Zootastic Park

I'll break this up into a review and tips for those going:Review of my experience:My 5 year old and I were going to be in Charlotte for the weekend for his chess tournament. I was looking for something I could take him to the day before that was nearby. I could not believe I had never heard of this place! It is only 20 minutes from my mother in law's house in Statesville, where I have been visiting for 20+ years. I feel robbed that I've missed out on years of this, because it was simply that amazing.My son LOVES lemurs. I immediately signed up for the "encounter" that allowed us to meet lemurs.We went into a room with some bleacher-type seating and got to meet a young baby kangaroo who was cozily lounging in a sling-type pouch. My kid was enthralled. He held him and gently petted his head and I just saw pure wonder in his eyes. We met a super cool armadillo and I realized I had never really seen one up close, let alone touched one. Maggie, the baby spider monkey almost had me in tears - just so sweet, and honestly, so human-like. I gazed into her eyes and I can't describe it other than life-changing. Just a seriously wondrous and wonderful experience. I'm still riding on high from it days later. While we met the animals, John told us all about them individually and interesting facts about each species. I normally am quite attentive to such things, but I felt like I was in a cloud just loving on these animals. When it was time for the lemurs, John gave us all the instructions and rules about keeping them safe and keeping us safe, just as he had with the others. It made my son super happy and excited to think of the lemurs as sort of mischievous and loud. They came bouncing in and we were just awe-struck to be with them. They made a cacophonous barking-type sound for a bit and then never again - they just began playing and leaping and basically doing lemur parkour. They LOVED my son's stuffed lemur and just played with him and ran around and looked like kids having fun.John had warned that if we stood up, they might leap onto our shoulders, which I of course wanted possibly more than I had ever wanted anything! A gorgeous black and white ruffed lemur leapt onto my shoulder multiple times. They are so fast, adept, and light. And their hands and fingers are so human and gentle. The ruffed lemurs are more plush than anything I've ever touched in my life, including stuffed animals. I tried taking photos but was just so happy to be in the moment with them. I still can't believe I got to do that! The lemurs seemed very happy with John and actually, every type of animals I saw him with seemed to be attached to him. He told us about his family and kids, and basically talked about the animals with the same amount of love and affection and respect as he has for his human family. It was wonderful all around.My son and I are animal lovers and animal activists. The people who are complaining that the kangaroos didn't have the shelter "they" expected or that the lemurs lived in an area that was too small need to think about two things: first, have you seen the keepers interact with these animals? I saw John with Maggie, the spider monkey, and saw him with the lemurs and armadillo and Buddy the baby kangaroo. That was not just caretaking - that was LOVE. He not only knew everything about the animals, their personalities, their quirks, likes and dislikes, and origin, but he loves them. It was awesome to learn about them, like when Maggie was rejected by her mother and needing to be bottle raised on formula, and John was sleeping over at the zoo to wake up with her every few hours. The second thing is these animals are often turned in from people who thought they'd keep them as pets, but then realized lemurs live 30+ years and need tons of stimulation, or that it's super expensive to keep "exotic" cats. So they dump them or turn them over to Zootastic and related places. What if zootastic wasn't there? What would these people do with their failed bad experiments of keeping an exotic pet in the home? Do as in the Florida Everglades and just "let them go"? Kill them? Give them to an unscrupulous person who wouldn't care for them?Whining that a rescue animal has a large cage but not an ideal habitat as in the wild (where they're no longer able to survive) is like tearing down an orphanage because it would be better if the children had caring parents. Yes, there are ideal situations and zoos are not ideal. But real life means dealing with real life issues, like dumped exotic pets and rejected baby animals. Want them to do more? Donate money to them! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

TRULY Awesome and AMAZING. What a great experience. The service is awesome and the animals are great to watch and be all up close to. Fun times.

Reviewed on Yelp

Zootastic is a great place. The staff is friendly and seems to really care for the animals. Scotty was wonderful with Tom our pet white turkey. Zootastic is adopting Tom since he needs more space to roam and make friends . All the animals seem to be happy and well cared for.  If you go please pet Tom on the back of his head , he loves it. Call Tom by his name and he will follow you. Lightly stomp ur feet side to side and he may dance with you. (He also moon walks.) More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This place is a hidden gem!  Don't let the reviews fool you.  We just visited with our 2 sons and are already planning our next trip.  This is the cleanest, friendliest zoo we've ever visited.  We paid extra for an animal encounter with the Kinkajou and it was an amazing and memorable moment.  My son's got to learn about so many rare animals and see them up close in person.  We felt very safe and the animals habitats were clean and very appropriate for the animal. The owner and staff was very friendly!  We can't wait to visit again in July! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Zootastic is seriously my favorite place in the world. All of the employees treat you like friends and are so informative and kind. You get to see a great variety of animals up close and personal. This is the best zoo I've ever been too, and it has become our yearly vacation spot. The animal encounters are worth every penny! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

My husband and I were completely blown away! This zoo offers close up encounters with breathtaking specimens of exotic animals. The animals are very tame and friendly, so most of them come right up to the barrier and put on a show! The white tigers, giraffes, binturongs, lions, gibbons, and free-range peacocks are a must-see, but honestly there was nothing at this zoo that I didn't love. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and the animals seem happy and well cared for. One of the best days we've had in a long time! We will be coming back! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

So I had one of best days of life today, no lie!! This place is beyond amazing and so worth every minute of the drive!! The incounters you can have with the animals even the ones in there enclosures are by the the best we have been to! The staff is amazing and after meeting the owner it's easy to see his love and passion for his animals, they are his family!! We will be going back very soon!!! And can't wait to have some more animal encounters!!! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

The animals are obviously well-cared for and happy and the people who work here love what they do! The animal encounter was so worth the money to be able to hold & take pictures with animals! They have almost every animal I can think of and I can't wait to be back! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

We went for the Christmas event. It was an awesome light show and the animals were great! The whole family thoroughly enjoyed this place!!

Reviewed on Yelp

Just getting home from Breakfast with the Beasts! I don't see where I can post so will comment!Where do I start?Breakfast was AMAZING, never would I have expected this type of breakfast! ! Next the show, the owner is very very extremely knowledgeable about each animal and their personality and it is so evident that ALL the animals are not only loved but well taken care of! Most of the staff, or maybe volunteers I'm unsure are young and do an AMAZING job, I was very impressed. So after the show we went on the wagon ride, the man that gave the tour was awesome, very knowledgeable and his main concerns were safety of all to include the animals, and to make sure everyone had a great time. VERY Clean facilities, knowledgeable, friendly staff. It's not my first time here but is the 1st time to have the wagon ride, etc.I go each Christmas also because it's BEAUTIFUL !!I wish I lived  a T bit closer, I'd be a regular!!!Thanks Zootastic!!!Truly a wonderful day and learned ALOT!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My absolute favorite place on earth! Are you looking for the perfect place to take your children? Or maybe just a date day with your spouse? This is the perfect place for anyone at anytime. Who doesn't want to pet, hold & feed baby tigers, lemurs, zebras, spider monkeys, bear cats and so much more?! It is the experience of a lifetime. They also hold events for holidays & have outstanding Christmas light displays around the holidays. The staff are incredible. After a visit, I left my Chanel sunglasses. The staff went as far as contacting me on social media to make me aware.This is my heaven on earth! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We come by every year for the Christmas lights. It's something fun and cheap to do with the family. However, this year was so bad with the traffic and the way it was being directed. Hopefully, it's not an example of how it will be next year. Waiting over 2 hours is not worth it. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My family went to the Christmas light display at Zootastic for the first time this weekend.  It was very well done and way more than I expected.  2.5 miles of lights you ride through in the car and then you can access their main facility with a lot of additional entertainment.  The kids sat with Santa and a baby kangaroo, watched the tiger get fed, pet the two giraffes and fed the barn animals.  They had a blast.The only thing for parents to watch out for is the additional costs you might get roped into, especially if your kids are little.  To take a picture with Santa is free, but add the animal (baby kangaroo in our case) and it is $20 which we did not recognize until we were next in line (comes with professional pic).  The kids were sold on feeding the tiger (put meat on end of 5 foot pole), feeding the barn animals, going on carousel, etc which all have additional fees.  At the end of the day this additional expense goes toward caring for these animals which makes it easier to swallow and it is cool.  But it can add up.  $7 per person to see the lights and see the animals in the main facility is well worth it and we all really enjoyed it. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Love all the different type of animals.  Great fun for kids of all ages. The lights an Santa is wonderful. Has easy in an out access. Also a short drive from interstate 77. Only about 5 minutes. If you're traveling on Interstate 40 you're only about a 20-minute drive it's worth the time it takes to drive down there children of all ages love it More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is the most amazing place ever!  Well kept place. The animals are loved and cared for.  I truly had one of the best times here.  I paid extra for the animal encounters. The best money spent.  Bailey was the lady with all the animals for the encounter.  I highly recommend her as she is patient with all my questions and extremely knowledgeable.  I wish I lived out here I would most likely be here everyday.  I truly think this place is amazing. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Fun day at Zootastic.  We will be back in the summer. Our favorites were Melvin, Jigsaw and Ira.  My granddaughter enjoyed feeding them.

Reviewed on Yelp

The big giraffe is quite aggressive. He likes to chew long hair and butt heads with people. But where else can you fight an actual giraffe? Small attraction, and I'm not sure how well the animals are really taken care of.  There's no obvious signs of abuse, and there are improvements every year. But I'm concerned about the small enclosures for many of the animals. If this does not concern you, then this is an unusual opportunity to get very close to many animals. Most are not afraid of people and will come right up to the fence/cage. Of course most bite. The giraffe bites pretty hard. Really an interesting afternoon for $13. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We've gone to Zootastic since the first day, so many transitions over the years, from preschool day trips to now teens my boys not only attended summer camps with hands on learning but now volunteer on weekends. I can't wrap my head around some of the reviews I see on here. Due to weather you may see "watery muddy " conditions, it's outdoors! Clean? Absolutely, if you have come upon to see feces around or in an enclosure it's due to animals literally being animals, with the size of the zoo, volunteers can get to every enclosure as soon as possible but I assure you these animals are very well taken care of and loved. This is my personal experience from what I've seen More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Very nice Christmas display, would have been a lot better if the animal habitats were lit a bit so you could see them.

Reviewed on Yelp

Went here for the first time the other night for their Christmas lights, etc. Was very pleased! The cost to get in is $6 per person (kids 2 and under are free). Drove through about 2 miles of lights, which already has Tanglewood beat. Didn't have to wait in line long at all, and we went on a Saturday night! The lights are beautiful. At the end, you have the option to park and enter Zootastic. There, we found lots of goodies (hot cocoa was awesome!), Santa, animals that you can feed/pet, marshmallow roastings for smores, pony ride, etc. It was a great evening. A little on the pricy side once you get into purchasing everything, like pictures with Santa and feeding animals, but it was definitely worth it.I can't wait to go back in the Summer and enjoy the beautiful petting zoo during the day! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

What a great place to visit. This is a well run zoo and animal park. There are so many things to see so plan on about 3 hoursYou can buy animal food in the souvenir shop to feed the animals on your walk   It is so cool that you can pet the giraffe from a deck and get a lick from their tongue You casually walk the grounds and can interact with many of them   Lambs, lamas, camels,goats, ostriches, and even lions and tigers. A lot of them are rescued so you feel good about supporting the facility We did the lemur experience and it was a blast. Our family went in a private room with 3adults and 4 babies that we could hold and feed. They were so fun and active. An unforgettable day     In the summer and fall you then go on a mini safari on a covered flatbed. In the gates there were many free animals we could feed in slightly interact with. There where bison,longhorn cattle,zebra,and many more. We stopped periodically to feed or just watch them. It was great. Our guide told us about each animal or bird and answered any question we had. I liked that they were very careful with there feed and vet care  This place is privately funded and has full time staff and always expanding  I here they have a great Christmas hay ride. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

These guys are my neighbors, so I see a lot of what goes on. They really care about the animals and how their guests are entertained.

Reviewed on Yelp

My family and I regular Zootastic Park. We have done the animal encounter and absolutely loved it. The experience is similar to one at lazy 5 ranch, except it is more intimate and they give you better instruction.  I love that they give you so much to do. I only wish that there were some sort of restaurant on site so we could spend more time there. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

OMG! What an amazing adventure today at Zootastic.  We went for my niece's 8th birthday party and had a private animal encounter.  We held a baby kangaroo, a cincajoo, lemurs and 2 baby tigers! I'm officially in love with the tigers and kangaroo.  The handler, Bailey, was fantastic and so great with the kids.  My son is only 3 and loved holding all the animals.  After the encounter we walked around, fed several other animals including giraffes and camels.  I felt all the animals were cared for very well and had plenty of room to roam around.  I would highly recommend this park and definitely have an up close and personal animal encounter. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We went on our way back from our Warrior Dash Wedding and used this as a mini honeymoon stop. lol. it was fun. they made it special for us once they found out we had just gotten married. We got to be Mufasa (Young Lion) first human encounter in months which was AMAZING. He is rough so we understood but we are both Veterans and can handle deployments so we can handle this. lol, the people were nice, they have a nice establishment that is being renovated, it is nice. We are hoping to go back and maybe take the kids. Some of the guys who work there didn't know much about the animals but that's ok they are teenagers so maybe be more mindful who is hired. For the most part they were extremely good people nice people and great place to go, like I said they made a mini honeymoon one we will never forget. We love lions and to be able to be with one in a room and playing was AMAZING More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We had the best experience at Zootastic. Wish we would have went years ago but we didn't know there was such a place. All of the animals were so friendly.  The staff explains all of your options to make sure all experience the full park activities. Feeding the tiger and the giraffe were the most exciting and unexpected experiences. Thank you Mr. Scott and staff for making sure we had a great time at Zootastic. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This was my second time coming here I always stop by when I visit my cousins in Statesville. There's something new and my daughter loves all the animals. She got to ride a wagon this time. They had baby giraffe that you could pet and play with. Not to mention the tiger and lion cubs. Word to the wise, if you want to do an animal encounter book early! They fill up fast! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

So I went back to zootastic only because a friend of mine had passes and she invited me and my kids to come along.  I reluctantly said ok and met her there expecting to see the same atrocity that I did the last time I was there 2 years ago. When we paid and got the animal food, I was expecting the worst, but when we started walking around; I saw a huge change from the last time I was there to now. This zoo was actually clean! Even the dirty smelly urine smelling barn had no smell and the enclosures were clean! I thought wow! They have turned the place around! They are really doing a great job! The enclosures were clean, the animals had water and seemed happier and healthier. We actually enjoyed our visit! What's more, they are expanding even more and adding nice enclosures one of which is for the Tigers who are in a temporary enclosure for the time being. The enclosure will have a waterfall and water for the tigers. I'm looking forward to seeing it finished. With that said, feeding the Tigers was a whole lot of fun! I recommend doing it if you go. Moreover, the goat enclosure has been 100% improved where the goats don't have bars on their horns anymore. Also, the giraffes were so so cool and their enclosures were nice and clean. It's great!Also, we took the tractor ride and learned a lot of stuff and enjoyed seeing the free range animals. All of the animals looked happy and healthy and it was fantastic to see!Lastly, I am giving zootastic 4 stars instead of 5 because there is a tad bit more of improvement such as the odor within the confines of the enclosures where they keep the baby animals, foxes, ferrets etc... Those enclosures were a bit small and musky and outside some areas could use more shady spots for the animals, but seeing all of what this zoo has done and is doing; I am confident they will change my mind to a 5 star review.Keep up the great work zootastic! I am thoroughly impressed! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Certainly the most unique zoo experience I've ever had. Got a Groupon deal for the Animal Encounter and what a deal that was! Getting to hold, learn about, and play with a tiger cub, baby kangaroo, wolf pup and baby giraffe was an absolutely unforgettable experience. The zoo staff were all very friendly and outgoing. The grounds are spread out nicely and contain all sorts of animals that I had never seen up close before.The zoo is located around the Lake Norman area, just about 30 minutes north of Uptown Charlotte. It is absolutely worth sitting in the lake traffic for anyone who loves animals. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

A once in a lifetime experience! Cuddling a baby tiger is something my daughter will remember for the rest of her life. The staff were friendly and judging by the pounds of fresh fruits and veggies I saw, those animals eat better than most people! The enclosures were simple, it's more like a farm than city or state zoo, but they were clean and had plenty of space, toys and climbing options appropriate to the species. My 7 year old said "Mommy, isn't this FANTASTIC?!" And, yup, it was. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Truly an unbelievable experience that was worth every penny.  We did the baby animal encounter with the baby giraffe, Jigsaw, as well as a baby wolf, tiger, lemur, and kinkajou.  These encounters give you up close and personal time with these animals along with the ability to roam the rest of the park when you are finished.  My six year old daughter even got to stand on a chair and feed the baby giraffe a bottle.  We absolutely loved it and it was something we will never forget.  Thank you to the staff (Bailey was awesome) and to the owner Scottie for spending time with us and for having such a remarkable place.  We will definitely be back! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Had a ball! Check out the baby Watusi pic on Twitter. Love this place!!! Spent more on animal food than entry fee and had a blast feeding all the animals. The baby giraffe was great and the wagon ride was great as usual! See you in the fall! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Best zoo I've ever been to for petting. I'm not sure what everybody's talking about with the neglect of animals here. I've been to literally 50 zoos in my life is one of the best zoos I've ever visited. We got a great Groupon deal for a safari encounter and we got to pet baby kangaroos, kingachu,  Lemurs, a lion and a tiger. The Groupon costs us 125 for two people for an hour and every minute was great and covered entry into the park and wagon ride. The staff was professional and friendly. The animals were very well fed, not aggressive, and showed no signs of depression that many animals at zoos exhibit. The wagon ride was great and all the various different animals came up to you.Some of the cages were a little smaller than most zoos. However, there were massive expansions being built (totaling over 1 million) for the giraffes, Lemurs and other animals. Actually many of the animals had more free range than nearly any zoo I've been to. Also many of the animals are transitioned to other zoos after they grow older and less friendly to humans. Because of this, most of the critters were less than 2 years old.As a lifelong vegetarian and animal rights supporter, and I wish more places took as good care of infant animals as zootastic. Forget the big zoos and do the private interaction experience, because this is where the memories are made! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is a FANTASTIC place to visit, a must do for anyone within a 5 hour radius.  Not sure I've ever had a better time!  I went with my adult son for my 55th birthday and got a great deal on Groupon for the Safari Encounter which was a one hour session of petting,  interacting with, and down right enjoying a baby kangaroo, kingachu, a couple of lemurs, and a baby lion OR tiger, whichever is behaving.  In our visit,  we played with both.   Best money I ever spent on entertainment!!Then we went on the wagon ride, stocked with 3 qts of sweet feed each -- 2 each would have been enough -- and got to hand feed, pet, and enjoy being in up close contact with zebra, a camel, a large selection of unique bovine, wildebeest, donkey, etc.  The camel was MOST friendly, hungry,  and eager to be fed and petted.Walking around we got to hand feed the baby giraffe and unloaded at least a quart on him alone.  Spent around 20 minutes petting and feeding him by hand, he never once touched his teeth to our palms.  We got to feed a couple of very full kangaroos, a deer - like creature that spent more time licking our skin than eating out of our hands.  It was all so awesome! All these animals were well attended to, no sign of abuse or ill treatment.  The owner was our guide during the Safari Encounter and told us they're in the middle of a million dollar renovation and pen enlargement.   I can't recommend this place more highly and it's NOT just for kids either.  Please don't miss this once in a lifetime experience to pet some most amazing animals.  We got at least 500 awesome photos to prove it too!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I was hesitant to go for a field trip after reading some recent reviews. However, I found the experience to be overall worthwhile and enjoyable for the kids. The educational talk in the beginning is rather funny, entertaining, and moves quickly. This was helpful for the pre-k kids that can't sit through anything too long. I do wish there would have been a bit more warning about some snakes, but the other animal choices were very fun to see and educational. The kids definitely enjoyed this part.We followed up with a wagon ride which is apparently only 3 weeks into use. I think they have some things to work out with the wagon execution, but it'll take time. It is always nice to see and feed animals up close, and I'm sure their growing pains will be worthwhile. I would say the most important thing is not to let the young tractor drivers play on their cell phones while driving. That was a bit unnerving. I did understand what other reviewers meant about the smell in certain enclosure areas. It was overly potent. I've been to quite a few zoos, aquariums, barns, etc., and never quite smelled aromas so strong. But I don't know that it has anything to do with cleanliness. I think it is something for the managers to address in the future since it is a bit off-putting. Overall, our kids seemed to leave with great impressions and learned a good bit. Zootastic created some learning memories and we appreciated the time spent there. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I can't say enough good things about this place. The zoo is small, but the involvement and education that the staff gives to visitors is beyond anything I've experienced. We did the cub encounter first--a Groupon I had found online and purchased, which the owner posts every once in a while in the summer months [4 people for $200 for a one hour experience].We were taken back by the owner into a room just for ourselves, where they first brought in GiGi, their baby zebra. She's stubborn, but adorable, and let us feed her a bottle, take pictures with her, and even kiss her on the nose. We also spent time with lemurs [you might also get a wolf pup instead of lemurs], a baby kangaroo who spent almost the whole time in there with us with the other animals, the most adorable baby goat, and a five week old lion cub [if you have the chance, we found it better to go with the younger lion cub so we could cuddle him and bottle feed him in our laps. The 12 week old tiger or lion that we could choose is much bigger so the time is spent more playing with rather than being cuddly].The owner was incredibly hands on, loved sharing stories with us, and even brought out a snake for my brother to hold when he mentioned that he really loves snakes and other reptiles. This place made this experience feel like so much more than a Groupon deal, and we appreciated the time spent that another staff member gave us a detailed tour of the facility. We will definitely be back, and I can't wait to bring other friends & family back for another cub encounter. We absolutely love this zoo! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I first became aware of Zootastic after seeing the employees bring some of the animals down to Birkdale on two separate occasions. However, it seemed more like a place for kids and families and I wasn't sure it would be the place to go with just the miss' and me. After reading Rob S.'s review I decided that it might be a cool place for us to check out so we headed over there. I'm glad we did because it made for one heck of a day!Don't let the looks fool you...when you first arrive at Zootastic it doesn't look like much. The dirt road leading into the place is windy and not the best road, and from the outside it looks like just a bunch of shacks. Once you walk inside you will forget about the cruddy looking exterior. The cash register, animal feed area and concession stands are all right in the inside, and the friendly staff will welcome you quite warmly right away. The price of admission is cheap for what you get ($8 for adults) and when you buy your tickets they will offer you a bucket of animal feed for $2. Trust me, you'll want to splurge and have a bucket of feed per person since you can get very close to the animals at Zootastic and feed most of them.The most important thing to note is that while it may not look like much, the animals all have plenty of room to roam and are well taken care of my very knowledgeable staff. Also, the place is kind of unstructured where there are several guided tours going on at the same time, yet you are not required to partake in it (though I highly recommend it.) Our tour started with the reptile house and they had some cool animals in there. They took out a bearded dragon and would place it on you so it could walk all over you, and they also brought out a snake so that you could touch it. They also had a lemur house (though you can't feed/touch them) and a big barn where they had a camel, kangaroo, and some more common farm animals like goats, horses, and pigs. You were able to touch and feed all these animals and being able to get that close with a kangaroo was such an awesome experience. Outside the barn they had some more exotic animals including llama, alpaca, yak, zebra, emu, ostrich and some different goats and cows from Africa.You were able to feed most of these guys except for the donkey and zebra. Then they brought us to the rest of the animals that you cannot feed or touch which included porcupine, tigers, fox, skunk and more. Also, since it's so "informal" there you are free to wander around at any point, so after we were done with the tour we ventured back to the barn to give out the remainder of our feed.We had a lot of fun, so I can definitely say that this is not a place to go only if you have kids in tow. The many kids we saw there were all having a blast, and it's definitely a great place to bring them to get some up close and personal experiences with several different animals. The only criticism I have is that I think the place might be too relaxed in it's ways. The fact that you are able to walk over to most of these animals without having an employee present was a bit nerve-wracking for me. Not because I myself was nervous, but I was nervous for families who didn't pay close attention to their children. There was an outdoor section with two tortoises roaming about and a mother placed her children in there and then turned away. So the children (who must have been 1-2 years old) were stumbling about and I was just waiting for these kids to trample on the poor tortoises' head or feet! I highly recommend coming here, but I just ask that you be a good parent and keep an eye on your kids for the sake of the animals!!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We have actually been to Zootastic twice, and neither time has been when they are typically open - it has only been for special events.  That really does not take away from the experience (much), but it does mean that we cannot comment on what the place may be like in the light of day.The first trip was for their Bootastic Halloween Spectactular (they actually only call it Bootastic, but that sounded so simple that I had to expand it).  Naturally we went at night - and they may have only been open at night.  A handful of animals were out for petting, the mad scientist had a show, there was pumpkin chucking and there was even a haunted hayride.  Unfortunately, while the other animals were available, they were in their pens and there was not much lighting to be found.The second trip was made was for their Christmas event (sorry, no fancy name), and it was mostly for the lights, strung up through the lower forty.  While some light shows have fancy shapes and the like, at Zootastic, it looks like they just throw most of the lights up in the trees.  It's nice and all, but it is not particularly well done.  Still, it is interesting.  And they even have a stop where you can get s'more kits for the fire.  The entrance fee also gets you into the park where you can see a handful of animals (also being dark, the other animals were again somewhat unavailable).I'll say that daytime might be a bit better for a trip - but since it's so far out, it might be a while before we get up there. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Zootastic is another exotic animal park around the Charlotte area similar to Lazy 5 Ranch.  In fact after speaking to the guide they are actually the same family that runs Lazy 5 they just opened this new location in Troutman. We first found out about this place from the tiger cub and baby kangaroo they brought to Birkdale Village in Huntersville. We waited a couple weeks for a nice day and then drove down to check it out.  For around $8.00 an adult, you get a guided walking tour of the zoo as they inform and introduce you to all the animals they have living there.  What's nice is that after the tour you can go throughout the farm on your own and choose to feed and spend time with whichever animals you enjoyed the most.  Buckets of food are for sell at the front desk.We got to hand feed kangaroos, goats, llamas, zebras, camels, and deer.  They also have some adult tigers on site as well as a family of coatimundi (think raccoons from Mexico), a porcupine, and my wife's favorite a de-scented skunk named Flower. They pass her around and let you hold her and she just kinda snuggles into you since she's nocturnal and half asleep. She was very soft and felt like a fat cat in your arms.  They then take you to see the tiger cub and I believe outside the tour they offer some one on one experience with the tiger complete with photos for another fee.  The next stop is the reptiles, but we skipped that part cause we don't do cold blooded lifeforms.Definitely a must see for animal lovers or families with kids. I also noticed they offer summer camps where the children can work on the farm learning and caring for all their exotic friends. More...

Reviewed on Yelp