Rolling Hills Zoo image

Rolling Hills Zoo

Tourist attraction Event venue Conference center Art museum Zoo Museum of zoology

One of the Best Places To Visits in Saline County


Address

625 N Hedville Rd, Salina, KS 67401, United States

Website

www.rollinghillszoo.org

Contact

+1 785-827-9488

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (1.5K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: 9 am to 4 pm
  • Saturday: 9 am to 4 pm
  • Sunday: 9 am to 4 pm
  • Monday: (Washington's Birthday), 9 am to 4 pm, Hours might differ
  • Tuesday: 9 am to 4 pm
  • Wednesday: 9 am to 4 pm
  • Thursday: 9 am to 4 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: animals (50) museum (33) great (21) time (17) Great (15) clean (14) tram (12) amazing (12) kids (12) friendly (12)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Lee S. 2 years ago on Google
    So glad to have visited here finally! Beautiful layout, great exhibits, the museum was wonderful, cute gift shop. Admission prices very reasonable and tram rides were only $3 per person. Great place for everyone of all ages with restaurant on site or a picnic area outside the zoo if you bring a picnic lunch. Definitely will be visiting here again!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ashton U. 1 year ago on Google • 160 reviews
    Nice zoo. Cool gift shop. Has the stamped penny souvenir machine which I love. The restaurant is affordable and reasonable besides icecream/drinks but nbd. Animals were pretty sleepy it seemed for being noon. The glass viewing areas are the best viewing spots in my opinion and make opportunities for great shots of the animals.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Maryann B. 10 months ago on Google • 59 reviews
    This is a nice little zoo. The walkways are easy to navigate (but there are lots of of geese so watch out for the goose poop). When we visited, there were only a handful of other cars so we had the zoo more or less to ourselves for the visit. The enclosures all look clean and the animals appear to be in good health. This zoo doesn't have the largest variety of animals but we had a good time seeing what they do have. There is some construction and renovation going on and I look forward to seeing what it's like when it's done, especially the reptiles since that was closed when we came. What really impressed us was the museum. The dioramas are amazing! So many animals in dynamic poses. They even had a piebald fawn! I would come any day just for the museum!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Roger H. 1 year ago on Google
    Purchasing a membership is exciting being able to enjoy beautiful animals and people. Going to be a great year. Walking around the zoo this time if year is like being in a forest, lots of trees bushes and flowers all surrounding beautiful animals.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 IM B. 6 months ago on Google • 275 reviews
    Great little zoo that you can do a walk through or enjoy the Tram ride for a few dollars more. They have an indoor walk through exhibit that shows animals from around the world, never knew Polar Bears were that big.

  • 5/5 Tonya W. 7 months ago on Google • 240 reviews
    They have sensory bags for free!! So thankful bc we forgot my daughters earmuffs. Took the tram and it was fantastic on a hot day. Loved the museum using the boards to find everything. Lots to look at. Really enjoyed the kids play area and I was really fond of the salt water tank. Next time we will walk.

  • 5/5 Bob S. 9 months ago on Google • 56 reviews
    You know they have animals.... but the zoo also does a Fathers Day car chow every year!! The red car i posted here is owned by the Walker family who started the zoo! I added a couple more of my favorites for your pleasure! This is a great zoo and museum, thanks for putting on the car show!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Terrel C. 4 years ago on Google
    Wonderful place out in the middle of great country! The zoo itself is a good time, a lot of animals to enjoy. Take the tram to get a little bit of backstory on the tour. What really wowed us since our last visit (many years ago) , was the addition of the museum on the top of the hill. Wow! Worth the admission price several times! I could spend all day in there. The dioramas are top notch! Worth your time to visit!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 jarb B. 3 years ago on Google
    Not much varity of animals and VERY windy but still quite fun. The animals were very friendly. Lots of play places scattered around, took about 3-4 hours to get through including lunch and snack break.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sontia W. 7 months ago on Google • 42 reviews
    This place was cool. You could get pretty close to the animals. The museum is fully crazy if you're fully tripping. Don't enter until you come down a little.

  • 5/5 Audrey C. 9 months ago on Google • 15 reviews
    We love visiting Rolling Hills. Have visited many times before. During memorial day visit, all the vending machines sold out so it made it hard to get a drink, but besides that it was a perfect trip!

  • 5/5 Rachel M. 6 months ago on Google • 14 reviews
    This was such a wonderful stop to break up our drive back to Denver. The zoo was much larger than we expected. I would recommend using the tram. The museum inside of the building was great. The kids playroom in the back was a perfect spot to let our 17 month old play around. They have a wide selection of toys and activities for him inside. We will definitely return on our next trip through the area.

  • 5/5 Shianne H. 2 months ago on Google • 13 reviews New
    On our trip, we saw a billboard for the zoo and decided to stop and look. They had a kennel for our dog to stay while we went through (so awesome!) The museum was amazing and well put together. We enjoyed walking through the zoo. There’s a petting zoo (no extra cost!) It’s a must visit!

  • 3/5 Alexis C. 3 years ago on Google
    I felt the animals didn't have much of a habitat.

  • 5/5 Matthew E. 3 years ago on Google
    Our kids absolutely loved it not the biggest zoo but perfect for all of our kids

  • 2/5 Clara S. 3 years ago on Google
    It was ok!

  • 1/5 Haval K. 3 years ago on Google
    It was horrendous. We are a family of 6, 4 kids and 2 adults. We got tickets all for $60 in total which was good but not for the experience you get at the zoo. Practically every animal we saw was either asleep or dieing from the heat. All in there beds some passed out and others about to be. Not even the vending machines wanted to work. The only decent part was the way sprinklers which kept us somewhat refreshed in the balding sun.

  • 5/5 Lahree C. 3 years ago on Google
    This zoo was an excellent for the size. Therr are a lot of animals to see and the price is amazing. It is smaller but that didn't prevent us from spending 4 hours there! It was a breezy Friday afternoon and all of the animals were enjoying the weather and lazily napping. There weren't many people around which was nice because we didn't feel rushed. We walked around once and then hopped on the tram. Our tram driver was very knowledgeable and you could tell he love the animals. The wildlife museum was cool and although all of the animald are stuffed we got a good idea about the true size of the animals. It was clean and well marked. If we didn't live so far away I would definitely come back here.

  • 5/5 J S. 3 years ago on Google
    What a fun place! We loved this zoo. It is small compared to our Denver Zoo but much more interactive. Lovely park-like setting. The exhibits are spread out and you can get really close to them. There are 4 Tigers, a large male, Mother and 3 one-year old cubs. They were so playful! At the end of the zoo is a great interactive diorama of habitats around the world with real waterfalls, rivers and robotic people telling about their country. It was fantastic! Well worth the admission!

  • 5/5 Nick R. 3 years ago on Google
    Great zoo and great exhibits. Kid LOVES coming here, I take her multple times a year. Super friendly employees too.

  • 5/5 Monica C. 2 years ago on Google
    We love it. So clean and nice place to visit. And love the new play ground area

  • 5/5 Marissa C. 2 years ago on Google
    My family loved it here! No crowds, clean and so pretty!! Great little views everywhere. Staff was friendly and helpful. Worth it!! Find me on IG for my video mashup of our experience :) @marissaspillett

  • 5/5 Shay H. 2 years ago on Google
    AMAZING Zoo experience for all ages!! It was 104° the day we went and there was plenty of shade everywhere, as well as water fountains and air conditioned buildings nicely spaced throughout. The exhibits, buildings and paths were all clean and nicely maintained. But the true gem was the Wildlife Museum! The dioramas are fantastic and the kid's play area is full of engaging activities. If I lived in the area, this would be the best place for a birthday party.

  • 5/5 Jordan B. 3 years ago on Google
    Exceeded expectations! Very clean and spacious. Gorgeous, healthy animals. Conveniently located restaurant and bathrooms. Fun children's areas! The zoo was amazing by itself, then they have a whole museum at the end! Love it!!

  • 5/5 Charles B. 2 years ago on Google
    I swear I left a review here and not just stars. Well here we go again. My wife and I had a blast at this zoo. We went just before close so we had to hustle a bit but we will be back around 2 hours before close when we visit again. The animals were all so interactive and interested (probably because (guessing) it's feeding time when the zoo closes). The petting zoo was great. The cow was so friendly! Also the giraffes we're very curious trying to lean over to look at us. We had a great time and will definitely be back. I liked this way more than both Manhattan & Topeka's zoo.

  • 5/5 Kris K. 3 years ago on Google
    A small zoo in the middle of nowhere but had a lot of great animals. The animals were well taken care of in the zoo is very clean. They have a outstanding Museum filled with dioramas. I highly recommend going

  • 5/5 Shaun K. 3 years ago on Google
    Love this place! Favorite zoo in Kansas!

  • 5/5 Aj D. 2 years ago on Google
    I really liked this zoo. Greatly surpassed my expectations. Visited on the way home just after visiting Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and I was impressed. The museum walk through was also great and really well done. Walking through the entrance I could see this zoo is well maintained and cared for.

  • 3/5 claw c. 2 years ago on Google
    It was fun, I went there with my family. The only problem was that the parks not really wheelchair friendly. I almost launched my mother into the koi/flamingo pin, plus the deer/pronghorn pin. Most of the animals I really wanted to see where missing, and the animals that live communal where by themselves and seemed sad. But other than that it was nice, the animals that had others in their pin where quite happy and it made it more entertaining to watch 07/16/21

  • 5/5 William B. 2 years ago on Google
    Had a blast! 'Twas a hot day, glad we did the museum after the zoo, the dioramas and AC revived the kids energy (and my own ;)).

  • 4/5 Deanna D. 2 years ago on Google
    Nice gift shops!! The reptile building is lots of fun with varieties of frogs, lizards, turtles and snakes. Another favorite were the friendly giraffes though can't feed at this time due to Covid-19. Have a year old baby giraffe in there, pretty cute! Has enough variety in animals to make it a fun family experience while not being too tiringly overwhelming. Make sure to checkout the Wildlife museum - a good way to cool off in the AC while still looking at animals! Or stop by the Overlook Restaurant for a lemon or orange slushie.

  • 5/5 Sergeants S. 2 years ago on Google
    Definitely worth the admission price. They also do a 15% military discount and senior citizen discount (it has discounts for children as well, although I didn't look at them). There are wheelchairs and scooters that you can rent if necessary, as well as, baby strollers. The enclosures are well taken care of. Also make sure to take a trip through the museum at the end of the zoo. It has awesome exhibits inside.

  • 5/5 Nolan T. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place for families. Has exhibits set up by continent. Has indoor and outdoor areas for many different animals and a little playground for kids in the middle. Also has a great museum that is underrated I think. Especially cool play area at the back end of the museum. We got a pass for the year and I don't think we will regret that choice.

  • 5/5 Greg M. 1 year ago on Google
    Second time visiting Rolling Hills Zoo and both times were wonderful experiences! Both times we rode the tram. Both times, the tram was well worth it! This year, our tram operator Ron was an excellent guide! He was very knowledgeable of the animals and the exhibits. And after a ride on the tram on a hot day, walking through the well air conditioned museum was perfect! They have a great variety of animals, well spaced out in large enclosures. The facility is well maintained and is being upgraded regularly. I’m sure we’ll visit again in the future!

  • 5/5 Dana M. 1 year ago on Google
    We have been to many zoos, this is by far one of the prettiest best kept places. Animals are well cared for and clean enclosures. Beautiful landscaping and artistic museum

  • 5/5 Alan L. 1 year ago on Google
    Great time as usual here! Zookeeper interactions are very informative, and the layout of the zoo is very good to walk. Museum and kids play areas are perfect for little ones.

  • 5/5 Jayme J. 10 months ago on Google
    Great zoo. Wasn't super busy. We really enjoyed the Animal encounter with the cougar. ❣️💙 The gentleman doing the encounter was super patient with her and all of us and our questions.

  • 5/5 samantha nicholas (Sammie j. 9 months ago on Google
    Rolling hills zoo was amazing place to visit. Nice staff and clean bathrooms. Would definitely recommend going for a visit! Will definitely be going back. Admission $15 for adults, seniors $14,children (3-12)$9,children 2&under free

  • 5/5 Jay J. 8 months ago on Google
    Such a great time walking through zoo. We did not get to actually feed the Giraffes but it was cool to almost be that close to them. It was still great to walk through the Museum right after. Super happy to spend our time here sad some of the animals were not out but those things happen and its completely understandable.

  • 5/5 Ashlee H. 3 months ago on Google New
    We had so much fun! The staff was friendly and the zoo was super clean. We went in the off season so it was empty other than us and the zoo keepers. It’s a beautiful facility and I highly recommend adding it to your road trip.

  • 5/5 DinoCanFly 3 years ago on Google
    Very Fun!!! Hope to go again anybody live in Augusta its worth the drive!!$

  • 4/5 Jennifer Wiens M. 3 years ago on Google
    Nice zoo, like the trans that's available with stops for you through out the park. Don't have to stay on one can stay as long as you like n catch another one

  • 5/5 Dale S. 3 years ago on Google
    It was wonderful and fun for kids!

  • 5/5 Jeff P. 3 years ago on Google
    A wonderful local attraction. World class dioramas.

  • 5/5 Jacob K. 3 years ago on Google
    We found this place on our cross country road trip and it our family's favorite stop!

  • 5/5 Erick C. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place soutwest of Kansas City.

  • 5/5 Jillian F. 3 years ago on Google
    Today was the first cold day of fall. We were on our way home from Manhattan to Wichita and wanted to stretch our legs and get some walking in with our 5yo daughter. This was our choice of stop. I have to tell you - I have a masters degree in museum studies and worked in museums for years. The “museum” at Rolling Hills has THE best nature based dioramas I have ever seen. I have been to every Smithsonian, the Field Museum, and the NYC museums. I was blown away. The quality, care, and vast number of taxidermied species was unreal to me. After we went through the museum we braved the cold and walked the zoo, enjoying every little thing along the way. It is clean, animals seemed well cared for, species were varied and interesting. We happened to come upon a keeper feeding the rhinos (never have I seen an Indian rhino in person, and being a huge Albrecht Durer fan, I was thrilled to pull out my phone and show my husband the hundreds of years old sketch that so matched their rhino!). She was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. It was a joy to talk to her and she interacted with us in such a way that I didn’t want to move on to more exhibits. I am grateful we stopped, and I do have one suggestion. The museum nerd in me really wants to know the provenance, exhibit history, taxidermy team, and level of care the specimens in the dioramas receive. It is worth a small pamphlet or note on the website for sure. Someone’s collection is vastly impressive, and they deserve credit in a short book that I would definitely buy from the gift shop! Ideally it would have the same informative maps of each exhibit but then specimen history as well as species history. We will be back!

  • 5/5 Michael L. 3 years ago on Google
    I Was Working Here,But It's A Great Place To Take Your Kids On A Days Adventure!!!

  • 5/5 Amber Y. 3 years ago on Google
    Awasome the museum was amazing some of the noise and robotics scared the bejesers out of me but it was amazing and fun

  • 5/5 Michelle B. 3 years ago on Google
    Fabulous staff, Beautiful animals. Spacious, Clean Zoo & Museum. Great prices. Our family had a wonderful day!

  • 5/5 momof7 h. 3 years ago on Google
    We went since it was the last day of the dinosaur exhibit, and my 5 year old LOVES dinosaurs! It was a perfect day!

  • 5/5 Pamela B. 3 years ago on Google
    A lot of fun!

  • 5/5 The B. 3 years ago on Google
    Worth the stop. I just finished walking through looking at the animals and now I'm eating a cheeseburger and fries. The staff is friendly and you can get pretty close to the animals in most cases. I will be coming back... if even only for the painted dogs.

  • 5/5 Sarah J. 3 years ago on Google
    This was our 2nd time visiting this zoo and it never disappoints! You can see so many of the animals up close and they appear to be well taken care of. Staff is friendly and the facilities are very clean. One of our favorite zoos!

  • 5/5 Kionney 3 years ago on Google
    Great place to visit!!! Animals are very well taken care of and staff are amazing.

  • 5/5 Jared C. 3 years ago on Google
    The zoo and museum are amazing. The hospitality of the staff are second to none. We used the zoo as a break from I-70 but wished we lived closer to enjoy the zoo and museum on a regular basis. The museum is a can't miss part of the zoo.

  • 5/5 Stuart E. 3 years ago on Google
    My family always has a great time at Rolling Hills! We've been going for years and my son LOVES the new dinosaur installation.

  • 5/5 T'mara Z. 3 years ago on Google
    Perfect for little kiddos! My son is obsessed with the dinosaur exhibit I wish it would stay permanently. Nice little zoo for a rural area. The museum is amazing too.

  • 3/5 Ty E. 4 years ago on Google
    Museum was awesome. Zoo was kind of sad. Not too much space for the animals. Small exhibits. My wife picked up multiple pieces of trash while we were there..

  • 3/5 Michael H. 3 years ago on Google
    The dinosaur exhibit was fun for the kids. Seems to be less and less animals than the last couple times we had gone. The museum is a nice cool escape on a hot day, and has a lot of neat set ups inside. We will be going back again once more things open up to make the trip worth while.

  • 5/5 Trash R. 3 years ago on Google
    Lived near here since 2011, and never once bothered with Salinas zoo; probably because I assumed it was something akin to Manhattans- small sad animals and not much to look at. We gave it a go today and it was amazing! You really do get close up to the wildlife, which is so nice. It has a good variety of animals; to include ones you don’t always get a chance to see. Their exhibits were all open, animals in the enclosures. Apparently there is a tram, and while I saw someone comment that it wasn’t running and they “had to walk” around the zoo, I’ll note now that it IS up and running and it’s 3 dollars but the zoo itself isn’t at all hard to trek. If you need assistance getting around they have electric scooter rentals, and strollers for your kids. Yes, you have to wear a mask IF YOU CANNOT MAINTAIN 6’ DISTANCE FROM OTHERS- but we found it easy to get around without anyone getting close. The only thing COVID closed is the giraffe feeding. The museum is so cool, it really takes you through wildlife around the world- but the talking manikins are super freaky... especially when they blink. And, there’s a pair of them that shame you for ruining the rainforest, which is weird. All in all, this was definitely an experience I wish I had visited before. It’s truly a hidden gem in Salina, and is better than the Topeka zoo and the Manhattan zoo. The enclosures do seem small but the animals seem happy and healthy!

  • 4/5 Brent H. 3 years ago on Google
    Nice zoo, clean and well kept

  • 5/5 Tammi Johnson A. 3 years ago on Google
    Loved worth the drive from Topeka

  • 5/5 Rhonda R. 3 years ago on Google
    We had a great time. My grandson loved the Dinosaurs and the Hide away was really neat for him to explore.

  • 4/5 Donald J. 3 years ago on Google
    Great little zoo in the middle of nowhere! LOL

  • 4/5 Julie R. 3 years ago on Google
    Small zoo. Easy to see animals. Well taken care of.

  • 5/5 Steve A. 3 years ago on Google
    The zoo was fantastic. Great animals and friendly staff. The only bad thing was most of the other visitors did not wear face masks or social distance. I.e. the reptile house was very crowded and we were the only ones who had masks.

  • 5/5 Charles 3 years ago on Google
    Such a great little zoo! What a find in Kansas! Superb animals who look happy and healthy. Be sure to spend the day, and check out the natural museum as well!

  • 3/5 Nunziatina S. 3 years ago on Google
    Zoo was nice, staff wouldn't let us ride our segways though.

  • 5/5 Jim Y. 3 years ago on Google
    Laid back atmosphere...

  • 5/5 Claude B. 3 years ago on Google
    Great zoo but go when tram is running so not as much walking nice that there is room for big pins good time!!!

  • 3/5 Roy H. 3 years ago on Google
    All the animals were sleeping. The musium was good though.

  • 5/5 April O. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place to take the grandkids

  • 5/5 Ayme J. 3 years ago on Google
    It was AWESOME!!

  • 5/5 Ruth B. 3 years ago on Google
    One of the best Zoo's we have visited. Very clean.

  • 5/5 Alísia C. 3 years ago on Google
    It was great! We had so much fun looking at the animals with my child, only drawback was it was windy, but that was mother nature not the zoo 😁 if I'm ever near these parts again, would definitely be passing by there. Staff was nice and friendly. Most animals we were able to see though not all.

  • 5/5 Travis K. 3 years ago on Google
    Truly a gem

  • 4/5 Laura E. 3 years ago on Google
    Its a bit pricey for most of the exibits not being available to see...because of covid. Our favorite is the museum,kids country, and the dinosaurs.

  • 5/5 Leah O. 3 years ago on Google
    We had a great time. I suggest on hot days you take drinks because most of their pop machines were empty. But up by the food they have drinks and snow cones.

  • 5/5 Crystal W. 1 year ago on Google • 2 reviews
    Perfect for cold days!! I loved that almost all animals were visible even though it was very cold. The zoo made it possible for visitors to see the animals while they took shelter from the cold winds, which meant we could warm up too. They have an amazing museum with dioramas or all kinds of animals! We went through twice! The food was good and priced well. We will be back in the summer for the new exhibit they are building!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍


Call +1 785-827-9488 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

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