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Capital of Texas Zoo
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
25 reviews for Capital of Texas Zoo
25 reviews in English
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Review from Calvin W.
Cedar Park, TX
10/23/2011
I went to this zoo today after purchasing a GROUPON. I took my wife and parents to this zoo. Upon arrival, I was pessimistic about the place as the parking had less than 10 cars and the front office is a one-room building with a bunch of aquariums with snakes, and rodents. Wasn't very impress with the scene at this building as looked like any exotic pet shop? I have to admit I was very disappointed.
HOWEVER,
Once you get past the initial shock of the front office, you immediately have a complete revelation as to what this place truly is.
Now, I have read the other reviews, about hungry and starved animals and filth everywhere. I did not see any of it.
All the animals were extremely friendly and I would say that if anything, the animals here made a point to come out and greet you. I am serious, i is almost like a Disney experience. I never been to a zoo where I was so closed to the animals and had just about every one of the animals pay as much attention to me as I am paying them.
The zoo is laid out like a nature hike. You will not see many concrete and the pathways are dirt with just enough rocks and bumps to make your stroll seem like a walk in a wild.
Oh and something about the soccer moms who post about lack of food in cages, you do not overfeed animals, you give them just enough to eat. Excess food causes animal obesity which can actually be very unhealthy. Imagine in the wild, animals have to spent energy to forage and hunt. In captivity, animals require a lot less food because they do not expend a lot of energy and also do not move a whole lot.
All the animals were healthy. I didn't see any very thin animals. Animals begging for food are normal. Animals are like innocent children; they like cookies and candy and will continue to beg for them.
The bathrooms are clean and the staff was well-mannered. Spoke with a few of them, very kind people. I can tell that everyone who works there definitely do it because they love the animals. I am certain they are not doing it for the money.
I did notice a black leopard display that had 2 (I saw only 2) cubs. They were cute and growling at me with their mewing. I like to come back in a year to see them when they are much older. Very exciting.
Also there are also many wandering animals who greet visitors like they are part of the staff. A stray horse, a whiite peacock, and some hens. Very cute.
So to conclude this review, I like to tell everyone that this is obviously not the Beijing zoo, or the San Diego zoo, but it is a local, private zoo, probably running on limited funding. I say Capitol of Texas zoo did well for what they had and highly encourage people to visit this zoo and take it as what it is - a local, Austin, original. You got to respect that! -
Review from John M.
Round Rock, TX
11/6/2011
Easily the worst "zoo" in Texas. Quite possibly one of the worst zoos in the country. I can't believe somebody would give this place five stars with ridiculous claims such as "best zoo experience I've ever had" which is completely laughable, unless this person has never even been to a zoo.
I get that this is a small, privately owned zoo. But, if you can't do it right, don't do it at all. -
Review from Ryan H.
Austin, TX
10/24/2011
Umm... not for me...
I wrote my review in a blog.
http://ryanhandinc.com... -
Review from Brandi W.
Austin, TX
9/10/2011 7 photos
Is there anything that can be done about the terrible treatment and sad lives that the animals at "Capital of Texas Zoo" have to live through? Please send someone out for themselves after you've read some of the reviews on the Yelp site about this place. I so wish there were negative amounts of stars that I could rate this place with, or a handy call to animal services button that you could push after I send this would be awesome.... RUN DON'T WALK AWAY FROM THIS PLACE, AND IF YOU ARE ANY KIND OF AUTHORITY PLEASE SHUT THIS "zoo" DOWN! Save those poor animals, this place is an abomination and the positive remarks on here are from the owners posing to be other people, that's just sad.
Read the other stories for the exact "caged hungry sad" animal scenario that I took our 4 year old little boy for his birthday and our youngest (2). It's as bad or worse than everyone describes. So sad. Do not go here even $1 to support this type of establishment is a crime as well.
There was a dead rotting snake belly up and no one even mentioned it, it was beyond abuse for those poor animals. I've contacted local agencies but I doubt it will do much good... There is so much publicity for this place that I'm astonished at the money that was blown that could have gone to giving these beautiful animals proper living spaces, or just to pay someone to empty trash and clean up their space, even if it's only two cramped inches it shouldn't also be filthy!!?? -
Review from Sunshine G.
Austin, TX
8/11/2011
Not worth the drive and gas. I went here after buying the groupon and I wish I had not wasted my money. It was a sad trip for all of us to see the animals in terrible conditions. We left feeling sorry for all of the animals.
To be even more critical, when I go to a zoo I like to learn about animals and their habits, living styles, etc. The only thing I learned was the name of each animal. If you want to take your kid to see animals, I think it would be better to bring them somewhere they can learn about each animal.
Even though I have no knowledge of exotic animal care, I wanted to take all the creatures home and nourish them! -
Review from Joel C.
Austin, TX
9/3/2011
This zoo is incredible on so many levels. We used a Localiter voucher for the "behind-the-scenes" tour that (at least as far as I know) isn't offered by any other zoo in the area. Michael, the zoo director, was an amazing guide, and the experience (and photo ops!) we came away with was absolutely unforgettable. My fiance and I bottle-fed a baby deer, hand-fed grapes to some really beautiful birds, super awesome (and super endangered) ring-tailed lemurs, AND some big ol' bearded boars. The best part was getting to hold the brand new black leopard cubs! So freakin' cute.
Building this zoo was basically Michael's dream, and listening to him call all the animals by name and speak about their pasts really proved how much love went into it. Since he essentially built the zoo from the ground up with little-to-no funding, it's very ... DIY. But in a great way. I recommend the zoo, and more specifically the tour, for anybody of any age. A truly memorable experience that you can't get anywhere else. -
Review from Austin T.
Austin, TX
9/28/2011
1. The staff was very unfriendly.
2. The snakes were cool, but most of the cages had huge piles of feces in them, seriously, clean the cages.
3. Majority of the animals seemed very unhappy.
4. The highlight of the zoo for me and my 4 year old son was a little parrot that said hello repeatedly, we spent like 15 minutes in the bird cage.
5. Long drive, expensive, not much to see. -
Review from Luke W.
Midland, TX
9/10/2011
I so wish there were negative amounts of stars that I could rate this place with, or a handy call to animal services button that you could push after I send this would be awesome.... RUN DON'T WALK AWAY FROM THIS PLACE, AND IF YOU ARE ANY KIND OF AUTHORITY PLEASE SHUT THIS "zoo" DOWN! Save those poor animals, this place is an abomination and the positive remarks on here are from the owners posing to be other people, that's just sad.
Read the other stories for the exact "caged hungry sad" animal scenario that I took our 4 year old little boy for his birthday and our youngest (2). It's as bad or worse than everyone describes. So sad. Do not go here even $1 to support this type of establishment is a crime as well. -
Review from Andrew G.
Medina, OH
7/20/2011
This is definitely a place that you want to avoid unless you are so desperate to see animals that you are willing to see them in a terrible environment. Staff was non existent and if the tickets hadn't been purchased on living social it would have been a free bad zoo experience. The office was filthy and the 'habitats' were in poor condition. The only positive was that I saw maybe the largest camel that I've ever seen.
Fresh water for the animals was almost non existent.
Definitely read all of the reviews on this place because the star rating Is deceiving probably due to people rating it thinking it's the Austin zoo. -
Review from Duane E.
Glen Burnie, MD
8/13/2011
Okay, I'm from Baltimore, and the Zoo's in Baltimore and DC that we went to as school children were excellent zoos. Since my childhood though, I have seen many a horrible petting zoo, with starved animals in really tiny cages. This is not that.
This zoo should be described as a large petting zoo, as my Austin traveling companion pointed out. It's no National Zoo or San Diego Zoo. This zoo is small. It appears to be privately owned. It has animals that aren't in fancy simulated environments. And yes, one or two of the animals I felt really bad for, but the majority of the animals were in fairly descent sized cages, many looked to be newly rebuilt. They weren't skinny or starving, but they begged for treats, but most seemed happy.
We went with a 9 year old little girl who had the time of her life, and we three adults with her had a nice time as well.
I truly think this is not the horrible place the negative reviews imply - nor is it the greatest place to see animals, that the overly positive reviews imply. I'd like to think these animals were rescues form stupid owners, and that these less than ideal conditions are a better environment for them.
Bottom line here is I and my traveling companions enjoyed this zoo and think the owners truly care for the animals and want to make this a better place, and I hope they do. -
Review from Kiesha M.
Austin, TX
11/11/2011
After a very long drive, I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised at what awaited us. We had 3 kids in tow and they all got to run around and pet and see animals that seemed pretty happy and well cared for to me. This is not a big zoo and is more of a local, small, petting zoo type atmosphere but we had a lovely time and will be going back. Just make sure you bring a picnic with you because there is nothing to buy there except food pellets for the animals :)
I would second that the signs identifying animals needs great improvement...other than that I had no complaints! -
Review from Jessica H.
Round Rock, TX
3/16/2011
Much like a "hole in the wall" bar or restaurant this place is definitely not for everyone. I took my two girls (8&11) to this zoo and we absolutely loved it! It's not too big and not too small and the layout of the zoo let's you get a lot closer to the animals than other zoos ( within reason of course). They had bears, lions, zebras and even guinea pigs along with lots of other interesting animals. We even got to see a kangaroo with a little Joey in her pouch! I recommend this place to anyone who enjoys animals. The food they had was very decently priced as well. Not a huge selection but enough to get you through if the kids want a snack or something. All in all, a nice day trip for all ages.
PS
If you need a zoo with lots of signs, paved pathways and all the other bells & whistles this is not the zoo for you. But I highly recommend it to everyone else! -
Review from Renee C.
Austin, TX
4/9/2011
Kinda sad place. Way out in the middle of ghettosville-or some call it Cedar Creek. (No offense if you live out there, just saw what I saw ya know)
Staff is not friendly but is seen around. Tweens or early teens run all the desks and concessions. Weird.
I bought pre-paid tickets on Living Social, so away we went. You really do get up close to the animals, even the lion. Yeah, I said lion.
No there are not environments for the animals, at least not ones that they are meant to be in. There are cage thingys. That's about it.
The cockatoos talk, they kept saying hi to us. And one of the cockatoos in the back said I love you, angry bird, and hi. They have a big cage of guinea pigs, which is weird. The camel was locked in a small wooden 'box' which is weird too.
Two out of three kids will enjoy it, if they are like my kids that is. It was something to do and I consider it a 'memory' type moment. The kids will remember that weird zoo-ish place we went when we were kids....haha. And I realize now we are not ready to go to a bigger zoo, like Waco or San Antonio...so lesson learned that we need to wait a while longer til everyone is older.
Anyway, I wouldn't waste your time going there unless you happen to have nothing else to do and you have a kid with you that wants to find something random to do. We won't be back. But again, it was ok. -
Review from Stephanie B.
Austin, TX
6/26/2011
OK. we bought Tickets on Crowd savings. I have a 6 year old and a 1 year old. We took the drive out there, nice drive.
STINKY OFFICE..no lights on. Nice guy.
Then we go into the "ZOO" . The petting Zoo was a fence with holes. Couldn't really pet anything. Then there were about a zillion Guinea Pigs in a confined area all fighting for shade...DIRTY FECES water and no food. WALK ON OK a beautiful white rabbit In a tiny cage split into 3 ..NO water..NO food. The weird little animal in the center slot, my son feed some "petting zoo" food, and he scarfed it down and asked for more. The rabbit had a fan next to it..The only thing in the zoo that had any air at all. Continue on...it just gets worse. NO WATER NO FOOD ANYWHERE???? My son starts crying: Mommy they are starving and they are thirsty. Mind you we are there at 11 am. They should have had water by NOW! So he throwing the "petting zoo food-$4- at the monkeys too..whicha re fighting over it. The Peacocks are begging for chips and carrots.
OK moving on we get tot he BIG cat area. SKETCH...the cage is NOT really a ZOO kind`of cage. Really nasty and the Tiger is so dirty with dirt and his water was not fresh.
My son asked if we could never go here again, and could we call the animal police.:( I wanted to have a nice day...But when your kid is so sad and asking can we free the animals,a nd saying the owner must not care much or is lazy. Come -on...I bought a few to give to friends..BUT WHY Would I?
I wouldn't recommend this to my worst enemy.
EXCEPT for the fact that maybe the guy would use some of the funds for the animals.
I felt like I was walking through an Africa Villiage with an Icecream cone. That's how sad it is there. -
Review from Shauna L.
Round Rock, TX
This place is a hidden treasure, the animals seem to be happy, and enjoying themselves more than other places. I think some that don't like it would prefer some huge large for profit zoo, so go stick with Fort Worth Zoo or another one that is in it for the money and sideshow effect.
It's pretty clear that money is mostly going for animal care, no paved roads or really foo foo effects.
They did have several endangered animals and allowed you to feed the animals. There was a camel:) Haven't seen a camel at a zoo. There is also a Guinea pig town, just adorable. The talking bird is my children's favorite. This place is pretty close to the Dino Park.
They only accept cash and Texas Checks.
I will update photos as well. It's not a perfect place, it's not a concrete jungle, it's a small place....fits into Austin perfectly:) -
Review from ashley p.
Round Rock, TX
11/5/2011
This is hardly what i would call a zoo. Right off the bat, we noticed algae on the turtle shells, the pony's hooves were way too long, there were no names or info about most of the animals, the exhibits with water were uncirculated, the lion and tiger had a cage no bigger than my living room, several animals were trying to dig out of their cages, not wheelchair accessible , no water or stale water in most cages, and the black bear had no water. They allowed an entire group of wheelchair bound people to pay, without telling them that they would be unable to maneuver around. The small animals were cute, but someone should make them remove the big game, or at the very least, expand the cages. (there was tons of unused land that these animals could be enjoying). I like the idea of what the owner is trying to do, but he/she definitely needs education or other professionals to help make sure the animals are properly cared for. Teenagers are not acceptable zookeepers.
Finally... If you own a motorcycle or sports car... Do not go. You've been warned. -
Review from Heather M.
Austin, TX
5/14/2011
I disagree with the posters here who enjoyed the Capital of Texas Zoo in Cedar Creek. It was a pretty sad zoo, seemingly run by teenagers, and not run well. The animals were not in any habitats equivalent of where they would naturally live. The animals did seem to be well fed, but that is the best I can say about this place.
There is hardly any informational signage in the Zoo, I suspect that the animals may travel to different habitats because not may of their enclosures provided information. It seems silly to complain about that, though because I would hope they would spend any money they receive upgrading the existence of the animals.
The enclosures for the bears, wild cats, and boars did not give me the feeling that they would hold up if the animals really wanted to come eat us. I usually frequent the Austin Zoo, which seems to be a much better organized sanctuary and will plan my local zoo trips with my 4 year old there instead. -
Review from Annette P.
Austin, TX
5/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is very small and not paved therefore not good for wheelchairs. Still we enjoyed the excursion. The peacocks were amazing.
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Review from Jennifer J.
Cedar Park, TX
11/6/2011
Don't know what these other reviews are about, this was the best zoo experience I've ever had. We purchased a CrowdSavings behind the scenes tour and it was great. Our guide was very knowledgeable and caring. Definitely will be going back. Thanks again for a great tour!
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Review from Jen S.
Cedar Park, TX
6/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
OK, I think I've come to terms with the fact that I am a zoo snob. I grew up in St. Louis and lived in San Diego. They have these huge, lush environments for the animals and lovely winding paths for the patrons at the zoos in those cities.
Austin doesn't have anything close to that. This zoo, as others have mentioned, is small. The animal enclosures are, as a result, small. The two people working there when we went on Thursday afternoon were friendly and seemed to really care about the animals, but the experience was a bit depressing. The paths were not well marked (nor were the cages), and definitely not stroller friendly. The snack bar was not open and the trashcans were overflowing and buzzing with huge stinging insects. The rustic bathroom was clean, but the spider climbing up the wall that jumped at me made me decide to hold it...and not even attempt to entice my potty training kiddo to try.
We did enjoy seeing the peacocks wandering around and the baby lemurs were very cute. Feeding a zebra was cool, too. But two layers of wire fencing between me and a pacing tiger was a little unsettling, to say the least. I'm sure my toddler looked like a nice midday snack. -
Review from Julie G.
Austin, TX
10/10/2009
I am so glad to have found this place - a zoo 20 minutes from downtown, past the airport on 71. I took my 18 month old here on a late Saturday afternoon. It was perfect, as we were able to see everything in about 45 minutes, and then circle back through our favorite places.
The animals appeared happy and well cared for, and the set up allows you to see them up close. They have a beautiful, white tiger, a male lion, a zebra pair, exotic birds, kangaroos, emus, and countless other mammals and reptiles. My daughter's favorite was the chatty parrot beside the tiger cage. He entertained us by talking and dancing with us.
If you are expecting paved trails and audio tours, this place is not for you. But if you want to wander among all sorts of interesting animals, in a quiet, low key setting, check this place out. We found the enclosures well marked, and we enjoyed feeding the goats and deer in the petting area. We didn't have a map, but the man admitting us explained the layout very thoroughly. Plus, it is not that big, so you would stumble across everything anyway.
And to address the recent one-star review with the link to the mountain lion "attack" - both news reports and the 911 call said a volunteer was bitten while trying to pet the lion after feeding it. Uh. Okay. I can't really blame the lion or the conditions of the zoo for the lion biting a meat covered hand trying to pet it. Animal control who checked it out said she should have known better. My point being, I felt safe during our visit and the enclosures were well built and secure. -
Review from Leta K.
Austin, TX
9/6/2010 5 photos
Wow I feel like we went to a completely different zoo than everyone else. Actually in one case we did. Mary H's review is of the Austin Zoo past the Y in Oak Hill, NOT the Capital of Texas Zoo out past the airport. They are the ones that rescue animals and have a train. But I digress. My review is more along the lines of one of the filtered reviews. I am sad that it was filtered as it seems to be more accurate than some of the other reviews, which may also be of the Austin Zoo which I do really love.
This zoo, however, leaves a lot to be desired and we will not be returning. After driving down the gravel road we arrived upon what looked to be a road side attraction (think snake farm). The fences had big words with exclamation points that made it seem this way... Lions! Tigers! Exotic Animals! But I thought maybe they were just enthusiastic. So after honking as instructed by another sign we went into the building and were greeted by a 13-ish year old boy, the only person that seemed to be operating the zoo this Saturday afternoon actually. The inside of this first building had the worst smell and was not finished inside, insulation was falling out of the walls for one thing. I wanted to be out of there quickly. They only take cash btw. There was no map of the premises he just told us to follow the paths. There are several paths, none of which are marked. In fact only about 25% of the animals cages were marked as to what kind of animals they were. If they did say the kind of animal the post gave no additional information about the animal. Well ok there was one set of animals that had some information, the cage of wild guinea pigs. I can't make this stuff up.
I felt sorry for all of the animals there. There was one lion kept inside an oversized dog run, a mountain lion with nowhere to climb, a ring-tailed lemur in his cage that looked half dead with bowls full of dog biscuits, I seriously wanted to cry. I have pictures if anyone would like to see them, will try to post them. They had all kinds of birds and animals in with other kinds, again none marked, that shouldn't have gone together. Everything looked run down, sloppily put together, and the poor 13 year old boy was running around doing everything. Shoveling pig poop, running the "snack bar," taking money, pointing people where to go, you name it.
They didn't really try to reproduce the habitats of most of these animals in any way. The poor lonely camel is living in a weed infested forest for example. I left there feeling like this was someone's property who liked to collect animals and thought they could make a little extra money on the side by charging people to see them and hiring their kids and volunteers for free. I didn't feel like they did any rescue efforts or helped the animals in any way, though I admit I haven't done a lot of research on that and could be wrong. Nothing on their website or at the zoo indicated that they were a non-profit organization like most other zoos do? If you are debating between this zoo and the Austin Zoo I highly recommend going the Austin Zoo route. It is more like a traditional zoo and they give you lots of info on each animal, plus typically the animals' background story and how they found their way to that zoo. (They also have a great snack bar, gift shop and train. Oh and more traditional public restrooms.) I won't be going back to this one and intend to do some more research on their establishment.
Update: I raised them from one to two stars because my 5yo talked about this place alot of the day today and kept saying how much she really enjoyed it. We go to the Austin Zoo a lot so I'm sure it was a nice change for her. I am glad that with her innocent heart she didn't "see" what I saw you know? I truly hope this place is on the up and up and that they aren't getting their animals nefariously.
Update 2: I added photos, they tell the whole story. Unlike another reviewer is insinuating (now filtered), I have nothing against small zoos, in fact I prefer them when ran well. There is a reason big cats should be kept in large habitats a little bit farther away from you. They are huge dangerous animals that need room to roam around. Guys, please look at the reviewers history when deciding whose word to take, and be dubious when someone with no other reviews comes on just to leave a praising review the same day as some else's complaint. Coincidence? -
Review from Antoinette G.
Austin, TX
5/23/2010 1 photo
What a great hidden gem just outside of Austin! I agree with another Yelper--the animals appear happy and well taken care of--they're also friendlier than animals in other zoos--very inquisitive. I especially loved the camel who was very affectionate! This is a great little place for kids and adults.
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Review from allison j.
Austin, TX
2/8/2008
How did I not know about this gem???
If you are trying to think of somewhere to take the kids or for a great date idea, you've got to head to this awesome zoo off of Hwy 71. It's only about 14 miles from Austin and so worth the drive you will call me and thank me.
They have lots and lots of animals, including a camel who eats out of your hand, a beautiful white tiger and exotic birds that sound like a group of ladies at the beauty salon. Their petting zoo is great and they even have alligators in a heated pond. An African lion, Lemurs, monkeys, bobcats, pigs, goats, guinea pigs and more. This zoo has their animals frequently on display at the San Diego Zoo and they successfully breed endangered animals.
They have a great area for a picnic and are expanding more throughout the summer.
Don't be fooled by the entrance, once you go through the gate, there is so much more to see. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for kids over 2. They do have a coke machine, but no treats until the summertime. Take a picnic! I am going back next week!
Went here again on Saturday. It was much busier due to a daycare field trip, but we had fun once again. This time we got to see a reptile/bird show. . .excellente! 80 lb python, HUGE tortoise, beautiful parrots and more! -
Review from E C.
Austin, TX
5/15/2011
This place is awesome. For less than 8 bucks per adult/kid over 2, this place provides a good entertainment for at least a couple of hours. All of the animals seem very happy, and well fed. When we were there last weekend, we saw lots of small cute little baby animals - piglets, joeys, lemurs, etc. We even trailed behind a group of girl scouts who were getting a tour from a staff. The staff greeted each animal lovingly, and animals were reciprocating lovingly back. It was wonderful to experience that. For me this place feels more like a conservatory rather than a regular zoo.
