Calgary Zoo Reviews

Panda breakfast was totally worth the money. Loved the Penguin walk as well!

My kids absolutely love going to the zoo . Entertaining and educational can't beat that right

Over the last decade the zoo has made some decent changes and upgrades. However, the overall operations of the facility still seems to be lacking. This would include lack of services and food vendors, broken doors and entry points, missing signage and animals, and mediocre customer service.

A warning to the customers who have bought day passes from a 3rd party vendor.
My family bought day passes to the zoo from a 3rd party vendor the week of us visiting. On the actual tickets it says 'you can upgrade your day pass into an annual pass'. When we tried to do this, first the shift supervisor said that they do not honor day passes from 3rd party vendors. Then when the manager came, we asked why we couldn't convert the day passes to annual passes? Keep in mind this meant we were willing to give the zoo an additional $100 in pass revenue. The manager just kept retorting with excuses and we ended up not buying the annual passes. This confuses me as we simply wanted to give them additional money by upgrading our day passes to annual ones and yet the ticket customer service representatives seemed really short sighted and denied us this.

**update to the 3rd party vendor day passes. I reached out to thr membership office. They were able to quickly help me out. Therefore, don't waste your time with the in person customer service reps. Just email member services.

Fantastic zoo to visit. Big though so have good walking shoes

Very informative.super friendly staff. Variety of animals and a lot is done for wildlife and our environment.

I enjoy this place aside from the personal hang up of feeling a bit bad for the animals for being confined, that being said the animals all seem very well cared for and the enclosures are clean etc. It s a great place for kids to get an education about the animals and learn some respect for nature.

Calgary Zoo is fantastic. Nothing not to like, unless you don't like animals, then this is not the place for you.

Always a great family adventure with the Calgary zoo. Animals look well taken care of. Lots of places to eat and rest room. Very happy with the service wagons to rent are perfect for a small family.

Great Zoo lots of wildlife to see and good value for money.

Wonderful wonderful.... Will return again and again...
World class Zoo. We are fortunate to have this treasure in Alberta
A defiant stop to visit if in Calgary.

This zoo is huge and has a variety of animals. Each animal also has ample space for them to roam so you can feel good about supporting the organization. I would avoid the prehistoric section tho as they only have very fake looking dinosaurs and nothing really interactive.

Canadian wilds is a great stroll, no big crowds. Otters and Muskox is hard to find, but worth it. Food is meh, but lots of areas to bring a lunch

Fun zoo with added panda and penguin attractions added to all the other amazing animals. Dinosaur walk fun for the kids.

The Calgary zoo is a great experience for all ages. Their environmental initiatives have long reaching impacts.

There is something to see and do for everyone. Pack a picnic, or buy food from one of the many vendors, and spend the entire day adventuring!

Wonderful place for entertainment and enjoy all the animals. Perfect place for spend a Saturday with friends or family

I really enjoy coming to the Calgary Zoo. It's got great pathways that they keep up very nicely and they have lots of fun areas for kids to play. They have a lot of interactive animal exhibits, too, which is fun for all ages!

One of my favourite things about the Calgary Zoo is the Zoo Lights at Christmastime. If you haven't been to the Zoo Lights, make sure to put it on your list of things to do in Calgary.

The only detractor for me is the food... I've always found it to be subpar, especially for the price, but that is not out of the ordinary at attractions like this.

Good zoo and it may be better to spend two days if you're going with kids.

I highly recommend a zoo membership for anyone who has young kids. We go (almost) weekly and it's a great way for the little ones to burn off some energy and learn about wildlife.

Great zoo, Great variety of animals and birds from different countries...well spread out and enclosures not crammed together -
Lots of information about the conservation too.
The bear and Tiger 'training' they do each day (until the Bears start l go into hibernation) is a must see, not seen anything quite like that.
Penguin enclosure inside also unique, although they don't have a great deal of space compared to other places .
Pandas are one of the highlight.

You need one full day to experience the whole zoo..

Amazing! Went on a rainy day and there was no crowds. The social distancing efforts made it pleasant and I hope they keep it one directional. Only downfall was we went to see the Pandas and no where on their website or social media pages did it say that wasn't an option.

Very impressive zoo, lots of exotic animals, family friendly as well, multiple playground through out the zoo and there are also plenty of food selections as well.

We always love going to the zoo. It's always a highlight for my girls when we're in town. Always clean and well maintained. No matter the time of day you are always able to spot the animals. Lots to do for all ages.

It's interesting for visiting, but I'm really accord that animals needs to live free.

Lots of beautiful animals and habitats. Important for educating and inspiring young minds.

Not the largest zoo but the Safari Lodge is a great venue for weddings and parties

Always love the zoo, with lots too see. New things to explore. We bought yearly passes and it is very economical if you go even three times a year.

The perfect sized zoo to see every exhibit in one day. All the exhibits are really big and interesting with lots of different places to view animals, while still giving them places for privacy if they so desire. The penguins are a HUGE highlight, and there's some absolutely adorable baby monkeys right now!!

Calgary Zoo is one of the best spots to spend a day in Calgary, maybe even the best spot, because it's good for single visitor as much as it's good for a family of ten people. It's also great place to go for visitors of any age. Huge varieties of animals from all around the world. Territory is clean and well maintained, with many places to rest, eat and play. Lemurs exhibition gives you a chance to stay and watch lemurs walking between your feet. Worth every penny.

The zoo is very park like. Accessible for wheelchairs and unfortunately strollers. Please stop off to the side of the pathways if you do decide to take prams or rent one of the zoo wagons. And leave them outside of some of the indoor facilities as that's why there are specific parking areas for these things. Free roaming peacocks, and the new interactive animal encounters are great just be respectful. Food is OK, ice cream treats are yum. Bathrooms are clean and water fountains have water bottle fill-up.

Good place for kid and family....will come back here again

Calgary Zoo has tried very hard to attract people and funding/support for many of its different exhibits. Most recently was the addition of the Pandas with the redone Eurasia section with the Komodo dragons and the new suspension bridge. Very children friendly, with lots of spots to eat a picnic and play at one of the many children's parks. The yearly membership is a very good value even if you only plan to visit once very couple of months. They also have some lovely planting beds and greenhouses.

Great day with the kids. It was not busy, so the kids got to be up close with the animals. Loved the panda and penguins. Prehistoric area was different. Have not seen that at other zoos. Easy to get to via public transit. We completed the zoo in 5 hours. The kids zone is fun for the little kids. Cost is $35 per adult and $25 per child, but if you buy a membership, it's worth it. Great family outing.

10/10 love this place! I keep asking to hug the animals. The keepers keep saying no.
...I feel like I will break one down eventually.

Lots of fun and some great interaction with some amazing animals and staff.

I was skeptical about social distancing, but it was actually set up really well.

We came in Winter and about 30% of the animals were not in their compounds. We liked the zoo in general, but a winter discount (e.g. 20 instead of 30$) would be more appropriate.

After all the death of animals you would think the city would realize the new city of Calgary employees they hire about 3 years ago have no idea what they are doing. The citu fired all the people who worked there for 20 years plus. Then again what does the mayor care. No camera for him to stand in front of. Zoo should be closed because this city (mayor) doesn't care anymore.

There are still a lot of animals out. Staff were informative and friendly and plenty to see and do.

Kids love the zoo. Wide variety of animals, including pandas now, in habitats that allow easy viewing.

The pandas are my favourite part about the zoo. I have been to many others and the Calgary zoo is one of the best that takes care of its animals and executed proper maintenance for them as well.

My niece and nephew are huge fans of the gorilla dug out, it s good to see them out in the open down there! Will definitely visit again next year.

I personally don't like zoo and I went here Just because I really had no idea of waht to do Better! Is a well done zoo I supposed. Pretty big and take more or less 2-3 hour to visit It at all.

If you are in Canada and never seen a moose and bear, come to this place. You will witness both the east and west coast wildlife at one place.

This will take an entire day if you take your time and enjoy all it has to offer

Highlight: The penguins and Pandas. Lots of nice little places to stop off in and visit with more animals around. We went in the winter time and even then it was still a cool place to walk around. P.S. The parking is $10 and gets paid up by the entrance to the zoo tunnel.

Great Covid-19 practices, constantly see people cleaning/sanitizing high touch areas! Clearly marked one direction paths with maps located around the park. Please people remember Covid-19 hasn't gone anywhere, practice social distancing and wear your masks!

We had a date night for Zoo Lights and were amazed at all the new "lights" the Calgary Zoo added.

Planning to visit the zoo next Sat. I love the Pandas they are adorable. However, I do find the price to get into the Zoo abit on the high side.

The place is huge and easy to navigate. Saw the Giant Pandas which are not exciting animals. It was easy to get into to see them so I wouldn't recommend purchasing time passes to see them. Most of the enclosures are large and well maintained.

I enjoy walking for the trails seeing all kind of pour animals jailed some of them i can see happy and some sad i bisisit this place on December to enjoy the lights was nice they were beautiful sights

Fantastic, always love coming here and everytime I come; I am not disappointed.

A large amount of space and activities for the whole family to appreciate. Washrooms are easy to find and generally clean.

Love the zoo! There are so many amazing animals. The employees and volunteers are awesome! If you get a season pass it is very affordable. New things are always popping up like the "Calgary Zoo Augmented Reality" application that you can use with your phone in the dinosaur park. My personal favorite is the butterfly conservatory.
Oh and lots of Pokestops :3

An enjoyable, family friendly, place to visit with plesant staff and Exhibits that make you keep wanting to come back.

Pandas are cute especially when they are eating bamboo. Good to visit now since there are total of 4 pandas

Nice place to visit the animals are well taken care of and lots of things to see and do

Great place to visit even during this time of a new normal life

Beautiful place to go with the kids. Actually, everyone enjoyed it!

It's a zoo . Hasn't changed much in 30 years. Good day with the kids of course its expensive but if you buy seasonal passes maybe it's more worth it especially if enjoying going more then once a year.

Had a great day with the family. My only complaint really is the prices. Expect to have a pricey day or carry a cooler with you for the day. Lots and lots of walking so wagons are necessary if you have kids

The Calgary Zoo is world class. I have always been disappointed when visiting other zoos after having visited the Calgary Zoo.

it was awesome especially the hippocampus. I was surprised on the amount of people that attended. it was a nice day so all the animals were out.

I love the zoo, but it's becoming a little too expensive for our family to go with any kind of regularity. We attended the Zoo Safari Easter brunch, I can't sing the praises of the zoo brunch enough, the food is delicious, the dining room is lovely, the staff are super friendly. If I'm going to spend the money on the zoo, I will always do it on a Sunday so we can do brunch, makes the expense much more worth it.

Enjoyed the primates and the hippos. Good cafeteria food. Parking was $12.

Pretty fun environment for kids. Next time I go it will be during the week. The weekends are a little busy to see everything in a reasonable amount of time.

Definitely has a large selection of animals. I would suggest trying to go earlier in the day or go on a cooler day so the animals are a little more active.

It has all kinds of little stores available throughout for food, water and gifts plus a restaurant and a large gift shop as well.

Bathrooms are scattered throughout but I would suggest using one if you find one.

There is a big Panda exhibit on now and I highly suggest checking that one out. There are plenty of activities that go on throughout the day as well, like animal feedings or amphitheatre sessions so I highly suggest checking out the "plan your tour" booth you see almost immediately upon entering the park.

Bring sunscreen and water and a stroller is almost a must if you have small children but there is a wagon rental. Comfy shoes won't hurt either.

The zoo is the second largest zoo in Canada. It s big but due to COVID people need to line up to get in some of the exhibitions. Depending on which exhibit you re going, the wait can be 10 minutes or more. Panda is not longer visible. The new playground Bugtopia was awesome. It s only about one year old and kids had so much fun.

Staff are pretty rude and aggressive. Used to be amazing, but has slowly proceeded in a downward spiral. Very expensive.

Fantastic zoo. The facilities and enclosures look brand new and spacious. A great variety of animals.

Zoo lights event is the best in Calgary. Went there after 6 years and I loved it.

A great experience. Most of the animals were out enjoying the sunshine. The pandas were adorable. The staff were friendly and helpful. My first visit was well worth the trip.

Definitely a much nicer zoo than some of the other ones. I do like the variety of animals that they care for.

The Calgary zoo is a fun place to visit. I went there on a Saturday so i got to see the tiger feeding being done. (which was fun to watch) The only thing is most of the animals are asleep and not really doing anything; but i guess no one can really do anything about that. The gift shop offers really nice things. I bought some organic chap sticks. The pandas are really cute. 2 of them were sleeping and 1 was eating which was fun to watch.

World-class family fun place, spent a whole day, train from downtown,a lot to see

Loved that the animals looked healthy. The Panda passage is a must visit! For someone who has only seen pandas in videos, this is a real dream come true. They also have a land of lemurs experience where you can experience being amidst lemurs. This was a fun experience for sure!

So much better than the Winnipeg Zoo. Lots of active animals with a diverse bunch. Would very much recommend!

Great place if you have kids. Be prepared to spend some time here - there is a lot to see! One down side is that the food available on park is nothing special. You might want to pack your own.

So much to explore, great programs, and a wonderful way to spend the day with the family.

Its beautiful, many different animals. Kids love it

It's a nice place but we couldn't go through the entire zoo as it is too much to see in one day. Prioritize what you would want to see first so you don't miss it. There are lots of places in there to go grab a bite.... It's expensive food and snack though. Line-up for panda viewing is long so we skipped it.

Personally the price of admission and parking put a damper on the good sides of the zoo. If you have never gone I would say go but I wouldn't go back again at that price.

The penguins were awesome and panda bears. The dinosaur was more interactive the last time I was there. Lost my 3 year old attention. And mine almost immediately.

It was a lovely experience with a lot of animals to see. Great organization of the animals so you are not confused or overwhelmed with the number of animals. A good way to exercise also. Even includes a playground for kids if they ever get bored and tired.

This place is always a blast! Do yourself a favor and follow these two types for an optimal zoo experience: 1) You need to be here at the zoo when it opens. That's Right... 9am is when it's prime time to see all the animals moving about. By then, the weather hasn't reached it's daytime high and it's cooler for our animal friends. If you're coming in the afternoons, get ready for animals laying in the shade and doing squat all because it's too hot out. 2) You need to get a membership here and I recommend at least the "Engage" option allowing you 365 days unlimited visits, free parking, and 10% off discounts for food and gift shops. Two visits a year pays for itself so you're throwing money away with only purchasing the single admission.

Zoo Lights was pretty spectacular and our family always enjoys the Zoo a couple if times a year!

An excellent day experience, with easy walks, and plenty to see and do. The Panda Passage exhibit is well done, and costs are reasonable

I got a pair of Calgary Zoo Light tickets for Christmas.
So I took a friend with me n we had a ball.
Thank you Cara
Alice n I really enjoyed ourselves n I can't wait until next year's Zoo Lights.
Hint, hint!!

The animals seem to be well kept , the staff is knowledgable . The gift shop is nice and reasonably priced . My son loves it. Panda passage is soooo cute

Took my grandchildren to the Calgary Zoo they loved it. I would definitely recommend going to the Calgary Zoo.