Blue Zoo Aquarium Rogers — Attraction in Rogers

Extremely Disappointing – Poor Management and Logistics Among Other Things

Most of our visit to Blue Zoo Rogers was deeply disappointing. We went specifically to see the 1 PM mermaid show—something my daughter has been asking to do since March. She even wore her mermaid costume for the occasion. I checked the website multiple times before going to confirm the schedule (see screenshot), and nothing indicated a change.

When we arrived, I checked in and wasn’t told anything about show times, but I already “knew” the show was at 1 PM based on the website, so we continued exploring. As 1 PM approached, I asked two staff members where the mermaid show would be. One said, “I don’t know the schedule” (which was baffling—don’t they work here?), and the other told me, “We no longer have that show at that time. You need to check the reception area’s monthly calendar for schedules.” Um... not the website??

I went to the reception area, which was still displaying last month’s calendar (May—when it was June 3). I asked another team member, who told me the website is incorrect and that I should instead check the in-person paper schedule next to the desk, which apparently changes daily. Changes daily and the website doesn't even ask you to call the facility to check?? The only reason I came to this aquarium—despite having season passes to a different one—is because my daughter has been begging to see mermaids. We timed our entire visit around that one highlight. It didn’t happen. Cue tears.

Additionally, we waited 20 minutes to enter the reptile enclosure near the bird area, only to find out you can’t feed them there—you have to go to a separate section for that. The walk-through itself took about two minutes. Then we waited another 11 minutes for the bird exhibit. I have three young kids, and there was almost nothing to do or look at while we stood in line.

The scarf activity next to the reptile/bird area was completely out of scarves (I told a staff member, who checked and said, “Yup, it is”). Other toddler-friendly things—like the felt board—are tucked behind soda machines, so I couldn’t supervise my kids and stay in line. While helping my littles, someone even cut in front of us for one of the activities.

The water table was broken, with no water pumping. The bathroom we used had no changing table, and both the soap dispensers in the bathroom and at the handwashing stations were empty (the station had a small portable bottle though). The first touch tank had no paper towels.

Now, for the positives: feeding the reptiles was cool (once I hunted down a staff member), and petting the sting rays was nice, though we didn’t feed them since we've done that elsewhere. Feeding the birds was the highlight—my kids genuinely loved that experience.

I spent nearly $50 for admission specifically to see mermaids—and we didn’t. I also spent $10 on four tokens: three were worth it, but feeding the turtles was not.

We won’t be returning, and now I get to spend even more time and money finding another experience where my daughter can finally see mermaids.

To management: please get your logistics figured out. Keep your website up to date. Have adequate staff coverage—it felt chaotic, and I was constantly hauling my three young kids around just trying to find a team member so we could do the activities we paid extra for.

We were there less than an hour after you opened, and yet soap dispensers were already empty—this is an easy fix. If you have a bathroom with a changing table, please post a sign on the other restrooms indicating where to find it. I shouldn’t have to change my son's poopy diaper while he is standing up, then not be able to wash either of our hands with soap afterward. These are simple things that could’ve elevated our experience from a 1-2 stars (I chose 2 stars only because of the birds) to a solid 4—if the water table was working too.

And to those reading 5-star reviews, read them with a grain of salt. The facility has signs offering free tokens in exchange for 5-star reviews. Seems a little......

Blue Zoo Rogers: Overpriced, Overcrowded, Neglected, and Unsafe.

Blue Zoo Rogers charges nearly $20 per adult and $17 per child, but what you get is a rushed, overcrowded, poorly maintained, and sometimes dangerous experience—not the quality, education, or safety you expect.

Animal Welfare is Disturbing: A large tortoise named Ivory was slowly led through a hallway by an associate who openly expressed annoyance instead of educating visitors. The tortoise urinated and defecated in a 2x2 ft puddle on a busy entrance hallway. The handler did nothing—no cleanup, no wet floor sign. I had to fetch a sign myself to warn visitors. The waste was wiped with just paper towels and tossed into a communal trash can—not an animal waste bin. This shows a shocking lack of sanitation and care.

That same associate then took a small tortoise, about 10x6 inches, into a cramped party room packed with 25+ people. The little tortoise was nearly stepped on multiple times due to overcrowding. This careless handling shows blatant disregard for animal safety.

The blue-tongue skink was kept in a tank far too small for its size. The poor animal was stressed and hiding under soil. Staff called it the “grumpiest” and “least social” skink they’d seen, clearly due to cramped conditions and constant disturbance. No reflective film shields it from stressful visitor interaction.

Open-air freshwater tanks were uninspiring and mostly empty, housing only dull fish. Several children repeatedly touched turtles’ limbs and faces instead of shells, with no staff intervention—hurting animal welfare and setting bad examples.

Stingray and shark tanks lacked enough sand substrate, essential for animal comfort. The tanks appeared barren and neglected.

Aquarium Conditions Are Poor: The small saltwater tanks at the entrance were overgrown by red cyanobacteria, signaling chemical imbalance. Seahorses once housed there seem gone, replaced by cleaning snails. UV sterilizers floated loose instead of being properly mounted, making them ineffective. Compared to local aquarium stores, these tanks are a sad and embarrassing excuse for saltwater exhibits.

The pump room, once a featured exhibit, was dark and unlit—likely abandoned or broken—mirroring the facility’s overall poor maintenance.

Hygiene and Maintenance Are Lacking: Every hand-washing station lacked soap and paper towels, and some didn’t have stools for kids. When reporting shortages, staff replied with “we’re trying to refill,” which is unacceptable. Bathrooms were worse—empty soap dispensers, paper towels left unsanitarily on toilet tanks, showing negligence.

Water-play stations were full of sand from unknown sources, and one was only half operational. No staff monitored these areas.

Unsafe and Overcrowded Play Areas: The inflatable climbing tower was downright dangerous. Kids aged 3 to 12 climbed and jumped unsupervised, wearing shoes on wet vinyl floors—slippery and hazardous. The risk of a child falling 6 feet onto another below was real and ignored. No safety rules or supervision were in place.

Crowding was an issue throughout, with narrow hallways and cramped rooms making safe movement difficult and stressing animals.

Cheap Presentation and Poor Upkeep: Wall paintings looked amateurish and rinky-dink. Resin flooring was peeling and patched with mismatched sea-themed decals. Despite being relatively new, the facility shows severe signs of wear, likely accelerated by poor water management and heavy foot traffic.

The air-tube play area was unlit and nearly invisible.

No Liability Waivers or Safety Precautions: Neither I nor my family signed waivers or received warnings about safety risks—a major oversight given the hazards.

Final Verdict: Blue Zoo Rogers is an overpriced, overcrowded, and dangerously mismanaged venue that neglects both animals and visitors. The poor hygiene, unsafe play areas, and lack of staff oversight are unacceptable, especially for the high admission prices. If you value your family’s safety and want an educational experience,...

Ok so it’s now late March. Here’s my updated review! Went during the week. The sand area at the front is far more controlled now!!! Woo! There was a staff member called Blake who was explaining the Algae situation in the shark area which helped me understand why the tank was sort of green. He also had a passion for the welfare of the animals and explained that they do have an area by each touch pool to separate animals from the touch tanks so they do not get overwhelmed. I think that’s a great thing for the animals.

I noticed that there were screens around the whole place explaining what was in each tank and the tanks looked less crowded than previously. My only issue with the touch tanks is that there are not yet rules on signs so people were sometimes pretty rough. (They are getting signage together but it’s taking longer than they had hoped but they are on it!) The water area was much better now that it’s in play and my kids had a blast. The bird area was really pleasant and the rules were clear which was great for two littles with short attention spans.

I would buy an annual pass over daily pass for the price, I think it’s better value but we did spent at least 1 hour here this time. There was soap in the bathroom and the toilets were clean! They could still do with Mats around the water area. All things aside, they have come a long way and there is clearly a passion from Jacob the Manager to make it a place that NWA loves and is a success. It was clear that improvements had been made! Super happy to change my review. More great stuff coming to the Blue Zoo very soon as well! I recommend going in the week, this was on a Tuesday afternoon and it was pretty empty. Perfect! We did not get coins this time around.

Feb 2023- Truly hoping to change my review as we have an annual pass. I would hold off spending money on it until they label what is what and are able to educate more on what animals are there and which ones you can touch. It was difficult to spend the coins because we couldn’t find food available to buy at the ready for the animals. We had coins and the only thing anyone gave me was a single fish to feed the stingrays. (They couldn’t find the food???!!! Concerning.) I turned it down because I had 2 kiddos so had to be fair, the lady working that area told me how to feed the stingray and then admitted she hadn’t done it herself but I let her instead. She still took the coin but it was a bit of a strange experience 😂 I had no idea where the bird area was, there wasn’t anyone helping people in the animal areas (apart from the stingray lady who I give credit to, was trying) and check in took foreverrrrrrrrr while my children threw sand everywhere. I finally spotted a couple of sharks and realized there was another area with some bearded dragons in it. If you have ever been to Blue Zoo Baton Rouge, this doesn’t compare AT ALL. That one is worth the money, this one needs work!!! Not only all of that but while I appreciate the opportunity to bring a friend for free on the first proper open day, there was no notice to plan that! Not sure why they opened when they are clearly not ready. My annual pass has started now so I’m hoping my kids enjoy it through the year as it improves. They have not yet finished the water play area for...