Hattiesburg Zoo
4.6(4.1K)google
4.6(8)yelp
Family
Overview
The Hattiesburg Zoo (sometimes also called the Kamper Park Zoo) is a small 12-acre (4.9 ha) zoo located within Kamper Park in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. The zoo is operated by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission. As of 2019, the Commission's executive director was Rick Taylor.
Practical Info
MonClosed
Tue10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wed10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thu10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Fri10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sun10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeSpring (March to May) is beautiful as the zoo grounds are flush with blooms and the rare Sumatran tigers are highly active. Arrive right at 10:00 AM opening to instantly hop on the historic Safari Train and carousel before lines form under the massive oak canopy.
Getting ThereSituated within Kamper Park at 107 S 17th Avenue, Hattiesburg. Drive from I-59 and take Exit 65 for Hardy Street (US-98 E). Head east for 2.5 miles, turn right onto S 17th Avenue, and drive straight into the massive, heavily shaded complimentary park lot outside the zoo gates.
Travel Tips
- The signature treetop ropes course requires independent tokens and forces participants to wear fully enclosed, lace-up athletic footwear; slip-ons, sandals, and crocs are legally restricted.
- Sloth VIP encounters are hyper-limited to 6 participants per day; walk-up ticketing is non-existent, making mandatory pre-booking on their web portal 3 months early a prerequisite.
- The primary ticket lot saturates by 11 AM on weekends; divert to free overflow infrastructure at Kamper Park. Parking on neighborhood residential grass results in immediate impoundment.
Reviews
Positive
- This is a compact yet highly rated zoo; lush trees resemble a jungle with beautiful layouts, and the sloth area is highly entertaining.
- The on-site splash pad and high-ropes course heavily enrich the fun for kids, making it perfect for family driving trips.
- Tickets, internal dining, and the mini train are very fairly priced with high value, completely free from big-city spending scams.
- Infrastructure is highly complete with lively signs, ample accessible paths, enthusiastic staff, and timely trash can clearing.
Heads up
- Weekends or holidays pack heavy visitor density; lots run full, forcing you to park in distant blocks and walk, hurting convenience.
- Due to its mid-sized scale, visitors expecting massive iconic wildlife like elephants or lions might find certain species missing.
- Mississippi summers are heavily humid; some core ride-queuing rest zones lack adequate shade sails or fans, causing heat exhaustion.
- Multilingual safety tips and eco-texts are virtually absent, and crowd control during animal feeding spikes feels slightly chaotic.