metro richmond zoo

We took our grandson's to the zoo in September. They loved feeding the giraffes and monkey's. It could use a little more food stands. We loved watching the bear and Tiger. Great day out for young children.

I would recommend a visit to this zoo. It is way more fun than the VA Zoo in Norfolk. The giraffe feeding is a highlight. You can feed and pet them. I would not waste the money on the train or skylift. It is easy walking on foot, pushing a stroller or using a wheel chair. It would be nice if the owners would educate the employees about the zoo's history when asked. Go, have fun!!!!

The Richmond zoo is a great place to get up and close with some animals. Where else can you hand feed giraffes? Overall the animals in the zoo seem happy and well cared for. Some of the enclosures seem a bit small and dated but they weren't overly so and didn't make me feel bad if that makes sense. The park is rather spread out so be ready to walk. At first I thought the admission was a little steep but after seeing the variety of the animals and how large the park really was I had changed my mind. The sky ride, zip line and Safari are extra so do some checking to see if those are worth it to you for us it was not. There is also a playground in the park that is rather new and suited for all ages as well as several refreshment stands spread around the park. I would recommend checking out the zoo if in the Richmond area.

went to the zoo during a change of plans while in Richmond! Definite highlights were hand feeding the giraffes and the budgies (also known as parakeets!). It was off season and not crowded which made it very enjoyable! Lots of different animals that are easily viewed. It is a small, older zoo but you can really view the animals. It was unseasonably warm the day we were there so a lot of the animals were "resting". They do have a small train, a skyride and a zip line that I am sure are very popular!!! Would definitely visit again if it wasn't crowded!! Really enjoyed it! A MUST to feed the giraffes and budgies!!!!

We visited on a weekday during the end of October. It was an unusally warm day.. Some of the animals were just enjoying the sun. We LOVED the giraffes. We enjoyed being able to feed the giraffes up close and personal. They have an extensive collection of monkeys - all varieties. We also fed the parrakeets and that was fun! This zoo is not the biggest but it has a nice variety of animals. The animals seemed happy and active. Camels, giraffes, lions, tigers, monkeys, tortoises, deer, bear, alligators, rhinos, birds, prairie dogs, and much more. The zoo also has a zip line, train ride, sky ride and a few rides for kids. Definitely a thumbs up for this zoo!

I've been going here at least once a year for at least 10 years. The zoo allows you to feed a lot of the animals (giraffes and prairie dogs are my favorite to feed). There is a ski lift that you can take across quite a few of the exhibits for only $3. There is also a train ride that will take you within touching distance of quite a few species. They have a large petting area and not all the standard selections, there are deer and camels too, and a great budgie enclosure where the budgies land on you and you can feed them. The animals always seem pretty active and healthy, and we always have a fantastic time. I know they have just added a zip line adventure too, but I haven't done that yet.

My favorite animal is the giraffe so when I found out you could actually feed them there, I knew I had to go! We arrived easily in the early afternoon but I was happy to find a front parking spot. We walked around and saw all the animals. Although some of the animals seemed sad or down, I hoped they were just taking their afternoon naps. It didn't seem like any of the animals were alone. The staff we encountered we polite and informative. We saw them feed the penguins and otters which was nice. I'm pretty sure I stayed and fed giraffes for a whole hour. The definitely are the focal part of the zoo and have the biggest enclosure. They are so sweet and gentle. It was an amazing experience. The zoo also has a train ride, sky ride and new is the zip line. I didn't do any of those but they seem nice. They are all available for an additional fee. You can zip line without paying to enter the zoo. They also have a nice shop to get nice mementos or gifts. Overall, I highly recommend. Hopefully I will be back soon to take my nephew!I would've given 5 stars but the soap in the bathroom when you first enter and most of the hand sanitizing stations were empty which are much needed when feeding the animals.

I have to say that I hate EVERYTHING about Richmond, EXCEPT their zoo. This zoo was actually very impressive, both in what they have to offer for people visiting and with the variety of animals/facilities for the animals. I was disappointed that I was only able to visit once and wish that I could have spent every day there when I was in Richmond. It was a little on the expensive side, but worth the price. Everything is spread out, so plan on walking a little bit, but if you think that you are going to be feeding any of the animals, make sure that you buy food at the entry. It's cheaper.

I have been here a few times over the past few years. Coming from New York, I was not sure what to expect compared to the Bronx Zoo, but I was pleasantly surprised. At the Richmond Zoo, you can feed giraffes and various other animals which is pretty neat. They have a budgie house where the birds fly all around you and you can try to feed them as well. There is a decent assortment of animals, although some do look a little sad and are not very active. I would recommend coming here for an afternoon trip with or without young children.

There are some nice things about the zoo such as being able to feed the animals. Our nephew had a great time feeding the giraffes. The enclosure are small and the animals don't seem to have a lot of enrichment for them to play with. The sky ride and train were also fun for our nephew. They also have a nice play area that he loved.

This is not the largest zoo by any means, and going in to it thinking that could hurt your experience. It's neat that the guests have the opportunity to feed many different animals, and my two boys loved that. The chair lift ride was different and gave you a chance to watch the animals from above. The boys really liked holding out their bird food on a stick and having them perch there to eat.

Expensive - $16 admission $3 for the "sky ride". Animal enclosures are too small, wire mesh is so thick and close knitted that you can't hardly distinguish the sahpe of small animals like birds and monkeys. The glass to look through is dirty, scratched and cloudy on both sides. Many animals look sick and hungry. Looking at some primates, like the orangutans, was more depressing than fun. There's empty food cups everywhere (not enough waste baskets) so the place feels dirty. You read about bees disappearing worldwide? They are all by the emu cage, get close and to see those big birds and you'll have a close encounter with 10 or 20 angry bees (no warning signs). Souvenirs? (in case you still want to remember that place) go to the zoo's shop and find exactly the same stuff you can get at the toy section of Dollar Tree. Baseball caps, Tshirts and postcard do have the name of the zoo on it.

This zoo is okay - but a little drab - the highlight are the giraffes - and the chance to feed them (But by the time the food gets down their necks they are hungry again) and the chair lift ride that goes over the zoo. One thing that lets this place down is the fact you have to buy tokens for everything; it is as if the zoo owner doesn't trust his staff - maybe one of them stole a zebra or something. But if you are going to use tokens then make sure the token machine works. Good and free parking - and the animals seemed well taken care of.

The zoo has some rare species like, Mishmi takin, African clawless otter, Diana's monkey, and some other primates. Most of the exhibits are adequate, but some could use some more enrichment for the animals. The cages are an eyesore for guests, but are beneficial to the primates in them. Guests are allowed to feed most animals by purchasing a cup of food, but I'm not sure how I feel about feeding different animals the same food. They must have different diets? Special note: If you're going for the baby tapir, they are most active first thing in the morning and late afternoon. I was unable to see her even though I went there first thing. Perhaps when she's more used to her outside environment, she will come out more.

This was a nice little zoo. We recently learned about it from my niece who visited it. We made the drive from Virginia Beach and were glad that we did. Got to hand feed the Giraffes and some other exotic baby animals. The animal food costs $2 at the gate which is the only place to buy the cups. The machines were broken or missing from the spots where you could buy it by the handful for 25 cents. The zoo needs to be updated but you can get up close to a lot of animals. I was surprised that the fallow deer didn't have a big high fence around them. The lines for the drinks and food was long and some of the drink machines did not work. They also only had diet Pepsi and no regular soda. Spent 3 hours there and enjoyed it. Thought it was better than the Norfolk zoo in some ways. Would definitely like to go back again. Because it is summer there was a line to get in when we got there around 1:00 pm.