This is a cute little zoo, and really great if you have small kids. It's free if you are a member, and dirt cheap if you are not. So if there is a meltdown you can either get through it fast or leave and you didn't waste your money! It is also free if you belong to any other zoos or aquariums. The exhibits are small but the zoo seems well cared for, and the tigers and otters are my favorite exhibits. read more

Eh. So, I should have done my research on this zoo before we made the hour and a half trip to meet my family and see the zoo. Brandywine Zoo is in a beautiful location with a little park nearby that would be a great place to have lunch and play, but the zoo is lacking. I'd call it more of a pitiful "animal collection" than an actual zoo. It is very, very tiny, with tiny animal enclosures, even for the bigger animals like the condors and the tiger. All of the other animals are smaller, so their exhibits aren't so bad -- but my heart ached for that tiger. We got through the zoo in about fifteen minutes, and that was with a two year old. It was nice that we could let him out of his stroller and not have to worry about him getting lost in the masses, but it definitely wasn't worth our hour and a half drive. I will say that the zoo staff was very friendly, the handlers were informative and laid back, and like I mentioned, it'd be a great place for a picnic. read more

I came here Sunday (during Memorial Day weekend) The parking was free and it's nestled right by a running river complete with fishermen, green pastures with picnic tables and park supplied grills all great except you have to carry your trash back home with you as there are no garbage bins anywhere. The park offers trash bags but that's as far as it goes. This place would NOT be a good location for a party. On to the Zoo... It's on the smaller side of any zoo I've ever been to (I think Central Park Zoo may be bigger) They have a tiger, a petting zoo, a bald eagle, otters, owl, and a sloth among some others. I thought it was a nice day trip but nothing too special. Keep your expectations limited as they don't offer much but it's priced fairly ($7 adults, $5 students/kids) read more

Very nice little zoo tucked away into a larger park/residential area by the river. Animals all seemed to be healthy and well cared for, and the layout of the zoo is nice. We came here as an alternative to the Philadelphia Zoo, and were pleasantly surprised. The zoo is pretty small, but due to that fact, it's also very uncrowded (at least on the day that we were there), and has a very relaxed atmosphere to make for a very enjoyable visit. We spent just over an hour exploring, and had a very nice time. Parking is free across the street in the parking lot by the river. The park surrounding the zoo looks like it'd be a good place to spend some time as well, but we didn't stick around to check it out much. We will be back to spend the day again, and plan to spend more time in the surrounding area. read more

For a quick 15 minute visit you get what you pay for. It's $7 per adult. They have a Tiger and it was cool seeing him play with a ball. Some animals not too social on this hot Labor Day. There is a little park across from this tiny zoo with a creek. This Zoo is perfect if you have babies or toddlers so they can walk around freely. read more

Very nice put together little Zoo in beautiful surroundings. You can see the entire Zoo in half an hour due to its small size. Perfect for young children. Staff is very friendly and knows the animals well. read more

Brandywine Zoo - The Tiger! - Zoos Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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I can see more animals for FREE in a pet store. Literally took 15 min to walk from one end to the other. Not worth $7.00 to get in. Don't waste your money. read more

My grandson and I had a wonderful experience at the zoo it's a small zoo but he enjoyed the animals and gift shop. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. read more

This is way overpriced for such a small place. My daughter and I were thoroughly disappointed the one tiger had moved to the Bronx zoo. The staff really try to make up for the lack of animals, they are super informative and great with the crowd, but nobody goes to a zoo for the staff. If you have an hour and a half, that's more than enough time (even with a feeding). If you missed the feedings​ there's just not much to stick around for. My daughter and I made the most of it, but I would rather pay and go to Philly. read more

Not a bad zoo but super small. We were done in 20 minutes. Not a lot of animals to look at and it was a paid zoo so not really feeling like we got our moneys worth plus the hour drive to get there... my Sons favorite thing was going in the gift shop and picking out a toy tiger (which he didn't get to see a real one) ha ha read more

I was pleasantly surprised when I took my 6 yr old here. It is small but it's well maintained. Some of the animals were difficult to see, with bushes or low hanging branches blocking the view but that's really about the only negative thing i have to say about it. There were a couple of teenage girls there that gathered up the kids around the goat pens to give a small educational talk about them and then allowed them in a few kids at a time to pet and groom them. My daughter loved it. I especially enjoyed the monkey house. I was impressed with the number of animals they had considering the zoos small size. read more

In recent years the Brandywine Zoo has changed a lot. They have lost some of their most popular exhibits (otters, tigers, and the monkey house). I visited today and it only took about 45 minutes to see all the animals and visit the gift shop. I wouldn't say that this zoo was worth the $7 I paid. The zoo lacked a variety of animals. However, the zoo does a great job building enclosures that keep the animals happy despite their small space. In addition, the zoo has an 8 year plan to introduce a lot of new animals as well as re-open the otter exhibit. The zoo is actually free in the winter so I would suggest going then instead, at least until some more exhibits begin to open. read more

Great zoo to visit with family, and the adjacent riverfront (with ample zoo parking) is an awesome area to spread out and enjoy the day. Love that the kids can interact with the Pygmy goats- can't get that at any other zoo! read more

I enjoy coming to this zoo with or without the babies. It's an awesome local zoo. I feel at peace here and the best part is that during certain months the zoo is free. It's perfect for those days when I'm at work I can go on break and spend time here. read more

4 stars for what it is - a cute little zoo for little kids. It's not big, it doesn't have terribly too many animals, but it's quaint, the staff is friendly, during the summer (which is when I've gone) they have tables set up for kids with games, animal furs, skulls, and all kinds of other stuff, which seems to rotate from week to week. For parents with small kids it's great because there's no way for kids to get lost - it's just one long path with a few little off-shoots. There are goats to pet, a small snack shop, and the animals are pretty close to the walkway. My 2 year old likes it, and we always have a great time. When they're done at the zoo, they can walk along the excellent Brandywine river trail. Again, if I was rating this for adults, I'd likely give it a much lower rating. It doesn't try to be anything it's not. If you want a grandiose zoo, go to the philadelphia Zoo. If you want a short trip that is cheap, and kid-friendly, the Brandywine Zoo is great! read more

A great zoo for my toddler. We can see everything in 1-2 hours. My little guy can up close to the animals. Very affordable. Free parking, and right next to a park for picnicking. read more

Cute, small zoo located in downtown Wilmington. Its very inexpensive and a great place to take a toddler because they get to see the whole park without it being overwhelming. read more

We had an absolutely wonderful time at the Brandywine Zoo last weekend. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because the Monkey House is not open, due to problems caused by a branch falling through its roof. My 15 month old son had a great time, he could easily walk around without us worrying he would get hurt or lost. This is a very manageable zoo for a toddler. We stayed for a little more than an hour, which was perfect and I did not feel bad since the ticket prices are incredibly reasonable. Kids under 3 are free and adults are 5 dollars. We also loved the goft shop! read more

Really good place to bring a toddler! Small and you can see everything within an hour. They have a tiger and otters and other small animals. It was $19 for two adults and one child. Year pass is $60 it includes two adults and four kids passes for everyday the whole year. The staff was knowledgable and nice too. I would come back again. read more

Cute place and I could hear the tiger! But the damn place closes at 4 pm on a Saturday!?! What the hell?!! I would have loved to see the place!! But no!! Really needs better hours then they would get more business to get more animals!!?! Really upset we got all the way here and no one was to be found! read more

Sorry to those people who work hard to keep the zoo open and the animals happy, but the place just isn't right. It's sad, dreary and empty. Now I do suppose it can be a nice place to take a small child. That is if it happens to be one of the days the animals are willing to show themselves. In the end my suggestion is to take the 30 minute trip up 95 to the Philadelphia Zoo. read more

Small zoo but it makes for a fun hour or two! The special events are well planned and always a great time.

Very small zoo and the monkey house is still closed. Nice and clean with a park and river nearby with tons of geese. Friendly staff and price was ok for what it is. This may be a good outing coupled with something else in the area. read more

This is a great place for little ones. Would be 5 stars if it was bigger, but if you are from around here then you know that in Wilmington space is limited (even for a zoo). The area around it is so beautiful and it's a nice day trip to walk the park, eat lunch, then check out the zoo. We went on a Saturday and there were tables set up around the zoo with employees running them, they had games for the kids or pictures to color. They do rent strollers but if your little ones can walk then I don't recommend getting one because it is very small and it's a nice walk. Also, you will be picking them up out of it at most of the displays anyway, if you want them to be able to see the animals. Everything was very nice but I will say that having the Bobcat as the first thing you see (smell) upon entry was a little off-putting, but anyone who expects to smell pleasant things at a zoo is not very smart. read more

Small and cozy with a good entry fee. My kids loved the goats. Several of the small cats appeared not to be in their enclosures, though, as we circulated through. (I was really looking forward to the bobcat and serval). I was a bit concerned for the tiger in the exhibit near the entrance, because its enclosure seemed so small and it seemed to just pace back and forth. There was a lot of repetition going on in the Exotic Animal House--about 4 or 5 enclosures with the same type of monkey. The place was nearly empty and the mood was kinda blah. I think we spent a little less than an hour and saw everything. Not so bad as a midday activity. read more

It's a charming little zoo. No, it's not as big as say the Philadelphia zoo but it's still enjoyable. I would actually say for a very young child this might be a better place for their first zoo trip because it won't be too much to see or walk. They have tiger which is their main attraction and their are goats that you can pet. The goats are really friendly and funny. The otters are another nice edition. My favorite is the tortoise. Just because it's small doesn't mean it's not worth a visit! read more

Brandywine Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

Was really disappointed in this place, which is funny, because I went in with very low expectations to begin with. 3/4 of the exhibits were closed, which I discovered only after paying. That totally ticked me off. It was totally unprofessional that there were no notifications on the website or when we were paying. When I addressed the issue to the staff, all I got were excuses, eye rolls and bad attitudes. On the flip side The few exhibits that were open were nice and the place was clean. Save your money and time and walk around the adjacent park. read more

Cheap but tiny, tiny, tiny zoo! My favorite were the llamas, I want to be their queen.

The staff was nice. There weren't any special events planned for the day I visited so I can't say if it's a good program or not. The zoo itself is super tiny and older. None of the animals have the proper amount of space to roam. It was sad and disappointing. The park outside the zoo is ok but there aren't enough tables or benches. Not much to look at but you can go down to the water if you want. In my opinion not worth the time or money. Wilmington has more to offer. read more

I was hoping that the previous reviews were somewhat wrong and that I and my 2 yr old would get more out of the visit. We saw many of the animals but I was a little disappointed because the tiger was laying down when we came in and when we were leaving - so we never got to see him in action. The leopard paced back and forth way back by the back entrance of his cage. We never got to see him up close. Was excited that one of the river otters was active and even swam across for us which my son got a kick out of. The other otter remained by the door sleeping. The Andean Condor was pretty impressive - spreaded his wings when we came by (wings are huge). Pricing - I thought was a little pricey because of the size of the zoo and also being that we didnt get that much action from many of the animals. $7 for adults, $5 children 3-17 and free for kids under 3. We were there for no more than 45 minutes. read more

Brandywine Zoo - Macaw - Zoos Near Me - Wilmington, Delaware

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Just tried to go to the Zoo but there seems to be a running marathon going on. All roads leading to the Zoo are barricaded and we could not find how to get around; no detour signs. read more

I'm giving the staff five stars, and wish I could give them more than 5 stars. This review isn't about the structure of the zoo, but about our experience with the zoo staff. They are young and enthusiastic and it's quite obvious they love the animals and want to share that love with children. They went the extra mile to make sure my grandkids got to see the giant Flemish bunny. The rabbit wasn't on display so I asked one employee about it and she spread the word that we were interested in seeing the rabbit. Since the zoo wasn't crowded that day, the employees were very happy to accommodate us and brought the rabbit out so we could see and pet it and learn a little bit about the breed. Every employee we met there seemed happy to talk about their animals and knew how to interact with the children. It was a pleasure to see such joyous dedication to both caring for the animals and educating the visitors about the animals. read more