I don’t know about you, but with all of this COVID-19 quarantine mess I needed some semblance of normal and just needed to get out of the house while I stayed socially distant. Thank goodness for It’s a Zoo Life drive-thru zoo!
How does a drive-thru zoo work?
It’s a seriously genius concept and I applaud the owner for letting us enjoy the zoo from a safe distance! For a discounted admission of $10 per vehicle you can drive thru and see all the animals from the safety of your car. No one gets out of the car, but the zookeepers do approach your windows from a safe distance to give you some information about each animal.
How do I book my tour?
It’s a Zoo Life is a home-grown petting zoo about an hour East of Raleigh past Wilson, NC (on the way back you can stop at the Whirligig Park or Wilson Botanical Gardens!). The drive-thru zoo tour took us about 30-45 minutes to complete since we got explanations about each animal. The zoo has a variety of animals, including a kangaroo, wallaby, zebra, camel, wolf, serval cat, goats, rams, emu, pigs, toucan, and bunnies.
Drive-thru zoo tours do need to be booked in advance, so please sign up here. The pricing on the website still reflects regular admission prices, but rest assured the drive thru tours are only $10 per car. You will need to pay cash upon entry.
How did the kids do?
As we drove through the zoo, I let the kids get out of their carseats and either sit in our laps or stand in the back of our van. This worked great until they started fighting about who got to stand where, and eventually my 3 year old just completely lost interest and started climbing on the chairs. 🤦 My 2 year old absolutely loved his view from the driver’s seat, though, so I’d still call it a win! Plus it got us out of the house and took up our whole Saturday morning!
What is a regular visit like (not during a pandemic)?
It’s not the biggest zoo, but during their regular operations they actually allow you to get in the cages with the animals and have a hands-on experience feeding and petting them. It’s a one of a kid experience you won’t get at other zoos! We will definitely have to visit It’s a A Zoo Life once everything is fully operational again!
