The Virginia Zoo is a great way to spend a few hours with the family. If you are local to Hampton Roads I highly suggest purchasing one of their memberships. The zoo offers discounted tickets to special events for members and even has an event where you can bring your dog! I really enjoy that this zoo offers plenty of different species of animals and wide open areas for kids to explore. A train is normally running and the exhibits have wide trails with plenty of viewing platforms and windows. The staff is always friendly and they have a robust gift shop. I haven't personally ever tried their food but they offer a few cafes and dipping dots throughout the park. read more

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I was extremely eager to finally come to the zoo. It's been years since I've visited one. I came here on a Friday with my son, who was also excited to see animals for the first time. There were many children, which looked like they were on a school trip. Before coming, I searched the zoo's website and found out they had admission discounts for whomever had Medicaid. It stated that admission price was $7. Of course, they had to ID you to see if your name matched the card. To my surprise, admission was just $4.95, which was a steal. I brought in food and water for my son and I, as most people did. First stop was the Fountain Plaza, where I had to figure out which way I wanted to maneuver. I went left to Asia and Africa trails, as my son wanted to view tigers, lions, giraffes, and monkeys. Each exhibit had 1 or 2 animals. Very bare. The monkeys had 3 the most. Not too many animals were active, which is understandable because this is their normal wild habitat. I was expecting to see my favorite animal, the elephant. Apparently, they are no longer there, as well as gorillas. I enjoyed the giraffes, rhinos, and zebras in Africa. They had the most energy. The cheetah and lion were off the exhibit that day. Following those trails, my son wanted to ride on the train. It is $3/rider. They have a strict policy of having all hands and feet at all times during the ride. This all took 2hrs. I didn't bother checking the other side of the park because it was starting to drizzle. This zoo was just ok to do something with your kids so that they can get acquainted with various animals from other parts of the world or just a date. I've been to better zoos, it was just so bare. Be prepared for lots of walking, so bring water. read more

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This Zoo is wonderful for all ages. So many wonderful options for every visit. The flowers, foliage, animals, and layout are well thought out. When you think, hey I need a drink, a water fountain or food station happens to be close by. The locations of park benches, bathrooms, etc. appear to be well planned. The featured events are always changing, they usually have a different theme each time we go so we aren't bored coming back every month. The park is well maintained, cleaned, and park personnel always seem to be close by if you need them. The animals are active and look healthy so the children love visiting them. The monkeys are always a hoot. They are natural performers. The petting zoo for children is full of "cute animals" for the young ones. I love the shady places, smiles! Great well maintened, well lighted parking lot with free parking near the entrance. We all had a great time. The admission price is still reasonable. read more

Beautiful weather great vibes and plenty of fun for the whole family Virginia Zoological Park is definitely worth a visit. Every time I come here I have a great experience. There are so many animals and exhibits to explore and the park is reasonably priced without feeling overcrowded. The baby orangutan is absolutely adorable and in my opinion the star attraction right now. If you're bringing kids be sure to pack an extra set of clothes because they'll definitely want to enjoy the water play area. Overall it's a fantastic family destination. Even the food prices were surprisingly reasonable. 5/5 stars nothing to complain about! read more

Virginia Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Extremely disappointed with a birthday party we attended for my nephew. The attendants who helped with the party were very short and rude, they don't explain anything unless you do something they don't like and then they give you an attitude while speaking to you like child. The showing of animals was short and honestly lack luster, for what she paid she basically just bought everyone's entry fee. They only did 2 small animals and I feel like it was rushed. I remember back in the day they took their time, allowed all kids to pet, and zero attitude. As far as the zoo goes, you have all your basic animals. They truly need to do some updating to a few exhibits and I don't know if it's because it's cold but there have been a few empty exhibits which sucks. The best time to see the animals is right when they open though, they are active and moving around the most. The zoo is small and they are add new exhibits. So hopefully they'll continue to improve, I wish they would fix their cotton candy machines, they're never working. Lastly, for now, do not spend 3 dollars a person for the train ride, you are literally just looking at the back of their facilities, overstock, and see the Vultures, that's all. read more

We went in the morning and it was great. Very little visitors but the animals were all very active. My 2 year old was able to get some really great views of the tiger, the baby orangutans, and baby rhino (which gave us a great opportunity to talk about have mommies feed their babies). It was chilly but nothing that some good ole running around doesn't fix. I could see spring being a great time to come. There were lots to see and we were able to get through it all in about a half a day so we could have gone around again but for us it worked perfectly to go get some lunch before nap time. read more

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So impressed! And I'm used to highly funded zoos like San Diego. The enclosures are awesome and the pathway is designed so you get a really good look at their animals. I feel I rarely get to see that many animals up close. The staff is friendly, very knowledgeable, and clearly love what they do. It was my first visit and I'm sold on getting the membership!! read more

Ate lunch at the cafe and honestly the garden salad way better than what I was expecting! I actually talked to my family and friends about how surprised I was that this salad was so good and fresh. The tomatoes were crisp, along with the cucumbers, and the red onion was freshly sliced leaving that strong bite! Even the carrots were crisp and dressing was delicious. It's also a big salad and I couldn't finish it all cause it was packed tight with a good ratio of romaine and toppings. I would hands down try again. My daughter had the nuggets and fries which the nuggets were warm but could've been hotter. Their tenders are super hot and fresh! The breading is crunchy without being hard so the meat is still pretty tender and juicy. The fries are also fried in a sort of batter but soft inside. No one really reviews Zoo food but if you have to stop here for lunch definitely try the tenders and salad! Not pictured is their burger - I've tried it in the past and they don't make them hot enough. Not is the heat lamp strong enough to keep them desirable. They also have a "you touch it you take it" rule since you can select your food yourself like back in school. read more

Virginia Zoo - Cafe: fries, nuggets, and sauces. - Zoos Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Really nice sized zoo. We came on a nice sunny day in March. They did seem like they were doing some renovating so a few areas weren't open. About half way through there is an eating area. It is cafeteria style. Work your way down the line and take the food that you want that is available. Some of the animals that we say were alone in their enclosures. I feel like it would have been better if they had a friend. read more

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While this zoo does have a decent variety of animals and food, there were a few areas that caused some discontent. For the food, it was made at some time in the day and wrapped up to be picked up. It was not kept warm. I liked the variety, including the vegetarian burger, but it was not fresh or warm. The animals were enjoyable but some exhibit sizes seemed small. For example, the cheetah and American Bison (which seemed a pity to keep alone as a herd animal). Also, it irked us that the animals were put away 10-15 minutes prior to closing time. We missed some exhibits we were very much looking forward to seeing on our way out of the zoo as the animals were removed from the exhibits early. read more

The Zoo has greatly improved over the years. I have lived here my whole life and when I last went it was 35 years ago. I have been this year 2024 and was pleasantly surprised. I love the entrance. That is so beautiful and photo ops for sure. Big and colorful statues. It just sets the mood for a wonderful visit. To me this is a smaller zoo than some I have been to. The exhibits have greatly improved. There use to be just cages. Now they have plants and trees and water features for the animals, making a better quality of life for the animals at the zoo. Looks like the animals are thriving. I even saw a little baby monkey hanging on his mother as she was swinging through the trees. Staff are friendly and helpful. They are excited about the animals they are talking about. They also have programs for young people. Education the up and coming generation on how important these animals in the wild are. Another improvement is that they have gardens. Not only to look at and are pretty but food for the animals at the zoo. There is nothing better than fresh food. They also have a train that takes you around the Zoo and gives you a little information as you ride. This was nice because we needed a break and this was a nice relaxing train ride. Gift shop has grown also. Very nice inside and lots to choose from. My favorite is the bracelets that when you buy them part of the proceeds go to the conservation of that species . When you get the bracelet you also go online and your dolphin or turtle or Lion ect..has been chipped and you can track it and learn more about that species. That is so cool. My only minus is that their map is not great. On the Crossing Signs they only have pictures. Well if you are an adult looking for wording you are out of luck. They should put the name of the exhibit under or above the animal pictured on the sign. Just a helpful suggestion. read more

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Amazing zoo overall. You get to see a lot of animals and interact with some as well. We were traveling from Jersey and had such a nice time visiting. Recommend it, specially if you're in town with kids (as a family). read more

Who doesn't have fun at the zoo? In town for a few days, we checked out the zoo early on a Monday. Another family and us were the only ones here for a while at opening and it was pretty sparse the whole time we wandered around to all the animal exhibits. Different biomes included animals from Africa, Australia & Asia. Additional exhibits included the World of Reptiles and Farm Zoo. We went by the Animal Wellness Campus to see the care that the animals receive and to see if any new baby animals had been born. There is also the Zoo Live Stage that was scheduled for some live demonstrations. We stopped at the showtimes posted but they never happened. Walking around, we saw tigers, red pandas, rhinoceroses, emus, zebras and orangutans, but my favorites were the family of giraffes and Ansel the lion. And we had an exclusive ride on the train all by ourselves! It was a fun time! I spoke to the engineer and he told me the train's electric motors runs on batteries, so no coal fired steam locomotive here, though the kids certainly can't tell the difference. We stopped for lunch in the African Village Cafe, which had your standard burgers, fries & chicken sandwiches and the food was underwhelming. It was made to order and we had to wait a bit, but it was just lukewarm when we got it. I should have stuck with my first idea to have lunch outside the zoo. read more

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Had a great trip to the zoo! We were able to see everything in about two hours. They have a full reptile house, tons of different animals, and even a baby orangutan, which was such a highlight. The petting zoo was my favorite--you can actually walk into the goat area and pet them. Everything was very clean and well maintained. read more

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A wonderful, small-to-medium sized zoo with a few problems. Worth it for the price of admission or annual pass if you enjoy going to the zoo frequently. Nonetheless, over the last two years many exhibits have been withered reduced in availability or the animals are hardly there if ever and it feels like it hasn't improved. The entire section that used to be Australia feels all but abandoned except for the two seemingly-forgotten birds there. The aviary has been closed so long I don't remember the last time I got to see the birds there. The sloths have been off display for about a year as well I believe. It's a little frustrating as it feels the zoo is in a period of transition l, but whether it's preparing to be amazing or beginning to fall behind isn't clear to the typical zoo goer here. High points are the giraffes and rhinos which they built truly magnificent viewing spots that make you feel so close to the animals. The animals also look happy with as room they have in those exhibits. Food prices are high especially for the quality served. read more

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After wanting to check out the zoo and noticing the weather would be nice, we decided to plan a day here. We got to the location around 11. I do recommend going earlier if you need closer parking since the parking lot was pretty full even just an hour and half after opening. We purchased our tickets online so going in was a breeze. The zoo is large with lots to see. We wandered around for about 3 hours. We did stop once at one of the food spots to get chicken tenders, fries, and chicken nuggets. The food was hot and fresh, staff were friendly at the food hall. Most of the zoo was open to the public but some closed off due to construction which was a bummer. I was really looking forward to the sloth exhibit but they were not out and a sign said they were behind the scenes currently. I want to note also, even with it being busy, restrooms were clean and tidy. Staff were friendly. We really enjoyed our visit and would consider coming back. read more

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Mid October 2024 a lot of exhibits were empty there wasn't a lot of animals to view or see. Definitely don't think I got my moneys worth. Wasn't my favorite zoo by far. The reptile section was huge and probably the best part of the park. The mini train is not free by the way. read more

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Beautiful zoo! Reasonable pricing. Lovely gift shop. Worth a visit while vacationing.

Things I wish I knew before visiting with littles. 1) Bring a bathing suit and change of clothes because as soon as you come on there is a splash pad. This place was so wonderful and we are heavily considering getting a membership. It was very affordable and amazing. We did not have to pay for parking. I love how spacious it is. It doesn't feel crowded at all even with the million school field trips in the summer. Interactiveness: The staff were so excited to answer questions about the animals and to give out fun facts. There are playgrounds for the little ones to play on. Food: They had some food courts but I did not visit them as we brought our own lunches. Restrooms: It was always a restroom near by and they were well maintained and clean. I highly recommend coming here. Even with the heat, it was bearable as it was a nice breeze and a lot of shading. read more

Virginia Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

A little old and worn down and some of the animals look sad and lonely. Affordable with lots of critters to looks at read more

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Currently all tickets are only $11 since part of the zoo is under construction. Even though we did not get to enjoy the entire zoo, we still had a wonderful time. Also, children 2 and under are free so I only had to pay for myself and one child. Bring your own water if you can, they do charge 3 dollars for a small bottle. The food was okay, it did take a while to order even though there were only 2 people in front of us. The food close to the reptile house did close by about 2 pm also, so if you plan to eat there then eat early. There was another food location on the other side of the zoo but we did not go there. It seemed like it was open later but I am not sure. read more

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Absolutely a great zoo. There's lots of space in the park and in the enclosures. Many of the species include families. The little train is a treat for children. There are many bathrooms and water filling stations. Admission includes several discounts. HC assessable. Large parking lot. Our extended family of eight had a great time. read more

A fun day trip to the zoo. Great price as you can spend all day here exploring and they have a place for food. I love looking at the different animals and they have a variety of animals here. They even have a petting zoo area. Worth a visit if you are in the area. read more

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Lovely zoo. $18 ages 12+, $15 ages 2-11. Lots of parking spaces in the lot. Exhibits are clean and well-kept. Particularly the open giraffe and rhino exhibits were great. We also really enjoyed the reptile area which is near the exit...a lot of interesting things in there that you can get pretty close to. Café (the one opened at the time) was about average, both in food and prices, for what you'd expect for a zoo. ($5 hot dog, $7 chicken tenders, $5 fries, $8 hamburger, $3-5 drinks) All staff members were very nice. read more

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Amazing zoo with some attractions not found at my zoo. Red pandas for example. Not crowded at all and very inexpensive for the size of the zoo. The otter exhibit was sadly closed. read more

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$19 for adults. Free for kids under 2. I feel like it was money well spent. I do believe if I lived closer I would definitely get a membership there for the kiddos. We went in 97 degree heat! Lots of sun and sweat but I still enjoyed my time there. Because of the time of day, I went in the morning, and the heat I expected the animals to be in the shade and most were. I'd like to come back around the fall season. I found the zoo to be pretty large. I loved the exhibits I thought they were large. I would of love at least two animals, male and female at least, for the animals because you can't help but to think how lonely it can be being by yourself. Food is a bit pricey but I figured it would be. I was a lot shock though because it's more than food at Busch gardens. Anyways, we wanted a snack so got two small bags of chips and a Powerade for $9.81. I saw other people bring in food so I'll do that next time. Knocking down one star because: - a man was smoking even though there are sign's everywhere saying no smoking. Where are the employees to stop him? There were lots of young teenagers employees like (16-18) there and I feel like maybe they were too scared or shy. - The train. Why wasn't anyone operating it? As a teen when I went to the zoo I also remember it running and my little cousins and family could ride it. I really wanted my family to go on it. When we arrived at first it wasn't running two hours or so later it still wasn't running. That was a disappointment because for kids under two who kind of sort of don't care much about the animals, the train would be so much fun for them. - In the restaurant there are multiple booths. Only three booths were occupied including myself. The cleanup guys stood on watch the entire time. The moment you got up they cleaned and the went back to the front to watch everyone and wait. To others this may not bother you but to me it was just a weird feeling to me to have someone just standing there like patrol like lol. read more

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It was ok, kinda spread out weird and some of the enclosures need work and trimming. Red panda and cheetah were my favorite read more

Virginia Zoo - Entering - Zoos Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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My family enjoys the zoo very much. It's our first visit of the year but definitely not the last. Because we enjoy it so much, we purchased a membership which is such a great deal. If you have little ones at home and are able to, I would definitely recommend buying a membership (after two visits it pays for itself). There was a lot of renovations going on so we weren't able to see some of our favorites but we will be back soon. read more

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so many fun things to do! i love to visit and it seem as though they are expanding each time i visit!

I took advantage to visit on the NBG membership park swap in June. This zoo has very nice landscaping through out. One should plan to visit based on weather conditions if permitting. Contrary to popular belief, I felt the zoo is best visited on rainy days during the hotter months. I say this because I went on two separate days to take advantage of the park swap. The first day was rainy and dreary and you're probably thinking.. "You have to be kidding!!l" Well.. no. I am not. Let me explain. The animals were out in full force and ACTIVE. Like baby giraffe was off doing zoomies and getting R. Kelly'ed on because he got too close to one of its comrades with all that unbridled young energy galloping around. Mr. Tiger was sauntering along his grass runway among his majestic ness, while his next door neighbor Louie, the Orangutan was being his solitary self while drawing circles in the sand planning his next escape from Zoo'ctraz. Like Milli Vanilli says "blame it on the rain." Think about it.. it's cool and not blazing balls hot. So the animals have more energy to frolic and play in the rain. That's my deduction. Now fast forward to the following day. It was a gorgeous sunny day but sweltering. It was Nelly hot in herreee... the animals were like, forget you! We are people watching today & hiding out so we don't set ablaze like the wings of Icarus. There will be no animal watching today you voyeurs! Well except in the petting area where the kids (goat babies) we're playfully butting heads. That was super cute! For those who are wondering about ADA accessibility or use of strollers. I personally navigated MOST of the zoo myself on a knee scooter (with lots of rest breaks) with the exception of assistance going down the ramps and the area uphill and downhill near the meerkats. It's the area once you pass the last exhibit of the giraffes. It was quite exhausting but I did it with help. You know those cute and cool little animal footprints and fern fossil imprints you see along the walkways? Well yeah. They're not so cute on a knee scooter. They are the devil themselves. They are mini death traps waiting for you to just stop you dead in your carefree rolling and send you flying over your handle bars and breaking your other appendage. No thank you. But overall if you are in a wheelchair or stroller you will be fine, but knee scooters and walkers it might be a bit more challenging but do-able. Just make sure you have a trustworthy able bodied person with you to assist as needed. There are many gradual graded ramps and elevations among the exhibits, but in the rain it can be quite slick. So make sure you are cautious. Bathrooms are plentiful and strategically spread through out. The handicap bathroom stalls have sinks located within the stall. Members get 10% off food and merchandise in the gift shop. We found the fries, nuggets and burgers to be surprisingly tasty. If you're starving like we were, I think it's absolutely fine. But if you're craving a real meal I would wait to eat outside the park. I enjoyed my outing despite the rain because it was a good day out with family and friends and most of all i was able to witness the beauty of the animals in tranquility. It's a good place to relax, get some exercise, fresh air and a reprieve from being cooped up and laid out from surgery. The zoo is a great outlet to witness the resilience of life and good for one's mental well-being. Timed entry is currently required with reservations made online from 9:30-2:30pm. NO WALK-INs. *Individuals with ADA-Recognized Disability and One Companion can receive free admission upon request. NEW! Advance reservation by phone is no longer available and walk-up entry is permitted for this discount only. * read more

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A lot of the zoo was under construction. Many animals not in their habitats. There was a lovely young girl who was a volunteer who made our experience much better. She gave lots of information about the animals. The rhinos looked sad. read more

as a homeschooling mom, the zoo is one of my favorite places to go to learn in a fun and hands on way. They have so many fun events like story time (the kids get to meet a small animal), homeschool days, and they just started doing special toddler events once a month! We were going so much that it only made sense to get a membership and here we are for a second year in a row as proud members. The membership gets you special perks besides just free entry. There are member before/after hour events, we get early access and discounts on zoo events, and even membership swaps with other Hampton Roads establishments! The zoo staff is always so friendly too! I love the ambassadors because they are always so eager to share their animal knows with my little one. As long as we live in this area we will be zoo members! read more

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This was an excellent zoo! We loved our time here and it felt clean and organized and animals were all out to play which was a plus! We enjoyed interacting with the gorilla especially! The only part that could have been better was the train. You don't see any animals on the train and it took forever to get it loaded because you pay the conductor as you enter the train. The Sanitation process also took a very long time... Otherwise it was 10 out of 10! read more

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By far one of the best family values in Hampton Roads. The Virginia Zoo has been a family favorite every since we moved to the area in 2005. I recently had the opportunity after a few years absence to return. I cannot believe I never wrote this one. When I say value I really mean it. A large parking lot is available for guest at no charge. The lot is well-maintained, clean and it's safe. It's hard to say what our favorite is at the zoo because there are several. I would say the giraffes, elephants and tigers have been overall the most fun. The newer Asia exhibit has been a tremendous success. Also the addition of the train has offered something more to do. However due to the fact that the zoo is not that big it not as exciting. I would say the weakest aspect of the zoo is the availability of a restaurant or good snack areas. You can find ice cream and a few items but overall this is a weak area for the Virginia Zoo. I recommend getting an annual membership that saves a lot of money. Especially for younger families that come often. The zoo also offers shelters that can be used for event space. Come and enjoy a day at the zoo. They are open 7 days a week 365 days a year. Also a February special is Fridays FREE! read more

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My sister and I go to the Virginia Zoo every chance we get. We live in a retirement home nearby. The Virginia Zoo is our favorite place to go! read more

What's. Wonderful experience. I absolutely love the variety of animals to explore and love how close of a view you can get by camera. They were very peaceful in their habitat which is greats for kids new to the park. I love how the staff are peaceful also and let you explore at your own will but also we're not rude when asked any question. They have dipping dot machine randomly through the park for a quick refresher for kids. Make sure to bring a bathing suit !!!!! Because At the very end there is a beautiful mini splash fountain for the kids to splash and cool off after a long walk through the zoo. read more

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We went here for my sons birthday. A lot of the animals were hiding or the closures were just empty. So that part sucked. They had water for the kids to play in as soon as you walk into the park, so bring a change of clothes. It gets crowded, so I would recommend going very early if possible. read more

Virginia Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This zoo is pretty fun! I came from Memphis, and honestly the Virginia Zoo has nothing on the scope and quality of the one there, but it still is a fun experience. We got season passes and my kids love it! Because it's so small, they've memorized the circuit and most of the animals. There are some fun unique things here- we saw peacocks just out walking by themselves last time! And there's a petting zoo area with farm animals. There are probably more snakes and lizards than I've seen almost anywhere, too, which is fun (and nice to go inside that area when it's cold outside). I've tried their coffee in the shop near the zebras, and it's not bad! The staff has all been super friendly, too. read more

Virginia Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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We have visited 4 times in the last month (because we bought a membership) and honestly all the things are extremely over priced for such a limited selection of animals. The outback isn't even open and there are lots of exhibits and things that seem to need work or cleanup. The baby orangutan was eating a page out of the phone book because of the trash in the exhibit. Overall there are things lacking. read more

The aviary is finally open and it is absolutely beautiful. We have been to many zoos and this zoo puts many to shame. Beautiful zoo with clean exhibits and obviously tended to animals. There is a children's area with a petting zoo that little ones just can't get enough of. During the hotter months the splash pad is open for little ones to cool down. There is so much to see and do. We all wish there were more concession stands for ice cream and lunch. Packed lunches and picnics are allowed on the grounds. Overall a wonderful day trip/zoo experience. There is ample parking even on busy days. Happy Exploring Yeeps!! read more

Virginia Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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