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| N.C. Zoo in Asheboro © Katrena |
The North Carolina Zoo, located in Asheboro, is an all-day animal adventure. Plan to see a nice variety of wild animals at this zoological park that boasts 500 acres. With more than 1,100 animals and over 40,000 plants, visitors cannot help but see some great sites along the five miles of paved walkways at the N.C. Zoo. I would highly recommend very comfortable walking shoes. If you have small kids, a stroller, sunscreen, water bottle, and hat are well worth packing.
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| Flamingos at NC Zoo © Katrena |
I have been to this zoo several times, and each experience has been unique and interesting. The zoo is divided into two main sections: Africa and North America, each featuring animals of that continent. The zoo map recommends allowing at least three hours to tour the North American section (3 miles) and at least two hours to tour the African side (2 miles).
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| Bear at North Carolina Zoo © Katrena |
Each section has its own entrance, so visitors can choose to park and start in either area. The North American design is mainly one long, straight path that peaks approximately midway, so expect to walk uphill from whichever direction you start on that side. Animal exhibits and photo opportunities are scattered along the path, so you can stop and enjoy the journey. The African side features a more circular path that didn't seem as steep to me.
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| Games at Zoological Park in Asheboro © Katrena |
Make sure to get your hand stamped or keep your receipt if leaving and planning to come back the same day. A shuttle runs between the two sides of the zoo and also stops in between the two areas every 20 minutes. My kids loved riding the shuttle about as much as they liked looking at the animals. This can be a nice break from walking for the adults as well as the kids and can also be quite helpful if you end up on one side of the zoo while parked on the other side.
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| Giraffe and Zebra at Zoo © Katrena |
Picnic areas are offered outside the gate at either side; food cannot be brought into the zoo, although guests may bring in one non-alcoholic beverage. Water fountains and concessions are located along many of the paths.
On the North American side, you can park closer but the bathrooms are about a three to five minute walk. You'll have to park farther away on the African side, but the bathrooms are closer to the eating area.
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| Polar Bear at Zoo in NC © Katrena |
It helps to look for the
feeding schedules upon entrance. Some animals may stay out of sight unless it is feeding time, and you might want to plan your tour based on those times. The areas do tend to be much more crowded when they are feeding the animals, so if you prefer a quieter and more solitary journey, these would be the times to avoid those areas.
The staff members at the zoo can also be quite helpful and give tips for a plan when visiting. Visitors may not be able to see all animal exhibits due to construction, weather, or other issues, so you may want to check the
N.C. Zoo web site to see which exhibits may be closed, hours of operation, driving directions, etc.
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| Bison and Antelope at N.C. Zoo © Katrena |
These are some of the animals featured in the North American section (mine are abbreviated lists – click this
link for a much more detailed list from the zoo web site):
- Alligators, cougar, amphibians, turtles, and waterfowl
- Polar bears, seals, puffins, Arctic foxes, and falcon
- Otters, snakes, bobcats, frogs, and fish
- Black bears, bison, and elk
- Grizzly bears and red wolves
- Roadrunners, bats. and honey bees
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| Playground at Zoo © Katrena |
My kids particularly liked the active animals, and the polar bears and otters seemed to be very animated the last time we visited. They have viewing areas above and below the water, and the children especially loved watching these beautiful animals as they swam. Some of the black bears were walking around fairly close to the viewing area when we visited as well.
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| Honeybees at North Carolina Zoo © Katrena |
I really liked the recent addition of the honey bee exhibit. The architectural details in that area are a nice touch and they have some educational information up about these creatures that are so important to our ecosystem. The bat exhibit offered educational information about these often misunderstood animals that was particularly helpful as well.
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| Endangered Animal Carousel at Asheboro Zoo © Katrena |
The carousel lies between the two sections of the zoo, and my kids were absolutely begging to ride it as soon as they saw this classic-style ride. This is one of the prettiest and most unique carousels I have seen with hand-painted animals with glass eyes. The polar bear was designed specifically for the North Carolina Zoo, and all of the animals represent endangered species of animals.
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| Unusual Carousel at NC Zoo © Katrena |
Those who don't want to ride an animal might want to spin in the bird's nest, and wheelchairs can fit into the swan. The tickets are $2.00, but I believe they offer a modest discount if you purchase combo admission tickets at the front gate. They also offer a 4D movie, which can offer a nice chance to relax in the air conditioning during warmer weather.
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| Beautiful Tropical Plants at North Carolina's Zoo © Katrena |
The Africa side of the zoo offers these animal exhibits – I've linked to the zoo's informational pages with names of their animals if available:
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| Babboons at NC Zoo © Katrena |
I particularly liked the aviary, in which visitors could walk around in an indoor area where you can enjoy seeing the birds fly in a contained "natural" habitat. The birds and ducks tended to congregate around the feeding stations and water areas. They have
field guides to help visitors to identify the various species of tropical plants and animals.
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| Gorilla at Asheboro Zoo in NC © Katrena |
The zoo web site mentions that they have added a life-sized animatronic dinosaur exhibit featuring 15 different species of dinos in February 2012. They also offer a variety of fun photo opportunities along the paths as well as areas of interest such as a helicopter that the kids can climb in, a man-made geyser, and some games. The zoo also offers camps, "zoo snoozes," backstage passes, birthday parties, and catering. My kids loved the playground with its unique features.
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| Colorful Birds at Zoo © Katrena |
The North Carolina Zoo offers loads of educational information about the animals, plants, and how to protect them. My kids love animals, and we spent the entire day there enjoying the many opportunities to see and interact with nature. You might want to plan to get there early because the animals tend to be more active early in the day and you can easily spend an entire day enjoying the various exhibits there. If you arrive at midday, you will probably want to start on the side with the animals you most want to see because you may not have time to see both sides of the park.
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| Animals at North Carolina Zoo © Katrena |
Overall, the North Carolina Zoo offers a wealth of educational information on North American and African animal species both at the park and on their web site. The staff were knowledgeable and readily offered information if asked. This large zoo offers lots of space for their animals and nice touches for guests as they explore the park.
Looking for information on prices, directions, maps, and more? Visit the
NC Zoo official web site.
Additional articles by Katrena:
Check out the
Travel NC With Kids site map for additional detailed reviews, pictures, and more.
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