Abilene Zoo

We've been visiting the Abilene Zoo for over 13 years now, and it’s always a family favorite. All three of my kids have grown up loving this place—there’s always something new and exciting to see with each visit. The staff is one of the highlights of the zoo experience. They're friendly, approachable, and incredibly knowledgeable about the animals they care for. Whether it’s during a fun educational show for the little ones or just answering questions while you stroll by, they clearly love what they do. The zoo itself isn’t massive, which is actually a plus in my book. You can easily see everything without feeling exhausted by the end of your visit. It’s the perfect size for families with younger kids, and still entertaining for adults too. They are currently expanding, so the zoo will soon be growing—but even now, it’s a wonderful and charming place to spend the day. If you haven’t been to the Abilene Zoo yet, I highly recommend stopping by. You won’t be disappointed!

Small but so enjoyed visiting the animals. Spider monkeys were fun to watch. The skunk needs more space ( it seems like it has lost its mind), and the rhino needs a companion. Looked lonely 🙁 More space for other animals as well for them to explore.

Excellent experience! There are so many animals to see, and it’s always a fun and enjoyable visit. However, I’ve been several times and the lion is always sleeping — makes me wonder if something’s going on. Still, it’s a great place to visit with family or friends.

The zoo was fun. We went on a random weekend for us so it was verry slow at the zoo. I imagine the weather had a part to play as it was windy and possible thunderstorms throught the day. Most food stands were closed and the animals were a bit "tiered" it seemed. Other than those few oddities the park was actually really nice most animals that were out were at least moving about. Verry clean and friendly staff. I will be back to see what they have in the summer. Definitely recomend for small families to visit. Kid friendly and a great gift shop.

The zoo was fantastic, we did 3 interactions one with an ant eater, a rhino, and the animal ambassador. The staff were professional and very knowledgeable about the animals but still allowed us to be engaging with feeding and touching the animals. All animals were well fed and the over all environment was really great. My wife and I are already planning im going back soon.

The Abilene Zoo is a delightful experience! It’s small, which makes it perfect for a fun, easy visit without being too tiring. What really stood out was how close you can get to the animals. The close-up views were amazing. The giraffe feeding experience was a highlight, and there are scheduled events that allow you to have even more up-close encounters with the animals (check their website). It is definitely a must-visit for any animal lover!

My husband and I visited for the first time for the zoo lights and were blown away by how magical it was. They had so many special a ricites, we don’t have kids yet but are planning on having them. We are always looking at events and how family friendly they are and wow, a night where your kids can feel so special, do so many crafts and activities, learn about Jesus and more all for under $30 a person (roughly, we included the cost of a drink or small snack). In this day and age that is a steal! The Christmas decorations were some of the best we have seen! The animals were also very active and visible for the time of day!

Cool little zoo, spent about 1.5-2 hours walking around. You can get surprisingly close to some of the animals, makes for some memorable moments. I was part of a group visiting during the weekend so we got a discount for $8 tickets but the regular price of $10 would still be worth it, imo.

Great little zoo, fair prices, cool exhibits, and fun rides. Was a great visit for our group of various ages. Took us about 2 hours but could definitely be done in more or less time depending on your speed. Would recommend.

The Abilene Zoo is a must have experience whether you live in town or not. The lions, monkeys, giraffes, and reptile enclosure are my favorites. It's easy to spend the whole day there and have a ton of fun. Plus, you never know who you might run into.

I love Abilene Zoo! This zoo is so fun i have been going here for years, from Lesser Flamingos to African Lions this place is a blast!

So much fun for only $10! Having a bad day? Zoo. Day date? Zoo. Bored at home? Zoo. Lonely? Zoo. I love the zoo!

Great zoo!! Even though this is a bit smaller than a traditional zoo, I saw some animals that I've never seen in person before, like lemurs and capybaras!

Family and I came to enjoy the day with our kids. Though it was warm several animals were outside to view. Some exhibits were closed or didn't have any animals present. The staff was nice. My kids enjoyed the mini train ride and the carousel. Their favorite hands down though was feeding the giraffes. Honestly we could have spent way more time (and money) just feeding them. The zoo was very clean. We'd come back again.

Make sure to call ahead and verify giraffes will be out that day. They are the stars of the show. Worth feeding them! My kids loved this place. They had so much fun. Great little zoo in the middle of Texas. Worth the stop by!

This is a great little zoo. I say little because it's not gonna beat the Bronx zoo or Houston or any major zoo. It does allow you to enjoy Abilene in a fresh new way. I didn't know it was tucked just off the highway and so peaceful. The people at the ticket counter were super nice and Texas friendly. It was in January and not all the exhibits were full due to weather but we still saw the Christmas decorations and even in the day it was delightful. Not sure I'd like it in middle of 104 summer heat but when the weather is pleasant I could walk around for hours! Love it.

What a blast we had. Plenty to see, not too large but nothing is cramped. The staff really cares for the animals. Great exhibits and so much to do for the kiddos

Nice zoo for the area. Fun to feed the giraffes It would be nice if they could have the reptile building open or a way they could still be viewed. I feel like they are keeping guests safe.

This was really a nice zoo, much more than I anticipated for Abilene. Not as big as FW zoo, obviously. Its nice because it's not busy and you can see everything in a few hours. The animals seem more viewable as well. Many were active in the morning. There is a nice little kids sandbox with Adirondack chairs for a break. The swan boats weren't open in the winter but look fun. Lots of animals here, good stuff. Very clean. Our kids loved the train ride, we actually enjoyed it as well seemed worth the $3 fee. The macaws like to escape their enclosure and follow your around but don't get even anywhere near them, the employees hate that and will yell at you. Also liked the gift shop. Next to nice park and walking trail around the lake, you could spend an entire day here. Warning, though, sometimes they do inventory. Our first attempt was on an inventory day, nothing is open except the animal exhibits. They still charge so we we just decided to go another day.

It was a cute little zoo, Just seemed like they had more verity of birds and reptiles then other animals.

The Abilene Zoo is such a fun outing. If you're local to the area I recommend getting a membership! They keep on improving and it's such a nice experience. The facility is kept up nicely and they have fun holiday themes, like Boo at the Zoo and the Christmas Celebration!

LOVE!!!! Feeding the giraffes is our fav part! Crew super friendly. We also love Boo at the Zoo can't wait for 2022. Like their FB page so you on the loop of what they got going on.

A small lovely zoo. Ample parking, reasonable fees and family fun. Abilene Zoo is a great place to spend a couple of hours learning about various animals. Admission is very reasonable at $8.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors, $5.50 for children ages 3-12 years old. Children under 3 years of age are free. Abilene Zoo has various exhibits. Worth mentioning is the reptile exhibit and safari exhibit. If you would like to extend you day by the Zoo you should also check out Nelson Park which is right next to Abilene Zoo. I think eventually we will become members.

This one of few things to do when visiting Abilene and for $7 is a real bargain. I think it would be safe to say that you could spend an average of 3 or 4 hours and see most of the insects and animals here. For a few dollars, I believe around $3, you get a ride on the train that rolls through the zoo, it's about a 15-minute ride. I can't top what the other 500 reviews are saying but I would like to tell you that a unique part that I've never experienced in any Zoo is the Giraffe complex. You walk up a few steps that lead you to about 25 feet in the air, pay a little money for some lettuce and hand feed them. If you've never seen a Giraffe up close, like within 2 feet from your face, well this is the place. Those things have some long tongues! Another occurrence that I remember here is compared to other Zoo's that I've visited, the reptiles mainly the snakes seem to be very active around this time. This visit was made around the beginning of August I believe. This Zoo is pretty much up kept and clean while we were here. There are other things to do here in Abilene like the Museums but make sure that you keep this on your bucket list before you go.

This was my first time at Abilene Zoo. We were there to see the Rock and Roar summer concert series. We spent about an hour looking at the animal exhibits and then grabbed some beers, brisket tacos and sat down to enjoy Sundance Head perform his best acoustic tunes. I was impressed by the zoo and plan to come back when there's more time to view the animals. I would highly recommend the Rock and Roar series for a fun night out in Abilene.

Nice clean facilities. Had allot of fun going around the park and observing the animals

Went to zoo today and this rude guy was passing out candy by the horse rides if he didn't want to work there and see child then he should go somewhere else, everyone else was great

We had fun on Mother's Day. Party of 6 w a baby. Rode the train, had something to eat. Fed the giraffes. Found some great sunglasses for $10 in the gift shop.

Really nice little zoo, we took our time and enjoyed everything. We spent a nice amount of time just watching the ducks and flamingos interact with each other.

There was a ton of good things about this zoo, so many beautiful animals and so many wonderful things to see. This could have truly been a good experience. My man and I love reptiles. I love fennec foxes and night dwellers. Both of those exhibits were closed due to covid. This boggled our minds considering the amount of regulations they did not put into the gift shop. It seemed like a gigantic double standard and the amount of staff we saw just standing around could have been better positioned to regulate traffic for the two exhibits. It is what it is, but when we tried to book the private tour everybody was ridiculously unhelpful. We left several messages to the woman responsible, none of the kids running the gift shop knew what was going on, and all in all this made it a miserable experience. It says you can book a private tour for the exhibits but good luck getting staff to accommodate you. They couldn't be bothered. Will not be donating to this zoo when there seems to be better ones who actually care about conservation.

For a little family afternoon this zoo is a nice place to visit. My little boy was 1.5 when we visited and he had a great time seeing the animals. I think we spent about 2 1/2 to 3 hours walking around. We were there during lunch and ended up getting hot dogs because that was basically the only meal type item the concession stand sold. In the future we would probably plan ahead and bring our own lunch. Fun way to spend the afternoon

Pleasantly surprised and totally exceeded our expectations. We were driving from DFW to New Mexico and our little one was having a rough time in the back seat. We knew we needed to stop and burn some energy before continuing. Extremely clean, friendly, shaded, well-laid out, and easily walkable for children and those with limitations. Although it is small there's no shortage of things to see and interact with. Feeding the giraffes and fish were certainly high points as well as the shaded sand box. Well done zoo staff - we loved it and hope to come back!

Giraffes were the best. A good little zoo. Skip the train though. Very long wait and it's not really a train.

Great zoo good exercise, ride the train it is good tour of the zoo and lots great info even adults will enjoy this 10-15 minute tour. I liked the variety and how they have spread out plenty of exhibits to duck into literally and get some A/c relief. Good deal over all for a family. If you get membership and go 3 tines in a year you will make out. A great 2-3 hour adventure more with a family I think and if you eat at the Zoo. Areas to have picnic and save money just outside the zoo. Bring a hat if it is hot and put on your sunscreen.

You can touch the giraffes. This is really important. There is a bridge in the giraffe area and then they come up to the bridge hang their head all cute like and you feed them lettuce. If you keep your hand out long enough they will lick you! I know that isn't on a lot of people's bucket list, to be licked by a giraffe, but it really should be. It is so fun and interactive, kids and adults both love it! Okay for the rest of the Zoo. It is a great little zoo. The animals seem well taken care off and there is a lot of variety. They have a few different things inside too, like the reptiles. That way you can escape the sun or sit down for a minute! Don't forget to take a picture sitting in one of the big "O" in the Zoo sign!

Our kids love this place & they can't get enough, it's a very small zoo, but the animals seem to be well taken care of. We love the sloth, flamingoes, & feeding giraffes. Such a great gem in Abilene!

I hadn't been to the Abilene Zoo in 20+ years, I took my 13 year old son for the first time yesterday. He loved it! It was a great experience. Only things I'd update is the website so it would let visitors know about the spring events and animals that will not be out to see/or do and that you need to purchase tokens inside BEFORE you go out to the zoo area. Other than that it was a very nice experience.

We love the Abilene zoo! My three kids and I visit every time we come to Abilene and it's awesome as usual. It was a little cool, and windy this morning but there were lots of people and the line was long to get in. I highly recommend being a member, it's not very expensive, and basically no line. Definitely worth It. Most animals were in exhibit even with the cooler weather and wind. Takes about 2 hours to see everything 3 if you're just slowly wondering around but it's laid out nicely and makes It easy to see everything without a ton of backtracking. Very interactive with the feeding of the fish/ducks, giraffes. We got to pet a python and learn about vinagaroons, tarantulas and snakes. If you're in Abilene go to the Zoo!!! What else you got to do?

Hard to believe a town so small has such an adorable zoo. My grandson loves it here. The displays are very nice and we'll kept. I loved the opportunity to feed the giraffes. I don't think I have ever done that. The animals all look healthy and we'll cared for.

My husband and I went on a cold day. Unfortunately after a 2 hour drive we were told that not all the animals would be out and all the attractions were closed (the website and FB page did not mention anything about this as we checked before we left). We were a little bummed at first but there was still so much to see and we had a great time (especially for only $8)! All the enclosures and areas were clean and the animals were amazing! They even have a sloth which was very exciting! We will definitely be back when it's a bit warmer so we can see everything!

The zoo was fun. The kids enjoyed it. Feeding the giraffes was great. It's much bigger than I expected with more animals. A good day.

We love coming here to walk around. The giraffe feeding is a little pricy $4 for 3 pieces of lettuce. They need to put shade covers over the animals water holes to help prevent evaporation. The peacock roams free.

This is a small zoo but it packs a big punch. Nicely kept grounds and plenty of animals to appease my zoologically inclined children. They have a homeschool day which the kids really enjoyed and they love feeding the giraffes. There's a beautiful park surrounding the zoo and a lake with swan boats you can rent. Also a huge dog park.

Don't miss this zoo if you are ever in the area! It is so well maintained with such a variety of animals. The new giraffe exhibit opens April 2016. I'm sure the biggest draw will be their adorable baby giraffe. Admission is ridiculously low and parking is free. There is a train and carousel to ride for he kids (and adults). There is a park just outside the zoo and an area to feed the ducks.

Don't do the train. You will spend your time here waiting in line for a short uncomfortable ride. Feeding the giraffes was fun. It is a nice little zoo, especially if you have small kids. Quite a few cool animals, but small for the price. Paying for the Carousel ride is also not suggested. It is only for small kids.

I was so excited to finally go to this zoo. It was nice. I liked it. I had a lot of favorite parts. I was pretty bummed that the "giraffe safari" is being renovated because i was looking forward to feeding the giraffes but i will go back. Poor camels had to deal with everyone, children and adults like myself, saying "Mike Mike Mike!" Lol! But Im sure they're not the only camels experiencing that nonsense lol. In all seriousness, it's a nice zoo. I highly recommend it.

Drove 2.5 hrs with a 10 month old and 6 yr old to this zoo. It was worth the vomit and cries on the way there. The kids had fun and we did too. Our favorite part was feeding the giraffes.

Small zoo. I guess that is why it's only $8 Small enclosures. Not very much variety of animals. I guess for a kid it's ok. Since this is the only zoo in town. Clean bathrooms though.

The Abilene Zoo is one of the features of our city that anyone can enjoy year round. There are lots of cool animals with easy viewing. The animals seam happy and healthy, I tend to go in the hot afternoons, so not always tons of movement but it's still cool. The have a sloth!!! They put it way back in the corner in paradise cove.. That should be right up front!!! As the main attraction and on all the advertising! The gift shop is an ice cold oasis after a walk in the park. The grounds are well maintained also, although I would like to see clear water in the pens. But I'm sure they are conserving. A huge plus is the size. It only takes about an hour or two to see every animal. I for one, can't wait to see the new giraffe enclosure and bridge when it opens. It's worth getting the annual pass.

Abilene is a medium sized town of 125,000. I wouldn't necessarily expect it to have a pretty great zoo but it does! For a scant 10 bucks entry fee you get a really well put together experience. Lots of animals, small, large, aquariums etc. Worth it!

First and foremost we are members. Do yourself a favor and become a member. We frequent this place for zoo keeper chats. Abilene's hidden gem is this zoo. We've been to many zoos around Texas and this is a nice example of husbandry and the staffs dedication to the animals.

Great zoo considering that its in a small city! My friends and I went when it was raining and we still had a blast!!! It was so freaking cold and yet the animals were out. Granted not all of the animals were, however, considering the weather there were plenty of animals to see. The zoo is kept clean and the staff were good. We didn't get to experience any of the food stands because we were going to stop by for lunch somewhere else.

Love this zoo. I love that it's smaller than metroplex zoos so it doesn't take the entire day to walk through. It's also fairly priced so it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get in. There is small train that will take you through the zoo for an extra minimal cost and there is also a nearby lake that offers paddle boat rides too, for a small extra price, which is fun. Nelson park right next to the zoo is also fun and convenient.

First time visiting. If you have a heart for animals it may be hard to visit this zoo. The animals are pretty much dying in the heat. The rhino , lions, and bears had no water at all in 98 degree heat. The rhino was standing under the one little tiny part of shade it has in its exhibit and nodding in and out of consciousness. These animals need proper care which they are not recieving at this zoo.

Amazing zoo Fantastic costumer service. Got here a bit late to feed the Giraffes (they sold out of tokens) but I'll just try to come earlier next time. Make sure you call ahead they will tell you about any special things that day Got to see the alligator feeding and it was truest amazing. Also MUST ride the train, it's small but very informative

I do be enjoying this zoo! Surprisingly really nice for a small town my family enjoyed it more than the Houston zoo and large cities! I recommend :) thanks!

For Abilene, this zoo is great! There's a wide variety of animals. You can tell the staff here takes care of the animals and actually cares. It's gotten nicer since I've last came with the mini train, swan paddle boats, carousel, and renovated giraffe exhibit. Good price and takes about an hour to go around. Highly satisified!