Tri-State Zoological Park in Cumberland

I just came across that you can write reviews on Google now, so better late than never. This place is the best, I am so proud to say that this zoo is in my home town, its small, not the best looking, but I look past the not looking the best because its all about the animals and that is what the owner Bob Candys main focus on is the care of the animals. Every time I go I have a new story to tell of how much fun I had and I use those experiences in advocating and hoping people will listen to me and check it out. Speaking of advocating...anyone out there who reads this review, please come out to the zoo in the next few weeks before they close for good in October. The closing of this place is very unfortunate, this zoo has become a happy place for me because many of the animals want to be around you and get attention from you as well and Bob is so nice and makes you feel like youve been friends all your life! The animals here are really well taken care of and loved. Ive seen it first hand every time Ive gone and those amazing animals get excited when they see and hear Bob, a few of the animals you wont see unless if hes around, so thats a real treat when you get to see those animals. I also like how close you can be to the animals, which is a lot closer to see them then at other zoos which is what also has made this place my favorite zoo. Also, what makes this place unique is hearing the stories of the animals lives before they came here, some are very sad, but glad they were given a 2nd chance at life and they are loved by Bob and everyone that came to see them. I could go on, but this is already a long review. Oh, one more thing admission is free, but donations are very much appreciated and welcomed.

One of my favorite places in the whole world. Im saddened to see them close. If you get a chance visit before they shut the gates. Entry is by donation only and the animals ALL love attention. ❤️

I visited last week with my husband and our toddler. We were headed home on a long road trip and were looking for anything to do to get us out of the car. There were a few other people visiting when we were, and the owner Bob showed us around the zoo, calling each animal by name and telling us the stories of how they all came to him. He had a monkey, an arctic fox, a Bengal cat, a wolf, and several other animals that were illegally kept as pets; a monkey that came from a testing facility; two bears that were overflow from a big zoo; and plenty of others each with their own unique tales. The zoo is nothing at all fancy, but Bob converted an abandoned campground to house his animals and he’s doing the best he can with what he has. Many of these animals would likely be euthanized had Bob not taken them in. Everyone living there seems content and I will definitely stop by again the next time I’m in the area!

Awesome place! I’m not sure why this has been getting a bad wrap. Don’t expect a huge zoo if you go here, but it def worth it. The animals are all very friendly and love the attention. You can tell they are cared for well. The owner spent my time with us and explained the background of each animal. The animals all looked healthy and happy. I highly recommend and I plan on going back next time I’m in the area. (Entry is free, but donations are welcome- and I’m sure appreciated everything is run by volunteers.)

Awesome place! I’m not sure why this has been getting a bad wrap. Don’t expect a huge zoo if you go here, but it def worth it. The animals are all very friendly and love the attention. You can tell they are cared for well. The owner spent my time with us and explained the background of each animal. The animals all looked healthy and happy. I highly recommend and I plan on going back next time I’m in the area. (Entry is free, but donations are welcome- and I’m sure appreciated everything is run by volunteers.)

We visit the Tri-State Zoo every time we go camping and the kids love it. Staff are super friendly and helpful. Really a great experience for the kids to see some great animals.

Great kid friendly petting zoo. Yes its small, and yes its not very visually appealing. They are doing the best they can with what they have. They use donations to make ends meet. You can only do so much with so little money in BIDENS America. Went with my entire family and the inlaws. Had a blast!!! Animals seems happy, and staff is on top of getting animals fed.

Best zoo around !!! Very special experience each time. Great for children to learn about animals and PET them also. Bob is very kind! They answer all animal questions open every day.... me and my daughter go as much as possible. If you dont like crowded zoos this is the best option

My favorite place in the whole wide world went there today going back as much as possible. In a world full of issues this is my Escape. If I could go everyday I would. Rocket is my number one favorite. Cannot give this local Zoo Enough stars

We had chance go here this past Monday we loved it. We will stop back each time we are in the area. We got to talk to the owner and he gave us the back stories on a lot of the animals there. They do awesome job for them. Its great that they take in these guys and they are rescues. Thank you for a memoriable first visit.

My little one had some much fun.

Place had pretty animals. Animals were all very nice. Kids there loved It my son loved it! Had a course game set up for kids. All the kids I seen including my son said it was fun! Todays benefits went to helping the zoo!! We need to step up and help keep our zoo and build our zoo up with more animals. So we dont have to drive hours to see so amazing beautiful wild life!!!!

We went this weekend wow I was shocked the outside was kind of made us not wanna go in but once we did it was a wow such amazing animals and people we had fun learning about the animals and the kids had a blast dont listen to the few bad reviews go check it out before you judge

Nice small zoo, friendly owner. Facilities are a bit aged but dont let that deter you from entering. Wide variety of animals that are friendly, would recommend. There is a donation box in lieu of an entrance fee.

This zoo is amazing. I went with family and we all enjoyed it. The service is amazing the owner, Bob, gave us a tour and explained each animal and the history to us. The animals are treated wonderfully, and you can tell how much the workers and volunteers care for them, and how much the animals love them.

Dont judge it by the entrance... progress in work. fun experience great for kids interacting with the animals

What a place... A non profit place where the animals are very well taken care of. All rescue animals that are friendly and happy.. The onwer Bob Candy is amazing

Little run down nothing fancy staff are friendly....still cool! Not 16 acres anymoreThanks to PETA from my understanding!The owners are just trying to help animals that are injured or donated from being petsThat need a home....animals people should have never had as pets!!! So bless BOB for trying to do something to help!!!! Best of luck BOB!!! Yall stop by and check it out! Give a donation to help if ya can!!!❤

The zookeepers are the best I have ever seen in my life. I wish everyones heart can be near to the loving the heart of the lady who takes good care of the those animal in the zoo. The animals love their caregiver, and still communicate with visitors most friendly than anyone can imagine. I will visit again and again. I wish the zoo keep all the best things in the world. I will donate more and more.

Visited here today w my boyfriend and kids. The owner Bob Candy was so welcoming and friendly and so excited about his animals. You could see how much he loves them and how much they love him too. We pretty much had a personal tour by him and he told us all about the history of each animal. Hes very motivated to give them the best life. We really enjoyed visiting his little Zoo. We all had a great time! 😊

I had a really good time! Enjoyed every animal. I called my daughter to tell her about how much fun her father and I had. She is going to try to make it there tomorrow with a friend. She is excited about going!

This place was amazing- courteous staff who *love* the animals so much! And the animals love them- this is a great place and Im so glad we went.

Appreciate it for what it is, i absolutely loved it, will definitely be going back. You can tell the owner truly does care for all of his animals ❤♥💜💖💙💕❤♥💜💖💙💕❤♥

this place is amazing bob really cares for his animals and you can just tell by the reaction the animals give him when he walks up to the animals! All of the animals come out as soon as bob calls there names it’s really great to see someone take such good care of that many animals. I just wish he gets more donations because this rescue zoo really deserves it. You can tell he puts the hard work in to take care of the animals and all the money they get to take care of the animals and too feed the animals. It doesn’t matter if the facility is the best, the animals sure as heck doesn’t care they just care about being treated right and that’s what he does treats them right. I recommend going here to know the background about the animals and how Bob save them all!!

Rustic place, the owner Bob absolutely loves all his animals. He is a great host as well! This place is so nice for kids and adults really wish there were more places like it!

The owner is a very caring and loving man.. who loves his animals.. the only thing is that its over grown with weeds.. and the turtles live in green algae. The animals desperately need human attention from folks that come to the park.

We had a personal tour with Bob. This is not a traditional zoo! Animals are well taken care of here. The critters are All friendly and it is a great hands on experience. Admission is by donation. We will go back!

Animals have wide open spaces with proper shelters. They respond well to people and the owner - they love attention. The animals are really friendly and are very well taken care of.

For the past 12 years the owner Bob and his family have been like family to us. Each of my girls had the best birthday experience by having live animals at their 10th birthday. A unique experience only offered by this amazing place. He educated everyone and allowed photo opportunities. As a mom and a photographer this was a great experience. Over the years we have taken many of our friends to see the animals and for a more in depth tour of the place. Bob was always sure to take time out for me, my family and any of my friends I brought along from all over the country to help provide a more unique experience. My oldest daughter is currently in the process of becoming a vet tech due to his experience and Bob’s encouragement. We now live in Tennessee, but I am from WV so when we go home we always try to make it to see the animals that we have watched grow and consider a part of our family.Bob is truly inspiring as he operates as a nonprofit rescue for these animals and he speaks for them. He has given everything he has to help these animals. I can’t wait to go back and see Kumar, Cheyenne, Mowgli, Peka and the rest of the animals.

Awesome place and so nice to see the animals and that they are well taken care of:

While this facility needs alot of work, nice place to visit and see wildlife. Run by a staff of just a few volunteers, outside forces hold back what this Zoo could actually accomplish. Donations would help this facility, staff is friendly and courteous.

Amazing place owner is a wonderful person to take these animals in and give them the love and happiness that they deserve. To take them would be cruel!! He has formed a bond with each and every one giving them names and enclosures that give them what they need. Was the best part about this vacation!! Thank you Bob Candy and Thank you from us and your animals

Poor excuse for a zoological park.I am truly heartbroken at the poor living conditions that these animals are subjected to. These animals are staying in tattered and damaged enclosures at are small and covered in feces. I was honestly disgusted by the amount of filth in this place and was scared to allow my toddler son remotely touch anything!!The ONE women that is a volunteer was informative, but I feel as though she knows the conditions are extremely poor as she followed us around the park and I felt uncomfortable as I took pictures of the disgusting conditions. I am really unsure how a single person believes they can tend to and care for these animals. 😔

My family were visiting the area just to get out and ran into this place. We had a fantastic time. My kids had a great time petting and feeding the animals. The staff that walked around were knowledgeable and very kind. The zoo is not a typical zoo. It is a RESCUE! they are solely dependent on donations and the money they make from emissions. It is a little run down but they are doing a good job and the animals seem to be cared for.

First, I agree: its a little run-down. Bob is doing with volunteers what most zoos do with loads of staff. Second, its a rescue as well, which means that most of these animals have come from deplorable situations and cant BE released. Third, the pride Bobs staff has in what they are doing is obvious. No doubt in my mind that with as much money as most zoos have, this one would look like them too. In the meantime, the animals seem to enjoy their homes, the petting zoo critters are amazingly tame, and this zoo offers a local opportunity to see your child or grandchilds eyes open in amazement the first time they ever pet a tortoise. As a side note, we felt fairly safe letting the almost-3 run loose; the zoo has double fences where appropriate and as long as theres adult supervision, the kids can enjoy themselves quite well in this outddor setting.

The animals would be better off living in the natural wilds where they belong, rather than this dump you call a zoo. Animals shouldnt be used for entertainment, its cruel. Please be compassionate and free them!

This place is truly awesome. The animals are beautiful and the staff are so friendly they make you feel at home. The place is a little run down but what do you expect from a shelter that survives from donations and visitors only. I really hope everyone that knows about this place donates and tries to volunteer here. Shame on anyone who rated this place 1 star cuz of run down cages.

Very nice people and the Animals seem to be in good shape but they need help. These are good-hearted people working very hard to take care of these animals and I believe its a thankless job but they keep doing it. Kudos to everybody there I hope somebody sees this and has extra time to give you a hand

My wife and I randomly decided to pull over for the night in Cumberland because we were tired of travelling, and what a wonderful decision that turned out to be. I wasnt sure what to expect when we pulled up to Bobs little refuge, but what I got was both wild and wonderful. The owner, Bob, took us around and introduced us to all of the animals personally, and I was deeply impressed by the love and compassion he has for each and every one of them (all of whom were previously abused, neglected, or unwanted). This place is a little tucked-away treasure and, as another reviewer mentioned, youll never be so close to a tiger.

Couldnt be much worse for the animals. I donated a healthy parrot to this place. They were supposed to build an aviary.. didnt happen. The healthy 17 year old African Grey parrot was dead in 1 1/2 years. Worst thing I ever did. This place should be shut down immediately. The animals are not cared for.

Some of these people need to research this place before making some of the nasty comments. The people running this place are doing such a great thing with what they have to work with. Its a non-profit zoo and support the animals from donations only and their own money. Taking the animals in from people owning them illegally. The first time going had an amazing time. Its not state funded so its not the Washington or Baltimore zoo. That being said they can only do so much without the help from donations. Well worth the visit. Will go back for sure.

Absolutely wonderful people doing an amazing job. Its a rescue center for exotic animals, its a non profit shelter, not a fully funded zoo. The animals are well cared for and very friendly. Very worth the visit, we will be back. Wish we could have made more of a donation.

Im not sure why so many people are rating this place 1 star without having all the facts. First of all, this isnt really a zoo in the traditional sense. The animals that are kept here are ones that were held as pets until the animal got too big to keep or that the owner simply got bored and wanted to get rid of the animal. So Bob (the ownertook the animal in.Secondly, some of these animals here were moved here FROM a zoo (like the one in DC, for examplebecause they couldnt take care of it, or didnt want to. Many of these animals had nowhere else to go, but they have a home here and are well cared for.I was lucky enough to meet the owner while I was there and its truly inspiring how much thought, care, and attention he gives to the animals. The way the animals interact with him is incredible. There was a duck named Pip, that followed us around the entire time Bob was with us. Pip is awesome and gets a little jealous when he doesnt get enough attention from Bob, which is hilarious to see. The mountain lion behaved like a house cat when Bob was near and one of the tigers would roll around on his back as Bob walked by.The zoo doesnt have the luxury of government subsidies and survives on donations from the community and kind-hearted visitors who can see past the reclaimed wood fences and into the heart of why this zoo exists - to take care of animals that no one else can or will. I urge anyone who visits to take a moment and interact with the staff here. Ask questions and listen to the stories behind the animals. I did and it made the trip all the more worthwhile and I cant wait to go back.

Before going to this zoo, you need to understand that they did not go out and captured these animals to put them into a cage for their collection or to show off to you. They actually rescued them from abandonment and negligence. Most of these animals are from people who illegally own them and didn’t want them after a while. Some were completely neglected or abandoned since the owners moved on with their lives. Some have birth defects and were left to die. The owner, Bob, took all of them into his care and provided them with everything he has. When Bob walked by the mountain lion, the mountain lion immediately started to purr. You cannot fake the love and trust between them.Since this zoo is not funded by the government (by donation and his life saving), it is not glamorous in any way. However, if you really look, the stories behind each rescue, the volunteers there to work for a good cause, and the trust between the animals and the people working there are truly beautiful.

I believe people should do their homework before writing a review. With that said, this place from he outside looks to be run down and not well managed. However, after you spend the time looking, watching the animals, and talking to the staff you will soon realize these animals are very well taken care of. Its a rescue place for animals that people have neglected, couldnt care for, or no longer wanted. The owner does a great job caring for the animals. This establishment is a non-profit organization, caring for the unwanted. Take the time and actually SEE the zoo. Find out how you can help the organization before TRYING to shut it down.

The "living" conditions of these poor animals is horrendous! This zoo needs to be shut down and these innocent animals transferred to a sanctuary that will care for them and give them the attention they deserve! Theyve been cited before for animal neglect - I dont know why they havent been shut down by now!

I gave it one star because you cant go any lower for submission. This place has some disgusting conditions for some animals, there is the poor tigers confined to their cage that have to deal with murky pools of putrid liquid (water?that are obviously not taken care of and is probably a health hazard to these animals (as well as humans!- EVER HEARD OF ZEIKA people!!!!). In addition, some the animals are going mad due to forced captivity and the inability of the zoo to provide an environment even close to what they need for a half way decent life in captivity- One monkey had pulled out his own hair in frustration. A place to visit unless you want to see how horrible man can force nature to submit to his harsh rule... very sad

Went here with my kids it was enjoyable. The staff were very friendly and helpful answered all the questions we had. My son loved the area where you can walk around and feed the animals. The enclosures are not what you would see in a major zoo with a staff to support it. That being said I was disappointed at some of the overall cleanliness and general appearance of several enclosures. Know doubt in my mind the owner is trying to do the best he can with what resources he has. But he needs help.

The animals (many of which are rescuesare well cared for, extremely friendly, and clearly comfortable. Although the buildings are run down, the animals are whats important. The zoo has also taken in some stray cats who are not shy and will practically hop in your car to say hello. All funds received are clearly going towards the animals, people comforts are not the priority, which is ok with me. Wear shoes you dont mind getting poop on...

The outside looks like a dump but there are some interesting animals to see. There are cats, rabbits, peacocks, ducks, and geese running loose throughout the park. Some of the geese aggressively chased us and wouldnt allow us to pass into a certain part of the zoo. There was feces all over the park from these animals and even while watching where you step, you come out with it all over your shoes. Some of the animals are missing fur but other than that look to be in good condition. The animal enclosures are unkempt. The reptile house had dirty litter boxes strewn about. We were greeted by an employee who was very nice. It is worth a look into the zoo but keep expectations low.