will not go back. The visit was okay nothing especial very beautiful animals but they need better care and space. Horrible enclosure and very small like I said I left sad because I don't like see animals so beautiful looking unhappy and not well taken care of that deserve the bes in the world. read more

Very nice zoo, not real big but lots of different animals to visit and feed. Low prices make it even better

Such an amazing place! Went for the second time this past weekend and had a blast; love the peacocks and chickens roaming freely all over the property! Such a great non-profit place to support!! The baby Wallaby was adorable!! I would highly recommend going. We bought tickets online, but you definitely don't need to. They do offer a discount for tickets purchased online a day or two ahead of time I think (I'm not 100% sure so don't take my word for it!) read more

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Been wanting to check out this location...always like the parks where the animals are in close proximity to one another..the bigger zoos are just a lot more walking and less animals! This location felt similar to a smaller version of Catoctin zoo, almost like a huge farm with wild animals. Nice place. We live about 2 hours south of here and will try to come again when driving through! The animals seemed happy for being rescues! Not sure why there were complaints about small enclosures. It did not seem that way. As long as animals are being fed, not lonely, and have things to keep their mind busy... they have a good life. I would recommend a few more benches around the park though. Would have preferred to not be there during a school group but oh well. read more

We took a group trip with homeschool kids and they had a great time. Its a small zoo, well kept with friendly employees. The kids loved the fact there are many animals you can actually pet (goats, sheep and donkeys). I also felt the prices inside were not that bad. Feed cups for the animals are small for $1.50 and large for $3.00. We bought a tee shirt for $18.99. We had a great trip. read more

We love Plumpton. Kid friendly, lots of shade, snacks, store. You can feed goats, sheep, and alpacas. Very clean and the perfect day with littles! We are already planning our next trip! read more

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I came here yesterday with my 2.5 year old son. Overall the zoo is well kept and easy to navigate. It's on the smaller side so it was easy for my little guy to walk around with just the wagon we had. There was a variety of animals however some of the larger animals were pacing in their enclosures which was hard for me to see. The cougars, bears, tigers and lion definitely need bigger enclosures. But the artic wolves in the back of the zoo were definitely over heated and need larger spaces to roam and more shade. They obviously were struggling in this hot weather. Overall it was A good experience however I think the enclosures need to be larger and more money put into stimulation for the animals. read more

Loved this zoo. My family and I had a fantastic trip! The lions was our favorite. The staff was super helpful and read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Lions - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

Such a great little zoo. Big enough that there are lots of animals ( and trees,etc.) to enjoy , yet not so big that it becomes exhausting. I appreciate that the animals are rescues. They all seem happy with their homes, eating well, given engaging surroundings, and that the staff is continually working to make improvements for the animals as well as the guests, including a play/ picnic area for guests to enjoy. I highly recommend you visit Plumpton Park zoo, it's great for all ages. read more

Lots of animals and educational plaques. We loved seeing Shadow and Spike, the wallabies and the baby wallaby, and feeding the sweet donkeys. read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Kimba the white lion - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

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Quaint little zoo! Passing through and decided to stop. It's not huge but it's not tiny either... I will say it's very different that you can buy animal food at the front and get up close to a lot of the animals! And yes, you can feed a lot of them... some of the animals are a bit further away and some need special food... like the giraffe which you can by different food and give it to them... All in all pretty fun and kids really like it. And yes there is a play area for them... and you can even pan for gold... Nice outing with out being overwhelming. read more

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A friend of mine recommended going to plumpton park zoo because she took her kids there and was telling me that all the animals there were rescues and i couldn't believe it until i went for myself. was so nice perfect weather for it and it was definetly not crowded so that was nice. only thing is that the reptile house was not open so we couldn't go in but over all i would recommend it to everyone to go and support them to help the animals. read more

Not the biggest zoo, but if you like cats (cougar, Tigers, lions) this is your place. They have other great animals too (giraffes, bears, Goats, camels, raptors, etc); but I think they have more cats than the Baltimore Zoo. They also have wolves (who seem pretty happy to be there). Many of these animals are rescues, including their newest ambassador Harley the wolf pup. Great place to visit for people of all ages - and if you want to see the animals after sunset (when some are more active) make sure to attend one of their annual fundraisers like Brew at the Zoo. read more

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I love this place. It's the perfect size for children. Assortment of animals who looked well cared for. Enjoy! read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Bear. He is big!! - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

I worked here as a volunteer for a while, and everybody was pretty nice. Their animals are typically rescues which is also good. Everyone works really hard to keep this zoo awesome and give the animals the care they need. They have a lot of cool animals to look at, and it's a really cool zoo! Also, every Halloween, they host Zombies at the Zoo, and I go nearly every year with my family! There's peacocks that walk around freely, lots of animals to visit, and a reptile enclosure as well which recently got remade. Awesome zoo! It's great and I love this place a lot :) read more

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Small zoo with everything from bears, tigers, cougars to llamas, pigs, alligators, monkeys, macaws and turtles. Felt bad for the tigers, bears, and giraffes. Not enough space for them for my liking, unfortunately. Totally not enough hand sanitizer stations. Only one we did fine was empty...JUST after feeding a donkey You can pay for a cup of food to feed animals. They didn't offer and I didn't know until in zoo. There's sanitizer at exit. Used an online coupon found on localflavors.com. Paid 23.90 for 2 adults and 2 kids with it. WIN! Retail value is $47-ish You can bring food. There is a picnic area and small snack area with souvenirs and snack food/hot dogs. Worth taking little ones for an afternoon. read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Selfie with a zebra - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

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We took my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, who loves animals, here. She had so much fun feeding the goats, sheep, and donkeys. It is not a large zoo/petting zoo, which is perfect for little ones! Besides being a zoo, it is also an animal rescue, and the staff are ultra friendly! Just be aware that the snack bar is just that - candy, chips, ice cream. We were there in April, so maybe during the summer the menu expands, but if you need more substantial food, you can bring in your own food to their picnic area only. read more

The whole place felt dingy and dirty, and unfriendly. The animals looked dirty and sad, and so did most of the staff. Based on the location and no word of mouth, I went in skeptical, and sadly this "zoo" did nothing to win me over. Would never go again. Check out Zoo America or Lehigh Valley Zoo instead. No pics to show, as we didn't even take any! How sad is that? Full disclosure, we went with our 6yo daughter who did seem to enjoy it well enough. read more

It was a pleasant experience to go there at the Zoo. It's great for young children and reasonably priced.

This zoo is amazing. So up close and personal with the animals. Very well maintained and the staff is friendly and informative. Well worth stopping in if you're in the area. read more

We purchased the Giraffe Feeding Birthday package for my daughter,family, and friends. This package included a guided tour and giraffe feeding. Our tour guide Carrie, was amazing, friendly, and informative....she helped keep us on pace to get back to the pavilion for cake and presents. A supervisor, Michelle, was very personable and helpful when I called to ask her questions and logistics of the party. What a wonderful day for my 8 year old daughter....our whole group, adults and children, had a fantastic day thanks to Plumpton Park Zoo!!! read more

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I would give this place a 0 if I could. The animals are in tiny enclosures with no enrichment items. Many animals did not have fresh water on a day that was over 100 degrees and many were heavily panting under the minimal shade in their enclosures. The highland cow and camels had huge mats in their hair. It seems that the reptile house has been under construction for years which would've been a highlight for me. The constant pacing of the tigers, bears, and sloth were enough to make me leave after 30 minutes and feel horrible for supporting it. read more

I've been there 2x now. When I first went like 2 years ago I saw they were doing some construction thinking they would amplify the space for the larger animals (bears, tigers and camels). Went back there this past weekend and they are still in SUPER SMALL CAGES! The one European Brown bear they have by himself had the saddest look on his face that I'd never forget! The tigers and the camels cage are extremely small!!! These are large animals that NEED enough room . Not bad enough they have to be kept in a cage let alone in a super tiny one. And the funny part is that the property is pretty big, so they absolutely have conditions to give those poor souls more room to run. I won't be coming back until I now they are giving these animals a better living condition. read more

Amazing zoo that has quickly become our favorite! Tons of great animals in well kept larger enclosures, friendly staff, reasonable admission, and a petting zoo! Best part, many of the animals are rescues!!!! We drive from Philadelphia just to visit this zoo for the day because we have fallen in love with it! read more

Grandkids always have a great time. Animals look well cared for. Definitely come back again. Nice on hot days that you can bring your own water. read more

Great little zoo for the family with young kids or the grandparents looking for some place to take the young grand kids! The staff is super friendly and will gladly provide any information about the animals. Small improvement needed.. consistency on the information placards for the animal expedites.. I really enjoy learning about the history of the animals and reading it to my grandson. Highly recommend ! read more

The Zoo is a really nice place to visit for families. I & my handicapped daughter are of senior citizens. She uses a walker and found it extremely difficult to walk the dirt and gravel paths. At the least, a warning about its non- handicapped status would help. The walkway surface was not condusive to a walker with wheels and She could barely fit in the womens bathroom & stall with her walker. We struggled to walk aroud for almost an hour and found only one bench to sit on to rest. The refreshment stand was good for snacks and only served hot dogs & chicken fingers. Most families brought a picnic from home. I would not go again at lunch time Or any time. My daughter liked the animals so we kept going for an hour. I had to bring my car up to the entrance from the parking lot, for fear of her falling, A warning for people using walkers or wheelchairs, would have been helpful, on the website. read more

Plumpton Park Zoo is a hidden gem! If you like a more up close and personal visit with animals, this is the place for you! If not, go to the big zoos that are crowded, overpriced and require binoculars to see their animals. This zoo may not have all the exotic animals of the big brand zoos but what it lacks on that front it surely makes up for in simple natural fun! Very family and youth friendly as well as reasonably priced! (My kiddos had a blast feeding the giraffe, the montjacs and watching the jackals during their feeding time.) We are repeat visitors. read more

There are obvious advantages to coming to a zoo like this one because the atmosphere is more laid back, you can get closer to everything and naturally the prices are far more reasonable than a visit to Philly or Baltimore. The downside would be zero staff interaction, no interpretive programs that exist at similar sized zoos and you really have to wonder about the enclosure size that certain animals are kept in because for a few it's clearly not right. We spent almost two hours here last week and to my surprise upon arriving the parking lot was actually filled up more than I thought it would be for a Monday but even with that nothing felt overly crowded during our visit. The one real letdown we had was the one time we had to interact with some staff. We get to the window to pay and see there are three young "kids" who are "working". One of them is sitting down with headphones on and is oblivious to the fact that paying customers are standing at the window, another guy sees us and then walks out of the building while the third person is doing all the work waiting on the snack bar side/gift shop side of the building then eventually getting to us. The map they give you is key as the map on their website is not indicative to where animals are currently. Certain animals like the giraffe and the watuzi are in the same places but other animals like the chickens are in a different spot and other animals like the bear cubs are not even on the map. Worth noting is that on weekends you can feed their giraffe, Jimmie, at certain times for an additional fee and on a daily basis you can buy cups of feed for the animals in the "petting zoo" area which isn't really an area as the animals are more scattered on the one side of the zoo. The map they give has the appropriate animals color coded for feeding which is good because there is no signage telling you which are alright to feed. Overall we had a good time here as the size is very manageable, there is a good mix of animals and the setting is very bucolic out in the middle of nowhere rural Maryland. But, certain animal enclosures (tigers, python, prairie dogs) are not right for the animals and there is no staff interaction like you would find at any other zoo where you can see animals getting fed at a scheduled time or some kind of "meet the keeper" type of program that tells the public what is going on. It's neat, it's cute, it's good for something new but it doesn't replace what you would get at a big boy zoo in any way, shape or form. If you go: Plumpton Park is open year round except for Thanksgiving & Christmas Day normally from 10-4 or from 10-5. Admission is Adults $11.95, Seniors $9.95, Children (Ages 2 - 12) $7.95, Children ( under 2 ) FREE but discounts are available online that help to lower the price a bit. read more

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