Central Virginia's Own Zoo in Richmond

Richmond, VA is only three hours away from the D.C. Zoo but there is the traffic and large crowds to deal with once you get there. And though the D.C. Zoo is great, it is a very long drive for small children and the crowds can make even the calmest parents want to pull out their hair.

A closer and much less crowded option is Richmond's own zoo, the Metro Richmond Zoo located in Chesterfield County just off of Rout 360 (Hull Street Road). Thanks to the new highway 288, the zoo is now even easier for those that live north of the James River to get there.

This zoo, though small, has many great attractions for the family. There are giraffes and antelope to pet and feed, along with the normal barnyard animals such as goats, horses, etc. Twice a day, families can watch the penguins being feed and then ask questions of their keeper. The penguins are African penguins and are quite friendly and will come as close as they can to the fence, which makes for wonderful picture opportunities. There is also the new Safari Sky ride that will take you on a 15 minute ride over the zoo for $3.00 person above the age of 2.

Many other animals call this zoo home. Two beautiful tigers and a male lion will please any large cat lover, while Ape Island is sure to send the whole family into belly hugging laughter with their many antics. The smaller monkeys are very cute, though it must be warned that sometimes the babies will leave squeeze out of the gates and try to follow. There are also a fair number of birds, larger mammals and even some very large tortoises just to name a few of the 600 animals.

The Metro Zoo is open year round with the exception of Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, New Years Day, and bad ice/snow conditions. Hours are from 9:30am - 5:00pm everyday with weather exceptions. Every December there is a live re-enactment of the Christmas story featuring animals from the zoo that is free to the public. Regular admission is $9.25 for Adults (12 -60), $8.25 for Seniors (60+), Children are $7.25 and kids under 2 are free.

Annual passes can also be bought for the price of three day passes. For me and my family the annual passes are the best rout and it makes for nice little Saturday afternoon trips. For more information please visit www.metrorichmondzoo.com or call (804) 739-5666. If you are planning a trip to visit during the winter months, please call ahead to make sure that they are open.