kentucky reptile zoo

Anyone with at least a passing interest in reptiles would enjoy KRZ- they have a massive collection of reptiles on display from all over the world, and are an active venom collection site for medical research with demonstrations almost every day. The keepers are highly knowledgeable and experienced, and happy to answer any questions.

A last minute addition to our trip on the way home from Lexington. The kids loved it!! Tour guides are so knowledgeable on all snakes and other animals there. They made the tour interesting. Not everyday do you see a snake get milked! Reasonably priced gift shop too!! Must do if you are in the area.

This is completely unmatched by anything else in the Eastern Kentucky area. With well over 100 snakes and reptiles, I was shocked to see how much of a variety they showcased. Not only was this a looking zoo, but a working business to sell venoms to make antiserums! The Kentucky Reptile Zoo gets its fifth star rating because of the amazingly vast knowledge of the passionate owners. Calm and open minded, they shared stories and tips about snake encounters. Useful, Educational, and Fun.

They have tons of awesome reptiles. I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of snakes, but Christian, the owner, is so friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. She makes the trip a very good learning experience for me. Come to their shows: 1PM/3PM/5PM!

There is live snakes, and tons of them. You can walk through and see all types, which is fun for the kids, creepy for the adults..

I entered with the first tour group on a Saturday morning. The intern walked us to 3 small buildings and said "these are the tropicals"," these are the North Americans" and" these are the giants".That was about the extent of the tour, no explanations and there were no descriptions of the species on the enclosures other than the name and "venomous". Not at all informative. It was all over in less that 20 minutes. Perhaps after visiting Reptile Gardens in South Dakota's Black Hills, my expectations were high. Reptile Gardens is excellent.

I Have 4 Little Girls & They Love Going Here. They Think We Have To Go Every Year! They Really Enjoy Watching The Snakes Get The Venom Milked Out Of Them! This Year They Even Got To Hold A Baby Alligator!

I visited KRZ today with my parents and my 11 year old son. We all had a wonderful time! The tour started at the gift shop with a very friendly and enthusiastic greeting. Next we were guided through the exhibits with very knowledgeable and friendly workers. These girls were great! They took their time and answered any questions from our group. At 1:00 Jim started the venom extractions. It was amazing to see Jim at work in person! Highly recommend all visitors to stay for the extractions! When Jim finished he stayed to answer questions from our group. He even allowed some pictures. All-in-all KRZ is must see for any reptile lover or enthusiast. There is a huge number of very exciting species on display! I came from Miami, FL visit and I'm glad I did! I will certainly be back for a future visit! Thanks for an amazing time Jim!

My family and I visited the Kentucky Reptile Zoo on 8/8/13 It was a great experience! There was an excellent selection of venomous snakes. We saw snakes here that you can't see in regular zoos. Everyone was very nice and very knowledgeable about all of the animals and exhibits. We especially enjoyed watching Jim Harrison milk the rattlesnakes and copperheads. Jim is an expert and very well known in the world of animals. It was a privilege to be able to see him at work. The cost was very reasonable. I was more than happy to give my money to help support this valuable venom collection service. Because of Jim and his work, many lives can be saved!

Where else can you see a snake get milked for its venom right in front of you? I found this place very interesting. If you have curious kids, it's a must to visit this place if you're in the area. Mine loved seeing the snakes, turtles, and alligators we saw there. I was most impressed by the staff who demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the critters on display. It's nothing fancy, but the knowledgeable staff and snake milking made it worth the money for me. At only $7 per adult and less for kids, I thought the price was reasonable considering their overhead.

I was just a bit disappointed in this attraction. There is a $7.00 fee per adult and that got us a tour of about 30 minutes. We were showed 3 small buildings of snakes, 2 alligators and some turtles. Venom is extracted here for research and that is a good thing so I don't regret the ticket price; I was hoping for more information from the guide and more displays. People added to our tour along the way and the buildings became quite crowded which made viewing difficult.

If you're expecting some highly polished multi-million dollar facility, move along. This is a quirky place, very oddball. It's basically thrown together from utility sheds and outbuildings. However, aside from it's less than sophisticated construction, very interesting. Tons of snakes of all sorts. The young woman who was our guide was quite personable and was able to answer all of our questions about the snakes. We timed our visit to watch them harvest snake venom, which was quite interesting. If you have an open mind and like places that are unique and off the beaten path, you'll enjoy it. None of the people in my party of 7 regretted taking the time to check this place out. If you expect a fancy big city exhibit, you'll be less than thrilled.

Are you kidding? Wife and I stopped by while driving home from a family visit. This is a joke right? They should reduce the admission price to $1 like the giant python we saw at the mall and enjoyed much more. We don't usually write reviews but had to here. Oh, don't plan on using the restroom. There are NONE. Really?

Being in the professional zoo industry I tend to have a much more critical eye when I visit other zoological facilities. Recently, I had the good fortune to finally make a trek to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo and boy I couldn't have been more pleased with my visit! Jim and Kristen are two of the most knowledgable reptile people you will find. Their well trained staff are customer friendly, courteous, and knowledgable in their own right. The setting is very intimate; something you don't get at larger zoos. Each building is like opening a new present; lots of unexpeced surprises with some of the world's most exotic and beautiful reptiles; particularly their venomous snake collection. You'll be hard pressed to see a more diverse collection than this one. The exhibits are really nice, the animals in impeccable condition, and the drive to get to this zoo is absolutely beautiful. It's worth the drive whether you are from Chicago like I am, or, from just about anywhere in the U.S. For anyone who enjoys reptiles or wildlife in general this is a great place to visit. You will not be disappointed. And I have heard many others say the same thing who have visited. Great job KRZ!!!!!

What a total rip off! First, you have to go into their store where they hope you will spend money buying stuff. They charge for adults to take their kids in, and admission was high. when they open the door to the room, you are standing in a room the size of a walk in closet with aqariums in there with a few snakes. don't waste your money!!!