Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Reviews

I was face to face, through the glass, with gorillas, manatees, a polar bear, a magnificent male lion, and Fiona the hippopotamus. The grounds are beautiful which is why the zoo is also a botanic garden.we rode a little red train and an endangered animal themed carousel. There are lots of animals, all over this zoo- some over every hillside and around every corner. I even saw the elephants get their daily bath. The insect house is home to naked- mole rats, leaf- cutter ants and humongous cockroaches. I won t tell you my weight on the Insect scale. A flock of flamingos toddled down a path next to us. There were convenient places to get a bite to eat and enjoy a cool drink. We had a wonderful time and learned a few facts about many animals.

Amazing place to visit, if you like Animals, I'm really amazed with all that God has created.

Beautiful well-kept area. The lights were an amazing show.

Some of the best zoo lights in the United States. The entire zoo is covered in lights that go on and on. Fun to see that many of the exhibits are open too. The LA Zoo has nothing on this, Cincinnati is the best!

As always, the visit today was wonderful. Lots of active animals early in the morning. It got hot early, but still enjoyed the visit.

Took 5 hours to walk. Every animal has plenty of room. Decent prices. Will go back

Wonderful experience for the entire family. The staff is friendly and informative. There are many interactive exhibits, and a variety of reasonably priced food and drinks. Plan on spending the entire day - there is so much to see and do!

Beautiful zoo! Everything is as natural feeling as can be. It's easy to fi d your way around and there are a lot of places to find shade for relief from the sun.

I had a wonderful time coming to the zoo for dinner on a work trip. We got to feed the giraffes, see an African porcupine, and enjoy the zoo grounds after sundown. We had a blast and I would recommend checking out the zoo or coordinating a dinner at the zoo for a unique dinner adventure.

A little bit overwhelming but fun nonetheless! The bird show is amazing and the trainers are hilarious and very talented. Quite the entertainment! Highly recommend going with the whole family. A word of advice, BUY your tickets online and AVOID the horrid lines!!!!! Easy and secure.

I love the zoo just prices are high and always under construction

I loved this zoo. The animals seemed very happy and well taken care of. Great staff. Very big facility and large variety of animals. I could have spent a couple of days here and been completely content.

Love this zoo. It's worth the price. They do a great job making you feel like you are walking through nature with wooded paths. It is a little hilly at some parts so watch out if you are pushing a stroller.

Very good zoo. Got good parking spaces. It's very clean and the big advantage is they have lots of trees nearby walking bays this giving a cool atmosphere even during hot summer.

We were pleased overall with the safety precautions taken by the zoo and all of their employees. We were a bit concerned with the low number of visitors wearing masks and occasionally rushing in and not safe distancing. We were not sure that a 3:30 time would allow us enough time time to enjoy our visit but it was PERFECT!!!
It was so good to get back to the zoo!!!!

Great place for families and people looking to get out

This is a GREAT ZOO at a reasonable price with lots of wonderful animals to see up close! It is a huge oval to walk up and down- take your time to explore it all because it winds around from an inner circle to outer sections.
For adults alone, skip the train ride- it just goes slowly in a circle without seeing animals any better. The carousel is fun, reminiscent of our childhood.
Eat lunch at the Cafe- indoors and same price as the food trucks, Hamburgers are really good!

We had a fantastic day,was warm .but dry.. lots visitors of all ages.. our favorites were the mammals..such as elephants, tigers and red pandas.. the snow leopard was dozing in the rock ledge ..belly up..the animals from the African savanna were grazing on grass as they are used to the warmer temps. A totally worthwhile trip..

Didn t know what to expect. We were on a family vacation to see The Ark and Creation Museum and my wife and son wanted to go to the Cincinnati Zoo after seeing reviews and seeing the good responses from it. This. Place. Was. Awesome! We spent the WHOLE day here. Arrived @ 10:30am and left around 4:30. If you have kids they ll probably enjoy themselves greatly. My son LOVED this. Going from one animal to the other trying to find them wherever they we in there in-habitat. Since being there all day we packed lunch and drank water there. The Zoo is HUGE which I didn t expect. The amount of animals they have here was unexpected. Bathrooms were in pretty good places to reach when needed. Staff were pleasant. For the price this Zoo is well worth the money! Very well put together!

Place this zoo on your must see list if you are into zoo's. Excellent experience even during COVID. They had a few animals I haven't seen at other zoo's. The only disappointment was that the cats were not on display. It took us just under 4 hours to complete so I expect it would be an additional hour if the cats and other exhibits closed for COVID were open. Overall, this was a great experience.

Really great zoo. Going to see the lights this year was much like you'd expect however, very busy and not quite worth the trip.

Loved it! The penguins were adorable marching. The picture opportunity was fantastic.

#1 Zoo in America! Truly stunning, must see botanical garden as well in ALL seasons not just Spring. I was blown away by the summer color and amazing variety. A true gem for our Queen City. Also love the solar panels above the parking, your cars stay cool in the shade while power is cooking for so many. Friendly, inclusive place. Very handicap accessible. And the food area in the back felt like a cheerful party place with umbrellas for shade.

I went with my buddy and his 2 yr old daughter. Had a blast

Obviously better when the world is "normal" but still okay for having to social distance and all that. My children love it, and no matter how many times we go, they always act as if it were their first. Definitely one of our favorite family activities

One of the really cool parts about this zoo is the initiative to be really environmentally concious in all of their new building efforts. Most of the new Africa exhibits are cutting edge as far as their environmental impact! They also had to break tons of zoning red tape to make their solar parking lot happen. Festival of lights it's next level too, Cincinnati staple for sure.

Love it. Remember everything is tourist pricing so be prepared pack drinks and snacks for little ones. Mostly because they are few and far between with small selection. But the attractions were nice only the animals were lathargic and sad looking

We took are grandson and had a great time. Weather was perfect. I think his favorite was the penguins.....

The zoo is a true treasure of Cincinnati. The perfect place for both visitors to the city and residents. I highly recommend visiting.

Was a beautiful day for the zoo!!! Loved the kangaroos... Tortoises and the wolves were out and about... Little squirrels darting here and there... Fiona was sleeping as were the gorillas. They were busy putting up lights for the upcoming holiday season.

Lots of fun and plenty of animals to look at. Feeding the giraffes was great.

Not bad place a little pricey for tix & food but overall a good place for a family day or outing

Wonderful zoo, earns its place as one of America's oldest. Lots of space and exhibits for animals, it was wonderful to walk around all afternoon and still not quite see everything.

We're definitely coming back

Great day at the zoo, very beautiful, animals are friendly

OMG, I absolutely loved this place!! I hadn't been to a zoo in years, so going here was more than a treat. I went with friends, and we all took advantage of buying the zoo cups and getting cheap refills throughout the visit. It was so worth it. I'm sad that it was so hot that day because that made us all a little miserable towards the end... That and the fact that many of the animals were sleeping or hiding because of the heat -- but that wasn't the zoo's fault! Either way, it was an amazing experience, and I would love to go back again.

What a great environment for families and they do a great job maintaining social distance

More enjoyable than anticipated. Excellent pathways that are well-marked. First time to see a red panda. Had to see the new baby giraffe. Nick B was a fantastic "chat" leader for the meerkats, hippos, and giraffe. He also clued us into the flamingo walk (see picture) usually at 0930 and 1530 hrs.

I went to this zoo today and there was no, and I repeat, NO animals out today. We went to go see Fiona and the rhinos mostly and were saddened to figure out they didn t want to come outside today . Not only that, but many other animals were just gone. This included zebras, bobcats, and tigers. I was also deeply saddened to see how poorly they kept their animals. Very malnourished and every habitat had a terrible aroma. I know people are capable of keeping a zoo clean and well kept because I ve been to the Indianapolis Zoo many times before. I guess you could say the most fun I had all day was buying water and a concession stand since no place had AC.

Such a great time. Staff is so helpful and it's a very clean place.

We had an amazing time at the zoo my little boy loved getting to see all the animals. This is a wonderful place for families, I cant wait to go back!

Love the zoo! They are expanding right now, and we are super excited. They work hard to give the animals more space and to make them feel like they are in their natural habitat. It is very educational and we always enjoy it.

One if the best kept secrets in Cincinnati! A beautiful zoo that has so many animals, and exhibits, you can't see it all in one day! Definitely a 2 day trip!

Have not been in over a decade, wont wait that long again...The zoo has some awesome new enclosures! Cant belive they can design that well being land locked in one of Cincinnati's old school neighborhoods.

They are constantly updating and improving. The Africa section is new since my last visit and is very nice. The plantings are wonderful. The space is large enough that once away from the entrance they crowds are moderate to low.

Great zoo! It's the perfect size; big enough to be more than worth the money but not so big that it's hard to get to everything in one day. Love all the cats and reptiles. One complaint is that there were a lot of dead ends and unintuitive paths, though there was also lot of construction going on so perhaps it's normally better.

A two family outing to see the light show and the zoo. The kids enjoyed it. I suggest the carousel because our kids loved it. The train ride however was everyone's favorite part of the evening

Our family loves the zoo! Great for all ages. Although in the winter a lot of attractions are closed so check ahead if there is something in particular you wanting to see.

Perfect night for Festival of Lights. Got there about 5 and left about 6:30. Perfect timing so not overly crowded. Got to see baby giraffe and Fiona so lights were gravy. Even better than when I went years ago. Lighted animals are terrific. Lots of well decorated trees. There is a good reason this is so popular!

I know why this is one of the top zoos in the country. Most of the animal exhibits are set up so you can get real close to the animals. The exhibits have natural barriers that keep the animals from getting to close. Giraffe feeding was nice.
Train ride in the zoo was only 10 minutes long but was nice to sit down and relax for a bit.
We all liked the 4D movie. It was about 20 minutes long.
Food option are plenty and not to expense. Get the souvenir cup. Refills only a dollar.
I love Columbus zoo but the animal experience is so much better here that I have to give the nod to this zoo.

Loved this zoo, particularly being able to be so close to the giraffes, even if you don't choose to stand in line and pay an extra $3 to feed them. Even on a hot day, there is a good bit of shade and a few indoor exhibits to cool off. Loved the 15 minute 4D movie experience for an extra $5. Got through the entire zoo with two teenagers (at a fairly fast pace) in about 4 hours.

Love this zoo. So many things to see and do. Plenty of educational information about the animals and their natural habitat. Lots of food and drink options also.

Love the animals at a wonderful nature center in the heart of the city!

THE BEST ZOO (and Gardens!) in the entire country. Manageable by all...young and old, experts and novices, fully mobile and those for whom mobility is a challenge. I personally have navigated almost every path on foot, on crutches, with a walker, and in a wheelchair. I love that this remains one outdoor haven that I can enjoy, no matter what my challenge may be that day. Amazing animals, beautiful gardens, excellent human and animal ambassadors all make the Cincinnati Zoo my favorite place to hang in the entire city. No visitor should miss this experience and if you are new to the city...make it first on your list of places to get to know.

If you're in town and it's raining the lights are still a magical must see. Pictures with Elsa, Santa, and Frosty as well as a train ride make the experience more memorable.

It's an amazing place with a variety of animals and places to view the animals from different angles, so you do not miss out anyone due to lack of access. The Arctic Fox or Polar Bear were not at their place due to Summer, but it'd have been fun to see them, so maybe Fall is the best time to visit the zoo and see all of it.

Small, but fun. A little pricey, but members get discounts (we just don't go often enough for that). Definitely go earlier in the day, as the animals are sleeping in the shade in the heat of the afternoon sun.

Nothing to see seems every time u go it the same old stuff getting very boring anymore to go if I didn't have a season pass I would not even go get a new train ride but in a different place I don't know how it one of the top zoo who ever said that must live a boring life.

Festival of Lights was beautiful. I loved getting a peek at the baby giraffes. They are super cute!

This zoo is so amazing! I highly recommend coming on a weekday, however. We went on a Wednesday and it was not crowded at all and we were able to see everything without any difficulty. It was cooler also; the end of September, with a chance of rain, so all the animals were out, and some were playing! Best. Day. Ever! An unexpected surprise were the sweet squirrels that were running around. The snow leopards playing and Fiona were the favorites of the day. Highly recommended!!

Have been a member for years and just renewed membership. Great place to spend a couple hours or a whole day. Always something different to see.

Always a good time for the littles;
But a piece of my heart breaks for all the animals... I just wish things were different and they could thrive naturally bc there just never enough space or stimulation for them no matter how hard ppl try in such an unnatural environment constantly on display

Had the best time being immersed in the Festival of Lights experience. They out did themselves AGAIN.

My wife and I have been planning to visit the Cincinnati Zoo for several years now and it did not disappoint! Very well developed with plenty of great exhibits.

Had a wonderful time with the grandbabies on Saturday. We got to see almost all the animals before I gave out. Its ashame that they did away with smoking sections. I know everyone is trying to be more health conscious nowadays but those of us who smoke dont want to hurt anyone else just ourselves. Lol. It would be nice to have a couple of small sections (like kings island) where those who smoke could do so without having to leave the park then come back in. With that said I really did have a fun time. The thing that shocked me the most was the lines for the food carts. My husband waited for 45 minutes for 2 pretzels while I chased our 1 and 2 year old grandbabies. I couldn't have done this by myself. Not sure what the answer is to keep the lines down or quickly moving but will have to pack more snacks next time when I take them by myself.

What a neat zoo! We really enjoyed walking around and seeing the variety of animals they have there! We also had multiple positive interactions with the zookeepers! My only complaint is that it was very busy... But that is our fault since we went on a Saturday during their busiest time. All in all though, a great experience! I would definitely recommend a visit.

Excellent experience! Most interactive zoo 8 have been too and beautiful!

We love coming to the Cincinnati Zoo! The festival of lights at Christmas are neat but get extremely crowded. I love looking at all the gardens, plants and beautiful flowers in the spring and summer time to!

Fantastic zoo. I love going with my family and watching my son's face light up at all of the well taken care of animals.

Doing the best for the animals and visitors as possible during these uncertain times.

This is, to me, the best zoo in the region. Besides the exhibits, which are amazing, there is another reason one might not consider (until you're there): the layout. The Cincinnati Zoo does not have a single steep hill! All zoos have steep hills, simply because of necessity. Not here. So if you are older or a person with a stroller, this is the place!

One of the best zoos in the country. If you are visiting from out of town, it's a must see.

They are upgrading everything this last decade. Since I was a kid I've went there. Best zoo I've went to and I love all animals so seeing these animals in larger enclosures really makes me respect where the money coming in is going! Amazing place to be to spend a nice humid Cincy day!

Great experience, COVID 19 measures in place. New kangaroo and penguin experience is top shelf! Well done Cin Zoo team!

My favorite zoo that I live close to. Way better than the Indianapolis Zoo. They have lots of exhibits and the train ride is a must! They have peacocks walking freely throughout the zoo, which is a cool site. They like to hang around food courts looking fro scraps.

It is so big and beautiful here. The staff is pleasant and it wasn't too crowded when we went.

Was great still not the same some things were closed

Felt safe with social distancing and masks throughout!

I love the Cincinnati zoo since I was a little girl I'm going to take my grandbaby there

The light show was awesome, can't wait to check out the park in the spring/summer months!

We loved the tropical birds show. The zoo is very family friendly, and you are allowed to take in picnic lunches.

Zoo was a little crowded for social distancing today.