Had time to spare before my flight and decided to check out the Billings Zoo. Fewer animals than a big city like Portland's, but still great to see them. I went on a gloomy raining day, and most animals were hiding from the rain but still saw lots of them. I was also pretty much the only person walking around. Pretty cool. Loved seeing the bison, and the goats were very friendly and showing off. Red panda was cute and Can't forget the sister tigers; Did not see the wolves, but the mama bear and cubs were just coming out for lunch. Looked relatively clean and decent size enclosures, but I'm sure they could be better in the wild :/ tickets were decent price and had a gift shop as well. read more

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Small zoo that would be great for the littles! It's a sanctuary zoo, so they don't have a ton of animals, but those that they do have are very well taken care of. The enclosures are massive! read more

This was a great zoo to visit. My daughter enjoyed it very much. My favorite animals to see were the red pandas! They do offer a military discount, which was nice! read more

We had an amazing time at the zoo celebrating our annual Groundhog Day celebration! Special shoutout to Danny for giving us a tour and teaching us all there was to know about the amazing animals here! ZooMontana loves their animals and it's evident they are passionate about the work they do!! 5 stars all day!! read more

ZooMontana - Zoos Near Me - Billings, Montana

First off, not a fan of zoos because they basically incarcerate animals, animals that don't have enough space to roam the earth freely, completely unfair. Some of the spaces were larger than average zoos, the zoo was very busy, bodies everywhere and we received tons of looks and people looking like they would contract some sort of disease if they got too close to us, we suddenly felt like we were part of the zoo with the amount of eyes on us. It's unbelievable and unfortunate as to how backwards certain places still are. Skin color really is a turn off, it's creates hatred?? What a cruel reality that ignorance still exists. Aside from the heavily filled racists walking around, the zoo itself is well maintained. They have a beautiful garden area or botanical garden with a little waterfall, very relaxing. There was an event happening at the same time. Didn't find a restaurant or snacks only vending machines for drinks. The gift shop has a few cute items. Parking is pretty messy, tight and will move onto a dirt, gravel area if asphalt is occupied read more

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I first heard about Zoo Montana, because it was rated one of the top 10 for Zoo Lights in the United States. I enjoyed my visit and would enjoy seeing the zoo lights someday. I went on a Saturday morning of a 3-day weekend. I was quite pleased to find a parking spot in the shade (there aren't many). There was no wait to purchase my ticket at the window. The zoo was busy without being crowded. Many children were having a wonderful time there. I enjoyed seeing artwork at the entrance, including a cool custom fire pit. I saw buffalo, a quite active wolverine, a quite inactive tiger, a red panda, some Takin from the Pueblo Zoo (near me), and a bald eagle among many other animals. There are gardens, including the peaceful Sensory Garden. I relaxed in the shade there. There were Pokestops and Pokemon Go gyms all over, as I would expect of any zoo. read more

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Very nice! Animals spread out with lots of room. Lots of gardens in between them. We loved it. read more

ZooMontana - Zoos Near Me - Billings, Montana

Zoo Montana is definitely not your typical urban zoo. This is a beautiful, spacious botanical garden and zoo combo. There probably aren't as many exhibits as a typical big zoo but that was a-okay for me an my family. We visited on a very hot day, as soon as they opened. We enjoyed all of the big trees providing much needed shade to both visitors and animals. The grounds here are gorgeous and worth the visit all on their own. The entire space was immaculate and very well maintained. The animals all had clean spaces and plenty of shade. We visited during Covid and masks were required inside buildings. Besides the masks everything was open. Zoo Montana is an AZA accredited zoo. If you have a membership at a fellow AZA zoo check to see if they have a reciprocal program. Unfortunately for us they didn't have a program with our zoo in NJ but we found the prices very reasonable. read more

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Absolutely amazing loved everything about it would have gone without the animas loved the foliage and layout. My only caveat is that on some of the enclosures they would be a little bigger but overall they are doing an amazing job and would highly recommend best zoo I've been to hands down!!! read more

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Sweet little zoo that seems to care about the animals and tries very hard to welcome guests. Hopefully people will be willing to support them so they can grow into a larger animal sanctuary. read more

The gardens here are fantastic. This is an excellent place for an afternoon walk. Love it!

Love this zoo. Cool animals, and just big enough so everyone isn't crammed together. Love this little zoo. Come in Everytime I drive through Billings. read more

Be aware that this is a small zoo, so don't go in expecting something like the San Diego Zoo or even the OKC Zoo. That said, the cost of entry is extremely affordable and the atmosphere is calm and easy-going compared to bigger zoos that can be... well, zoos in terms of crowds and traffic. The animal selection is not broad but most animal exhibits are designed to make it easy to see the animals - even when they're chilling or napping. I haven't had the opportunity to try any food or drinks but the gift shop is cute and not as overpriced as many zoos' gift shops seem to be. Also be sure to check out the area towards the front where you can feed some of the animals; my nieces love this and we go back several times a year just because of this. read more

My son attended college in billings. His last semester there we finally went to this zoo. Wow what a clean nice zoo. The animals looked healthy. The habitats were clean. We especially enjoyed the otters. They were so adorable. Make sure you stop here when visiting billings with kids. It was very affordable too. read more

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I love the ZooMontana. My school was going to stay in Yellowstone for school but that got canceled so we had a not-a-stone week and one of the days we went to ZooMontana it was is fun. I got one of the grow a turtle egg thing and I put it in my water to let it grow. But I wish they Penguins. read more

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It's a Zoo in Montana. It's ZooMontana. No, there's no koala's or lion's, but its still fun nonetheless. We enjoy coming here and seeing the different animals, even though the place is small and has only a select amount of animals. The zoo is updating all the time and they do a good job of making it fun. The area is clean and well taken care of and fun for the whole family. read more

I don't understand all the hate on this place in some of the other reviews. It's a nice little zoo, still under construction in some areas, to make it more suited to the natural environs of the animals it houses. I thought it was a perfectly fine place. You won't see many animals if you're not paying attention, because they blend into their surroundings. Moreover, if you go during the middle of the day, the animals will probably be in a shady spot catching up on some sleep. They know enough to stay in the shade on a hot day -- human animals? -- not so much. With that said, the avian and reptile building, and the petting zoo have plenty of animals that are out and about and there were certainly enough kids enjoying the experience. Therefore, even if you don't see the larger animals, you can still stroll through the park-like setting, enjoy the landscaping and pretend you're in an ordinary park. On a nice day there's something calming about it all. Zoo Montana also has community outreach programs for schools and senior centers, which explains the petting zoo side of things. Kids can become junior zookeepers. For me, a zoo in Montana, a state with wildlife galore, is a little ironic, and that's what makes this place an experience, small or not. read more

Great little zoo. We asked questions about a couple of the animals and others have signs that explain how they came to be at the zoo. The garden is beautiful and we enjoyed relaxing and having a drink. We feed the koi fish and goats and that also was fun. The only thing I would say is makes sure you take something for your trash because there was were very few trash cans away from the picnic areas read more

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This is the only Zoo in all of Montana. And given the population of Montana, it's quite decent, but it's certainly nothing in comparison to bigger zoos. But that doesn't make it a bad zoo. I had a splendid time exploring the exhibits they did have, feeding the birds and the koi, and trying to find the more elusive animals. The sensory garden was very well maintained and the area that my group used for a picnic was quite perfect for this purpose. The gift shop was tiny and didn't have that much of selection, but that's fine as this zoo isn't over commercialized and focuses instead on the animals and the experience that you might have exploring the exhibits. There's even a great little playground for the kids (yes I did play on the spiderweb and I'm an adult). The Siberian Tigers, the Red Pandas and the River Otters were the highlights of my visit. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy seeing the eagles, or the turkeys or the koi or the peacocks and peahens! This zoo seems like the perfect size for exploration by families and children and it was absolutely ideal for the evening event I was attending. We all enjoyed the use of the facilities and especially liked the motivational quotes on the side of the building near the entrance. read more

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Super cool little zoo, the day we went here it was hot but there was a good amount of shade, definitely worth visiting!

We were taking a trip to Washington and Billings was our halfway stop. We looked to see what was fun there to do, and came across ZooMontana. We booked an extra night to go to the zoo. I've been to dozens of zoos, big and small, across the states and this was by far the best zoo we've ever been too! It was very beautiful and well kept. There wasn't many animals, but the quality of life they gave their animals were phenomenal! Very big enclosures and kept very well to their natural habitat. I have a love to botanical gardens and the way they incorporated the gardens was beautifully done. There were gardens and flowers throughout. It was a very peaceful and pleasant experience. Pictures don't do this place justice. It's $12 a person and we felt like they were undercharging us for everything we got for that price. This is a must see place and we plan to take a family trip to just Montana, to only come back here!!! read more

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I took my fiancé to Zoo Montana yesterday and we had an amazing time!!! First, the price is incredible!!!! $11??! Second, there was almost no one at the zoo! We felt like we had the entire zoo to ourselves! Third, we saw 99% of the animals!! Seriously, not only did we see almost every animal, the Tigers and the bear came right up to the viewing window!! That was one of the coolest experiences ever! And lastly, To the zoo employee that went the extra mile at the end of our zoo experience, you are the real MVP. That was truly amazing and my fiancé and I thank you. read more

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The management of Zoo Montana are inconsiderate anal apertures. They continue to ruin the peace & quiet, and quality of life in the neighborhood surrounding the Zoo. Their outdoor amphitheater is a constant source of noise pollution with 4th rate concerts featuring low class high volume noise pollution creations pretending to be a band. A dumpster fire is more entertaining than anything this Zoo has ever produced. Does the Zoo management care about the homeowners! Nope! If you are smart you will avoid this so called zoo. Go to a cheap parking lot carnival or circus. There at least you will get your money's worth. read more

We love ZooMontana. We've been members for a few years and get a ton of use out of our memberships! It's such a great place for the whole family. We love the animals and we love the staff. Great place! Highly recommend! read more

Amazing zoo animals and people too! We always have such a great time and the prices are fair as well.

Well, first, there are very few animals in this "zoo", and half of it you can see by visiting your local farm. Secondly, it's apparent the folks running this place are more concerned with woke social programming than with caring for the few animals that are there. My recommendation is to save your money and time and don't bother with this place. read more

Beautifully laid out zoo and garden setting. Plenty big enough for myself and two kids (5 &2). Easy parking and reasonably priced. Loved our day at Zoo Montana! read more

Traveled from Coeur D'Alene Idaho to visit! And enjoyed our visit! My 5 year old loved the zoo and we loved how spacious it was and not overly crowded! Staff was amazing! And would definitely come back. read more

This was such a nice and cute place! Employees were super nice and it was beautiful. Lots of flowers and trees. The price is just right for the amount of animals and the play areas around. We were lucky enough to see the wolverines and the otters playing around. If we were staying in the area I would definitely come back! My four year old loved it! Will be recommending to other families. read more

This zoo is tiny. But for what it is its okay. The fact that it is so small makes it easy to see the few animals up close. There is not to much between the walkway and the enclosure. You are upfront and personal. Makes for a good little walk. It's almost like a nature center with some zoo animals. I do agree though... Take down the Christmas decorations. I won't come for Christmas because I already know what it's going to look like. read more

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While small with a small number of animals, the zoo is very cute and very clean. A lot of the exhibits were under construction, which means good things to come. We were a little disappointed that the bison weren't on display yet. My kids enjoyed the bears, beavers, wolves, and tigers. We'll definitely return, as the price is right and it's a fun little zoo. read more

Nice layout. Not many animals, but hey its Montana. My girls loved the otters the best. Super kid friendly and huge playground the kids could play on when done seeing animals. Very nice and clean grounds read more

Such a lovely outdoor adventure any time of year! The exhibits are big and natural. Lots of indoor exhibits with reptiles and lizards and kookaburra for cooler days. 2 great play area for kids. The wolverines are amazing and alway active. They red pandas and peacocks are interesting. We love the tigers and grizzlies and bald eagles. This is a really fun outing for kids of any age! read more

They don't really have enough animals yet. This is obviously a work-in-progress. Great place to take small children! Its really beautifully landscaped with flower gardens and other nice features. I'd check back here in 10 years, as it will likely have more things to see & do. read more

My family and I love going to Zoo Montana! It's a great way to spend the day, and it's clear they've been putting so much effort in to make improvements. The new gift shop is fantastic and I love the red pandas :) read more

We love going here for walks. It's not a zoo in the typical sense. Don't expect tons of people looking into tons of crammed cages. There really aren't a ton of animals, and they are often difficult to see. It's more about the fresh air and occasional enclosure. The playground here is SO FUN, HUGE. The favorites are the farm (cuz you can feed the goats), the fish (which you can also feed) and the playground. read more

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We love going to ZooMontana every time we go to Billings. This last time, we met a few of the employees and have to say what a wonderful crew Allyson, Bri and Brian are! The zoo is kept very clean and we enjoy the gardens which are cared for by volunteers. Love watching the Grizzlies, one of the newer exhibits is the Wolverines. Also, the Golden Eagle, Turkey Vulture are pretty new. Something for everyone. The two Tigers are beautiful and love their Bald Eagles. read more

we had a nice time at the zoo. We watched as the wolves were fed. Even with it 21 degrees out side we had a nice time read more

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We found ourselves in Billings for a few days in need of some exercise after several days of driving. ZooMontana turned out to be the perfect location. The pathways were easily navigated by less than sure footed seniors and equally popular with the baby stroller set. I am not a fan of zoos but this one was very appropriate for the local area. Most of the animals were indigenous to the region rescued after being kept as pets or injuries which make it impossible for them to survive in the wild. A few exotic endangered species have been transferred from other zoos as "animal ambassadors." All of the enclosures contained well tended habitats. The signs on the exhibits were engaging and very kid friendly listing the animal's birthdays and what toys they like to play with. We were there on a warm fall afternoon and most of them were enjoying a nap in the shade which we needed after our walk. In addition to the zoo animals there were lots of kid play areas, a beautifully tended perennial garden and an arboretum with several hundred tree species represented. All in all it looks to be a great asset for the community and a great place for tourists to get some exercise. Senior entrance rates were available. read more

*Edited* Just spent an hour and a half at the zoo. Pretty much all the time one needs to take in the few exhibits. As you walk up it looks like you are entering an abandoned ghetto with a graffiti wall out of an apocalyptic movie. (i appreciate the response from ZooMontana, however i wonder when the last time you really took a look at it? Might be time to put that to bed). We saw the few overgrown habitats, natural? i guess, if old car wash rollers are natural. (Great response from ZooMontana, i understand now, suggestion, with the size of the exhibit would it be possible to clear an area near the viewing? Like with the grizzlies) One would ask if the exhibits are visitor friendly? And the answer is, no. (If charging an admission fee it might be a good idea to make the park a bit more visitor friendly) i don't want to be a downer but i once thought the Memphis zoo was the worst zoo i had ever been to . . . Then i went to the Alaska zoo. Until now i would have said that was the worst zoo but today we have a new contender. However, Snowie's, the snow cone place was the highlight, especially with those cool spoons that change color in the cold ice. Now, if you have littles they will enjoy the play areas and a family could spend an enjoyable afternoon here i am sure. Definitely, has potential with a little TLC. (Still stand by this! There is great potential at ZooMontana!) read more

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