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Reston Zoo, any good?
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Anonymous
| If the weather is decent on Sunday I'm getting out somewhere with my DD. She's 15 mos. I'm debating if I should take her to the Reston Zoo. Can you get fairly close to the animals? If not I may skip it and take her to the National Zoo and go to the Amazonia exhibit and a few select outdoor ones. I can't decide which place would be more fun for her. |
Anonymous
|
Reston Zoo is $10 a person, but free for 2 and under, BUT you have to pay extra for feeding the animals, the pony rides, etc. But the tractor ride is free, just watch out for camels who get in your face and frighten some of the younger visitors.
Your DD may be a little too young - does she get scared easily? Does her interest last more than a second? |
Anonymous
|
It's way overpriced.
Yes, you can get close to the animals. There's a wagon ride that takes you around the more exotic animals and they reach in and try to take your food. I'd definitely do the National Zoo. I think zoos owned by individuals are creepy. |
Anonymous
|
My kids LOVE the Reston Zoo. Yes, you can get really close and it's fun to feed the animals. We went twice this fall and my kids really enjoyed it. I think it's a nice way to spend the day if the weather is nice on Sunday.
It is nothing like the National Zoo. It is much smaller and more manageable, IMO. Also depends where you are. We live near Reston, so for us it's easier than making a trek into DC and doing a ton of walking. |
Anonymous
| Check before you go--they do close for a few months in the winter. |
Anonymous
| honestly, i would not patronize a zoo that is not accredited by the national association of zoos and aquariums. that is the only way you know the animals are treated appropriately and the mission is conservation/education and not profit/entertainment. |
Anonymous
|
It is great! Yes, it is expensive, but since you wont' have to pay for DD.... You will have to pay for the bottle of milk and/or dry food to feed the animals. You can also pay (your DD would probably love) to have a pony ride. Keep some of the dry food for the camels - they come right to the truck to be fed (if you DD gets scared of that, just "hide" the food).
During the ride you can also see Zebras, and other "exotic" animals that I forgot right now. IMHO it is totally worth it. |
Anonymous
god forbid someone opens a for-profit business in the USA anymore .... 
a profitable business has the most incentive to keep their animals healthy, as opposed to the National Zoo where the animals drop dead left and right ... |
Anonymous
|
The Reston zooid great for the younger crowd. The national zoo is too big and everything is to far away (you can't touch and you have to stand at a distance.
For a kid under 2 who who has not been to the zoo before, Amy animal would be cool to touch even goats. And the hayride is great! |
Anonymous
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Pp here, I'm on my iPhone so please ignore spelling and gra
mer |
Anonymous
| My kids loved the Reston Zoo at that age! It's expensive, but fun. They really enjoyed feeding the animals. |
Anonymous
I agree. At 15 months, a small zoo is much more appropriate then the National Zoo. |
Anonymous
| PP here. And the Reston zoo is wonderful. I loved it as a kid, and now my kids love it. |
Anonymous
|
The Reston Zoo is hardly "wonderful", unless very small and not so modern animal enclosures are your thing. Some of it is fine - feeding the sheep, pigs, etc. But, the wild animal enclosures are, frankly, small and not the best. They are, literally, cages in most instances.
Some of the animals look quite unhappy, in my view and that of my DH (as well as friends). I'm not saying don't go but it is not a modern, well-equipped zoo. |
Anonymous
who would possibly care if the wild beasts are in cages or not? |