Lehigh Valley Zoo
While my granddad was visiting us here in Pennsylvania, we tried to find a variety of places he would enjoy visiting and that we hadn’t experienced yet either. One of the places that we chose was the Lehigh Valley Zoo. I think this might be the first place we’ve gone that I wouldn’t recommend people to visit. We heard great things but this place is not what the locals rave about. I’m almost surprised I’m sharing this place on our blog because we were that disappointed by it. I’m well aware we are spoiled by the exceptional zoos in Denver and Colorado Springs,CO but this one really surprised us.
The only zoo animals are the zebras, lynx, kangaroos, the one giraffe, and a couple others. There are no lions, tigers, bears, elephants, koalas, monkeys or any other standard zoo animal. I don’t feel like raccoons, skunks, prairie dogs, or a Palomino horse qualify as a zoo animals but those are the main animal attractions at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.
Animal Experiences aren’t free, they are extra, unlike any other zoo I’ve ever been to. What I mean by “animal experiences” is animal presentations not interactions. I’ve never experienced going to a zoo that charges extra for presentations. In addition, if you aren’t there at the exact moment an “animal experience” you can’t get in. We showed up less than 5 minutes late to one, we were not allowed in, and they were only displaying a snake.
The reptile/amphibian exhibit building doesn’t fit more than 20 people and so it’s impossible to get around in there. There are a variety of frogs, snake, and lizards. There’s one small alligator in the corner exhibit. It’s very underwhelming.
We opted to do the Larakeet exhibit with some of our extra tokens. Our 2 y/o got a little startled when a bird flew at him in the Larakeet exhibit and stepped off the walkway onto the rock bed surrounding the small path and the worker immediately snapped at us abruptly demanding he get back on the path right away. No one was being out of control or unsafe, he simply stepped back into a rocked area out of concern. We felt like that was pretty ridiculous, especially considering there was no signage about staying on the path.
In short – The exhibits are laughable and most of the staff are unhelpful & unfriendly. Admission + activities makes this a bit pricey. $100 for 5 people is a lot for this experience.
The drive there up there and back down is nice but I feel like that’s about the most mention-worthy thing about the zoo. You can see a variety of elk as you drive down the scenic route which was a nice to see, it reminded us a bit of Colorado. There weren’t any other animals out in the fenced areas that we saw driving through, so I can’t speak to other animals on the drive.
Admission & Hours
November 1 – March 31
- Adults (12y -64) – $10
- Seniors (65+) – $10
- Children (2-11) – $10
- 2 & Under – Free
April 1 – October 31
- Adults (12y -64) – $13
- Seniors (65+) – $12
- Children (2-11) – $10
- 2 & Under – Free
Overall, I️ can’t say we would recommend the Lehigh Valley Zoo if you are looking for a real zoo experience. If you are looking for a fairly cheap entrance fee and something to get you out of the house, I️ can see it being something someone might enjoy. For us though, I️ think we will opt to drive a bit further to one of the other zoos within a couple of hours ofus.
