Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Review

I hadn't been to the zoo in years. So much has changed and it is beautiful. There is so much to see and the botanical gardens are stunning. Such a wonderful variety of flora. The food area had changed and there is a nice variety of food options in a food truck style court. None of the lines were very long our food was ready fast and fresh.
Cost is what you would expect in a setting like this. We ha had the hand breaded chicken tenders and potatoe tots. It was a great value at $8.99. It had 2 large chicken tenders and a huge amount of potatoe tots. Plenty to share, which we did. Beer was $5.00 and a bottle water was $3.50.
In Cincinnati this a must see attraction.
Great fun for all ages.

Our entire family loves to come to the zoo. The admission price is very reasonable (around $15 for an adult). It is even more affordable if you purchase a family season pass. With our season pass it enables us to come down whenever we have a free afternoon or just a couple spare hours. The staff is great and they always have new activities to do. You definitely don't want to miss out on our Cincinnati Zoo!

Fantastic place to visit if in the area. A must see if you're in town with children. There are so many different animals to see and places to grab food and drinks while walking. If you're in town for the winter holiday season, make sure you see the Festival of lights at the Zoo.

I love the Cincinnati Zoo. I have been a member for many years and the Zoo has kept improving year after year. We especially love the new Gorilla exhibit! This year there is a new baby bongo, which is a species I wasnt even aware of, and there is a baby giraffe. The kids especially get a kick out of seeing the babies. The elephants are always a big hit too!

I've been to the Cincinnati Zoo many times since it's only a short drive away from me and I have to say it remains one of the best zoos I have been to. Get here early and stay until close as there's easily a full days worth of activities to do and animals to see.

Very nice staff & very clean. They have a lot of exhibits where you can interact with the animals. I would recommend the adventure pass so you get in at 9am and get a good spot. Also they have morning feedings you can watch that early ad well.

Such an incredible program and history. Just wished it would have more modern and maintained exhibits for the animals. I was disappointed slightly after 20 years in between my visits and now taking my son.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is top-notch and outsizes the zoo you d expect Cincinnati to have. Modern animal exhibits, beautiful gardens and plenty of family-friendly activities. It s worth noting you can get beer there any day they are open.

This is four stars because the recently redesigned entrance could not be more inconvenient and inconsiderate towards any family with a stroller - 80% of their visitors. It s just dumb.

So many cool animals and so many things to see and do. Such a wide variety of animals, birds, and insects to see that you cannot see anywhere else around here.

One of the best zoos in the nation.great variety of plants and animals. Super cool alternative energy seekers who are working to be off the grid. Awesome goals and people work there

This is the biggest zoo that we have been to so far and it was about a 4 1/2 hour trip for us to come and experience, and let me saw that I'm blown away at this zoo. Overall the zoo was clean, all the staff were friendly, and it was a great experience overall.

I only wish it wasn't so warm out when we came to visit as we didn't get to see all the animals on exhibit, but we managed to see plenty in our 4 hr visit here! Will definitely be coming back!

Our family loves The Cincinnati Zoo. Save money and purchase a gold membership, it's worth it. Every year the Zoo improves different exhibits and breeding programs. Not only do we have a great time we always leave learning something new. Come see the Festival of Lights over the holiday season its beautiful. Dont forget to ride the train, it's the best way to see the lights. The carousel is beautiful and the artwork is fablous. Honestly who could resist riding a hummingbird (my daughter likes the gorilla). If all of this doesn't make you want to hop in your car and drive to the zoo, don't forget...FIONA

Came here to visit for a birthday. It was well kept, clean and orderly. We came when they first opened for the day and it was nice to not have to constantly be looking out for people. The animals were out for the most part and the exhibits looked nice. Stopped to eat lunch at one of the cafes they had on the property, brought our own lunch that we packed in but it was still nice to get a break and have a bite to eat.

Amazing! So many animals! So cute!!! Baby animals are here also! Like monkeys, Giraffes, And fiona The hippo

I never realized how amazing the Cincinnati zoo was until I went to the not so awesome zoos in New England. I wanted to have my wedding here. They have do many animals that my kids wanted to see like elephants, giraffes, rhino, manatee, tigers, lions, gorillas, bears, alligators... You name it, they have it, even down to an insect house. The staff is awesome too and takes incredible care of the animals.

I have decreased my rating from 5 to 4 stars because I feel it is unnecessary that they ID everyone who comes into the park with a pass. One audlt per family should be sufficient. Everything else is great! We take our kids to the zoo all the time.

Love this zoo! Great exhibits and staff. Also, gotta love Fiona

I liked it. Columbus Zoo ftw, but this is a wonderful experience.

Had a lovely experience visiting the zoo with an infant and toddler. The facilities were well kept and precautions were set in place in response to COVID-19. The train was cleaned between every trip, masks were required indoors and in high traffic areas and food ordering was online. It wasn't crowded thanks to having to reserve your visiting time online ahead of time. Would recommend for a family outing!

Not as clean nor open as Columbus Zoo. Maps went digital only and signs aren't very clear.

Columbus was better by far.

The zoo has done an excellent job of protecting us while visiting their great facility everything is layed out really well. I love the way they included the animals to help us stay "a zebra apart" with their paw prints and the statue animals having mask on. There were very visible hand washing stations, signage all around. And fun announcement. This really helped keep the kids entertained. The train was wiped down after each ride. And during all this we had no problems seeing the animals and the gardens. Hats off to you

John Miller was a great help in navigating the zoo !!

Clean, quiet, nice employees. Animals well taken care of. Improved a lot through the years.

Love this zoo. Sometimes they check the membership passes very well it's almost annoying, and some days I only have to scan it to get it and just tell everyone I'm a member all day. Which is also annoying because anyone who didn't buy a membership could do that, so why did we get a membership if we could get discounts all day without having a membership lol

Excellent zoo! There was an awful lot of construction causing several sites to be down, however the best are always looking to be better. Definitely could use more variety with different snacks and drinks. The line to use the elevator (stroller access) in the morning (to get in) was long, but moved rather quickly.

Festival of lights was awesome. Lots of photo ops.

More compact and land locked compared to the Columbus Zoo but quite enjoyable. Christmas lights were amazing and everywhere. And happy to see they displayed a Nativity scene. Highly recommend!

This is my favorite zoo. My group and I traveled from Cleveland to go to this zoo. The exhibits are very nicely set up, and I love the flowers everywhere! I love that there are open areas for the birds to fly in, and that the animals seem to be happy. I also like that they have people with animals or insects to touch (with hand sanitizer available) and that they know a lot about the animals and insects so it makes learning fun for the kids (and the kids at heart!)

This is one of the best zoos in the country. We've visited a lot of them, but it is always a favorite.

Very enjoyable time with the kids . Impressed with how well they took covid precautions. The botanical gardens are one of a kind in the area.

Great place , we went for festival of lights which was definitely a cool experience but wouldn't really be worth a second trip without having kids

An amazing zoo with so much to experience. They have opened up some new habitats in the last few years which are absolutely incredible for both the visitors and the animals. I would definitely recommend that anyone in Cincinnati should visit the zoo.

Major renovations happening here. The animals are great, staff is friendly and you can spend hours of your day venturing around.
You can stay the night for $80/person in a safari hut. The huts can be seen at the giraffe exhibit.

Fantastic holiday outing for the entire family! To see the lions roar for five minutes was remarkable. The Christmas lights were truly beautiful.

There was a lot of remodeling going on but other wise it was great as always.

This zoo is super hilly so wear good walking shoes! Since it s COVID time, they are asking people to wear face masks and to be mindful of other people. Some people aren t necessarily following those rules and as far as I could tell no one was trying to enforce it. The animals were out and about! Love how big lots of the animals enclosures are! The gift shop was pretty big and had a variety of items to buy.

It was fun. 33 degrees and snowing. Still made for a nice walk outdoors.

One of the most walkable zoos I've ever been to, essentially just a big oval with animals to see everywhere! My family has season passes and it's a great place to go and get out of the house for a few hours.

First time visitor coming from a keeper/Naturalist background. I LOVE the exhibits/landscape! The animals seemed to be well taken care of and happy. I understand coming in the off season and on a cooler day that there were fewer animals on exhibit. That being said, coming from an environmental ed background I was EXTREMELY disappointed and surprised that not one keeper asked if we had questions or offered info. That is inexcusable in this field. We walked past several keepers during our time and not one spoke to us. I was also very disappointed that the gift store told us that they would close at 5pm and we showed up at 4:40 and they were closed. Not a fantastic first impression for this zoo. Off season should be treated the same as peak in my opinion.

What an amazing place and experience. Definitely the second best zoo I have ever been to.

This is a great all-around zoo. Kids usually love the Gorillas an insect house (which are now open even during Covid). Masks are not required outside, which is nice. There are these little green boxes around the zoo that you can buy a key for in the gift shops.The keys are only $3 (with a membership) and kids love finding the green boxes, which share information about the animals.

Zoo was welcoming and a good time. Exhibits were well put together and clean. Zookeeper's were friendly and overall a great experience. Must visit if you're in the area.

Lots of new exhibits. Lots more zoo helpers to answer questions about the animals.

Members get free guests entry, so that's cool. I mainly liked it because it takes you out of the city in a sense. You're surrounded by all these animals, trees, plants, hills, and formations. You'll forget that it's in a big city because you won't see the city while you're there. Also this place does get busy, so to get the best experience you'll need to go when they open. I think members get in at 9am. I'm sure others may not care but with the crowds later in the day it'll really take away from the fun.

So much to see. Lots of trees and shade as well as Sun. And Always the animals.

Sad that almost all of the restaurant's were closed today. The weather was unusually warm and it was a school holiday for many. They should warn parents that the playground is closed while they are doing construction of new exhibits

I love this Zoo. They do such a great job setting up habittas for the animals that allow you to be close to them. The staff is great and always around to answer questions and enhance the experience. I love visiting the Cincinnati Zoo!

Always a great fun place to go with family.. So clean.. A bit pricey on the gifts n food.. But pack a lunch I say. So worth it

The zoo is truly one of Cincinnati's gyms and I especially like the botanical garden portion of it. The people behind the zoo are innovative and dedicated to the zoo being one of the best around.

A wonderful place to bring the whole family. Great exhibits and beautiful scenery.

Thank you for everything you provide to the community and the joy to our family.

The Cincinnati Zoo is so awesome! Great place for kids and families!

Its been about 4 years and I still remember him

RIP Harambe 1999-2016

It was my first time going to the festival of lights, will definitely go back in the new decade to come!

A nice well maintained zoo. They had a festival of lights which was fabulous. I felt as if in a fairyland. The insect zone is informative. Better to get in early as you can't see much after dark but its mesmerizing when the lights take effect. The festival of lights is a seasonal thing only. They have a 4D theatre which I think will be closed soon.

Superb Zoo! I've been to many zoo's and the Cincinnati Zoo is one of the best! Its well managed and maintained. They are constantly creating new exhibits and it is great for children. They have something special going on almost year round like flowers, Christmas (yes I said Christmas) lights, and even concerts at no cost!

Love taking my grandkids here!! They always have a blast!! Will definitely go back

Fun and enjoyable make but check the weather and wear sneakers for the journey to the animal kingdom.

It cost me way too much. And their lights weren't that good. I was very disappointed

Liked it enough to get a membership. They have a great variety of animals and habitats. However, there is a big money grab aspect to it...after spending almost $200 for the gold level membership, they said I couldn't use my free train rides (which come with gold level) because I was with a school field trip. $20 for lunch/$8 for ice cream later (after membership discount) for just 2 people seems a bit over the top.

Cincinnati Zoo got it goin on. Pleasantly surprised by all the upkeep of the facility.

Cincinnati zoo is our favorite zoo! They have so much in a smaller space. The park is pretty clean and there are plenty of places to get food. I'm a nursing mother and I love that they have a nursing room in one of their bathrooms. It's cozy, cool and quiet for those distracted hungry babies. The room is also nice if you need to just hop in and change a diaper with a sink right by the changing table. We've always had a great time and the staff are always at the exhibits with more information on the animals.

I haven't been to the Cincinnati Zoo in about 5 years I loved that they've made so many changes. What I didn't like was when my family and I went to get lunch we had to stand in 2 separate lines to get food and drinks. And in crowded areas like the hippos and the gorillas there was no employee to move people along so other people could get a look. But overall it was a great experience.

Went to the Zoofari fund raiser event. Had a blast. Such a fun zoo in the middle of a city.

Nice zoo. Would've been better if they actually listed the animals that weren't available instead of you having to walk around just to find little signs saying they weren't out, or just nothing at all. The adventure ticket was nice because you could hit the carousel and train unlimited times. The train was okay but you didn't really get to see anything special, just a nice little ride. The 4d stuff is nothing I'd pay extra for. The 3d glasses were smudged and not great. Kids still liked the short video and extra effects.

Beautiful place to spend your day at.
Animals look great and very healthy! And so many different ones!
The views are great and there is plenty of food and drinks around. My wife and I really enjoyed the new baby hippo Fiona.
Be ready to have fun and bring your kids! They'll enjoy it.

My family and I love the Cincinnati Zoo! So much to see and do! We love having a membership because there are so many perks to having one such as free parking, free train rides, discounts on food and beverages and also discounts on merchandise in the gift shop! Not to mention being able to get into the zoo an hour early! We absolutely love the zoo lights during the Christmas season! The lights are absolutely gorgeous! We had the opportunity to attend Fiona's first birthday party and we had the absolute best time! If you like babies this zoo seems to be having a baby boom! There seems to be a new baby born atleast once a month!

Awesome zoo. It gets very busy during peak hours. I would highly recommend this zoo

Festival of lights was great this year! Mrs Clause was there and was awesome with the kids!

Adventurous Wildlife Encounters & Highly Sensitive Scenery! Love Seeing Fiona & Polar Bears!

Love the Cincinnati Zoo! Have a membership and drive down from Dayton just to see Princess Fiona. Staff seems to genuinely care about animal welfare and the zoo is committed to environmental sustainability. Great educational programs... love the cheetah encounter. Looking forward to seeing the results of the More Home to Roam campaign! I can't wait for kangaroos in Cincy. :)

Great place to bring the family wirh a very good and clear view of the animals. The children's petting zoo is real nice as well.

We enjoyed the night lights at the zoo. Parking was fantastic, we managed to get in without much issue at the counter. The park was beautiful. The lights were very pretty, perfect for a date night.

Overall I really enjoyed the zoo and viewing the animals. Parking is weird, and the employees working the food stands were less than friendly. A great way to spend a day.

Friendly staff that did very well accommodating our large group.

Always fun. Giraffe bit down when my daughter was feeding her. Still so much fun.

Loved it! Such a great zoo. I used to go there as a child. I hadn't been there in over 40 years.

Wish they would open some shows and more inside things!!

Great zoo, tons of exhibits (even when many are closed due to Covid, there is still plenty to see). The park was clean and well-maintained, masks were only required in congested areas and hand sanitizing stations were numerous. Although maps are no longer being distributed, we felt like it was easy to navigate. My only complaint was the parking was a little confusing, but once we found it the rest was good. Of course Fiona was a hit with the family!

Zoos are our last place where we can try to help preserve the animal kingdom to learn about them to study about them and to help them procreate

Nice zoo. Wish I had of know about the sensory bags before the zoo visit instead of when returning the stroller. It would have been great with my 2 boys with autism.

Excellent zoo, great time with the family; the kids always have a blast, a must visit spot in Cincinnati for a family oriented activity.

I have been to about a dozen different zoos in my life and this one far exceeds them all. The animals are closer together so you don t have to walk half a mile to get to the next animal. The information signs for each animal include a photo of the animal if there are multiple animals in the display, they have just enough detail about the animal to keep it interesting but not overwhelming, and are easy to read. They have made many really good changes in the 30+ years I have been coming, each change improving the experience for both the animals and for the visitors. Beware though, there are lots of hills within the zoo grounds that are steep to walk up and down, and even though they have a good size parking lot it still seems to fill up quickly on busy days.

So much has changed since I visited the Zoo in the last 10 years. I love all the upgrades just wish the Elephants had more space like when I last saw them.

Pleasant Saturday visit. Best to get an early start, being there before 10am. Loved seeing Fiona, Kendi, wish we could if viewed the red panda more but overall experience is good. Shout out to Greg D zoo guide who was very nice and helpful. We asked at the restaurant what was the best and he said the Bean Burgers. He was right it was delicious and the French Fries we're yummy too.

Great Zoo! Animals seem to be treated really well compared to other zoos I've been to. Only knock is how early they close. Great overall experience!