A nice place to learn about the Chihuahua Desert, especially with kids. It focuses on the plants in the desert just as much as the animals, so you learn how the whole ecosystem functions. There were some empty exhibits, and not every exhibit was new and pristine, but it’s actually a state park, so it’s probably underfunded. Our favorite thing was sitting and watching the prairie dogs. They are hilarious and so cute! It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours and we would go again.

This is small, no doubt, but we went thinking, we are going to spend $5 for the entrance fee, and it was really a nice walk (about 1.3 miles I believe) , saw some animals and learned some stuff. What more do you want for $5. This is no San Diego zoo but they don’t try to be nor do they charge you the prices. Took us about 90 minutes to see, read and check out the gift shop which was perfect.

Plan to spend a couple of days seeing this cave. So pretty with so many formations. My daughter did one of the wild cave tours and loved it. Get your tickets reservations as early as possible.

We visited the Zoo because we have one child that wouldn't be big enough to go through the Caverns. He is 3 years old and has a 6 year old brother and they are very noisy. We were able to navigate this Zoo quite well and there were good things to see. They have a nice collection of animals and plants on the self guided tour and it was about the right length at less than 2 hours.

This place is absolutely amazing. It was only $5.00 per person to enter. Not very busy and quiet. The trails were well marked and the staff were very pleasant and hospitable. It was not overloaded with animals, but the animals that were on display were extremely well cared for, active and engaging with us. All of the desert plants and cactus were well marked as well. There is also a large greenhouse that showcases many different cactuses that aren't native to New Mexico that was really neat. This is a definite must see if you are in the area. At the time we went, they were also selling potted cacti that were in abundance to the public in the gift shop

I thought the park was very nice. The botanical gardens were informative and well cared for. The animals were relaxed and appeared to have enough room to move around. My favorites were the prairie dogs and the mountain lions. Not all enclosures were occupied. I’m guessing that is because this park takes in orphaned or injured animals that can’t be in the wild, and there aren’t any animals that need help right now??? My suggestion to the park would be to include the story of the animal and how it came to be at the park somewhere on the enclosure so people can read/know their stories. We ran into a worker who told us the story of the bald eagle, Kenai. If we hadn’t heard of the eagle’s story I would have felt very sorry for him and thought he didn’t have enough room to fly. Overall, I felt it was well worth the $5 admission!

The caverns are, of course, a must visit but if you have a free half a day try the Living Desert Zoo. A value at $5.00 a person. You take a 1.3 mile loop walk. Along the way see interpretive signs about the flora. Animals include: javelinas, mountain lions, bears, birds, prairie dogs and many others. Two hours to complete the walk.