Luray Zoo

This place really shouldn’t profess to be a zoo. It’s more of a habitat for rescued animals, and more so a reptile house, and should be «sold» as such.
For ten dollars, you’ll get about twenty minutes of walking around seeing a handful of animals. Beyond that, there’s not much else to do. Sure, you could stop and feed a few animals, but that’s going to cost you anywhere from a quarter for a tiny handful of feed, or upwards of five bucks for a small bucket.
You then of course get bombarded by animals from all sides that fight with each other, push each other out of the way, and step on each other to get what you have to offer. I always hate things like this because I feel so bad for the animals that don’t get as much, or any at all. Why are they this ravenous?
As per usual with this type of place, they have a gift shop that’s we’ll overpriced for what you’re getting. You of course have to enter and exit through it, because heaven forbid you should just want to sidestep the shop.
Do yourself a favor and go to the restroom before you come. The only public toilet you’ll find is a lone outhouse on the grounds. I can only image how bad it smells, and how cold it is in the winter.
Overall, no value here for the price of admission. It’s great that these folks rescue animals, but that doesn’t necessarily justify the asking price to see them.

We are die hard animal fans, and never miss a change to go to a zoo or sanctuary. I agree with the other reviewers about Mark’s (facility owner) passion for his animals and knowledge about the same. You can tell that the budget is pretty tight — but the animals seem really well cared for and happy. Most of the animals have stories about how they ended up in Luray Zoo’s care, which I really liked. The facility isn’t large, and may only take an hour or so to tour, but is well worth the $ 10 (adult) admission fee for adults. If you’re lucky, you will see Mark and he will make the trip even more worthwhile.

My girlfriend and I were staying the week in a cabin up in the mountains and the day we came into town to get groceries and supplies we happened to pass by the Luray Zoo on our way back and it definitely piqued our curiosity so we read some reviews on the place and looked up the website on our way back to the cabin. We figured it was worth a shot because we were in town and wanted to be tourists. This zoo did not disappoint at all. We were shocked at how many animals were there and how well kept the place was. Plus, you can tell everyone there really cares about the animals and it was cool to see the stories attached to some of them that had to be rescued from other places. The petting zoo was really cool and the goats want as much attention from you as they can get. As we were making our final lap through Mark came up and started talking with us while we were by the tiger cage. He was very friendly and informative and you can tell how much he cares for all the animals there and how much he really puts into the place especially since it doesn’t have funding like a gigantic zoo does. Long story short, please stop in and support/​donate to this zoo because although it may not look like much from the outside, you will be pleasantly surprised at all it has to offer.

This is a rescue zoo so, if you’re an animal lover, you’ll forgive its run-​down state and general lack of polish. Clearly, money is tight so I’m assuming all the funds are going into feeding and caring for the animals. Some of the enclosures look a little small for the animals in them, but they had plenty to eat and weren’t alone, so they seemed happy enough. The petting zoo is fun for kids (and for grown-​ups who enjoy watching kids getting freaked out by llamas, goats, etc.) and there is a good selection of animals to see up-​close. Could the place be better? Sure. Would it benefit from a rich benefactor? Of course it would. But the owners’ hearts are in the right place and they deserve your support. Take your kids along for a weekend afternoon and you’ll be doing your part to keep this sanctuary open.

I love the fact that this place rescues animals but I wouldn’t really call it a zoo, it was very small and my kids were disappointed that it was over already. Wasn’t worth the drive and the area where you can pet and feed the animals was very dirty!

We just went this past weekend for the first time while we went to visit family. My girls loved it. They really liked the mini petting zoo part of it. I would sayI would have liked to see more enrichment toys for some of the animals and a little more cleaner look of the cages in regards to the plants and stuff. Looks a little too wild but overall we enjoyed ourselves. My kids liked how they had shows talking about certain topics through the day. It was also nice to know the owner was out there as well. My daughter had a question about the goats and asked him. He was very friendly which my husband and I really liked. We def. will be back when we are in town.
Also my oldest daughter loved reading about the different animals of where they are located, what they eat and such. What I really liked is there was a personal note about a few animals of how they ended up there. I would really like to see more of those.

Worth a visit. My 3 yr old son loved it. Stayed about an hour. Lots of snakes. The owner is animated.

We took our first trip to Luray Caverns this past weekend and on our last day there we visited the Luray Zoo. We really liked it. They have a lot of reptiles when you first go in, especially snakes, then outside they have a porcupine, monkeys, a tiger, a petting zoo where the goats get out and run around, especially if you buy food for them, and then other animals like a peacock and falcon, We met the owner, Mark. He was very down to earth and talked to us for a while.

We have been to this zoo 3 times and I’m sure we’ll visit a couple more times in the future. We love it. Inexpensive. Not crowded. Small to medium size area in total. Not so big you get tired and have to break for lunch… The animals have background stories that are worth listening too and a very caring staff. There is no pressure to be in a rush. None! Take your time. Learn and enjoy. There is a petting zoo also. Complete with sanatizing soap posted on the fence. It’s a nice place and there for a good reason. (Please utilize the donation jar).

I like that the Luray Zoo is a rescue zoo for retired, unwanted, and abused animals. It has about 250 animals, such as monkeys, snakes, and farm animals. The zoo is privately owned. The admission price is currently $ 10 or less, depending on your age. I enjoyed feeding grass to some animals. The animals looked happy in their enclosed spaces. I give three stars because the zoo does not have as many animals as some other zoos have.

My boyfriend & I set out to Luray for a weekend of camping hoping to enjoy the Luray Caverns as the pinnacle of our trip. After a few hours spent at the Luray Zoo, however, the caverns were no longer looking like the highlight of our short vacation. We pulled into the parking lot around 4pm on Friday, & from the outside I thought this may be one of those «zoos» run by individuals who are more interested in collecting animals to display for profit. I admit, this assumption was due to the semi-​decripit neon green dinosaur proudly marking the zoo entrance & faded tiger mural on the fence.
I happily report that this place is not sketchy at all! The second you walk through the giant fiberglass mouth of an alligator into the lobby/​gift shop, you can tell that the space (though small) is incredibly well-​maintained. For $ 10 a person, we were told that we could peruse the zoo at our leisure. Having arrived at 4 we were worried that at 5 we’d be kicked out. Mark, the owner, introduced himself & explained that they simply stop accepting new visitors at 5 but we were welcome to stay as long as we liked.
After you pay your entrance fee, your first stop at the zoo is the snake room. Now, I absolutely love snakes & was dying to see the exhibit here after being told that there is quite an extensive collection of snakes/​reptiles to view. Holy moly, was I not disappointed. Mark spent some time talking us through snake behavior/​handling, how he cares for the snakes & why he got into the business (spoiler alert: he’s been rescuing animals since he was a kid — ask him about it). He also let me hold a rattlesnake rattle that had been shredded by one of his snakes. Too cool! Moving on, you enter a room with some larger snakes, turtles & alligators on display. Have you ever seen an alligator snapping turtle? No? Well Mark caught one a few years ago that is the size of a 5 year old child & you can see it here. AWESOME!!!
After the reptile room (s) you head outside to visit the other creatures. Monkeys, birds of prey, a tiger (I could go on) have been rescued from previous owners/​zoos who could no longer care for them adequately. Here, they are all kept in clean, well-​maintained cages & provided with excellent care. Mark, his wife & the employees clearly have a lot of love for these animals — they are treated like extended members of the family & everyone who worked at the zoo has extensive knowledge of each animal due to frequent interaction. Because of their previous domestication & constant attention from the caregivers at Luray Zoo, many of the animals are very accustomed to human interaction & will engage visitors. The petting zoo is also super fun because the llamas, goats & donkey were all too happy to come over & say hello. To address another reviewer’s concerns about the cage size for the birds, many of them have clipped wings as they were domesticated by their previous owners, meaning they cannot fly around their cages even if they wanted to. The zoo runs off of donations & admission fees, & all maintenance to the property is conducted by Mark & some helpers. So, everyone who works here is seriously invested in taking great care of these animals & seeing them thrive.
We spent close to 2 hours walking around & observing/​interacting with the animals. We would catch Mark walking across the facilities & ask him questions from time to time. He was always happy to answer our questions & teach us something new, he’s very knowledgeable about all the animals & would like nothing more than to talk to you about them.
All in all, this is a tidy zoo where the owners are doing an excellent job to educate the public about exotic animals. Even if you’re not a huge animal lover, make the time to stop by & visit because you will have a rare chance to get up & close with some of nature’s wonders. We will definitely be back.

My boyfriend and I spent an afternoon here and had a really great time. We listened to a venomous snake demo from Mark and I learned enough to diminish my fear of snakes in the wild. The collection of animals was very diverse, and the petting zoo included goats, llamas, rheas, emus, donkeys, and a female deer. There was a staff member in the petting zoo who answered questions and watched over the animals as visitors interacted with and fed them.
A highlight of the visit was seeing a mother wallaby with a tiny baby in her pouch. As we were watching her in her enclosure and admiring a Kookaburra in the neighboring space, Mark came by and shared some of his knowledge with us.
Since I am a bird lover, I think that the parrots could have used a few more treats and toys. I agree with another post that I saw that said that the zoo’s structures could use some TLC, but I also saw construction happening as I was there, so maybe they are already on it. You can tell from talking to Mark and the employees that the facility is well-​run and that the animals are cared for. If you want to see big changes, donate your time or some money to the zoo! Here’s their Amazon wish list:

Kudos for running an animal rescue, Luray Zoo staff, however i am BAFFLED how this zoo got such high ratings. My husband used to run a bird and reptile rescue so I know a thing or two about this — for starters the snake and reptile cages are way too small and desperately need foliage, something to hide under/​climb on, and most importantly more space! The bird living conditions were even more upsetting as they are unable to fly around in their cages. The cages of all the animals seemed so tiny and the animals looked very depressed (as an observer and animal lover). It was, overall, a saddening experience. I’m sure the budget is tight however, the place is very shabby and dilapidated. Seems they could get some volunteers or interns to hammer some nails and put up new plywood. I honestly think the place hasn’t been touched in more than a decade. Are the walkways even safe for children? The boards were coming up and the outdoor carpeting was loose. Sorry — I really don’t mean to nitpick but I have to be honest. On the positive end — the petting zoo seemed up to par, and full of happy and friendly animals. I do believe the animals are well taken care of, however, the place could really use a re-​analysis of the living spaces and some serious TLC.

I absolutely love this place. In all fairness I am a huge fan of snakes. And they have by far the best collection I’ve ever seen. The staff is very friendly and the owner is great. He’s gone out of his way to talk to us everytime we are there. This is a rescue zoo and as such, it is a small zoo. But they still have an impressive collection of animals. I can not recommend this place enough. It’s a must see if your near Luray.

This is a small zoo right on 211 outside of town. What is good about visiting here is that it is a rescue facility, so the admission money is going towards saving these animals. Nice reptile house and a cool selection of other animals, including a bengal tiger that the owner talked to us about. The owners are friendly and will tell you about all of the animals. The only thing I would mention is that when we went, fewer animals where there because of the cooler weather. Probably better to go when the weather is warmer, in the summer.

Loved the rescue zoo! What a great place to see the animals. The staff were awesome with the animals and I felt that it def. has it’s purpose and place. Kind of like the SPCA of zoo animals.

This is an amazing little zoo. All the animals are rescues, meaning they have come from people’s homes who couldn’t have an exotic pet, or from other zoos or even in the wild where they needed a home for the pets. We got to talk with the owner, who was very knowledgeable and welcoming. Watching the monkeys play was a highlight, as was the petting zoo! Do not let the outward appearance or the cost turn you away, it’s worth it and the money helps to rescue more animals!

Excellent little zoo! The staff were friendly, passionate, and knowledgeable. They certainly are doing an amazing job with what they have, rescuing these beautiful animals. Great for all ages, especially the petting zoo. Def don’t visit Luray without going — plan on spending about 1.5 to 2 hours or so. To be honest, we enjoyed it more than the Caverns!

Neat little zoo. Great reptile collection and petting zoo. Staff friendly and enthusiastic. Well worth the time.

For its intended purpose Luray Zoo is an excellent afternoon for the entire family. I had known the zoo had been there for a number of years. I had refused to visit because I know there are too many small zoos all over the country that keep animals captive only as a tourist side show. The Luray Zoo is different. The large animals and raptors are for the most part rescue animals. Either born is captivity or found in the wild injured. All seem well taken care of.
My son had a great time. Mark the owner took time to answer all of his questions. All in all the whole family had a great time. Admission is reasonable and a well stocked gift shop is also reasonably priced. Recommended.