Plumpton Park Zoo

There are obvious advantages to coming to a zoo like this one because the atmosphere is more laid back, you can get closer to everything and naturally the prices are far more reasonable than a visit to Philly or Baltimore.
The downside would be zero staff interaction, no interpretive programs that exist at similar sized zoos and you really have to wonder about the enclosure size that certain animals are kept in because for a few it’s clearly not right.
We spent almost two hours here last week and to my surprise upon arriving the parking lot was actually filled up more than I thought it would be for a Monday but even with that nothing felt overly crowded during our visit.
The one real letdown we had was the one time we had to interact with some staff. We get to the window to pay and see there are three young «kids» who are «working». One of them is sitting down with headphones on and is oblivious to the fact that paying customers are standing at the window, another guy sees us and then walks out of the building while the third person is doing all the work waiting on the snack bar side/​gift shop side of the building then eventually getting to us.
The map they give you is key as the map on their website is not indicative to where animals are currently. Certain animals like the giraffe and the watuzi are in the same places but other animals like the chickens are in a different spot and other animals like the bear cubs are not even on the map.
Worth noting is that on weekends you can feed their giraffe, Jimmie, at certain times for an additional fee and on a daily basis you can buy cups of feed for the animals in the «petting zoo» area which isn’t really an area as the animals are more scattered on the one side of the zoo. The map they give has the appropriate animals color coded for feeding which is good because there is no signage telling you which are alright to feed.
Overall we had a good time here as the size is very manageable, there is a good mix of animals and the setting is very bucolic out in the middle of nowhere rural Maryland. But, certain animal enclosures (tigers, python, prairie dogs) are not right for the animals and there is no staff interaction like you would find at any other zoo where you can see animals getting fed at a scheduled time or some kind of «meet the keeper» type of program that tells the public what is going on.
It’s neat, it’s cute, it’s good for something new but it doesn’t replace what you would get at a big boy zoo in any way, shape or form.
If you go:
Plumpton Park is open year round except for Thanksgiving & Christmas Day normally from 10 – 4 or from 10 – 5. Admission is Adults $ 11.95, Seniors $ 9.95, Children (Ages 2 — 12) $ 7.95,
Children (under 2) FREE but discounts are available online that help to lower the price a bit.

What a cute lil zoo! The family and I wanted to enjoy our Labor Day weekend and we decided to go to the zoo. I wanted to go somewhere other than the Baltimore Zoo or the DC Zoo. Basically wanted to try something new.
The Zoo is small. You can knock out it out in an hour. Yet, for the size it was fun and we actually got to see animals. that weren’t sleeping! Well except for the tigers… but there were peacocks roaming free and donkeys trying to get some love. It was really nice and clean. The playground/​picnic area was also nice to finish the day off with.
Keep in mind this zoo is small and the gift store is also the food stand and ticket place. Your not getting much but it doesn’t take away from the fun.

This has been our favorite family get-​away when we need to escape the daily hustle. The kids love it and the zoo is small enough that the kiddies don’t get tired. We often bring a picinic and do this year round. I have been to many of their fundraising events and love being a part of it all. The staff and volunteers are wonderful and truly care about the animals.

We had a great day here with our daughter and what I call cheap fun! The park is fairly spread out, but not very big at all. We spent maybe an hour here, but that is mostly because our baby fell asleep. I’m glad we brought our jogging stroller because the entire park’s walkways are stones and dirt. I saw a few people struggling with regular strollers.
They had a decent amount of animals (Giraffe, Bears, Zebras, Tigers, etc…) The only thing we were missing were Elephants and Lions. They could also use a little more signage. There were a few areas we were looking at where the animal was asleep and we had no idea what was there.
Near the bears they are building new construction for Jimmie The Giraffe which is great. However, as we are walking a loud dodge ram full of construction workers rolls by and kicks up all kinds of dust. We didn’t have much room to get out of their way and they didn’t seem to care too much at all the dirt/​dust they kicked up next to our 10month old baby. I would probably give my review a 2*, but it’s not the zoo’s fault for their ignorance.

The zoo has potential. It was nice to get up lose to many of. Animals. Most of the exhibits felt very sad. The hawk repeatedly flew into his cage, the Bears looked very unhappy, the serval paced… And we unfortunately found a dead peacock.
What a depressing time

Very nice zoo in a rural area. They have quite a few animals there including a giraffe, zebras and bears as well as an owl, a small monkey and goats. It’s very open and spacious. The staff was friendly and discreet; they didn’t get in the way at all (and would have helped if any assistance was needed.) It’s a very relaxed environment and really cool to reflect with some really beautiful animals.

Great for kids.

The Plumpton Park Zoo is a great place to go if you want to see the animals up close. You won’t find yourself standing five feet from a bear in many other places.
The zoo is a quiet, friendly environment where you won’t be craning your neck over crowds of people to see the animals. They also have many unique animals for a small zoo.

Military Discount $ 2 off admission. (Member only)
Visited on 14 July 2012
Wow, what a great little zoo. My wife grew up in Baltimore, and has been to their zoo many time, so we weren’t interested in traversing on concrete walks and dilapidated displays.
We had heard that Plumpton was a bit different than Baltimore’s zoo, and so we decided to try them out. Glad we did.
First thing we noticed is that there were Male Peacocks everywhere strutting their feathers for the one or two females (we saw one up by the turkeys).
There were lots of healthy interesting animals on display, some that you could pet, and others that you might not really want to pet. There were a bunch of different large cats from around the Western Hemisphere (ya know North & South America). A couple of American Bison, a Double Humped Camel, an Emu and an Ostrich. They have these really cute little tiny Asian Deer (Munjak) and a Doe that sneezes on you… eeewwwhhh…LOL!!! (Take a peek at my pictures).
There are lots of interesting animals, a small concession stand, and a rather nice picnic grounds under the shade of the trees.

I’ve been going to this zoo since I was a little girl and not much has changed now that I’m taking my own son. It’s the same size and has pretty much the same species of animals that I remember from 20 years ago. Although size-​wise, this small, community zoo cannot compare to larger zoos I’ve been to, it’s never overly crowded and there are a nice variety of animals. They have a Giraffe, monkeys, bear, cougar, bison, etc. There’s even donkeys, sheep and goats which you can reach to pet. Peacocks roam freely, which is a cool touch. Although the paths to each habitat are not paved, which makes it tough with a stroller and can get muddy in spots, they rent wagons for kids. There’s plenty of shade, so you’re not roasting the whole time on hot, summer days. They also have a small (outdoor) gift area and café with food. I believe you are also allowed to bring a picnic lunch.
I definitely recommend for small children, since it’s not crowded and you are able to get right up to each animal.

Plumpton Park Zoo is a really nice Zoo in a rural area just minutes from I95. The Zoo has a wide range of animals including a giraffe, camels zebra, bison, primates and much more. It is one of the best kept secretes in northern Maryland.