Kentucky Reptile Zoo
Kentucky Reptile Zoo
4
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
There are few reptile collections that can compare to the diversity of animals on display at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo. Animals on exhibit range from an 18 foot reticulated python, our largest resident, to many types of venomous snakes such as cobras, mambas, cottonmouth, copperheads, taipans and rattlesnakes, to an American Alligator. One of the favorite areas for kids is our Turtle Tracks Area, where both tortoises and aquatic turtles can be seen. Live reptile shows at 1, 3 and 5pm.
Duration: < 1 hour
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- Porthos7West Chester, Ohio6,316 contributionsInteresting...Interesting roadside oddity. Harks back to a time where the family would hit the road and stop at places like this. It's basically a number of huts that house various reptiles by region/type. You walk through at your own pace, and I promise you WILL learn something while you're there. The people there are passionate about the reptiles and are incredibly informative. You'll need about an hour, and although it may be handicap accessible, I think that pushing a wheel chair/scooter may be hard due to nothing being paved and tight spaces in the huts. Go and enjoy if you can!Visited May 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 May 2023
- Tracey SApopka, Florida31 contributionsFun side trip!Very cool reptile exhibits with a wide variety of snakes. At first when you drive up, you think “uhh this is sketchy,” but it’s actually not! Very clean buildings, well tended reptiles, and informative. I enjoyed watching one keeper refresh the venomous snakes’ water bowls in the work room…watching their heads pop up when he opened the “drawers” was crazy. We were too early for the venom extraction, but we heard it was quite fascinating! Definitely check this place out, if you aren’t afraid of snakes. :)Visited June 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 12 June 2023
- ManningAvengerSellersburg, Indiana1,479 contributionsNeat zoo in the mountainsWhile I'm not big on snakes, the wife does like them. The exhibits were mostly snakes, but they did have some iguanas and turtles, too. The guide brought out a snake and told us about them, the snake being wrapped around him the whole time. If snakes terrify you, then avoid this place. But if you can handle being around them, then it's a good place to visit.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 4 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
83 reviews
Excellent
37
Very good
28
Average
10
Poor
5
Terrible
3
ManningAvenger
Sellersburg, IN1,479 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
While I'm not big on snakes, the wife does like them. The exhibits were mostly snakes, but they did have some iguanas and turtles, too. The guide brought out a snake and told us about them, the snake being wrapped around him the whole time. If snakes terrify you, then avoid this place. But if you can handle being around them, then it's a good place to visit.
Written 4 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracey S
Apopka, FL31 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
Very cool reptile exhibits with a wide variety of snakes. At first when you drive up, you think “uhh this is sketchy,” but it’s actually not! Very clean buildings, well tended reptiles, and informative. I enjoyed watching one keeper refresh the venomous snakes’ water bowls in the work room…watching their heads pop up when he opened the “drawers” was crazy. We were too early for the venom extraction, but we heard it was quite fascinating! Definitely check this place out, if you aren’t afraid of snakes. :)
Written 12 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Porthos7
West Chester, OH6,316 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Interesting roadside oddity. Harks back to a time where the family would hit the road and stop at places like this. It's basically a number of huts that house various reptiles by region/type. You walk through at your own pace, and I promise you WILL learn something while you're there. The people there are passionate about the reptiles and are incredibly informative. You'll need about an hour, and although it may be handicap accessible, I think that pushing a wheel chair/scooter may be hard due to nothing being paved and tight spaces in the huts. Go and enjoy if you can!
Written 15 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SarahBeth518
Kenova, WV5 contributions
Sep 2022
Didn't take us long to check it out, but we were impressed with their assortment of reptiles. Several little buildings with different reptiles. We enjoyed looking at the venomous snakes up close.
Written 5 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Logan M
13 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
The collection of snakes particularly venomous snakes was amazing. Completely worth the money. Now that said- its definitly got all the money in snakes not in the buildings... the giant sized king cobra was awesome even though its in a cheap building. The zoo is located off a campground near a rest area
Written 5 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TripMomof1
USA185 contributions
Jun 2022
Our family thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Kentucky Reptile Zoo. The staff was kind and knowledgeable and there were very interesting reptile species.
It was a little tricky to find, but you need to make a left after you get off the main road... do not go straight towards the rest stop bathroom area.
It was a little tricky to find, but you need to make a left after you get off the main road... do not go straight towards the rest stop bathroom area.
Written 14 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
UCF_Shipper
Longwood, FL102 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
After reading so many wonderful review, my son was very excited to visit. After pulling up, we thought we would still give it a chance. The employees are very friendly and answered any questions. They have a large variety of snakes on property. Unfortunately, everything is housed in very old run down sheds. The smell in each was so overwhelming that it made looking at them nearly impossible. The smell was a combination of mold, poor ventilation, and animal. We left after a very quick visit extremely disappointed.
Written 7 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jeffreypendry
Perrysburg, OH92 contributions
Dec 2021
So we saw signs for the place, read up on TA, and thought it would be worth a visit.
The bad -- even though it was unseasonably warm, the larger reptiles were sort of in "dormancy" and inside and not on display. There is not an inside viewing area, and they don't like to be bothered.
The good -- wide variety of snakes -- all the extremely rare venomous ones you can think of are present. We must have gotten lucky, as the snakes were very active when we were there, so we didn't stare at motionless critters.
We learned the director was not in that day (and is off work for a bit, or so it sounds) so we could not see a venom extraction. But, the gentleman who took our payment and the lady running the info table were beyond helpful, courteous, and informative.
We were lucky enough to visit a similar place in Florida once (close to Daytona), so when we brought up the experience she was very familiar with the location and could name drop the director.
We spent maybe 45 minutes there, and if I ever visit RRG again I would probably pay another visit just due to their friendliness. We enjoy visiting local pizza places and zoos on all of our trips, as we enjoy supporting the local places more than chains.
This place is worth a stop even though it may be for a short period of time.
Not expensive either, and they have a small gift shop at the entrance.
The bad -- even though it was unseasonably warm, the larger reptiles were sort of in "dormancy" and inside and not on display. There is not an inside viewing area, and they don't like to be bothered.
The good -- wide variety of snakes -- all the extremely rare venomous ones you can think of are present. We must have gotten lucky, as the snakes were very active when we were there, so we didn't stare at motionless critters.
We learned the director was not in that day (and is off work for a bit, or so it sounds) so we could not see a venom extraction. But, the gentleman who took our payment and the lady running the info table were beyond helpful, courteous, and informative.
We were lucky enough to visit a similar place in Florida once (close to Daytona), so when we brought up the experience she was very familiar with the location and could name drop the director.
We spent maybe 45 minutes there, and if I ever visit RRG again I would probably pay another visit just due to their friendliness. We enjoy visiting local pizza places and zoos on all of our trips, as we enjoy supporting the local places more than chains.
This place is worth a stop even though it may be for a short period of time.
Not expensive either, and they have a small gift shop at the entrance.
Written 1 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VonMoose
4 contributions
Dec 2021
It was fun to see all the snakes they had on display. We didn't arrive in time to watch a venom extraction, which would have been fun to watch.
Visiting in December meant a few of the reptiles were in hibernation, so we missed out on seeing the gators/crocodiles. It was still a fun place to check out. If you like reptiles up close, this is a must visit.
Visiting in December meant a few of the reptiles were in hibernation, so we missed out on seeing the gators/crocodiles. It was still a fun place to check out. If you like reptiles up close, this is a must visit.
Written 6 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SopaQuinoa
1 contribution
Oct 2021
I've been coming here since I was a child. My father was always obsessed with snakes, and I inherited that affinity.
I want to give a shoutout to Cassandra! She was so knowledgable and friendly and made out most recent visit that much more enjoyable.
Where else can you see a Black Mamba? I hope this place shines on for decades. Jim, the owner, is a legend in my book. Whoever said that this place is a tourist trap is missing the point. The antivenom made from the samples taken here save lives, and the diversity of species to see is incredible.
I want to give a shoutout to Cassandra! She was so knowledgable and friendly and made out most recent visit that much more enjoyable.
Where else can you see a Black Mamba? I hope this place shines on for decades. Jim, the owner, is a legend in my book. Whoever said that this place is a tourist trap is missing the point. The antivenom made from the samples taken here save lives, and the diversity of species to see is incredible.
Written 23 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How much is it to get in?
Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for kids 4-15. Kids 3 and under are free. There is a discount for AAA, military, seniors, and groups of 10 or more.
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Claim your listingKENTUCKY REPTILE ZOO: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Kentucky Reptile Zoo
- Kentucky Reptile Zoo is open:
- Sun - Sat 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Hotels near Kentucky Reptile Zoo:
- (0.16 km) Robin's Nest luxury cabin, Red River Gorge
- (0.10 km) Natural Bridge Campground
- (0.26 km) Li'l Abner Motel
- (0.23 km) Hidden Ridge is a beautiful mountain top hideaway
- (0.29 km) Hot Tub & WiFi - Family Log Cabin - Cozy Canopy - Red River Gorge, Kentucky!
- Restaurants near Kentucky Reptile Zoo:
- (0.75 km) Daniel Boone Coffee Shop
- (2.19 km) Miguel's Pizza & Rock Climbing
- (1.49 km) La Cabana Mexican Restaurant
- (1.00 km) Thatcher Barbecue Company
- (7.32 km) Red River Rockhouse