Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in North Dakota
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 North Dakota that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Rides and attractions
Dakota Zoo
Zoo in Bismarck
Dakota Zoo, opened in 1961, is a zoo in Bismarck, United States.
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Keeper talk or showWheelchair accessible routes
Roosevelt Park Zoo
Zoo in Minot
It is the oldest zoo in the state. As of 2024 it held 135 animals across 68 species, and 115,805 people visited in 2021.
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Animal encounterRides and attractions
Red River Zoo
Zoo in Fargo
The collection runs to over 600 animals from 89 species, red pandas among them. The zoo has held AZA accreditation since 2006.
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Chahinkapa Zoo
Zoo in Wahpeton
More than 200 animals of roughly 100 species are held at what was the first zoo established in North Dakota. It opens from May to October, with winter visits by appointment.
More in North Dakota
View all North Dakota listingsOur ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 4 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.