Virginia Zoological Park

Good morning!

I recently traveled to Norfolk in southern Virginia, during which I visited two zoos, an aquarium, and a handful of museums. This post is on the Virginia Zoological Park, known more colloquially as the Virginia Zoo.

It is my first post on Virginia tourist attractions:

J1: Virginia Zoological Park (this post)

This is my backlog of other Virginia sites:

• Virginia Living Museum

• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

• Virginia Air & Space Science Center

• Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

All of the pictures in this post were taken by me except for the map of the zoo. If you want to use any of my photos, please contact me to first obtain permission.

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VIRGINIA ZOOLOGICAL PARK

3500 Granby St
Norfolk, VA 23504

Website: https://virginiazoo.org/

Hours:

Open Daily, 9:30 AM - 4 PM.

Last admission is at 3 PM.

Cost (as of 2026):

Adults (Ages 12+): $20
Seniors (Ages 62+): $18
Children (Ages 2 - 11): $17
College Students: $12
Adults & Children through the Virginia PowerUp! Program for Medicaid: $7

(These prices include a $2.05 Conservation and Technology Fee so the base price is actually lower).

$2 discount for military, first responders, teachers, Norfolk residents, City of Norfolk employees and their dependents, and foster families.

Advance reservations are required for anyone attending during Sensory Friendly Morning.

Before Spring Break (April 4 - 12, 2026), there is a $2 discount to guests who book their tickets online in advance.

The Virginia Zoo participates in the AZA Reciprocity program at the 50% rate. Members of all other participating zoos (whether those zoos participate at 50% or 100%) get 50% off the admission rate at the Virginia Zoo. And Virginia Zoo members get 50% off the admission of all participating zoos (regardless of whether that zoo participates at 50% or 100%).

AZA Reciprocal tickets can be bought online or in person.

Since I was a member of Buttonwood Park Zoo, I got 50% off admission. However, the numbers are tricky because of the Conservation and Technology Fee. You would think that 50% off of $20 would be $10. But general admission is really a $17.95 base price + $2.05 fee, so with the AZA discount you have a $8.95 discounted price + $2.05 fee = $11 total.

Parking is free.

Estimated Time: 1 - 2 hours.

The Virginia Zoo is a medium-sized zoo that you can finish in 1 or 2 hours. I went to 3 of the free keeper/educator chats, visited the Asia and Africa sections three times each to try and see certain animals, and actively looked for employees to get trading cards so I actually spent 4.5 hours at the zoo, which is not typical.

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SUMMARY

The Virginia Zoo is a medium-size zoo that I would normally rate as "average" (2 stars) but the fun and compelling trading card system is enough to boost the rating up to "good" (3 stars).

The trading cards are new, having only been implemented in the past year and there are only around 20 at the moment. In addition, a lot of employees have not made it a regular habit of carrying cards and the card distribution seems rather random as opposed to the specific criteria and locations listed on the website. The only other zoo I have found that has a trading card system is the Oakland Zoo, which has had trading cards for a numbers of years and have well over a 100 different cards. Oakland Zoo has developed their system over time and many employees are good about carrying them. It's the main draw of the zoo for me and is enough to take an average 2-star zoo (Oakland Zoo) to an excellent 4 stars in the case of Oakland Zoo. Similarly, Virginia is a 2-star zoo that is currently at 3 stars due to their trading cards but if they are able to refine their system they could be up there at 4 stars with Oakland.

Besides the trading cards, the highlights of the Virginia Zoo included a baby orangutan. I was able to get excellent views of rock hyraxes and Patagonia cavies, which are rarer inhabitants of U.S. zoos. And I got some great pictures of Malaysian tapirs and a Cape porcupine.

The biggest disappointment was not being able to see much of the red panda. While there is a nice red panda habitat, the red panda spent most of the time in an air-conditioned hut. A better designed habitat could make one side of the hut into a window (maybe even a one-way window if privacy is important) or install a video camera with an interior view.

Like with many other zoos, the map makes the Virginia Zoo appear bigger than it really is. The largest concentration of animals are in Asia: Trail of the Tiger, African Safari Trail, Zoo Farm, and World of Reptiles & Friends. Large sections of the map are bereft of animals. There are a handful of turtles in the Turtle Oasis, alpacas in Flora Point, and no critters in the Animal Wellness Campus. I took more pictures than normal in the reptile house. I'm not sure if it's because Virginia Zoo has more reptiles than normal or whether it was because there were fewer animals outside which let me spend more time and battery power with the reptiles!

While I got to see most of the zoo residents, I did not see the Asian small-clawed otters, binturong, or African painted dog. Some of the maps reference a bison in Flora Point but that habitat was empty - newer maps and the website omit mention of any bison. I didn't see the yellow-backed duiker but small deer are often elusive at zoos. There is also an exhibit that formerly hosted prairie dogs but is now occupied by some turtles. I only got to see the red panda for a short amount of time and got brief glimpses of the alpaca and lion.

The Virginia Zoo has a variety of free Guest Engagement Activities, usually spaced out every 30 - 60 minutes. While I would have loved to have attended the Zoo Tales event, unfortunately, my flight did not arrive early enough to accommodate that. I did, however, attend 2 keeper chats (bongo & perentie monitor) and 1 educator chat (cassowary). The bongo chat was underwhelming - there was no formal presentation, it was just an employee hanging around to answer any questions. I passed by the area several times wondering where the keeper chat was before finally finding the employee. They were able to point out the 2 female and 1 male bongos though. The cassowary educator chat provided basic facts about cassowaries and had some sample feathers to look at. It would mainly appeal to kids. Besides me, there were only 1 or 2 other people at the bongo and cassowary chats. The perentie monitor chat, on the other hand, was extremely crowded with a large group of summer camp kids. The chat started off slow with the keeper answering a bunch of basic questions from the children. Where it got interesting is when the keeper did a feeding session for the monitors.

Here is how the Virginia Zoo stacks up compared to other zoos:

5 stars:

• San Diego Zoo (San Diego, CA)
• Brookfield Zoo (Brookfield, IL)
• Taipei Zoo (Taipei City, Taiwan)

4 stars:

• San Diego Safari Park (San Diego, CA)
• Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (Cincinnati, OH)
• Oklahoma City Zoo (Oklahoma City, OK)
• Milwaukee County Zoo (Milwaukee, WI)
• Houston Zoo (Houston, TX)
• Oakland Zoo (Oakland, CA)

3 stars:

• Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL, Free)
• Zoo Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
• Buttonwood Park Zoo (New Bedford, MA)
• Butterflies of Cape Cod (Bourne, MA)
• International Crane Foundation (Baraboo, WI)
• Henry Vilas Zoo (Madison, WI, Free)
• Indianapolis Zoo (Indianapolis, IN)
• Sacramento Zoo (Sacramento, CA)
• Santa Barbara Zoo (Santa Barbara, CA)
• Fort Worth Zoo (Fort Worth, TX)
• Fort Wayne Zoo (Fort Wayne, IN)
• Zoo Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
• ZooTampa (Tampa, FL)
• Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL)
• Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens (Los Angeles, CA)
• Detroit Zoo (Detroit, MI)
• Virginia Zoological Park (Norfolk, VA)
• Virginia Living Museum (Newport News, VA)
• Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, MN)

2 stars:

• Audubon Insectarium (New Orleans, LA)
• Audubon Zoo (New Orleans, LA)
• Sarasota Jungle Gardens (Sarasota, FL)
• Save Our Seabirds Wild Bird Learning Center (Sarasota, FL, Free)
• San Francisco Zoo & Gardens (San Francisco, CA)
• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (Vallejo, CA)
• Franklin Park Zoo (Boston, MA)
• Capron Park Zoo (Attleboro, MA)
• Taylor-Bray Farm (Yarmouth Port, MA, Free)
• Racine Zoo (Racine, WI)
• Ochsner Park Zoo (Baraboo, WI, Free)
• John Ball Zoo (Grand Rapids, MI)
• Potter Park Zoo (Lansing, MI)
• Antalya Zoo (Antalya, Turkey)
• Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito, CA, Free)
• Santa Ana Zoo (Santa Ana, CA)
• San Antonio Zoological Society (San Antonio, TX)
• Cameron Park Zoo (Waco, TX)
• Dallas Zoo (Dallas, TX)
• Caldwell Zoo (Tyler, TX)
• Peoria Zoo (Peoria, IL)
• Miller Park Zoo (Bloomington, IL)
• Scovill Zoo (Decatur, IL)
• Potawatomi Zoo (South Bend, IN)
• Como Park Zoo & Conservatory (St. Paul, MN, Free)

1 star:

• Cosley Zoo (Wheaton, IL)
• Stone Zoo (Stoneham, MA)
• Timbavati Wildlife Park (Wisconsin Dells, WI)
• Binder Park Zoo (Battle Creek, MI)
• Happy Hollow Park & Zoo (San Jose, CA)
• CuriOdyssey (San Mateo, CA)
• Columbian Park Zoo (Lafayette, IN)

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TRADING CARDS

In the past year, the Virginia Zoo has introduced trading cards to celebrate its 125th anniversary. You can read about it on their website:

https://virginiazoo.org/cards/

There are currently 20 cards:

• 2 cards are retired (African Elephant, Black Rat Snake)

• 3 cards are upcoming (Red Fox, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Bongo)

• 1 card is coming back soon (Bison)

• 4 cards are only available during special events (125th Anniversary Exclusive, King Cobra, Cinereous Vulture, Sea Lion)

• And the elusive Red Panda card is member exclusive with different ways for members to obtain it throughout the year

On my visit, I was able to get 5 different cards (plus 6 duplicates):

• 1 Asian Small-Clawed Otter

• 1 Cape Porcupine

• 3 Virginia Possum

• 3 Monarch

• 3 Siamese Crocodile

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ASIA: TRAIL OF THE TIGER

My visit to the Virginia Zoo happened to be on a hot July day, so the Red Panda was hard to find. The first two times I stopped by the habitat, it was not visible because it was in an enclosed air-conditioned house. On my final try at the end of my visit, I actually did get a wonderful look at the red panda - which made my day! However, by this point my phone was almost out of battery so I wasn't able to get many good pictures.

Red Panda
Ailurus fulgens

Red panda habitat

Glimpses of the red panda

Malayan Tiger
Panthera tigris jacksoni

There was a playful baby orangutan hanging around!

Bornean Orangutan
Pongo pygmaeus

Malayan Tapir
Tapirus indicus indicus

It's just sleeping!

Asiatic Black Bear
Ursus thibetanus

Siamang
Symphalangus syndactylus

White-Cheeked Gibbon
Nomascus leucogenys

Rhinoceros Hornbill
Buceros rhinoceros silvestrisus

Southern Cassowary
Casuarius casuarius

Sarus Crane
Grus antigone

White-Naped Crane
Grus vipio

White-Cheeked Turaco
Menelikornis leucotis

White-Crested Laughingthrush
Garrulax leucolophus

Chinese Hwamei
Garrulax canorus

Crested Oropendola
Psarocolius decumanus

Azure-Winged Magpie
Cyanopica cyanus

(Female)

Temminck's Tragopan
Tragopan temminckii

Tawny Frogmouth
Podargus strigoides

No binturong sighting this visit!

Otter photo op

This cave lets you view both the tiger and orangutan habitats

Asian-themed architecture

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AFRICAN SAFARI TRAIL

Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus

African Lion
Panthera leo krugeri

Despite the size difference, the closest living relatives to the hyrax are elephants and manatees!

Rock Hyrax
Procavia capensis

Apparently the rock hyraxes like to wedge themselves into the corner of their habitat. They can easily climb walls due to their suction cup-like foot pads.

Slender-Tailed Meerkat
Suricata suricatta

Southern White Rhino
Ceratotherium simum

Eastern Mountain Bongo
Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci

Two female bongos

And one male

Masai Giraffe
Giraffa tippelskirchi

Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra
Equus zebra hartmannae

Red River Hog
Potamochoerus porcus

Snowy-Crowned Robin Chat
Parabuteo unicinctus

White-Headed Buffalo Weaver
Dinemellia dinemelli

Aldabra Tortoise
Aldabrachelys gigantea

Radiated Tortoise
Astrochelys radiata

Savannah Monitor
Varanus exanthematicus

Termite Mound

Funny sign!

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ZOO FARM

The Patagonian Cavy (or Mara) is a South American rodent that shares physical similarities to both rabbits and deer. Although it is a fellow rodent and the cavy name may sound similar, this is not a capybara which is much larger and aquatic.

Patagonian Cavy (Patagonian Mara)
Dolichotis patagonum

Cape Porcupine
Hystrix cristata

Nigerian Dwarf Goat
Capra aegagrus hircus

Southdown Babydoll Sheep
Ovis aries

Miniature Zebu Cattle
Bos taurus indicus

Western Heritage Mini Cow
Bos taurus indicus

American Mini Pig
Sus scrofa domestticus

Common Peafowl
Pavo cristatus

Laughing Kookaburra
Dacelo novaeguineae

Kenya Crested Guineafowl
Guttera pucherani

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WORLD OF REPTILES & FRIENDS

Friends

I guess these are the "friends" in "World of Reptiles & Friends":

The armadillo was hyper and constantly on the move, which made it difficult to get good non-blurry pictures of it!

Screaming Hairy Armadillo
Chaetophractus vellerosus

White-Faced Saki
Pithecia pithecia

Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Goura victoria

Keeper Chat

Although this would normally go in the "Lizards" section, the perentie monitor gets a separate mention because there was a special keeper chat with a feeding session.

Perentie Monitor
Varanus giganteus

Crocodilians

Siamese Crocodile
Crocodylus siamensis

Turtles

These baby spotted turtles were hatched at Virginia Zoo in 2025.

Spotted Turtle
Clemmys guttata

McCord’s Box Turtle
Cuora mccordi

Wood Turtle
Glyptemys insculpta

Rote Island Snake-Necked Turtle
Chelodina mccordi

Egyptian Tortoise
Testudo kleinmanni

Home's Hinge-Back Tortoise
Kinixys homeana

Snakes

King Cobra
Ophiophagus hannah

Eyelash Viper
Bothriechis schlegelii

Aruba Island Rattlesnake
Crotalus durissus unicolor

Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus

Green Anaconda
Eunectes murinus

Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis

Barons Green Racer
Philodryas baroni

Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa
Corallus batesii

Annulated Boa (Ringed Tree Boa)
Corallus annulatus

Madagascar Hognose Snake
Leioheterodon madagascariensis

Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus pyrrhus

Red-Tailed Boa Constrictor
Boa constrictor

Angolan Python
Python anchietae

Timor Python
Python timoriensis

Reticulated Python
Python reticulatus

Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin)
Agkistrodon piscivorus

Mangrove Snake
Boiga dendrophila

Black Tailed Cribo
Drymarchon melanurus

Lizards

Chinese Crocodile Lizard
Shinisaurus crocodilurus

Philippine Sailfin Dragon
Hydrosaurus pustulatus

Frilled Dragon (Frilled Lizard)
Chlamydosaurus kingi

Giant Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma asio

Fiji Banded Iguana
Brachylophus bulabula

Jamaican Iguana
Cyclura collei

Shingleback Skink
Tiliqua rugosa

Prehensile-Tailed Skink
Corucia zebrata

Henkel’s Leaf-Tailed Gecko
Uroplatus henkeli

Smallwoods Anole
Anolis smallwoodi

Beaded Lizard
Heloderma exasperatum

Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum

Arboreal Alligator Lizard
Abronia graminea

Northern Blue Tongue Skink
Tiliqua sciniodes

Blue Speckled Tree Monitor
Varanus macraei

Amphibians

Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum

Iranian Newt
Neurergus kaiseri

Splendid Tree Frog
Litoria splendida

Australian Red Eye Tree Frog
Litoria chloris

Green and Black Dart Frog
Dendrobates auratus

Golden Poison Dart Frog
Phyllobates terribilis

Golden Poison Dart Frog ("Mint Phase" variant)
Phyllobates terribilis

Panamanian Golden Frog
Atelopus zeteki

Strawberry Poison Dart Frog
Oophaga pumilio

Caecilian
Typhlonectes natans

Fish

Lined Seahorse
Hippocampus erectus

Invertebrates

Emperor Scorpion
Pandinus imperator

Brazilian Black Tarantula
Grammostola pulchra

Playground

Insect photo op

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TURTLE OASIS

This turtle is well camouflaged!

Alligator Snapping Turtle
Macrochelys temminckii

Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina

Wood Turtle
Glyptemys insculpta

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FLORA POINT

Wedding Gazebo

I only got a brief and distant glimpse of an alpaca.

Huacaya Alpaca
Lama pacos

Run Wild! Nature Discovery Zone

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ANIMAL WELLNESS CAMPUS

Let's see those chompers!

Veterinary building and enrichment playground

Zoo Live Stage

Probably a Pomegranate Tree
Punica granatum

Possibly Angelonia (Summer Snapdragon)
Angelonia angustifolia

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OTHER

Fountain Plaza

Train Station

Train

Event Pavilion

Future EdVenture & Exploration Campus under construction

Lake across from the Oyster Bed Restoration

Lafayette River in the Oyster Bed Restoration area

Probably a Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias

Cotton candy machine

This Hurricane Simulator in the Asia: Trail of the Tiger section is not worth the $3. Many science museums offer such a machine for free!

Zoo membership

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ART

Elephant sculpture outside the entrance

Giraffe sculpture outside the entrance

Mermaid sculpture outside the entrance

Panda art displayed in one of the Asia: Trail of the Tiger pagoda bridges:

Religious art displayed in one of the Asia: Trail of the Tiger pagoda bridges:

Next comes the perfumed sky, filled with beautiful flowers and inhabited by Tjak, a bird with a human face; the serpent Taksaka; and a group of snakes collectively known as the Awan, who appear as falling stars. The ancestors live in a flame-filled heaven above the perfumed heaven, and finally beyond that is the abode of the gods.

Zebra painting in the African Safari Trail

Rhino sculpture along African Safari Trail

Sculpture in the African Village Restaurant

Mural in the African Village Restaurant

Mural near the Event Field

"Snavely" the Rhinocerous Viper climbable sculpture near the Zoo Farm

Donor wall mural in the World of Reptiles

Tortoise sculpture in Flora Point

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FLORA

Probably a Hibiscus
Hibiscus moscheutos

Possibly a White Panicle Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata

Possibly Crape Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica

Possibly some type of Ironweed
Vernonia

Probably some type of Lantana
Lantana

Possibly Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium

Probably a Celosia
Celosia

Possibly Plume Celosia (Cockscomb)
Celosia argentea

Probably African Marigold
Tagetes erecta

These next two flowers are probably Lisianthus
Eustoma grandiflorum

Probably a Zinnia, likely 'Purple Prince' or 'Benary's Giant Purple'
Zinnia elegans

Probably a Zinnia, possibly 'Holi Scarlet' or 'Giant Dahlia Flowered Deep Red'
Zinnia elegans

Probably a Zinnia
Zinnia elegans

Probably 'Zowie Yellow Flame' Zinnia
Zinnia elegans

Probably a Common Sunflower
Helianthus annuus

Possibly a Coleus plant
Coleus scutellarioides

Probably a Windmill Palm
Trachycarpus fortunei

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GIFT SHOP

https://virginiazoogiftshop.com/

Nature Planet Red Panda Network Shoulder Bag
$18.95

Red Panda Footie
$29.95

Tied In Knots Sploot Red Panda
$14

Tied In Knots Tiny Tot Red Panda
$12

Assorted Red Panda Plushes

Wild Republic Cuddlekins Red Panda Plush
$24.95

Nature Planet Red Panda Network Plush with Cub

Aurora Red Panda Plush
$26.95

Fiesta Root Cuties Red Panda Plush
$18.95

Wild Republic Snuggleluvs Red Panda Plush
$49.95

Assorted Mermaid Dolls, Swaddle Babies, & Plushie Backpacks

Assorted Wilusz Way Wood Cuts

Wilusz Way Raccoon Wood Cut (incorrectly labeled as Red Panda! I think the company just uses the same pattern for Raccoon & Red Panda, with slightly different color variations)
$28.95

Wilusz Way Otter Wood Cut with 2 Babies
$26.95

Wilusz Way Axolotl Wood Cut
$32.95

U.S. 250th Anniversary Themed Merchandise

I bought the red panda magnet for $5.95.

The zoo had a dwindling supply of standard Litter Critterz porcelain miniatures. Most of them were the newer open format and unfortunately they were dirty. I paid $11.50 for the "Camelia" Ostrich figurine - I chose it mainly because it was the only figurine with the older enclosed plastic packaging which keeps it cleaner.

Assorted Little Critterz Northern Rose Miniatures

While the zoo seemed to be phasing out the smaller Little Critterz figurines, they had an expansive collection of the larger Little Critterz Northern Rose line of miniatures. I bought both of the red panda figurines for $12.95 each, which is a great price if you consider that the smaller figurines are nearly the same price!