Birmingham Zoo, Inc. Reviews

HORRIBLE ZOO!!! Don't waist your money!! I ask for a refund!

Many of the staff and visitors were not wearing masks (even the FOOD servers). Spoke to the manager, who did not seem to care whether people were wearing masks. For a place that advertised to be safe, I certainly did not feel safe and will not be returning.

We love the Birmingham Zoo. The staff is always really kind to my kids and happy to answer any animal questions they have. We recently went when they were holding career day. If you have a child who is interested in animals please try to take them for this event. It was awesome!

It's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fun I rode a camel

Always have enjoyed the zoo but was really disappointed with this year's "zoo light safari". You buy a ticket to get in but then you have to buy tickets for all of the activities.? The only activity we were really interested in was the train ride but the line was Way too long! The petting zoo was fun but we only got to spend 10 min inside before they asked us to leave because it was closing. I deff expected more

Nice place. A bit pricey for a smaller zoo. Train ride is expensive for a 10-min small ride attraction.

Hadva great time with the kids! Lots to see and do!

The road in was a nice drive. Not a very large zoo, so perfect for small ones. 4 hours was plenty of time to see everything, ride the train and stop for ice cream. Most concessions were still closed, train kiosk was unplugged so we went to gift shop for tickets; they are also available on phone.

Didn't see many animals. They must've been on vacation.

I have personally lived in Birmingham my whole life and have been to the zoo many times, however the trip I took with my family this weekend was by far the worst experience ever. Alot of the animals seemed depressed such as the large African elephant seemed to be alone, not to mention some animals were housed with other species such as a pair of porcupines in a habitat with monkeys. The enclosurers all had bushes around them making it impossible for small children to see. If I were to say the saddest thing was to see a beautiful red tailed hawk alone and in a cage that couldn't had been more the 20ft tall and wide if that.... The flamingos are open to be fed by the public and while holding my small child explaining that they are wild animals and would not appreciate being petted one flamingo stuck his neck over the enclosure and bit me not once but twice before I could turn away. I wasn't angry and quite frankly what type of behavior do we expect from wild animals it was just shocking people are allowed to hand feed them. The Birmingham zoo is no longer the magical beautiful place I remember and I am so regretful my children will never experience it as I have.

zoo lights was a great experience. Had an amazing time.

The kids loved it. We went with the school so it was a bit packed. But overall it was fun.

Beautiful zoo. It was unfortunate that we went in the winter, a good few exhibits were closed. It was 5 minutes from our hotel. Almost all of the animals were out and you cluld get relatively close. We really enjoyed it. Pro tip, the train tickets are not necessary. We've been to zoos that are really long and transportation is almost a requirement inside, this zoo is not. We spent a total of about 4 hours there and walked the whole place at a leisurely pace.

They've been doing construction for a couple years now on a new front entrance and restrooms, and it looks like they're nearing completion. My toddler really liked feeding the giraffe and the flamingos so it'd be great to have more interactive exhibits like that. The trellis with the large vines growing near the lion exhibit would be great to have throughout the zoo over the walkway to provide shade. Overall it's a good experience if you love animals or have young children.

The Birmingham Zoo is considerably small compared to other cities ears it is a wonderful experience. They are currently going through renovations to their entrance and have a new experience being built. I highly recommend feeding the parakeets very inexpensive to do so.

The improvements constantly being made at the zoo really keep you coming back each year for a new experience. Admission is reasonable, and the Lorikeet feedings are always a trip. The new giraffe encounter area lets you get up close with the giraffes much better than the previous area.

Awesome facilities and there pika zoo event was great 25 poke stops with lure modules for two hours straight. We had a great time and can't wait to go back September 25th.

Very nice zoo. Kinda small but has many different attractions. It's a nice walk through the zoo, but following the trails gets you backtracking quite a bit. Also a lot of renovations going on at the same time made it difficult to really enjoy all of the animals.

Love the zoo, they are making so many improvements!

Wish it had more animals, but all in all is was wonderful. I was hoping to see a tiger or wolves, and a panther, but other than that it did have more than most zoo's I've went to in my life. It was great and the staff was so nice and had a conversation with a parrot :)

Great zoo. I liked how they used the space and designed the walking experience. The animals seem to have well-designed enclosures and their keepers seem to care well for them. The animals are generally active and healthy-looking, and the message on conservation was strong throughout the zoo. I did feel that a lot of the glass screens for the enclosures need to be deep-cleaned or changed. Some of them are so blurred over by stains and such.

Absolutely a great place to take your kids for Halloween. You can trick or treat see some of the animals and ride the rides beautiful place highly recommended. Boo at the Zoo

Very disappointing. Many animals weren't out. Paid money to see animals and they weren't there. Won't come back.

The construction is currently underway for the main entrance. Plenty to see and do for younger children. The zoo has rescue and longer term residents from local wildlife to Africa and Asia. Information plaques are everywhere. Free live shows and several paid attractions are also inside the park.

Fun day! It's been awhile since I've visited the Birmingham Zoo but it was worth the trip! My son Dawson rode the zip line and really enjoyed that too.

Wonderful experience. Super clean grounds. Caught two shows (sea lion and birds) given by well spoken professionals. Had interaction with Giant Anteater handler who was knowledgeable and polite. Overall a great time at the Birmingham Zoo.

This is one of the best zoos I have ever been to. I love it!

We love the zoo! Check out their events page, they have great activities for kids (and adults). Make sure to check out their zoolight safari, boo at the zoo and pancakes with princesses! Being a member is great too!

Boring under construction at the time I visit not enough animals

Great place to visit. They're doing alot of work and updating things.

Beautiful place just not many animals and food and drinks priced to high

Animal cages could be cleaner, (On the inside for their sake and the outside, i.e. Windows may be EVER wiped down and sanitized so you can actually see what animal you are looking for). Actually, whole place could be cleaner.
Perhaps you all should actively recruit more volunteers if you cannot afford more staff.
There are enclosures I know from seeing through the yrs have been, "temporarily ", closed for construction 18+ yrs.
There were a lot more animals, now you can hardly find the ones there are B.C. the construction is not figured into the map.
We couldn't even find one part, or it was completely closed, B.C. we couldn't find a way around.
Not worth the money, unless you have VERY small children who have never been to ANY other zoo

Between 5pm Christmas decoration begins ... I liked the experience of the train ride, there are attractions for children, it is economical. My opinion is that the Zoo is an excellent place to visit.

This was a great zoo! I went today and had a good time. The habitats are all fantastic, and we saw almost every animal. The staff seemed genuinely ecstatic about working there. The elephants were also a ton of fun, and I got to pet a goat!!!

The Zoo has made great strides, but still has a little bit to go to be a world class zoo

It cost way to much money to get in and they only have one train running so you have to stand in line for over an hour.

So much fun. Feeding the giraffes is worth the money. Don't skip this activity, your kids will love it.

First time here in several years.
Will not be back. Most of the few animals they have are in horrible conditions and look so sad.
Admission and food are too pricey for the pathetic 'attractions '.
Went at 2pm on Sunday ridicules wait just to get in.
Need to rehome the poor animals and just make it an amusement park as they seem to only care about making money and NOT the animals. Will not be back.

Great zoo. Not a huge zoo but high quality zoo. The newer safari area was really nice. The zoo was very clean and well kept. The habitats for the animals were all appropriate and in line with their natural habitats. Good selection of animals, including camel rides, a new animatronic dinosaur world, zip lines(which are extra), carousel, train, etc. They even have quiet zones to bring awareness to children with autism. Fair prices and the zoo is in a great part of town. Overall had a great experience.

Good fun for the family. Learning experience for everyone.

It has changed a lot since we first visited a few years ago, they got rid of the ponds - may have been due to the child getting bit by a venomous snake a while back - but they're working on adding some more scenery to the zoo. Great place to take the kids and enjoy the walking, best to go in the mornings during the summer as the sun will wear y'all out during the day. Special events aren't too bad, Boo at the Zoo this year was an utter disappointment though, a few years ago it was HUGE and had plenty of people swarming with their children to have a great trick or treating experience. I think they should make it huge again next year and help their profits while helping families enjoy an entertaining trick or treating experience with some of their spooky family shows. I feel the zoo could also benefit from having some more events and shows around some holidays, families do love this zoo and it will benefit the animals etc. One big improvement I think would help is to have more food variety and not feel like it's a Disney park, $5 for a small drink or $10 for a burger kind of deal - not saying that is the price at this zoo, but I know a lot of people who just up and leave when they're hungry to find cheaper food. Folks would stay a lot longer if the food and beverages weren't overpriced. The staff are great though, always informative and friendly. The gift shop is decent as well, could have some more variety for the kids and collectors but it is great to get the kids a souvenir. Some of the pens for the animals allow them to completely hide from view so I know the Tiger likes to hide and sleep and kids would get upset that they couldn't see them. Just the luck of the draw kind of deal if they're out, then it's best to get pictures and a good view while you can. When our son gets older, we'll definitely plan trips to visit throughout each year. Keep up the hard work folks. We appreciate it. I can't remember if they do military discounts, I may have had one last time we were there but I can't recall.

Loved it, with the construction was finished though.

This place is a lot of fun! There are some areas that are tight if you have a stroller or wheelchair, but for a fairly cheap day out this place is great!

The venue is improving but the animals are kept in cages that are entirely too small.

Great place to take the family for a half day of fun.

We went to their event, "Zoo Light Safari" and it was incredible! It's not a big zoo but it's a good one. Very clean and good exhibits.

Good luck trying to get someone to call or email you back on group rates. I went there in person and they said (over the walkie talkies) "they have to send an email." Sent two forms and left two voicemails, still waiting.

Friendly staff. Some fun exhabits. Wish the glass was cleaner on a number of areas, so we could see into the habitats better.

Always enjoy our trips to the zoo! Great prices and my kids always enjoy coming here as well!

Not the best zoo, but it is a good time for the family. Would recommend if you live in Bham.

No animals out for kids to really see for the distance we walked. Very
, very disappointed. No return trip for us.

Construction going on and the train wasn't running.

Not a bad place at all.just amazingly fun. good helpful staff

its not that big but is priced appropriately and does a lot with what it does have. there was consttuction going on which made it a long trip to get to the bathrooms from thr other side but hopefully that will be done soon. the 'slide' attraction add on purchase was lame and not worth it but the train was enjoyable.

Great zoo. Nice open environment with great areas to view the animals and their habitats. Staff is top notch, very nice and genuinely care about the animals.

Fun for the family. Looking forward to the finished product of the front entrance.

Fun for the whole family. The Birmingham Zoo has animals, rides, and even a splash pad, so there are numerous ways for kiddos and adults to have fun, learn, and enjoy their day out. The membership is a great deal that pays for itself by the third visit, but gives access for an entire year and has some great benefits. My son loves visiting this place.

I have been here multiple times with my daughter, my nieces and even parents. I have not had one bad experience yet. Even with how popular and packed the zoo is there is always something to do and a spot to see each animal. They also host loads of events that are great for the family. I m very impressed and will continue to go back.

Fun place to take your children,granchildren and of course a field trip to with schools.Down fall costs so much for adults and even kids my opinion about the Birmingham,Alabama Zoo needs to talk to St.Louis Zoo people they don't charge for Adults or kids to enter there zoo so heads up people when you go visit St.Louis Missouri go to there zoo it is much bigger and they have Penguins at there zoo!!!!

Love going 2 the zoo. Membership is totally worth it.

Enjoyed it very much, beautiful areas still expanding and remodeling but for a nice day outdoors I recommend going.

Lovely zoo with elephants, lions, rhinos, and bears. Great avian collection with birds from everywhere.

Many exhibits are closed now due to the pandemic and they're not selling food but it's a great place to go and take young children. We went late on a Sunday and there weren't many people so you could really enjoy the animals.

We enjoyed the zoo so much that we joined! We come back three times and we've paid for our membership.

Zoos have to spend a lot on maintenance and specialized veterinarians and biologists. It's worth it to join. The souvenir store was open when we were there in early August.