Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Reviews

Love the zoo just wish the security that walks around would attend the shows to where you can enjoy them. we attended the bird show and could not hear the biggest majority of it because of the people behind us being loud and obnoxious while trying to have their picnic during the show instead of eating at the picnic areas the zoo supplies. Instead of hearing the bird show we heard we need the bread, what do you mean we are out of cheese, did you remember to pack the mustard.

While designated entry times kept a crowd from forming at entry, it did mean that the zoo became more crowded as the day wore on. We had to skip some areas because of congestion, but I guess that's just the reality of 2020. I appreciated one-way traffic flow in certain areas.
Otherwise, it's a really lovely zoo! Lots of the animals were active during our visit, and we had a fun time walking around!

Sure, they killed Harambe here. But also they have a bunch of super cute penguins and the train ride is a lot of fun.

It's a gorgeous zoo with enough to see and do that a day isn't enough. Go at least once if you can.

It's okay! The zoo didn't have as many animals available as usual.

As per typical zoos, things were VERY expensive. $9.99 for a cheeseburger, $3.50 for a 20 ounce of soda. The zoo was nice, but we came in the early season so there weren't many animals out/at their areas. The elephant enclosure was tiny, which was disappointing. Overall, we had a really great time.

There are so many things to love about this zoo. The elephants and giraffes were beautiful and their habitats, although not gigantic, were so nice. The insect exhibit was just jaw dropping, the ant display could be watched all day. Manatees being rehabilitated are another one we could have watched all day. It was so hot the day we went that Fiona the hippo was just sitting but she was still adorable. It is definitely a full day to see but in my opinion it is definitely worth it. It is a bit hilly but not unmanageable. We are going to go again after they finish the new kangaroo exhibit. We drove from buffalo N.Y. and totally worth it.

I have been to many many zoos in America and this is by far the best I've EVER been to! Great job staff and volunteers for such an amazing place

2 adults...date night and hadn't been since I was a kid. Amazing

First time at the zoo and we just came for the zoo lights. It wasn't too crowded and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. Wee had good company with friends and our kids enjoyed both the animals and the lights. The cats were our favorite because the animals were awake and moving around despite it being later in the evening. Overall good experience!

This review comes from a Zoo vagabond with 8 parks under his belt.

Cincinnati's Zoo is a well developed, compact park. None of the animals appeared cramped. I found almost every exhibit to have great viewing areas. There were a few exhibits that put a considerable distance between the animal and viewer. That being said, I am ok with those exhibits because they contained larger animals that required the space.

Notable animals include the polar bears, otters, and giraffes. (Note those are the one that stuck out to me, and I tend to have an otter bias)

Well maintained grounds and animals seemed in good condition. Picked a bad day for the visit to see all the animals.

Family friendly zoo. Lot of wild life to watch and learn about.
The train ride is a fun experience.
You can complete seeing the entire Zoo in one whole day.
Parking is well organized and not confusing.
Food here can be better.

I stopped here only to visit the flat penny machine to get a penny with a peacock on it. We got there not long before the zoo was closing. The staff we encountered were all nice and friendly. They were also helped me locate the flat penny machine. We didn't get to visit the zoo, so I can't really speak to that part of it. It seemed like a nice place though. We just didn't have the time to do a proper visit.

Me and my husband love it , we have a wonderful time by seeing the animals, festival of lights it's perfect to bring others and share great memories. Our children love it too and can't wait to come back and our family recommend to tell others to bring their families, friends etc.

Great zoo. One of my favorites. The animals seem to have plenty of room and seemed happier than in some other zoos I've been to. We liked seeing a wider variety of life, especially the insects and bats.

Very bad and terrible experience wont be back any time soon was treated very bad by the manager and the employees as we go at 1130 and they said we wouldn t be able to get in for 3 hours and would only be able to get in at 230 and they close at 5 can t even spend the day at the zoo what a damn shame !

Stellar visit. Roo valley was fabulous! Gorillas were busy too. Had a marvelous time. Good job zoo.

We visited on a very humid hot day and plan to return on a cooler day. Beautiful zoo with a variety of well kept and beautiful landscaping. Lots of walking for us and difficult to determine if some animals would be out for us to see or not. In several of the shops staff members had an animal for the children to touch and hear facts about. Staff were extremly kind and well educated about the animals. The lady who supervised the flamingo show and tell was extremely patient and some children taunted the flamingos and she kindly shared with them to please stop. I was impressed. Only issue for me is the very high prices in each shop. Items seem overpriced times 2. We have a membership and will return.

Lots of exhibits to see animals. They encourage social distancing and wearing a mask, but some places get very crowded. Overall great experience

Loved the animals that they have at this zoo. The only thing that would make the zoo better would be if it weren't so hilly. My husband had a lot of trouble with the hills (there were no ECVs left to rent when we got through the gate at 10:30).

Nice zoo! As a zoology major I love visiting zoos and seeing the conservation work being done! I had just gone to the San Diego zoo ( which is amazing) and I thought this might be a let down, but it was not! Most of the exhibits were spacious, and well put together. They are redoing the gorilla exhibit, so it will be safer for visitor and better for the gorillas! This place is very kid friendly. My only complaint was that some of the exhibits were quite small and empty (the bears in particular)and although I'm not sure how large there behind the scenes area was this might make you a bit sad as a viewer. Overall I would say definitely visit and support the work at this zoo!

This is a great zoo! Their exhibits are phenomenal! They re all entertaining and I learned a ton about animals. They re one of the few zoos in the U.S. that actually have manatees and they were absolutely adorable. The Coop food truck has great food. The zoo did phenomenal with the COVID-19 procedures. They had plenty of hand sanitizer stations and touch less pay stations. I was super impressed.

Had a blast even with the masks it was great to be there

Nice walk ways! Clean Zoo! Plenty of seating throughout

This is one of the best zoos in the country!!!! Great exhibits and animals, the zoo is on the leading edge of eco friendly building and the assortment of animals is incredible. Must go if in or near Cincinnati.

Such a beautiful place, and bucket item for anyone not in the tri-state area.

I have never been here but my wife loved hippos mainly pheona. After my wife's passing a wrote the zoo to see about getting a video of Pheona to play at the service. The zoo not only sent a video of Pheona but they expressed their condolences as well.

I love Cincinnati Zoo it's where we go as a family no matter what the ages are .The train is a must and be sure to visit the albino alligator. A+++

Best zoo in the world if you ask me. Never been to one better, and I've been to like 7 other zoos. One time I was able to pet a penguin (I wasn't really supposed to lol) animals are always a joy to look at.

Great place to enjoy a spectacular evening out with your family.making memories. Beautiful

Had a blast! Lots of walking so be aware of those with you who have short legs or may not be as physically fit as you . I would have liked to see employees enforcing masks when not seated in eating areas and enforcing masks over noses. Some of the animals we didn't get to see and that just makes me need to plan a second trip. I wonder if I can rent a segway

Such a fantastic zoo. Since I was a small child I have been fascinated by Cincinnati zoo's amazing exhibits. Their Cheetah program is very close to my heart. Everyone wants more out of zoo than animals in cages. Cincinnati makes it abundantly clear they do their best for the animals.

Very awesome place, staff was friendly and helpful, clean restrooms

We have the best zoo... bought a family membership this year for the first time EVER LOVE IT

April - beautiful with flowers all in bloom. Zoo is nice, wish there was better signage to find things. Membership is helpful because you can enter an hour early!

Had a great day at the zoo. Able to get discounted admission online, animals and exhibits were great. Some days animals are not visible, today they all were out. Food choices are nice as well, and considering it is at a park, prices very good. I had a black bean burger with fries and drink for less than $10. Facilities were clean and well staffed. A wonderful day.

Visited during Christmas. The lights were amazing. Very crowded but it was a warm Friday evening. Not many animals as expected during the cold months.

Had a great time. Good exercise and lots of interesting exhibits. Make sure to pace yourself and give it the day to see it all.

We had a great time at the zoo. Our kid loved every second of it, the food was well priced, the weather was perfect but some of the animals were not out we still had a wonderful time.

Pretty awesome zoo. We took our two kids and they had a blast. We got to see all sorts of different animals, including Fiona and Bibi. We rode the train, which my kids were ecstatic about and was a fair price. Go and enjoy a great day with your family!

Wonderful plants & flowers plus very nice enclosures for the animals.Alot of water for the animals in the hot summer days .

So educational, I haven't been in 13 years. My husband and I wanted to visit the zoo babies, it was a lot of hill climbing but the weather was nice so we both enjoyed yourselves. The food was excellent. I'll be back sooner than 13 years this time.

Nice place with good exhibit of animals. Would be nice to have some dog shows and other fun events for kids

Beautifully landscaped and laid out! Lots of cool animals.

Great family fun, find some good coupons or discounts.

Their taking this pandemic VERY well. Lines weren't long at all and people were practicing social distancing. Definitely go during the pandemic

Lots of animals but the exhibits seemed small, cramped, and smelled. Yes it's a zoo but when other zoos have the same animals and the exhibits are much more impressive and clean I found myself not impressed with this one. This is a quantity not quality zoo.

The last time I visited this zoo was 40 years ago. Of course a lot has changed, but all for the better.

The zoo has done so much during this pandemic. They are still requiring face masks but not at all times. I do love the zoo, but there are areas of improvement. I do wish the animals had bigger enclosures especially the larger animals like the elephants and hippos. Also the ice cream places were kinda lame this day; one place didn't have ice cream and the other wasn't doing sundaes and didn't have some of the listed flavors. I'll still go back but maybe not get any food.

Nice zoo, lots of backtracking though. Doesn't have a good through path.

Beautiful place, went in the heat wave great fans and water everywhere. We enjoyed it a lot!

Great zoo, they are doing a wonderful job updating the habitats for that animals and services for customers. The only down side is the zoo is just as bit pricey.

Zoo exhibits were fantastic. You were able to get so close to the animals. Unfortunately after driving from Nashville the staff attitude will prevent me from ever spending my money there again. I guess I'm just used to southern hospitality which they have none of here.

Beautiful well laid out and shady zoo. Takes about 4 hours to see it all.

This zoo is pretty neat. It feels like you re walking through a forest. Make sure if you are members at another zoo you let them know so you can get your discount!

The zoo is always fun. The Cincinnati zoo has lots of animals to see and does a good job or trying to educate the public about them.

The GREATEST zoo! This place takes just as much care of it's gardens and landscaping, as it does it's animals, and it shows. They have a huge variety of things to see, and scheduled feedings as well. We always love taking the train ride if we have time. Peacocks can be seen wandering around, and the petting zoo is fun for anyone, regardless of age. It's a great place to spend 4-5 hours minimum with your family.

Its cool but always under construction and its kinda small

Very cool. Not many animals were out and there was a lot of construction, but It's the middle of March and under 40 degrees. A large variety of animals.

A great place to spend a day. Right size. You can cover the whole area. Healthy animals. Good visibility. Scenic. Clean. Kids love it.

So the zoo is great and we love it. HOWEVER they need to do MUCH more during this time we need to social distance. After seeing all the precautions online as well as limiting admission I thought they were on top of it. After entering the park that all stops. There are so many opportunities for unidirectional travel that are not utilized to enhance distancing. Additionally they could have team members available at displays to keep visitors distanced since most of yhe visitors dont have sense enough nor respect enough for others not to crowds into the viewing areas. I was not happy with the lack of crowd control. I was even less happy that people cannot take it upon themselves to utilize basic distancing and protect themselves and others.

We love zoo's, so naturally when we were in the area we had to check out the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. A lot of wonderful exhibits of the animals and we found the staff, even though it was blistering hot on the day we visited, to be very helpful and courteous!!

This was our first time at the Cincinnati Zoo and it was AMAZING! My wife and I loved seeing all the animals, especially the Cheetah Show. We're big on zoos and this one did not disappoint.

Employees are helpful and polite. Zoo is clean and easy to get around. Tons of animals! We packed a picnic amd made a full day of the trip!

Although it s smaller to others that I ve been to with way fewer animals, the installs are nice and the animals seems very well taken care of.

This is one of the best zoo I ever visited. I went here twice and not felt bored! It is a big zoo with all kind of species! Excellent place to be with kids :)

Its a bit expensive without a pass but still one of the best family outings in Cincinnati! The food trucks were serving up delicious hot food on a cold night! The best deal were the chix fingers w tots! So good! Hot Chocolate is always a must! The lightshow was amazing (how do they do it?!)! My favorite was the trail under tons of hanging beautiful lights. It seems surreal w the music, when there is light traffic of course. I highly recommend a visit if you have never been to the Festival of Lights, it gets better ever year!

It was beautiful! The light display around the lake was awesome!

It's the number one rated zoo in the country! I can't say enough. This was our second visit of the year. This time we were attending a special event. Breakfast with the Cheetahs. Wow what an awesome encounter. There are many other such encounters with different animals as well. This was an early birthday present for my wife. She was thrilled!

It's a great place to bring children during the Festival of Lights. Beautifully done lighting and installations and it really brings Christmas to life!

Beautiful lights, so happy we caught a Fionna the hippo view

A fun day with family. Never felt too close to others however we stayed outside. Painted dogs were very active!

Always a great place for both young and old....we are lucky to have this gem of an institution in Cincinnati!

Love it a piece of our hearts is there. Beautiful zoo and botanical garden.

It was a great experience in the middle of town.. Bring water in cooler.

So wonderful and clean! Aloud to bring in your own drinks and theybhave water refill stations. Hippos are my absolute favorite animal so I was beyond excited to see Bebe and Fiona!

Beautiful day at the zoo today!!
It was an afternoon visit so many of the animals were having their siestas.
The architecture of the older buildings is amazing and there were lots of flowers in bloom!! The insects, butterflies, chipmunks, squirrels and birds were out!! Plants are labeled in case you want to create your own home habitat.
Thank you Cincinnati Zoo!!

It's like paradise! Stunning botanical gardens. There are animals too.

It is under construction right now but this zoo is always a great time! We found the sloth inside an education building which was fun and we got up close and personal with a giraffe! So much fun!!!

I decided to take my family to this zoo since we love the Columbus Zoo and are members. After reading all the reviews I was excited to see it. Boy was I disappointed! Several of the reviews mentioned how easy it is to walk the grounds, they are either very young without kids in strollers or they visited the wrong zoo. The grounds is all up and down hills and for someone with muscle and nerve disorders, this is not good. Not to mention, the benches for resting were mostly all bunched together in front of buildings. There weren t any on the hills for the older patrons to rest part way up the hills. We ran into several closed exhibits as well. We were there in September. Most of the staff was rude and uncaring, however we did encounter a few that were extremely kind. Needless to say, we will not be visiting again.

My family loves it here! You can never go wrong with a day at our zoo. Staff is kind & knowledgeable. The conservation efforts are inspiring. Grateful to have a facility like this so close to home. Keep it up guys! Oh yeah...Fiona ..is my favorite!