Been to the Ashboro Zoo, but its been MANY years (think, middle school). Never been to the Virginia Zoo. Va is closer to me but I'll drive to Ashboro if the NC zoo is better.

Anyone been to both? Suggestions as to which is a "bigger and better" zoo?

8/30/2007 5:56:57 PM

hmmm i've never even heard of the Virginia Zoo

we always just went to the National Zoo

8/30/2007 6:01:10 PM

I live on the Outer Banks...didn't even think about the Nat'l Zoo! Might be a crazy day though...especially driving through DC! I think that might be better suited for a weekend trip

8/30/2007 6:03:23 PM

From the Outer Banks, the National Zoo is closer than Asheboro and well worth it! I never even heard of the Zoo in Norfolk, but I assume its sucks. Traffic shouldn't be a problem if you time everything right.

8/30/2007 6:16:21 PM

I've never been to the ashboro zoo

but I live in norfolk, and I've been to the zoo here many times.

I wouldn't recommend driving more than 15 miles just to go to it

8/30/2007 7:35:05 PM

I went to the asheboro zoo this summer and made a day out of it. Walked around the whole thing and only a couple animals were not visible. I was impressed. Usually when I go to a zoo like that, all the animals are hiding or something.

8/30/2007 7:40:40 PM

^^^^ glad the tourists are finally leaving?

8/30/2007 8:21:31 PM

YES I'm seriously thrilled...man they give me a headache!

Hmm, so I'm thinking the Nat'l Zoo might be the winner here! It'll cost more but it sounds like it'll be worth it. Might be able to see a few other things in DC too...though that'll make for a cramped weekend.

8/30/2007 8:38:11 PM

It might be just me, but was there a ton more people from Jersey this summer?

8/30/2007 9:29:54 PM

yes...it seemed like it. I was actually behind one of them today. Whew, I think we were barely hitting 20mph...it was ridiculous!

8/30/2007 9:38:45 PM

maryland and nj were my problem states the past few weeks. this week it was virginia and dc.

8/30/2007 9:40:37 PM

They better be gone by the time I get there on Sunday and I can't wait to eat at Basnights again! This is way off topic now.

8/30/2007 9:41:11 PM

I don't have time to read the whole thread but I do know that the asheboro zoo was/still is the largest zoo in the nation in terms of actual space (not the amt of animals). Which is good for certain animals like grazing/herd type animals. I don't know anything about virginian zoos.

8/30/2007 11:03:07 PM

i like the national zoo better just because it has more types of animals (like ones native to asia) than asheboro....but i havent been there in a long time..

8/31/2007 12:17:27 AM

Ashboro is one of the largest "natural" habitat zoos in the country. but the con to that is that the animals have so much room you don't always see them. its a nice zoo

I've also been to the knoxville zoo recently and wasnt too impressed.

Never been to the national zoo

8/31/2007 12:48:44 AM

The Asheboro Zoo, from everything I've ever heard, is generally considered superior to its counterpart in VA. Asheboro has a wide selection of animals in open habitats that aren't horribly depressing to look at.

The downside right now is that it is still pretty hot, so activity for a lot of the animals (especially in the N. America section) will be limited. A polar bear in 80 degree heat is a pretty pitiful sight.

8/31/2007 1:18:48 AM

National Zoo is nice, they just added an Asia section but I think it's probably one of the smaller zoo's I've been to. But when you're done there's so many other things to do

8/31/2007 2:23:54 AM

the national zoo sucks really bad. it's nothing compared to the asheboro zoo. the national zoo is small, the animals are in small cages, and generally seem unhappy. they pace and pace and pace and pace. many of them looked sick. seriously, i've been to many many many zoos in this country and the national zoo was one of the worst. on the other hand, the asheboro zoo is very nice. it's a big zoo with the more natural type habitats. they animals don't seem unhappy or unhealthy. it's a much nicer experience and you could make a day of it. the national zoo will not take that long, half a day at the most. i've been to the national zoo within the last 2 years and the asheboro zoo within the last 3. i highly recommend any behind the scenes tours that are available at any zoo.

Quote :

"Hmm, so I'm thinking the Nat'l Zoo might be the winner here! It'll cost more but it sounds like it'll be worth it. Might be able to see a few other things in DC too...though that'll make for a cramped weekend."

please don't make this mistake.

[Edited on August 31, 2007 at 8:31 AM. Reason : ]

8/31/2007 8:29:50 AM

I have pictures from the Asheboro zoo if you wanna see how beautiful it is, lemme know

9/1/2007 5:39:04 PM

The NC Zoo is much nicer than the Virginia Zoo. With that said, if you're in Norfolk, the Virginia Zoo is worth a few hours of your time.

9/1/2007 5:41:28 PM

the asheboro zoo is really nice, they recently added something to it if I remember correctly, last time I went was in 2004, but its an amazing zoo.

9/2/2007 3:28:58 PM

Quote :

"At over 2,000 acres (810 ha), it is the largest walk-through zoo in the world, and one of only two state-owned zoos in the United States."

What they should do next is to import some pandas!

6/4/2014 9:48:25 AM

^thanks for that piece of information, shoot. I always that the NC zoo was cool, but I didn't know it was #1 in several aspects or at least a leader in the field. Cool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Zoo

6/4/2014 12:07:51 PM

That's pretty superb actually.

6/4/2014 1:32:21 PM

If you happen to make it down to Columbia at any point, the Riverbanks Zoo is actually quite nice & easily the best thing the city has to offer. It's not on the scale of the Asheboro Zoo though, as you can easily get through the whole park in half a day.

6/4/2014 1:38:17 PM

I've heard of it.

6/4/2014 1:39:48 PM

Asheboro Zoo sucks ass. It's sweltering, and there is no escape from the heat pounding down on the concrete. 95% of the guests are gigantic landwhales that reek under the unrelenting sun, leaving behind pools of perspiration. Then you'll stand in line for an hour to pay $5 for a bottle of water. Last time we went (about a month ago), about 1/3 of the exhibits were closed.

Riverbanks Zoo is pretty awesome.

6/4/2014 1:57:10 PM

Are you from SC?

6/4/2014 2:05:07 PM

^^Is it really that bad? Like, not worth going to?

6/4/2014 2:09:01 PM

don't listen to the moron paying more attention to fatties than the animals.

6/4/2014 2:19:58 PM

No, I am not from SC.

And yes, I have been to the Asheboro Zoo many times, I won't go again. The other parts of the experience outweighed the pretty animals. I'd much rather hit the Greensboro Sciquarium or the Conservators Center.

6/4/2014 2:22:51 PM

NC Zoo is by far one of the best zoos in the country. There is plenty of shade there, but yes, it is in NC, so afternoons in the summer are pretty miserable. That's also the worst time to see animals as they are also hot and probably far off under trees and whatnot. If you're going to the zoo in the summer, plan to get there early, like when they open early.

also, they have water fountains. don't buy bottled water you fucks.

[Edited on June 4, 2014 at 4:17 PM. Reason : i live in virginia. the only zoos i know of are shitty with all the animals pretty confined.]

6/4/2014 4:16:38 PM

I've been to Beijing Zoo and Atlanta Zoo too. NC Zoo is the best among the three.

6/4/2014 4:35:49 PM

NC Zoo is awesome. And they just added a bunch of new stuff.

But yes, it can be miserable on a hot day, I wouldn't plan on going unless you're cool with being outdoors for the day. On an 80 degree day its no problem, when it starts hitting 98, I'd go to the NC aquariums.

6/4/2014 4:59:33 PM

No tourist will go outdoor on a humid summer afternoon. And same as animals. Isn't it normal?

6/4/2014 5:05:01 PM

I went to the zoo several weeks ago. I enjoyed the experience although it was quite hot and we were apparently there on a popular weekend; the whole place was filled with lots of kids running and screaming everywhere. I imagine if I had gone in the middle of the week early in the morning it probably would not have been as busy.

I do agree with Beethoven about the clientele. I felt like I was at an outdoors Walmart.

6/4/2014 7:08:02 PM

^Anywhere that caters to kids and doesn't have a name that starts or ends with "museum" is going to be like that during peak times.

6/4/2014 7:43:04 PM

That means it's super popular.

6/4/2014 7:47:44 PM

NC Zoo:

Quote :

"At over 2,000 acres (810 ha), it is the largest walk-through zoo in the world"

had no idea

6/4/2014 7:52:37 PM

I did both Riverbanks and NC Zoo in the same week two months ago. Field trip with my 1st grader to NC Zoo and then an overnight with Cub Scouts at Riverbanks.

NC Zoo has more realistic habitats and a lot more space. I think it is a better zoo for the animals honestly. But being so big and spread out it does take a while to cover. Usually it is sweltering out there walking in all of the areas with not a lot of shade, but on this day it was really damp and cool, so it wasn't the most fun for a 1st grader. Also its not like there is a ton of dining choices nearby and Asheboro does get pretty busy and backed up with traffic, even on a regular day.

Riverbanks is a lot smaller than the NC Zoo. As previously mentioned it is a lot easier to knock out, especially with small kids. Its also got a lot more shade, so its a "cooler" zoo. The enclosures are a lot smaller though, so it isn't as realistic an environment for the animals. But that also means the animals have less space to hide, so we saw pretty much everything. And being near downtown, there is a lot more dining and other activities you can do before and after your trip. But you are still just in Columbia, SC. Also Riverbanks pulls in a lot more visitors every year (700k+ for NC Zoo, but over a million at Riverbanks).

6/5/2014 6:43:55 AM

My suggestion for the NC Zoo is to tour "Africa" in the morning when you first get there. Africa has more walking and the animals are more likely to be out in the morning... Those are the animals that kids want to see the most anyway. (rhinos, elephants, giraffes, lions, chimps, etc....)

North America is smaller and a lot of those animals are things you may have seen before at other zoos/aquariums... So if the kids are worn out by the time you get to North America, it isn't that big of a deal if you end up skipping some of the exhibits (Gators, buffalo, bear, etc...)

My fav. thing in North America is the Polar Bear

6/7/2014 8:04:59 AM

Africa>>>North America
Rumor says they r gonna build an Asia part a while ago.

6/7/2014 8:46:44 AM

lol, shoot is reminding me of that line from the first rocky movie.

"retards like the zoo"

6/7/2014 11:33:56 AM