Zoos, aquariums, wolf sanctuaries and drive-through safaris, with the drive from Reading and admission for each.
Know a place worth the drive?
Lititz, PA · 40 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Wolf Sanctuary of PA is a refuge for gray wolves and wolf-dogs on Speedwell Forge Road in Lititz, PA. The only way to see the wolves is on a reserved guided tour or at an event.
Schnecksville, PA · 57 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
Lehigh Valley Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoo inside the Trexler Nature Preserve in Schnecksville, PA, run by the nonprofit Lehigh Valley Zoological Society since 2004.
Norristown, PA · 1 hour 2 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
Elmwood Park Zoo is a zoo in Norristown, PA, with giraffes you can hand feed, jaguars, red pandas, eagles and a playground, plus free parking.
Hershey, PA · 1 hour 11 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
ZooAmerica is an 11 acre walk-through zoo of North American wildlife in Hershey, PA, next to Hersheypark. It is open year round and takes about an hour to walk.
Philadelphia, PA · 1 hour 15 minutes from Reading
The Philadelphia Zoo is a zoo in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, PA, at 34th Street and Girard Avenue. It calls itself America's first zoo.
Wilmington, DE · 1 hour 19 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
The Brandywine Zoo is a zoo of under five acres in Brandywine Park along the Brandywine River in Wilmington, DE, run by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation with the Delaware Zoological Society.
Rising Sun, MD · 1 hour 21 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Plumpton Park Zoo is a zoo in Rising Sun, MD, with giraffes, white lions, tigers, bears, wolves, sloths, zebras and camels on the grounds.
Camden, NJ · 1 hour 24 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Adventure Aquarium is an aquarium in Camden, NJ, minutes from Center City Philadelphia, home to sharks, hippos, sea turtles and penguins.
Halifax, PA · 1 hour 48 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Lake Tobias Wildlife Park is a family-owned, 150-acre wildlife park and zoo in Halifax, PA. Safari tours ride through the grounds, and the park counts more than 1,000 animals from six continents.
Columbia, NJ · 1 hour 48 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
Lakota Wolf Preserve is a nonprofit wolf, fox, bobcat and lynx preserve in Columbia, NJ, visited on a guided Wolf Watch tour. Tours leave at 10:30 am and 3:00 pm by reservation.
East Stroudsburg, PA · 1 hour 49 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
Pocono Snake & Animal Farm is a small interactive zoo in East Stroudsburg, PA, where visitors feed and pet animals and see reptiles. The site says a visit takes about an hour.
Allenwood, PA · 2 hours 1 minute from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Clyde Peeling's Reptiland is a zoo for reptiles and amphibians on US Route 15 in Allenwood, PA, with exhibits mostly indoors and live shows every day.
Baltimore, MD · 2 hours 19 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is a zoo on a 135-plus acre campus in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, MD. It opened in 1876 and marks its 150th year in 2026.
Baltimore, MD · 2 hours 21 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
The National Aquarium is an aquarium on the Inner Harbor at 501 E. Pratt St. in Baltimore, MD, with Blacktip Reef, Shark Alley, Dolphin Discovery, an Upland Tropical Rain Forest and Australia: Wild Extremes under one roof.
Lake Ariel, PA · 2 hours 38 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park is a walk-through zoo on Route 590 in Lake Ariel, PA, 4 miles east of Hamlin, with what the site counts as more than 120 rare and exotic species along woodland trails.
Looking for something else? Browse every day trip from Berks County.