ZooAmerica can be a fun break from a long day of rides. Admission is included with Hershey Park tickets after all. If rides aren't for you, tickets can be purchased independently. I've stopped in on most of my visits. I usually spend at least a half hour at the Zoo, although a more detailed visit could take up to an hour or two. Its far from the best Zoo in the country, but they seem to take care of their animals well and focus on domestic animals only. Absolutely worth a combined trip. Not quite sure it would be worth as a stand alone. I do not have a lot else to say. Enjoy! read more

This zoo focuses on animals of North America. I enjoyed it, but some of the exhibits needed some attention. The indoor exhibit had a putrid odor of cat urine and needed to be cleaned. Most of the enclosures provided a decent expanse of land for the larger animals to explore. I think it might be better to visit either early morning or later in the day, as most of the animals were sleeping when we visited. I found the price of $16.50 to be reasonable enough, but if you are at Hershey Park it is included with your admission price. Parking is scarce, but we managed to score a spot just as someone else was leaving. read more

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Small but great zoo. We were at the mountain lion exhibit for the enrichment activity. They got rats to eat on their George Purrman grill lol. read more

ZooAmerica - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

Upon driving into the parking lot I was greeted by the security who seemed pleased. I parked and went inside with my family. I love animals so this seemed as though it would be a pleasant experience. Very well maintained and clean facility. I saw some of my favorite common animals such as deer, wild turkeys, prairie dogs and even vultures. Ewww!! More exotic animals to the area that I was in were mountain lions, wolves, bears and owls. All very fun to watch although I felt as though the wolves were spying me for prey. Campus staff were helpful with my questions but none were overly friendly or enthusiastic as I've seen in other animal parks. I didn't eat any of the foods for sale at the park but I only visited for the final hour of their open time. Overall it's a small but quaint zoo. Not too overwhelming but not too small either. In my opinion just large enough to satisfy my curiosity and enthusiasm. I'd like to continue the tour another day to get a complete picture of everything that they have to offer. Side note: There's a tram connecting the zoo to Hershey Theme Park, so that's a plus if you enjoy riding roller coasters. read more

We enjoyed our time at ZooAmerica with our toddler. It is the perfect size for smaller kids. I think older children would be very bored going through here, but our 18 month old had a great time. Admission costs are fair (kids 2 @ under are free). The staff were very friendly. The grounds were clean and well taken care of. Don't expect to see anything wild and crazy here - it is a North American zoo. The highlight for us was seeing the black bear! I would definitely recommend checking out ZooAmerica if looking for a quick and easy activity to entertain little ones. read more

ZooAmerica - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

I appreciate that even though "zoo" appears in the name of this place, that they consider themselves a wildlife park. Or, if you want to look at them as a zoo, you can consider this to be a niche zoo. See, it's all in their name there. They only offer animals for viewing from the North American continent. In fact, when you buy your entry at the main gate, they actually tell you that and not to expect anything too exotic. Once inside you are able to go about this place however you feel. You can go in any direction and are guaranteed to see everything they have to offer. You can go as fast or slow as you want and be in your own world the whole time you are here. When I showed up it was a weekday in September and the park was not packed in the least. In fact, there were so many few people in here I found it to be enjoyable. I parked in town at the nearby parking structure and walked over here, all I did was follow the signs and path laid out for you. I really enjoyed the fact that they had a tunnel that went under the road for safe crossing if you in fact walk here. Inside, I did follow a few paths, but went off on my own a lot to spy as much as I could of the animals. Sometimes you have to circle the exhibits to make sure you can spot the animal within. I did enjoy the indoor exhibits a lot because it took you out of the elements. The first indoor exhibit that you can visit is basically a mixture of an aquarium and reptile house. It is definitely an eclectic mixture of animals. The American alligator exhibit can be a bit unsettling as the alligator feels like it is staring into your soul. Thank god for the glass barricade or else yo could be in danger. The second indoor exhibit kind of takes you through the desert biome. I really liked the portion that is in the rounded type building as they had roadrunners, burrowing owl and tortoise are all in one exhibit and it feels like a 'Where's Waldo' exhibit because you really need to search them out as they really blend into their surroundings. Across from there is the armadillos which are cute when they are conked out. Outside you get to see a lot of animals you may encounter when you are out in the wilderness within the country. Loads of birds; eagles, hawks, and owls. The bald eagle exhibit is interesting as you can sit there while having a snack and watch them the whole time. The bobcat looked like an unbothered housecat sitting on a perch taking a nap and right below him was the river otters. I took my time through the rest of the park to make sure I could spy the rest of the animals. The only one I think I didn't get a peek at was the black bear. I think he was inside the whole time and couldn't be bothered with the park guests. I also made sure to go up to the lookout spot for the mountain lion area. Before long, you are back to the beginning of the park. You can take another loop around in hopes of spotting an animal you missed, or you can head out of the park. Biggest gripe here, it's not huge. But, as they stated, this isn't a full fledged zoo. It's a zoo focusing on the animals of this continent. Thinking about that, the pricing for it is perfect. You're not paying too much for a perfectly sized wildlife park. read more

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Small zoo with animals from North America only. Good break from the amusement park for about an hour.

Nice rather limited Zoo area. But what can you expect in Hershey Choloate World! They had a range of regular animals and we were able to visit various exhibits and see most of the animals lounging around. Some were hard to see due to the time of day and their schedule of relaxing elsewhere. Recommend following the signs of the makeshft route, it allows you to see the exhibits in a smooth transition from one area to the other. read more

A bit of a disappointing zoo. The kids had fun, but I hadn't looked at it online, so I didn't realize how small it would be. Some really cute animals, but I'd recommend skipping it and riding rides instead. read more

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This is a quaint little zoo. It takes very little time to do the full circuit. They have a variety of animals from North America, but if you're looking for exotic animals, this isn't the place to go. Helpful to manage expectations before you go. I think this would be good for families with small children that get bored fairly easily. Enough to keep their attention for maybe an hour, then move on with the day. Very glad I got a discount through reciprocity as a member of my local zoo, though having gone once, I wouldn't pay full price, and would be less inclined to go again, even with the discount. Unless they make some changes and maybe expanded some. read more

Staff is nice. Also this could be good for little ones. I've been here several times, and I think Hershey may be winding this down. Either that I'm getting older and more of a curmudgeon. They just seem to not have a lot, at least compared to what I remember. It is a little disappointing. Kids will appreciate the opportunity to see the animals. They certainly look well cared for. Yet I think this needs to be updated, or it's going to become less relevant. My hope is the park will, but time will tell. read more

ZooAmerica - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

This isn't what I expected to experience when I chose to visit ZooAmerica. I will admit that I did not do my research prior to arrival. I relied on word of mouth and previous experiences at zoos. This facility literally took less than an hour to walk through... including paying for tickets & 2 bathroom breaks! There are NO large animals here. It's mainly small animals, birds, and reptiles. It is all walking through a 'suggested route' on your own. There is no petting zoo and very few souvenirs (if you're looking for memorabilia other than your own photos.) To save you some $... if you're going to Hershey Park (across the street) this animal exhibit (not worth calling it a zoo) is included in your admittance ticket price and you are able to walk back & forth to/from the park. No need to pay separate admission if you go to both in the same day. read more

My significant other and I were enjoying Hersheypark and then we suddenly noticed the Entrance to ZooAmerica. It looked both mysterious and tempting. It was complimentary, so that was hard to pass up! We crossed a bridge to get to a building, in which we went through to get outside again. It was a weird concept, but it eventually worked out. The first thing we encountered was the Southern Magnolia. It was also listed as a Magnolia Grandiflora. It seemed odd to us, but we're from Indiana. I liked it. The Roseate Spoonbill was pink and beautiful. I wish I could have purchased one. The Southern Painted Turtle was a cool one! It was listed as Frida. The American Alligator was close and definitely looked violent. I enjoyed that exhibit. The Thick-Billed Parrot was vibrant. It seemed like it could have been friends with the Roseate Spoonbill. The Burrowing Owl was pretty. It definitely seemed calm in the display. The Blue Spiny Lizard and Gila Monster exhibit was interesting. I definitely wouldn't want to mess with either of them! The Saguaro Cactus was a new sight to see. It almost looked awkward to be in this place, but it was awesome. The Nine-Banded Armadillo display was small and to the point. I thought it was too small, though. The Barn Owl was another pretty Owl. I enjoyed viewing it. The Red-Tailed Hawk was close to that and looked like it was up to no good. The Bobcat was a different sight. It seemed very relaxed. The Black Bear exhibit was amazing. It was so cool to admire them from afar! The American Elk seemed far away. I wish I could have seen them a bit closer. The Mountain Lion display was a must. It was nice to see one! The Snowy Owl exhibit was a great stop. I adored this beautiful owl! The White-Tailed Deer and Wild Turkey display was pretty big. The Deer were gorgeous. Each Turkey seemed to mind their business. The Bald Eagle exhibit was decent at first, but it seemed that they didn't have enough room in there. The Peregrine Falcon display was our next stop. The Falcon sure did seem fierce. The Gray Wolf exhibit was our last stop and ended up being my favorite. They were beautiful. They deserved to be in more space. The service was okay. There weren't many employees here it seemed. It was unfortunate to not see the animals being catered to constantly. That was my biggest turn off. Overall, I'm glad I came here to see what it was all about. I loved all of the animals that I got to see, but some needed more space in my opinion. Maybe I'll come back someday. Date of visit: May 24, 2024 read more

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I love zoos, so I was very excited to come to ZooAmerica in Hersheypark. Most zoos have animals from all over the world and sometimes a section for animals that live in North America. ZooAmerica is different in the fact they only have North American animals in their zoo. Being a tree-hugger type human, I take animal conservation very seriously and so does this zoo. ZooAmerica is committed to the conservation of North American wildlife and habitats. From special initiatives and programs to financial commitments and donations, they believe it is their responsibility to not only maintain but also improve the wildlife of our world and preserve it for future generations to enjoy. As a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, ZooAmerica live up to a high standard of animal management and care, as well as a devotion to including conservation in their mission, on top of day-to-day duties and interactions. For $75 per person you can go behind-the-scenes at ZooAmerica and explore even more of the wild of North America. Choose from one of their three unique tours that guide you through non-public spaces, get you up-close with animals, and leave you with a deeper understanding of nature, as well as a greater appreciation for the animal world! Tours are rain or shine, so make sure you are prepared. If you love animals and are already in Hershey, ZooAmerica is a must stop. Whether you come with family, friends, or your significant other, this zoo will definitely create memories. I am so glad ZooAmerica was a place I visited. read more

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Another year and another amazing family time together. The animals were all up and we had a beautiful time, not rushed to read about the animals and to take pictures. Great addition to Hershey Park, which is included with the park fee. read more

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A small zoo that specializes in North American animals. You're not going to find elephants, lions, tigers, etc here. You will see bears, deer, and a variety of animals and birds native to North America. The zoo was started when Milton Hershey was gifted 2 prairie dogs and it went from there. Exhibits range from a reptile/southern animal exhibit, desert animals, central and forests, etc. Typical admission is $15+ for Adults but free with admission to Hershey Park, a nice break if you get worn out from all the rides. It is a small park, we covered it in about an hour, but has a nice walking path with plenty of seating and restrooms. Animals are hit or miss. We saw a ton this visit from Bald Eagles, Bob Cat, Puma to Elk, Prairie dog and wolves. Vending machines are spaced through out the area but are pricey (6.65 for a Gatorade $4 a water) and some machines were up and down, again no cash, only cards. A few stages were set up for school demonstrations with a gift shop near the Eagles nest. A nice place to stop and learn/see a bit about the animals native to North America, esp when you can do it at your own pace. read more

We went in early March, I would visit again when it's warmer weather as they didn't have much to view. My 3 year old enjoyed it so that's all that matters. read more

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Fun place to take kids for a day out! Loved seeing all the animals! Definitely great to take your time strolling with little ones!

This place needs a lot of work. A LOT of animals were off habitat which was annoying. Pens and cages seemed run down.

Went here with my sister, haven't been here in over 12 years so I didn't remember anything from it. It was almost $38 for two adult tickets on a Sunday. We took our time through the zoo and read almost all of the inscriptions available. It's all North America and the animals that are found within. It's split up into different sections; Big Sky County, Eastern Woodlands, Great Southwest, Northlands and Southern Swamps. They have about 50 species of animals here. It only took us like 45 minutes to walk thru the whole Zoo with reading all of the scripts. It was a pleasant and easy walkway and beautiful weather out. Multiple places to sit and rest. There were signs all over directing you on the suggested route. We saw nearly every animal minus the black bear. In fact, the black bear enclosure was full of vultures. The whole park was infested with vultures and there were signs everywhere saying that the park was working with the Dept of Agriculture to get rid of this vulture population. Some of the glass cases were pretty smudged up with prints on it, so kinda hard to see some animals. Overall a good time, but definitely didn't take as long as I had hoped. A good bit of money for the zoo to be pretty small, but it is within an amusement park so their space is limited. read more

ZooAmerica - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

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1 Star is too much actually. Do not waste your money buying a ticket here. Yes they have animals, animals you will see on your own without needing to pay into this zoo. A turtle? A lizard? Vultures? And all the animals we were looking forward to see weren't there. It's practically empty and useless. They have open entry from the Hershey park if you're interested otherwise don't pay separately for this zoo! read more

Parking was not too bad for this place. It is pretty non-eventful and small. We zipped thru the entire zoo in no time at all and my little guy did not really enjoy it. The weirdest thing we saw all day were all the turkey vultures around the park. Tons of them everywhere. read more

Cute little zoo, with very little animals to view. Came in on a Saturday and surprisingly it wasn't crowded at all. Me and my date walked right through without lines or any wait. The parking lot was empty so we must've gone on a slow day or time. They had a little store where they sold toys and dolls of some of the animals they have at the zoo, as well as drinks and candy for kids. The prices for the toys was steep so if I had my daughter with me I knew she would've wanted one and it would've been an arm and a leg to purchase for her. I liked the openness of the zoo and the layout, but wished there were more animals to see. The best part of the zoo was the inside animal area where you go into this building where there's a black light and view the animals. It's dark in there and cool and you get to see the animals go about their business wondering back and forth between windows. I also enjoyed seeing the prairie dogs and watching them hide in their holes from the geese that seemed to be bothering them. Me and my date waited a while for the bears to come out but once they did it was entertain watching them swat each other and fight. I haven't been to this zoo for ages and it was a nice trip with my guy to have him experience it for the first time. read more

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Came here with an hour and a half before they closed. We breezed though the whole thing by the time the park closed. 11 acres about and the animals were all there. For the most park, many were asleep. Not a big crowd of people during the weekdays. Parking wasn't an issue. There were big black vultures flying around. And apparently they're not part of the zoo. They're working with animal groups in how to have them not migrate to their zoo area. Think of giant black seaguls waiting to steal your unattended food. All north American animals are in the exhibit and wonderful to see. read more

ZooAmerica - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

Zoos like these are prisons. My girlfriend really loves bears, and it was definitely a mix of emotions to see such a beautiful animal in such a small space, with so many people gazing at it all day. Who knows how long these creatures have been kept here? Conservatories can be really fun, but this zoo is a bad establishment. It weirds me out to see so many people attend. I watched an attendant *click click* account for our attendance as we left. I wish I hadn't gone in. read more

ZooAmerica - Entrance - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

Small zoo but always enjoy walking through it! I don't recommend the food at the one little food stand. I bought pretzels once and they were microwaved. Ugh!! Zoo is included in your Hersheypark admission ticket so it's fun to walk in for a few minutes when you're enjoying Hersheypark too. But you can purchase just zoo admission if you don't want to go to the amusement park or on days when Hersheypark is closed. Zoo is open most days. My son loves the two reptile houses. We also love seeing the wolves, otters, bears, owls, bald eagles and other cool critters. read more

ZooAmerica - Black bears - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

Pretty decent small zoo. I was in Hershey several years ago, but didn't bother with the zoo due to the reviews I saw. I decided to try it myself when I came back and I'm glad I did. Make no mistake, this is not a large zoo at all. Part of the zoo is an animal rescue as well, so while there are complaints about everything, the size and such shouldn't be unfairly taken out against this place. That being written, I wouldn't have paid to come here on its own. I only tried it because it was accessible from Hershey Park. I wanted to try this place at the same time to get a breather from Hershey Park. This place is included in the Hershey Park admission and they stamp your hand when you enter to make sure you're not a zoo patron just trying to get into Hershey. I'm not sure what the price for the zoo is for itself, but added to the Hershey Park admission wasn't a bad deal. While you can hear some park noise, it wasn't out of hand at the same time. It's no different than other zoos located in a city where they can hear cars honking, trucks, trains, and other traffic congestion. As mentioned, it's small. It is roomy enough and has a decent selection of animals. I will say that some of the habitats are probably too small for some of the animals, but I didn't see any particular distress from animals as I've had in other zoos. I've been to San Diego to the Bronx and such, and I saw absolutely no signs of animal distress - at least on the day I went. There were two bears (one black, one brown) which was a surprise because I had heard there was only one. The reptile house smelled a little, but so did some of the people in the zoo, so it sorta evened out. They have a small gift shop and some penny machines. Staff were all friendly, which is always a plus. Really a fun little zoo that the kids will like. Again, I'd only come here if I was already in Hershey. I'd never come here on my own. I'm glad I bypassed the reviews this time and saw it for myself. I'd return if in Hershey Park again. read more

We have a season pass to Hershey park otherwise I would only go here during Hershey Park hours. We needed to kill some time so we checked it out. This was our first time back since covid. Yes there are small areas that the animals are in and if you think a lot about it, it does make you sad that some of the animals have a very small space to roam in. I hope there are reasons they can't be in their natural habitats. There is plenty of information on the animals that they do have on display. I wonder about all the vultures, they seems to be taking over the zoo. The indoor buildings are open now also but I can see that is going to be hard to control in the summer months. read more

I have to to say, this Zoo is pretty lame. We go here because we have little ones and they are easily happy. They love the Ocelot. The bear exhibit is cool if they aren't sleeping. Most of the birds are out due to the bird flu. The mountain lion, lynx, and bobcats are neat. But that's as cool as it gets. If it's free, check it out for a break from the rollercoasters. If not, pass it by. read more

Very cute, small town zoo. It won't take long to get through the zoo, but if you need a break from the park well worth a trip.

This place was wonderful to see! It's actually free of charge for admission when you purchase a pass for Hershey Park. It was me, hubby, & our 6 year old and we absolutely loved it! The park was very clean! There are signs everywhere for "suggested route" and this way you do not miss anything! There's everything from elk, snakes, bears, owls, armadillos, alligators, to otters. The employees are very knowledgeable and mindful of these lovely animals; you can tell by the way they talk about them. They also have a short program played by 4 of their staff they call themselves the "naturalists." Using song, props, & skits they educate us about the animals they have at their zoo and how to recycle and take care of our environment. This was very entertaining! They also have a couple food areas to purchase food and drink. Beautifully put together, ZooAmerica was definitely a highlight of our day! read more

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ZooAmerica is a great zoo located inside of Hershey Park! Even if you are not going to the Amusment Park, you can still visit the zoo. First, you have to know that ZooAmerica only has animals that are native to North America. However, they do have many different animals here that are still beautiful. Those animals include gopher tortoises, alligators, alligator snapping turtles, ocelots, black-footed ferrets, black bears, bobcats, river otters, elks, coatis and wolves. They frequently get other animals from zoos at times. For example, they formerly had an albino alligator! The park is on the smaller as it is only 11 acres. However, it is easy to navigate as it split up into 5 districts for the animals. They are Southern Swamps, Great Southwest, Eastern Woodlands, Big Sky Country and Northlands. When it comes to food this place is not great. They have to concession stands, but the food options there are limited to just chicken and hot dogs. The staff at the concession stands did not seem to be on the ball. However, the zookeepers knew a lot about animals and even showed me one of their tortoises in the yard. Altogether, this is a great zoo to see America's best animals! read more

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The entrance for this place was included in the ticket for Hershey Park, so I decided to check it out. Oh boy, I wish I hadn't... For those who don't give much thought about the lives of wild animals in captivity, then this place will probably just be a quick, mostly forgettable visit. But for those who are aware of the sad realities of zoo animals, please avoid this place! You first go through 2 buildings that have desert and nocturnal animals. The animals are basically enclosed in shadow boxes, way too small for some of them to roam at all. The weak attempt to recreate their natural habitat is quite depressing, especially when you see the dirty water and the lack of fresh air or natural light coming into the building. The bigger animals looked quite distressed, and it doesn't help that people tap on the glass expecting them to put on a show. I thought that maybe the back of the buildings had extra space for those animals to roam while not out on display, but no, what you see is all they have. The rest of the animals in the zoo are in outdoor spaces/cages. It's sad to see such majestic creatures like bald eagles, limited to a very small space to fly. Bobcats and Lynxes stuck in enclosures that don't even come close to how they could live out in the wild. There is also a great number of vultures around the zoo, some of them have tags on their wings, so I'm not sure if they are supposed to be part of the exhibit, or they are just waiting there for animal carcasses to be available. It was quite ominous to see so many of them there. This zoo paints itself to be about "conservation," but the way these animals live here and are exploited, it's anything but. Some might argue that these animals wouldn't live long out in the wild, but wouldn't you rather live free 100% the way nature intended, even if it's for a short time, than live inside a box or a cage for many miserable years? Also, the seal show that Hershey Park has ("Our Friends from The Sea") should totally be avoided if you care about animals at all. While riding on the monorail after that exhibit was closed for the day, you get to see where they live. Basically, on the same stage they perform their tricks every day. I didn't see the show (thankfully I skipped it) but seeing them sleeping on the stage surrounded by the dirty water of the pool was quite depressing. Hershey Park should just stick to the amusement rides and making chocolate, and stop exploiting these animals for good. read more

Zooamerica is fine, not great, not bad. Our Hershey Park tickets came with Zooamerica admission and since we were early to the park, we decided to go to the zoo before Hershey opened. It's a nice quick walk through but there aren't a ton of animals to see. I definitely wouldn't buy tickets to come here but it's nice to visit if it's included with amusement park tickets. The staff are extremely friendly at the zoo which is nice. read more

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[800] http://www.zooamerica.com/programs-events/behind-the-scenes-tours.php We visited ZooAmerica during their After Hours Tour and it was amazing. We arrived after the park closed for a 2 hour guided tour. It's not well known so only one other family was with us. We were given flashlights to help guide us in the park. The park features North American Animals and we saw a ton of them. This is what we did during our tour: -Visited a ton of animals - locked areas were opened for us for see animals - visited the room where all the food is stored (cool to see the items they have) - visited outside the quarantine area - visited the medical room - shot sample tranquilizer darts - saw the chamber where animals were incubated - our guide fed the Bobcats (very cool). - we fed otters - tons of nocturnal animals were awake - touched a baby alligator - held a small owl - fed grapes to a black and brown bear which were INCHES from us (behind cages of course). Plus a bunch of other items. Our guides were amazing and very knowledgable. Next time we plan to do the Early bird tour. Definitely a must book We will definitely be back. read more

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I'm not a fan of Zoos but we were going to Hershey park and you get zoo tickets included with your park tickets! Hands down I have to say this is by far the cleanest zoo I've been to. It's a fairly small zoo but its definitely worth the walk around. Most of there animals were very active and moving about. Some of the cages I would say are slightly small but they use REAL resources for the animals. You dont see fake water falls and over chlorinated pools. No plastic trees and fake shrubs. All 100% real and they have a large river that runs through the park for all the animals to use. Love it! The lay out of the Park is amazing as well because they give you high advantages on bridges and walk ways to see all the enclosers from above as well as walking down beside the animals. There was a lady walking around with turtles that you were able to pet! They also had many baby animals while I visited. I didnt get anything to eat but I did see people with snacks and drinks that looked pretty good. The smell of bbq goes through the entire park. If I'm ever in the area again I definitely would stop by! read more

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A nice break from the busyness of Hershey Park. Four stars not because it's the most extensive zoo, but because it delivers on its promises. Zoo America features American species. No lions, tigers, or elephants here. The zoo is divided by geographical region with easy-to-follow signage. Don't worry, it isn't just the same animals you might find in your own back yard. Turns out that there are plenty of exotic species in the Americas. read more

ZooAmerica - Roseate spoonbills enjoying lunch - Zoos Near Me - Hershey, Pennsylvania

(This review is in regards to the After-Hours Tour.) The after hours tour at Zoo America is not a new idea. It's been around for several years and finally we decided to do it before the cost became too prohibitive. The general format is that you meet at the front entrance of the Animal Health Center until you are met by two members of the staff (Naturalists Pat and Katie for us) who let you into the building. You are told from the beginning that this tour is extremely informal and that any and all questions/comments are welcomed/encouraged at any time. They take you downstairs into their kitchen area where they show you the refrigerators and freezers which house food for the animals (frozen whole large rats and mice anyone?) along with buckets of nuts/grains and the enrichment closet of toys/scents to help "stimulate" the animals. After that you move on to the surgical area when you get to see the anesthesia equipment, X-Ray machine (newly digital) and surgical table. They also show you a neat X-Ray of what it looks like when a big snake eats a smaller snake plus some photos of a bear getting a vasectomy (yipee!). From there you are taken into the Great SouthWest building and the Southern Swamp building where you can ask questions about the animals plus watch one or two like a Giant Snapper Turtle get fed by hand (well stick actually). Then it's off to the Education Room to pet/touch a juvenile alligator and with a gloved hand, hold a screech owl. But of course the best is for last. Ever want to feed a black bear a kabob of grapes? If you said yes, you can fulfill that bucket list wish here as well plus watch it up close eat a buffett of fruit and high quality meat leftovers from the Hotel Hershey. Door to door the entire tour took a little more than two hours and Pat & Katie could not have been nicer or more informative/enthusiasic about the zoo and the animals. Cost: $45 per person When: Wednesday & Saturday night year round with the starting time being dependent on when the zoo closes. How: You need to call 72 hours in advance but the family of four that was with us supposedly made their arraignments the day of since they were staying at the Hershey Lodge. Also, the number listed on the Zoo's website to call is incorrect. The number is a general number for Hershey information and they are unable to book this tour at the zoo. You need to check Zoo America's Facebook page to get the actual number for the zoo. Some people piss on this zoo for being too small or for not being like Philly or San Diego. To expect the same experience is 100% total ignorance as those places can do a lot more simply because they have a lot more to work with in one key area: Real Estate. Zoo America is sadly landlocked and there is nothing that reasonably can be done about that. Take the tour, stop the pissing and bitching about non-issues or stupid things and enjoy what is offered while seeing this place for what it is and not what you think it should be. read more

Its a small zoo with small cages (that ocelot must be out of his mind with how little space they give him) but if you've been here growing up- and most of central Pennsylvania has- then there is a lot of nostalgia benefit to be had as most things haven't been updated in 30 years. Wait, why am I listing that as a positive? I really wish some of the cats had bigger cages, they finally fixed the bear situation a decade or so back, the mountain lions ought to be upgraded next. read more

I went during a sunny 60 degree day and all the animals were out galavanting. It is a lovely little zoo. I got to see Sara, train the mountain lions and I spent way too much time watching the cute prairie dogs. Try to attend in fair weather, you will appreciate it more. read more

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