Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Reviews

I love my Zoo but BEWARE YOU HAVE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS. They dont really tell you that clearly in person. But they gladly your membership money.

I love it there I got to see a lot of animals and learn some cool facts about them I can t stop going there They have drinks and ice cream and cool fun stuff waiting for y all to buy one like a fan and a water sprayer so cool stuff one day I m going to work there cause I m a animal lover. #bestplace

In all honesty I wasn't impressed, but in fairness it was early March. The weather was terrible, not many animals were out, and there was construction. We went on an elementary school field trip, so I would've assumed staff and construction crew would've been informed that kids would be there. Plus it was during normal business hours. Despite that, people were buzzing around the grounds in golf carts with no regard for human life. This zoo is in the middle of a busy area. It's small, and very hilly. The walking paths are full of twists and turns. At least three times I had to grab kids off the path when a cart came flying around a corner or up a hill.

Also, we encountered very few staff members, again, I get it's not their busiest time of year. But the few people we spoke to were pretty rude and didn't seem interested in interacting with us.

I'll definitely make an effort to come back in the future when the flowers have bloomed. Seeing as how it's also a botanical garden, I'm sure it's gorgeous in the spring and summer. Also, the hills made for a great workout that I'm still feeling 24 hours later.

Absolutely delightful! Fiona makes my heart melt! Kangaroo encounters were the greatest!!

Went for zoo la la
Great selection of food and drink.
Good live bands and best of all you got to see your favorite animals in the world class setting only the Cincinnati Zoo can provide

We went for the holiday light show. The lights were great, we saw a wonderful puppet show, got to see a few of the animals and generally had a very nice time.

Love our hometown zoo. The exhibits are fresh and assure that the animals are all as comfortable as possible. The shows are fun for all ages. And Fiona the baby hippo is so happy to please all her adoring fans. Kudos to Thane Maynard and his staff!

This Zoo is very well run and has a great variety of animals from all around the world! Lions, tigers, elephants, giraffes, hippos, gorillas and more! They have great interactive programs, food, and knowledgeable staff. Great for a field trip or a family! They are always updating and upgrading the experience. I recommend it!

Lots of hand wash stations. Went on a weekday and it wasn't that busy. Beautiful landscaping everywhere!

Its definitely not rated #1zoo in the country. It's so disorganized now you go into the new cat canyon and your 1/2 way through the zoo. So you gotta either backtrack back up the steepest hill in the zoo. Or miss the bears and the manities and jungle trails.it Is a mess now a days.20 years ago it was #1 zoo in the country.

Impressive if you go for that sort of thing, but a little heavy on the 'save the planet' meme.

Always a great visit. Lots of people but mostly masked.

Great zoo with lots of animals to see. Very fun and family friendly.

Wonderful zoo experience. My family and I visiting the Cincinnati Zoo for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. We are from Detroit and have visited at least 15 zoos. Cincinnati Zoo is definitely toward the top of the list, if not the best zoo we have experienced. The cheetah show was incredible. The staff all seemed to genuinely love their jobs and the animals they care for on a daily basis. The zoo was very clean and well laid out. This isn't the typical cement enclosure park with cages. There are trees, flowers and bamboo everywhere. The animals are in what appear to be natural environments which has to make much better for them compared to other zoos. Many exhibits get your very closed to animals that others zoos don't offer. We were a couple feet from the snow leopards where other zoos you'd be seeing them from 100 feet away and they would be in an unnatural cement area. The animals are mostly the same at all zoos - what set them apart are the staff and the environment in which the animals live and the visitors experience. The lushness of the zoo is what really stuck out to me. This doesn't feel like a zoo. It feels like you are walking into the natural environment of the animals and seeing them as they would be in the wild. Amazing experience - thank you! This is a destination zoo if you are within a 6 hour drive. We drove 4.5 hours and it was well worth it.

Loved it it was wonderful beautiful the animals were just wonderful

A really fun experience. The zoo is laid out well and they have some attractions I haven't seen at the few other zoos I've been to (for example: their world of insects was creepy and awesome). Definitely worth making a day of if you're in the area visiting.

Can be very crowded depending on the day, as most zoos and similar attractions are.

First time going and it was amazing better then the Cleveland zoo if I do say so myself lol

Hands down, the best lights display in the Tri- County area. It is best to get their earlier and find parking, because we got stuck in the traffic trying to get there around 6. We will definitely be back next year and years to come!

Love the zoo, there are beyond places that you can walk to see the animals up close or far away. Their are plenty for children to do especially the petting zoo, and the train which is pretty cheap tickets! Wish they had a place or several places inside to take pictures with the zoo symbol or something. There's lots of choices for food or drinks. Plenty of parking

Thia place is amazing! My family and I went during one of the weekends in October which is called HallZOOween. So many cute kids dressed up and the zoo was giving out candy at different stations. I cant wait for the festival of lights this year to go back.

It's a fantastic zoo all the animals here are really well cared for and have large and interesting enclosures too , but it's still a place where humans lock up animals for money and do I agree with that well sorry I don't but then that's the way things are I'm afraid.
So the way I look at it now is that they have food and nice homes to live in so if you want a great family Day out where you can have a really interesting and fun day this is definitely worth the visit. Supporting this zoo will help the Animals too.
The staff are all friendly, the toilets were very clean and plenty to do and see.

Perfect Fall morning and early afternoon at our own Cincinnati Zoo!

The zoo itself was nice and there were a lot of animals out. Unfortunately it was very busy. Exhibits were crowded and you had to wait in line to see animals. No one was social distancing, and mask wearing was sparse. All in all it was a good time, but if you don't like crowds this is not the place to be.

Great experience for my daughter, who loves caring for a variety of animals.

We got a late start at the zoo. I didn't think of what time it closed. As a courtesy, I feel like the ticket attendant should have said they close at 6pm. We were not finished seeing everything and over the loud speaker they announced it was 6pm and the zoo was now closed and to exit. I feel they should make the announcement prior to closure, by maybe 30 mins to say the zoo will be closing soon so if we still had something we really wanted to see, we could have.
Also, the train ride was extremely squeaky and loud. They definitely need to oil the thing to make it more enjoyable.
I did like how open the enclosures were and how much room there was to view the animals.

Behind the scenes with elephants was amazing. Matt did a great job.

Very disappointed that as a member can not get a reservation. What happens as people make reservations and don't show up?

The exhibits and workers were extremely nice. We stayed for an overnight adventure and the leaders were enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy their job. However, they did get annoyed at the children easily.

Great place to visit. Grand kids had a great time. I had a blast. going to go back soon. only down side, couldn't get a souvenir cup with an ICEE. Not sure if it was just the place we stopped at but would have loved to get the kids an ICEE in a cup. 2 thumbs up

Best zoo in the country (according to the signage). But seriously, fun zoo that integrates its botanical gardens into the grounds. Walking in feels like you're leaving Cincinnati and entering a wildlife park because you cross a bridge into the elevated entrance that's above street level.

Not worth going during winter, half of the zoo was close. Had more expectations and a little disappointed.

Awesome place. We take a trip here at least once a year.

Variety of species reserved and taken care of. Awesome experience.

Was ok. Wasn't warm enough for quite a few of the animals to be on exhibit. Even Cat Canyon was bare. There were numerous shop areas throughout that were closed, only open on the weekends. Kinda hard to follow a path, everything just goes in different directions. A lot of up/down hill walking. Some of the exhibits are indoor & you'd almost think you're walking into the wrong area with how dark & uninviting the entrance is to them. No hand-washing stations available after areas where they allow you to touch animals. $10 parking was ridiculous, just throwing that out there lol. If wanting to ride the train or carousel would recommend a ride pass for $7/ea up front or you can pay $4/ea per ride once you're at the rides. Overall the kids enjoyed it, aside from not seeing a few animals they anticipated on seeing.

We absolutely loved this zoo! Great exhibits and habitats for the animals and it was nice that there was usually multiple places to view each animal. Loved loved loved!

This was a fun experience! Centrally located, it is easy to access!

This is a really awesome zoo that has many species of plant and animals, unfortunately most of the areas in the zoo is currently under construction but still it's a great place for any tourist in Cincinnati. Would probably come back in the future, and the rating is 4/5.

Rest in Piece Harambe...

I love going to the zoo in the spring and fall its always very well maintained and the animals are fun to see. I proposed to my wife here in front of the Giraffe exhibit during the festival of lights and we were suprised when the giraffes came to the window to see what all the commotion was about! I have already made fantastic memories here and look forward to many more!

We had a wonderful day at the zoo! Lots of walking, to be expected! Lots of hills so difficult with a stroller. The food was great! Learned something new and brought home great memories with the family!

Very clean and nice staff. Exhibits look great and the animals look healthy as well. Great to walk around as well.

If you have problems walking. This can be a bad idea. Festival of lights was awesome though

An amazing place to spend the day with family. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

Loved the zoo! Not terribly expensive to get in and plenty of things to see and do. We had a wonderful day strolling through and checking everything out. My personal favorite was the giraffes, but you can t miss the cats or the lovely Miss Fiona.

My grand daughters absolutely loved this place!!! So glad we got a membership instead of tickets

Lots of animals, clean, beautiful zoo. I recommend it for sure. Btw it is worth going to the cheetah show.

Beautiful! Mostly just string lights in trees though

Love this zoo for both the exhibits and the breeding work and research they do behind the scenes, wish they would fix up the manatee exhibit though, the touch screena have not worked in forever.

The best zoo I've ever been to. I enjoy it almost as much as the kids do.

Love this place. Got to visit this place during Sep because of the chilled weather and good sunlight l.

It's the Cincinnati Zoo and it's really hard to find fault with the place at all. This is the first time we had been to visit since my youngest son's last field trip there which, coincidentally and unfortunately, was the day Harambe was lost. That isn't a statement to gain a point or anything as it just is what it is.

A few of the exhibits that were being built then were finished and looked just great. One of the female giraffes had given birth at 2AM and couldn't really be seen at all other than eating. They had her inside and the area in front of the glass to view the interior pen roped off some three feet from the glass so you really could see nothing at all and the young lady didn't really want anyone by the ropes either apparently.

I think in cases such as these the zoo would be better off shading the glass and putting up a video feed of the inside enclosure from different angles. This way curiosity is sated and guests don't have to be rudely told they're being too loud when they're barely talking from behind the rope. Either that or increase the distance between the rope and glass but only one of those is a good idea.

Regardless, a good many of the animals were out and about looking great. At least as good as you can look when your life is confined to limited space inside limited space. That space has grown considerably though and I imagine they will continue to make improvements that will further benefit the animals there.

A couple of the female chimpanzees were inside and looked to be pregnant so a chimp birth may be in the future. As well a male chimp was laying out in a tree spread out for all to see. One could say he was remembering Harambe in his own way, but I digress.

The Cincinnati Zoo remains to be a great place to take the family and one of the best deals for a family pass in the area period. It never gets old going to visit even if you've seen some of the animal exhibits a hundred times over and walked the park as many times. I may update this review in the future for other things to point out and with new pictures but if you have been to Cinci's Zoo many times there's no reason not to go.

If you have never been and are thinking about a visit then you definitely should. It's not the biggest zoo and may not have the most animals but it's beautiful year round pretty much, staffed with great people, and has activities for the various seasons (Festival of Lights is particularly wonderful and should be seen for sure)

Beautiful Zoo! Very well maintained, knowledgeable staff, and wonderful exhibits. Overall pleasant experience.

It was just ok. Lights were nice but it would be more fun & even prettier if info whether animal encounters are open or closed would've saved our daughter from pushing a stroller to not so easy to maneuver closed areas. With admission & parking fees being what they are for Festival of Lights there definitely should've been more on display. Not many exhibits available for viewing, but not even having polar bears out seems ridiculous this time of year. Simply adding lights to "open" exhibit signs would help to make event more enjoyable and easier to get around facility. It seems more animals could've been on exhibit, even aside from expected possible weather related climate &/or illness issues taken into concern. We're Cincinnati, we can do better. Keep adding final lights/lit up animals annually & it will eventually be gorgeous! With that being said, the grandbaby enjoyed what few animals he did get to see so we enjoyed ourselves anyway.

We enjoy this each year. Great display of lights. The lake display with lights cued to music is especially nice. It can get crowded on weekends when the weather is nice. That generally only presents issues for getting food. A variety of food is available. Some animal areas are open, some are closed. Manatee, elephant house. Reptile house Insect world are some of the places to see and get warm when the weather is cold.

Always a great place to go with family and friends. I love seeing all of my favorite animals. The food is over priced but other than that is great

I have been to various zoos around the world including the popular Singapore, Sydney and San Diego zoo. This visit to Cincinnati zoo is at the top of this list. The zoo is very nicely designed with all the exhibits so easy to access, hot day - no problem they have it covered with a very good shade paths and rest areas, the animals look very healthy and lively, there were good number of zoo officials around for us to speak, the various animal encounter experiences were fun and enriching and the list goes on. The one which I enjoyed the most is to watch the cheetahs chase their targets. To see the cheetah agility up close is unbelievable. I will surely plan to visit this zoo again.

There are not enough signage from parking lot to entrance and then it is difficult to know if there is a specific direction to avoid big crowds.

Our family has been going to the zoo year round for longer than I can remember. Every trip is memorable. When the weather is nice you are greeted at the entrance with an animal you can interact with. There are always many more encounters throughout the zoo. If you plan on riding the train, do it early, the line will get long. Make sure you take time to appreciate the gardens as well as the animals, they are magnificent.

Got to see all kinds of animals and it was well kept. They were very friendly and knowledgeable!! Had a great time on my 5th anniversary

It's hard to not love a zoo. They have some really great exhibits here, my only complaint is that so many of them were closed with no explanation. Several of the big name animal attractions weren't there... gorilla, polar bear etc..

I've been attending this zoo for 15+ years now and every time I go it's a different experience. There is always so much to do and they are constantly changing and renovating structures to provide that new experience to guests. I would highly recommend this zoo to anyone going during the summer or for the festival of lights.

I love the zoo I have been going there since I was born the staff is so nice and sweet and the one bonobo dosnt like me

Visit was great. Enjoyed the day. Need more maps posted in all areas. Also need more food options. Overall a great visit.

They have recently updated their policies for all members to have free parking, no matter what level membership you have. I'm not sure how long it will stay that way but it's a great new perk! Great for families, including the playground, children's petting zoo, train and carousel. Prices are a bit high for food and drinks and lines tend to get long but I guess that's the nature of it.
Beautiful plants and flowers and much to see.

Wonderful experience! Large selection of animals and beautiful gardens. There are quite a lot of hills so if you're with smaller children, good idea to have a stroller. My 4 year old was complaining so next time we'll definitely come more prepared.

Absolutely fantastic!! Very clean. Very friendly.

One of the best zoos in the Midwest. I've been to zoos all over the world and I still think Cincinnati zoo is in the top 10 for sure. Great beer selection. Constantly working on the exhibits to be the best. Conservation is their main focus and that's why we donate. Everyone needs to go.

For some reason it's the oldest !! So beautiful they take care of the animals very well, great for families and couples, tkts between $30 adults $28 children definitely I'll come back! Hey and congratulations to the staff so nice and they did explain everything in each station .

We love the zoo! We have been members for 2 years now. The membership is worth every penny. You get free parking and a discount on food and the gift shop. There are amazing plants throughout the zoo. We like to go on days when it s raining or bad weather. You feel like you own the zoo because it is not crowded.

Alot of walking directions weren't that great. Need to find a better way to get food served.

Was great but the animals seem very offish and not happy at all and lot of animals were not able to be seen

Fantastic for the Family. Baby manatee is great. Picked the hottest day of the year to go but a great visit. Polar bear was having a blast in the water.

Had a wonderful day! Fiona showed us a lot of love & zoo babies were awesome! We have season passes & always enjoy our time there!

Great , we had a awesome time, I will differently be back in early fall this guys
Ur doing

Absolutely loved it! Every single critter & creature stole my heart! And the gift shop is a must-see as well, so many cool items.

Everything was all amazing! We were able to see all the animals, which doesn't always happen.

Beautiful flowers and great variety be of animals. Clean and well cared for grounds and exhibits.

Fantastic zoo, easy parking and full range of exhibits. Fun in the summer and the winter.

The day (Saturday, 09.14.19) we were there it was not crowded and the weather was very pleasant. This made it a comfortable day for us and for the animals, making them a little more active. They weren't just sleeping or hiding. Overall a very good day to be at the zoo.

Wonderful family experience. Broad range of entertaining and informative exhibits. Great care taken to give the animals habitats in line with their unique needs.

Was told as healthcare workers we could not reserve tickets online and to show up early afternoon to get the discount. Called a couple more times to be safe and was told the same thing so we show up at 1pm to buy tickets only to be told that they were sold out. Drove 3 hours one way with 5 very excited kids to be turned away at the gate. Customer service and the supervisors of this place are an absolute joke.

I've been to the zoo many times but this specific trip was for their annual zoo lights. My parents were in town visiting from Nashville (the weekend before Christmas) and we thought a trip to see the lights would be a festive and fun activity. It was slightly crowded getting inside but once in, not bad at all and lovely to walk around. I'm always so impressed with the amount of lights they have and the animal light structures are just stunning. It's a wonderful zoo and not too large that you feel exhausted after a trip. Also, #TeamFiona

We visited the Festival of Lights, and it was beautiful- as always.

My family all had a great time. If you're looking for a hotel to stay at but refuse to pay for parking like myself then stay in Newport, KY which is just 10 minutes from the zoo and across the bridge. Very easy to get to. I personally like this zoo better than St. Louis zoo, but one thing this zoo could improve on is drink stations more frequent. We got there at 9 am and walked for awhile before we found a stand open to get a drink. Sure, you could go in and buy a $3.50 bottle of water but I wanted a bigger cup.

I'm not a fan of Zoos, but this is a good place if you do enjoy them. You'll def get your steps. Just don't go during the summer if you don't like heat like me. Kids will have fun and learn about the animals if you read the descriptions to them. They all have fun

This is a great Zoo.

Getting parked and finding the lot in general when we arrived was a bit of a pain and should be marked better, but, once out of the car and up the escalators to get in The Zoo, a very pleasant experience.

It is incredibly relaxing, well laid out, and absolutely beautiful. The mixture of the gardens and trees with the exhibits make it seem like an oasis and the exhibits here are some of the absolute best I've seen. Animals have ample space and don't seem cluttered, at all.

Nice Covid19 guidelines in place that I felt like most of the staff and general population was observing. Reservation times to enter was nice and non touch ticket scan worked out well.

Prices for food and drinks were reasonable.

Finally got to meet famous Fiona.

A great zoo, well worth the price of admission.

One of my better visits. Good to see the improvements. Very glad to see that the polar bears have more room to live. Bummed because the butterfly garden was closed and my niece was really excited about it.