We came here during our trip to the Asheville area. We absolutely loved our visit here. They have ample parking in front of the nature center. The only negative is that there is no direct ramp from the bear parking lot to the entrance, you have to walk completely around if you have a stroller or carry it up the stairs that go to and from that parking lot. We got tickets right away and didn't have to wait in line. You need to keep in my mind that this is not a zoo. It is a small nature center, their focus is on highlighting/featuring animals that live naturally in the Western Carolina's. I love that this is their focus, as I learned so much about the wildlife in our surrounding area. Also, a lot of their animals are rescued animals that can't be released back into the wild. All the exhibits were well maintained and had wonderful information signage. The wellness center had great signage and was easy to get around. It took us about 2 hours to do the entire center. It looks like the nature center will be expanding / updating their exhibits. This is a great place to educate yourself and kids about the types of wildlife in the western Carolina area and things you can do to help keep nature wild / conserve nature. I also loved their pollinator garden! We need more awareness about the importance of pollinators! They also had interactive playgrounds sprinkled throughout the center for kids to play on. All the walking paths were shaded. It felt nice and cool walking underneath the trees here. If we lived in the area we would definitely come back. read more

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We've visited Western North Carolina many times but never came to the WNC Nature Center. On a recent stay in the area, we noticed it was open on Sunday so we finally went. Although relatively small, the center is well planned and presented. It's technically a zoo, albeit a small one focusing mostly on native animals. We got to see otters (one of our favorites) along with wolves, bears, birds, reptiles and even a red panda. The cost is not exorbitant and you could do the whole park in 1-2 hours. There are also interactive exhibits and a play area to keep your kids occupied. Glad we went. read more

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We had a fantastic baby shower here. All the guests thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards, everyone got to tour the zoo. Brenna, our party coordinator was outstanding to work with. Definitely consider for your next event. read more

WNC Nature Center - Baby shower cake from Sweet Elegance - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Stopped here as an afterthought because when I planned the trip I didn't know this was a small zoo. I'm so glad that we stopped. Small zoos are sometimes the best. This zoo has a lot of fenced animals which are not good for photo taking but I was very impressed that a lot of the exhibits had partial glass viewing areas for better photos. Very nice exhibits and animals were moving a lot. Definitely worth the stop!! It's a great little zoo!! read more

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The WNC Nature Center has reopened. Their website has alternative directions to get there as Gashes Creek Bridge was lost with the hurricane. Once there, work is still being done. But the fences are boardwalks are good to go. There is a section about Helene that overlooks Swannanoa Rd. Then so many other zoos stepped up to help rebuild and were recognized. The parking lot was full when I arrived but some folks were leaving so I just waited for a spot. It is a popular place. Even though the parking lot was full, the Nature Center is large enough that people are spaced out so I was at most of the exhibits without crowds. The animals are free to do as they like here so you never know whether they will be active or sleeping. The walk around the center is relaxing in itself. The Nature Center is celebrating its 100th year. I highly recommend visiting the WNC Nature Center when in Asheville. read more

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An absolute must in Asheville! Especially the Bears & Brews nights! Beautiful walking trail with nothing too difficult to trek around! Plenty of shade which is much needed as we get into the warmer months. I was also in love with the stuffed animal vending machine LOL! read more

WNC Nature Center - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

2.5. Not really worth the trip or the admission fee. Not bad but feel like it could be bigger for the animals to have bigger space. Kids being way too noisy & obnoxious to properly enjoy it. read more

oh my gosh! this place was so fun for our 3 & 1.5 year old. they had a bunch of animals and it was clean and well taken care of of. they are doing to work to clean up since helene but everything was open besides a few short trails. they had restrooms and a small gift shop. there were a few vending machines for drinks and snacks! it was about 1.3 miles to walk the whole center. we got there at 10:25 (they open at 10) and there were already very few spots! we left closer to noon and people were parking almost a mile away and walking. definitely get there early! read more

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We came on a chilly rainy day so most of the animals were in their little houses but we still had a great time and spent over two hours walking around enjoying everything. Be sure to show your hometown zoo membership for a discount on admissions! read more

Had a great time here. Seeing all of the destruction in the surrounding area from Helene was heartbreaking. Glad this place seems to be doing well read more

WNC Nature Center - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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A great place to spend an afternoon! Tickets weren't very expensive and the facilities themself are well kept. Nice walkways, clean bathrooms, and a small gift shop nestled right at the front. They have a few playgrounds and interactive portions for kids. The animals all seemed happy and content- large enclosures and lots of enrichment pieces for them. We had a great time observing the animals and reading the informational posts on each of them. They also feature quiet areas and multiple restrooms throughout the center. read more

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What a natural and well taken care of nature center. Upon entry there is a wonderful little gift shop that sells coffee, tea, and merchandise. The staff were very nice. It would definitely be a good place to bring kids since there were several interactive areas to play and explore. Please be advised it will be a little walking. A lot of the animals were up on a cliff side and you have to walk up a ramp to get there. All exhibits were well maintained. The only downsides was how small the park actually is mixed with my friend had a service dog who was restricted from almost half the park, but we paid the same price. If they are gonna restrict them maybe lower the price. Sadly the bears were off exhibit which didn't help either. Overall, I would definitely recommend a membership or something if you are from the area due to the activities, but not much to do for a tourist just coming through. Great park though for the animals! read more

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Great exhibits and friendly staff! The animals all look super healthy and have a great amount of space to move around in. We liked the goats. read more

WNC Nature Center - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This was our second visit to the nature center. It's a lovely zoo/park with a great mission. If you go during winter, it is a lot less busy. Unfortunately the bears were hibernating. Some notice online or outside would be nice for anyone really hoping to see them. One other difference in winter - the songbird garden is not very active. When we previously visited in the fall it was teeming with birds and chipmunks, even woodpeckers and indigo buntings were flitting around during fall. I really missed seeing the birds and especially chipmunks. I loved seeing the bobcat sunning on its perch and the owls sleepily looking out of their warm nest boxes. The indoor exhibit with reptiles is also a favorite spot! The new red pandas were also adorable and easy to observe. We will definitely return again during the warmer months. read more

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A lovely little nature center with a fun variety of animals to see. LOVED getting to see the red pandas. But it was still a fun time seeing all the animals. Easy to get a good view of all of them, and some even have interactive presentations that were cool to watch. We came with a kid, and she had a great time. Areas to play in, lots of interactive opportunities, and fun times seeing all the animals. Not big enough to spend a whole day here, but we spend a good couple hours here. Tickets are decently priced as well. A fun activity to do with kids. read more

This is a cute nature center/zoo in the Asheville area. It is very clean and well-maintained, and the animals seem to be well cared for. We came here after reading positive reviews from TripAdvisor and Yelp. Also, we had reciprocity with our local science museum, so our visit here was free. They have more than just local animals (red pandas?!?!), but that is the predominant theme of the place. The animals are supposedly all rescues, which is nice. There's a lot of information available, which the kids liked. The location is close to the public pool and sports fields, so there's plenty of free parking. The line to enter is fast, even with many people coming in with memberships and/or reciprocity from other museums. There is a gift shop in front, and there are areas where you can buy drinks or snacks or fill your water bottle along the walk ways. Most of the walkways are shaded. All in all, we spent a nice two hours here. I don't know that this is a travel destination, but as we were in Asheville already and wanted to do something outdoors (and we didn't have to pay to go), it was great for our family. read more

WNC Nature Center - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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It's nice to have an accredited nature center (zoo) here in Asheville. The animals were sleeping around noon when I visited so I suggest attending earlier or later in the day. The walkways are paved or wooden boardwalks and motorized wheelchair accessible. The scenery was beautiful on this late fall day. read more

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So I'm not a big fan of zoos, but I think I can get behind this one. We arrived on Valentine's day & had paid for our tickets without realizing that the bear exhibit was closed.. Bummer. The whole park took about an hour to get through & I would say that we took our time. The layout was not confusing & I feel it's easy to get around. We saw cool cougars, grey & red wolves, lots of snakes & turtles, owls, vultures, otters, goats, sheep, deer, ADORABLE red pandas, & towards the end, a bear came out!!! Honestly, the wolves & coyotes looked super sad... my only complaint/negative observation. This is a great spot for people of all ages, so happy to have found this! No one in my group was under 18, but there were lots of spots to stop for kids to run around on playgrounds & different climbing things! Can't wait to be back!! read more

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We really enjoyed our time here at the WNC Nature Center! It was definitely worth the admission price, but something to keep in mind is that we were able to complete the whole zoo in about an hour. Good news is they are working on expanding and introducing some new exhibits! The animals have plenty of space to roam and hide, the pathways for us were well marked, and there were plenty of animals to see. The highlights were the otters, red pandas, and red wolves for me. I do wish there had been zookeepers around so we could've learned more about certain animals, but I wonder if due to COVID-19, this was cut back. During COVID-19, you do have to wear a mask when walking around. However, there was no one around to enforce this once you got past the gate and I really hope they fix that, as I saw several parties walking around unmasked even as they stood right next to other people. read more

WNC Nature Center - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

WNC Nature Center is rather cool! I don't know what I was expecting but immediately I was surprised to receive a 50% discount because they're an affiliated zoo with my home zoo membership! Not that prices here are expensive but it was a pleasant surprise because that immediately told me they were part of AZA which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. It really is beautiful and tranquil. WNC is one of those places that have integrated with nature. The facility was extremely walkable. It has a simple loop path so no matter what way you go you'll see everything. There's no confusion which is really nice. The animal exhibits were impressive. Majority were multilevel allowing the animals plenty of places to rest, hide, and explore. Most had water features like waterfalls that were super cool. Each exhibit was very large with plenty of room for the animals to roam. It also was one of the more active zoos. There wasn't an exhibit where I couldn't find the animal - except for the red wolves - and the vast majority of the animals were rather active. We were able to watch a black bear tear up a log, a bobcat stalk a squirrel, and the grey wolves howl. Even when the animals were sleeping like the red panda and foxes they still were easy to see. It isn't a very large zoo. At most for adults it will take a couple hours to walk around if you walk a leisurely pace and stop and look at the animals. It is a lovely location, though, with enough to see to be relaxing and enjoyable. read more

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This place was amazing! The otters were my favorite part! They were so happy and the windows were so fun to look through and see them swimming. I loved the bridge walking over the bears as well. The entire place was incredible and very well kept. I will definitely be returning. read more

Good local wild life center. I am here for the red fox collection. The day we have visited is a bit cold. But the animals stay outside. We were able to see many animals including the red panda. The area requires 2 hours of visit. It has some wheel chair access. The animals collect is good enough. They have a few bird of pray. Mainly grey wolf, fox, black bear, red wolf. My favorite is red panda and red fox. The petting zoo has goat, donkey, sheep. The also have some beautiful chicken. read more

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Small place to see couple of good animals. 1hour tops for children. You can add to your itinerary to the lady.

My grandson and I spent a delightful couple hours here - it is perfect for young children with places to play and explore, fascinating animals to watch (the river otters were a favorite) and very relaxing and beautiful. I liked it so much I got a membership (you can use your entrance fee towards it). But the price is very reasonable anyway - children under 3 are free and military folks are free too. Senior citizens are only $12.95! read more

WNC Nature Center - He loved the otters and the tractor! - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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This place was so much fun to visit. All of the staff members and volunteers were friendly and helpful. We walked around the entire nature center based on the recommended path when entering. Our favorites were the red pandas, cougar, bears and otters! A trip to WNC Nature Center is a must if you are in Asheville. read more

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This place is great! We used our sylvan bird park membership to get in free. I didn't have my membership card with me, so I called the bird park and they sent me an email verifying my membership, and used that (with ID) to get in. Trails are easily walkable but somewhat sloped. (We are in the mountains so i didn't expect flat!). Animals were mostly active, habitats looked clean and interesting for the animals. Interactive exhibits/play areas were well maintained, and my kids had a blast playing on them. Bathrooms were clean (family restrooms available), gift shop was small (but adequate). Parking was ok. Snacks and drinks available by vending, we took sandwiches and ate them in the parking lot afterwards. Spent about 3 hours in the park, would definitely like to go back again soon. read more

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If I had to rate the Nature Center in two words, they would be "exceeds expectations." They are back up and running, as the pandemic slowly fades, with only the reptile house not yet ready for visitors. The very natural enclosures for the large mammals allow wonderfully close viewing - literally three steps (and a pane of glass of course) separated me from a magnificent grey wolf as he strode by, and I could clearly observe the texture and beautiful shading of his coat. I enjoyed the extensive boardwalk system built into the mountainside - very well done. So much more to say but I'll leave you with this: do not miss the red pandas. These guys are adorable - just next-level cute. read more

This is a lovely place to come for a while. It's relatively small compared to large city zoos, but that also means it isn't an overwhelming place and any small humans you may have brought won't get totally worn out by the experience. You can get through most of it in about an hour, so it's a good diversion. The animals are mostly those that occur regionally, cougars, bears, wolves, foxes, otters. Definitely not regional, but the red pandas are a very cute complement. We were here in the summer and then again early April. It was nice and quiet in April, and we were very fortunate that most of the animals decided to come and wander right past the front of their enclosures giving us excellent views. read more

BUY THE MEMBERSHIP! (I'll explain.) Nice little nature center in the Asheville area of NC - my kiddos (10,8, and 5) had a wonderful time seeing the animals and playing at the different play/learning stations around the park. The presenter who taught about turtles was energetic, knowledgeable, and seemed to truly enjoy teaching the children. The membership is an absolute steal! $69 for a family of up to 6 people and it includes free admission to tons of other places including the Greenville Zoo, the NC Science Center, and a whole list of others around the nation and even some internationally. You can also use it for 1/2 price admission to another list of places as well. Even if this place weren't that great (which it is), it would be worth it just for the membership reciprocity that it offers at other locations. Just go for it! read more

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This was a really fun place that my family and I stopped in to on Sunday afternoon to see all the animals and the different things that they have to offer. It has a nice walking pass nice opportunity to take photo ops and some really cool animals. Unfortunately it's winter time so like the Bears and a few other things were hibernating in asleep so we did not get to see them. But overall we had a good time my daughters get the slide on some slides take pictures on tractors climb up on some things and play a lot of different game so it's fun and worth checking out read more

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This is a nice little nature center to take the small children. Once again let me say little. You will see everything in 2-3 hours max.

Tucked away in a lush park, WNC Nature Center focuses on wildlife native to the region. Black bears, deer, raptors, otters, and cats were all in large, forest-like exhibits. Unfortunately, the Reptile House was closed when I visited which was a shame. I loved seeing their two red pandas, which are indigenous to China and Nepal not NC, who also have a historic link to a long-extinct, local animal. I never miss a chance to see reds and this pair was active while I was there and the exhibit allowed for fairly close viewing. WNC Nature Center has an adorable gift shop with all sorts of nature and animal themed items. I purchased a photo of one of their red pandas taken by a local photographer and a red panda face mask because it was too funny to pass up. All the staff and volunteers (which I saw many) were very friendly and helpful during my visit. read more

If you don't have crazy expectations you will enjoy this place. Keep in mind, this is NOT the San Diego Zoo, this is a small nature center. Parking is easy and the entry fee is low. The day we visited was quiet and we loved not having to deal with crowds or people being right next to us all day. We enjoyed walking around looking at the different animals. Unfortunately the bears were not out and a few of the others were not too visible but that is always a possibility at a place like this. My favorites were the wolves, red panda, fox, and otters. read more

The facility is small which is totally walkable by all ages. There was stroller/wheelchair access everywhere. The animal areas were smaller but well kept. Most animals had a friend (i.e. no one was alone) including the bears. They had lots of types of animals, and most seemed to be previously injured so they must be a facility that takes animals who cannot be reintroduced to the wild. Overall good. There wasn't really food that I noticed other than a vending machine. Good playground facilities. read more

Took my son to the center, him and I loved it! It's a perfect place for kids of all ages. The employees are amazing. They have small playgrounds throughout the center. They are wheelchair & stroller friendly! Also have a nice picnic area inside the center. read more

I've visited a few times over the years and have always enjoyed myself until today. The animal enclosures were very unkept and several of the animals appeared emaciated. The staff feeding animals were not friendly and acted as if we were bothering them by asking questions. The worst part was the gift shop. We had a large group and we're understanding of the small space so we waited quite awhile for others to leave for us to be able to go inside. However once allowed in we had one too many people in our party and I was asked to leave. I informed the staff that my children were inside and that I needed to be with them. She told me to get them and wait outside. I suggested setting time limits so that all families had a chance to enter instead of allowing children to play with toys inside and cause extended wait times for others. She agreed but continued to tell me and my children to leave. We left, did not continue to wait, and will not be back. The nature center clearly needs financial support from visitors. Staff should recognize that and be more welcoming and friendly to their visitors. read more

We were in Asheville and this popped up as a local attraction. Tickets are decently priced and they are accredited by the association of zoos and aquariums. We came later in the afternoon so some animals were asleep; however, we were still able to spot most of them. It is also extremely kid friendly with different stations found throughout the park for kids to interact with. read more

WNC Nature Center - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

A wonderful nature center. Bought a members pass and will definitely be back. Most of the animals were napping but could still see them. Black bears and gray wolves were not out the day I visited, they were in hibernation. I loved the birds and cougar. read more

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Great place to go for lower intensity between the amazing hikes and Biltmore. I've been to many nature centers while raising my boys but this by far is the best one I've visited. This place is huge for a nature center and really more like a mini zoo. Very well maintained, clean and a perfect opportunity to learn about the history and local wildlife. read more

WNC Nature Center - Zoos Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This center is in the middle of a transition with many animals either not arrived, sadly passed, or sequestered due to new babies. I didn't think it was worth the stop. Highlights include red pandas and the highly rare red wolf. Skip it until they are complete with their makeover unless you have very small children. There are farm animals and playgrounds they will enjoy. read more