If you live in the Tricities, you might soon be having your fall break.
Wondering what to do with the kids?
Consider taking a drive up to Gate City, VA to visit the Creation Kingdom Zoo! It’s just a short drive from Kingsport or Johnson City and is a unique activity to do with your family.
My family has a season pass to the Knoxville Zoo but I just didn’t want to drive to Knoxville with the 2-year-old this week. The Creation Kingdom Zoo was a great, affordable alternative that we all enjoyed.
I was immediately surprised by the close proximity of the animals. When we went to the counter to pay the admission fee, there were birds perched on the door next to us, watching us with curious eyes. My kids loved this! The monkeys and reptiles are just a few steps away. We spent several minutes (at least 20!) here feeding the monkeys and oohing/aahing over the baby monkey. Marc, the owner of Creation Kingdom, was very helpful and knowledgeable about the animals. He patiently answered my daughter’s questions while encouraging my kids to interact with the animals.
Throughout the rest of the zoo, you will be amazed at how close the animals are. They seem very content in their pens, yet curious to see who was visiting. Our favorite was the Bengal Tiger who was only 6 months old. He could be mistaken for an overgrown kitten, purring and nuzzling to get our attention! My kids ran out of apples by the time we got to the donkey and goat, so we headed back to the main building for refills….and of course, had to stop to visit the monkeys again!! Bella, the white Bengal Tiger, was stunning and majestic. She spent several moments pondering us while we admired her. There are over 34 exhibits being added over the next year. Wow! Overall our visit was just over an hour long. It was definitely a unique experience and we look forward to our next visit!
Boo at the Zoo is coming up October 28-30. Hot cocoa, hayrides, marshmallow roasting….sounds good to me! Discounts are available when you donate a canned food item and children are free with a paying adult!
When you go:
Plan to spend $10 per person above age 2.
You should also budget $2 per child for a small bucket of apple slices to feed to the animals. Don’t want to miss this experience, as it makes the entire visit very special and fun.
Use the restroom before you go. I didn’t see any public restrooms, only port-a-potties which we really try to avoid. If we had needed to change diapers while at the zoo, I probably would have done this in the car.
Show your kids the pictures online before your trip. My kids really enjoyed looking at the animals’ photos before we left. They anticipated which animals would be their favorites.
There is a small souvenir shop in the main building. Decide in advance whether you want your kids to go through here. My kids each chose one small souvenir and it was around $8 total.
Bring some hand sanitizer or use the bottle that is in the gift shop.
I received no discounts or compensation for this post. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.
A white Bengal Tiger! Zoos are so much fun. Lots of laughter, smiles, and family bonding. Sometimes changing it up and going to a different one really adds. Sounds like this was a winner for you.