Reviews of Virginia Zoo (Zoo)

Kyle Colpitts

Absolutely loved this zoo! Great layout. Never felt like we were walking around all day. Really cool animals and exhibits. We booked a behind the scenes visit with KC their resident sloth. Highly recommend this, my wire and i loved it and our kids loved it! KCs handler was great, she had all the facts and very friendly! Cant wait to come back here and visit again. Perfect family day event.

jessica adam

So much fun! My two year old loved the water fountains

Jennifer Wetter

There was a tiger event going on with educational areas and crafts for the kids. We got to watch the siamese crocodile get fed and learned about the process it takes for a zoo to acquire new animals. The staff is super friendly and more than willing to spend time answering any questions especially from children. We got a membership because it was the same price as paying for one day but honestly we would have gotten one anyway after the experience we had there, simply amazing.

Sean Tesch

The layout of the zoo is great. There is a nice selection of animals, who seem to have decent enclosures. And there’s a world of reptiles, which made me very happy.

James Cuffee Jr.

Nicely renovated bathrooms, a nice restaurant, a magnificent playground, and the natural beauty of mother earth, with tennis and basketball courts included. Also has ample shelter areas with picnic tables on concrete slabs. It is all so very nice. One of my favorite places.

Nathaneal M.

Definitely a family zoo. It's clean, lots of room to walk around. Definitely recommend to anyone looking to spend quality time with the kids.

Derrian Bolds

Nice medium size zoo with exotic animals. The animals are truly magnificent. You can view the annals from different Angel's and they have some people that work at the zoo to give some information about the animals.

James Graves

The Virginia Zoo is great. The animals look healthy and happy, they have great habitats, and lots to see. What's not to like?

Janet Vargas

Good place to go for a walk and see animals. However i wish there was more shade. Would not recommend going on a very hot day.

Tabitha Seamans

Great family fun and cheap admission rates! Careful of the Tapirs!

Cody Wachs

Great place to visit with the family. Lots of areas for kids to run and play, visit with animals and see how they are taken care of.

nick Whelton

Great place to visit! Heap and lots of fun for the whole family!

Schlotts Seafood

Fun great time with the kids, and great learning. Staff was very attentive and friendly!

Timothy Azarchs

A nice enough zoo, but on the small side. You can see pretty much everything in two hours if you don't dawdle, four if you stretch it. The African exhibit is probably the jewel of it, with a good collection of zebra, giraffes, and rhinos.

Mairen Fitzpatrick

Really great zoo. Excellent flow which makes it enjoyable even on busy days. Always a few volunteers out to give specific information on different exhibits. Surprisingly decent and fairly priced cafe.

Rachel Davenport

Zoo has had a lot of recent upgrades. Much better than it was. Great time. Love the monkey and giraffe exhibits. Sad the elephants are gone. Leopards exhibit was scary because they look like they can get out. I had a bad feeling like some of the crazy stories you see about animals getting out and attacking people. But it was cool to be so up close. Expensive. You should get a little souvenir or sticker for the price (for the kids).

David S.

Good place to go with your Family. Some nice features include: A. Small fountains you can dip your hand in and wet your head to cool you when it gets really hot. B. Simple cafe where you can grab hummus and pretzels, chips, a drink, various other foodstuffs.They keep the zoo clean and decorated with a lot of pretty landscaping. I recommend purchasing the yearly family membership because we found that the membership cost was about the same as 2 trips for a family of 3.

Eva Burke

I hadn't visited the Norfolk Zoo since I was a kid, and found myself quite pleased with the quality and comfortable environments permeating the place! We saw giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, lions, and bears moving freely in large, secure enclosures. Birds, reptiles, a sloth, and turtles were lovingly cared for in their spaces as well. The greenery, paths, and tram afforded pleasant pathways through the forested grounds. We will definitely return to the wonderful Virginia Zoological Park!

Donna Grethen

We loved having the chance to visit the Virginia Zoological Park. I always try to include a visit to a zoo during our summer breaks and/or vacations, glad we got to visit this one. We got to see a lot of different and interesting animals that we had never got the opportunity to see before. Every zoo is different and doesn't always have the same animals as others, which is nice. The staff were also very knowledgeable and offered a great educational experience for the children. Would definitely recommend visiting this zoo and would like to visit again!

Renae Burks

Very pretty. We were there for a wedding but would definitely go back for a visit anytime we're in the area.

Beverly Moore

Had a nice visit to the zoo. Some enclosures had missing animals; possibly vet appointment. .a sign indicating the absence would be polite. Much improved over the past few years. Friendly staff.

Daniel Beavers

Great zoo, lots of activities for little ones. Bring an extra change of clothes for them and they can play in some of the many fountains. Food prices are decent, not too expensive. We plan on coming back many more times with our new membership.

Judy Sharlow

Always beautiful to see GOD'S creations. This local Zoo is always striving to maintain a well kept and peaceful environment for healthy animals and happy human visitors. Please obey all the signs about cautious actions and observe the feeding and no feeding rules for the majestic creatures herein.

Eric Guerrero

Loved it not alot of animals and ones there were hiding from heat. But plenty of nice thing and photo ops.

Skull Beard

Always a great experience when me and my GF get to go. Thanks for the great atmosphere

Beth White

Something for the whole family to enjoy. Cool Animals, splash pad for the kids. Dinning indoor and outdoor. Ice cream. Cold drinks.

WaitingAtTheVeil

Beautiful spring day at the zoo. Good deal for the money. Animals seem healthy, clean and happy. Caught the Red Rattlesnakes mating and many geese laying. Orangutan had a very young baby. A few more active animals and we could have remade the song 12 Days of Christmas.

Ice Queen

Awesome reptile exhibits! Rest of the zoo looks good as well❤️

DJDiablo

The habitats are super pretty and well made for the animals living in them, and the zoo has all the animals you never thought you had to see. 100% would recommend as the best zoo I've ever seen. Australian animals, African animals, fish, reptiles, birds, livestock, petting zoo and all.

Joyce Drakeford

It was fantastic!! We went on adults only night (think booze cruise but with animals). I had never been and was wonderfully surprised. The service was great and they had gluten free food too!! I can't wait to do it again!!

Tiffany Jones

This was my first trip to a zoo that I can remember. It was so fun to experience it with my daughter, because it was her first time too. It was beautiful place and very informative. I got to see my favorite animals and some interesting ones. Definitely would love to come back and see what I didn't get a chance to see.

Three against one

This is a wonderful zoo. Loads of animals, a water fountain... Which helps with the heat. The train ride was amazing... Educational and 10 mins long. Worth the $2 each

Emily L

A very nice zoo. We bought a membership for the year, so we will definitely be back. The only disappointing part was that there are no elephants. But the variety and cleanliness of the exhibits they do have make it a worthwhile visit.

Calvin Collins

We had a great experience. And enjoyed sharing it with my family

Mikayla Blumer

I visited the Virginia Zoo for the first time a few days ago. After seeing pictures online, I was excited to be able to experience this zoo and all the animals. I was kind of disappointed when most of the exhibits only have one of each of the animals or the animals weren’t there. I was expecting to see a lot more than what they had to offer. The animals in the cases where there is a plexiglass cover are very hard to see because when they are dirty as they are and the sun is beaming down, you really won’t be able to see them. On the plus side, the animals look as if they are taken care of.

Daniel Spencer

Lots of fun! Many different animals to see. Admission fee is a little steep, making membership seem more reasonable if you’re from around here. Train ride is enjoyable. We love the collab with the local YMCA giving free admission during the month of August. We will definitely go back.

Amelia McFadden

Great day at the zoo with my 10 yr old. They had staff at alot of places to tell u any facts, touch ostrich feathers, look at a paw print or tell how you how old the animal is. It was a great "add" to the experience. Everyone was nice too. We loved the reptile house.

Manuel Maddox

Our family really enjoys this zoo. We have a membership and can look at what we want and go home to return again whenever we are up to it. They also do membership swaps throughout the year with other museums and places.

Tiffany Davis

Very nice clean zoo. Had a lot of animals to see. It's gonna take about 1½ to 2 hours to walk the entire thing. The only thing we weren't able to do was the Australian Walkabout because it's only open on the weekends. You were able to pet goats, cows and alpacas I'd they got close enough. There was also a goat enclosure that was closed as well. Had some places to eat but we didn't get anything. Overall nice place to go for the whole family. I will be coming back at a later date

Michelle Wear

It would be nice if patrons could have a better choice of food available. Also, would be really nice to see or have a way to peek in while the animals are in their Den to keep out of the high heat of VA.

Megan Thorne

Awesome updates! All of the new additions are great. I was a little unhappy that there weren't any elephants but the new enclosure with the Emus and Wallabies makeup for it. It is a walk through experience where you can enter the habitat and see the animals up close.

Bron Tharpe

Nice zoo. Good family place for the day. The zoo keepers were fun to talk. Plenty to do, see, eat and touch. Definitely will come back.

SweetPea Schmitt

Wonderful day. We just loved the zoo. A must see zoo with the family.

Laura Boettcher

It was fun, clean, and a great experience for my 3 year old. She was very excited about most of the visits and I liked that they had things she could climb on, too. She loved being able to pet and brush the goats! Only thing I would change is more bathrooms in different locations (to be fair though I’m 7 months pregnant)

Natalie King

Absolutely love this zoo! It’s large enough to have several animals that are exciting to see but small enough to really feel like you can get a good view. I loved the layout and recommend taking the train if you want to see the entire zoo in a few minutes. We attended adult night and had a blast!

Dylan Jenkins

I always enjoy going to the Virginia zoo. I went on a Wednesday afternoon and although it looked packed it wasn't too bad inside. The place is rather clean and well kept. I wasn't a fan of the reptile strictly because there were so many people inside I couldn't enjoy the exhibit. Other than that it was a great day with the family and got to see a wide variety of interesting animals.

Anthony Smith

Love this place always have great for the whole family. Loved it when the had pokemon day.

Katrina H

Great place to bring the family. Lots of animals and things to see at this zoo. There is a train ride that brings you around the whole park

Ms E

We went on a perfect day. All the animals were out and active. I like the new interactive stuff and they way the reptile building is set up now. So much fun.

simplegalme

We took our two small children into the Virginia Zoo each in a stroller. After getting inside we saw that they have these little wagons you can put your kids in that has two seats, with seatbelts, that face each other. There's also a canopy on it to give your kids shade. They cost $7 to rent for the day. Good idea for parents with little kids.

Kristi Call

Nice zoo.. Not large but a good selection of animals. Perfect size for small kids

Charlotte Corso

Beautiful well taken care of animals. Park was clean. Loved that they had plenty of water fountains with the water bottle fill up spout. It was very hot.

Cheryl Cushing-Oman

Love the zoo! Wish it wasn't so hot the day I went so the big cats would have been more active, but they're cats and they sleep a lot anyway.

Jennifer Parks

Loved seeing the animals. Some were not out but I understand that. Great day for the zoo. I would definitely go again.

Geoff Openshaw

Pleasantly surprised. This is a relatively small zoo, but they have some great exhibits and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into everything. The reptile house is great and loaded with interesting animals. The petting zoo is fun. And the Australia walk! How many other zoos let you just walk around with wallabies and emus? We had a solid time. The train is kinda fun, but not particularly great. You don't see animals from a different view or anything. And the greater neighborhood around the zoo is trash.

James Atlas

Lots of Animals, way bigger selection than I expected, only downer was that I went before school was back in session, so too many kids for my taste, if you have kids it's great though, just please don't let them bang on the reptile and aquatic display's glass, it can harmfully stress them out.

Joana Bras

Super fun place to take the kids! Not that big so you can walk it in one morning. The picnic tables are perfect to have a relaxed lunch and sit for sometime while the kids play in our site.

Michael A Berry

Great experience and friendly staff. The kids loved wandering the trails and seeing the animals. I think the white rhinos were the biggest hit because they were the hardest to find in their habitat.

Kaylynn Perry

Always a fun time being in the fresh air, playing at the different play areas, learning about and watching neat animals, and getting some walking in. It's also great if you play Pokemon Go. We love all of the parts of the zoo and visit them all every time. We don't like to skip anyone!

Kasha Winston

Adult night was amazing. The staff was fun and informative. The facility is beautiful and well thought out. We joined the zoo and plan to come again for adult night in August. I am submitting a volunteer application.

Paula Fulford

Our experience was good. St Thomas AME Zion church Buds of Promise Children's Missionary Society enjoyed themselves tremendously. Very educational. Like the upgrade

Rustian Dunn

This zoo is amazing! I thought it was going to be your everyday small zoo. Not this one! The zoo is huge with tons of attractions. They have water pit stops and their food is cheap. I will definitely be getting a member pass after this.

debbie sherman

This zoo is amazing. It is a big zoo with lots of animals. I did like this zoo very much. I noticed that just about every animal is paired, this to me showed that they are into conserving the breeds. The people who work there are spectacular and friendly. And if you like reptiles they have a great reptile house with the biggest python I've ever seen. But best of all, the enclosures are setup for the animals very nicely.

Michelle Taylor

Nice variety of animals. For location there was a mix of sun and shade. All of the animals were visible. Staff was friendly and helpful.

LaWanda Anderson

Great field trip with my son and his class! It was a pretty hot day, but we were still able to see lots of animals (there's a new baby giraffe!). There were lots of knowledgeable staff around to educate us on the animals. There's even a walk through the Outback where there are no fences or gates (Lester the Emu was pretty cool). They just ask that you stay on the path while walking through. My son enjoyed petting and brushing the goats, and the plethora of reptiles! We finished with lunch at the park just outside the zoo. It was a fun day - I hope you enjoy it, too!

Annie Lewis

We are loving the Virginia Zoo. We were gifted the family membership and have really been advantage of it. It is a great stroller friendly place to walk around and you can even find shade to put a blanket down and let the little ones crawl around. Our latest trip we finally went in the reptile house, and although I had been concerned about the glare on the glass, the animals were easy to see even for my 9 month old. Love the goat petting area and hand washing station too. We don't visit roadside zoos, but this is a great accredited zoo that really takes care of it's animals and has a real interest in education and conservation.

Bianca Colon

My kids are very adventurous and we went to the zoo initially for a birthday party and it was very nice. The workers showed up to 4 animals like a show and tell and explained each one. They had animal toys out to keep the kids entertained while they switched activities then when the party ended we were able to site see the animals which the kids also loved. It's a lot of walking but good exercise and the animals covered up for it all.

Jason Metzger

A great gem in Norfolk. For the price and local convenience, this zoo is phenomenal. Plenty of things to do to entertain the kids here.

Cody Kizer

I was visiting from out of state, decided to go with the family and I wasn't to thrilled. Alot of the exhibits we're empty, I liked the idea of the splash pad for kids and the train is awesome. I would have liked to see more of the animals out and more interactive staff.

Geri Landor

My kids had so much fun at this zoo, we went for a school field trip. They have a great variety of animals and the zoo is very clean. Very pretty and well taken care. They have information booths and numerous activities. We enjoyed and would certainly return again. Nice clean family park. Many exhibits and wide variety of animals. Great educational opportunities for young and old alike. Small snack bar with good menu.

prodigaldaughter 96

Family friendly and lots of fun!!! Will go back for sure! Oh yeah please bring the elephants back though too

Life.in.a 360 Degree view

The zoo is a great place to take children. And see animals they may never see in real life. The Norfolk Zoo is constantly updating various exhibits and displays for a wonderful educational time. For both children and adults. Remember do not feed the animals

G-Net Consulting

My wife and I had a great time. We weren't expecting much, but were really surprised with the amount of different animals were able to see. My wife plans to take our youngest son on a home school visit.

Shaq Williams

I had a great experience. I personally do not agree with zoos, but I could tell that the zoo keepers actually cared about the animals. The food is outrageously expensive, but that's at any park. The staff was very knowledgeable and brought out the personality of each animal. It was clean and well kept and that's a major plus. Good trip for the family

Monica Harvey

The zoo it's super cute I just wish they had a little more exhibits but it was fun you can walk through the zoo in about an hour so you dont need to worry about being there all day which is nice sometimes.

steve bellinger

The VA Zoo was fantastic!! There were so many types of wild animals and they had it organized in a really easy to maneuver layout. I especially liked being eye to eye with the giraffes and the animals looked well cared for. The price was a little steep for our price point but if you catch a deal than it was well worth the admission. The train and restaurant were cool too. Loved it!!

Pedro Ferreira

This is an excellent zoo especially when you consider that Norfolk isn't exactly a metropolitan area. The tiger exhibit is a favorite of mine and I suspect a favorite of many others too. It has the enclosure with a swimming area that borders a glass wall...the tigers love to swim in this water and you get an awesome view of them swimming up to you in full view. The monkey enclosure is another great exhibit..they have ropes that the monkeys play on. They're pretty hyper and amusing to watch. Another favorite is the giraffe enclosure. The viewing are is elevated and a great viewpoint to observe these creatures in all their glory. The gift shop has really great keepsakes and gifts too. Overall a five star experience.

Toby Leong

Very clean and well laid out zoo. Prices for entry and food/drink were typical for a zoo, but weren't outrageous. Good variety of animals, some viewing areas allowed for fairly close encounters! Was a nice experience with my family. My tip: go earlier in the day when it's cooler weather, as the animals will be awake and moving about. Went during noontime in hot weather, so the animals were all taking a siesta and were harder to see.

Hailey Caldwell

The animals are absolutely astounding and beautiful!! The entire park is wonderful. This Zoo is all about conservation and they do such an awesome job with it! The fact about the animals and general area they live in are easy to read and understand for the children. I love this zoo so much!!

Scott Sokolowski

Great zoo with so much to offer. It has the feel of a big city zoo but you can comfortably see everything in a day. A great trip to just walk around by yourself or with the family. Pet the goats or go in the brand new reptile house, the displays and people are great. They also have great volunteer programs for kids and adults.

Joshua Walcott

I have been here twice now and both times it been a great experience. They have great exhibits with good information to go along with them. Also, if you are a disabled veteran you can receive free admission for you and one guest.

Amanda Garcia

Definitely not a big city zoo but it's fun. Animals seem to always change but we enjoy it. We learn something new every visit. The membership is worth it. To visit there and when they offer membership swaps during the spring/summer!

Mitch Ayers

They are trying. Its very clean and well maintained. There are a lot of military in the area and if you've ever been stationed in SD you are going to be disappointed with this zoo experience. I know they do events and I haven't been during an event so maybe that would change my opinion.

Austin M

Had a wonderful time with my girlfriend here! I was only in town for work and can't remember when but they do a discount for a whole month. Only cost $16.00 for the both of us and was definitely the most fun we had the 6 months I was there working there. I hope to be able to visit here again one day

Kristie Gossett

Fun! Kids had a great time! There was a very large variety of animals and everything was very clean! The bathrooms were clean and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

Erin Maisch

The Virginia Zoo is one of the better zoo's I have been to. It's clean, relatively inexpensive and it looks like the animals are happy and healthy. Plus all the keepers and volunteers are so happy to talk to the visitors so it makes for a great experience! The Zoo is set on a large plot of land and the Zoo takes pride in their landscaping and the gardens they have throughout the park. I love to just walk through every couple of weeks to see the animals. I love the newish Reptile House and the Orangutans' baby, Sofie. I used to order their burger because it was hands down the best I have had in Norfolk. When they renovated the restaurant they changed up their burgers and they just arent the same anymore.

Rome Foster

It's great to see how many animals are actually at the Norfolk Zoo. Nice leisurely walk just enjoying the wild life.

Joshua Taylor

I absolutely love bringing my kiddos here the animals are always out and visible. The drinks and food are reasonably priced and same with admission. If it's raining its even better cause most of the animals will run about playing in the water cooling off.

Ana Mayen

I went in a week Day I thought because it was a week day employees were going to be nicer but no i Went to buy my tickets it was me my husband and my 20 month old baby so our cashier was reading a book and ignored me I had to say “ hi can you please help me “ i ask him if he can explain the membership and she just got me a paper with the information ( he didn’t spoke a word by this time) so me and my husband decided not to get the membership and just get a day pass I told the cashier that we were just getting the day pass he told me ok is 48 dollars I told him I was a aaa member so he said ok is 44.85 I gave him the money he gave me my change grabbed his book and continue reading. I went to the zoo website and I realized that kids under 2 years don’t pay . It got me really upset because if people is working they have to do their job they need to train people to give a good customer services

Mr. Jade

Animals are very lively. Great place to walk around.

Esther Smith

I used to be a member and I really recommend membership. You can't go wrong because the zoo always has something going on for families and they are so wonderful to.the military too. That is why we joined as member's was because of their military family plan. Out kids are grown up and one is now in the military living in Hawaii, our youngest still lives with us and about once every other week he talks about the zoo. I enjoyed going with friends and my sorority sisters from ODU as well. It's such a great family friendly place. I absolutely love it. Maybe I should renew our membership -it would give me a reason to visit more often!

firas bachi

Very nice although is was so hot, they have water splash fountain to cool the kids off before they start their walking adventure. super fun!

Danielle Taylor

Love the ZOO!!! SO nice. The upgrades are amazing! And all the new babies have been born. Sad there are no elephants. I am ecstatic there is a sloth!

Sapphire Katana

Great place to bring kids. Would definitely advise plenty of sunscreen and water. You'll see some Amazing animals.

His Bonnie

KIDS LOVED IT. 37 YEARS OLD AND IT'S STILL MY FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT AS WELL. REALLY MISS THE ELEPHANTS

Nina Pauloski

Well layed out! Fun climbing activities for children. Amazing reptile house!

Kiran Gunnam

Lovely place although tiger is hiding and sleeping.. and missed some animals cause they are hiding from sun. Over all good place for kids.

Melissa Ann

Had such a great time! The petting zoo and reptile exhibit are a must see.

Tyhler Garrett

Lots to see and also lots to do. Playground areas and water fountains were fun when the kids stopped wanting to look at animals. Be sure to pack a swimsuit or extra change of clothes!

Angie

Great place to bring your family! They also provide military, student, and senior citizen discounts for entry into the park. Great views of all the animals and many activities for the whole family. Enjoy a short train ride around the park to get a view of the land and watch live action animal presentations. Don't forget to stop by the petting zoo for a hands-on experience. The zoo also offers behind the scenes private tours of certain exhibits, must book in advance.

Jasmine Griffin

We had a great time at the zoo. They layout was fine for us. It was nice to ride the train ($2) to look at the property. Staff was very knowledgeable and helpful. The reptile exhibit was fun for the kids. It wasn't open the last time we were there. Since it was week day we didn't get to do the outback trail. Plenty of seating if you are with someone who will need to take breaks.

Chris Fuller

Went to the zoo today so my daughter could see her favorite animal in the world. The red panda. This zoo is very well laid out. The animals were fantastic. There was a vast variety of animals from all over the world. The park was clean and the animals looked very well taken care of. The staff and volunteers were very friendly and helpful. They were very quick to give information and answer any questions. They were very informative. The red pandas were cute as can be. We were visiting from Florida. I would recommend a trip to this zoo if you are in the area. It was a great day.

Marissa Smith

fun zoo and just the right size. Some cool displays and animals. I didn't like that you can't take a picnic or snacks.

felecia stowers

I did not go to the zoo. I went to the Church Of Christ across the street 3105 Granby St. Norfolk. Looking forward for Monday thru Wednesday @7 Gospel Meeting.

McKenzie Nickerson

Great zoo. The animals have a lot of room in their exhibits. There are many places to see each exhibit from as well!

Amanda Volk

Went on a wild hair, only had an hour but it was fun, animals are very close and easy to see. Some construction going on but a nice place to take the kids. It does close at 5 on Saturday which I found a little early but...?

Dorothy Schetzel

The zoo is always a fun place to visit. Going at different times of the day allows you to see animals doing different things. Some animals are more active first thing in the morning and some are more active in the afternoon. There is a train that takes you on a short journey around the zoo. It's a nice break from walking and gives you a different look at some of the exhibits

Mindy Jo

Its priced decently and 2-3 hours of fun for the family. Lots of animals to see. Shade and sun equal throughout the park. My daughter loved the water fountain in front and over by the sea otters.

BRANDON KING

Nice little zoo, been to better and worst. Don't think it was worth the $15 paid per person. And how is active duty/first responders discount $2 but college students only pay $10 to get in?

mrs2u

We use to bring our 4 children to the zoo every Sunday after church 10-15yrs ago and now they are all grown up with children of their own. Saturday we brought our 5 yr old granddaughter for her first visit to the zoo,she was super excited to see all the animals and pet the goats this visit exceeded our EXPECTATIONS AND to top it off a nice lady paid our admission THANK YOU LADY WE REALLY APPRECIATED your random act of kindness.

Eric Brunberg

Nice zoo. Good selection of animals. The new reptile building is a great addition.

William Paul

The zoo itself was pretty great! The Red Panda is super cute, and I loved watching the Meerkats play fight together! I'm only giving a 2 star review, because I have sent a few emails, called a handful of times, and even went in person to schedule a behind the scenes tour. No calls have been returned, no emails answered, and when I went in person...she just told me they were booked for the next month with no helpful information on how to schedule a Sloth meet & greet. I really looked forward to it, and am disappointed that we were unable to experience it. Besides that, it was a pleasant experience, and I do recommend a visit.

Lynn Havash

Always a great time. We try to go as often as possible. The kids love to see how big the baby animals and getting.

Catriona Dunphy

We enjoy going to the zoo, it does well with limited space. Wish the larger animals had more space and enrichment but all are well taken care of. The goats are great as you can brush them.

Jason Craig

One of the better things about Norfolk. Watch out on days kids are on any break and it's nice.....packed.

Richard Flere

Nice local Zoo, new additions and continual upgrades. Good place to spend time with family

Tiffany Arney

We went here last week for a birthday party. The party room was very spacious. They brought a couple animals in for the kids to see, touch, and learn about. The staff was amazing. The whole family really enjoyed this party and had fun walking around the zoo afterwards. They did serve pizza and juice, I was surprised how good the pizza was. The zoo was very clean and all the animals looked happy. I would suggest having a kids party here, it was a fun and unique experience!!!

Patricia Mello

Our family had a great day at the park. The animals were delightfully active. One of the bears sat up on his rear giving us a clear view of his chest and his markings. The baby giraffe was out exploring, the meerkats were playfully wrestling so close to us that we could hear the noise they make and the lions came out when they heard us and lay in the shade. Great day!

Yolanda Moore

Too much to see! Never see it all but it's great. There's plenty of exotic animals and a peacock that roams the grounds like he owns the place (too cute). Spring for a membership if you come regularly..

Aubrey Eichten

Loved the park. Our two boys had a wonderful time. There's a splash pad in the front and a place in the asian exhibit to play in water too. They have train rides and an Australian exhibit to go in. Our family had an amazing day. They do offer military discounts.

Diane Nance

This is a wonderful zoo. Plenty of activities for the kids, lots of animals that are paired (conserves the breed). Staff members are super friendly and helpful. We are season pass holders for two years now.

Korbon Dallas

Would have been a 5 star but it costs $17.50 to get in and they don't allow food or drinks so they can charge $3.00 for a bottle of water. Other than that it was spectacular and enjoy my day seeing and touching the animals. I took over 100 pics.

Laura Simmons

Some exhibits closed, or animals not out. I understand when it's hot some may not come out. It did used to take us more than an hour to see everything.

Jason Risoen

Great time. Small zoo that isn’t too busy. Check out the lions and tigers and bears! The petting zoo is free right next to the reptile house. The walk through park is a great way to get up close to some wallabies and emus!

Ivan Matic

This zoo is amazing. It is a big zoo with lots of animals. I did like this zoo very much. I noticed that just about every animal is paired, this to me showed that they are into conserving the breeds. The people who work there are spectacular and friendly. And if you like reptiles they have a great reptile house with the biggest python I've ever seen. But best of all, the enclosures are setup for the animals very nicely.

Brendan Pope

Fantastic day spent at the zoo! I took my wife there to have a one on one behind the scenes experience with KC the sloth. The keepers and all of the staff were fantastic! The park is fantastic and all of the exhibits were informative and very well maintained. Loved the mommy Orangutan and her baby. We will definitely be going back!

Craig Jarvis

I am handicap, my wife and I didn't have to pay, because of my disability. I use an electric wheelchair, getting around to everything was easy. The animals, the food areas, also the bathrooms were very easy to access. The employees are so very nice and helpful. This was a very great experience. We will be back. Very clean, nice, friendly environment. The food was good, and the eating areas were very clean. This was a 10 star experience. Thank you!

Caitlin Smith

A really nice place to take the kids or just walk around. The animals are so great to visit and the staff is pretty friendly and informative. Loving the special events after hours that they've been doing more often (Adult Night, having local bands come jam...the Zoo Boo isn't as good as it used to be unfortunately though)

Stacy Towns 1

Visited the zoo today during Spring break. What great improvements that have taken place over the years. The animals are clean and well kept. The food was expensive. We spent at least $45.00 for 3 slice of pizza , 3fries,3drinks. Yet overall we would spend more at some game facility. Overall price was about 75.00 for 4. We stayed about 3 hours. It was a great change to get outdoors and do something different with children who can't seem to break away from the controllers. They were glad they went after it was over. The money was well spent. For those who may not want to spend that much, feed the little ones before coming out.

mike gass

Excellent exhibits! Africa in particular. Train ride is a bit short, it should be longer with more explanations of all the park. Free admission for us over 65-ers on Senior Days.

Nick Morehouse

This is a great zoo with lots of active animals in seemingly nice enclosures/conditions. Some Zoos it feels like all the animals are just crammed in to get as many as possible in the space available. Va Zoological Park doesn't feel like that at all. Lots of nice walking, available shady areas for when you are hot and tired, and humanely housed animals. My favorites were the Giraffes and the Red Pandas!

Lisa Wright

Had a great time. Very clean. Smoke free. Lost of animals and reptiles to see. Great family fun. Couples and singles will also enjoy.

amy senay

My brother-in-law recently gifted a membership to my family and we go all the time. The animals look cared for and happy. The staff is friendly and there are tons of events and programs that members get into that don't cost extra.

Matthew Lane

It was a perfect day today, I got to the zoo around 1030, found a parking spot pretty fast. Even though there were several bus loads of children getting off to every the zoo, they were all well maintained and the park staff got them moving right along. There soon was shining, not a couple in the sky. The monkeys where very active and they are always fun to watch. The larger cats were reading in the shade were they could find it lol. The kids loved every minute of it especially the goat petting place. Heck I got to give it to them, even the gift shop wasn't crazy over priced. I spent less than $20 and 2 adults and 2 kids for what they wanted, so win win. Overall great time for the whole family.

Matthew Fish

Nicely laid out. Kept the kids attention. We enjoyed it and will be back.

Mark Checchia

Wonderful animals, something to see for everyone. New reptile house. Always improving something. Interesting selection of summer camps. I think you can arrange birthday parties there, too.

Jacob Zack

I had my wedding at the zoo and it was incredible! We also used them for our catering and open bar. The pricing was very affordable, the service was very personable and outstanding & the food was delicious

Katherine Young

Nice, smaller zoo. Staff is helpful and knowledgeable. Good selection of animals.

Amanda Bennett

So much fun with my sons pre-k class trip. We enjoyed the animals and the overall experience of the zoo. A bit too crowded but was a ton of fun!

P Young

Had a great time here with visiting family. We were all surprised at the diversity and quality of the various exhibits and scenes. Looking forward to another visit here next summer.

Tina Ruffin

The Zoo is still the best place to take family. Great layout and happy healthy animals. The staff member Niya is very nice and informative!!!! She delivers great customer service and is very professional!!! If you want to know what the Zoo has to offer ask for her.

Diana Iannacone

First time to zoo in VA... wonderful time. So much to see and explore. My family and I were there for about 4 hours or so and still feel like we didn't quite see everything. Definitely wanting to go back later in the year, when the temperature is a little cooler.

Phyllis Hillian

The animals are well taken care of they have plenty of food and they not in cages. We took a train ride to view part of the zoo.

Jessica Bakas

Awesome family daytime fun spot, this zoo. Anywhere you can brush a goat is a place I wanna be

Ramune Icepop

It was lots of fun, there is a small water fountains for kids to play in, really refreshing when it's hot! The animals are often lively too!

Coleen Colson

Beautiful zoo. Animals were active and had very clean enclosures. I love reptiles and noticed empty water bowls for them in reptile house. Their enclosures seemed very adequate.

Pamela Billups

A great place for the family. I was really pleased to see all of the improvements that have been made. I will definitely be going back!

Jessica Cutrell

They have a lot of new stuff (big improvements) and I enjoy it. Lots of animals and many kinds. Cute play areas. It's a nice walk

Jane Stork

Such a fun zoo! So many different exhibits. We love the amphibian house. Fun water features for hot days. Lots of parking available. Food is okay, but expensive as expected. Exhibits are very well taken care of.

Hunter Ellis

Never had a bad experience here. Pretty decent size for the center of a city. Animals are well and the keepers are always out there giving fun facts about the species in general and the personality specifics of their residents. Also yay for sloths and baby giraffe and baby zebra! So cute ♥️

Tyler Mason

This place is really cool it's really nice this place is pretty big but not too big to the point where it doesn't feel like walking around a lot becomes overwhelming. there is a large selection of different animals and for the most part you'll see most of all of them. Of course going in the morning is a greater chance of seeing the animals than in the middle of the afternoon. there is the train that you can ride around through the park that's really nice and relaxing if you're getting tired of walking around. the staff was really nice when we went and the whole area seem to be very family-oriented which was cool, it had a nice chill vibe. Animals rule and so does this place.

Raymarie Sarsfield

Great experience. So much to see. Definitely worth getting a membership.

Joey Sitzai

Zoo was a good size. Offered various animals. It was nice that if you bought a souvenir cup for about $6 you can refill it for $2 the rest of the day. Zoo itself was clean. I believe the whole zoo is smoke free.

Kristen Parker

I love this zoo. Yes, it is small, but what they have done is amazing. I love the layout along with their variety of animals! this zoo is cute and i love all the events that they have for both kids and adults. Another thing that i love about this zoo is that the animals don't look sad. I've been to zoos where the animals just looked depressed (and yes they can look really sad), but they animals just seemed all around happy. they were all up and playing when we went and that really made this zoo better. It is worth the money!

Jason Gilmartin

Love this zoo. They do such a nice job of changing the scenery to make you feel like you are in different parts of the world. We've been here multiple times and it never gets old. The staff is kind, it never feels crowded, and my kids have loved it every time we've come here.

Brandy Clements

Beautiful zoo with lots of new renovations for kids to play and enjoy! Lots of exotic and exciting animals to see as well

Kristi Nyhus

I really liked that they waived the fee for their disabled visitors. The inside stuff was not overly priced as well! Very nice Zoo!

Krzysztof Gasienica-Bednarz

This zoo was one of the best things in Norfolk, definitely a place to visit if you’re in town. The zoo is really big, much bigger than I assumed it would be judging from what I saw on Google Maps. I really liked the exhibits here, both indoor and outdoor. The gift shop also has a whole bunch of items for everyone’s tastes.