Reviews of Natural Bridge Zoo (Zoo)

5784 S Lee Hwy, Natural Bridge, VA 24578, United States

Average Rating:

DESCRIPTION

You will be able to see all the feddbacks of people like you who have information of the products of Natural Bridge Zoo (Zoo) in the area close to Virginia.

As of day the business has a score of 3.2 stars out of 5 and that rating has been calculated on 1164 reviews.

As you can see the average score it has is average, neither too high nor too low, and it is founded on a very large number of feddbacks, so we can conclude that the assessment is quite credible. If people have bothered to value when they are happy, is that it works.

You know that we don't usually bother to place opinions when they are positive and we usually do it only if we have had a problem or incidence...

This Zoo corresponds to the category of Zoo.

Where is Natural Bridge Zoo?

REVIEWS OF Natural Bridge Zoo IN Virginia

Larry Perry

Awesome place. Smaller than expected. My daughter enjoyed the elephant ride. Cost $10 plus 10 more for a 4x6 picture. Staff was friendly. Easy to find although not slot of parking unless I missed some somewhere

Alan Crawford

Great place to take the family for a day trip. The kids love it. And I have so many memories from going as a kid myself many times. So many years ago !

Andrew Lam

Nice little park. Definitely worth a visit. Staff was friendly.

Alex Yong

Nice little zoo. The animals were super friendly especially the goats.

Dorothy Whorley

great for free kids day but prices are too high for average family to visit.

David King

Great place to visit. All kinds of animals to see.

G CP

We enjoyed our visit and did not see any mistreatment of animals. I would recommend this as a definite stop when visiting the area. Didnt know they had all of the activities they did. Even riding an elephant which I thought was only out of the country.

Johnnielynn Pace

My husband and I had a unique opportunity yesterday. We were able to meet with one of the owners and see "back stage" of the Zoo. These animals are absolutely loved and cared for. The owners are so passionate in what they do and they are very knowledgeable. We can not wait for opening day to actually tour the Zoo!

Larry Perry

Awesome place. Smaller than expected. My daughter enjoyed the elephant ride. Cost $10 plus 10 more for a 4x6 picture. Staff was friendly. Easy to find although not slot of parking unless I missed some somewhere

Vickie Ratcliff

Was very nice to see all the animals and how they live and are treated love it

Paige Fitzgerald

The people are nice, the animals are active, happy and well fed. And the zoo keepers are always there to answer any questions you might have.

Howard Moretz

Very nice little zoo everyone of the staff that we talked to were very nice they told us about some of the different animal's and they were very good at what did with animal's.

Jeffrey Fox

Nice little zoo. Reasonable price

alishia perry

Great place. Lots of different animals!

Strange Art

I have mixed feelings about this place. On one hand, it was really fun to see a bunch of different animals. And I loved the aviary with all the birds flying around you. The walk was decent and at one point a bunch of chickens were running around the zoo. On the other hand, a lot of the animals seemed to be crammed together. And the ones who were not were in very small cages. The Elephant didn't look very good either. Not sure I would visit again.

Dana Cash

Anyone who supports this zoo needs to be throat punched, the animals are not cared for, they live in small cages with no room and Asha the elephant has spent her entire life in solitary giving rides to a bunch of brats instead of being with other elephants like she should be! Yes I have been to this zoo and it breaks my heart!

Wayne Walk Jr

Nice place to visit. Perfect for kids.

Jill Zimmerman

We had a great day. We were able to get very close to the animals. They looked well cared for and the zoo was very clean. My twin girls 15 yrs old and my 2 year old nephew all had a great day. There is a lot of opportunities to feed the animals. It was fun!

Raychal campbell

Loved this place I'm a huge animal lover and so are my children

Krystal Catlett

We were at first a little nervous about what kind of place this would be based on the exterior and parking area but once we got in, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of space and the amount of animals. The tigers and bears were very active and it was great to be able to hand feed animals that you wouldn't normally find at a petting zoo.

Edward Boone

Don’t take your children here unless you want to “teach” them about animal cruelty and how to be a bad person. Place has been fined and cited and investigated over and over again for awful treatment of the animals. Do yourself and your family a favor and drive a bit further to see a better zoo.

Nicole Stansberry

Stop going to this place for your own personal entertainment. If you really want to learn about read a book! Go on a true safari. This place teaches your kids nothing.

Marisa Jones

HORRIBLE treatment for that poor elephant!!!! That baby needs to live out his life in a sanctuary. Stop riding those poor elephants. This is not a good place for the animals. Please don’t spend money there.

Gloria Rodriguez

My grandkids love the zoo

Connor Pog

They w0uldve gotten five stars but the camels were thirsty and the elephant had no water

Katrina Miller

This place is absolutely horrendous. The animals have no room to roam, the giraffe fence looked like those poor animals tried to kick out the fence to get free. The elephant is alone with no other friends and all she does is walk around in a small circle while people ride her. Her “trainer” walks around with a stick and hooks her if she “misbehaves”. Please do not support this place. These animals needs to be rehomed in a sanctuary where they can be in their natural habitats.

Kimberly Painter

This place was a lot of fun to bring our toddler for her birthday. It has a lot to offer, and it's far bigger than I expected it to be. I do feel that some of the animals need much bigger spaces than what's allotted.

The Official Miracle Thomas Channel

This place is incredible! You can walk for miles and enjoy nature at its best. My dad use to take me here when I was a child. My grandfather a Bishop use to preach at a church not too far from this area; special services. I had a great time with my son; creating memories. Priceless!

jenny blackburn

It seemed like a nice place however we did feel really sad for the elephant! She looked miserable!

Nat Hyatt

Great for all ages. Love loving on the animals.

Alan Crawford

Great place to take the family for a day trip. The kids love it. And I have so many memories from going as a kid myself many times. So many years ago !

Sarah Sawka Hammer

If I could less I would. Zoos in general are a pretty archaic but this is one of those real seedy places that reminds you how terrible we as humans can be to animals. The animals are not being cared for as they should and the people in charge have no idea what they are doing. The animals need to be given to a sanctuary and this placed needs to be closed down.

Amy Lagasse

I was concerned about going to this Zoo at first from all the bad reviews I read. However, I am so glad that I did go. It makes me wonder if those people that wrote those reviews have actually been to this zoo or just jumped on some bandwagon to bring the ratings down. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there, seeing such a wide variety of animals. During our visit, we saw a lot of keepers cleaning the cages and feeding the animals. Their produce looked fresh. The grounds and animals looked well cared for. The exhibits had appropriate climbing structures depending on the animal. We enjoyed feeding the goats, giraffes and camels. Loved all the monkeys!

Mari Muthu

This place is so much fun if you like to do petting and feeding for animal. You can spent 2 to 3 hrs here. But compare to Safari park experience is not much excited. Can visit once if you have more time.

Maryam Bashir

Please read about this roadside zoo before going there. Educate yourself about the lack of care and compassion for the animals then decide if it’s a place you want to support. Simply google and watch the hidden camera which recorded some unfortunate events. Heartbreaking.

Brandy Bond

Remined me of a no frills zoo I would have seen when I was a kid.

Judith Ochs

"renowned" zoo - for flagrant violations and a place on the list of 10 worst zoos for 5 years running. Inhumane treatment of animals - whether you see it or not. Find out how elephants are "trained" to let humans ride them and see if you can stomach it

Heavenly Aroma

It's beautiful and can feel peace in my soul there

Lee Guins

2nd time we had we been here, and love it! When you go, get the big bag of feed because the animals eat out of your hand. And be sure to ride the elephant.

Lily Flowers

A ROADSIDE ZOO IN AMERICA IS NO PLACE FOR AN AFRICAN ELEPHANT. SEND HER TO A SANCTUARY!!!! HASNT SHE MADE YOU ENOUGH MONEY????? How long must she be exploited? Elephants feel loneliness. They NEED other elephants. If you loved her, you’d let her go. Monsters!!!

Michelle Rupinski

Great zoo. Loved all the animals♡♡♡

Mark Gutknecht

Great place. Great variety of animals to see and even get to feed. Lots of shade for the animals and visitors. The gift shop is nice and the staff are friendly.

Laura Neuberger

Please don’t support a place that has had its license taken away multiple times from the welfare of its animals. They refuse to give up their elephant, when it’s been alone for decades. Elephants are meant to be in groups, why won’t you retire them to accredited sanctuaries?

Dan Barnes Batista

Amazing animals in a really intimate setting!

Terri Williams

Kids loved it! Very safe and animals looked like they were being well cared for. Affordable

Christen Ansuini

I’m somewhat shocked to learn this place is still in operation. I visited this “zoo” several years ago after hearing about how terribly the animals were being treated. I didn’t want to think it was as bad as people said, but I couldn’t make it 20 minutes without leaving in disgust. After seeing a YouTube video exposing acts of animal cruelty in 2015, and reading that the zoo had numerous citations/failed inspections in 2017, I was certain this place would be closed by now. It’s disheartening to learn people with such an abysmal track record of caring for animals are still being allowed to exploit them for profit. If you want to show your appreciation for animals, consider taking whatever money you’d pay Natural Bridge Zoo for admission and donate it to the Humane Society or ALDF.

Rach Allgyer

not well kept and too small quarters for the animals

Anna Katogiritis

The zoo has over 100 violations of the animal welfare act. The elephant that they have called Asha lives alone. Elephants should be house in groups as they are highly social and intelligent beings. Please do not support roadside zoos that are not accredited by any reputable organization. There are many other ways to learn about animals than to visit these places.

Mike Patton

The conditions that Asha, the elephant, endures are criminal. She has spent 31 years in captivity in a small space alone. Elephants were not placed on this earth to give rides. Please do not support this cruel practice.

Brittany Hart

It seems as if the workers really do take care of the animals here. The conditions always seem clean, and the animals dont seem skinny and poorly taken care of as you see in other zoo's. The staff is friendly and helpful and the Zoo all together is clean. Will be returning

Josh & Amanda abate

A nice assortment of animals just a short stop from home. The trainer with the cats was very nice and willing to share information. The elephant trainer was also very nice and enjoyed chatting. The younger indoor staff wasn't quite as friendly as the rest, but still a great day trip. We will return for sure!

Frank III

This place is despicable. There is a reason Ringling Bros went out of business for their terrible treatment of elephants, I hope the same happens to this disgusting zoo. Asha looks so depressed, and broken down, she needs to be removed from these terrible folks, and allowed to live out her days with other elephants in a sanctuary.

Ashley Deering

Please do your research before thinking of going here. Place should be shut down & animals rescued to live in a proper environment & get the care they need. Have no idea how it's still open when they practice such obvious animal cruelty.

R M

If I could give 0 stars I would. They do not care about their animals. They need to send Asha the elephant to a sanctuary.

Film Maker

Wonderful place to visit on your way to the mountains.

Christopher Kleinman

Good variety for a local zoo, although high prices for what it was. No tortoises.

Felicia Bateman

nice lil Zoo. I enjoyed it.

Cane Langford

Please do not give these people your money. The animals are kept in horrible cages, some way too small for the animals. Big cats were pacing back and forth in their cages from stress. It was very sad. Not all the animals had water or proper shelter either. This zoo needs to be shut down and the animals taken to a better place that would care for them properly.

niki

I have chosen not to give my money to this zoo. I want my children to see that all living creatures should be treated with respect and care. The pictures of the elephant on their website looks like she is in misery. God Bless her.

Jennifer Shaw

Should be ZERO stars. This place is despicable in how it treats its animals. It’s a throw back to the 1800’s before we SHOULD have known better. The miserable conditions these poor animals are kept in for the amusement of others is beyond shameful. Shame on this “zoo,” shame on the workers and shame on ANYONE who supports them with their business.

Denese Smith

We had a wonderful and educational visit to the zoo. The staff was informative and knowledgeable, plus cordial. We were able to get some exercise and cool off with some icees. There were many places along the route to rest and take shelter from the sun. The animals seed well kept and kept it interesting by interacting with the patrons. Some even posed for pictures!

Pamela Sturt

Terrible conditions and treatment of Asha the elephant (riding an elephant causes them to develop painful, debilitating, spinal, leg, and foot issues-despite their size, it is not natural for them to carry weight on their backs-that is not something they would ever do naturally, and their bodies are not built for it; i noticed one review in which the person said they didnt see any mistreatment, but then mentioned you could ride the elephant-a contradiction in terms) and the other animals. Please don't frequent this place as that is contributing to their further abuse.

bar bos

This zoo is not held to the standards of the National zoos and aquariums. Please do not give these people your money! These animals need a voice. They are living in deplorable conditions and winter is coming. This is just sad. I hope something touches their hearts and they transport these poor animals to Tennessee or California where they can receive proper care.

Larry Harris

I brought my boy here and he absolutely had a blast. He loved everything here. I give it a 4 star because there is know where to get a drink once inside. I did find a machine but it did not work so to get a drink you'd have to walk all the way back to the entrance to buy something.

Llathrum Marine Mechanic

Fun zoo with well cared for animals. The bird house with the colorful keets was great for my little girl. She loved feeding the birds and the other animals

jennifer thomas

Do not visit this place! This is not a learning experience but rather a cruel exhibition of defenseless animals on display. These animals are not well cared for and instead of funding this institution we should be doing everything in our power to ensure these animals are released into a better environment.

LaLaLacey & Meeko The Monkey

They force an elephant to be alone all day in deplorable conditions with only a single tire to play with and no shade. Stop taking your kids here and they will be forced to send that elephant with others where it belongs. Pure evil is what this place is! If you go here you're part of the problem. Send the elephant to a sanctuary.

Ann Rutledge

We visit every year or so to ride the elephant. Nice zoo, friendly staff great experience for whole family.

Michelle Wallner

Please educate yourself about the harm done to elephants so that they become compliant for you to ride them. Asha the elephant at this zoo deserves to be in a sanctuary and not subjected to being inhumanely ridden. This is not what we should be teaching our children on how to respect wildlife. Elephants are repeatedly abused and chained into submission and they are NOT meant to be ridden. Their spines are not meant to carry weight. Elephants are herd animals and to subject them to a life of confinement and servitude is a disgrace. It's time to stop using them for our entertainment. FREE ASHA.

laura cooper

Family friendly and relaxing environment.

Rae F

If I could give zero stars I would. We stayed a total ten minutes: 9 of those minutes were spent wandering looking to see if the rest of the zoo was as bad as what we saw within the first minute of being there. The animals are in tiny enclosures made of wire fencing. Some of them have grass floors, others have a slab on concrete. There was no type of enrichment for these animals and all the water was filthy. What really sealed it for me was a bear sitting on his concrete slab unmoving and staring blankly out of his enclosure- there was literally nothing else for him to do. This place needs to put more care into their animals- and if they can’t then they need to do the right thing and transfer these animals to facilities that actually can give them a good life and shut down the natural bridge zoo.

jeremy watts

That elephant that they have is so lonely. I was in Absolute tears upon leaving

Marla Darius

We were pleasantly surprised at all the animals we found at the natural Bridge zoo. We spent several hours here and enjoyed walking all over, feeding the animals, and playing with the birds in the bird sanctuary. For a small zoo they did a great job with clean cages, well fed animals and nice music piped in as you walked throughout the zoo. We would definitely visit again

Roy Campbell

We had a great time. Kids loved all the different animals especially all the different monkeys.

Catherine Walker

There are alot of exotic rare and some very tame animals to see and feed along your stroll.

Wendy Phillips

The animals are not took care of at all broke my heart to see them the poor things had no water and the alligator could not fit in his pool and the elephant had no water and was given ride's all day in the heat the place needs to be shut down

Courtney Adkins

Very fun and interactive experience. Lacking certain amenities such as a baby changing table and paved walkways for strollers. Those minor inconveniences make the trek a little more tiresome, but the kiddo had a blast.

Michelle Williams

Do not spend money here until they free Asha the Elephant. Google it. Please do not ride the elephant. Free her. The positive reviews are fake. Fake news. Free Asha. Google these people first.

Jason Overstreet

Was really nice for the size. The tigers were my favorite. They're really beautiful!

Abigail Williams

Come one come all for an amazing experience at the Natural Bridge Zoo!! My family had a wonderful time today interacting with the staff and animals. The staff were knowledgeable and kind as they worked with us and the animals. We participated in the Close Encounters Tour, in which we were able to feed Bengal Tigers, Lemurs, and a Beautiful African Elephant. With normal admission we were able to feed Fallow, Giraffes, and we were able to walk with Parakeets. Natural Bridge Zoo is a little gem tucked into the Virginia mountains waiting to be discovered and loved for the experiences it offers to both animals and humans alike. I will definitely be going back, hopefully soon!

Rachel C

this place was absolutely amazing! I did the close encounter tour which was most definitely worth the money! Not only do you get to feed animals and ride Beautiful ( the elephant) but you learn so much more about the animals and the zoo; for instance: the larger animals don't get kept in those smaller areas every night. They have acres upon acres where they walk the animals too so they have more room to run and live. I would absolutely recommend that anyone going to the Natural Bridge VA read check It out!

Clifford Lauffer

I always have a great time with the family here, they have lots of fun stuff for kids and adults, like the elephant ride, feeding the animals, and around Easter they have an egg hunt, or you can go to were the birds are and feed them and let them land on you

ADRIENNE ROUSSELL

This is a horrible place for ALL animals but mostly for elephants. They are NOT meant to ride on their backs for human pleasure. PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ABUSE!! PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ABUSE!!

Elizabeth Harkins

Was super clean, animals seemed pretty happy, plenty of water and food for all the animals there, friendly employees, very informative, and an overall nice happy atmosphere

Stephanie Lantz

Disgusting. I will never go to this place again. These animals need to be placed in a sanctuary where they are safe and can live the rest of their lives freely. The animals cages are so small and so inhumane. I could go on. Don't waste your money. Do not support this zoo.

Bill Nagy

I really enjoyed our visit. I've been to 15 different caves. Our guide This time was the best ever. So knowledgable and entertaining. We gave up trying to find the natural bridge itself though. It may be easy to find for locals but not so much for me. More signs please.

J Moyer

There was bird poop all over sidewalk and fencing outside of bathrooms.. the animals look so sad and NOT taken care of! Asha looked depressed! The camel had matted fur, stunk to the high heavens, and had flies all over him! The donkey.. OMG! Couldn’t see for the long fur in it’s eyes and matted! Stumbling around.. giraffes looked sick! Even the alligator looked depressed! You couldn’t see the snakes because the glass was so dirty! Alot of money paid to see animals being mistreated! Hunane society needs to step in! Makes me mad and sad!!!

Jude Carpenter

Do not give these people your money. My friends and I made the mistake of going and left after 10 minutes. I cannot believe this place is allowed to own animals and operate a zoo. Massive animals were kept in tiny cages with nothing but chain link holding them back. Their was little to no form of enrichment for the animals and they all looked incredibly bored/miserable. Upon further research we've since learned that it has received several citations for animal neglect. Which is not surprising. This place is more reminiscent of a sketchy side show than an actual zoo. Please put your money towards zoos that actually support their animals and care about their well-being.

John Vitrano

There is a special place on hell for the staff of this zoo.

chris moore

Great family atmosphere. The zoo was well maintained with a friendly staff and a great spread of animal species.

Anna Katogiritis

The zoo has over 100 violations of the animal welfare act. The elephant that they have called Asha lives alone. Elephants should be house in groups as they are highly social and intelligent beings. Please do not support roadside zoos that are not accredited by any reputable organization. There are many other ways to learn about animals than to visit these places.

Joshua Beckett

I enjoyed seeing animals I normally wouldn't see. The animals were gorgeous. I wish they had more room for the animals. A lot of them were in cages not much bigger than a standard bathroom. It was also slightly more expensive than I'd have liked it to be, but, all in all, we had a good time. Also, there were chickens everywhere!

Walter Perry

The place is nice..animals are well cared for. Only issue I had was the elephant should have a mat. However the caretakers where cleaning and taking care of the animals while we was there.

Kiyonna Miller

It was cool.. Lots of walking but fun too.... I had a great time... People were friendly. The elephant rides wasn't open when I went but I was going to face fears and ride.!!!

Kristie Guzman

Me and my family came out to this zoo summer 2019. We really enjoyed it! There are so many different animals to see ; to walk around the whole zoo took us approximately 1 hour.

Carl Sedon

Horrible, horrible, horror. Please release these animals. Seriously. Keeping an elephant in these horrid conditions. C'mon, you wouldn't want to be a slave now would you. Let these animals, ALL THE ANIMALS, enjoy some sense of freedom and well being. I would give this no stars if possible.

Karen Saunders

Fabulous time here at the Natural Bridge Zoo. Great place to see animals we rarely get too see in New England. Great place for families, small children would have a blast. Plenty of places to take a rest and have a bite to eat. I am a lover of elephants and wished that I could have had a ride, but that was not in the cards today, however they will be soon.

Christopher Fortuna

Awesome time and don't miss out on the Dinosaur Kingdom across the street!!!

LISA THOMPSON

Such a fantastic zoo....we came from Philadelphia, PA to for our reveal with our babys theme(The Elephant)...We went October 20th 2019....It was a rainy day and when we arrived at zoo they told us we can pay admission to walk to zoo in rain buy no elephant rides that day ...I was bummed but we still walked the zoo...all the animals were so awesome and we fed the goats and giraffes...such an amazing experience to feed the giraffes...we saw a worker and asked if they could just bring out the elephant at least so we can take pics to do our reveal. We explained we drove far and was pregnant. 20 min later Mark the trainer and handler of the beautiful elephant brought the elephant to us and told us some fantastic stories of the elephant and his past work with elephants. We asked if we could get on top for the reveal but since it was raining the elephant was very dirty so he instead opened the gates and let us come and get close to the elephant and feel her and takes pics for our reveal...Mark has so much knowledge with elephants that's its jaw dropping the stories he can tell...we were so happy ...we were the only ones at the zoo that day...it was neat like it was closed just for us ,lol....overall, zoo is fantastic and the animals are amazing and personal with you...only animal that I wanted to see close up that stayed in barn was camels...cant wait to return on a sunny day to ride elephant.

John Allee

Great prices fun and not over crowded very friendly staff

Monika Kessler

Cute little Zoo with Elephant rides. Perfect for little kids as it is not too much walking.

Jen Liebrum

Great place. Definitely family oriented. Nice gift shop and friendly staff.

Allison Neidig

Very nice place. A ton of different types of animals. I was very impressed. The animals all seemed well cared for.

Alex

DO NOT SUPPORT!!!!!! Research before going here!The elephant in the zoo has been the focus of a lot of negative attention due to the deplorable conditions and lack of care he has received. He was stripped from his family by the owner and is forced to gives rides to people all day, everyday. He is lonely and deprived of any comfort from his our race. An undercover agent worked at the zoo which resulted in the zoo being given fine after fine for neglectful conditions. Even shut down temporarily several times recently. I believe they have been slapped with 18 different animal cruelty citations. Animals are commonly struck or beaten. Tiger cubs are starved so they can easily be controlled during photos. A giraffe named Gabrielle was killed on property due to lack of conditions And poisoning. Many injured animals are not cared for. Do your own research g but for God sack do not give them your money.

Joseph Vaughn

Nice little zoo grandson loved it

Allenna Ray

Animals didnt look to happy, they had the bear Locke do it his cage and he was burning up hot. Wasn't impressed with the care of the animals given.

stephanie starkey

Hadn't been in over 15 years. It was so nice.

Jitka Kacerova

We had a lot of fun there though we missed safari and elephant rides. There's opportunity to feed deer, alpacas and a camel. They have a pair of black bears, a bengal tiger and a casowary which you can see really close!

Joshua Beckett

I enjoyed seeing animals I normally wouldn't see. The animals were gorgeous. I wish they had more room for the animals. A lot of them were in cages not much bigger than a standard bathroom. It was also slightly more expensive than I'd have liked it to be, but, all in all, we had a good time. Also, there were chickens everywhere!

Robin Counts-DeDear

These animals live in horrible conditions and the zoo is actually breaking many federal laws with the way they keep their animals. Especially the elephant and tiger. They have been closed down many times before. Hopefully they get shut down permanently

daniel sowder

We really enjoyed the zoo. The big cats were snoozing, but that was expected. Our 3yr old had fun feeding the bear and giraffes carrots. The camels and llamas like the dry food. The parakeets were cool too. A lot easier and interactive then bigger zoos

Thomas Ellis

A well run state park. There is a shuttle from the parking to the lower level and back. If you're pushing a stroller or have leg problems definitely take the shuttle. The hike up the creek to the waterfall is a nice stretch of the legs, about a mile and a half. Not much of a waterfall. The path is smooth with sand and gravel. The Indian village was mostly closed. Natural Bridge is impressive.

susanna evans

Wish there was a way I could give absolutely zero stars. I BEG of u to never come to this place in your life. They TORTURE and NEGLECT animals for money and there is proof! Before you think about going to this hell hole for animals watch “what natural bridge zoo is hiding from the public is disgusting” on YouTube. These animals are strangled, overbread, poisoned, and much more. If you have any humanity do NOT go to this horrific place

kendra gilbert

Me and my family had a great time. Staff were very friendly. This was our first time ever and we will do another day trip.

Walter Perry

The place is nice..animals are well cared for. Only issue I had was the elephant should have a mat. However the caretakers where cleaning and taking care of the animals while we was there.

Michelle Difatta

Rustic Zoo with various animals. Well set up easy to explore. The bird cage was delightful and interactive. Very enjoyable.

WolfLover 0117

The workers were very nice. Animals were well cared for. You can get pretty close to the animals and some you can feed! So many different varies of animals! Never bore and was always excited to see the next animal, I didn't want to leave! I very much recommend to people who love seeing animals 11/10 recommend

shana kelly

Oh boy, where to start. I wish I would have done more research prior to giving this "zoo" my money. Sadly, some of the enclosures are beyond inadequate for the animals (i.e., barren and lacking in stimulation, space, and cleanliness). I was shocked they still offer elephant rides. Not only is this painful for the elephant (i.e., their spine is shaped with spines rather than a horse's spine, which is more like humans), but it is not safe for the public (many captive elephants have TB, which can be transmitted to humans). Overall, I left feeling sad. Following my visit, I did some research and found that this zoo has a number of citations (around 100) all having to do with animal welfare - it was shocking. Save your money!

Marissa B

This Zoo is amazing! It has so many different animals. The staff and the tour guides are great! They are so nice! We took the close encounters tour and it was incredible! We got to feed the Tigers, the Elephant, and the Ring Tailed Lemurs. We also got to hold a python! Before the tour they had lockers so if you didn’t want to carry your belongings you could lock them up. The tour guide, Tim, was awesome he was so friendly and was very experienced. The zoo is also very shaded so that was very good cause we had young kids. There were a lot of places to take pictures, and on the tours there is a photographer so you get all of the pics at the end. Even if you decided to not to do a tour you could still feed the grass fed animals like Giraffe, Pygmy Goats, Fallow Deer, Llamas, etc. There was also a parakeet inclosure we’re you could feed and pick up parakeet! Overall this Zoo is one to remember!

Jennifer Evans

This place is disgusting and sad. Most of the animals are in small dingy enclosures with concrete or gravel floors, poop everywhere. The windows of all the reptile displays were filthy and you could barely even see through them. Many of the fences, including the ones closest to the people were janky and pieced together, rusty and with rusty wire twisted in place to hold them together—I was afraid my daughter was going to cut herself on the rusty wires. I believe the place was created in the 70’s and it appeared they haven’t done any improvements on it since. I’m ashamed I took my daughter there to see animals like that. Go see the Safari Park down the road instead!!! It’s a million times better!

Grace Ballard

It's a good zoo but it's hard to tell what animals you can feed

Bryan Payne

Lots of fun. Impressive animals and elephant rides!

Rubicela Zarate

Honestly I expected more, for the price! And the website all details and got there, Very disappointed. If you are willing to travel a long distance like we did... 3 hour drive for this. Nope not again

Tracy G

This place far exceeded our expectations. The animals are well cared for, friendly and entertaining. The giraffes were so cool! My boys loved running with the cassowary birds and feeding the animals. The Asian black bear was super cute just hanging out. We had a blast!!!

Kiyonna Miller

It was cool.. Lots of walking but fun too.... I had a great time... People were friendly. The elephant rides wasn't open when I went but I was going to face fears and ride.!!!

Wendi Cave

We loved the zoo, loved how you were up close with the animals.

Catie Webb

It was great! Animals and enclosures were clean and looked good. Only complaint is there is only 1 reptile and it's an alligator in (to me) a too small of an encloser with a lot of algae in the water. And $10 to ride an elephant is alot if you have more than 1 child.

Scott Hackenburg

We came from Richmond just to see this zoo. I got to tell you the experience was amazing! The animals are well kept up, there was tons of space to explore and you get to feed some of the animals! AWESOME!!!! Feeding the birds was our favorite, went back multiple times to do that, that day. Plus we went on father's day so father's were free!!!!! Can't do any better than that!!!!

Christine Kunder

What a great place to educate young children about animals! The key to avoiding extinction for many animals is to peak the interest of our youth, and this place did just that! I highly recommend the VIP tour for up close, once in a lifetime encounters! The Staff and trainers were great! You can tell they love the animals, and the bond they share is amazing! Especially the elephant and tiger trainer! Just WOW! My kids can't wait to go back!!

LoudMinded 22

This place and the staff are simply jokes. May be a select few staff that are okay. Anyone who is okay with locking up innocent animals for profit is simply disconnected. Don't fund this monstrosity. Its takes hours of abuse called breaking meaning making a animal surrender its natral instincts to fend off pest riding on there baks. This place has a save the animal and elephant fund how can you trust the ones whome abuse. I guess these people sleep fine the animals get water n food n tires to play with. Smh truly sad.

Martin Clock

Beautiful, the elephant, was sweet and easygoing. Lots of cool animals. Loved feeding them.

Tiffany Renee

There was no water out for most of the animals and the customers were free to abuse the animals in whatever way they wanted because there was NO STAFF present. We had to tell them to stop and they just laughed. So we had to go tell the staff about this family that was doing everything from hitting the animals and throwing things at them, to screaming at the animals and shaking their cages. Even when the staff was told, the family was still there with no supervision abusing the animals when we left. That’s not okay. Small enclosures I can look past, for the most part. Abuse and neglect though.. no. It almost ruined the whole trip to go here, I’m just glad we didn’t have the kids with us on this trip. Nothing about this place is okay.

Victoria Yauch

Do NOT give this place your money. They exploit their lone elephant for financial gain. No elephant should live in isolation (as in without other elephants). Please spend your money elsewhere, anywhere that actually cares for its animals.

Danielle Thompson

Great trip....but really hard to push a stroller through the pebbled walkways. I left overly hot!

Lauren Myers

My kids LOVED the natural bridge zoo! The animals seemed happy. I just wish there were some more animals though. Awesome adding elephant rides and great job with the corn pit. Better than a sand pit!

paige bartholomew

You have a 31 year old elephant enslaved there on her own. Elephants are naturally social creatures who need to be with with their family or other elephants. What’s worse is that this zoo exploits her for money while she suffers day by day. Do not visit this zoo. I also think it’s absolutely appalling that people are posting picture of their children feeding asha, it’s small minded people like that who are keeping her enslaved. Stop giving this zoo your money and they will have no choice but to give the animals to sanctuaries

Kristie Guzman

Me and my family came out to this zoo summer 2019. We really enjoyed it! There are so many different animals to see ; to walk around the whole zoo took us approximately 1 hour.

Joseph Roten

Interesting place with an elephant ride

Kaity Slustf0her

I would have given 5 stars but I couldn't get through the park due to being in a wheelchair the gravel was too thick for the wheels to make it through. We did do the new dinosaur tavern. And not easily but my husband was able to get me through! We had a blast.

Ashley Brown

Asha the elephant needs to be sent to an elephant sanctuary ASAP. Seeing her in person was heartbreaking . Elephants are extremely intelligent social animals who need to be with other elephants or they become very depressed. For 31 YEARS she has been forced to give rides during the summer months and then when she’s not doing that she has no stimulation, toys, or shade in her tiny enclosure. She is also made to pose for pictures with tourists while in there. When the zoo is shut down in the winter and she can no longer make the owners money she is in a concrete barn by herself. Please, if you have a soul let this poor elephant live the rest of her life in peace at a sanctuary with other elephants and everything she needs to thrive and be Happy. Shame on anyone who promotes or continues to go to this poor excuse for a “zoo”. Disgusting

Diane Rudolph

Free the elephant! Its been treated cruel for 31 years!!! Don’t partake in events with this elephant. It needs to go to a sanctuary where it can finally be with other elephants!!!

Emanuel Online

Our first experience feeding the animals. I can’t wait to be back with more family!

Marc Reitzel

For the size and location this zoo is great. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed ourselves. Feeding the parakeets was the funnest part. The birds landed and walked all over us to get to the feeding sticks. It was hot when we went but most animals were still out and active. They all looked to be well taken care of. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Kerry Riggleman

We had a great time. The children missed out in the elephant rides but were so exited to see all the animals.

Tasha Irvin

Good little walk thru zoo. Not often you can stand right next to a giraffe. Good gift shop. Everything was visible due to smaller enclosures.

Queen Kilpatrick

..Only had 2 hours to walk around.We got there kind of late they still charge us the same price for full day.The animals were awesome

Kathy Caudill

Love this place. Very affordable for a family. To look at from the outside looks like a small zoo, but once inside it goes really far back. Lots of animals, cute animal statues your child can crawl into for cute pictures, and the bird house was awesome. The little parakeets land on the children of the have the seed sticks, and sometimes for no reason at all. This is a wonderful place.

Jacqueline Gibbons

I know everyone is upset about the elephant Asha but it really is that bad. She was alone. There was little interaction with her and she had no place for shade. Animals are not our entertainment. Forcing her to give people rides in the summer is ludacris. Absolutely disgusting. How would you handle being alone?

Dawn Buckingham

Let Asha the elephant go! It is deplorable how the zoo is handling this matter! How freakin sad!! Get some humanity. In 2015, a USDA inspection cited Natural Bridge Zoo with 44 violations of the Animal Welfare Act

LilyGrace

Asha is not taken care of well it hurts to see an elephant like that

Paul Allen

A very nice zoo for its size friendly staff and the enclosures looked well maintained the family really enjoyed it

Coffee In The Morning Dinner at night

Animal cruelty at it's finest. No real zoo operates like this. There is a petition to be released on getting the elephant removed. How anyone can leave here in a good mood is beyond me. And how you even stay in business is even Wilder.

Elizabeth Sanglier

Stop torturing that lonely elephant. It’s disgusting—elephants need to be with members of their own kind, not isolated giving rides to tourists in the sweltering heat for a few Instagram pics. If this zoo knew anything about animal behavior and health they would understand how cruel her solitary confinement really is. I hope this sleazy establishment gets shut down quickly and poor Asha is released to an elephant sanctuary.

Sam Kram

Decent zoo. Lots of different animals that all seem well kept. Some of them look like they could use some more room but I've seen worse. We had so much fun here! Cougars, bears, tigers, camels, giraffes, flamingos, elephants, porcupines, soo many different monkeys, are just a few of the species you'll find here for a decent price!

Misty Cook

Do not waste your money! Huge disappointment. The place is so run down and you can’t even see most of the animals. The staff is very unfriendly.

Randi Tuck

Not able to feed giraffes we drove a long way to see them photo opportunities were ok. Got to ride an elephant

S

Enjoyed everything about it. Great place. Returning this year to enjoy it again.

Michael Arden

The worst part for me was the sun bear that had nothing but concrete for its enclosure. This bear is clearly depressed and his claws are frayed and cracked from trying to scratch on the concrete.

André Bröker

This is not a zoo, this is a prison. Most of the compounds are way too small and arranged very loveless, animals don’t have enough space to move. I travel a lot, this is the saddest zoo I’ve ever seen.

Olivia Whinnett

The elephant asha is alone and has been for 31 years. She is is forced to give rides in the hot heat of summer and is only given a small tire to play with. She is enclosed in a small space I demand justice

bill nye the science guy

this zoo is just disgusting. i want to mainly point out the elephant in the room. literally, i’m talking about the elephant. the elephant here at this zoo has no one to play with, at all. only a tire and that’s it. plus, they just abuse it everyday just for entertainment and financial gain. it’s just sad to see this happen, especially to a species that’s decreasing in population. disgusting.

Marc Reitzel

For the size and location this zoo is great. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed ourselves. Feeding the parakeets was the funnest part. The birds landed and walked all over us to get to the feeding sticks. It was hot when we went but most animals were still out and active. They all looked to be well taken care of. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Trudy McDaniel

This is a sad place to visit! Animals are not properly cared for. Just for money making! It's heart breaking. Please let these animals live there lives somewhere else with better living conditions.

Kandise Nance

I've been to this zoo a few times and each time I love it more. In the morning hours you can see the animals interact with the staff. They are happy and playful.

A small cat

We had a good time here even though it was small. We enjoy all the zoos, aquariums, and animal parks that we have visited. They offer elephant rides for $10 bucks. It is written on the chalkboard in the gift shop in the admission area about the elephant rides, that they don’t take credit cards at the elephant stand, times the rides are available (12pm – 3pm when we visited), etc. All the info you should want about the park on times and prices should be available at the admission desk and around it. Just ask if you have any questions. She was helpful and friendly to us. We got to do some interactions with the animals. We don’t get to do as many interactions in the big cities with animals at zoos, etc. The little baby pygmy goats are the cutest but I loved feeding all the goats that came to the fence. We fed some of the deer. The budgies were not interested in our food. It is a small aviary and they must have been already full since it was about 12pm and there just wasn’t that many of them. They would look at you from afar. A few people got them to eat but majority did not get any takers. We left our sticks in the bag near the ones where you pay so someone could have them for free. We got to see several of the animals at the zoo eat like the chickens, lemurs, turtles, monkeys, camels, etc. The zoo had food laying out for all of these animals. Some of the food did not look fresh as it already had ants on it but I am not sure the animals really cared. We did not see shading for all of the animals but I am not sure they needed it. We got some videos of half of the animals moving around, and jumping from branches, etc. Some of the animals were just sleeping like the bears or hiding like half of the lemurs, baboon, etc. It was a hot day so I can’t blame them! The admission line was really slow and gets backed up. There was only one person working on a busy holiday weekend. The admission/ticket desk is right in the gift shop and that is where you enter the zoo as well. Our hand got stamped so we could leave and reenter the park which was great because we forgot some things. The entrance is right next to the admission desk. The prices for adults, children, etc. is right above the desk so you can see how much it is to get in. Very easy to see. Also, when you get up to the desk there is a sheet of the prices of the multi-pass/combo ticket so you can buy to save some money for the zoo + caverns + dinosaur kingdom (right across the street). The prices for the feed and budgie sticks are up there too. We bought some feed (a large bag) and the budgie sticks we got like 6 of them. We did not see an advertisement on where to get the carrots to feed the giraffes but make sure you get them at the front desk when you buy tickets because apparently that is where people got them when we saw people walking around the park with them. Don’t forget if you want to do that! There are restrooms but they are only inside the park. One set of restrooms is right near the gift shop and the other is near the reptiles but you will see it on your map inside the middle of the animals (no air conditioning in this bathroom). However, the map does not have all of the animals that are at the zoo. You really need to walk around the zoo, go down all the paths, and the unpaved paths because we did our own thing before we even looked at the map and got to see several more animals than was mentioned on the map. The gift shop is two rooms and there are several things to buy just like any animal gift shop which includes cups, mugs, shirts, sweatshirts, umbrellas, stuffed animals, rocks, pencils, etc. Also, there is an aquarium in there and you can see the lemurs because they have a big glass window right there in the gift shop and they have food outside of that window so the lemurs will likely come up and eat the food and you can see them up close. Friendly staff.

Emily Murphy

Perfect family road trip rest stop. You can bring a picnic lunch, walk around feeding the animals, ride an elephant, then get back on the highway. I highly recommend this zoo for families who are looking to break up a long car ride.

bryon hower

All the animals were well cared for, staff was informative. Animals were healthy. Make sure you stop and see the camel. She is so friendly. Would definitely come back

Eric Yocum

This was a awesome experience for me and my family especially my little brother!

Sunshyne

People are complaining about the elephant but honestly in the wild she would prob be dead. She looked healthy. She is active. I fed her treats. She bonded to that trainer and happily answered his commands. He spoke softly to her only raising his voice to speak to the crowd and myself. She is in a safe haven here, protected. I was happy to see this because I read the previous negative reviews and was not sure what to expect. They are false in my opinion. Go see for yourself. It is a great chance to let our children experience animals so they can help be a part of the solution instead of the problem. This place should have more stars. They offer the close encounter tour and it's really priceless. It was about the same price as the circus but interactive. I will never forget feeding the tigers (whom are not as hungry as they look) and thanks to the fabulous photographer we all have pictures to prove it. She really knew when to shoot. Well worth the price. I would like to thank everyone there for the experience of a lifetime. So glad I could bring my family to a place like this.

Courtney Wiseman

DO NOT give these people your money. They have recurring violations for animal abuse and unsanitary conditions. If you love animals don't visit. Please report the zoo to the USDA.

Alyssa Eads

I truly wish I could give this place ZERO stars. Just by looking at the website, I am DISGUSTED. The animals look so miserable, in these small CAGES. Not free, breathable and nice exhibits. And that poor elephant, being used every day to lug people around. This place makes me sick and I hope that these beautiful animals are placed in a nice sanctuary soon.

Krystal Blankenship

The Natural Bridge Zoo is a hidden gem. One of the best experiences that encouraged a lot of interaction with the animals from the guests. The kids and adults enjoyed it alike. The animals were very engaging and you witnessed a ton of interaction between the caregivers and the animals... all of which was nurturing and kind. Each animals sanctuary was well equipped for the animals needs from housing, toys, proper shade and food to fellow housemates / different species that you could easily see the effort of care. As an animal lover I’m not an avid circus, zoo... animal captivity supporter but the reality is, sometimes it’s the way it pans out. These animals appear very happy and well nurtured ... at the end of the day it’s not as easy as “let them go” as they can’t support themselves in the ‘wild.’ If you stop supporting this zoo... the animals will suffer more than anyone or anything. Support people who are caring for animals and finding a way to raise funds to continue to do so and building knowledge of love of these animals by allowing guests to interact and fall in love. ♥️ Trust me when I say this zoo is not sitting with a multimillionaire behind the scenes while the animals are suffering. It’s a labor of love.

James Looney

The people who run this Zoo are genuinely the worst of this worst America has to offer.The animal rights violations are well observed and documented. The human beings who are responsible for continually perpetrating these crimes are sociopaths. A quick google search will confirm all of this. Well documented through the years. The Virginia governmental agencies who have repeatedly failed to enforce the states animal welfare law bear EQUAL BLAME. I expected this from a zoo in Thailand, but to see it here in America rocks to me to my core, and fills me with genuine, indescribable disgust!!! STAY AWAY!!!!

Berzelius Paragot

There is a elephant your can ride, and cassowaries, which is cool. However, maybe it was because it was a kind of hot day, but none of the animals cared that we had food, and the parakeets in the bird area super did not want anything to do with anyone. Moreover, a lot of the enclosures, especially for the bears, were simply sad cages. Choosing between here and the nearby Safari park, is no contest.

Ioana Maria

Please do your research before visiting these poor animals at this zoo. The animals are abused and lonely; especially Asha the elephant, who has been there for 31 years and is forced to give rides in the heat. HOW is this practice even legal when using such an emotional and intelligent animal? Sadly, she has only a single tire to play with and doesn’t have the room an elephant needs to be happy. When the zoo shuts down in the winter, a USDA investigation found out that Asha spends majority of the time in a damp, cold barn with a concrete floor. When the zoo is open, she spends her time in her small pen, rocking back and forth, clearly experiencing depression. After this many years of abuse in this disgusting zoo, she belongs in a sanctuary. PLEASE just do a quick google search on this zoo and how their animals are treated and how animals express happy behavior before visiting and/writing reviews stating that the animals look “healthy”. They do not. They do not exhibit healthy and happy behavior. If you want to learn about animals, stop visiting this zoo and go to a zoo that actually takes care of their animals. What you are teaching to your children by going with them, is that animal abuse is acceptable.

Orion SloppyKats

Everyone was extremely nice and helpful. The animals, including the ones that approached me in the parking lot, seemed over sexualized however. I dont mind being in the company of aroused mammals.. just as long I have some time to prepare. The staff was delightful and aided me in every legal way possible. I did manage to slip away and get into an enclosure or 2.. haha. Needless to say, I had much fun. Btw, did you know there is an elephant there? Cons: decrease the time between bathroom cleanings. ALSO; I think it's free on Wednesdays.

Lauren Jane

Animal Abuse is wrong if you go this place u are just supporting evil people

Anonymous

This zoo promotes animal abuse and allows people to ride an elephant which globally is known to be a horrid practice that requires a lot of abuse in order to train. Practices such as forced isolation, starvation, movement restriction, wipping and prodding. This is barbaric and should no longer be condoned in the united states.

Gretchen Bloom

Love this place! Small enough to finish in a reasonable amount of time, but a good variety of animals!

Business Hours of Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia

SUNDAY
9AM–7PM
MONDAY
(COLUMBUS DAY) 9AM–6PM HOURS MIGHT DIFFER
TUESDAY
9AM–6PM
WEDNESDAY
9AM–6PM
THURSDAY
9AM–6PM
FRIDAY
9AM–6PM
SATURDAY
9AM–7PM

PHONE & WEBPAGE

Natural Bridge Zoo en Virginia
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