First of all, I must say that I had NO intention of going to ZooAmerica during my visit to Hershey. After all, I knew it had only North American animals. Why would I want to see a bunch of deer and stuff I could see running across the road in my hometown? However, I got suckered in upon learning visiting the zoo would only cost an additional $2 as part of a package deal with sites we were already going to see. In the end, I actually enjoyed ZooAmerica quite a bit, and it was nice to see a different take on the modern zoo even without the lions, tigers, and elephants.

General Information
ZooAmerica is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, directly next to HersheyPark. You really will have no trouble finding it once you get within thirty miles of Hershey. Just follow the signs for Hershey attractions. Free parking is available next to the zoo.

Regular admission to the zoo is a bit steep at $8.00 for adults and $7.00 for children and seniors. However, hardly anyone is paying full price to visit. ZooAmerica admission is free with a visit to HersheyPark. We got our tickets as part of a $19.00 per person package including admission to Hershey Gardens and the Hershey Museum. I actually learned after the fact that we could have visited for free as part of our local zoos AZA reciprocal view, but oh well. Zoo hours vary seasonally, but tend to be quite lengthy. The zoo was open from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. the day of our visit. You will definitely only need about an hour to fully tour the zoo, unless you plan on catching more than one of the timed zookeeper presentations on various animals.

The Animals
One thing I really liked about ZooAmerica is that each and every animal could be seen by following a clearly marked “recommended route”. So many zoos are poorly laid out, which causes guests to miss certain animals. The recommended route was not crowded at all, and circled around the entire park, which is divided loosely into five geographic areas of North America. These are North Woods, Big Sky Country, Cactus Community, Eastern Woodlands, and Grassy Waters. One tip – take your time moving through the exhibits. It will not take you very long at all to move through the zoo, and it doesn’t make sense to double back to see things again because the zoo is set up around a river with only a couple of points at which to cross. We moved slowly and looked at each exhibit and were still finished touring in about an hour.

Admittedly, North American animals are not as exciting as animals from other continents. For one thing, they are not as brightly colored, and for another, we tend to see them commonly. However, a few exhibits were still quite interesting. The best overall exhibit is the Cactus Community. Various dessert animals can be seen in this building, including some that were new to me such as an unusual-looking spotted skunk. The Gila monster was a particular favorite of mine. Part of the building is completely dark to display nocturnal animals. The bats were a big hit with visitors. Grassy Waters is a second indoor viewing area where viewers can see fierce looking American alligators and crocodiles as well as other animals who enjoy a swampy environment. Another great area is the black bear environment. There were two playful bears on view the day I visited, and they entertained viewers by jumping in and out of the water. Viewing is available both above and below the water line. Especially popular with children is the Prairie Dog Town. If you’ve ever seen one of these before, you know that prairie dogs hop from one burrow to the next and generally act silly.

I am not really a fan of birds, but if you are, you will be in heaven. There are probably more birds on display at ZooAmerica than any other type of animal. I did enjoy the owls, which were available in barn, screech, and barred varieties. Other birds include golden eagles, turkey vultures, tundra swans, ravens, and red-tailed hawks. I did think that some of the birds’ enclosures seemed a little on the small side.

Eating and Shopping
ZooAmerica is possibly the least commercial zoo I’ve seen. Very few souvenirs are being hawked, except for a small selection of stuffed animals and post cards near the park entrance. Perhaps this is because most children would rather get a stuffed Hershey Kiss at nearby Hershey Park than, say, a stuffed turkey vulture or whitetail deer. Food and drinks are available at three locations at the zoo. One is near the Cactus Community building, another is next to the black bear viewing area, and a third is near Prairie Dog Town. One was closed during our visit, and neither of the other two had any sort of a line. Most zoo visits are quite short, so I can’t imagine needing to eat a meal while there. Head over to Hershey’s Chocolate World and get yourself some chocolate instead. Restrooms are, oddly enough, only available at the very front of the park in the admissions building.

Overall…
ZooAmerica is not, by any means, a must-see attraction. I can find more animal diversity at my local zoo in South Bend, Indiana. However, it was nice to see some of these often-ignored North American animals get a little attention and recognition. If you want a break from the more crowded Hershey attractions during your visit, ZooAmerica provides a nice change of pace. The zoo is easy to tour and the facilities are relatively nice. The $8.00 full price is highway robbery, so do try to visit as part of a combo pack.

Recommended: Yes