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    WNC Nature Center

    4.3 (137 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 3:30 pm

    WNC Nature Center Photos

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    Tammi W.

    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!!

    Rebecca M.

    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.

    Maddie R.

    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!

    bobcat
    Gabby M.

    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!

    Rowan K.

    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

    Turtle
    Raven L.

    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.

    Turtle
    Kristi C F.

    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!

    Morgan H.

    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.

    An otter preening and resting in the sun
    Ashley S.

    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.

    michelle l.

    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.

    Entrance
    Ed D.

    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.

    Goat
    Nata D.

    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!!

    Onvara A.

    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.

    The enclosures were very cool multilevel exhibits most with a water feature

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    3 years ago

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

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    2 years ago

    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.

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    Review Highlights - WNC Nature Center

    Even when the animals were sleeping like the red panda and foxes they still were easy to see.

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    The Wandering Llamas - Chocolate Moose and Giraffybear

    The Wandering Llamas

    (13 reviews)

    My wife stumbled across Wandering Llamas while researching things to do during our annual spring…read morebreak adventure. We spent two nights in the fox den treehouse which is located in one of the llama pasture areas. The "treehouse" is a elevated wooden shed like structure that has been refurbished into a pleasant little hideaway in the Smoky's. The treehouse has a nice deck to sit and enjoy the mountain view. There's also a nice swing chair and firepit to enjoy as well. The treehouse has electricity with a small electric heater to take the chill out. The treehouse was very clean and the bed unbelievably comfortable. The treehouse is a one and only. If you are renting here you have the treehouse and llamas all to yourself. The property owner and host (Sandy) lives on the property and is available if you are in need of anything. Sandy is very personable and will spend time sharing of herself with her guests. On the llama walk each person usually gets there own llama to walk with. Sandy accompanies you and can answer any llama related question you may have. The walk is at a very leisurely pace and lasts about two hours. The llamas are easy to walk and well behaved. Contrary to popular opinion of some the llamas did not spit at one another. One thing to be aware of if staying in the treehouse is there is no running water and only a fancy bucket of a toilet in an outhouse under the treehouse. This didn't bother us, but for some that don't care for "roughing it" I could see it as a drawback. (There is a gas station about a mile away that we used the bathroom at. We are members of the YMCA at home. There's a Y a few miles away and with the Y reciprocity program we were able to go there to take a hot shower. The Wandering Llama was an awesome get away experience for us and Sandy is a great host. We appreciate her sharing her llamas.

    A super fun, unique outing if you are spending time in the Smoky Mountains, about a 1.5 hour drive…read morefrom our cabin in Sevierville. We booked the 2-hour wine and cheese tour because it was the only tour that had open spots left (we booked about a week ahead). We skipped the wine and cheese part due to our concerns about COVID (the food is served in their open gazebo, so it's relatively safe - we just prefer taking extra precautions and had already eaten lunch just before we got there), but the llama hike alone was well worth it. The walk, about 1.5 hours total time, is along the gravel road, which is a little hilly, but manageable if you're fit (not so much if you have small kids that don't do a lot of walking). Most of the time was spent relaxing in an open field - very socially distant from the other eight people in our group - where we fed the llamas and took lots of pictures. The llamas are super friendly and so soft! Though Sandy (the owner) provides animal crackers and strawberries for the llamas to enjoy during the middle of the hike, definitely bring your own -- we brought graham crackers and sliced apples to feed them throughout the walk, and the llamas LOVE to eat! Sandy is very friendly and welcoming and took pictures of everyone during the hike, which she emailed to us later. A great highlight of our trip!

    Hollywild Animal Preserve

    Hollywild Animal Preserve

    (48 reviews)

    This place is awful. I live near here and the smell is awful. Idk if they don't properly care for…read moretheir animals or what. I've had several captive animals pop up in my front yard from there. I understand sometimes animals get out but if your a zoo that charges for your business you should invest it into upkeep of containments, clean up, and the ridiculous traffic that stops up this little area making it miserable for those that live near by to have a life around the holidays! It's been suggested for years for this establishment to get traffic control but they don't and they smear the roads with nasty thick mud at the exit that makes a dangerous roadway for those that live near by and let's not talk about the hassle of getting home from work when the do the ridiculous light show they charge an astronomical amount for that is a joke.... The newest things they are trying is glamping (seriously?!?! The amount of stench and flies is ridiculous) and also was told they are holding some kind medieval festival there... good lawd....There is reason all the big cats and animals have passed away and not been replaced do your research. If I could give 0 stars I would.

    Pretty impressive array of lights. Really recommend getting there early or packing a cooler with…read moresnacks and being prepared to wait in traffic for an hour before you even get into the park. The lights were beautiful but there was a lot of confusion when driving of where you were actually supposed to go. Also there were long stretches of areas that were dark. We could see structures strung up with lights but they weren't turned on for some reason. Having seen a lot of lights displays I thought this one was decent, but definitely overpriced. I think they should charge per car vs per person and maybe there would be less traffic.

    Santa's Land Family Fun Park & Zoo

    Santa's Land Family Fun Park & Zoo

    (39 reviews)

    Reading the reviews in advance of our visit I was apprehensive --but we had a great visit. If…read moreyou're expecting it to be like Disney --you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a small park to take the kids away from the crowds you will be pleased. Parking: Plenty of parking and they carried the Christmas theme into the parking lot by making the parking spots with candy cane style paint. Perhaps the BEST part of the parking, aside from that it is really close to the entry, is that the spots are larger than standard. This was super helpful for unloading the baby, stroller, etc., plus I didn't worry about a child whacking my car with their door. Entry: They had a photo spot set up right before you entered. We went in October and it was Halloween themed. One review accurately noted that they do charge a 3 year old the same as an adult --I wish the park would revisit this --but entry was roughly $26 per person. I thought the price was fair considering they have to care for animals, maintain the park, pay employees, etc. Also, they offer a military discount, senior discount, etc. The lady at the entry booth was super friendly and super efficient. Park Overall: well maintained, pretty trees, and a creek that runs through the entire park. There is also a train that runs a loop of the entire park and comes and goes every few minutes. When we went, the park wasn't busy, and the employee/conductor of the train moved the train up so we could take a photo by the engine. Children and adults can ride the train to move from the entry to the amusements/rides. Non-Ride Entertainment: One of the overlooked aspects of the other reviews is that Santa's Land has a LOT of non-ride entertainment for kids. They have several playground areas. At the entry, there is a merry-go-round, a slide, several springy rides for small kids, statues for the kids to take pictures with, an igloo (that my daughter loved), among others. There was another playground in the zoo area that was themed like mountain-climbing with a slide that my daughter really loved. There were also several animated displays, to include animated reindeer preparing Santa's outfit, Christmas Carol, Nativity, a small church, among others. They also had a nicely decorated building where kids could take a photo with Santa. The Santa was super nice and super patient with the kids. Santa was wearing a mask due to COVID ongoing at the time of our visit. They also had a magic show, a blacksmith demonstration, among others, that the kids seem to really enjoy. I really appreciate the non-ride entertainment because it really spreads out the visitors, kept lines for the rides short, and gave me a break from repeatedly going on rides with my daughter. Amusements/Rides: The rides were a little older --but they were really cool and seemed to be well-maintained. Why cool? For example, the carousel had metal mechanics, however, the frame overall was made of wood --I thought this was really neat. They had a little helicopter ride (goes in circles and the rider controls elevation by a bar) which had rotors that actually turned while the ride was in motion. They had a reindeer roller coaster, which they are somewhat famous for, that let kids ride roller coasters, where they might be otherwise precluded due to age/height, without being too scary/intense. At the height of the Ferris Wheel there was a great view of the Great Smoky Mountains. There was also a small boat ride (similar to a carousel). Every single employee was SUPER friendly, super kind, and took safety seriously. The rides are most appropriate for children --if you have thrill-seeking teenagers they may be less amused by the rides. Zoo: They had a lot of cool animals, kangaroos, a camel, black bears, goats, reindeer, emu, alpacas, chickens, ducks, among others. The animal habitats all seemed to be clean, the animal caretakers seemed to be really good with the animals, and my daughter loved looking at and feeding them. They had a fish exhibit that had the largest rainbow trout I've ever seen and a fish food dispenser (required a quarter (and they provided change for dollar bills)). The black bears were super playful and you could feed them too by sending the food down a tube. You could also feed the goats, reindeer, alpaca, and others. Food: There was pizza near the entrance and a grill at the train stop near the rides. We ate at the grill near the rides. The employees working in the grill were super friendly and working super hard. They offered cheeseburgers, hot dogs, corndogs, chicken sandwich, nachos, soda, hot chocolate, etc. The food was priced SUPER reasonable: I had a double cheeseburger, fries, and a soda and it was $8.25. They also had a stand in the train station with funnel cakes, etc. I appreciated not being price-gouged for park food! We had a great visit --and will definitely be back when we're in the area again. The park should consider children pricing and renovating their bathrooms.

    I would give a 0 star if I could. The way this place has their animals enclosed is heartbreaking…read more We are locals to the area and figured we would go check the place out. We sent $100 for 3 tickets and walked out within 10 minutes of being there. I highly recommend not spending your money here and instead going to check out places like Walnut Farms in Bryson City or the Alpaca farm in Waynesville. A truly heartbreaking experience

    WNC Nature Center - zoos - Updated September 2026

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