Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Review

Great place to spend a day or just walk for an hour or two. If you live in central ohio you really should be a member. Two visits and its paid for . Lots of seasonal events

Very Well maintained zoo. Nice shows.
Can enjoy a day with family

So many great animals and activities for kids of all age!

We absolute love going to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. We have the gold membership which is great because not only to we get to enjoy the Zoo and Zoombezi Bay but get to ride all of the rides for free.

Almost warm enough for all the attractions to be open, great place for the kids and lots of interactions to keep them occupied. Be careful on the sculptures though they get hot in the sun.

It was so fun and interesting. Grandkuds had a ball!

Great time even though we couldn't locate the ASL services so spent most of the time signing for our son.

We really enjoyed the zoo. First time my husband has been here. We didn't get to see the polar bears. I love the African animals. It feels like you're in Africa out in the open plain.

Zoo is great, there is so much to see, do, and learn. But gosh is it busy! Even though you would never be able to look at all the exhibits in one day, the crowds make it seem small.

Great for a date or the whole family. Great educator's on site if you want to learn something about animals at the zoo. The aquarium itself is just amazing to see.

Great place for the entire family!! Each time I go I see something new. The only complaint I have is the high prices for children's entry and food.

This was an awesome experience! If you want to see everything, make sure that you have at least six hours and start early. The shows are great. The workers are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The variety of animals you'll see are unbelievable!

Love this zoo! We especially like to go see the lights during the holidays. There is a lot to see and do here. During winter some areas are closed, but you can still take a camel ride and there are festive things such as hot cocoa stands and reindeer as well as a Rudolph is experience in Asia. There is a musical light show at the lake at set times. The layout is kid and elder friendly with gradual inclines and descents. My husband always has to see the elephants every time we go there. My daughter loves the goats at the petting zoo. My son enjoys the aquarium. I don t have a favorite at this zoo.

We went in early April before all the exhibits opened so the zoo was not in full swing yet. That being said, it was still a great time and we had lots to see. The gorrillas were entertaining and the brown bears are massive! We will be back once everything opens up. I would recommend this zoo.

I will never forget this incredible day I had with my kids at the Zoo! To all the nature lovers out there, I advise that you take your kids to the Zoo! I promise you wont regret it!

The best zoo I've ever been to, and I've been to multiple different zoos in multiple states. Very clean, polite staff, landscaped perfectly for lots of shade! The animal exhibits are much larger than any I've ever seen ! Lots of happy animals !

I ll start by stating that we LOVE our zoo!! 5 stars all the way. We are members every year. however, we make sure to not visit during wild lights. This year we gave it another try, because our 2 year old has never seen them. First we waited over a hour to move .9 miles. Then we waited to do anything and everything inside. ( the last visit years back we waited over 2 hours to get to the zoo) Wall to wall is a understatement. If you are closterphobic wild lights May not be for you. We also waited 30 min to get out of the parking lot. Insane!!! Suggestion, have more hot chocolate stands throughout the zoo. Every line is so so crowded and everyone wants hot chocolate!! Our favorite zoo time is weekdays while
Kids are in school. A lot of times we have exhibits to ourselves. We cherish those times.

The zoo lights display was very beautiful and it made for a fantastic time with my friends. I highly recommend this experience. The zoo during the summer is wonderful too, there are far more animals out during the warm weather

My friends and I had an amazing time there. We loved feeding the giraffes and riding the Carousel. Although it was rather hot when we went and we wish there were more of the misters placed around the zoo we still had fun. We all agreed the best time to go is around fall because it is not to hot and not to cold. We also would advise wearing comfortable shoes because there is a lot of walking. With all of that said we most enjoyed feeding a petting the stingrays and will be going to back soon to do it again.

Another Springtime day spent with those I love at the best Zoo anywhere! Thx Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for such a great place!

Not a lot of people because of the heat but still a lot of the smaller shops were closed due to covid. Still one of the best zoos around. The new sea lion exhibit is currently only half open. There were workers still working on the underwater tunnel.

Experience was above average. Disappointed in that I could not find the animals in a number of exhibits. Some things were not open which should not happen for what it cost to get in. I am not from Ohio and drove 4 hours. I watch " Secrets of the Zoo" and I guess I expected more. I did enjoy the day though.

Very Pretty, the lights and the animals are fun, however most animals are out until 5:00 pm.

Always a good time.
I didn't really have alot of concern going to zoombeezi. We stayed away from people to avoid airborne germs and well there is alot of chlorine and other chemicals in that water so i wasn't afraid of that either

Great place kids had a blast can't wait to go in the summer when the water park is opened

We always have a blast at the zoo, no matter the season, there s always so much to see.

Awesome zoo and water park. Plenty of exhibits, food stands, places to rest and cool stuff for the whole family. One of my favorite zoos

Our last visit will most likely be our final.

It is always extremely packed. Adults like to stand in front of the glass for up to 10-20 minutes chatting and taking pictures not allowing children to see the animals.

Also there are always tons of animal exhibits closed. So on a normal day you walk a 1/2 mile see one animal pass, then 40 shops and 4 closed exhibits and finally come to an open exhibit. Rinse and repeat.

It's overpriced for what it is.

We probably go to the zoo once a week during the summer and monthly thereafter, of course coming at least twice for the light display around the holidays. The Polar Bear and Heart of Africa exhibits are the best in our opinion. Go early to see the bears when they are most playful (a good rule of thumb for most animals) and it's worth paying a few bucks to feed the giraffes! We also love to visit the kangaroos and gorillas when on the west side of the zoo. Non animal family favorites include the carousel and occasional Dinosaur Island ride. The Congo area offers some of the best places to find a shady area to eat a packed lunch and there is a food court there as well. Our second favorite if we are still there at dinner is the restaurant in the Heart of Africa, where fresh and healthier options are available.

Not very happy wasnt many animals alot of them was not there or even out

Drove up on a weekday in Sept. with my homeschooled kid. Surprised at how many animal exhibits and food/drink venues were closed. Military discount was appreciated. The cheetah run was our highlight.

The zoo is diverse in habitats and animals and puts their care, conservation, and guest education first. You can always expect a wonderful experience full of learning and observing. The zoo is constantly making updates and making sure guests have a hands on experience. There are volunteers ready to answer questions and share facts! Overall a great place to visit.

This zoo has always been a personal favorite of mine. The pros of this place is a wide variety of animals and the staff(if you can find one) are super nice and friendly and open to answer all questions you may have. Cons paying 5 dollars for a bottle of water but whatever that is why you bring your own. And the animals weren't super active. But again its the middle of July and like 95 degrees.

Friendly staff there to help keep you safe and in the know! Animals were keeping cool the best they could too. Great deals on their souvenir travel cups.

Great great great zoo. Tons of animals. The animals also seem happy and have lots of things to do. There is a little wall way were you can walk right up next to kangaroos. There is also an area were you can walk under this glass and see polar bears and fish. There was a polar bear that tried to eat some fish. My favorite animals were the polar bears, otters, the monkeys, the lions, and the elephants. Great place to spend some time.

One of my favorite zoos. It is clean with a neat layout and easy to walk around.
The animal areas are kept very clean with lots of viewing areas.
Covid precautions were taken by everyone including staff and patrons.
They have good food/snack options. Parking is easy to access and souvenir shops are well stocked. Very enjoyable.

We had a wonderful time at the zoo lights. We were very impressed over how many lights there actually were and the lights over the pond was gorgeous! Wonderful display and fun for the kids. Wish the hot chocolate wasn't so expensive though.

It's good to pack a lunch for the kids but I love this place, it's fun and clean. The desserts are delicious. The ppl are great. The animals are awesome. They adopt and train strays found in Columbus, how cool is that. My entire family loved it. Wear loose comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes for the hard cement.

Great place for the kids to interact with different kind of animals.

One of my favorite zoos. Great carousel for the kids and adults to ride. Lots of large exhibits where you can see the animals in their natural habitat.
If you get the chance, see Jack Hannah when he is on site. He is amazing.
Easy parking with Zoombezie Bay Water Park across the way.
Lots of food options as well as gift shops and places to sit and rest as you walk around this large zoo.
The lights at Christmas are cool as well. Bundle up or go on a warmer day, but enjoy them.

Enjoyed the entire park but definitely need a early start to see zoo and enjoy water park can't wait until next year

Despite the bad weather for about an hour, it was a great day at the zoo. the only thing that would have made it perfect is if we would have had character meet &greets. Bring back the characters!!

Still one of our favorite zoos! We can always spend an entire day here and never feel disappointed or bored. We usually only get to go once a year while on vacation, but there is usually something new each year.

Went for the Wildlights. Always fun with the family.

Awesome place only got through less than half of the zoo but will go back for rest.

A great family day! I wish it were closer to home bc I would buy season passes!

They are so much fun seeing,watching em get hands fed...

Very nice! Very clean and we'll set up. We felt very safe and the new part with the seals was really nice

We are fortunate to live so close! Columbus Zoo is our weekly playground all year round.

I love the Columbus Zoo. The sidewalks need fixed. I almost fell so many times. I use a rolling walker. Some places are not even. The staff is always friendly. The zoo is always clean. The animals are sooooo adorable.

Probably one of the best zoo's in the USA. Make sure its warm when you go if not most of the animals wont be outside

I got the Breakfast with the Animals as a birthday gift for my girlfriend - HIGHLY RECOMMEND! The VIP experience of being at the zoo before everyone arrived was intimate and special. Getting a one on one tour of the nocturnal exhibit in Australia was a very close second favorite of my mine next to the final stop on the tour, feeding Rosie the Rhino. The rest of the day was just as exciting as the beginning. A huge thanks to Jilll, Monica, Katrina and Debbie! A lot of memories were made during our first time at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium! We'll definitely be back!

Always a Great experience!! We Love this Zoo. The Cheetah run is our favorite

We came from San Antonio, TX to see the zoo and it was worth it. Great zoo! Awesome staff! I just wish my daughter could have seen Jack.

The Wild lights are great! The crowds not so much! Some people are very considerate, others are not nice people. You will run into all kinds here. Wear strong footwear so your toes are not crushed when they get run over by the stroller brigade! And watch out for the random wanderers who are not watching where they are going as they stare at their phone screen. It is less busy the colder it gets.

Was here for a corporate event and was able to feed Giraffes and see other animals up close. Great experience.

Great place to take kids, price not bad for what you get.

Very large zoo. The animals were out and playful. Great experience overall.

Grandkids fed giraffes. The kangaroo exhibit was fun!

I loved it it's a great place of fun hands on exbits and seeing and animals doing fun things

Had a great time!! This is an awesome place to go & spend time with your family!

Had a great time at the Columbus zoo if you're ever in Columbus Ohio I suggest everyone visit the Columbus zoo you'll have a great time too

The zoo is always a great experience. Columbus goes to great lengths to have the best zoo in the region, and never disappoints. We really enjoyed the lights this year.

We went on a Monday for half off residents day. It was great because there was hardly anyone there, so we got to spend a long time looking at each exhibit! It's a little pricey, but it's a very large zoo so it's worth it. Some of the exhibits are only open on weekends, though, so be aware of that if you go during the week.

Wow! An amazing zoo. Zoos do not usually do it for me. You ve been to one, you ve been to them all is what I usually say. That is not the case with The Columbus Zoo. Our family loved the aquarium and the manatee exhibit. We also really enjoyed the gorillas. One of the best parts of the zoo is the way that the animals are regarded as family. All over, they have pictures and memorials featuring the current and past animals in the zoo. It is a nice feature that makes it feel like the zoo truly believes in what they are doing. If you are in Columbus and looking for something to do, go to the zoo. It s worth it!

Very nice exhibits and the staff is wonderful too. It rained while we were there so I didn't get to feed the giraffes, but I will be going again as I want able to see everything in one day.

Great family place to visit with so many things to do!

It was great the weather was nice and animals was out had a great time

Fun place for the kids, for a date, or just to walk around on a lazy Sunday. Great exhibits, the animals are treated well, and the staff are helpful.

Great year-round spot! If you visit in the winter, go during Zoo Lights! They light the entire zoo with thousands of Christmas lights & decorate the entire facility. Beautiful light & music show on the main lake! It's also a great spot in the summer! They have weddings and events there that are fabulous and the animal ambassador program is phenomenal!

The Columbus Zoo is a great experience anytime of the year. Plenty to see and do although the off season period is a little more sparse. The animals are always interesting and staff very helpful. Keep in mind that the food prices are a little higher but at least when my family was there it was hot and tasty. I do recommend bringing your own drinks or at least bottles to fill at the various water stations. Season passes are the way to go to see and do everything the zoo offers!

Some animals are sleep specially the tiger and get ready to walk .

Amazing place to hangout with family and friends. Kids will love it.
Clean and safe environment for family outing.
Try to visit when weather is nice and not too hot. Food options are available at several places with in the zoo.
I love the way they have segregated this zoo in to different continents. Pretty well organized and volunteers will give you all the information that you might be looking for.
Must visit place if you are in Columbus for few
days or you live here.

Awesome zoo! Will go again. Employees are very friendly

One of the BEST Zoos Ive visited. My favorite was the Polar Bears. Didnt get to see Jack Hannah, but I'll be okay...heres a few shots I'd like to share!

Always a great experience as usual. The zoo is really doing its best to provide safe recreation but keep it mind the human factor (some people really don't care and can't follow even basic direction signs).

The place is hugh and beautiful, I would definitely come back

My experience at this location was absolutely magical. I was blessed and able to take in the beauty of the Wild Lights. I took pictures and videos of this and it was just gorgeous. I will make sure to visit this spot every winter to take in the all that is the Wild Lights of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. There were a lot of smiles on every face of every child. It's a place where you see love Blossom both young and old as elderly and young people Jeremy experiences a hold hands and see the beauty of this place. Going at night who made the difference.

I love this zoo!!! I like zoos period burythis is world class. I have purchased a membership. I would have to write a story to tell you how fantastic this zoo is. The Wild Lights at Christmas are superb!

Great experience! Cute animals, broad selection of animals to enjoy looking at, lot's to do and moderately priced food (like $10-20 for a meal? Not too bad but not cheap?) spread throughout the zoo. This has to be one of the best zoos in the US, I'm sure. Perfect place to bring kids due to lots of interactive bits scattered across the zoo including a neat petting zoo. Goats are extremely friendly. I highly recommend going on one of their canned food drives days for a nice discount, but going any other day works too! Parking is $10 unless you're a zoo member tho, so watch out for that!!! Also don't try to bring a cooler, but a small bag with snacks is fine. If you bring drinks, I recommend keeping it to a couple sealed bottles of water. Bring spending money for their amazingly cool gift shops.