Houston Zoo Reviews

The zoo has really made some significant improvements to the dining services. Was a cold day though, wish there was hot cocoa.

Good zoo, I plan on returning many times. I am particularly interested in seeing the new exhibit open. I thought it was starting to feel crowded but my girlfriend says it was empty compared to the usual crowds. Next time I might bring food instead of buying it there but the food we did get was decent.

The Negative

- Parking was an absolute pain.
- Not enough animals.
- Giraffe feeding was a very short window.

The Positive

- Zoo is very clean and organized.
- Cheetahs, Tiger, Lions, Chimps, Gorillas and Orangutan can be seen very closely.
- Excellent animal enclosures.

The zoo is awesome with the train ride outside in the park and the pond to feed the Ducks and right paddle boats. Playground for the kids to play on and a small water spout Park. The best in Houston

Had a great time. Just wished the carousel and fountains were on. I paid extra for my kids to go on the carousel and it wasn't working.

Great place to spend a whole day. The down fall is trying to find parking and they need more bathroom my daughter and I waited for 1/2 hr in line to use it.

Loved it so much that I became a member. My son especially loves the children's area.

We love this zoo so much! It's so big that it does take several hours to see most of it. It is stroller friendly and they allow you to bring in outside food/drink, which is helpful with young kids! They have plenty of shade and a variety of activities for kids to engage in as they experience the animals. The wildlife experts give talks at different times, and our kids loved feeding the giraffes and all of the indoor exhibits, too. If you have really young kids who can't handle being out in the Texas heat for too long, there are enough indoor exhibits to fill at least 1.5 hours of fun. The family membership is also really fairly priced and pays for itself quickly. There's also a petting zoo and a splash pad, and they are constantly renovating different enclosures--it's gorgeous!

Went to Zoo Lights with a few friends and had a blast! The Enchanted Forest was probably our favorite part. It's a great holiday tradition to start with the family.

Wanna really cool, lights were dope first time going 2019 !!

The zoo during spring break is probably NOT the best idea. From 288, it took nearly 2.5 hours to park and arrive at the main gate. But after what seemed likenendless weeks of rain, it was a beautiful day to be at the zoo. It is very easily navigable, the exhibits are well maintained, and the animals a joy to watch

Although it was super packed, I bought our tickets online so we were able to bypass the long lines to get in. My son really enjoyed the new gorilla exhibit! He LOVES gorillas!!!

We love our zoo... Membership is the only way to go!!

Love my zoo, they are always doing something to improve it and the animals there seem to have a happy life, definitely come early to get a good parking spot

It's a good zoo, plenty of dippin dots but no Popeyes
How are you supposed to get any protein in??? My friend Joe "updog" Henway was very annoyed

Saw the Zoo Lights show that's on during the holidays. Fantastic. Haven't seen such a spectacular display of lighting.

Disappointed in the experience
$25 per person..even for my 3 yr old! Plus there was no train or hot cocoa..something we look forward to each year

When I was in Houston we took my toddler and nine month old, and we were there all day and still didn't see everything. The Children's Zoo portion really is perfect for the kiddos, with a petting zoo, park, and other exhibits they can interact with. You're allowed to bring your own food and drinks, so you don't have to spend a fortune on lunch. Most of the zoo is stroller-friendly. Parking can be a hassle, so be prepared for a hike in and on the weekends the lot may be completely full.

We love going here. Always updating exhibits. And the zoo lights in the winter are so cool!

Our friends has an annual pass and can bring us in for free! This zoo did not disappoint me.

Very beautiful, was pleasantly surprised with the entire set up.

The animals seem well kept, and happy. Very nice and knowledgeable keepers. Parking is atrocious, and poorly ordered. Busy day and most zoo food closed.

Always fun and zoo lights were spectacular. Parking isn't great but there are shuttle buses that go to remote parking. It's another 6 bucks but worth it since there is no waiting on buses and you don't have to deal with traffic or finding the rare parking space. The zoo is getting a little expensive for large families though.

Some unique animals. Nice exhibits. Good quantity of same animal was nice . . .elephants and giraffes for example.

Awesome possum. If only they had a possum then perhaps the awesome would blossom. But alas the blossom of this possum will no longer cost them any cheese. What you may ask is the poem about? Well there can only one answer, and that is the say please.

Awsome since the remodel. Must see park. Food, beer and wine, best pario view around

It's was very family friendly and taught my brother a lot about really cool animals

A really awesome zoo. It has come a long way in recent years. Grew up coming here and it was outclassed by other zoo's back then, but not anymore. They are continually improving the exhibits with major projects and is a great zoo!

Love the place. The only thing I share is get there as early as possible. It can get really hot, but they have a lot of shade. And I suggest the ICEE, you can keep refilling it, to keep cool.

Loved the natural playground for kids. Animal exhibits were well laid out. This is a breeding zoo so you get to see animals of all ages. Very cool.

The Houston Zoo is a wonderful place to take the family.

They have done renovations recently which brought in some good food back near the giraffe feeding.

If you are wanting to do the giraffes feedings they are currently done at 11am and 2pm. The lines usually start forming an hour or so ahead so you need to plan accordingly. You will have the opportunity to get great photos of the little ones feeding the giraffes.

Experience was fine. Few exhibits were closed which was disappointing. Parking was horrible, but it's the first weekend of the year. Very clean and they continually update the exhibits

It's not San Diego, but it's a quite nice traditional zoo. If animals in large cages bug you, don't go. Some of the animals are in a more open habitat such as the chimpanzees nd orangitans. There is a bird habitat that is great. The reptile houses are OK. As usual for these types of places the food is overpriced. The bathrooms were clean when I was there.

Houston Zoo is a great place to see animals and have a great time. The Zoo Lights event is recommended as well, it's lots of fun to take the kids to for holiday themed animal lights

Pricey inconvience for bus transports to drop off and pickup. Have stay on bus most places are complementary. Privately owned now. Chaperones have to figure what to do next no info recommendation or person guide

Spacious and good viewing points for all the animals...

I loved this zoo! I am from the north, and the zoos up there are more spread out and see a lot from a distance. I loved that the Houston zoo you can get super close to the animals in the cages! There are a ton of different animals and the shade is really good for hot days.

Very nice and the staff friendly. Great place for the kids and family.

It's so bing and pretty, I loved it. The animals like the attention. Be ready to walk a lot.

More than half of zoo is zoned off. The inside exhibits where you go in an cool off are closed. I ended up leaving after 1 hour of being there.

Such a huge place! So many animals it took us the better part of to days to fully explore! Kids had a blast!

Very big zoo. Great for the price. Wish the shops would have been open though.

Plants should also have lables for plant enthusiast.

This is the place to go when you have a full day to spend. I recommend going early because there is a lot to see and do. The layout of the park is very expansive and it is almost similar to a race track. You can start at one end and walk all the around and end up where you began. The animals are all healthy and they seem to be well cared for. In addition, there are plenty of concession stands that offer various food and drink choices including beer, wine and cocktails. There is a splash pad and a peering zoo for the little ones which I feel is a perk.

I took my 5 month old daughter for my birthday. We had a blast. From her reaction to the colorful fish displays, i could tell it was her favorite.
I know she enjoyed herself because she stayed awoke the entire time looking at all the animals.

MOST HORRIBLE TRIP IVE EVER HAD RECENTLY. HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED. OVER HALF OF THE CONCESSIONS WERE CLOSED. TRASH ON THE GROUND. NOT THE SAME SINCE IT WAS SOLD.

If are you looking a place for spend time with your family this is the place.

Fantastic place! Only sad I didn't get to see the gorillas as they are at the very end of the zoo, and it closed before I got to them. Beautiful animals, they live in very large enclosures and seem happy.

It was amazing to see some animals a bit closer than other times. However a few of the big animals such as the lions were asleep. We couldn't even see where the cougar was.

Nice zoo. Every time I visit they have something new to explore.

The African Forest expansions have made this a very enjoyable zoo. Parking is a real beast though so bring your patience.

Just moved to Houston, and absolutely loved the zoo!
I went on a day where is was nice and chilly and all the animals where out. My son loved it I have been to the zoo in my hometown and I must admit that the Houston zoo is top favorite.

the kids had a great time . can't wait to see the new additions.

My 3 year old loves it here. Best part is the elephants. Houston Zoo is doing an amazing job with the safety and health during this outbreak.

Zoo Lights has become a tradition for us. Lots of fun!

We used to come about once a year and always had such an amazing time that our family of five became zoo members. What a great investment. We've been at least six times now in this past year. Rather than getting old, it gets better each time. We don't feel like we have to see the whole place in a few hours, and will now take our time getting to know the animals and enjoying the experience. So many interactive activities for the kids! Best advice: Go early to avoid hunting for parking, avoid the crowds, and avoid the hot sun. In the words of my six-year-old, my favorite exhibit is all of it!

Awesome place to visit. They have made some updates to provide shading areas. The only complaint I had was that there was a limited number of family friendly bathrooms.

Zoo lights just keeps getting bigger. The weather is great during the holiday season, I'd highly recommend heading there during ZooLights in 2019.

Really fun but I missed more entertainment involving animals.

I'm never disappointed when we visit. Always clean and the park staff are very helpful and friendly. They always seem to be evolving their displays and animal environments. The parking is frustrating at times but it's the only bad part.

Trying to find parking was awful but after a few times driving around,the officers started handing out an address for parking that was $7 and a free shuttle. The shuttle experience was great. The food and lights were nice. The bathrooms were clean!

Loved going for the zoo lights. Just pure fun with other people from the start to the end. Really nice event to experience.

Beautiful zoo with lots of plants and various animals. It's a great place for family fun

Overall facilities were excellent. The animal habitats have been vastly improved over the years. The zoo staff and services were very friendly and professional.

It is really sad seeing all the animals locked up but they are there for a reason. They are most likely injured or not able to go to the wild for whatever reason. It is important to educate people so that they don't all start poaching.

Great place to bring your kids, if you can find parking.

Animals are never out where you can see them. They're usually in their enclosure sleeping. You never get to see them outside playing. The enclosures also seem way too small.

Parking was terrible. Signs for additional parking and a free shuttle turned out to be false. Thankful for a kind hearted shuttle person from Ben Taub hospital that allowed us to ride so we could then hike a half mile to the zoo. It was a bit frustrsting

Was crowded but not too much. Lots of fun. Wish the octopus had a bigger tank.

Today May 21 2019
It was a it was a beautiful day today the the parks were full. MD Anderson was very quiet today. We also got to enjoy yourself at the Houston Zoo. We were just very blessed to be able to arrive in Houston safely and to enjoy the best that we could are Easter missing our family and also praying for good results tomorrow Jesus name amen

I love the fact that you can bring your own cooler, drinks and food. There are benches everywhere and shade. Love it and only been here once!

Great outdoor place for kids to run and play. lots to do.

I love this zoo!! I can easily spend hours here and still have so much more to see. They are always hosting keeper chats and after-hours events so keep an eye out! It is a must-see in Houston.

We love going to the zoo. And it's always so much fun on a crisp cool day! It seemed like all of the animals we re out for my 10 year old and my 4 year old nephew. We had a wagon and it's always a stress for me thinking about pulling it through the crowds - even thinking about my husband trying to navigate. But it seemed easier this time. The walk ways are wide and the front of observation areas is spacious. People were curious and we felt like we were able to see everything we hoped to see. Don't skip the indoor exhibits - the bugs were a family favorite! And the new Texas wetlands exhibit was SO cool. So many things to see and it's beautiful!

I've been twice within the past four months and I'm not impressed. The elephant selection is a nice new view but the animals aren't active and they're hardly out. That's entirely to much money spent. Of course my favorite is always the seal shows. Volunteers and Rangers are very helpful.

One of the best zoo's in the US. Clean, well taken care of, friendly staff and healthy animals.

Sadly the reptile house was closed as well as a lot of other areas due to coronavirus, but it was very fun.

So much fun!! We have an annual membership, but don't get to go as often as we'd like. You can bring your own food and drinks into the zoo. No glass containers. They also sell beer there.