Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley: Photos, Reviews & Location

40+ acres opened in 1959 with over 140 species of exotic & native animals, a carousel & concessions.

At a glance

Rating breakdown

5 ★52%
4 ★24%
3 ★12%
2 ★6%
1 ★6%

13010 Niabi Zoo Rd, Coal Valley, IL 61240, United States

niabizoo.com

+1 309-799-3482

Quick facts

What is the rating of Niabi Zoo?: Niabi Zoo is rated 4.1 out of 5 based on 2,265 reviews.
Where is Niabi Zoo located?: 13010 Niabi Zoo Rd, Coal Valley, IL 61240, United States
How can I contact Niabi Zoo?: Phone: +1 309-799-3482 · Website: niabizoo.com

It was a good day until one of the staff told me that my friend in a wheelchair could exit the zoo through the turn style. Under no circumstances should a person in a wheelchair go through a turn style. We went to the entrance to exit safely. Fortunately, a volunteer opened a gate to allow us to exit. Poorly designed exit for the disabled. Thank you to the volunteer that opened the gate.

Ajay Waugh 2023 Sep 28

I have been here several times with my kids, starting from toddler age to 20 somethings. Never gets old. We recently went on a free day and it was the best weather ever!

Laine Lee 2023 Aug 15

Wow! I haven't been to a zoo in years! This place is awesome! I took Skeletor, of course but saw Lotz of fun animals! They even have a train and carousel!

Tracy Pratt 2023 Aug 10

Very walkable and enjoyable zoo. They have both indoor and outdoor exhibits and we saw them all. The chameleon was my favorite for some reason because he was very active. Other animals were too which is nice to see them out and about. If you think you would go more than two times in a year, I would say get the season pass for the value. Only negative was food prices were a bit higher than I expected but the gift shop made up for it with a variety of items to purchase at all price ranges. Got some fun trinkets for $2

Kelly Attwood 2023 Jul 31

Starting to go down hill. I hadn't been to this zoo since my son was little, probably about 10 yrs or so ago, and it has changed a lot. And in my opinion not for the better. There are less animals than I remember and the animal's habitats are much smaller than I remember. They don't look happy. The eagles looked the saddest... they have no room to really open their wings... Don't think I'll be back again.

Julie Hurst 2023 Jun 02

We visited the Quad Cities on vacation. Being from St. Louis, we have a world-class zoo in our own backyard so I'm rarely satisfied with other zoos. Obviously, this zoo was much smaller than ours, but I was pleasantly surprised with Niabi! For a "small town," this was a great zoo. They had a nice variety of animals. We stopped to look at everything there and rode the train and were there for about 2 hours. It was just the right amount for us. We had trouble locating some of the animals in their habitats so that was a bit disappointing. It was a really hot day though. It seemed that there was a lot of space available for expansion so hopefully, they're planning to capitalize on that. All the volunteers and employees were very helpful and friendly and seemed to enjoy what they were doing. I felt that it was a bit expensive, especially since I'm used to going to a phenomenal zoo for free, but I would definitely recommend visiting.

CJ B 2023 May 15

Small and inexpensive zoo, so not as many of the big exotic species you'll see in bigger cities. A lovely walk.
Now for the rest. The tram makes a complete circuit, not stops along sections as I'd hoped and have seen at others. Keep that in mind when considering a tram ticket.
I also bought a meerkat stuffed animal with a pricetag of 18.99 yet 20.37 was on the item line of my receipt (so pre-tax) and when I got home I noticed the stitching wasn't done well, the fabric hadn't been folded in correctly and there was a hole in it.

Melissa Piliponis 2023 May 09

Smaller zoo, but very cute! I chaperoned my kids field trip here(not my first time, we've been lots over the years) and am excited to see all the changes and improvements coming to the zoo! The food was MUCH better than previous visits. Next time we'll definitely try out the zoo scooters!