Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Arkansas
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in Arkansas that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Animal encounterRides and attractionsOn-site dining
Little Rock Zoological Gardens
Zoo in Little Rock
Over 400 animals of more than 200 species are kept on 33 acres. The zoo operates as a department of city government, and development money is raised by the Arkansas Zoological Foundation, a 501(c)(3).
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Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
Zoo in Hot Springs
Alligators have been kept here, without being bred, from the start in 1902. Beyond roughly 200 alligators, the collection includes cougars, wild boars, bobcats, turtles, ring-tailed lemurs and poultry.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 2 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.