Reviews of Catoctin Wildlife Preserve (Zoo)

13019 Catoctin Furnace Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788, United States

Average Rating:

DESCRIPTION

Here we offer you the feddbacks of real people like you who bought the services and products of Catoctin Wildlife Preserve (Zoo) near Maryland.

Now the business has a rating of 4.3 stars over 5 and this rating has been based on 997 reviews.

You must have seen that it reaches an reviews average is very good, and it's founded on a high number of scores, so we may conclude that the valuation is very credible. If there are many people who bothered to rate when they've done well with the business, is that it works.

You know that we do not usually bother to give scores when these are correct and we usually do it only if we've had a problem or incidence...

This Zoo is included in the category of Zoo.

Where is Catoctin Wildlife Preserve?

REVIEWS OF Catoctin Wildlife Preserve IN Maryland

Janelle Whary

Wasn't sure what to expect but was surprised! The variety of animals was nice. We brought our grandson here and he had a great time. Make sure to read the info about the animals posted by them. Very informative. It was pretty hot the day we went so a lot of the animals were resting in the shade. Will definitely make a trip back when it's cooler. And all the employees we ran in to were helpful, interactive and friendly. Make sure to take the safari ride. The animals come right up to the vehicle so you can feed them.

Althea Travis

Well maintained display of the wildlife in naturalistic settings. Many places to stop and sit quietly as you observe the animals. Suitable for young and old.

April Febrey

What an amazing experience! A friend and I decided to go on a whim. We were unsure at first when we pulled up to the building and parked, but after just a few minutes inside the gates we were quickly impressed. The animals were clean and most were not pacing unlike in some zoos. Most of the animals were so close it was easy to see them as well. Their habitats are beautiful and it is clear that they take good care of the animals. The Bengal tiger was injured, but they had a sign up letting you know that he was under a doctor's care.

Johnathan Semanco

A medium sized zoo with some seldom seen species and friendly staff. Many of the enclosures seem a bit dated (picture a shed from the mid-90's). The paths are mostly gravel with a little blacktop here and there, so small wheeled strollers may struggle a bit in places. My 3 year old loved the animal petting and feeding areas. The snack bar was not open. I did not do the Safari, but it looked pretty cool.

Dave AT

Great place for a family outing. They have a lot of picnic tables for a long day. They have a few petting zoo places. The Safari is a lot of fun. They have a lot of babies when we went. Great place

Taryn Heckman

Wonderful experience. My phone died at the beginning. There are so many animals. Great place for bird admirers. We took our daughter for her birthday and she was most excited about going inside the bird cage! Great for all ages!

leah liquid lazy cut

It is so well cleaned

Milford Zeiders

Nice place. Signs to attractions are confusing. Portable wash station had no water. Food shack closed. The one snack shop only sold water. This park needs better management. Shows start early and nothing happening in the afternoon. Improvement can turn this place around.

Janelle Whary

Wasn't sure what to expect but was surprised! The variety of animals was nice. We brought our grandson here and he had a great time. Make sure to read the info about the animals posted by them. Very informative. It was pretty hot the day we went so a lot of the animals were resting in the shade. Will definitely make a trip back when it's cooler. And all the employees we ran in to were helpful, interactive and friendly. Make sure to take the safari ride. The animals come right up to the vehicle so you can feed them.

Ryan Mills

Had a great time. We normally go to the National Zoo in DC, but decided to mix it up. Glad we did because we really enjoyed how close we could see the animals. They feel so distant at the National Zoo. Getting to be so close to the monkeys /baboons is really entertaining. Next Zoo trip - give this place a try. It’s easy to get to and much more relaxing than going to DC. They charge admission but parking is free. I feel like this place is a great value. They are really invested in their mission, animals are happy, and well cared for.

Raven Faudel

Experience could have been better. Nice place and we had a good time however, I took two young children during the week and had to continually shoo geese away from us. We had to skip a few sights due to geese staying around the attraction trying to get food, doesn't really bode well with two young children. Not sure if this was worse than normal on this particular day because it was overcast and there were not many people there, but it would have been a much better experience to not have to stomp and yell and throw the food we bought to keep the geese away from screaming children. Not sure if anything can really be done about this but just be aware of the situation.

Lonny Spitz

Love this local zoo, they have some really great animals and love the safari ride... nice way to spend part of the day particularly in the spring and fall when the weather is cool. Issue...is very expensive for what you get and was shocked that the Senior and Military discount was only 1 dollar off. Take better care of our seniors and military..

ANDREW SMITH

The staff is friendly and the zoo is very clean and easy to navigate! They have a lot of different animals that all look like they are well taken care of! Lots of cool experiences are offered like the camel rides and Safari ride! Great place for a family trip. The gift shop offers a good variety of gifts and souvenirs.

Lawrence Keiser

Great place to spend the day with your family. They many opportunities to interact with the animals. The children love it and so do many of the adults. The petting and feeding areas are great for the younger kids and the kids at heart. The grandchildren loved the place. We will be going back again. The one thing is he prepared it's alot of walking, but there are many places provided to set down and take a rest in the shade.

Jessica

We really like it, it was better maintained and more organized.

R. Jones

Nice place...several activities not open yet...cafe/safari ride/Camelback rides

Ben Gallagher

My favorite Zoo for a casual day out

Robyn Byrd

Shade covered, low key, not too big to navigate with little kids. Friendly and knowledgeable zookeepers too.

Carissa Jeffrey

Love this zoo. Me and my family have to drive about an hour to get there, but we love seeing all the animals, and you get to feed some of them.

Z Worm

Well run, clean, good animal contact.

Christopher Spence

All kinds of different animals with something new each year. They are constantly updating the place so it gets better and better.

Miesha Moss

This place was super fun! There are lots of animals. Great place to take the kids. And I bought some uber cute bracelets in the gift shop!

Nadana Ravishankar

A small beautiful location and The staff is friendly and the zoo is very clean well maintained and easy to navigate through! They have a lot of different animals that all look like they are well taken care of! Lots of cool experiences are offered like the camel rides and Safari ride! Great place for a family trip especially for kids. The gift shop offers a variety of gifts and souvenirs. Would Recommend this place

Beverly Greene

Beautiful wildlife preserve, just too expensive for an extended family to spend the day together enjoying the animals.

Russell Seville

Nice place but I've noticed some of animals are cramped in cages together such as turtles snakes monkey when there looked like he was hungary animals need some space to breathe .

Jesse Miller

It's great! Lots of interesting animals.

Matthew Tilkens

We LOVE the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve. We prefer it to the national zoo for a few reasons. They are less people, it's easier to drive to, less distance between exhibits, and you can get really close to some of the animals. If we lived closer and the prices were a little cheaper we would visit more than once or twice per season. Since most of the paths are made of rocks it's not stroller friendly. Wear bug spray. Bring a few dollars cash since every now and then you can pay a couple dollars to feed birds who will land on your hand to eat - really cool! And yes, the picture is me and my son feeding the birds ;)

Snack Dragon

This place is good for kids of age 5 to 13. It not a big zoo but a smaller size compared to many others. But good for kids they don't have walk so far. Decent collection of animals to see. Mc caws, white tigers (just 2), pigmy goats (OMG they are cute!!!) Zebras camels pythons . Remember geese can be aggressive (jerks). It is good for an afternoon walk with kids. The tickets are bit expensive.. especially if you go a family.

Bill Clinton's Stogie

5 star bc my kids spent an hour feeding deer and then another hour feeding alpacas and they loved every minute of it. However, I'd like to see more room for the tigers/leopards to frolic about so -1 star.

Richard Dreer

Beautiful layout. Creative landscape

Jeannette Maness

Lots of great happy animals not seem other places.

Vickie Alcorn

Nice, close to home zoo! A little pricey, but they have all those animals to take care of!

Emily Zeigler

This was just under an hour drive for us but WELL worth it! It seems small but once your there and walking around it's much larger then you would expect. We got to feed deer and goats which my niece and nephew loved! Also, the habitats are very nicely done for the animals! We didn't get to do the safari but would have loved to because it looked like it would really neat! We'll have to go back to enjoy that. Thanks Catoctin!

Matt Longley

An amazing zoo located in the mountains of central Maryland. Have been here a few times with my family, and still amazed every time I come here. Decently priced admission for all that you get to see. Would highly recommend to anyone. Well worth the drive.

Randy Blancett

Nice quiet place a little expensive tho

M J

a lil pricey, but a nice little zoo

Ezra Gliksman

This place is great. Only complaint I have is its pricey. Over 20bucks a person, and while they do give a military discount, it's just 1 dollar off and only applies to the one military person, not his or her family... a lot of cool animals though, tigers, leopards, jaguar, wolfs, bears, alligators, and a few animals you can feed too. Cool place just wish it was a little more affordable!

Lisa Henry

Take the Safari Ride, it's worth it! Very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Johnny B

Great place to enjoy a day out. Look for discount coupons as it is a little pricey. A+

Sheila Overcash

Great little zoo and nice and shady!! Priced just right!!!

Chris Logan

Outstanding time! Interesting to see all the different animals. The staff was extremely helpful!

Beverly Carter

Had a wonderful time here with my kids before they left for the summer! Lots to see and do, we especially loved the bird aviary where we got to feed the birds and have them land all over us! Staff was pleasant and informative. Great all day outdoor adventure with animals!

Karen Myers

Last minute decision to visit for my birthday. So glad we did!! Wish we would have got there earlier though!! So much to see & do. You can truly tell that the staff are passionate about the animals at the reserve. The animals are well cared for & actually look happy. You could purchase dressing sticks for the birds & good into there cage to feed them. The safari ride was a great experience!! The animals came right up to you so you could hand feed them. My entire family was able to feed a goat, camel, bison, deer, & water buffalo. They even took into consideration hand hygiene & had hand sanitizer available for the guests. We will DEFINITELY visit again!!

Robert Boerner

For a small, older facility, this wildlife preserve has a lot to offer, especially for kids. The animals seem well cared for,and are diverse. My grandkids loved it.

Joseph Brand

An excellent zoo for kids! Great mix of animals to see. Especially love the petting area so the kids can walk around and see the animals up close.

laura griffith

It's cozy, majestic, quiet.

Sarah O'Donald

I've visited my fair share of zoos and this is hands down my favorite. We loved the monkey exhibit, the babies were just adorable. I also love that it is mostly wrapped by woods so it's very shaded which was nice while wearing a baby and pushing a stroller we didn't feel too hot like we have at the Pittsburgh zoo and at the Baltimore zoo. The animals are all very unique and unlike I've seen at other zoos. The Alligators exhibit is just unreal. I also loved that they had built in play areas and a small playground as well as picnic areas, just so nice and unlike other zoos we've been too. We could spend all day there. It was a blast!

Beverly Carter

Had a wonderful time here with my kids before they left for the summer! Lots to see and do, we especially loved the bird aviary where we got to feed the birds and have them land all over us! Staff was pleasant and informative. Great all day outdoor adventure with animals!

patricia dominguez

Nice, clean privately owned wildlife preserve with Petting zoo and safari park. Could use better signage within the zoo.

Rebecca fields

Nice spot my daughter had so much fun

Rachel Baker

Great little zoo tucked away in the mountains!!

Susan Glass

Beautiful with great views of the animals

Diana Ringler

We had an awesome day. So many animals to hand feed. Lots of fish and turtles to feed too.

alicia hoffman

Very nice. Animals seem well maintained and cared for. My son loved seeing all the animals and saw many babies. Went for a field trip and was very crowded though.

Brian Eddy

While passing through we decided to stop by and see some animals. We have a membership at another zoo back home and get a discount here from that. That being said we thought it would be good to stop by. Sadly we saw that a lot of the enclosures seemed to be a bit small. Some of the animals seems quite sad or stressed (pacing). For the small size of the preserve, there are a lot of animals to see. While we were there, out of season, the Safari ride was closed and we we're not able to see those animals in the back. We would not go back here if we we're in town.

Alan

Awesome local zoo, definitely worth a visit. Great to bring little kids because you can see almost everything in under 2 hours, and they don't get all antsy like when you visit larger zoos. Bonus points for non-existent traffic, decent parking and no crowds. I also love these reviews complaining about the pricing - obviously they all own zoos and know the costs attributed to maintaining them. Support local businesses and attractions or they won't be here much longer.

Blair Kettler

Wonderful fun! Did not plan to visit. On a trip and saw this. Stopped by and was pleasantly surprised. The staff were polite, professional and very welcoming. The animals are well treated and seem quite happy. Definitely planning on returning

Adrienne Lettré Keyser

Went year ago to this zoo when my now 5 year old was not even a year old. Oddly the last time we went there it was also cloudy but this time we got stuck in full in rain. Since it was my friend's birthday we persevered. It is a long drive from my house but an absolutely beautiful one. The mountains, the trees and the large farmland make the 45 minutes fly by. Have gone during off times but on a busy day the parking may be tough. I think this zoo has great animals and I love that you can feed some of them. The grounds are layed out nicely and its easy to navigate through. Not a big fan of the gift shop being what you enter through. Especially after the really high prices you pay per ticket. Yes that is another drawback, the price. Would definitely recommend but keep in mind an afternoon with the kids could run you a pretty penny!

James Gallo

Loads of fun with great animals. Well kept. Great hiking to the falls as well!

Colleen Garringer

Fantastic Family Adventure.

Brandon

Great animals, clean zoo, the Safari was fun!

Landry Beck

Very fun! Family friendly and also good for friends alike!

Lory Miller

Love this place. Safari ride was Awesome!!!! Staff is great!!!! Definitely would recommend this for a day of fun!!!

Janel Olds

Maybe we missed something but this was one of the worst zoos I have ever been too. The enclosures are super small for the animals and many of the animals seemed ill to me. The playground was a pile of dirt. It was WAY over priced and to top it off we paid for a camel ride when the kids got there they were told there was group there and they were too busy to give our kids a ride. At the time the staff was just standing around not doing anything. The group didn’t start riding for 20 minutes after they told our kids no. This was a huge waste of time and we should have just bit the bullet and driven down to DC.

Brandon Swisher

Careful not to waste a trip, they close at 4pm, not 5pm. Staff is eager to roll out as early as possible so get there early or you are out of luck!

Brandy Felton

It's a good place to go with the kids that's close to home. Wish they had some big animals too, they have alot of different birds which our kids really dont care about really. Basically it's a small zoo great for short trips with little ones bigger ones didnt really like. Plus their prices are unfortunately just as much as much bigger zoo's with way more animals. I suggest putting up more signs for which animals are which way....map is very confusing.

Kimberly Raikes

Fabulous for learning and wild for leisure.

Patricia Hinrichs

Only thing I would like is the safari ride part of tbe original ticket price

Jennifer Ryan

My favorite place to visit when I am camping near by.

Steph Renee

Excellent variety of animals, which were all almost present and doing their thing. Not overly impressed with the gift shop, as it was lacking shirts and other souvenirs.

Kyle Kerkoulas

Amazing place, clean and very beautiful. All the exhibits felt natural and there is a huge variety of animals, some exclusive to Catocin. Went with girlfriend and got her a stuffed animal from the gift shop with surprising choices. Friendly staff, with a huge park! Going in the fall was pretty and romantically quiet but I'd love to go back in the summer for the safari ride. 5/5

Jamie Wilson

Such a fun place to go

Karen Myers

Last minute decision to visit for my birthday. So glad we did!! Wish we would have got there earlier though!! So much to see & do. You can truly tell that the staff are passionate about the animals at the reserve. The animals are well cared for & actually look happy. You could purchase dressing sticks for the birds & good into there cage to feed them. The safari ride was a great experience!! The animals came right up to you so you could hand feed them. My entire family was able to feed a goat, camel, bison, deer, & water buffalo. They even took into consideration hand hygiene & had hand sanitizer available for the guests. We will DEFINITELY visit again!!

andy e

What a great day. First time here and it won't be my last. Much better experience than the Baltimore or National Zoo in my opinion. Gift shop was very nice as well.

Andrew Leonard

What a wonderful zoo! This place is well worth the drive from Baltimore. I'd argue that it's better than the Maryland Zoo. So many animals and several opportunities to feed them.

Richard Krawczyk

Over priced. Private Zoos tend to be poor at providing for the needs of exotic animals!

Douglas Gemza

Kids always have a great time!

Samantha Stoddard

This is the perfect activity for a family with young children. I was able to easily bring a stroller and my toddler had a wonderful time interacting with the animals. This is a charming wildlife preserve and was great for a day trip.

Carol Oakes

A wonderful interactive hidden gem! Worth every penny. We took a 4 and 6 year old and they loved every second and stayed engaged. It is our new favorite zoo.

Mark Hyatt

Fairly good zoo with a couple of lozey animal And birds

Mike Burnett

Lots of animals to see. Large area also. Not overcrowded like a lot of zoos. Even when there is a large number of people it doesn't feel crowded. Love the Monkees.

james wilson

Awesome zoo nice place to go for a walk

MichaelAngela Ziehl

We really enjoyed our time here! Make sure to see Safari Laurie for a camel ride. Our 2 and 3-year-olds loved it! Weee!

Zac Clark

This is a fantastic place where the kids can get up close and personal with lots of different animals. They have standard petting zoo faire like llamas and goats, but they also have large and exotic animals like camels, hippos, and alligators. A great place to spend a day with the family.

Anna Lebo

It's a great place for little ones in particular, lots of shade, places to sit and take a break, stroller friendly and three different areas where you can feed animals by hand as well as a couple places to feed koi. The Safari to see the "cool" animals does cost extra money and kids have to be 36 inches to ride which stinks but the regular zoo part for the younger ones is plenty. Lastly, they do have camel rides available for extra purchase too.

Chad Allen

I had the BEST time with my wife and son at Catoctin Wildlife Preserve!!! The staff was friendly and helpful, the park itself was very clean, maintained, and beautiful and the animals seemed to be very very happy in their habitats!!! My family and I will definitely go back in the near future without question!!!

Thomas Black

Bigger, and more fun than expected. Bring your own snacks.

Scott Long

Great place good family fun

Hilary Steinberg

What a fun time. We will be back

Missy B

This zoo has a nice variety of animals. Leopard, tigers, otters, gators + many more. Petting area of goats and deer. The Safari Ride was closed for the season, so we did not see the 'big' animals like lion, elephant, giraffe, etc. It's an extra $15 each for the Ride. Overall, Catoctin Zoo is a nice leisurely walking path with some paved, dirt, rocky and rooty trails. Good day trip.

William Walthers

Very cool place to see a variety of wildlife

Greg DJ Rock G Fossler

We came down from Lancaster PA on a recomendation, and WE LOVED IT! It's right off of the highway, and parking is easy and convenient. Admission prices are definitely fair for what you experience. Every staff member we encountered was very friendly and knowledgeable. We've been to similar places but it truly seems like this facility and its workers care about the animals above everything else. We will definitely be back!!!!!

Marjorie Lewis

I was looking forward to visiting after many years away. I wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. Many of the buildings date back to the early years of the park but it is apparent that they work hard to continually update and expand the facility. It all looked neat and clean. It is amazing how diverse the animals are, they come from all over the world and include rare, endangered species as well as common ones. They all look well cared for and healthy. It was so much fun to watch the kids getting up close with so many different species; goats, camel, antelope, yak, bison, ostrich and many more. The joy of the experience was all over their smiling faces (the kids, not the animal faces). The staff was friendly and helpful, their enthusiasm shows. A great day out for kids of all ages.

Scott Mcgee

Nice family place to see animals

Jahuer Chapin

Children loved the animals and the safari ride! Well worth the visit with family.

David Heckard

Great place. My son had a blast. The teenagers working the cash register were rude, but thats to be expected. Overall a great experience.

KATRINA McCULLOUGH

Omg

Cindy Jessup Sewell

Was closed for the season but reopening March 23rd. It's always a great place to visit.

Kristina S

Take better care of these beautiful animals. The conditions here are AWFUL.

Frank Gruman

This was a fabulous couple of hours with the whole family. It's still spring so a lot of animals are between spring and summer coats so they might not be as beautiful as some would expect but their personalities are still there. The jaguar was out and moving around which the kids loved. Highly recommend the safari ride tickets , too.

Bunmi Salami

It's a nice place lots of animals. The major thing I don't like about the place is it's not wheel chair accessible the majority of the place is gravel. We practically had to carry the person in the wheelchair everywhere. The staff was so nice though when we're about to leave we complained and they refunded us back.

Nancy Jenkins

Very expensive to see limited animals. You can pay much more to go on a safari and see animals that should be part of the zoo to begin with. Areas for animals are very small. When I was there nothing was open to buy a drink. It was over 90 degrees that day.

Ali Kuhn

Got to hand feed the emu llama and pigs goats alpaca and more!!

R Ensor

So many cool animals. Monkeys and the sloth were awesome! You get to walk through different areas with native animals to each area. Super cool and kids will love it. They have a safari ride that is cool as well!

oscar hernandez

Has a variety of animals and a safari at a reasonable price without having to go to a major city.

Blank

As someone who has a creative mind. I believe that taking your self or those you love or care about here is the best thing you can do. I feel as if I'm transported through the world as I walk around it. One very important note to make is that I highly recommend that if you plan to make a trip here go during the week. Although you may not get to do things like the Safari ride and a few other things. The quiet and emptyness of the preserve feels calming. The noises you hear are those of the animals. All the staff are friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend a day trip to this place. My pictures that I just took on my phone so pardon any blur are proof of the simplicity

Greg DJ Rock G Fossler

We came down from Lancaster PA on a recomendation, and WE LOVED IT! It's right off of the highway, and parking is easy and convenient. Admission prices are definitely fair for what you experience. Every staff member we encountered was very friendly and knowledgeable. We've been to similar places but it truly seems like this facility and its workers care about the animals above everything else. We will definitely be back!!!!!

Diana Guerrero

Went on a field trip with my son & I did NOT like it . It was super muddy & full of mosquitoes. There were some sort of signs where the animals were but we kept going around in circles. They had fun on some huge rocks they had & feeding the lamas / goats .Very old or antique . The glass to the snakes was dirty couldn’t even see the animals well . I would not be bringing him back again .

Gina Hott

Nice and clean. Animals seemed well taken care of. A bit small.

Evelien

Great place to visit for a day. Don't let the small entrance fool you, it's much bigger than it looks. As always some of the small enclosures are sad, but animals seem well cared for otherwise. My son had a great time on his field trip and the group price is much much better than regular fees. Too bad you have to pay extra for the safari part... would have liked to go see the zebra's but didn't bring cash. Feedin the animals was exciting for the kids. Will definitely come visit again.

Diana Llauget

We had a good time

Penny Sites

Nice small zoo. Avoid the crowds support a local park.

Jessica C

Really expensive for a petting zoo. We spent over $100.00 on admission and a "safari" ride four people. The enclosures really lacked the proper space for the animals to maintain a reasonable quality of life. On a positive note, the zoo staff were great.

Marjorie Lewis

I was looking forward to visiting after many years away. I wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. Many of the buildings date back to the early years of the park but it is apparent that they work hard to continually update and expand the facility. It all looked neat and clean. It is amazing how diverse the animals are, they come from all over the world and include rare, endangered species as well as common ones. They all look well cared for and healthy. It was so much fun to watch the kids getting up close with so many different species; goats, camel, antelope, yak, bison, ostrich and many more. The joy of the experience was all over their smiling faces (the kids, not the animal faces). The staff was friendly and helpful, their enthusiasm shows. A great day out for kids of all ages.

Mate V

Honestly shocking that this place hasn’t been shut down. The animals look sick and mangy. I know the owner has had issues with animals dying in the past in their Reston location and other zoos in Virginia. Their enclosures are small if not tiny. Endangered animals like the snow leopard is kept in a tiny hidden away cage. The condition of the park is subpar as well. The pathway is covered with exposed rocks and roots. This makes it difficult to push a stroller or for elderly to walk. The bathrooms are dirty. For how much they charge they should really provide cleaner conditions for their guests. And more importantly take better care of the animals. Only thing I recommend is that this place shuts down and the animals moved to a place that cares for them.

Jessica Mathis

Hadn't been in a while. So glad took the family again!! We had a blast! You must do the Safari!!! It was awesome!!

D. Sanders

I had a great time at the Wildlife Preserve.

Andrew YT

Thought there would be 10 animals at the most turns out this place has so much more I would recommend it for any age don't want to give spoilers but trust me you will enjoy it.

Mark Brown

Smaller zoo but great for younger kids.

matt keckler

Random stop with the family omw home from VA. LOVED IT!!!

peter pinkham

Well, if you're looking for a place to wear out the kids while they race around and see a lot of cool animals, this is certainly the place for that. It's quite large, over 25 acres. For a little extra you can ride the camels or ride the safari truck which is pretty neat as well. I recently went with my three granddaughters in my wife and we all had a great time. It's a very low-key place and we liked it a lot. We will definitely plan on going back.

Lyndsay Reed

A little pricey, they need better navigation signs, and the cages are a little small. But overall they have animals to take care of & it's the only one in the area.

David Chism

Our family enjoys going to this place. We have season passes (now and then). We take a break when life gets busy. Yet, we always have a good time when we go! The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. I’m just bummed the big lion and giraffe are gone!!

D J's

A wonderful place to take the Grandchildren for the day

Anthony LaCoste

Very expensive. $40 to get in for an adult and a 3 year old, then another $30 to see the second half of the park.

Heidi Smith

Great place for small kids. Easy walk through and stroller friendly. Petting area was perfect. Kids loved feeding animals.

John Poore

Nice zoo, fun family environment

Brett Haupt

They have done a lot to improve the facility and animal habitats. For a more local zoo, the price is fair and there are a wide assortment of animals to visit.

Bill VanWingerden

Spent $41 to visit the zoo. It closes at 6pm but they start putting the animals away around 5:30 which is fine but then close the zoo at 5 not 6. We went later in the day to avoid the heat and crowds but we did not get to see half the animals because they had to be put away. It would be better to close the park an hour earlier or give a discount if people come later in the afternoon or at least tell people that most of the animals will be away after a certain time

Andrea Carter

Great zoo. Very kid friendly. Only thing I did not like is the dirt/rock paths; can be difficult when pushing a stroller. Wear old sneakers there.

Cassi Rose

Great way to spend the day. So much bigger than expected. Would go back and do it again

Ana Ohlandt

Small zoo, but very unknown which makes it nice to go with small kids. No crowds at all! Super safe & we met ladybug the leopard. The zookeeper answered all our questions and was so kind. Docked one star because of how expensive it is for what it is, but we did buy the family membership.

Michelle Buchanan

Cute little place, but can use some work.

Sean Gallegos

Went for father's day with my wife and daughter. Had wonderful time and saw many animals I haven't seen at other zoos.

Chocolate Monroe

Love this petting zoo i go with no kids just me an hubby

Bobby Mercer

Local and takes good care of there animals

Michelle Zaleski

I love this zoo park! It's not a huge amount of walking to see all the animals and its preserved in a natural park setting, lots of shaded paths. I brought my friends from Virginia and they preferred this over the DC zoo.

Chris Ragen

Honestly you'd expect a roadside attraction to be just adequate but that's not the case here. It's not a slick modern facility but there's an obvious amount of love and care present. The staff appear dedicated and the enclosures look very clean. The age and grime are visible but you'll look past that and enjoy a day at this incredibly diverse zoo

Christine van der Merwe

What a little

Ryan O.

Catoctin Zoo is a good place to take family young and old(er). It's a great place to get up close to seeing some endangered animals right in Frederick Counties back yard without having to take a trip to Baltimore or DC. The pair of white Bengal tigers is probably my favorite. I can't wait to see what the wolf enclosure will look like after work is completed.

Michelle Zaleski

I love this zoo park! It's not a huge amount of walking to see all the animals and its preserved in a natural park setting, lots of shaded paths. I brought my friends from Virginia and they preferred this over the DC zoo.

Jeremiah

Good value for the price. If you're bringing babies, make sure you bring a stroller that's good in gravel.

Rachel Patishnock

Charming zoo! So many adorable animals. Bring quarters for koi fish food at the pond!

Chris Carroll

Great little zoo! Love the petting zoo part. My son loved it! Definitely have to come back when its warmer!

Bill B

Friendly staff, good variety of animals to see and your admission helps to take care of the animals which a lot are rescued

Doreen Burns

Great place for small children. The exhibits were easy to view without much parent help. We brought our own lunch

Laurie Voss

Felt it was very expensive to enter but it may be needed to operate the place. The parking lot was full so it must be a busy place.

3mta3 3mta3

Really nice place tucked away in Catoctin. Smaller zoo but still plenty of exhibits and a good variety of animals to see. Friendly staff too.

Tiffany Stutheit

Great little spot. My kids really enjoyed the animals and it was really special to see wolf pups. The safari ride was entertaining and it was neat to be able to pet a camel and feed a bison. I wish I'd realized how many things needed cash though because I had none and my kids were bummed they couldn't do the parakeet walk through or buy extra biscuits on the safari ride.

Amber S

This place was not what I had expected. I will say the grounds are large and you can spend a lot of time walking around. It does not take much to get confused here though. When it comes to the cages and fences, they do not seem very secured compared to other zoo's. The reptile room had a bad odor which lingered into the next door bathrooms. There were a god amount of the animals out and pretty active. Loved the baby monkey! Overall, just not what I expected from this type of place when it comes to the animals home/security

Jaime Hanlon-McPhillips

Different animals than what I have seen before. Enough exhibits without being too big to bring young children. Three places to feed animals as well! Only down side is you need to purchase the Safari to see some if the animals, like the zebra And camel (the Safari is not included in entry fee And young children and pregnant women cannot ride, so it limits the family experience)

Laura

This place is a true gem when visiting the area. We have been return customers for several years. It's peaceful and not overcrowded in the fall months. We love the very outgoing monkeys and enjoy hand feeding their deer of all sizes. Beautiful birds, the emu's are very friendly and the bears are active! There is a neat coy pond and I recently learned they have safari tours! There was a man from the perserve who was having a petting session with a baby gator this afternoon, he was really a pleasure to talk to and learn from. The guys enjoyed seeing the exotic snakes. Another fun adventure in the books, thanks CWP!!!

Foop

Nice place. Can bring food, drinks, backpacks, etc, and the landscaping was very pleasant to walk through.

Seth Brodie

Run down & expensive, few food or drink options. Just skip it and go to the Smithsonian Zoo

Daniel Acosta

For those who have always wanted to go to a safari ride, this preserve is amazing! I assure you that you and your kids will have a blast, the safari ride is a must do here but its also great to experience first hand feeding the different animals from big to small. There are some beautiful Japanese koi fish that you can hand feed, and many other exotic animals. There are many places to feed and pet the animals.

Richard F

Great experience for small children but the price seems a little high. I used Groupon to get admission tickets at a more reasonable amount & a discount coupon from a mail flyer to save on the animal feed purchase I made.

Kerry Charlesworth-Pierce

Incredible place to visit! You'll probably get lost like us, but it's still a must-see stop in Maryland. There's plenty of shade, and plenty to do. We didn't go on the safari but we had a really great, memorable time visiting the animals. There are several petting & feeding zones, plus the camel rides and even a place to feed the koi up close. My personal favorite exhibit was the dingoes. They were so cute! They followed us around and seemed really happy in spite of the heat that day. Suggestion: Take lots of snacks, quarters (for the animal food dispensers) and bottled water with you. We loaded up a backpack and were glad that we did! It's also a bit difficult finding your way around, hence the 4 instead of 5 star review. Other than that this place appears to be run extremely well. Oh, and there's also an opportunity to go inside the aviary at 1pm which looked like fun. We will certainly be going back again.

Ron Wolfe

The family absolutely loved the preserve.

Diana Mason

At least these precious creatures are being cared for and kept safe for people to admire them. I wish they were free and had more room to roam..it is so beautiful here and the animals are amazing, so up close and personal.

Dawn Tagg

All the animals where out and active. Facilities clean. Staff were polite. It's larger and more diverse then I expected. Great visit.

Justin Atkinson

Little disorganized with the route you should take through the park/zoo. Decent selection of animals.

Sherrie Ebelein

I love the feeding sections at each area... the keepers are super friendly.. and love the animals in their care.

Mike P

Very nice little zoo to take younger kids to. We purchased tickets through groupon and then paid additional $14 per person for the safari ride. Everyone was very friendly and the animals were close together for the kids to walk around. The best part is that most of the park was in the shade, so the sun does not beat down on you all day. Some improvements that could be made are better signs for where to go and maps to be given out with the tickets. We had to take a photo of the map and navigated through it, though it was not too detailed. The safari ride was good and everyone had fun. Variety of animals including tigers, monkeys and the sun bear. Would recommend to visit at least once if in the area.

J Khan

First time here and was expecting more for my money. Spent over $100 in tickets and safari ride tickets for 2 adults and 12 year old. Safari ride was good but short. They dont give you maps to see where your going. You have to guess where your going. Just felt dissapointed when we were done.

Chris Ragen

Honestly you'd expect a roadside attraction to be just adequate but that's not the case here. It's not a slick modern facility but there's an obvious amount of love and care present. The staff appear dedicated and the enclosures look very clean. The age and grime are visible but you'll look past that and enjoy a day at this incredibly diverse zoo

Gregory Keihl

I wish I could review better. It’s local, but that’s about all it had going for it. Every piece of glass was dirty and it was hard to see inside the glass exhibits. No staff to talk to you anywhere and there was no clear route to follow. There were so many bees at the dining area we ended up walking around to eat our ice cream in fear of being stung.

matthew baxter

Our kids loved their experience there!!! And enjoyed learning about the animals! We will definitely be going again and getting there way earlier next

Heather Jenkins

Great size for little kids!

Kevin Glass

Small but plenty of animals and exhibits. Our 4 year old granddaughter had a great time and especially enjoyed the petting zoo. We spent about 3 hours there. Unfortunately we didn't go on the Safari ride. We had planned to but someone needed a nap by that time.

wilber Alas

I love animals and very nice and clean installations definitely good place to go alone or with the family

Logan Leed

Great little zoo with a surprising amount of animals. I liked that we were able to pet the alpacas and the kids were enamored by the fossa. Will definitely be returning.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Good for a day out with Family

Christine van der Merwe

What a little

S.U.g W

Fun place to go for a day trip. Wont regret it

Shelley White

It was a nice adventure for the boys. A great deal of walking but it's so scenic & you will enjoy the animals. We did take the Caravan ride into the area where the gated animals were kept. They had donkeys, goats, bison, camels, & many others sum with very large horns but they all came up to the vehicle without hesitation to be fed. It felt funny to feel there tongue & lips on your hand. But it was all so natural. We saw the White Tigers & out of the blue they began to mate! The boys did not understand what was going on & why the male Tiger was making such loud roaring sounds. Oh well, like I said it was all very natural. We saw a bear & he reminded me so much of Winnie The Pooh. Only he was real. So cute sitting in his cage just like Pooh sits. The pond had Gold Fish that were huge. I did have some explaining to do when we got back to the car. It was a good & entertaing day for all of us.

Matt Farris

Great wildlife preserve! Plenty of shade trees for hot days, all kinds of different animals spread out on acres of land. More snakes than I've ever seen at any other zoo like park

Rene Najera

I want to give this place more stars. I really do. It's hard to give it more stars for a few reasons. First, the hand wash stations all did not have water in them. They just sat there, useless. The hand sanitizer stations were low or empty as well. Second, the food selling areas were closed, or they consisted of a couple of random-looking dudes selling some kind of food off the back of their truck and under a tent. The drink vending machines sold you a small soda or gatorade for $2, cash, no credit cards. Third, the people we asked for directions didn't know exactly where anything was, and the signage is ancient. (One sign was celebrating 2008, year of the rat in the Chinese calendar.) There are some maps around, and you can kind of follow those, but some of the exhibits on those maps are no longer there. Fourth, the butterfly garden consisted of a garden where, if you were lucky, you'd see a butterfly. We saw no butterflies. Finally, some of the animal enclosures didn't seem sufficient. Arctic wolves were running around in an open cage in 70-degree weather, panting and looking like they needed something. The petting/feeding areas seemed crowded, with different species in them. A pig almost got gored by a goat's horns when they fought over the food we were feeding them. I'm not a veterinarian, though, but this place has had its share of issues in the past. We finally washed our hands and walked out through a gift store where a group of uninterested employees fiddled with their phones. This place has great potential, but it still has a lot of work to be done in the areas of hygiene and customer service. If you're planning on going, bring your own hand sanitizer or, as we happened to have with us, baby wipes. Expect some of the advertised exhibits to be closed or non-existent. Expect employees to be confused at your questions, and plan to pay extra for drinks, food and feeding the fish or the animals.

Carolyn Seymour

Good zoo for children

E&C Cox

Great resource in the region. Parking is a bit tough and you might have to park on the road and cross. Inside you'll have gravel paths that make pushing a stroller or wheelchair a bit of a challenge. Plenty of exhibits to see and enjoy. Feeding opportunities are everywhere! If you are I'm the area, you should visit. Bring a lunch as the cafe is being renovated.

Carly Good

Great place with a lot of exhibits! Very friendly staff and animals!

Mark McLaughlin Jr

Nice local place to share the existence of exotic animals with kids of all ages.

Kelly Mosmiller

Awesome place! So many different animals, some I've never seen in person or even heard of! We were amazed to see white Bengal tigers, a jaguar a snow leopard and artic wolves. They even have a Fossa and two Fossa pups!! I definitely recommend this hidden gem!

Business Hours of Catoctin Wildlife Preserve in Maryland

SUNDAY
10AM–5PM
MONDAY
(COLUMBUS DAY) 10AM–5PM HOURS MIGHT DIFFER
TUESDAY
10AM–5PM
WEDNESDAY
10AM–5PM
THURSDAY
10AM–5PM
FRIDAY
10AM–5PM
SATURDAY
10AM–5PM

PHONE & WEBPAGE

Catoctin Wildlife Preserve en Maryland
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