White lions, Bengal and Siberian tigers, brown and black bears, and giraffes you can hand-feed — all about 40 minutes from Wilmington, and all at a zoo small enough that you see them properly rather than from the back of a crowd. Plumpton Park Zoo sits in Rising Sun, Maryland, one exit off the same stretch of I-95 you already drive, and it is home to more than 180 animals.
Getting here from Wilmington
It is about 33 miles — roughly 40 minutes — and almost all of it is highway.
Take I-95 south to Exit 100, then follow Route 272 north to the second traffic light, where it meets Route 273. Turn left, and the zoo is one mile ahead on your left at 1416 Telegraph Road, Rising Sun, MD 21911.
Route 272 is worth knowing about. It runs from Turkey Point in Elk Neck State Park, up through the town of North East, across I-95 at your exit, and on to our road — which means a single Cecil County back road connects the Chesapeake shoreline to the zoo. It makes the last leg of the drive far prettier than the first.
What makes Plumpton different
- White lions. Fewer than 20 zoos in the United States have them. We are one.
- Big cats and bears — Bengal and Siberian tigers, an American black bear and a European brown bear, plus a cougar and a serval.
- Hand-feed our giraffes at the feeding station, which runs at 12:00 noon on weekdays and 11:00am and 1:00pm on weekends (11:00am and 1:00pm daily in summer), weather and giraffes permitting.
- More than 180 animals in all, from a two-toed sloth and a siamang gibbon to zebras, camels, alpacas and an Aldabra giant tortoise.
- A rescue zoo. About half our animals arrived from owners who could no longer care for them. This is where they stay.
Before you set out
- Open every day of the week. 10:00am to 5:00pm for most of the year, with the last tickets sold at 4:00pm. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day we run 9:00am to 6:00pm, last tickets at 5:00pm. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day are our only closures.
- Admission: $21.95 for adults, $15.95 for children aged 2 to 12, $18.95 for seniors. Under 2s come in free.
- Parking costs nothing and sits right by the gate.
- Leaving and returning is fine — ask for a hand stamp and you can come back later the same day.
Questions from New Castle County
How far is the zoo from Wilmington?
Around 33 miles, or about 40 minutes door to door. From Newport, Elsmere, Bear or Glasgow, take a few minutes off that.
Which I-95 exit do I want?
Exit 100, then Route 272 north. If you reach the Susquehanna River bridge you have gone too far.
Is there a charge for parking?
No. Parking is free.
Can we feed anything?
The giraffe feeding station runs at 12:00 noon on weekdays and 11:00am and 1:00pm on weekends (11:00am and 1:00pm daily in summer), weather permitting. We keep the rest of the collection off a fixed feeding schedule on purpose, so the animals do not learn to expect food at set times.
Is the zoo open in winter?
Yes. We are open seven days a week year round on the 10:00am to 5:00pm schedule, closing only for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Should we book ahead?
Tickets are available at the gate, though buying online first saves a wait on a busy weekend.
The property has its own history. A 1734 gristmill still stands beside North East Creek on the zoo grounds, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Read the history of Plumpton Park Zoo.
Make a day of it on the Chesapeake
Your exit puts you minutes from North East, and Route 272 carries on south from there down the Elk Neck peninsula to Elk Neck State Park and the Turkey Point Lighthouse trail. A morning at the zoo and an afternoon on the bay is an easy pairing, and both are inside Cecil County.
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