Came today as we have driven past this sanctuary 100+ times. Finally had a chance to bring my two girls. For an adult ticket it was $30. My 6 yo was like $23 and 2 and under are free. For what we paid I'm not sure it was worth it but hopefully it goes towards the sanctuary. The space felt old and outdated. There was one indoor bathroom right by the exit and gift shop that was small and again outdated. The rest of the park was portapottys which were clean but in a hot day like today... it's still a portapotty. It was a large space and we spent about 3 hours inside. A variety of birds, snakes, tortoise, As well as sloth, zebra, lion, bison, goat, geese, swan, and fish. The highlight for the kids was the koi feeding experience. Those fish were jumping like crazy and got my kids wet which they enjoyed. There were several places to sit and eat. We brought lunch in. They had free water and snacks to purchase. There was also a safari which we did not do. Overall my kids liked it but I think it needs some TLC. read more

See all

We loved going on the safari here! It is definitely worth the extra ticket to go on the safari ride to see antelopes and zebras. You get to feed some of them too as they give you a cup of feed at the start of the ride. My kids loved feeding the coy fish in the pond as well. read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

Sadly...This place has fallen so very far from grace. 5-10 years ago, it was a place that you could spend half the day enjoying the sights. My child had school trips there, we brought relatives from across the country to the site for family trips, recommended it to our church fellows and friends. Then the revisions began... These days, the place is more Construction Project...than Zoo. We paid $100 for 3 adults and 3 food jars and the only area with animals to see were the indoor reptile and meerkat buildings, the Koi Pond, central lake with fish gees and turtles, goat feeding area and the "Australia" section. A majority of the animal displays were in the state of "Migrating...come back in the spring", so perhaps we needed to attend in the summer when everything is up and running full throttle. However, most of the areas we remember seeing 5-10 years ago...are gone, covered or destroyed by all of the construction that has been going on for the last 5 years with no real progress. We have attended the preserve once a year and each year there is more construction and less animals to enjoy. The entry price continues to climb while the actual "Zoo" declines more and more into a construction zone. For the $100 entry, it may be better to drive further away or out of state to attend a quality Zoo experience. We won't be back until after the site is restored to its former glory and the construction is complete...if ever. read more

Yesterday, I was given a special treat to visit and feed the sloths. Our guide was knowledgeable, the staff was friendly and the environment was clean. What a great experience and one I will never forget. I will go back later when the zoo is open! read more

We went on a Monday right at Open, so the zoo wasn't busy at all. We got parking right up front. The ticket price is $30 for adults, then if you want to feed animals $5 bucks for each kind of food, there were two to pick from. They did offer a safari for an extra $17.50. However, with buying food and tickets, we already spent enough and didn't do the tour. This zoo was big and saw some animals we hadn't seen at other zoos! We really enjoyed it when you were in there they do have a small snack shake, and you can bring in your own beverage and snacks. At the snack shake, you can pay $5 to feed the tortoises, which we decided to do because we've never had that experience before. read more

See all

They do not take care of animals well. Worst zoo ever been to in my life! And way too expensive. It should be shut down honestly!

I love the wildlife preserve and the variety of animals. Just went on the safari and fed the antelope, camel, emu, bison, Llama, etc. I ended up getting an annual membership shop for my daughter and I. It is just so relaxing to walk through the wooded areas, bring a bag lunch, feed the koi fish and pygmy goats, etc. I love supporting the mission by picking up gifts and donating in the gift shop. A beautiful way to give back to the monkeys, lynx, lions, jaguar, baboons, turtles, meerkats, kangaroos, audads, owls, etc that bring joy to so many people! If yoi haven't been - check it out! And wear your walking shoes as you will get your stepe in! ​​​​ read more

This preserve is pretty big, enough to spend almost an entire day with family to view a bunch of different kinds of animals. Some of the cages are super small, but it looks like some renovations are going in to make larger areas for the animals. The Jaguar area was enclosed in glass, and I saw so many children tapping on the glass even though there are signs everywhere asking parents to make sure that doesn't happen. The poor animal was jumping up on the glass and people continued to aggravate the animal because they thought it was funny. It's not. They're still live animals and god forbid the plexiglass doesn't hold. The enclosures should be built so people can observe the animals and not interact with dangerous ones so closely, you could tell the Jaguar was getting frustrated. Otherwise, the park itself was fairly diverse. Pay the $3 extra to do the parakeet experience. My kids (and I) absolutely loved it. You get about 10 minutes in the parakeet enclosure and are able to feed them with a stick covered in seed. It's a bit overwhelming for smaller kids, but older ones loved it. The safari tour is an additional cost, but well worth the price. Bring extra cash for more bags of feed, as the animals are very used to being fed and swarm the bus, so by the third stop we were on our second bag. The bags for purchase are bigger than the initial bag provided, and you could get 3 for $10. The tour guides were really informative and answered any questions that were asked. There isn't a ton of food options, but make sure you visit the hot dog stand. There are also a bunch of tables in shade if you decide to pack a lunch, and a few vending machines for drinks around the park. A lot of walking, but that's to be expected, so for those with littles make sure you bring a stroller or wagon! read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - Parakeet experience - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

My husband recently visited the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve on August 13, 2024, with our disabled daughter and some friends visiting from out of town. Our daughter suffers from a neurological disorder where she can sometimes experience full body prolonged seizures. My husband opted not to bring along her wheelchair to the preserve as she typically utilizes it on a need to use basis AND the preserve is not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, as they have gravel trails and walkways throughout the preserve. At approximately 2:50 pm our daughter began to have a full body seizure and my husband had to attempt to carry her to the exit gate to get to his vehicle. He made it to the gate, and it was locked. There was no staff member at the ticket gate to assist. My husband attempted to call the park for help TWICE and listened to a prolonged message and no option to speak to a live person. My husband had to leave our daughter on the ground seizing to go find a staff member to assist. The staff member in the gift shop did not have keys to that gate. Eventually another staff member came out and assisted with opening that gate. What if there was a larger scale emergency in the park and guests needed to make a swift exit? Why didn't anyone answer the phone during an emergency? Why isn't the preserve ADA complaint and accommodating to those with disabilities? All important questions you should ask yourself before visiting Catoctin Wildlife Preserve in Thurmont Maryland. read more

It's obvious the animals are well taken care of her. My applause and appreciation, to the owners and folks who work here. They have rescued countless animals, that irresponsible people thought were pets. You can see a lot of different animals here. As a reptile guy, was thrilled by the snakes and lizards. Lots of room and clean. This a family friendly place. There are good placards that describe the animals you see. Also they have some interactive exhibits. I love this place. Everyone is friendly and knowledgeable. This zoo if you're in the area, by all means fully recommend! read more

If you haven't been and you have kids, you are missing out!!! I'm seriously confused about about the low Yelp rating. CWP is WAY better than the Baltimore zoo and the DC zoo. We went with the impression of a small hour experience. It was so much more than that, even with many exhibits being closed for the season. read more

I think the zoo has been improved this year. It seems like there are some new exhibits, and people working on the edge of the park as if they were planning to expand more. Most of the enclosures looked like the animals were well taken care of... but the bears are still a little bit sad. I think they must have expanded the leopard enclosure because it looked a decent size and bigger than other reviews have described. They really do have a lot of animals if you can get past the first part of the park which seems to trap a lot of people. I heard multiple families being like "how do we get out of this area"? The map really makes no sense. It is hard to figure out where you are and how to get to the next section. There are a lot of birds in the front but keep going, it gets a lot better. Overall, my daughter and I had a great experience. There is room for improvement but they have a lot of animals and it seems clean and well-kept this year. I wonder if they sold to new owners. I will definitely be going back. There was a guy with a hotdog stand whom I really liked. I think the indoor dining was closed but this guy seemed nice and cool and clean and the hotdogs were really good. I normally like pretty nice food so for me to like a hotdog is a big deal. read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - Turtle - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

A very cute small zoo that is an absolute delight to check out and enjoy. Animals are well cared for and in a very clean, well maintained area. Staff is very kind read more

I was very disappointed with my visit. First of all, there needs to be some serious cleaning. Everything seemed to be in disarray. Secondly, we really wanted to take the safari - we were told that there had to be ten people in order to run it. About 15 minutes before it left, we inquired if there were enough people. We were told 'no,' that we were the only two. We went outside and found several others interested in the safari ride, who were also told that they were the only two or three interested. Rather than take down the names of everyone interested, they kept telling everyong there weren't enough people - and we believe it was because they really didn't want to bother with running it. It appeared most of the employees were younger and didn't seem to really want to be there. They COULD have run the safari ride because there would have been MORE than ten people. Some of the animals needed water. It was over 95 degrees and you could see them panting and looking miserable. That was sad. The leopard was gagging and hacking all day long. You could hear him from several areas. He was eating grass, trying to regurgitate - but just seemed to be dry heaving. He was dehydrated and had no water. A lot of the park wasn't open - Rain Forest area. We were walking through the last building on our way out ten minutes prior to close and were chased out by two young men who stated that 'we are closing this building, you need to leave.' It was extremely sad to see the shape of some of the animals and quite honestly there really weren't too many to see. The majority of exhibits were birds. Not sure I'll be going back anytime soon. read more

Our girls loved getting up close and personal with the animals. There are several animals her that you can feed and pet. There are a few hand washing and sanitizing stations on the facility. The property also has a few picnic tables in shady area if you decide to bring lunch or snacks. Some of the animals we enjoyed were alpaca, ostrich, baboons, pigs, goats, koi fish, many birds, black bears and they also enjoyed the butterfly garden. The safari ride was our favorite and was worth the extra $15 bucks. Our girls had a good time and enjoyed visiting the gift shop at the end. The bathrooms were clean. The food to feed the animals was about $4. They have small snacks in the gift shop and overall the staff seemed pretty helpful. A few people were not practicing social distancing but other than that and a few not so great smells it was a good time. read more

See all

This is an amazing place to take your kids. It is a lot bigger than it appears to be. We spent an afternoon walking around the park until my 11 yr old granddaughter swore we were walking her legs off. Next time we go we will do the safari ride. read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - Alligator Area - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

I'm spoiled on nice zoos, first of all. I grew up with the National Zoo in DC and the Baltimore Zoo up north. And these days, most of my animals-in-captivity exposure comes from the Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World (not-a-zoo!). So, let's start with that perspective. That being said, there are still some basic flaws here that aren't something you can chalk up to scale or backing. For example... * The maps are basically useless. I swear, the actual maps they hand you when you arrive and the ones printed throughout the walking paths don't match up. There is no orientation, and the actual trails, animal houses, and other amenities do not align with what is printed. It's fine if a path is a little askew, but to list bathrooms that aren't there... when you're walking around with a three-year-old? Recipe for disaster. * Some of the cages are a joke. We were feeding some deer and rams soon after starting the walk, and one of the very small deer actually managed to get through the very spacious wiring and was running around in the pen with us. If not for better wiring behind and the double cage doors, it could have very easily gotten out. We had to corral it back into its pen, as there were no staff members around and no phone or anything to call for help. * There are a lot of ways they "nickel-and-dime" you while there (two bucks for a feeding cup, fifty cents for a handful of feed along the way, extra for safari rides, etc.). You think there would be more included in the base price. * Please fix the walking paths. Some are paved, most are not, but nearly all had huge roots and large rocks jutting out here and there. My kid fell several times, and my wife nearly turned her ankle. I was also nearly taken down a few times by a rogue obstacle. Still, the place isn't without it's good points as well. * Most importantly, the animals look well cared for, which honestly is the utmost priority to me. No offense to the staff, but they could be living in squalor so long as the animals are happy and healthy. (Note to staff: please do NOT be living in squalor, or else unionize for better wages!) * The enclosures, while looking sketchy, actually do keep the animals at bay, especially the potentially dangerous ones (lions, raptors [birds of prey, before you get any ideas...], and wolves). I'm sure safety is a huge concern there, but you'd think there'd be more signs... (i.e. "do not climb on the fences"). * The animals, though in cages, looked to be pretty happy. The big cats weren't morose looking, but rather demure and happy. Clearly, that's a by-product of captivity, but you can tell when animals look miserable. These animals... they did not look miserable. * They have a pretty wide variety of animals to view, so there should be something for just about everyone. We went in the autumn, and it was somewhat cool out, but the animals seemed to be vivacious all the same. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable; I just wish there were more of them around. I guess it was the off-season, though, so that makes sense. The location is nice, too, right off of US-15. It's well worth a visit, though, despite the flaws. Just don't expect a mainstream zoo atmosphere or experience. But, they have some animals definitely worth checking out: snow leopard, jaguar, Bengal tigers, arctic wolves, and the fossa! read more

Spur of the moment stop while driving up 15. We weren't sure what to expect but were pleasantly surprised. Property went further back that we assumed. Zoo is well shaded with a nice mix of animals. Safari was an upcharge, but well worth it. Better signage would help within the park as some exhibits were tough to find even with the map. Nice diversion for an afternoon. read more

Be sure to chip in an extra $16.50 to go out on the safari! It is the best part of the park. You will get to feed a range of critters (and photograph them!) including American bison, Dromedary camels, European fallow deer, Asian nilgai, Mouflan sheep and African Watusi cows. The guides are knowledgable and the ride lasts 45 minutes to an hour. You do see zebras, but you are not allowed to feed them on the safari. The animals in the zoo are well cared for and the park well manicured and generally relaxing to walk around. There are several petting zoo areas that allow you to get up close with a range of animals including goats, pigs and alpacas. read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - A petting zoo friend :) - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

I had passed by here on the way to a solo hiking trip at Cascade Falls and knew I wanted to check this out with my son. We went on a weekday in July and it was not crowded at all. Social distancing was easy. My son was free so I only paid for myself. To be honest, if I had to pay for more than myself this would be a 3 star review. We brought a hoagie from Weis, a grocery store in the area, for a picnic lunch. No one else dined while we were there. FYI they sell some snacks in the gift shop but you cannot get a meal here at the current time. There were a good amount of animals out and about. It was not that hot (mid 80s low humidity) during our visit so more animals were out. My son is STILL talking about feeding food to the deer. We never saw the leopard bit pretty much all others were visible. They were doing the safari ride but since my son is too young we didn't consider it. The biggest negative that COULD have dropped this review down: where the heck are the changing tables?! I was very dismayed I had to change my son on a bench since I was not about to put his pad and him on the bathroom floor! I'd say if you are able to visit the Smithsonian zoo (which was still closed at the time of our visit. It's now open.) do that bit this was a fun experience to have once. Not sure I'd return since the DC zoo is free and much closer to me. read more

See all

I'm not sure what the negative reviews are about because my family and I had a great time. We went to a similar place in PA and this one is way better. It is a very big place with many varieties of animals. We also loved being able to go into the bird enclosure and get a good look at the cockatiels, parakeets, doves etc. The guy that was in there was nice to let us know that the birds aren't eating bc they were already full from the last group, so there was no need to buy the food to feed them. He did say we could still purchase if we wanted to. We also enjoyed the safari ride, you do have to pay extra to ride the safari ride but seeing the animals up close and feeding them was worth it. My kids had a great time feeding the camels, deer, sheep, and horses. The ladies that were the hosts for the safari ride were very nice and you could tell that they enjoyed their job and that the animals knew them well. I really like the fact that the kids were able to interact with some of the animals, like the turtles, goats, pigs, alpacas and even got to feed the koi fishes. The only negative thing that I have to say about this place is the fact that they didn't have a printed map to give to the guests. For the price you pay to get in, they should give you a printed map. If your ever in the area of Thurmont, MD, come and visit this place with the kiddos or even if you just want to see some animals. We will definitely come back. read more

See all

Highly recommend! If you go I definitely suggest the safari as you see the zebras, camels, bison and other animals in this part. All animals seemed very well kept and socialized so you can feed majority of them with food you can buy. There were an abundance of washing and hand sanitizing stations and marked signs for the direction of flow. We look forward to our next trip! read more

My husband & I found this zoo by accident in July 1994 while on our honeymoon. We were impressed & amazed! Now, 2021... We planned a trip nearby with our 14 yr old son, decided to take advantage and take him to experience the most awesome, fun, zoo ever! The animals seem happy, content, & healthy. They are so active and playful. I highly recommend taking several quarters and your children and spend the day there! Bring food, since covid seems to have stopped them from serving it. I love the feeding and hands on with the goats, alpacas, and more! We left after 2 hours...feeling happy. We love this preserve! There's even a stork! read more

See all

From the highway it doesn't look like much, but once inside it's so much larger and feels like a jungle with beautiful landscaping and shady trees. There are lots of paths to follow and animals to see. We spent 3 hours here with our 12 year old grandson and he loved it. Each exhibit included a very informative sign about the animal. The Safari ride is a "must do". Yes, as some mentioned, the "restrooms" scattered around the park are Porta Potties but the ones we experienced were very clean and odor free. As a suggestion, it would be very helpful to have some directional signs along the paths. The map is not very easy to follow. It would also be helpful to know that there was a food vendor selling hot dogs in the park, we found him too late to take advantage. We would have liked to have done the parakeet feeding thing but there was no sign about the price of the "experience" or how to buy a ticket. read more

Lots of animals that you don't normally see and where they are kept is a nice habitat for them. I would recommend the safari so you can see camels, bison, elk, watusi, and other animals and you can feed them too. Only issues is all bathrooms are outhouses and there are no directional signs to guide you to the safari loading area. Just simply follow the asphalt road. read more

It's a nice zoo, but way overpriced! I've been there with my four-year-old daughter, the admission for both of us was $40. If you want safari ride, it's $15 per person extra, feeding the birds also costs extra. For one adult and one kid this zoo trip can easily cost $80. There are many other similar places, at much better price. I attempted to use 3 bathrooms, and all of them where disgusting! If they charge such a price, they could at least keep the bathrooms clean They start wrapping up one hour before the place closes, so many animals are already hidden from public way before closing time Good thing they have camel rides, which was cool, my daughter enjoyed it. read more

This was a pit stop on our way home from MD. We figured we would have an adult day at the zoo. We were not impressed. The only part we enjoyed was feeding the parakeets. The exhibits ate dingy and not well kept. Distressed animals and o water for the black panther/leopard in its pond dry as bones. Barely any water for the swans to swim in. Sparking wire in one of the bird cages. Poor care of petting zoo animals as they do need tended for their matted fur. I could go on but this is long enough. Was trip our first trip and will be our last. read more

Do not go here if you care about animals. This place was dirty, a lot of exhibits were closed, and the ones open were small and dingy. The animals were obviously distressed, including the leopard who had no water in his cage, and was making these sad grunting noises like no leopard should be making. The Jaguar was 'under a vets care' in his tiny exhibit, I believe there was a dying meerkat in that exhibit, water in the lake and ponds was disgusting, and bathrooms were dirty with no soap. Even my six year old commented on the sad state of the cages for the animals. It really bothered me, and we won't be back. read more

There were 4 pups in the meerkat exhibit. 2 laying dead on the ground, no fur and eyes closed, so less than 2 weeks old. The other 2 barely surviving, eyes still shut, and kept getting carried around by the adults. This was to hide the pups from predators (humans!). There are no burrows in the exhibit, so nowhere for the pups to stay underground for the first 3-4 weeks of of their lives. I called the receptionist so she could make a zookeeper aware of the dead pups in the exhibit since I couldn't find anyone nearby. When the zoo keeper came, she explained that none of the pups have ever survived, which is common for meerkats in zoo's (not true!), and that these pups wouldn't make it either. There are no burrows, so it's the habitat that is preventing the survival of the pups. Newborns are about the size of a Matchbox car, and their eyes and ears are shut. Ears open at about 10 days and eyes around 10-14 days. The pups stay underground (in burrows) for the first 3-4 weeks of life before venturing outside. read more

Would've been a nice place except we were about 7 minutes into the zoo if that, & then we saw a dead parrot in the front center of the cage. Not only that but later we encountered a dying baby goat. On top of that the animals did not have proper water or shelter to get away from the sun. Will not be going back, ridiculous prices to see animals that they clearly do not care about. read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - Dead parrot - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

Labor Day. Some consider it a day to celebrate labor? Ok, I really don't know what the purpose of Labor day is, but I spent it at Catoctin Zoo. Catoctin Zoo lies approximately half way between Harrisburg, PA and Washington, DC and US-15 North bound. It's a perfect stop midway through the drive (because 2 1/2 hours is SO intollerable). I wasn't sure what to expect at Catoctin Zoo. After years of seeing billboards for the new animals, and a nightmare I had involving bears escaping at the zoo predating my knowledge of the zoos existance, I decided that it would be a nice activity for the day to take my friend who was visiting from UK. I got a lot of attitude from a certain Persian (not "LEILA S") about not taking him to the National Zoo in DC... But seriously, the Smithsonian (read: free) on Labor Day. I can't even imagine how packed that place was. I have to admit, while we were driving north on 270, I wondered if I should have been a "good host" and taken him to the Smithsonian Zoo although it was out of the way. The thought lingered in my mind even as we pulled into the parking lot at Catoctin Zoo. As we walked in the gift shop door to purchase tickets, I crossed my fingers that we could at least see something good here so I could stop feeling guilty for not taking my guest to the National Zoo. The first thing I noticed were these cute stuffed animals of white tigers in hoodies that said "Catoctin Zoo" on them. I left out a sigh of relief, knowing that even if the Zoo was horrible, we'd at least get cute souveniers. As we purchased our tickets, I noticed they had cups of food you could buy to feed to animals in the zoo. I hastily picked one up and added it to my transaction. That was it, time to enter the zoo. The white tiger cubs are right in front, providing instant gratification to those enthused by the zoo's key exhibit. I spent at least 15 minutes just staring at them, and my counterpart, an equally long time photographing them. We then moved onto the dwarf goats. I got really excited about feeding them and gave nearly half my cup of food to this one eager little goat. I couldn't help myself and swore to restrain myself on feature exhibits. The experience of getting to feed the animals in the zoo was amazing. The animals that you can't feed are clearly marked, and also in most cases, the enclosures to their exhibits imply that you are not to feed them but their complexity to enter. The animals also get really excited when you feed them, especially the llamas. The zoo in whole is a great interactive experience, allowing those interested to get very close and personal with a variety of animals from ducks to lions, llamas to white tigers, goats to peacocks. I definitely think we had a better day at the Catoctin Zoo than we would have had at the National Zoo in Washington. It was very personal and intimate, but there were enough "exotic" animals to feel that we got our money's worth and didn't pay 13 dollars (I believe, but don't quote me on that) to feed some goats. I was also really impressed with the gift shop. I remember being at Houston Zoo last winter, and I was unable to find merchandise with the Houston Zoo logo. It was very generic stuffed animals and book type things. At Catoctin Zoo, almost all of the mechandise in the gift shop carried the Catoctin Zoo logo so it could be treasured as such. And I love my stuffed tiger with the Catoctin Zoo hoodie!! read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - white tiger cub - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

Pros: It's big, and pretty, there are a lot of lakes, trees, grass. They have a wide variety of animals, including bears, wolves and tigers. They have a petting zoo, which includes llamas, donkeys, goats, sheeps, rams, etc. They have camel rides, which cost $5 a ticket. We did that, it was fun! They have a little shop with snacks, and cool souvenir stuff and a cafe that sells food. They have a safari ride, and before you get on, you can purchase cups of food for $5. (I would suggest not buying the food, because they provided us all with a bucket full of bread to feed the animals with.) All of the monkey exhibits are fun because it's cute watching how they interact with each other! Cons: Expensive. It costs almost $19 to enter (during summer, adult price) and an additional $12 for the safari ride. You can purchase food for the petting zoo for $3.00, and also the camel ride ticket is $5 so you're looking at about $40 a person, not including food/drinks for yourself. The Safari ride wasn't worth it, in my opinion. None of the animals were very interesting. Mostly the same animals as the petting zoo, and a few buffalos. That's pretty much it. It was fast too. After the safari, we were excited to see the show, as the pictures showed kids holding baby alligators. But the lady doing our show wasn't trained to handle alligators and snakes so we only got to see a bird, which you're not allowed to touch, and we got to pet a chinchilla and a hedgehog. Which was still cool, but alligators and snakes would've been a lot cooler. Also, I can't remember which, but one of the small buildings full of exhibits was closed for reconstruction. I peeked through the window and saw baby alligators in a case. And my last complaint, some of the exhibits do not look appropriate for the animal! Like the bear exhibit was small and had no grass, just concrete... and one of the wolves was pacing around the exhibit in circles... I felt so bad for it! I'm not an animal expert, I guess he could've been doing that for a number of reasons, but he looked stressed out. At the end of the day, we had fun but I do not think it was worth $40. I could've gone to the free zoo in D.C. and seen a lot more animals. I just hope that admission price is going towards getting these animals more appropriate exhibits.. read more

See all

Just went last weekend. We were super excited to take my two year old son. We very much enjoyed feeding the goats and deer, but I felt icky being there after seeing the leopard and bear enclosure. It was really sad. The leopard enclose would be the equivalent of keeping a house cat in a small closet. And the bears... poor bears! My bad for paying for the annual membership before actually visiting the zoo. I hope they either get rid of those animals or build them bigger pens. Also, that map made no sense! read more

I love visiting animal sanctuary's so I was really excited to visit Catoctin Wildlife Preserve & Zoo. This review is more about my experience there and less about the animal exhibits. For the record, I think many of the exhibits were way too small for the animals that housed them. The big cats probably needed 3 times as much space than they had and some of the animals I saw during the safari ride didn't seem to be well cared for. They were all covered in flies and one of them was limping badly. The tour guide claimed the animal had been checked out by a vet but I'm not so sure about that. People and animals don't just limp for no reason and the guy claimed he'd been given a clean bill of health. Additionally, there were some really young kids (11-13) working there which was a concern to me. First off, Catoctin needs to have a few more directional signs on the highway and leading to the location. We drove right by the location without even knowing it. The GPS pretty much stopped providing directions after we turned on Catoctin Furnace Rd. At any rate, we realized that we'd passed it and turned around. We got there early so there was plenty of parking but if you get there late then I can see how parking would be an issue. You enter the zoo though the gift shop which has a variety of items ranging from cheap to moderately expensive. I didn't like any of the t-shirt designs and definitely think the organization could use a graphic designer to update their logo and clothing designs The zoo is mapped out by country and the animals are housed together based on their country of origin. That was cool but it would've been easier to navigate if there were better signs throughout the zoo. We got lost a few times and there weren't many employees present to assist us. Most of the exhibits seemed to be clean and reasonably well cared for but that's not saying isn't room for improvement. We paid extra to take the safari ride which was basically a bumpy ride though an manicured area of the zoo. There were animals held in three separate enclosures. We were given molded bread and hay to feed them which was interesting. I wasn't a quite sold on the explanation given about the practice of feeding the animals molded bread being okay though. The animals also seemed to be in extremely aggravated by all the flies but when I inquired about it I was told that they were "sprayed" daily and nothing more could be done. Hmm... I've never seen that at any other zoo or sanctuary so that tells me that it probably has more to do with the level of care and that something more CAN be done. I'm sure the employees mean well and that the organization probably has limited funds but Catocin really needs to step up it's game in several areas. Simply as a spectator though it's reasonably fun experience. I'd recommend it but would suggest possibly giving an additional donation if you care anything about the welfare of the animals. read more

See all

I am usually very sure if what score to give something after I visit. This was a hard one because we had an amazing time! The good: The safari was a blast & a definite must try! Bumpy (sit in the front if possible!!) but I have never been so close to bison, llamas, camels, zebras & so many more. Buy the $1 popcorn! I got some great pictures here. If you have young children, they will like this much more than National Zoo/Baltimore Zoo. My 2 year old was actually able to see everything up close, not some animal 30' away. Shade! It was 90+ today & no one felt terribly overheated because most of the animals are in the shade. Clean bathrooms & port-a-potties The bad: Cost -$27 for adults, 24 for kids & $10 for kids under 3 (admission + safari) Many people have mentioned the treatment/condition/cages of the animals. I would have given 5 stars if I didn't have some concerns. They removed the giraffe & lioness others have mentioned. The safari animals, petting zoo animals, koi pond, snakes & turtles (as well as some others) had clean cages, space, etc. But, some of the birds did not have clean water. The wolves were all pacing in a small area. The bears seemed stressed. One exhibit of monkeys was being renovated but (I assumed because of money issues - they had half of a concrete floor poured) while this was happening, they put all the monkeys in one cage. This was clearly too small! If the animals had larger cages as needed & seemed happier I would have easily given 5 stars. My 2 yo has been talking about going back all day!!! I hope they make some changes - I have been previously (about 4 years ago) & conditions have improved a lot since then so hopefully, they will continue in that direction! read more

See all

Today was the first and last time my family will visit. We all could not leave fast enough. I want to give this place negative stars. 1) Animal care - The living space and quality of care for some of these animals made me physically sad. There were some animals, artic wolves, not accustomed to the hot and humid Maryland climate, kept outside, without proper climate control. In the case of the bats, they were exposed to red and blue lights to simulated night time when it is actually daytime, ruining their natural sleep patterns. Overall, I would describe this place as animal cruelty not a wildlife preserve. 2) Social distancing - In the age of COVID, the facility and staff are ill equipped. Their website provides guidance about being required to wear a mask inside buildings, but there are no staff or signs as reminders or policy enforcement. Because families clustered at certain animal feeding areas without proper social distancing and inconsistent mask use, it is a COVID outbreak waiting to happen. As a result, we had to wait a long time for the clustered families to dissipate. The facility as a whole is too small to allow for social distancing along walk ways. This made our experience very distressing and cause anxiety. 3) Strollers, carts, wheel chairs - If you use either of these you will have trouble navigating. A majority of the walk ways are large gravel. It was impossible to use our two-kid stroller. At one point, a family with a wheel chair called out for help because they could not get their wheel chair out of the gravel and up the hill. I helped pull their wheel chair out (I wore a mask; they did not) read more

This zoo is not like it used to be. We've been coming here since the 80s and it's changed a lot (obviously). They no longer have the cafe to purchase hot food or drinks. The prices for admission and everything is way overpriced. We paid $40 for one adult and one 4 year old child to enter the zoo. Not to mention snacks, and food to feed the animals. Very expensive visit. They barely have any animals. Exhibits are gone or closed (not sure which). We won't be coming back, at least not for a while. So disappointed in our trip this year and we drive over an hour each way to get there. read more

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve - $6 Camel ride was the highlight of our visit. - Zoos Near Me - Thurmont, Maryland

I had high hopes for this place. It's not bad. There were aspects I liked, but it didn't have nearly as much as I hoped for. Yes, I'd go again ...I guess with coupons because of the price, but I prefer a lot of the local farms/zoos much better. I ended up with tonsillitis afterwards, so maybe that's why I didn't enjoy it as much. I usually love all zoo/farm-like places. read more

The state of the zoo was highly disappointing. The enclosures are small and not well kept. The otters were in an enclosed building with concrete to walk on, a small tub of water, and a slide. One of the rams in a petting zoo exhibit walked with a serious limp, and the rest of the goats in that exhibit were skittish. As far as the landscaping, it was overgrown and not well managed. All of the water was covered in algae, excluding the koi pond. Everything appeared to be in stages of disrepair; a light push on a hand sanitizer dispenser caused the fence to tremble. It was not at all sturdy. For the price, I would not recommend going here. Poor animal husbandry and dilapidated buildings made the visit more depressing than exciting; my family left disappointed and we will not be returning. There is no "preserving" going on here. read more

We visited Catoctin Wildlife Preserve for the first time yesterday for Father's Day. Things we liked: 1. Local and easy to get to 2. Had some animals we've never even seen before! Even at large zoo's 3. Petting & feeding areas were plentiful Things we didn't like: 1. Poorly labeled map & poor flow- nothing was updated and the paths seem random- a lot of dead ends. We couldn't figure out where we were. For example- where they have 'big cats' labeled on the map is actually a wolf enclosure. 2. Missing or wrong animal signs- we couldn't figure out the animal we were seeing cause the sign was missing or incorrectly labeled with the wrong animal- I don't know if they're moving animals around or what was going on. 3. Missing animals- bengal tiger, camels*, zebra*, ostrich*, jaguar, donkeys, bison*, llamas, panther, bats, lions. *may not have seen due to not being able to do the safari ride since we had our 9m son with us, which is not something that was advertised- that the recommended height is 3 feet for the safari ride. Keep in mind, we based the "missing animals" from their website descriptions, the map given to us that has animal icons, the animal photos used in advertising, and the signs around the park. 4. The paths were very rough- they advertise as wheelchair accessible but there's no chance. Even upon entering the park it's pretty rough. They have some very limited parts that are paved but in order to see everything, it would be rough to maneuver a wheelchair with a grown adult in it. We had our stroller which is very great on multiple terrains and it was quite a bumpy ride, I couldn't imagine pushing a wheelchair. 5. This is probably the most disappointing part- the overall space and care for the animals. Many of the animals were in some of the smallest spaces I've seen for their kind. For example, the leopard was in a cage with less space than I've seen for dogs!! There was a river turtle in a tank barely big enough for the turtle to turn around! The sun bears were in a concrete base cage. Overall just seemed as if there wasn't enough in the habitats to engage the animals inside of them nor enough space for the animals to have some sense of not being locked up. It looks as if they have PLENTY of space to expand some of these enclosures too! I'm not sure if there's regulations for the amount of space that should be given to individual animals, but surely there should be. read more