Montgomery Zoo & Mann Wildlife Learning Museum — Attraction in Montgomery

TOTALLY WASTED TIME & MONEY!!! IT IS NOT THE ZOO IT USE TO BE!!! HARDLY ANY ANIMALS, ZOO GROUND UNKEPT AND IN PITIFUL CONDITION!!! FEW ANIMAL THEY HAVE DO NOT LOOK HAPPY OR CARED FOR!!! I wanted to let you know how very disappointed I am at our local Montgomery Zoo!!! I was born & raised in Prattville and have always brought my 3 daughters and my 5 grands and maintained zoo membership throughout their childhood. We loved visiting the beautiful fascinating zoo!!! We all loved the zoo!!! For years it was our favorite memory!! The many beautiful animals were like family!!! Recently, I was blessed with a beautiful great grand daughter!!! I renewed my grandparent membership so I could share the beautiful memories of the beautiful zoo!!! When my granddaughter and I arrived we both commented that they must be closed due to less than a dozen cars in the parking lot. As we strolled her beautiful 17 month out little girl into the entrance, we both could tell the magic of the Montgomery Zoo was gone!! As we took our usual routine path to go through the small fenced in area with beautiful birds! It was closed. The fascinating big circular monkey exhibit in the center what always amazing!!! It had a few different animals. Dirty and not the same!! Then to the alligator pond you could look over!! It was empty! Filthy water in the small water area. Just nasty! Then the heart break of the unkept area adjoining the old alligator area!!! With a couple of some type animal. No flamingos walking the sidewalks to greet you!! Then the first real “tear jerker” ! The area to the left of the old alligator area, where several fenced out spaced use to home several cool animals!! Was overgrown with weeds and old water tubs remained!!!! My 24 year old grand daughter and I cried!!! We honestly had tears!!!! My heart was broke!! The reptile house exhibit was always one of my grand daughter’s favorites!!! It was in kept, uninviting and actually dirty! The glassed exhibits, a dozen or so, were mostly empty, with only the nasty water bowls, black and mildewed. And then my grand daughter found a small snake in one of the exhibits!!! She was shocked to see roaches crawling on the creature, with several dead ones laying about. She looked back at the empty exhibits and found roaches in all the empty ones too!!! “How sad” she exclaimed!!! “This is nothing like what it looked like a few years ago when we would come every week! Can we leave now, this really makes me sad!!!” We continued around the curve only the fine empty exhibits and unkept landscaping! A side of a building falling off and every of the covered observation spots rotting and unsafe! The large area where lions, giraffes, bears and much more once lived were empty except for 2 lions that DID NOT look healthy!!! None of the animals looked cared for or happy as they once did!! We did see several zoo workers riding here and there, laughing and looked to be enjoying theirselves on the nice looking John Deer type vehicles! None looked like they were working at all!! But there were definitely more of them then there was visitors at the zoo! I stopped one of the vehicles as it zoomed by on the sidewalk, and asked “what has happened to the zoo?!” The woman and girl looked shocked at my question. The woman got off and walked to me and said what do you mean? I said from now to just a few years ago, what has happened? Again, she asked what do you mean? I said “where are all the animals? Why isn’t the grounds kept up? This is horrible! She admitted it had gone down and they didn’t have near the animals! I said were you here 5 years ago? Yes she was and yes it was run down since then. I explained several concerns!!! Concerns for the animal that were there! Several buildings and observations needing a lot of work!! The reptile exhibit!! She said the needed to tear it down to get rid of the roaches ! So they were aware!!!! I The Mann museum had cobwebs hanging from all the animal!!!! AWFUL!!! The few animals there deserve better!!!! Not sure where the good...

We only went to the Christmas lights at Nighy. Beautiful display with option to walk and see the lights and play at playground or ride the train/skylift. Can do a combo as well. Most the animals were outside asleep or in their nightly enclosure so I can't speak on that. Didn't care for all the Taxidermy in one educational building but a staff claimed they were fake and made from pictures of catch and release. We are just very big animal lovers and don't like to see animals that may have died for sake of being stuffed without full use of all of it. There were some good other educational items in there as well such as Native tool and other artifacts and animal bones ( with card saying how was obtained or found. Usually found washed up or in nature from animal previously deceased on own terms. Cafe was average but prices were not bad for being a Zoo. Staff at cafe was slightly rude. Kind of acted like we were inconvenience. Train ride was neat to see an overview of the Zoo and the lights. Didn't go to gift shop so I can't attest to that. The pictures with Santa went well overall. The staff and Santa were super nice. I only wish they would make sure everyone's face is smiling or at least ready and if off take an extra shot or two so you can choose best one. Especially when it's a whole family in the pictures. I didn't ask if they could retake I didn't want to be rude and their was 2 others waiting so they might have been willing to redo if I had asked. I don't think the person was an actual photographer as it seemed to be a completely automated process. Overall staff was friendly. Parking lot seems fine in daylight but seems a little on the dark side in areas at night. Limited sidewalks as well. Ticketing line could have been a bit better but overall wasn't bad. Was just a bit slow due to only 2 windows and one being entertainment and staff check in only. I gave 4 stars vs 5 based on the few minor things. Note my review is only on their nighttime Christmas light event. I have not been during daytime hours to experience. Another thing to not is if you come from a big city ( or near one) with a zoo this one is quite small. Then again that might be personal opinion since I moved from outside DC and main Zoo I have been to is the Smithsonian Zoo. I feel even the Atlanta Zoo is on the smaller side. Don't let this discourage a visit. It was quite lovely and on the week night we attended it wasn't very busy either making it easy to enjoy for even those in out group with social anxiety. Again, I can only speak for the Zoo Lights event on a week night. The pricing I marked is for Zoo lights event only. Other price ranges available for regular hours, combo tickets for regular hour with Zoo Lights, discounts for certain groups or memberships, individual/ family memberships with perks, etc. Train does cost extra $3/ person. Sky lift I don't know if there is extra cost. We didn't get a chance to do that. Parking was free ( @least for the event but seems it is always). Of note their site did mention when we were looking up details that they offer sensory bags free of charge to borrow at gift shop for those suffering from sensory processing disorders...

Montgomery Zoo: A Hidden Gem Worth Supporting

Having lived in Birmingham for 10 years, we were frequent visitors to the Birmingham Zoo—sometimes visiting 2-4 times a week at different points in our lives. While we absolutely love the Birmingham Zoo, I want to take a moment to explain why I believe the Montgomery Zoo is better from a foundational perspective.

First, the exhibits at the Montgomery Zoo are more natural-looking. The open design allows animals to intermingle more, creating a more authentic and engaging experience for visitors. You truly feel like you’re observing animals in their natural habitats rather than confined spaces.

The train ride at Montgomery Zoo is exceptional. It provides gorgeous views of the grounds and allows you to see more animals. Additionally, the sky lift is available and fully functional, offering an incredible vantage point of the zoo and its inhabitants—a feature that Birmingham doesn’t currently offer. I believe Birmingham use to have zip lines, but they have never been functional or being used during our visits.

The massive playground at Montgomery Zoo is another standout feature. With nostalgic equipment that will bring back childhood memories for parents and exciting play areas for kids, it’s a great place for families to take a break and let little ones burn off some energy.

The food court is thoughtfully placed to overlook multiple animal exhibits. Enjoying a meal while watching the animals roam in their open enclosures is an unforgettable experience.

For families with small children, the viewing areas are unparalleled. Some exhibits have wooden fences with horizontal, window-like spaces built just for kids, allowing them to have an unobstructed view at their eye level. It’s details like these that make the zoo so family-friendly.

While it’s appears the Montgomery Zoo has less funding for aesthetic upkeep compared to Birmingham, the layout is fantastic and well thought out. The aesthetics does not change the functionality, so not a big deal. However, I do think the Montgomery zoo could patch up some of its walkways, which can be a bit rough for toddlers and older visitors. Improving this would make the experience a little easier.

I will admit, the Birmingham Zoo’s air-conditioned options are a lifesaver during the hot summer months, but there’s something about the vibe at Montgomery Zoo that feels more personal and immersive. Montgomery Zoo has plenty of shade and green spaces for picnics, similar to the Birmigham Zoo.

Both zoos are wonderful in their own ways, but I believe the Montgomery Zoo deserves more recognition and support. It’s a privilege to have such an accessible and thoughtfully designed zoo in town, and I hope people continue to visit and support it wholeheartedly. It’s truly a special place worth...