Zoo America is a small zoo connected to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. The zoo features North American animals and can easily be visited in an hour. If you just want to visit the zoo, there is a zoo parking lot off of Park Avenue. Parking here is free. At the zoo entrance you can only purchase admission to the zoo, not to Hershey Park itself. If you are spending the day at Hershey Park, the zoo is included in your park admission and can be accessed by a bridge near the Kissing Tower ride. If you are at the park and don’t want to take the time to walk around the zoo but want a quick glance at the animals, the monorail goes over the zoo.
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Zoo America is divided into five regions: Southern Swamps, The Great Southwest, Eastern Woodlands, Big Sky Country, and the Northlands. Southern Swamps and The Great Southwest are indoor exhibits with most of the animals behind glass, while the other three areas are outdoor exhibits. On a busy day the indoor exhibit areas can get crowded, making it harder to see the animals. The outdoor exhibits are spaced out enough that they don’t feel as crowded. The zoo is more crowded on days that Hershey Park is open, so if you only want to go to the zoo, try to pick a day that Hershey Park is closed. On our most recent visit in March there were maybe ten other people in the entire zoo.
Because the zoo only features North American animals, you won’t find giraffes, lions, or elephants here but you will see wolves, elk, deer, black bears, eagles, and lots of creepy crawly things.
The zoo is arranged in a circular path, making it easy to walk around and see everything. Due to its small size, you could easily walk around the entire zoo and linger at some of the animals and only spend an hour there.
My Takeaway
If you are looking for a quick activity to do in Hershey, PA you might enjoy Zoo America but if you are looking for a zoo to spend a day at you will be better off heading to either the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, PA or the National Zoo in Washington D.C. If you are looking for something local, I believe that Lake Tobias, located about 45 minutes from Hershey, provides a better zoo experience for a similar price.