What a treasure! This family-owned zoo is populated by a lot of rescued animals, and their philosophy is to save animals injured in the Wild, or taken or surrendered from folks who had them illegally, unable to care for them. All the staff are incredibly knowledgeable about all of the animals in their care. A standout was Nick, who shared the backstory of the gibbons, the sloth, and others, we learned so much from him in just a few minutes! They are currently seeking status that will allow them to apply for grants, and they have a donation box to help them improve/increase one of the bear enclosures. If you can visit, definitely do so. If you can donate, so much the better! read more

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At first, I thought the ticket price for the zoo was a little high, but after going through and seeing how many animals they had, I knew it was worth it! A lot of the animals were very beautiful. From the giraffe to the tigers to the bison! I love reading the stories of each of the animals, and knowing that many of them are rescued! Although I thought some of the animals had fairly small areas, it was great to see so many of the animals up close. This was a great place to take kids. read more

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Kids had fun with the animals especially the ones they could feed or pet. It was great!

This zoo was so sad. We went on a cold, muddy, snowy day. The conditions for the animals were so sad. A parrot was ripping out his feathers. Cougars were crying and pacing the fence. The camel looked distressed and the bison had no water, food, or any grass. The pigs seemed to enjoy the muddy pens though. Please look up the animal welfare violations before attending. read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Caged bear. Tiny enclosure. Heartbreaking - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

The animals look very sad. Didn't like it at all, not to much animals to see like the pictures from the reviews before. Wish the animals would have a bigger enclosure some of them are very small and they don't even look happy there felt sorry for them. Admission fee is way to high for the quality of the zoo and animals personally I will not go back. The visit was okay nothing especial very beautiful animals but they need better care and space. Horrible enclosure and very small like I said I left sad because I don't like see animals so beautiful looking unhappy and not well taken care of that deserve the bes in the world. read more

Very nice zoo, not real big but lots of different animals to visit and feed. Low prices make it even better

Nice little zoo. Staff were friendly and interactive. They genuinely seemed happy to be there. Highlights of this zoo for me were a white tiger, black and brown bears, nice walking path. Animals were active although I know this can be hit and miss. Hard to take good photos tho because of wired cages. read more

We had the best time especially feeding the goats, giraffe,at the kids petting zoo. Our 1 1/2 year old had a blast. It was a terrific place to educate him while he could feed them. He had his favorite spots! read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - The children were at the feeding zoo having fun! - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

Such an amazing place! Went for the second time this past weekend and had a blast; love the peacocks and chickens roaming freely all over the property! Such a great non-profit place to support!! The baby Wallaby was adorable!! I would highly recommend going. We bought tickets online, but you definitely don't need to. They do offer a discount for tickets purchased online a day or two ahead of time I think (I'm not 100% sure so don't take my word for it!) read more

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Been wanting to check out this location...always like the parks where the animals are in close proximity to one another..the bigger zoos are just a lot more walking and less animals! This location felt similar to a smaller version of Catoctin zoo, almost like a huge farm with wild animals. Nice place. We live about 2 hours south of here and will try to come again when driving through! The animals seemed happy for being rescues! Not sure why there were complaints about small enclosures. It did not seem that way. As long as animals are being fed, not lonely, and have things to keep their mind busy... they have a good life. I would recommend a few more benches around the park though. Would have preferred to not be there during a school group but oh well. read more

We took a group trip with homeschool kids and they had a great time. Its a small zoo, well kept with friendly employees. The kids loved the fact there are many animals you can actually pet (goats, sheep and donkeys). I also felt the prices inside were not that bad. Feed cups for the animals are small for $1.50 and large for $3.00. We bought a tee shirt for $18.99. We had a great trip. read more

We love Plumpton. Kid friendly, lots of shade, snacks, store. You can feed goats, sheep, and alpacas. Very clean and the perfect day with littles! We are already planning our next trip! read more

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I came here yesterday with my 2.5 year old son. Overall the zoo is well kept and easy to navigate. It's on the smaller side so it was easy for my little guy to walk around with just the wagon we had. There was a variety of animals however some of the larger animals were pacing in their enclosures which was hard for me to see. The cougars, bears, tigers and lion definitely need bigger enclosures. But the artic wolves in the back of the zoo were definitely over heated and need larger spaces to roam and more shade. They obviously were struggling in this hot weather. Overall it was A good experience however I think the enclosures need to be larger and more money put into stimulation for the animals. read more

Loved this zoo. My family and I had a fantastic trip! The lions was our favorite. The staff was super helpful and read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Lions - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

Lots of animals and educational plaques. We loved seeing Shadow and Spike, the wallabies and the baby wallaby, and feeding the sweet donkeys. read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Kimba the white lion - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

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Quaint little zoo! Passing through and decided to stop. It's not huge but it's not tiny either... I will say it's very different that you can buy animal food at the front and get up close to a lot of the animals! And yes, you can feed a lot of them... some of the animals are a bit further away and some need special food... like the giraffe which you can by different food and give it to them... All in all pretty fun and kids really like it. And yes there is a play area for them... and you can even pan for gold... Nice outing with out being overwhelming. read more

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A friend of mine recommended going to plumpton park zoo because she took her kids there and was telling me that all the animals there were rescues and i couldn't believe it until i went for myself. was so nice perfect weather for it and it was definetly not crowded so that was nice. only thing is that the reptile house was not open so we couldn't go in but over all i would recommend it to everyone to go and support them to help the animals. read more

Not the biggest zoo, but if you like cats (cougar, Tigers, lions) this is your place. They have other great animals too (giraffes, bears, Goats, camels, raptors, etc); but I think they have more cats than the Baltimore Zoo. They also have wolves (who seem pretty happy to be there). Many of these animals are rescues, including their newest ambassador Harley the wolf pup. Great place to visit for people of all ages - and if you want to see the animals after sunset (when some are more active) make sure to attend one of their annual fundraisers like Brew at the Zoo. read more

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I love this place. It's the perfect size for children. Assortment of animals who looked well cared for. Enjoy! read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Bear. He is big!! - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

I worked here as a volunteer for a while, and everybody was pretty nice. Their animals are typically rescues which is also good. Everyone works really hard to keep this zoo awesome and give the animals the care they need. They have a lot of cool animals to look at, and it's a really cool zoo! Also, every Halloween, they host Zombies at the Zoo, and I go nearly every year with my family! There's peacocks that walk around freely, lots of animals to visit, and a reptile enclosure as well which recently got remade. Awesome zoo! It's great and I love this place a lot :) read more

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We took my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, who loves animals, here. She had so much fun feeding the goats, sheep, and donkeys. It is not a large zoo/petting zoo, which is perfect for little ones! Besides being a zoo, it is also an animal rescue, and the staff are ultra friendly! Just be aware that the snack bar is just that - candy, chips, ice cream. We were there in April, so maybe during the summer the menu expands, but if you need more substantial food, you can bring in your own food to their picnic area only. read more

Small zoo with everything from bears, tigers, cougars to llamas, pigs, alligators, monkeys, macaws and turtles. Felt bad for the tigers, bears, and giraffes. Not enough space for them for my liking, unfortunately. Totally not enough hand sanitizer stations. Only one we did fine was empty...JUST after feeding a donkey You can pay for a cup of food to feed animals. They didn't offer and I didn't know until in zoo. There's sanitizer at exit. Used an online coupon found on localflavors.com. Paid 23.90 for 2 adults and 2 kids with it. WIN! Retail value is $47-ish You can bring food. There is a picnic area and small snack area with souvenirs and snack food/hot dogs. Worth taking little ones for an afternoon. read more

Plumpton Park Zoo - Selfie with a zebra - Zoos Near Me - Rising Sun, Maryland

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It was a pleasant experience to go there at the Zoo. It's great for young children and reasonably priced.

The whole place felt dingy and dirty, and unfriendly. The animals looked dirty and sad, and so did most of the staff. Based on the location and no word of mouth, I went in skeptical, and sadly this "zoo" did nothing to win me over. Would never go again. Check out Zoo America or Lehigh Valley Zoo instead. No pics to show, as we didn't even take any! How sad is that? Full disclosure, we went with our 6yo daughter who did seem to enjoy it well enough. read more

This zoo is amazing. So up close and personal with the animals. Very well maintained and the staff is friendly and informative. Well worth stopping in if you're in the area. read more

I would give this place a 0 if I could. The animals are in tiny enclosures with no enrichment items. Many animals did not have fresh water on a day that was over 100 degrees and many were heavily panting under the minimal shade in their enclosures. The highland cow and camels had huge mats in their hair. It seems that the reptile house has been under construction for years which would've been a highlight for me. The constant pacing of the tigers, bears, and sloth were enough to make me leave after 30 minutes and feel horrible for supporting it. read more

The Zoo is a really nice place to visit for families. I & my handicapped daughter are of senior citizens. She uses a walker and found it extremely difficult to walk the dirt and gravel paths. At the least, a warning about its non- handicapped status would help. The walkway surface was not condusive to a walker with wheels and She could barely fit in the womens bathroom & stall with her walker. We struggled to walk aroud for almost an hour and found only one bench to sit on to rest. The refreshment stand was good for snacks and only served hot dogs & chicken fingers. Most families brought a picnic from home. I would not go again at lunch time Or any time. My daughter liked the animals so we kept going for an hour. I had to bring my car up to the entrance from the parking lot, for fear of her falling, A warning for people using walkers or wheelchairs, would have been helpful, on the website. read more

We purchased the Giraffe Feeding Birthday package for my daughter,family, and friends. This package included a guided tour and giraffe feeding. Our tour guide Carrie, was amazing, friendly, and informative....she helped keep us on pace to get back to the pavilion for cake and presents. A supervisor, Michelle, was very personable and helpful when I called to ask her questions and logistics of the party. What a wonderful day for my 8 year old daughter....our whole group, adults and children, had a fantastic day thanks to Plumpton Park Zoo!!! read more

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Grandkids always have a great time. Animals look well cared for. Definitely come back again. Nice on hot days that you can bring your own water. read more

I've been there 2x now. When I first went like 2 years ago I saw they were doing some construction thinking they would amplify the space for the larger animals (bears, tigers and camels). Went back there this past weekend and they are still in SUPER SMALL CAGES! The one European Brown bear they have by himself had the saddest look on his face that I'd never forget! The tigers and the camels cage are extremely small!!! These are large animals that NEED enough room . Not bad enough they have to be kept in a cage let alone in a super tiny one. And the funny part is that the property is pretty big, so they absolutely have conditions to give those poor souls more room to run. I won't be coming back until I now they are giving these animals a better living condition. read more

Amazing zoo that has quickly become our favorite! Tons of great animals in well kept larger enclosures, friendly staff, reasonable admission, and a petting zoo! Best part, many of the animals are rescues!!!! We drive from Philadelphia just to visit this zoo for the day because we have fallen in love with it! read more

Great little zoo for the family with young kids or the grandparents looking for some place to take the young grand kids! The staff is super friendly and will gladly provide any information about the animals. Small improvement needed.. consistency on the information placards for the animal expedites.. I really enjoy learning about the history of the animals and reading it to my grandson. Highly recommend ! read more

Plumpton Park Zoo is a hidden gem! If you like a more up close and personal visit with animals, this is the place for you! If not, go to the big zoos that are crowded, overpriced and require binoculars to see their animals. This zoo may not have all the exotic animals of the big brand zoos but what it lacks on that front it surely makes up for in simple natural fun! Very family and youth friendly as well as reasonably priced! (My kiddos had a blast feeding the giraffe, the montjacs and watching the jackals during their feeding time.) We are repeat visitors. read more

Animal enclosures need work but my 1 year old son loved it so very mixed feelings! I would love to be super supportive because it is cool to see grizzly bears and giraffes so close but the animals DID NOT look happy... read more

This is a nice little zoo for young children. Easily walkable, very reasonably priced. Staff is helpful.

There are obvious advantages to coming to a zoo like this one because the atmosphere is more laid back, you can get closer to everything and naturally the prices are far more reasonable than a visit to Philly or Baltimore. The downside would be zero staff interaction, no interpretive programs that exist at similar sized zoos and you really have to wonder about the enclosure size that certain animals are kept in because for a few it's clearly not right. We spent almost two hours here last week and to my surprise upon arriving the parking lot was actually filled up more than I thought it would be for a Monday but even with that nothing felt overly crowded during our visit. The one real letdown we had was the one time we had to interact with some staff. We get to the window to pay and see there are three young "kids" who are "working". One of them is sitting down with headphones on and is oblivious to the fact that paying customers are standing at the window, another guy sees us and then walks out of the building while the third person is doing all the work waiting on the snack bar side/gift shop side of the building then eventually getting to us. The map they give you is key as the map on their website is not indicative to where animals are currently. Certain animals like the giraffe and the watuzi are in the same places but other animals like the chickens are in a different spot and other animals like the bear cubs are not even on the map. Worth noting is that on weekends you can feed their giraffe, Jimmie, at certain times for an additional fee and on a daily basis you can buy cups of feed for the animals in the "petting zoo" area which isn't really an area as the animals are more scattered on the one side of the zoo. The map they give has the appropriate animals color coded for feeding which is good because there is no signage telling you which are alright to feed. Overall we had a good time here as the size is very manageable, there is a good mix of animals and the setting is very bucolic out in the middle of nowhere rural Maryland. But, certain animal enclosures (tigers, python, prairie dogs) are not right for the animals and there is no staff interaction like you would find at any other zoo where you can see animals getting fed at a scheduled time or some kind of "meet the keeper" type of program that tells the public what is going on. It's neat, it's cute, it's good for something new but it doesn't replace what you would get at a big boy zoo in any way, shape or form. If you go: Plumpton Park is open year round except for Thanksgiving & Christmas Day normally from 10-4 or from 10-5. Admission is Adults $11.95, Seniors $9.95, Children (Ages 2 - 12) $7.95, Children ( under 2 ) FREE but discounts are available online that help to lower the price a bit. read more

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As a PreK teacher, it can be a challenge to take 20+ students on a field trip. The Plumpton Park Zoo staff were very kind, helpful, and organized throughout the process of booking our field trip. They quickly responded to emails and worked closely with our front office to work out "the fine details" of the experience. One of the staff members carried our HEAVY box of lunches down to the beautiful picnic area for us. Our children loved the close up opportunities to see the animals. There was a wide variety of animals, both large and small. I was encouraged to see a few exhibits were under construction. This tells me that they are always improving the habitats for their animals. We will continue to return to this local gem just around the corner from us! read more

PERFECT for toddlers! And perfect for the pocket if you use the coupon on localflavor.com which basically cuts the entrance fee in half! (2adults2kids for price of one adult/one kid) We took our time strolling and feeding the animals w a 2.5 ur old. We almost had the run of the place on a Friday afternoon; This was good for we were with another family of 5 adults and 10kids. If there was a crowd at the park it could've gotten overwhelming and the little ones not be able to see and enjoy. Bears (3) and turtles and giraffe(2) and alligator (one) a small reptile hut (w really loud birds) and hungry alpacas and goats and tigers (2) camels (2), bison (2), there were plenty of animals to see and feed. (There are more animals, but this lets you know it's a small zoo perfect for little ones). The roosters and peacocks roam free but don't bother you much It's not a paved park, and it was the day after a big and long rainy week, but was manageable w a lightweight stroller. Didn't need it for the 2yr old. She was able to walk around for the 2hrs we were there with no trouble and they have "$2 rentable strollers" at the gate. It has packed gravel so the stroller was navigable. But there were also some muddy spots and puddles. So don't take good shoes after a rainy week Lots of shade, there's still sunny spots. The bathroom -attached to the reptile hut, has two stalls but were very clean and bright. They have a picnic area and a place for sitting at tables near the exit/entrance, but I only saw small snacks to purchase. We ate lunchables in the parking lot at the end of the day. We bought the $4 large cup of food to feed the animals, and even w sharing w the other kids & dropping some of it, we still had a half cup left over. They feed the giraffes at 11 and 1 on weekends, only 11 mid week, and for an extra $5 you get to feed them too (we missed it) I HIGHLY recommend it for 11 and under and def for toddlers and not on a busy day. Much more enjoyable for little ones if they can actually see and not have to peer through knees or be hoisted up for a half second peek: which happens at much larger zoos I would recommend the zoo upgrade their signage on a few pens. There were a few we had to guess at what they were. If they get the funding, maybe pave the pathways, and maybe look into selling "kiddie food", like lunchables" I know they have a box suggesting donations to make the best pen bigger. But a few other pens could be bigger too. I hope to donate more in the future read more

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We enjoyed plumpton Park zoo. We will going back. There were a lot of different types of animals. The workers were very nice

Awesome little zoo for my 4 year old grandson to walk and enjoy feeding the kritters.(Giraffes too) Went with about 8 people and had a blast.free parking and three to four hours done with fun read more