Austin Zoo — Attraction in Lakeway

The kids will have fun. The peacocks are definitely the stars of the show as many of them have escaped their enclosure and have no fear of visitors. As others have said, this isn't one of those manicured zoos with wide open fields where you struggle to see the animal hiding in the back because they're asleep in the shade during the heat of the day. This is a zoo with many smaller cages and pens, close together to minimize walking in the Texas heat; and you spend far less time trying to spot a cool animal as they are often 2 feet in front of you. They have plenty of exotic animals (Monkeys, Big Cats, Zebras, Alpacas, Capybaras, Ostriches, Lemurs, Enormous Tortises) and just as many Texas staples (Wolves, foxes, longhorns, groundhogs, Goats, wild boar, and even a cute Armadillo), My 4 and 9-year-old were able to walk the whole thing and ride the train in about 1.5 hours. We're from the north, so I'm glad I packed bottles of water for a hot July day. The reptile house was one of the few air conditioned places besides the gift shop. I would've given this place 5 stars if the bathrooms had AC and the train ride had been a bit longer. There's a lot of potential here too and I hope they refurb the pirate ship we spotted as they're renovating. It was about $53 to gain entry with 2 adults and 2 children. The train was an additional $20 plus tax. There were a number of feeding/close encounter opportunities available for $25 that we passed on. If you forget your own drinks/snacks, they will happily charge $3.5 to $5 apiece when you get to the ice cream stand at the train; luckily, we...

This zoo made me sad. I keep hearing “it’s a rescue zoo,” but what on earth are you rescuing them from that could possibly be worse? I want to rescue them from this zoo. What was even more disappointing were the lack of explanations or educational materials for the animals. There was one lone wolf pacing a tiny enclosure and the sign said she was separated “for her own safety.” That’s it. She was pacing back and forth a tiny enclosure, clearly stressed. I’d understand if she was ready to go nuts. A coyote was also out in broad daylight in his tiny enclosure, pacing around. It looked really stressful, like he didn’t have anywhere to hide or he was hungry. The bear exhibit, the lions, the cheetah, everything overgrown. The alligators had no shade or marshy area to swim they were exposed to broad daylight. How is this a sanctuary for rescued animals? Is this a transient facility with the goal to release them to their natural habitat, or a bigger better zoo? I don’t know because there were no explanations?!? All I saw were justifications it was bad because it was a rescue zoo with no city funding and pleas for donations at every stop, after I paid the same price as a regular zoo to get in. It made me feel sad and icky and I’m not even an anti-zoo person. I won’t be taking my kids back here, we need to have higher standards. Oh and those peacocks are aggressive. They see a toddler with food and they are...

We were lucky enough to get a private tour thanks to a GHA/Omni Local Experience and really enjoyed meeting its Director, Patti Clark.The Zoo has the admirable mission of 'not existing at all' since without abused, injured and abandoned animals to rescue, it wouldn't need to be here.

Patti could relay every story of each animal on our tour, and although many of its inhabitants were transfers from closed pet stores and zoos, the majority were exotic pets from owners who never considered what happens when a bear, panther or alligator grows up. This zoo is the final destination for these animals where they get to live out the rest of their days without transfer.

While there are no giraffes, polar bears or theme park rides, there's an enthusiastic and friendly staff caring for several hundred animals that otherwise most likely would have been euthanized. This non-profit is continuously building new enclosures and facilities and hosts daily programs and talks for kids and adults alike, in its effort to house animals from the 40-50 calls they get every month.

Austin Zoo is not a flashy place and doesn't have multi-million dollar enclosures and exhibits. You can see your entrance fee and donations in action, and the focus is on providing the best possible support for rescued animals. I'd strongly recommend visiting - kids will always love a trip to the zoo - but for adults the ethical mission is...