Cameron Park Zoo

Address:	1701 N 4th St, Waco, TX 76707, USA
Phone:	+1 254-750-8400
Site:	cameronparkzoo.com
Rating:	4.6
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 11AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

Scott Cress

For a small town its one of the best zoos Ive visited. The place is clean the animals seem well cared for. There is a really good variety of animals and exhibits to look through. The staff for the most part are knowledgable, friendly and are always willing to answer any questions you may have. The play ground in the (more or less) middle of the zoo is very popular it has a giant tree shaped "house" with a slide, its a great place for the kids. Theres also a slide in the otter exhibit that allows the kids to slide with the otters. The whole place is very immersive and its a favorite place for our family to visit. I highly suggest you get a season/year pass. You wont regret going to this zoo. The reasons for only four stars and not five: 1) There are some parts that could do with some updating and repairing. The playground is an example. It often seems at capacity and needs more playground equipment. 2) The food that they have there seems very limited almost like cheap bar food. Theres no reason they couldnt invite a food truck to serve or have carnival like food available at stands around the zoo. 3) Navigation can be a little hard. Its one giant loop there are no easy ways to get from one side to the other. An example is that if you do the Aquarium / Brazos River Valley Exhibit the sidewalks wind around back and forth but if youre done looking at them Or you need to find a "potty" really quick theres no shortcut out even if it seems like there should be. You just have to walk the whole route so youre not climbing over a barricade. 4) Get there early this place is popular parking can be tough.

Justice A.

The Cameron Park Zoo is awesome, especially when you consider its size. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the pacing of the zoo is perfect for Texas. You can tell that they put a lot of thought into the design when they began; the reptile and other indoor exhibits are just the right distance to get a break from the heat in the summer. I feel some of the enclosures (the little leopards, for example) are a bit small, but I trust the zoologists and keepers at the zoo. All in all, we love our season passes here and stop by at least once or twice a month to see at least a few animals and the Galapagos Island turtles, of which I am a huge fan. Honestly, Im from Nashville and this zoo has more to offer in terms of animals than that one, which is very gimmick-y and expensive. This zoo is right on and we love it! Also, we miss Fezzik the giant snapper, and hope that another large underwater turtle may thrive at this zoo as king of the freshwaters. May Fezzik rest in peace.

David

the zoo is small and mostly ok. i found it very shocking with the way one of the lions behavior. it was clearly in distress. it was pacing non stop in the same spot. this is clear to see the animal is in distress. the other shocking exhibit was the orangutan enclosure. the animal was leaning with its head against the fence. again if you love animals like i do and understand basic animal behavior, it is clear this animal was stressed. this is an intelligent primate which needs more stimulus than it was getting in the small space it was in and obviously wanted out. these small zoos should not keep animals like this if they cant provide proper care. many countries are removing zoos altogether. because they understand that animals are not for human entertainment. this zoo is a clear example why the whole zoo thing is stupid and cruel.

Yung Hyun

Delightfully wild and nicely tucked away near Cameron Park. The Cameron Park Zoo is a little gem in little ole Waco. Located right next to the park the zoo surprisingly hosts several wild and exotic animals, and even has an impressive aquarium section. Although it is smaller in comparison to larger city zoos Cameron Park Zoo makes up for it in aesthetics and layout. The zoo is neatly organized with enough attractions spread out to keep first-time visitors busy for several hours. Honestly, this is a great zoo and I love visiting it whenever I get the chance. Overall, If youre passing by or staying in Waco this zoo is worth a visit if you can afford the time, and if you love zoos this is a must visit. Prices are $9 for adults, $6 for children, ages 3 & under free (super inexpensive!). Side note: youre gonna enjoy this sweet little zoo.

Warner Lefevre

I went to this zoo last week and barely any vehicles were in the parking lot but now I see why. We went in and it looked okay at first. All of the birds, snakes and fish looked great and well kept. Then we started getting to the outside birds and mammals. The giraffes looked underfed and so did the antelope in the pen with it. The outdoor birds had mangy feathers. The bison had no food, was missing hair and looked dehydrated. The zoo decor itself looks very run down. The cafes were closed even though they should have been open at the time we were there. The vending machines were out of almost all of the drinks. The bathrooms were not clean. I would not recommend this zoo to anyone!

Rachael Ochs

smaller then i expected. but it was very clean and the trail made a nice and easy loop to all the exhibits, it seemed fairly priced to enter. they had some indoor exhibits throughout the zoo which was a nice relief from the heat. there was also a small play ground and water fountain for kids to run through. they had a baby orangutan when we went but only display him for short amount of time, it would be nice if the baby and mom could be seen longer or have an open cage where they could hide if they want. one rhino had a straight horn instead of curved and we were curious why that was though. overall good zoo, perfect size for small kids.l and variety of animals

Val Fore

This zoo is VERY affordable for families with a cute little gift shop and cafe, and a smattering of drink and snack carts throughout. There are plenty of (clean!) bathrooms, and a beautiful playground and picnic area near the bird exhibit. Its deceptively large with all of the "big name" animals (elephants, lions, tigers, apes) that you would expect to see at a zoo, as well as many types of native wildlife. Most of the exhibits are quite close to the viewing areas, which makes it easy to see everything. Theres a good deal of walking involved, but thats true of any good zoo visit. All told, this is my favorite of the 5 Texas zoos I have visited.

Matt Bohmfalk

The animals are okay. And a lot of times they cant control which animals are available to see and which ones arent. So I dont have any complaints there. I will say that the day we were there, it was really rainy and some of the walkways they have are very slippery. We saw one woman slip and fall on the slippery wood and the response from the zoo was very slow. It took them like 30 minutes to have someone come check on this woman who was lying there injured. Eventually EMS came and they didnt seem to have a very good plan in place for how to get someone off the property if theyre injured in this location.