Awesome little zoo, such a great asset to our community

We found ourselves in Billings for a few days in need of some exercise after several days of driving. ZooMontana turned out to be the perfect location. The pathways were easily navigated by less than sure footed seniors and equally popular with the baby stroller set. I am not a fan of zoos but this one was very appropriate for the local area. Most of the animals were indigenous to the region rescued after being kept as pets or injuries which make it impossible for them to survive in the wild. A few exotic endangered species have been transferred from other zoos as "animal ambassadors." All of the enclosures contained well tended habitats. The signs on the exhibits were engaging and very kid friendly listing the animal's birthdays and what toys they like to play with. We were there on a warm fall afternoon and most of them were enjoying a nap in the shade which we needed after our walk. In addition to the zoo animals there were lots of kid play areas, a beautifully tended perennial garden and an arboretum with several hundred tree species represented. All in all it looks to be a great asset for the community and a great place for tourists to get some exercise. Senior entrance rates were available. read more

The zoo was good. Animals were easy to see and active. The zookeepers fed some of the animals in front of us which was exciting. I did notice that on one of their wall designs they misspelled Mahatma Gandhi's name as "Ghandi" which is an unfortunate mistake. Makes me wonder about the accuracy of the rest of their signs if they couldn't get that name right. Price was reasonable, overall a fun time. read more

ZooMontana - Misspelled sign. - Zoos Near Me - Billings, Montana

ZooMontana is a gem! The grounds are beautiful, the animals spectacular. it's easy to spend hours at the zoo, looking, meandering, immersed in nature. And their community outreach has brought education and joy to hundreds of students. The Zoo is a gift of beauty and wonder and delight. read more

I guess it's not too bad if you're looking for stuff to do in Billings with kids, but that's mostly because kids can make an adventure out of just about anything if they're in the right mood. When we visited we found that the only bighorn sheep had passed away, and the wolverine had been shipped off to some other zoo for breeding. So, now the animal count is down abut 20%. That leaves lots of hiking around to see not much. The grounds are vast, so the place has plenty of potential if they ever did get some animals. The tiger exhibit (which is easy to miss) was pretty cool. read more

We had a lot of fun at ZooMontana with our kiddos. They have quite a few animals for such a small zoo. No lions or Elephants, but they have some beautiful tigers, grizzlies, and two injured eagles. As well as farm-type animals. It's a nice place to walk and they have a great play area for the kids. We brought in our own lunch. It was a great afternoon and the price is cheap! To view some photos posted on our blog, follow the link below: http://www.justasparrow.com/2014/07/21/29-of-52-the-zoo-other-adventures/ -Lilah read more

We had a fabulous day at the zoo. Faith Church Jimmy Johns and so many wonderful volunteers were so very welcoming. The gardens were gorgeous. The whole experience was uplifting and restored our mental health. read more

I cannot even call this place a zoo. There were maybe 8 animals on exhibit but 5 were only visible. I'm so glad I did not have to pay a fee. I was in and out in about 30 minutes. This place is like someone with a few wild animals came up with a bright idea to start a zoo but clearly they have no experience caring for wild animals. I felt so sorry for the all the animals especially the sheep. I'm sure I observed one of them was having a heat stroke. If there were staff around to alert I would have told them. He was lethargic and gasping for air. Horrific to watch. The bald eagles were just in a little fence. Obviously they have no ability to fly and lost all instinct to fend for themselves. A rodent came pass them and they just sat there not even able to snag a tasty snack. I visited this place in mid June but it clearly looked like Christmas. There were these dirty Chrismas decorations still up all covered in weeds. I did enjoy the grizzly bear exhibit. They must be the main attraction. I watched the zoo keepers (only two present today??) feed them this wild assortment of snacks from whole frozen watermelon to steak to marshmallows. Who knew bears liked marshmallows... The place looked deserted, weeds everywhere, card board boxes in the exhibits. It really needs a makeover and a little animal TLC and it could be okay at best. I was so disappointed. read more

Always a wonderful afternoon at the zoo! My daughters are 10 & 12, we have been to zoos all across the US and even in Europe(Denver, Bronx, Portland, Goteborg, etc) We love the Billings zoo, as they are so committed to keeping the habitats natural and BIG and we love the walking trail that meanders around the animals. The flower garden is the perfect picnic spot! read more

I don't understand the bad reviews for this zoo. They don't have a ton of animals, but the exhibits they do have are clean and well done. The grounds are spacious and beautiful and the staff was very friendly. I don't have kids, but there were several play areas that looked great. I enjoyed visiting Zoo Montana during my trip to Billings and would recommend it! read more

Very disappointing. We got to see a couple of bears, a couple of wolves, red pandas and a tiger. There were two bald eagles and a variety of other 'farm' type animals. No otters! It is great for a park for kids to play and the walking is in a lovely setting, but if you are excited to see animals, there aren't many here. You are likely to be disappointed. Fortunately, they don't charge much for admission. I am glad we went. It was fun for the kids. read more

Disappionted in the over all experiance. not worth the money paid. employees were not helpful or friendly. whats up w the Christmas decorations? read more

We love zoos. We are glad they are making an attempt here but we are sad to see how underfunded and in poor condition this zoo is in. It's best for little children. Older kids will be disappointed in our opinion. If you go there to enjoy a park, you will be happy. Nice walking trails and some pretty areas. Cute little farm area with some goats, peacocks, chickens and other farm animals. They have a really nice set of Bald Eagles that we really enjoyed. They are injured and unable to make it in the wild. Beautiful and fun to see close up. There is a very nice bear cage with 3 or 4 bears. Nice viewing areas. There is a tiger cage that was shut down when were were there. Some other animals we saw were a mountain goat, , an immature bald eagle, a variety of ducks, wolves, otters and reptiles. Some of the animals look very old and worn out. Some of the fences are in disrepair. We expected more views of native Montana animals. Nice areas for little kids to play and run around. We have been to a number of Children's zoos and this one went fell way below what we expected. read more

We are a large state with a small population. How wonderful is it that we have a zoo?! Albeit, a small one, but it is delightful. We visited about 6 years ago when my kids were small, and this was our first time back. The kids' takeaway both times: the peacocks! They love the free-roaming peacocks. We experienced the zoo on a gorgeous, bright fall day. The otters were playful, as were the beavers and the red pandas; the geese were vocally intimidating, and have you ever seen a live bald eagle that close?! The grounds are lovely and peaceful. If Tizer Gardens (near Helena) had animals, this is what it would feel like. And at such a reasonable price for the three of us -- lots of entertainment/educational value per dollar spent. We were all pleased with our visit and will be back. Hope it won't take another 6 years! read more

LOVE the Zoo!!! Its come a very long way in the last few years~! We go as much as possible! I have never had anyone there be rude in any way. Its obvious the animals are very happy with all the surprise births. Great place to spend the whole day at. read more

I love this zoo! It's so fun and beautiful. Sure, they may not have a ton of animals but the animals that are there are active and fun to see. I also love how you can walk through the barn and pet the horses. The zoo grounds are spectacular. I felt like I was in an arboretum. I will definitely be coming back. I couldn't recommend stopping in at the zoo when in Billings more. Expect a small town zoo and you won't be disappointed! read more

This review in no way reflects the actual animals in the zoo. I am an animal lover and enjoy seeing animals anywhere. This zoo, however, is very disappointing. The grounds were overgrown and everything was so spread out that it felt like I was just walking through the woods. I couldn't even see some of the animals. Why were there peacocks located in barn/farm animal pens? I don't care if the Christmas decorations aren't on. It's not Christmas. Take them down. I would suggest the zoo does some yard work, and gets some more animals. Get back that wolverine. read more

Was a nice small zoo. Had great animals for small zoo with photography in mind. Maintenance needed improvement. It is too bad that a large city like Billings doesn't support their zoo better. read more

I was impressed with this zoo. It is small and readonably priced but the animal enclosures are well done. We learned that most of the animals are found in the wild on the same latitude which is a nice touch and shows how much thought and concern for the animals is going on. Beyond the animals there is great greenery and gardens along with a creek that give it a tranquil feel. With the greenery does come some mosquitos so plan accordingly. Overall I found it well worth my time and money read more

It's ok bit it's very hard to navigate and the Christmas lights are up year round but it has an amazing reptile section and a huge boa

We were VERY disappointed in this zoo. Sure, the Sensory Garden was beautiful and well kept. One step away and it seems like you are in someone's over grown back yard! Overgrown weeds and grass both inside and outside of the displays. None of the animals, with the exception of the beavers and otters, had water in their displays. The water fowl displays were getting cleaned out, I am certain they were going to fill the pools when they were through. The bear and the tiger's water areas were bone dry and had been for some time. It was a very hot day and it was sad to see the animals without something to cool themselves off with. As far as the animals go, it couldn't have been more disappointing. The bear was nowhere to be seen, many of the displays were closed for "construction". We didn't see the lynx, the wolverine, the bears, opossum, Acari, or any of the owls. The water fowl we did see, one of the ducks was injured and was flopping around to the point to where we had to leave because it was very sad to see! Also, it seemed to be lacking actual employees other than at the gift shop and the fowl area. We wish that we would have been warned that we might miss some of the animals as they were absent; we came to specifically see the grizzly bears and would have not gone ahead and paid the $43. Wanted a refund but was too disgusted to stop. Would give negative stars if it was an option. read more

This is a small zoo and the only zoo in Montana. It won't compare to zoo's in large cities, but you'd be silly to think it would. The staff at ZooMontana are committed to their animals and to maintaining a safe and fun place the whole family can enjoy. The employees are always willing to answer any questions you may have and will happily share personal tidbits about the different animals. The zoo is spread out and you will need to do some walking to get from one exhibit to another, but the walking paths are well maintained and easily accessible by wheelchair, or pushing a stroller (I've pushed my father around the zoo in a wheelchair, and for a few years, took my kids to the zoo in our triple stroller). There is a beautiful botanical garden that is simply amazing, but most of the rest of the grounds is left in its natural state, as are the animal enclosures. You get the feel you are in the "wild" rather than walking through a zoo. The zoo has been in a state of rebuilding over the past couple of years (somewhere around that amount of time anyway!), so most reviews prior to this time frame are a bit outdated and no longer relevant. In response to a fairly recent post claiming the staff was rude . . . I have been taking my children to this zoo for 10+ years, we have been hosts and guests at multiple birthday parties, and have attended business functions held at the zoo. We have never once encountered a staff person that was less than professional, polite, helpful, and kind. read more