Cypress Zoo
Benton, LA
- Admission
- $5.20
- Accreditation
- None listed
not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Everything below is directory information drawn from public sources and the zoo's own site.
Animals at Cypress Zoo
We haven't confirmed this zoo's animal list yet.
Feathers & Fangs from visitors
What people who've been to Cypress Zoo say
A Feather is something this zoo does well; a Fang is something it gets wrong. Left by people who've been, and read by us before they appear.
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About Cypress Zoo
Cypress Zoo is a zoo within Cypress Black Bayou Recreation Park at 135 Cypress Park Drive in Benton, Louisiana. The zoo's page on the park website says it sits on seven acres surrounded by oak, pine and sweet gum trees, and says it was built in 1998. The page describes the zoo as providing visitors with a learning environment that builds understanding and respect for the animals and the surrounding area, and says zoo staff continue to educate guests. The zoo is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
History
The zoo's own page says it was built in 1998. The surrounding park is older. The park's overview page says Cypress Black Bayou Recreation and Water Conservation District was created in 1958 as a community source for irrigation, recreation and municipal use. According to the park's history page, the Cypress Lake spillway was completed and closed for flooding in November 1975. The overview page says Black Bayou was flooded in 1978 and, after spillway issues required lowering it for a time, officially reopened in 1980. The district owns around 2,500 acres of land around the two lakes, 450 of which make up the Cypress Recreation Park. The overview gives Cypress Lake as 3,300 acres and Black Bayou as 800 acres. A Board of Commissioners oversees it, with members appointed by Bossier Parish bodies, the Town of Benton and the City of Bossier City.
Exhibits and habitats
The zoo page's photo gallery shows deer, miniature ponies, a peacock, a pig, a horse and a turkey, along with the zoo barn. The page states that the zoo is not licensed to accept hurt or abandoned animals.
The zoo sits alongside other park facilities listed on the website, including a nature center, picnic shelters, boat launches and fishing, RV and tent camping, and cabins and cottages.
Conservation and programs
The park website lists field trips among its offerings and a nature center as a separate attraction. Online reservations for park facilities are handled through the park's reservation system.
Planning your visit
As listed on the zoo's page, the zoo is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Zoo access is included with a day pass to the park, according to the park's FAQ. The FAQ also says there is no re-entry with a day pass, that visitors without overnight accommodations must leave by 4:30 p.m., and that the park closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The entrance gate is locked up to 15 minutes before closing. Ticket details are on the park's website.
The park's front gate office hours are listed as 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. every day. The phone number on the website is (318) 965-0007.
What we haven't confirmed
Everything above came from public sources. These specifics we haven't stood behind yet:
- Full current list of species
- Parking
- Whether the park's seasonal facility closures affect zoo access
Cypress Zoo compared with nearby zoos
How Cypress Zoo lines up against other zoos in the same state. We don't have coordinates for it yet, so these aren't ranked by distance.
| Zoo | Admission | Hours | Size | AZA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress ZooThis zooBenton, LA | $5.20 | Zoo open daily 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM. Park closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day. | — | No |
| Alexandria Zoological ParkAlexandria, LA | $8.95 | 9 AM – 5 PM | 33 acres | No |
| Audubon ZooNew Orleans, LA | $30–$40 | Open daily 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; last ticket sold 4:00 PM. | 58 acres | Yes |
| Baton Rouge ZooBaton Rouge, LA | $10 | 9:30am – 5:00pm | — | Yes |
Distances are straight-line. A dash means we haven't confirmed that detail yet, not that the zoo lacks it.
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Cypress Zoo: common questions
Is Cypress Zoo AZA accredited?
No. Cypress Zoo is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
What are the zoo's hours?
As listed on the zoo's page, it is open daily from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Is the zoo a separate ticket from the park?
According to the park's FAQ, zoo access is included with day pass entry to the park.
How large is the zoo?
The zoo's page says it covers seven acres.
Does the zoo take in injured or abandoned animals?
No. The zoo's page says it is not licensed to accept hurt or abandoned animals.
Is the park closed on holidays?
The FAQ says the park is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Something wrong here? Tell us — we correct in place, with a dated note.