Reviews of Lee Richardson Zoo (Zoo)

Jonathan Elliott

Great for a FREE zoo! Enough diversity that it is worth visiting again and again. Most exhibits are reasonably close. To see large animals takes a bit of walking or paying to drive through. If you do not wish to walk very much, the drive through option is nice for $10 per car or zoo membership. Great family membership price. It can also get you into other zoos for half off.

chilli34 .

As much as I don't want to admit it, this is a very nice zoo. The animals have room in their containments and it doesn't look like they are in a box. It's spacious so you'll get some exercise walking around, looking at all the wonderful animals. Oh, also it's free, which is very nice, go check it out and enjoy! Five stars.

Jessi Gerber

This zoo is pretty great. If you park and walk through, it is FREE!!. There is an option to drive through that cost $10 per car. For a free zoo, it's awesome. We saw giraffes, rhinos, camels, birds, etc. We didn't see many monkeys, elephants or bears, though. While we were there they we're doing a training session with the pumas which was neat!

Montana Johnson

This is a favorite destination for our family.

Luanna Rozentals

Nice free zoo!

Kim Morgan

It's Free and a nice outdoor activity for families.

Abby Simon

Wide variety of animals and has cute park for kids to play in. Will definitely be returning!

Mollianne Miller

An awesome Zoo for the entire Southwest region of Kansas to enjoy. The animals have great exhibits and there are plenty of amenities and encounters to enjoy!

Norman Proctor

A great treat, and free to the public. If you can't walk far, you can drive through the zoo for a nominal fee. The only negative I found was a few of the closures were small, but most seemed quite adequate for the animals lucky enough to reside in Garden City, KS. Also, some animals were difficult to photograph due to the type of materials used for the enclosures. All in all, a great asset to Garden City!!!

Chris Bloomfield

Free parking and free admission, so right away we were happy. Great zoo with large enclosures and active animals. We spent a few hours and could have spent another few if the zoo hadn’t closed.

Jeff Reinert

Lee Richardson offers many acres of opportunity for young and old. Perfect Day--May 4

Matthew K. Reinhardt

Just an amazing place! Wish we could go more often.

Tawney Rueter

We had a GREAT Family day and it's Free!!!

Tami Rundell

The animals seem happy as they go about their lives at the zoo. They allow most people to get very close to them. Feeding the ducks and fish is what I enjoy most. I hope to one day rent a buggy and ride around in it. $18 for an hour. How fun!

Christina Trostel

Exceeded our expectations. So nice. Clean. Animals have great living areas and the walk is perfect. Will be back

Lilia Alpizar

I just love this place.

Craig Bryant

Kids loved it the baby giraffe got so close to my kids it was crazy

Maria Castellanos

Having a great time at the zoo.

Austin Stephens

Easy to get lost in for First time visitors. Nice zoom and good selection of animals

Alicia Lopez

The best low price zoo I have ever been to. The animals seem to have large enclosures that are clean and well maintained, and all the animals look healthy and have spirit. It is on the small side, but I would rather see a small but lovely zoo than one with many poorly kept animals. Will come back!

Emily Diane

Wide variety of amazing animals, good food and gifts in the shop

Anai Razo

Made my daughter's birthday celebration extra special! Would recommend their birthday party special to anyone at any age!

Theresa Glassburn

Surprising animal exhibits and very nice price, free! Of course donations are appreciated!

Corey Ferrell

Great place to walk and gander!

Sami Montes

Love the animals an the walk about all in all a good zoo

Nunya Dambusiness

Donation funded zoo thriving in Western Kansas

Karen Chaparro

This is an awesome Free place all the family can enjoy

DJ Roggie Rodge Live

This is a FREE ZOO! It's both walk thru and drive thru which I really like because seniors, handicap, families with babies, it people with pets in their card can just drive around inside the zoo.....pull over and see the animals, and even pull right up to the restrooms, or grab a soda along the way at one of the soda machines. Restrooms are handicap accessible and very clean. Afterwards have your swimsuits and plan to swim in massive outdoor pool or visit the museum located at the main entrance of the zoo.....nice museum ( don't have public restroom inside the museum).

Patricia Fason

Nice little zoo, plus free admission makes it a great way to spend an afternoon.

James Skinner

Great visit with inlaws. We were not aware of a flea market and car show, which made things more interesting. Due to the heat and humidity, it was understandable the animals were not active. Shade for the rest of us would been a great improvement.

Travis Hanson

Great zoo and it's free

Tevyn Falcon

They have really cool animals. The workers are really respectful.

Amanda Mitchell

Amazing

knm1m2

Free admission. Loved the baby giraffe!

Laura Solkey

Awesome little zoo!! Will be even better once the primate exhibit is redone!

Juan Long

One of the best zoo's in Kansas,and it's FREE!!!

mia horn

Great place to take your family!! A lot of animals and just a beautiful place to visit!

Danielle Bosch

Amazing zoo, was blown away by the layout, animals and overall atmosphere. We enjoyed it so much, would recommend it to anyone. We saw families, solo and couple visitors, prams have easy access to view points for each animal. All staff went were friendly and helpful. This was such a great zoo, it should be top on your list of things to do at Garden City.

Katy Miller

This zoo is amazing, especially considering that it is free to walk through! It cost $10 to drive your car through it. Considering it is a small zoo, they have a wide variety of animals and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. Well worth a visit!

Becky Collins

Great place to take kids for little money!

Howard Votruba

Great zoo

David Brager

Great zoo and staff! An asset to the area.

123

All the fish are dieing from the water

Riley Frazee

Great place to go. Free entrance, unless you take a car around the zoo. It looks like they are doing several upgrades which will be great. When leaving make sure to donate to keep this great place open and free.

Barbara B

The zoo is well kept and beautiful! Not to mention it is free.

Rebekah Brooks

Amazing zoo. And all Free!!

Ray's Random

Always a good time. Free to walk and see the animals. The animals are in open and clean areas. I have been going here for years and it is always a good place to visit.

Kristian Tibbetts

My family and i had a wonderful time at the zoo!! The sloth bear looks much healthier than the last time we went. But we were sad that they don't have the elephants or the monkeys anymore.

Miriam Horton

Excellent interactive programs. Nice free zoo.

Judy Stengel

Amazing zoo considering the size of the city and its location.

Ana Maria Lopez

It's nice zoo

oromis16

It was a lot of fun.

B Mankins

We LOVE this place!!!

Stephanie Stewart-Kershner

Very scenic with the trees and landscaping. The different animal exibits were amazing. Would have liked to have seen the otters.

Chuck Henry

Amazing zoo for free. Love just wandering around even after having been many time

Joel Sutton

Great day at the city zoo

Shari Purdy

I was raised going to this zoo,and I have many fond memories here,but I was slightly disappointed that there was so much of the zoo blocked off by chain link fence, and the duck pond was drained, and smelled horrible. This trip was nothing to write home about, but I do hope they fix everything and make it back to the beautiful zoo it once was.

Brenda Gore

We found the zoo very clean and up kept. It was cold so many animals were not out.

Ashley Alexander

Garden City has a wonderful zoo!

Robbie Yost

Best free zoo around. Very well kept. Saw new baby giraffe.

Jt Lemons

Excellent zoo I recommend it to everyone

Debbie Chandler

It was a nice day but a lot of animals were housed so unviewable

Abri Coetzee

Very nice and beautiful

Jennifer Vincent

Love love love this place

Jason Asebedo

Spent the. Mid morning. At the zoo. It was a nice day. . it was spring break for the kids. And was glad to see all. The parents that was able to spend time with their kids. As well as the zoo keepers. Cant wait to see. The zoo in the summer. Some of the exhibits where close due to the cold still

Fred Askren

Great place to go whether you live in town or are just visiting.

adam Hernandez

Great zoo at a cheap price FREE.

Yulady Campbell

Great zoo

Vanessa Forest

Fun, free, and beautiful. The scenery is beautiful along with the animals. There's a play ground inside as well as picnic tables and a pavilion. There is a little novelty/canteen at the entrance of the zoo. Drink machines and restrooms inside zoo as well.

Marcella Ramirez

So fun! We did the bike with 6 people and loved it. Small town zoo but animals were all very active. The mining bag had great gems! We had so much fun we went 2 times in 1 weekend.

TXKCCO 18

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Amazing walk... Made for a fun family day of seeing different wildlife. Must do if in the city or nearby (worth the drive).

Explore America

Like this place, learned a valuable lesson here 35 yrs. Ago. Don't ignore the no dogs allowed signs. The lions see them as prey. Very scary ordeal being chased by a hungry lion. Silly things 18 year Olds do....

Monica Faber

I want a zoo like this! Free to walk through and a charge to drive (and park?) near each exhibit. Very nice.

Jesse Cooper

Its a nice place to visit and itss free

Braxton Loyd

Awesome zoo, I've seen the changes it's made for over 20 years now.

Juan C Lara

Very good for a Walk with the family

Steve Buchele

Wonderful Zoo. You are so close to the animals and they seen very happy to see you.

Kimbre Leffler

I love that it's free to walk around and the staff always enjoy sharing about the animals. 10/10

Tiffany Martin

My family and I absolutely loved this zoo. It is very well kept and has a beautiful set up! There's a good variety of animals and it's free for pedestrians.

Ruth Eastin

We have a zoo to be very proud of in southwestern Kansas!!! Our zoo compares to zoos in the big cities! If you love a great zoo, you really need to make sure to visit the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, KS. You won't be disappointed!

Kris Sisk

Lee Richardson Zoo is a wonderful zoo. It is beautiful and, bonus, free to walkthrough. You can also drive through the zoo for a small fee, but personally I'd recommend walking unless you've got mobility issues. Aside from the regular zoo attractions (animals) you can see Old Two Bits - an antique steam locomotive that was parked there long before I was born - and enjoy excellent educational programs at the Finnup center. If you get tired visit the playground and have a rest while the kids play. And don't forget to visit the Lee Richardson Mining Company, where the kids can pan for gems in a water steam. There are events several times a year in the meadow on the Western side of the zoo, but it's also a great place for a picnic. The train ride through the zoo is always popular with kids, and stop by the Safari Shop for snacks and keepsakes. And as long as you're here, the Finney County Museum - also free admission - is right outside the entrance. The zoo is my favorite place to take the kids to get them out of the house on nice days.

Denise

Nice little zoo. I love that it is free to get in.

Alma Luevano

Animals were too far to be ssen

Amancio Castilleja

I grew up going to this zoo. Been to others, but this one always gives the best memories.

Krista Boone

Loved this Zoo we were just passing through and needed a place to stop and walk around. It was perfect and it was free!

thomas woodard

Kids had fun on cool fall day not all exhibits were open however it was free.

carlos olvera

Awesome place. 10 bucks for car ride through or walk through for free. Lots ofninfornation about the animals they have. Public restrooms available at start and in the park. Plus city museum is next door and is free from 1-5. Lots of interesting info about Garden city in the museum. Can easily be at the Zoo and museum 3-5 hours. Also there's a water recreation area right across the street. If you're in town and have time to kill definitely recommend checking them out.

Sarah Batiz

Clean and nice place..

Patsy Soto

So awesome you can find things to do with your family all day

Tina Poe

Really enjoyed our time there, everything was clean and well maintained!!! Love that its free!

WashSpott CarWash

Just love this place. I don't think there is another place in the country that has such a well kept and large Free Zoo. Thanks to all who make this happen.

Jade Kruse

We love the Lee Richardson Zoo! My other momma friend and myself enjoy taking our children here. Is it big? No, but for a free zoo it is maintained very nicely and our kids absolutely Zoo's playground. We also got to enjoy hearing from a zoo keeper about the otter while she was feeding her today, the zoo keeper was very kind and explained alot about otters to our kids. Today, our littles enjoyed biking the zoo, and we were admiring that the sidewalks edges are all leveled off, which made it nice for a little starting off in training wheels, way better then town sidewalks. (Silly thing to admire I know but it's the little things that count). We would love to see the Zoo get in more animals or replace the ones that have died, but we know that all takes time!

Don Knight

Awesome! Superb

Lauren Mahlstedt

Cute Zoo to visit while your in town. I enjoyed seeing animals other zoo's ive been to have had.

Mark Beshel

Great little zoo with a lot of rare animals and a lot of potential. Definitely the jewel of the City of Garden City! You can drive or walk through, and you can park in several areas and walk once you're in as well. Nice kid's play area, and dine really unique animals. Recommend going on a warmer day when more animals are out!

First Last

A big surprise to find this during my stay in Garden. I would expect a zoo like there's a much more populated city. They have a very nice campus that seems much bigger than 50 acres as well as many unique animals you don't see at other zoos. My favorite was the rhinos.

susan culbertson

The prettiest place in Garden City. We take our kids often. There's is always something new to see

Luke Jordaan

Nice experience. Would definitely go back

Rachael Babiracki

weird to have a zoo this size in this small town! was visiting garden city for work and had some time in the evening so i stopped by. it is a pretty good sized zoo, and the animals seem well cared for. i do think the enclosures could be larger for some of the animals, for sure. zoos always give me mixed emotions, so while it was fun to walk around outside and see the animals, i do hope they are well cared for and have enough space. some of the enclosures are really large and others seemed small, so it would be helpful if the zoo posted more about the smaller enclosures to educate why they are sized the way they are.

Keith Collins

This is a beautiful place! An exceptional zoo for a small community hosting special events throughout the year, LRZ has everything from educational opportunities to music festivals.

Sarah H

Free entry. Always a fun trip with the boys. Cute park inside the zoo.

Jean Shea

It is bigger than I thought it would be. Lots of fun!!

Tharn Pepper

Great zoo for the size

Valdospeaks

Very neat place to go, not much to complain especially since it's free admission

Lori Daniel

Free zoo! Beautiful area and nearby park and pool. Went with our school, had a wonderful trip.

Julie NCline

Love this place!!

Nique Brown

We always enjoy our time at Lee Richardson Zoo! By far, the best free-entry zoo we've visited. We prefer weekday mornings... it's still cool out, no crowds, and the animals are active. However, there are many extra things available on Saturday and Sunday like animal encounters, rock mining, and tours of a historical home. LRZ also does a great job of providing fun and educational opportunities throughout the year including zoo camp and after-hours events. Highlights: *Large variety of animals *Well shaded *Playground with equipment *Nature playground *Plenty of benches throughout *Multi-person bicycle carriage for rent (our family of 8 loves doing this!) *Well kept restrooms in multiple locations *Drive-in option ($10) *Animal encounters (Sat & Sun) *Walking paths inside and outside the zoo To note: *Bring plenty of quarters to feed the ducks/fish and for the penny press machine. *Wagons are available to rent. *Outside food and drinks are allowed. *There are no paper towels available in the restrooms (air dryers only). So throw some napkins or wet wipes in your bag if you might be needing something of the sort. *Safari Shop with souvenirs and snacks. *You can also visit the historical museum and Finnup Center. Both buildings are on zoo grounds and have free entry. Snakes, spiders, etc are inside the Finnup Center. *There is also a large park area directly outside of the zoo. *The zoo is located next to a water park so plan to do both or prepare your children ahead of time.

Faye Zimmerman

Construction made it difficult to get around, especially with a stroller.

Samantha Richter

Love bringing my kids here when we visit, they look forward to it so much

Aaron Herbel

Nice free zoo. It's free if you walk through. It costs $10 per vehicle to drive around and see the animals from your own vehicle. Nice park nearby. The best animal exhibits were the giraffe and rhino. "Wild Asia" exhibit was also interesting.

Melissa Dreiling

Love it

Dave Brust

Family fun activity.

Amber Fleming

This was such a good day out with our boys! We really enjoyed the zoo and the museum! Free admission is so nice.

Hi

What a wonderful zoo in South Western Kansas. It's free if you walk through it. And great pavilions for picnics.

Nelly Gonzalez

Grand kids had a great time...

Wichita County Undersheriff

One of the best places to visit in garden city

Ayrika Watson

Well taken care of with great animals, especially for a free zoo.

James Cullum

Love the place lots of wildlife to see very clean nice people for adults and children

Brandon Wright

Very fun for my family and others should go to

Luis Loya

I grew up with this zoo and even though it's small and there's not much to look at when you've gone so many time, I absolutely love coming back here! Fortunately it's still free too which is convenient for taking kids for an afternoon and then wrapping up at the park that they have inside. And there's still new animals being added! Last time I went, I saw that they added wild horses from Mongolia. They were beautiful, I've always wanted to see them, never thought I would see them here!

Torey Smart-DeWitt

This place is super cool, AND it's free to walk through. Very nice size and really nice enclosures for the animals. I was very surprised to see giraffes at a free zoo. It's a lovely place.

Brent Dirks

Great free zoo!

Brenda O'Rourk

Absolutely love the Lee Richardson zoo! Thank u!!

Jessica Patterson

I cannot write enough good things about this zoo!! It’s super clean! Staff is so so nice! The amount of large animals they have to see for FREE are amazing. The prices in the zoo are so reasonable also!! It’s super shaded so it’s perfect to walk with small kids! And the park in the zoo is awesome too! The exhibits are also easy to see the animals in! My kids love this zoo so much! Will come back every time we’re in Garden City! Perfect for a family day!!

Javi Gallegos

Our local zoo is awesome. There are tons of exhibits and the animals are well taken care of. They have summer hours going on now. But there are lots of activities going on all year round. On weekends they have close encounters with zebras and the rhinos. The safari shop has snacks and souvenirs to buy. You can rent a 4 or 6 seat bike machine to trek around in. Plus lots more. Check it out

Aaron Torbert

Always love this free walk-in zoo

Albert Ochoa

I never get tired of visiting look forward to every visit

Kelsi Schwartz

Has a park for kids not bad we love to go all the time

Cynthia Marsh

This is the best little zoo I've had the pleasure of visiting. We spend nearly every weekend here.

Jessica Bunch

Its ok for something to do for a little bit the drive through use to be free now 10.00 a car for a very short drive. Miss the elephants and have yet to see the panning deal open for the kids after at least 2 yrs of being built.

Angelina Rivera

Love it even when it's just barely getting warm

Dally Schuetz

I love our zoo! I just wish we had elephants

Sherry Cramer

Wonderful place!

sumer rose

This is a great zoo. We travel often and stop and zoos here and there when we see one. I'm always comparing them to this zoo. While it might not be San Deigo it can hold its own. Not to mention the cost of walking thru is pretty great ;) cant beat free!

Tyler Zieber

Great place to take the family

R CG

It's a small local zoo with a decent selection of wildlife. I was preleasently surprised on how very clean and we'll kept the site was. I wish they had more room for some of their animals. It's a must see if you're in the Garden city area. It's free to walk through or $10.00 if you take your vehicle. There is also a town museum on site which had a lot of very interesting history.

Janise Miescke

This place is a little gem! It was a lot better than many zoos that I've visited in that past that had a large cover charge.

Sharleen Dewane

I have not been to Richardson Zoo since 1996. I actually took my mother and my sister who happened to be in a wheel chair. Being able to drive thru and stop when we wanted to and look at the animals close up.

Donald Ayers

I really do love this place. Please believe it. This is a beautiful place. I have walked 100 miles here or more. There is only one thing that I have seen that I really didn't care for and that is the caged eagle with the clipped wings. This animal is a symbol of freedom. Especially in the greatest country ever. We shouldn't want to take away freedoms in America. We, in my mind people, shouldn't clip the eagles wings. Only opinion. But, I love this place.

Donna Wise

Great zoo focused on conservation of endangered and threatened species.

Brandon Graham

The zoo is awesome and well maintained if you do not want to park your car and walk through it all you can drive your car through as many times as you want for $10

Ryon XL

ANIMALS!!!!!! So freaking cute

Darrel Peterson

Awesome place

john veesart

Had a wonderful time at Boo at the Zoo! Perfect evening. Probably a record crowd.

Satrina quinones

Wish they still had the elephants but great family experience

Cupquake Queen

The bike ride was fun.

Dustin Forsyth

Great place for kids to run around. Plus it's a free zoo to walk through. I do believe they charge to drive through but you will see more if you walk! They do have a train that is $4 for adults and kids under 2 are free, it is a minute ride on the train and it goes through the whole zoo!

Dakota Briggs

It's a great little zoo for being in a small town

Amy Bussart

Loved it, great place if your passing through!!

Jason Spano

This is the best free zoo we have ever been to. It is even more enjoyable then some of the for-fee zoos. If you are in the neighborhood, we highly recommend it!

Paula Graves

Very nice zoo. Loved renting the pedal bikes. Grandsons loved driving them.

tiffanie lucero

It was way better than we anticipated. We will definitely set aside more time on our next visit so that we can spend more time see all of the animals.

Carol Roberts

Went for the Tumbleweed festival....super chill and fun for all ages.

irene Smith

No animals out

Mackinzie Brungardt

Sad they do not have tigers or elephants but the baby giraffe is beyond precious and I am able to open my sons imagination up in this zoo...who knew there were forests and jungles in the local zoo?!

kayleen johnson

A free zoo. They can operate if they keep half the exhibits closed for remodel. No it's good. How can you complain about a free zoo. Lots of play areas. The kids love it.

Edwin Stark

This is a fantastic and well arranged zoo. Just pay heed and obey the warning signs around the rhinoceros cage!

Theresa Sarcinelli

Really nice park. Animals are cool lived the rino and giraffes!