I hope this zoo receives some tourism/municipal/conservation/education funding, gets some renovations underway, and pursues proper AZA accreditation. It would be great to see improved habitats (less concrete for these critters) and enrichment (the coati are mostly playing with human children's toys), more education opportunities for the animals with a conservation/rescue narrative (one of the ungulates was missing a plaque altogether). The native species angle could tell a great story here and be super engaging for the tourists and road trippers who come through. Some food opportunities would have kept us around a bit longer (there's totally room for food/coffee trucks in the empty parking lot), and generally improved guest facilities would go a long way. read more

I was expecting to see more animals but alot of the animals environment were empty. But if you have 30-45 minutes you should stop by. It's free always taking donations and it's has a park next door for children to explore. read more

Spring River Park and Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

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What a fun zoo, very laid back and the animals seemed relaxed and comfortable enough to play during the day, probably because their enclosures were large. read more

Not sure as to why this place is considered a zoo. It's literally a park with a few random cages that has some sad looking animals inside them. The cages all looked old and rundown to begin with. We encountered a few different animals and also some birds.. They need to be put in a real zoo and not be left at this sad place.. so sad. read more

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It's a small zoo but nice . Probably just the right size for kids to walk without complaining . Most animals were enjoying the shade inside their enclosures because it's summer and HOT HOT HOT ! One of the bears were out and enjoying a swim . I liked the information boards in front of the animals enclosures . They have a carousel that is all original and restored with wooden animals . There is also a nice park right next to it that kids can enjoy after walking through the zoo. read more

Took kids, larger then we expected, some cool animals, old merry go round, and peacock feathers all over. We had fun.

I went to this zoo a couple years ago during a road trip from LA to Chicago. My Dad remembered being able to hear Lions roaring from the zoo at his grandparents house in Roswell, so we decided to stop by and see if the zoo was still there. Let me tell you, that was a GREAT decision. First off the zoo is free which I am huge supporter of. It is certainly a small zoo with outdated cages and exhibits, which at first glance seem depressing for the animals and not in their best interests. However, I very quickly found that almost all of the animals there were very happy and playful. Many interacted with us as we watched them, there were no animals pacing back and forth the same pattern over and over again, and somehow I could just sense that they were happy. In some of the most elaborate exhibits I've seen at big city zoos, the animals just sit looking depressed or walk back and forth looking at the wall, but in Roswell despite many cages simply being a chain link fence or an oversized bird cage, the animals seemed to love life. There was a great Llama that loved interacting with us, a bunch of ponies that ran around and played with each other the whole time and some majestic longhorns watching the ponies play. There are many animals you find in America, including Bison, a variety of foxes, bobcats, Mountain Lions, Coyotes, Antelope, Bald Eagles, Hawks, Owls, and free-roaming Peacocks. There was also a cool old-fashioned playground right outside the zoo with a rocket ship slide. Perfect for Roswell! read more

Free zoo that is in a park. This location was hard to find on the GPS for some reason it took us to the Art Museum, but they lady there was very helpful and directed us the right way....but it all worked out because we wanted to check out the Museum as well. At this zoo, They have some animals that looked sad and hot in the heat. I felt bad for them. They have a little pond where the ducks hang out and a carousel at the zoo as well. It's not a big zoo, so don't expect to be blown away. read more

Animals (bears particularly) are not properly taken care of. If you truly care about the animals, I'm not sure how you could support this business. If you do decide to visit please ask them how they will improve the habitats and facilities for those poor bears. read more

The reason it gets 5 stars is the zoo. Clean and calming and fun for families. Went to sundae Sunday and the worker was rude to my younger brother. Turned us off from that event but besides that it was a great experience! read more

We stopped at this zoo on our way to Nogal, NM to let the kids run around and stretch their legs. Given that this was a free zoo in Roswell, my expectations were not high. However, this zoo didn't even meet the lowest expectations. Like previous reviews have mentioned this zoo is DEPRESSING. The cages are tiny and looked as though they hadn't been cleaned in a very long time. None of the animals looked happy. The one employee we talked to was friendly (only positive I can say). He told us this zoo is "baby sitting" a pair of bears from another zoo while their home exhibit is under construction. The visiting bears and resident bears all seemed agitated and looked like they were plotting their escape. The state of the restrooms was also disgusting. There was no toilet paper, soap, or paper towels. And the lights didn't work. In one stall ceiling tiles were broken and in the other stall the ceiling had collapsed. I was ready to liberate all the animals by the time we left. read more

I am making this review just to tell everyone how great this zoo is. I am traveling, and stopped in Roswell. I found the zoo by accident, and I'm so glad I came across it. It was one of the most entertaining parts of the town, and it's absolutely free. The animals are pretty interactive. The animals in the kids zoo are very friendly and let you pet them. When you first pull into the park, you can't see how many animals there are because they are off to the right. I came in the winter, so the bigger animals were gone (bears, lions), but there were still enough animals to spend about an hour looking at. There is a nice little playground for kids. Peacocks roam free. The park is well maintained. All around a great place to check out. read more

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I agree with most of the reviews. This is a well-kept place. It was free to get in. Most of the animals were local animals you could find in the states, but they did have ring-tailed lemurs. What I loved most about this zoo was that I felt you got a good view of the animals. I got some great photos of the lemur and the beaver as he was swimming in his pond. We also got to observe some young bears playing. I feel like this is a great experience for children because they have the potential to see a lot without the crowding that usually occurs at zoos. This was also a park where you could go to picnic or take your kids to play. There was an antique wooden horse carousel that was simply beautiful to look at and a train. The prices for food were highly reasonable. I was able to get a snow cone for 75 cents. The lines for food can get quite long, but considering the prices and the fact that the park is free and kept up nicely, it's well worth it! read more

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The park around the zoo was nice for a picnic or to let kids play. Please don't take your kids to the "Zoo" section. Animals in too small enclosures in disrepair. Time to close this "Zoo", Roswell! Very sad to see the animals in these conditions. read more

Very nice free little zoo. Well kept animals. Bear seemed very old. read more

Spring River Park and Zoo - Train at zoo - Zoos Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

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Nice atmosphere, entertaining, animals of all kind, and its free and fun for all...It was my first time on vacation visiting Roswell it's been wonderful. read more

Spring River Park and Zoo - Beautiful white peacock. - Zoos Near Me - Roswell, New Mexico

Ya know, I went to visit this zoo, trying to keep an open mind. Being located in a small, weird little town like Roswell, I didn't know what to expect. I knew it wouldn't be as nice as the one in Albuquerque, but that is comparing apples and oranges. But both are zoos that house exotic animals. At any rate, this zoo was tiny, empty, and depressing. Very few animals. Very few visitors. At one point I encountered a staff member, possibly maintenance guy, who I asked a question to. Was trying to find out where one of the exhibits was. He responded with a nasty attitude and acted like I was bothering him. Why do you work here if you're going to have a nasty attitude to visitors? The area of town it's in is also a sad and depressing sight. Do yourself a favor when you're in Roswell, and skip the zoo. Not worth your time or effort. It's free, and I guess at least I didn't feel cheated out of my hard-earned money. That's the best thing I can say. The animals looked stressed and tired. read more

Great play area for kids and a beautiful park. Cute duck pond with great areas for a picnic. Zoo area is just depressing, animals stuffed into cages three times too small. Bears are obviously in distress. If you don't care about the animals feelings and just want your kids to see a few animals, then it'll do... But mostly it's just a relic of a time when animals were treated as commodities. read more

This is a free zoo, and if I could give it less than one star I would. If I had to give one word to describe this zoo it would be, depressing. The cages are too small. The 2 bears, the cougar, and all raptors were in cages too small for them to comfortably move around in. They have bigger cages that were empty and seemed more appropriate for these critters. It seemed like they haphazardly placed the animals. Zoos are supposed to be a place of conservation and protection. These animals looked miserable. This zoo is why some people have extreme misconceptions about zoos and the good they can do. read more

We had a few hours between activities so we stopped by. We had very low expectations since it is free but we thought it was great. Playground, restrooms, train and concessions were there too. We neeed to get out of the car after a long drive and it was the perfect spot. The bald eagles were awesome. read more

never judge a book by its cover great for the kids loved it allthough did not get to ride on the train had a good time

An unexpected surprise. We stopped in the parking lot, deciding what our next move was going to be. Spotted an American eagle in a nearby cage and thought what the heck... We got down and looked around and were just pleasantly surprised at all the animals that were on display " for free ", I might add. Eagles, black bears, mountain lions, Bobcats, lemurs, bison, Hawks, a grey wolf.. I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy to see all the different animals but sad to see that they were so isolated and in small enclosures. Was surprised to see that not very many people utilize this free venue. If I lived here in Roswell, I would definitely make it a point to to improve the living conditions of these amazing animals so that everyone could enjoy them more. read more

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The zoo is free. Let that temper your expectations. I enjoyed walking around and checking out all the exhibits. The concessions weren't open when I visited in January. read more

I went to this small zoo and park as a kid and had to take my kids on our road trip this summer! It amazes me that there is a free zoo in the middle of a city park! So cool! There is also a little train and full size carousel $0.25 per rider! So fun! read more

Great zoo! Probably the most fun in Roswell and it's free!

This is a quaint park. I'm surprised at how much it has for free. The animals were all out on display and my daughter loved it! They have two play grounds for the kids and picnic tables. The train and concession stand were closed. They also have a fishing area for kids only. It is old and probably has limited funds, so it shows. Such a shame...it really is a great tourist spot, especially since it's free! read more

I really like this place. I take my kids here all the time. Most of the animals are asleep but it's still a very cute zoo park and it's free. It's not dirty it's actually well kept. I would say maybe add some new playground equipment since it's pretty dated. read more

Not a great zoo at all... So it's free...yeah that's why i give it one star the animals aren't cared for and there is mountains of poop in every cage which you can clearly tell have not been cleaned in about a week or so. We had a concern about opn of the animals because not only did it look like it had been attacked it ciould barely walk and there were holes near his cage big enough for a coyote or wild dog to crawl in and attack him. When we brought this to their attention they said they "have the luxury of euthanizing a dog if they get in." These people do not care anything about any animals and this zoo needs a lot of help, Not to mention the gate is not buitl to keep anyone out at night , which makes it easy for some rotten youth to hop the gate and mess with the animals.. This zoo needs help and lesson on how to treat animals! read more

Being as I am from Roswell, NM, but I have traveled the globe. I can say that while this zoo doesn't have all those eye catching enclosures or temperature controlled enclosures that some do, this is a very well kept and maintained zoo. Yes if you visit in the warmer months and in the middle of the day, most of the animals will be taking a siesta, but if you lived here you would know why. The zoo has lots of things from a train and carousel to a small play area for kids. The train and carousel do not run all the time, they have to be closed occasionally for maintenance. I absolutely love this little zoo and visit it often. People need to realize that most of the animals we have are native to the state of New Mexico and are adapted to our weather and extreme temperatures. The lemurs are from Madagascar and they are used to some pretty extreme weather themselves. I truly love this zoo and recommend that everyone go visit, even if you are just passing through! read more

Great little zoo with plenty of opportunities to interact with the animals. Enjoyed by the whole family while passing through Roswell. I've never been so close to Bald Eagles. Worth an hour of your time. read more

We visited the zoo this past weekend with our 4 year old and we all enjoyed it. The zoo area can be viewed in about 30 minutes depending on how fast or slow you prefer to walk, and there is a nice selection of animals. Since it is a small zoo you are able to see the animals much closer than at a large zoo. There is a carousel and train that goes around the park and also a beautiful shaded play area with play equipment. Plus, it's FREE! Great place to visit while driving through. read more