NOVA Wild — Attraction in Reston

I am adding to my initial NOVA WILD review. We went back, me and a kiddo. Most amazing place on earth with the most wonderful team members. We had to go back. This time we did an in person Visit with the Capybaras!

REVIEW 1- This is weird, we had an amazing time which is why I give 5 stars but.... when there is a but there is a slippery slope so let's stick to the why we had an amazing visit with what we could do.

First off, it was cold outside. Animals from foreign countries stay in doors when it is cold outside... duhhhhhh so expectations of half of the zoo went out the window, we realized soon enough. We did have fun with the goats and a cow that was friendly enough. We werent able to reach the camels. The capybara was no where to be found. But it was cold....

What was out of this world was the drive through where the llamas, the longhorns and other creatures hang out UNTIL your car drives over the grating. The heads pop up AND, watch out. here the herd comes.... at you.

No sooner than we rolled our windows down, the animals were putting their noses and snouts through our opened car windows wanting feed.

There are entry fees to pay. There are buckets of feed to buy and yes I do mean buckets with an 's' plural because before you even finish one go round of the drive through the kids (and adults) have every expectation of doing it again. You are given two buckets. One bucket is to put fistfuls of feed in to, pacing the feed out so it lasts one loop of the drive around. The cost is not for each time you go around rather the cost is for each bucket of feed you buy, and you will buy, it is that fun.

Nova Wild used to be the Reston Zoo. There is a history I took a picture of. There is an instagram wall if you do that type of thing, over near the bathrooms. Nova Wild is about a half hour out from Rosslyn VA, traffic permitting. Adults beware- there is a gift shop packed with great plushies and stuffies. And there is, when you are leaving, the wonder of how you will ever top this visit.

REVIEW 2- Well, I answered my own question as to how I would top that visit. Duhhh. We did a second visit. Different season.

Its only about a twenty minute ride from the DC-Virginia border. Me and the kiddo spent our time singing animal songs so by the time we "are we there yet'd" at NOVA Zoo, we were in the mood.

We had run in to a hiccup trying to book our in person Capybara experience encountered on the phone the day prior. The general manager figured things out soon enough and YESSSSSSSSSSS we were booked at 2:00 to meet Tater and Nuggets aka Nugs in their pen escorted by Ms Fran and Sydney, two animal educators caretakers who laid out the rules before we entered the pen. Well, while we were in the Capybara pen, a horde of visitors on the outside of the Capybara wall were gathering watching us in glee.

I will definitely book another meet the wildlife when we return.

The must do is to begin your visit with buying a bucket of feed for the drive through animal loop where you roll down car windows letting noses poke through to eat from the buckets kiddos hold. Greatest moment for adults being responsible behind the steering wheel. There were newer animals this visit. There was a flock of little reindeers, it looked like with the fuzziest softest horns. We learned the zoo collects the antlers when the antlers fall off, then grind them in to, as I understand it, a food additive.

The butterfly tent was there. We did not buy access tickets. One would have thought after all the money spent on the Capybara visit that the Butterfly tent access would have been a courtesy ticket.

That said, money better spent, we grabbed lunch out front at the WITT tent who made THE BEST lemonade, burgers and deep fried Oreo cookies something that was not available during our winter visit.

YES, we will be going back... again. Thank you...

I visited NOVA Wild today with my two kids, and sadly, we left feeling really disheartened. The zoo promotes itself as a nonprofit focused on conservation and animal welfare, but based on what we saw, that message feels incredibly misleading. It came across as more of a commercialized animal attraction than a place truly committed to the well-being of the animals it houses.

The most upsetting part was the cheetah exhibit. There’s one cheetah — kept in a small, sun-exposed enclosure with no shade, barely any enrichment, and definitely not enough space to run. It has a few rocks, one log, and that’s it. On both of our visits (months apart), we never once saw it. I honestly believe it’s either hiding, sleeping, or showing signs of depression from the environment it’s in. These animals are meant to run and roam, and instead, this one is alone in a space that looks more like a display box than a habitat. After walking past it all day, my young son asked a staff member where the cheetah was; she brushed it off by saying, “cheetahs can be lazy.” That response was frustrating and completely missed the point.

To make things worse, NOVA Wild is hosting an upcoming “conservation” event — adults only, with alcohol, live music, and cheetah photo ops — for $150 a ticket. That just feels completely tone-deaf. Promoting endangered animals as party props doesn’t reflect any real commitment to education or animal welfare.

Other concerning things we saw: • Two sloths and a couple of turtles kept together in an artificially lit indoor room — no trees (just a couple of branches), no fresh air, and a mulch floor used for everything (yes, including a bathroom). When I asked if the sloths were ever taken outside, the answer was simply “no.” • Two camels giving rides in a small, repetitive circle. And yes — the camel rides are another separate fee per person on top of general admission. • In the drive-thru safari, several llamas and other animals scattered in obvious fear whenever one particular zookeeper approached on foot — suggesting (to me at least) they may not be handled gently behind the scenes. • Bathrooms were extremely small and honestly gross — not what you’d expect at a facility that’s charging premium prices.

Then there’s the pricing. General admission is $22 per adult, $17 per child — just to get in. On top of that: • $20 for a bucket of cheap “feed” for the animals. • Animal encounters are only 15 minutes and go up to $150 per person depending on the animal (for example, meeting the capybaras). If you bring a child under 18, an adult must also pay — so a 15-minute encounter could easily cost $200–$300 for a family. Ours would’ve cost $450 today if we had chosen the capybaras instead of the sloths, which was $300 for the three of us. • And here’s the kicker: these encounters are not private. They group you with up to six people total, so you’re paying for a very short, expensive “experience” with random guests. • Paid $11 for two regular Powerades for my kids — not large, just standard bottles. Totally overpriced. • And finally, as we were leaving, we saw a fairly small butterfly tent — and were told it was $8 per person extra to walk through it. After spending over $50 just to get through the gate? Seriously?

All of this left us questioning what, if anything, our money was actually supporting. For an organization that brands itself as nonprofit and conservation-minded, the experience felt far from it. The enclosures were underwhelming, and the entire setup felt exploitative and more about squeezing money out of people than...

Edit: Jan 23, 2024

The website says they are open rain or shine. I am assuming they mean both the driving part and the walking part of the zoo. I drove all the way over here and only the walking part is open. They are closed (driving) because of the snow. Which is fine but they should be transparent and state this on their website. Instead they mislead by saying “open rain or shine”. Plus they have no date of when they driving part will be open. …………………………………………….

I didn’t buy tickets ahead of time. I just showed up. Tickets are bought inside the black building. You will get red wrist bands and a bucket to feed the animals.

Once you have your wristbands and food you get back on your car and head over to the safari to drive around a loop. You get to see llamas, donkeys, cows, bulls, deer among other animals.

Total for 1 adult, 1 senior and 1 child was $71.20. I don’t know if I was charged an extra person or if the food is $20. Since it was only 3 of us.

Adult admission is $20 Senior $15 Child $15

I was excited I didn’t notice this until later.

My MIL, my son & I had so much fun!

Don’t let the bad reviews keep you from coming here.

We did come on a weekday like around 10.30ish am.

There was no wait. The animals were eager to fed, they came to the car fairly quickly.

I was a little nervous to feed the cows but once I got over it it was amazing!!

We noticed someone dropped the food bucket which caused some of the animals to try to gain control over it. Please don’t do this. There is a stand in the front to return the bucket.

I didn’t see restrooms other than a porter potty. And to wash our hands there was a portable wash station. Not much water came out so glad we had extra water bottles with us. Plenty of soap.

We brought our own food and eat inside the zoo under shade.

Would definitely...