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    Texas Reptile Zoo

    5.0 (15 reviews)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Calvin W.

    Let me just say that I do not write reviews unless I am emotionally stirred. Texas Reptile Zoo is one of those places that gave me a special moment on one Sunday afternoon. Yes, it was hot like any other day in Texas, but my son (5 year old kinder) is in love with Dinosaurs and collecting animal teeth. He wanted a crocodile tooth and he already been to the Dinosaur Park a few times, I figure I give the Texas Reptile Zoo a try. It is just down the road from the Dinosaur place and like many places in Texas, you just must see it to experience it. We arrived at the zoo through a set of steel gates and ended up in a parking lot by ourselves. School has already started so I understand that this was probably a low season. I wasn't so sure it was the place but was greeted by Tim, the zookeeper (and owner) of the Retile Zoo. He assured me that the zoo was open, and I should come on in. So we did ... The entranceway was a modest room that functioned as the cashier, gift shop (a shelf on one wall), and a few snacks. It was nice and did not reek like entrance room to Capital of Texas Zoo, and if I could give it a word to describe it - cute. Just before the entrance was a deck area where several picnic benches and tables were set for birthday parties and gatherings. There were plenty of small warning signs about not touching things you are not supposed to touch - for your own protection of course! I was surprised that for such a small zoo, the owner spent a great deal of time arranging the exhibits in a way that made sense. The exhibits were broken up into zones. The first zone was a bit humid as it simulated a rain forest with many snakes and turtles and skinks. Each in their own well-built, well-lit, and clean exhibits. All the animals were eager to please. Only a few snakes slept while my son gawked at each and every one. A lot of 'look at this one, daddy' and 'look at that'. The other zones were similar, all clean habitats with each animal given a name. The Jungle Zone has a monitor named Lucky that comes out when his name is called. The arid zone, which I did not spend too much time in as it was hot, had fast-moving lizards. Tim tossed yellow flowers into their cages and we watched the fast lizards gobbled up the flowers. Tim, the zookeeper, stayed with us the whole time, and when we were touring the outside exhibits, he showed us copperhead snakes and rattlesnakes inside their cages. The best part where these turtles that came out of hiding when you start to wave your hands. There must had been 6 of them and they all came out from under bushes to say hi to my waving family. My wife thinks that was the coolest thing ever. Tim also showed us three land tortoises (Jack, Crissy and Janet) that live in a hole in the ground, but all came out of hiding when they smell strawberries. Tim also fed the crocodiles with chicken, which was always exciting for my little guy to see. I had a few conversations with Tim as I complimented him on his love for reptiles and building such a wonderful zoo. As it turned out, he was an architect and designed an herpetarium as a college project. Fell in love with it, quit his job, and followed his passion for reptiles - full time. A very nice man who gave us a personal tour on an otherwise boring Sunday afternoon. I mentioned to Tim that my son wanted a crocodile tooth and he said that they drain the croc pond every December and there are a ton of teeth in the bottom. Tim had never though of keeping the teeth but now he will. We will definitely be going back. A worthwhile trip for anyone who appreciates animals, and supporting local businesses built on honest hard work and passion.

    Best reptile zoo we have been to. All the animals were active. Got to see a live feeding of the crocs. & more attractions coming
    Kittythf F.

    Love this place. Will be back. More exhibits coming. Friendly family owned. Lots of beautiful reptiles to see. Go at 11 when they mist the animals and they are all active.

    Wendy H.

    Great guy who runs the place he gives you a personal tour and you can tell he loves what he does

    Sail Fin Lizard
    Ginger J.

    I attended a birthday party for my grand niece and nephew at the Texas Reptile Zoo. It was a big hit and very interesting. Included in the bday package was the activity of seeing the reptiles being fed. This was great because the animals were active and excited about getting their food. The zoo is not huge, but it is a very nice place and the owners are super nice and accommodating. Definitely worth the trip, check it out

    Awesome zoo with well cared for reptiles and knowledgeable staff. I got to see the Asian water monitor and crocodiles being fed. The staff was very friendly and answered all the questions I had on the tour. I brought my one year old son and he enjoyed the visit as well. There is a variety of both venomous and non venomous reptiles and each section of the zoo caters to the humidity, light and temperature needs of each animal. I drove an hour out to see the zoo and will definitely be back soon!

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Owners were very nice and they helped me extend my knowledge of reptiles! They had crocodile, snake, and lizard feedings!

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    Ask the Community - Texas Reptile Zoo

    Review Highlights - Texas Reptile Zoo

    I wasn't so sure it was the place but was greeted by Tim, the zookeeper (and owner) of the Retile Zoo.

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    Capital of Texas Zoo - Rust in one of the many rusting bird cages.

    Capital of Texas Zoo

    3.7(182 reviews)
    6.5 mi

    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.

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    Capital of Texas Zoo - Breaker panel left open on the public trail.

    Breaker panel left open on the public trail.

    Capital of Texas Zoo - Rotting bench

    Rotting bench

    Capital of Texas Zoo - Just left right out right near the public area next to enclosures.

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    Just left right out right near the public area next to enclosures.

    Austin Nature & Science Center - Red tail hawk

    Austin Nature & Science Center

    4.6(147 reviews)
    26.3 mi78704 (South Austin)

    Great FREE option in Austin for kids!…read more One of the best parts is you can see an axolotl (two, actually) in their visitor center building. Then you can head over to the birds of prey, the reptile/fish building, and the animal enclosures. There's also a little lake and a large sand pit (dino dig). There's a cool room in the visitor center that has all sorts of nature items (bones, dead bugs, shells, rocks, etc.). You can bring in your own stuff to trade! Is it a huge amount of things to do/see? No but for a free attraction, it's pretty great. Parking is across the street -- lot is shared with Zilker Park and all the nearby attractions so it can get busy.

    The Austin nature and science center is one of our favorite places to take our 4 kids in Austin and…read moreeven better, it's totally free! But when you do go, please make sure to scan the QR code to track and log your visit. It helps with their funding and takes less than 2 minutes. My kids spent close to 30 mins in the Dino dig area alone. There are so many different sand pits for them to dig and use brushes in. The birds of prey area is awesome! And while the indoor reptile area is small, my kids always have fun finding where everything is hiding nonetheless. The indoor welcome center has so much for them to learn and touch, and they love bringing things to turn in to the front desk to collect points and coins to use in the "shop". I highly recommend! Great for a homeschool field trip too :)

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    Austin Nature & Science Center
    Austin Nature & Science Center - Fishing pond

    Fishing pond

    Austin Nature & Science Center

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    Hatari Wildlife Park

    Hatari Wildlife Park

    3.3(3 reviews)
    50.4 mi

    Closed permanently. This app requires me to put 85 characters in this box. This place is no longer…read moreopen.

    What an amazing adventure! Purchase tickets in advance online or at the small drive thru hut upon…read moreyour arrival. We saved $3 per ticket by purchasing online! Kids under 3 are free-- also have additional prices for active duty military and seniors. Feed bags are very generous and an additional $4 per bag. Animal information brochures are provided with ticket purchase and show interesting facts and information about many- but not nearly all- of what you will see. The drive through park is a bit shorter than some when comparing to others around Texas and you are encouraged to throw feed and not hand feed. But the boardwalk and activities in the middle section (called Explorers Retreat) more than make up for it. The boardwalk has an additional walk through area where you can feed and view more animals and you can grab another animal brochure in your way in. This area is stroller and wheelchair friendly. The explorers area also has other fun activities like food trucks, gemstone mining for $10, feed Puzzles the giraffe for $4 or $8 depending on the feed you choose, a bar, porta potties, a gift shop, and free petting zoo. Though many of the additional activities cost $$, the boardwalk walk through and petting zoo is free and included with your ticket purchase and it's definitely worth getting out to explore. Gemstone mining was $10 and included a gem card and a large bag of dirt and gems to clean in the moving water table. Marilyn, the woman in charge of this area, made it more than worth our money by drawing out the activity and engaging the kids. She really added to the experience. Feeding the giraffe was fun but quick and could have used some more positive interactions, facts and information about giraffes from employees to enhance the experience for the kids. You are able to drive through as many times as you want after buying the day pass and we took advantage, driving through 3 times with our two bags of food. Pro tips- change drivers and seat positions during each new drive through for different perspectives, bring cups to separate food and give each person their own cup full, bring cameras and binoculars. We absolutely loved our experience and would have purchased season passes if they were a little more affordable. We can't wait to go back!

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    Hatari Wildlife Park
    Hatari Wildlife Park
    Hatari Wildlife Park

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    Austin Zoo - Keep your hands clean, just not in the petting zoo

    Austin Zoo

    3.9(499 reviews)
    35.1 mi

    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

    Horrible service!! As I was walking around with my grandchildren I saw several workers on their…read morephones, so unprofessional. I've heard rumors they treat the animals poorly and when I saw the animals I'm starting to believe them. I've also heard about what they do to the animals dead bodies and I'm DISGUSTED. I saw serval cages empty, really makes you think why is that? What are they doing to these poor animals because from my own knowledge you're not supposed to put an animal that been held CAPTIVE back into the wild. Even with that one of the workers told me that evil place is their forever home more like forever prison or death sentence. I also saw rust in the water the animals were drinking and this is what they claim is an animal sanctuary?? On top of all of this I saw a worker with no bra on and nearly got flashed, MY GRANDKIDS were with me. On top of all of this I met a woman Kim and she was SO RUDE and made my grandkids uncomfortable. That woman immediately gave me predatory vibes and I felt like I needed to get them out of there as soon as possible. I will NEVER return.

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    Austin Zoo
    Austin Zoo - The capybara encounter is everything!!!

    The capybara encounter is everything!!!

    Austin Zoo - This is the closest we came to a living creature

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    This is the closest we came to a living creature

    Texas Reptile Zoo - zoos - Updated May 2026

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