Mill Mountain Zoo

I just left this zoo and it was completely fantastic! I cannot say enough about this zoo. It had beautiful animals in a captivating environment. As a zookeeper myself I understand the day to day struggles of keeping zoo animals. They had pristine water bowls and at 3 in the afternoon this is a huge accomplishment! The price was fair with all of the amazing animals you got to see. I will be coming back to this zoo!

We just left and I had to write. This zoo is really small, but it is perfect in every way.
The animals are unique: baby red pandas, wolverine and the staff is so friendly. Our daughters asked many questions and they happily answered all of them.
The zoo looks as if it was built into the environment, there is very little concrete, and the habitats are close. You can really see the animals up close.
We went through it in about 2 hours.

Located next to the Roanoke star atop Mill Mountain.
Nice place for a quick zoo visit. The kids that I saw there were having a great time seeing the animals and riding the miniature train. Whoever designed the train to look like a small Norfolk Southern train did an excellent job!
Now I know it on top of a mountain and some things have to be placed carefully to fit there, but the first thing one experiences in a trip to this zoo is one fairly long walk from the parking area to the entrance. I’m not sure how handicapped/​elderly are expected to be able to get there.
The exhibits are not viewer friendly, and the fences and places for animals to rest are definitely not camera friendly. The Snow Leopard for example was under what looked like a plywood box which was built with the back of the box facing the viewing area.
Combined with a visit to the Roanoke Star this was a nice diversion for 90 minutes.

Nice small zoo

My kids enjoy going there, they are young and it is manageable for small ones. My in-​laws gave us an annual membership as a Christmas present and we have used it so many times. It is important to support our local treasures, so check out membership.

It’s nothing big by any means, but I like to think of Mill Mountain Zoo as a landmark of Roanoke. It’s great for kids because they inevitably get tired at larger zoos, this is just the right size. All the animals are cared for expertly and loved by all their caretakers.
The gift shop has been remodeled as well-​check out the amazing mural inside, done by yours truly and friends.
I miss «Ruby» the Tiger-​RIP. But there are still many other amazing animals, the red panda, «Beau» the wolverine, the fisher cat, snow leopards, even the infamous escapee snow monkey «Oops».
If you’re in the Roanoke area, or even just visiting, this is the perfect sunny afternoon adventure.
They are open everyday, rain or shine, except for Christmas.

This zoo was a pleasant surprise. I’m used to big zoos in big cities (e.g., Brookfield in Chicago). This is a small zoo — you can easily cover it in a couple of hours and go home before everyone gets crabby. There is no attempt to be comprehensive; rather, their few exhibits are varied and attractive. I had never seen a Red Panda before, nor a Fisher Cat. Nicely landscaped with abundant shade. And yes, there is a miniature train ride that circles the grounds.