North Carolina Zoological Park

The zoo is always a great idea for the family. We went on an overcast and cool day so the place wasn't crowded...which I liked. We got there late morning so many of the animals were in places we couldn't always see. The zoo is sectioned off in regions. One end is Africa and the other is North America. You can park at either end and walk or take a tram to the opposite end. I believe it is about a 7 mile walk from one end to the other. From both sides it is an uphill walk so be prepared. They have booths at certain major exhibits that are for educational purposes. The exhibits are very nice and they try to make it as natural as possible. The way the exhibits are actually allows you to be safely up close to the animals if they came near. They'll have special exhibits throughout the year also. Gift shops are actually pretty nice and offer many different price points. Food is mediocre. I would recommend bringing your own picnic. Sometimes the restaurants or food places are closed too. They have single and double stroller rentals. Check out their website for the different events they hold and for info. more

The North Carolina Zoo is located in Asheboro, which is about 50 minutes from Greensboro. The Zoo has three main areas Africa, North America and Australia. When you visit here be prepared to do a lot of walking. I suggest you start in North American as its all down hill to Africa and a much easier walk for children. We have not enjoyed the Australian exhibit as much as we thought we would. Every time we visit it seems like the animals are just lying around doing NOTHING. We do however love the rest of the Zoo. They have a play park for the kids to burn off some energy, a tram that will give you a ride if need be, a couple gift shops, an eating area in the center of the Zoo and a lot of great Animals. The membership is well worth the cost. You have the option of paying an additional $10 to the Family Membership, which allows you to take a guest in each time you visit. This has been great for us because our son loves to take a friend when we go. Parts of your membership fees are tax deductible and you will be provided with a tax receipt. You can sign up online or at the Zoo. My only advice is don’t visit the Zoo on a really hot day because you won’t see many animals. They usually come out on the cooler days or overcast days. Enjoy the Zoo more

I would have rated the zoo 5 stars because it is one of the better zoos I've seen. However, the food is very very bad. Minimal choices and what they do have is not at all good- and of course, like all parks, it's overpriced. Bring your own food. Now the zoo itself is fantastic. They have a whole range of animals that one would expect to see at a zoo and they do an excellent job of trying to set up natural looking habitats. Our favorite was the kangaroo that literally is about 5 feet away with just a small rope separating you from it. Bring your good walking shoes- it's all walking and there are hills. You can ride a bus back to the parking lot. more

I've been to a lot of zoos growing up and now having kids of my own. By far my favorite is the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. It's not that far of a drive, I don't think anyway. The zoo is very clean and safe with plenty to see and do. It's a very large zoo so be prepared for walking. They do have trams to take you to different entrances in the park. I hate going to a zoo where the animals are in enclosures, and you wont find that here. The animals here are in what they call "natural habitat" philosophy where the exhibits resemble the habitats to which they would be found in the wild. The North Carolina Zoo was the first American zoo to do this. Currently the zoo's animals have over 500 acres to roam on and there's an additional 900 acres for future developments. So you can see that animals have lots of running space and you will have tons of walking to do. The price to get in is really cheap and kids under 2 are free. They offer memberships for a great price too, we paid around fifty dollars to be able to get into the park for free all year which is worth it to us since we go so often. more

The North Carolina Zoological Park is an awesome place for a family outing. It is great for young and old alike. They have lots of different animals and habitats to visit. It is educational as well as fun. They have so much to see and learn from. Be prepared to walk, it's HUGE! more