Birmingham Zoo (AL)

[live4christp1]

So DS wants to go to another zoo (surprise, surprise) for his birthday this Saturday (I don't think this kid will ever get his fill of zoos, he just finished a week at zoo camp here last week). He has chosen the Birmingham Zoo this time. We've never been. Please tell me about it. Have looked at it on the internet and it looks like a really fun place. Would really like some info from those of you who have been there. What else is in the area, good place to eat dinner, etc.

Thanks,
Cristy

 

[live4christp1]

Also, can someone please tell me if Birmingham is EST or CST time zone.

Thanks!

 

[momof1princess]

birmingham is in the central time zone as is the entire state of alabama. i live an hour from the zoo and i've never been there, sad to say, but i hear it's a lot of fun!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

B'ham is on Central time.

It has been years since we have been to the B'ham zoo. We normally go to the one in Montgomery. Both are about the same distance from me. My SIL lives in B'ham and she prefers the Montgomery Zoo too. I also took my sisters kids and they liked it better than B'ham. I'm sure it's a great zoo, but most of the people that I know prefer Montgomery.

There is a Zoo in Atlanta and we enjoyed it, but the very best zoo that I have been to is the North Carolina Zoo. It's huge and lots of fun for the kids.

 

[live4christp1]

B'ham is on Central time.

It has been years since we have been to the B'ham zoo. We normally go to the one in Montgomery. Both are about the same distance from me. My SIL lives in B'ham and she prefers the Montgomery Zoo too. I also took my sisters kids and they liked it better than B'ham. I'm sure it's a great zoo, but most of the people that I know prefer Montgomery.

There is a Zoo in Atlanta and we enjoyed it, but the very best zoo that I have been to is the North Carolina Zoo. It's huge and lots of fun for the kids.

Thanks! We did Zoo Atlanta for his birthday last year. Have also been to Knoxville Zoo & Nashville Zoo. Our home zoo is Chattanooga Zoo. Think Montgomery is a bit farther away for us. Will check and see.

Thanks,
Cristy

 

[pinkrose]

B'ham is on Central time.

It has been years since we have been to the B'ham zoo. We normally go to the one in Montgomery. Both are about the same distance from me. My SIL lives in B'ham and she prefers the Montgomery Zoo too. I also took my sisters kids and they liked it better than B'ham. I'm sure it's a great zoo, but most of the people that I know prefer Montgomery.

There is a Zoo in Atlanta and we enjoyed it, but the very best zoo that I have been to is the North Carolina Zoo. It's huge and lots of fun for the kids.

I live in the Birmingham area and prefer the Montgomery Zoo as well. The Birmingham Zoo is looking better these days (they have a really nice Childrens Zoo/area now. There's splash fountains, ect for them to play in also.), but they still have a lot to do.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Your welcome. I want to say that it's about 45 minutes past B'ham but it could be a little longer, but not much. It's pretty flat, very nice and clean. They have a new elephant exhibit that is very nice. I believe that the elephants are trained to do tricks. They did them on Family Day, but they may do daily shows, not sure. There are lost of places to eat, and even a mall that has a place where they can ice skate, just past the zoo about 5 miles or so.

I hope that your son has a wonderful birthday!!

 

[live4christp1]

Can some of you who are familiar with the area please look at this link I found on the Birmingham Visitor site and tell me if I am correct. I think I need to be looking at dining in the green area to be close to the zoo?

http://www.birminghamal.org/ttd-dining.asp

Thanks,
Cristy

 

[EpcotSweetHrts0512]

Can some of you who are familiar with the area please look at this link I found on the Birmingham Visitor site and tell me if I am correct. I think I need to be looking at dining in the green area to be close to the zoo?

http://www.birminghamal.org/ttd-dining.asp

Thanks,
Cristy

Hey! The Birmingham Zoo is not that great... like a pp has said, they've done a lot in the last few years but it is still lacking a lot. There is a small little kid's water area and they recently added a farm type area that includes a petting zoo that my daughter enjoys.

I looked at the map you posted. The green covers a LOT of areas all the way from Inverness to Homewood to Hoover (all about 15-25 minutes from each other). I live in Hoover but work in Homewood and it is about a 25 minute drive for me if that helps you judge distance wise. The yellow area would probably be a bit closer to you, but a lot of those restaurants are in downtown Birmingham.

Any restaurants in Homewood, Mountain Brook, Hoover, or Inverness will be nice. I recommend any restaurants down Hwy 280 or at the Summit shopping center (an outside mall). The Summit has many good restaurants and dining choices such as Johnny Rockets, Zoe's, PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, and Macaroni Grill to name a few! You just go up 280 from the zoo and will be there in about 10 minutes. The Brookwood Mall is also very nice and is only about 5-10 minutes from the zoo. They have 5 Guys, Jason's Deli, Brio, and a standard food court inside. HTH and let me know if you need more help!

 

[Pugdog007]

Yes on dining in the green area. I visited the B'ham zoo a few weeks ago and it's very nice. I especially like the petting zoo section with the pygmie goats, sheep, etc.

 

[live4christp1]

Thanks everyone for all the responses!!!!!

DS is happy with just about any zoo. Our zoo here in Chattanooga is still quiet small (they've done a lot since we first started taking him there about 11 years ago).....and he loves it. Goes to zoo camp every year, has done several birthday parties there and wants to volunteer as a Jr. Zoo Keeper next year. Anything with animal he loves.........has said for the longest he wants to be a zoo keeper and now he has narrowed it down to "I want to be a zoo keeper and work at Animal Kingdom."

 

[EpcotSweetHrts0512]

Thanks everyone for all the responses!!!!!

DS is happy with just about any zoo. Our zoo here in Chattanooga is still quiet small (they've done a lot since we first started taking him there about 11 years ago).....and he loves it. Goes to zoo camp every year, has done several birthday parties there and wants to volunteer as a Jr. Zoo Keeper next year. Anything with animal he loves.........has said for the longest he wants to be a zoo keeper and now he has narrowed it down to "I want to be a zoo keeper and work at Animal Kingdom."

That's cute! My daughter is the same way and she really loves the petting zoo, so I bet your son will too! The Bham zoo has gotten so much better though, and it is a great place to spend a day. I hope your son has a great birthday!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Any restaurants in Homewood, Mountain Brook, Hoover, or Inverness will be nice. I recommend any restaurants down Hwy 280 or at the Summit shopping center (an outside mall). The Summit has many good restaurants and dining choices such as Johnny Rockets, Zoe's, PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, and Macaroni Grill to name a few! You just go up 280 from the zoo and will be there in about 10 minutes. The Brookwood Mall is also very nice and is only about 5-10 minutes from the zoo. They have 5 Guys, Jason's Deli, Brio, and a standard food court inside. HTH and let me know if you need more help!

Great information. I was about to post the same thing.

 

[laurie31]

We love the Birmingham Zoo.

It's not San Diego, or even Atlanta, but it's safe and clean. My girls' favorite is the lorikeet exhibit. I don't have any pics of it in my photobucket (!) but put "Birmingham Zoo lorikeets" into google images and you'll see why they love it. The butterfly enclosure is also very cool, and they have a nice kangaroo exhibit, and you can ride a camel. I think you can also feed the giraffes, but we haven't done that. There are interactive fountains in the children's zoo area, so bring a swimsuit

(google images of "Birmingham Zoo fountain" and "Birmingham Zoo butterflies" too. Sorry I haven't got time to upload my own zoo pics for you now.)

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

We just went to the Birmingham Zoo on July 3rd and boy was it pitiful. I felt really bad for the animals and wanted to call animal control. Their habitats are less than acceptable and the animals were just awful looking (the one on exhibit, which weren't many), like they didn't get alot of really good care.

We will never go back, unless some improvments are made, because it was worse than sad. I guess being such a "large" city, I expected better.

Suzanne

 

[rcraw45425]

We just went to the Birmingham Zoo on July 3rd and boy was it pitiful. I felt really bad for the animals and wanted to call animal control. Their habitats are less than acceptable and the animals were just awful looking (the one on exhibit, which weren't many), like they didn't get alot of really good care.

We will never go back, unless some improvments are made, because it was worse than sad. I guess being such a "large" city, I expected better.

Suzanne

Hmmm, sounds very similar to the way it was when we lived up there, '91-'94. We were very disappointed.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

The difference may be that Montgomery does keep theirs very clean and even though they are expanding at a slot rate, they really like to landscape it as they go. If I remember correctly the B'ham zoo did need some changes last time when I went (many years ago). lol

If you do eventually make your way further south to the Montgomery Zoo, let me know and I can fill you in on the best places for eating here too. There really aren't too many nearby great places, since they built out on the north side of town away from a lot. lol
Good luck on your zoo travels.

Kim

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Hmmm, sounds very similar to the way it was when we lived up there, '91-'94. We were very disappointed.

That is why we skipped the kiddie section, I had to get out of there, seeing animals live like that makes me really mad. The orantanguns had the biggest impression on me, because they act nothing like they should, they just sat there and literally put their hands over their faces or hid behind these dry, red mud barriers. These are very intelligent animals and should have been more active. The giraffes seemed too dependant on the visitor feedings and the habitats of all the animals weren't maintained very well, they needed to cut the grass.

I guess I was comparing them to Disney standards at AK and AKL and this didn't even compare.

We haven't been to the Montgomery Zoo in a couple of years, but it was nicer, but smaller and at that time they were redoing alot of the habitats so there were better housing for the animals.

Suzanne