North Carolina Zoo
In May of 2021, we visited the North Carolina Zoo for the first time. We made it a big family day with all of my siblings and parents coming down and meeting us there for the day.
It was a long drive for us but it was well worth the trip. We only had two kids at the time but they love animals so we knew it would be a great time.
The Zoo is big and spread out. As you drive to it it seems to be in the middle of no where (not in a big city, etc). There are lots of animals to see inside and lots of walking to be done. There are restaurants and a gift shop as well.
Parking
The NC Zoo has two main parking lots. The North American Lot is open year round. While the Africa Lot is open only April-October. Parking is free at this zoo. Bus & RV parking is also available. And there are electric car charging stations.
Tickets
At the time we went we had to do a reservation and purchase tickets ahead of time (because it wasn’t long after the pandemic).
Note:
If you have a Zoo or Aquarium membership check to see if you get a discount. At the time we went we didn’t have one but we currently do have an aquarium membership in NC which gets us in free to this zoo now. Many zoo/aquarium memberships can get you up to 50% off on tickets when you visit other big zoos.
Animals
The Zoo has many exhibits with animals based on their home geographical locations. Some of the exhibits are only open during warmer seasonal times but we were able to see most of the animals during our visit at end of May.
North America
Home to animals of North America, including: polar bears, black bears, red wolves & hundreds more native to North America. It features these exhibits:
- The Prairie Habitat features American Bison & Elk.
- Honey Bee Garden
- Grizzly Bear Habitat
- The Streamside Habitat features a Barred Owl, Bobcat, Copperhead snake, Cottonmouth snake, North America River Otter, Timber Rattlesnake & Longnose Gar.
- The Cypress Swamp Habitat features a Alligator Snapping Turtle, American Alligator, Barking Treefrog & Cougar.
- Marsh Habitat
- The Rocky Coast Habitat features an Arctic Fox, Harbor Seal, Polar Bear & Horned Puffin.
- Red Wolf Habitat
- Black Bear Habitat
Africa
Home to animals of Africa, including: chimpanzees, giraffes, gorillas, zebras & elephants. It features these exhibits:
- Baboons Habitat
- The Forest Glade Habitat features the Western Lowland Gorillas
- Lemur Island Habitat
- The Kitera Forest Habitat features Chimpanzees
- Zebra & Giraffe Habitat
- Red River Hogs Habitat
- The Watani Grasslands Habitat features the Addra Gazelle, African Elephant, Bongo, Waterbuck, Fringe-eared Oryx, Greater Kudu, Southern White Rhinoceros & Thomson’s Gazelle.
- African Lion Habitat
Desert
The Desert Habitat features a Blue-tongued Skink, Desert Pupfish, Desert Tortoise, Gila Monster, Ocelot, Vampire Bat, Spiny-tailed Monitor, Ornate Uromastyx, Beaded Lizard, Sidewinder, Laughing Kookaburra, Sand Cat, African Pancake Tortoise, Crested Coua & many Desert plants.
Other Attractions
Other attractions include an outside carousel, a Giraffe deck for feeding the Giraffes, tree house trek, and the Kaleidescape Butterfly Garden. There is a giant garden friends playground for kids, a kid zone & hiking trails. There is also a zoofari ride and ropes course.
Note:
Some of these attractions may be at an extra expense.
Note:
Some of these attractions may be seasonal only so check on availability/times they are open beforehand.
North Carolina Zoo is located at: 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205. For more information about the zoo and/or to plan your visit check out their website here: https://www.nczoo.org/
There is plenty to keep you busy at this zoo all day! So many animals to see and fun little statues for photo ops. Some animals or exhibits may be seasonal and not available all year round. Our highlight of this zoo trip was the Kaleidoscope Butterfly Garden. It was so much fun!
If you’re in North Carolina and have kids or just love animals then you should give North Carolina Zoo a try!
