Zoo-Topia
By Erica Barker
ALEXANDRIA, VA-Take a mini-road trip this month, outside of Alexandria, to enjoy a spring safari with your little ones. Three of our favorite animal parks, all in Virginia, are a 45-minute drive away and worth the trip.
First up is the Leesburg Animal Park in Leesburg. The Leesburg Animal Park This park offers plenty of interactions with animals, including a petting area, live educational animal shows, and both indoor and outdoor play areas. The park is big, and has animals ranging from alpacas, bunnies, and pigs to zebras, camels, and monkeys. After enjoying the park, you can head to Leesburg for some exploring and great food options.
The next animal adventure awaits at Roer’s Zoofari in Vienna. The Zoo is the perfect size for little legs to walk around and experience all the different animals, including baby goats, giraffes, bunnies, and kangaroos. We especially enjoyed the aviary, where we could feed the birds as they landed on seeds sticks we were holding. When tired of walking, you can hop on the safari bus tour for an open-air adventure.
Both the Leesburg Animal Park and Roer’s Zoofari charge admission fees and are perfect for a special occasion.
For a great, low-cost animal adventure, head to Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon. The park features Kidwell Farm, which has horses, chickens, rabbits, sheep, pigs, and goats. Kidwell Farm is a working farm from the 1930s and you can tour barns and various buildings that contain antique farm equipment. After touring the farm and saying hello to the animals, stop by the playground or take a wagon ride. Admission to the farm is free, wagon rides are $3.50 per person ages two and up.
