4401 Zoo Pkwy Asheboro, NC 27205

For those of you thinking about packing up your little ones and heading to the zoo this summer, I hope to give you some helpful information!

No real pro’s/con’s list for this one – if you like zoos this is a good one. We love going to the zoo and have been to several all over the country, including the San Diego Zoo. As far as zoos go, this one is really nice!

Be prepared to walk!

The layout of the zoo is unique but requires a lot of walking!! So strollers are a must.

There is an African side and a North American side and both have their own parking lots. A connector trail (a nice little wooded, stroller friendly trail) joins the two parking lots. There are also trams inside the zoo that will take you from one section to the other, we’ve never used them. My husband and I don’t mind a nice walk while the kids are in the stroller eating a snack.

Admission and Membership

General admission is $15 adults and $11 for children 2-12. As a family of 4, that would cost us $41 (my youngest is under 2 so he is free…but not for much longer). So we opted for the annual membership for $84. The zoo is about an hour and a half away from us, it is a nice day trip and we plan on going at least another couple visits in the next year.

Plus, you are part of the AZA reciprocal zoo and aquarium program. That means for a family membership, you get either free or a 50% discount on zoos and aquariums nationwide. In NC you will get free admission to the NC Aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island. You can also get free admission to NC arboretum, Sylvan Heights Bird Park and Western NC nature center. A 50% discount for Children’s museum in Winston-Salem, Moorehead Planetarium and the Natural Science Center in Greensboro. There’s tons more in other states as well. My guess is a membership would pay off for most families. My little boy LOVES aquariums, so we are definitely gonna check out some of these options.

Africa Side

As far as touring the zoo, I took the advice of a friend and started at the Africa side of the zoo. The Africa side has all the large animals my kids love to see: elephants, lions, giraffes, a variety of monkeys, etc. It’s pretty shaded and we can take a nice leisurely walk in the morning before the afternoon heat. The animal exhibits are pretty spaced out and as I said before, you will be walking. A lot. But I just see that as a perfect excuse to get ice cream.

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When you first enter the Africa side of the zoo, you will be in a small shopping center – Akiba market. I try to avoid gift shops and stores because my kids want…well, everything. But if you have forgotten something I am sure you could find it here.

They do have a deck for giraffe encounters, it’s $2-3 a person I believe. We did not do it because the giraffes were no where near the deck. Perhaps you will have better luck.

Just before the center of the zoo you will see the Forest Aviary, with a variety of birds, plants and frogs. It is a very nice exhibit, I highly recommend stopping here.

Junction Plaza

The center of the zoo is the Junction Plaza. It has shops, food, a 4d theater and a carousel. The carousel and the theater require separate tickets. This was a good stopping place for lunch, the Africa side took us 2-2.5 hours. You can bring your own food into the zoo or eat here – the food is, meh. It’s adequate.

North American Side

Then off to the North American side of the zoo. See a functioning bee hive, which is pretty impressive. Unfortunately no pictures, too many people around.

We really enjoyed the desert exhibit and my personal favorite, the polar bear exhibit. BUT the best part, for your kids anyway, is the kidzone playground that is near the parking lot entrance of the North America side of the zoo. If you start at North America, you may never get to see any animals or the rest of the zoo because your kids are gonna LOVE this place.

A stream, chalk wall, rock maze, dress up area, mud kitchen, slides, bridges and more… you could spend a good chunk of the day just here. There is also a shaded reading area with animal books and a sensory play area. Both kids skipped their naps and played and played here. Like, all afternoon and they had a blast.

If you don’t want to make the drive to Asheboro, the outdoor play area at Durham Life and Science is equally as impressive and they do have a few animals. So does the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Which I have yet to write a review for  – but we love it!!

However, I do think the NC Zoo is definitely worth the drive to check out :).