Houston Zoo Reviews

Had my nephews birthday party here. Despite the rain we still had a great time!

Great place too take kids and a joy the day looking at the animals love the even when it comes feast with the beast.

The lights were very impressive but given that it took place at a zoo, I expected to see some animals. We walked their entire display and did not see a single one. Also, parking was absolutely horrendous. We sat for over thirty minutes and moved 1/4 mile. In my opinion, this was very overrated and would have rather spent my money elsewhere.

I think it s small if I compare with others zoo in the country, but there are beautiful animals in excelent conditions. My daughter love it.

Great zoo but they have really outpriced themselves from the general public except for the once in a.while visit

We always go early. Parking can be a nightmare. We love the zoo. It's not huge, can be done in 2 ish hours if you move swiftly.

It's a nice zoo. But usually if you speak to any of the people who work there, they try to use liberal propaganda, which I don't care for. They should keep their OPINION. To themselves. It's a zoo not a political platform.

The Zoo is a fantastic place with new habitat for animals. It is a good place for a family visit.

We went for a company Christmas party. We had a beautiful time. My family and I walked the zoo and enjoyed the many scenes they had set up of lights. Understandably, there were no animals out. It's was about 48 degrees and dark. The lights and music will certainly get you into the spirit of Christmas. Even if you don't believe in Christmas, the lights are pretty awesome on there own. Either way, it is sure to be great family time, and that's what's important.

I visited the zoo with children under 10yo on a 90+ degree day and we stayed much longer than planned because nobody felt too hot. There are huge trees providing shade over most paths, plus fans and mist sprayers spread throughout the zoo. Medium and large exhibits allowed viewing from many vantage points which made them feel 3-dimensional and ensured viewing of every animal. The zoo includes a petting zoo, shaded playground, carousel, and splash pad with changing rooms. Outside food is allowed and many people bring coolers.

Really a great time throughout all exhibits. Friendly staff and plenty of knowledge shared freely.

So many animals to look at. Animals look happy and healthy. Love that theyve updated so much more. During the summer they have great cool spots and splash pad for kids to play in!! Clean cafes to get snacks and food and cool off. Enough carts for quick bites, ice cream, sodas, water and even alcoholic beverages for the grown ups!! I love that they have a lot of events during the year to continue to enjoy this wonderful zoo!

This Christmas Lights and the atmosphere was amazing and beautiful. My girlfriend and I had a blast!!!

We did a quick tour of the zoo. Impressive collection of animals. We especially like flemingoes and the loud monkeys. Also saw lions, tigers and cheetahs, but they were sleeping.

Houston zoo lights are really good and recommend it to any couple going or friend group

Good size zoo, more enjoyable late winter, spring and fall. Obviously, Houston temps from July - September can make the experience less pleasant with the heat. Ample free parking. Zoo lights during the holiday is a great family experience.

Love it, just the price for everything else is too high.

We Love the Housto ZOO. They lots of animals. The restaurants a nice and the food tasted great. Perfect place to spend a family day

The Houston Zoo is a great place to spend a day. The exhibits are remarkable. The staff that I met truly care about the animals they work with.

Absolutely love the zoo and everything about it. It's a wonderful place that advocates for animals in the wild all over the world.

Really a nice zoo. Went there with my toddler , he enjoyed his time there. Must visit for kids if you are in the area.

We had fun. A lot of construction. They should offer a discount on what we missed.

Very nice zoo! Animals are taken care of and they have clean living areas. Lots of people and kids. Food at the cafe was delicious! I almost want to buy a membership just so I can go to the cafe for lunch.

Loving the zoo. The front admonitions needs more work very kind people however extreamly slow. I could only imagine if I were elderly or handicapped in the tx heat. Good time friendly staff.

I went to the Houston Zoo, and I fell in love, I loved it, because it s a natural place when you can enjoy, but to be honest the truth is that they need more animals and more variety, but I also had a lot of fun. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to follow like the map and you may stop seeing many animals, so you can miss some animals and then have to go back or check the map several times, because it can be a bit confusing to follow the direction of the map. I liked it a lot, you can have a good day with family and children. Even if there were more exotic or dangerous animals, it would be even more fun hahaha

We love comi g to the zoo. Its always so stress free, after the parking wars of coarse. But, just looking at all the animals and and enjoying lunch the kids love it.

I love coming here!! It's always clean and the staff is friendly, everything is expensive of course but they allow you to bring outside food which is great!! The animals are so beautiful and look like they are very well taken care of. Definitely a must in Houston!!

Happy to see it fully open but trying to leave was a problem and when I was trying to ask the employees how to exit the zoo they were being rude about it.

We went to the zoo yesterday and here is my review. First off, I had 6 children with me, so this trip was definetly about the kids. The zoo was not overly crowded and getting thru the entrance was easy and not crowded at all. They are requiring a mask to get in for adults. They are Not giving out maps and state that there is a marked one way path thru the park.....I did not have any luck finding or following this path. While my kids and I had a good time, I noticed many of the kids friendly spots were closed, all of the little photo ops with the elephant ears, alligators, teepee huts, little kid butterfly park area, all closed. While the kids still had a good time, it was disappointing to not have access to many of the things that make this zoo so much more fun for the smaller kids. So, we did have a good time, but a little disappointing for so many of the kids friendly things and up close viewing areas that were closed. We'll be back but definitely not until they reopen everything, for the price paid with no coupons or discounts, it was disappointing not to have access to all the little things that make this zoo so fun for everyone.

Great zoo. Lots to see and we'll kept. I renew my membership every year. Zoo lights are great during the holidays.

I went for the first time and am officially hooked. This zoo is absolutely gorgeous. The animal enclosures are so well done, creating large and comfortable environments for them. Every staff member I encountered was helpful and in a great mood, which made the experience even more enjoyable. I can't wait to visit again!

Its nice we came on a field trip with my daughter school.

It was a fun experience, although little saddening to see how little space some of the animals had like the jaguar, the tiger, etc

Excellent zoo. Includes a small aquarium and a reptile area. There are many food carts and at least one restaurant with decent wifi

Beautiful place to come back over and over if you like animals ! knowing that this zoo protects , investigates to improve animals environment and promote animal safety makes me want to support the people that work there . A must see in Houston for all ages

Lovely time with the Mrs. and the Hot Chocolate w/ Baily's Irish Cream & topped off with Peppermint Schnapps was a hit on such a chilly night.

Great zoo! Set up well, we have been able to attend twice while passing through the area and have really enjoyed ourselves.

Love the ZOO a good environment for family and friends

I am giving the zoo only 3 stars because the parking is absolutely dreadful. If you arrive a few minutes before the zoo opens it isn't as horrible but the lots fill up quick. The exhibits in the zoo were nice. I was going into the zoo with low expectations due to being from Nebraska home of one of the worlds top rated zoos but I wasnt disappointed. Was it comparable to the Henry Doorly zoo and aquarium? No, but it was still a pleasant visit. The best exhibits in my opinion were the reptiles, elephants, and giraffes.

Excellent. Free parking. Courteous staff. Awesome animal exhibits. Shaded areas and some exhibit areas with A/C.

Great place and we got free hot chocolate and a zoo cup. Kids enjoy and they make it better every year.

Great Christmas family treat. Go early, parking is extremely busy

Went to the Houston Zoo for their Zoo Lights event they have during the holiday season. Although the person at the ticket kiosk informed us that 25% of their lights didn't work it was still worth going in. Definitely recommend checking it out if you get a chance.

beautiful garden surrounding the zoo, you can rend journey in train or boat

Very clean an organized! Loved every aspect of this zoo. Very interactive for children of all ages

One of the better zoos in the country. Easy layout, not too crowded, all kinds of animals. Reasonable ticket prices too.

If it's not the best zoo in Texas, it's the second best. Definitely a place I recommend to most families visiting Houston. The only issue is the mess of parking outside, but there are options for parking further away or in the Medical Center (Check the hours on the second, closer entrance there). Worst case scenario, you have to walk through the excellent parks around the area.

Love going to the Houston zoo. There are parts currently under construction, but it's still a great place to take the family.

I've seen over 50 zoos in the United States and this one has the healthiest of all animals I've ever seen very well staffed very well put together and definitely a must do by the way get the city pass and do it all what A-blast

NOT FOR CHILDREN! None of the cages are visible for babies??? I have to hold my son the entire time for him to be able to see anything because there s 2-3 ft of bushes in front of each cage. It s extremely confusing zoo and ALL THE FOOD STANDS WERE SHUT! There were cafes but none of the drink stands were open on a 100degree day in May! The animals looked decently healthy but a lot of them, especially the bald eagle, looked EXTREMELY stressed he kept running into the fence trying to escape. Zoo staff was great and the food was really overpriced but good. I ve been around the country to zoos and this isn t one I ll visit again :/ pretty disappointed...

We love visiting the Houston Zoo! Our most recent visit was with a school field trip. The kids had a good time exploring and seeing the animals. The zoo keepers are knowledgable and friendly and happy to answer questions about the animals. The zoo has lots of trees that create a wonderful canopy that provides lots of shade from the hot Houston sun. There is construction right now for the Texas Swamplands exhibit, so we had to navigate around since our normal walking routes were closed, but we had a great time.

My first time as my daughter's school chaperone and I must say, the zoo NEVER fails at being amazingly beautiful. A few of the animals seemed severely stressed but how could they not be, being away from their natural habitats?! Great day and all of the kiddos are surely satisfied and super sleepy.

Great place for kids. Show up early, there is always a line

Everything is being remodeled. Well, at least the animals I were interested in. Mostly under construction. We only saw the birds, bugs, fish, and some elephants.

Very nice. Nice decor throughout. Lots of different kinds of animals whi seem to have clean and healthy space.

My son loves the variety of animals and riding on the merry-go-round and the petting area. The Christmas lights are a good place for date night after dinner!

I loved seeing all the animals and the food was food my fiance got me a stuffed elphant from the gift shop two

Would be better if the animals weren't always asleep. Lay out is good and atmosphere is relaxing. Food prices are a bit high.

Went to the zoo lights and it was nice but wasn't worth the price.

Every time me and family came here we learn something new kids have fun here and prices aren't to bad as well.

It's fun it has a schedule of the times of the shows and stuff

We had a great time! One or two of the animals looked really sad but everything else was nice, clean and educational.

Even when busy it is always great to visit since it's a huge place. But today was a great visit even if it rained. We were able to take a lunch break under cover while it rained.

Other than the large crowds on weekends, this zoo is great! My daughter loves going and actually seeing the animals since they are always out and close enough to see. Some zoo's seem to always be ghost towns, where all the animals are hidden away by to many structures or the fence is to far for a good view. The food and beverage's are priced sky high, but that is to be expected at any amusement park. The new gorilla exhibit is really nice. Plenty of things to see and do for all ages.

We really enjoy going to the Houston zoo. It's always so peaceful and relaxing.

My kids love the zoo.....and they always learn something new when they come

We took my sister (from out of state) and she recalls the Houston Zoo having the nicest employees ever. We love all the exhibits, there are so many animals- it is hard to even see all of them in one day with little ones. We loved that you can bring your own water and food as well, made it easy for us to take a lunch break at some shaded tables. Keep up the great work and customer service!

The Houston Zoo , is a nice place for a full day , they have some activities with animals and explanations. The animals looks very healthy. It is big Zoo, be ready to walk a lot.

Great place not just for the kids I enjoyed myself also.

Great as always, I love the splash pad for the kids in the summer, the animals are beautiful and look happy and healthy!

Great place to take the family, kids, adults, seniors, to see and learn about the animals. Friendly staff, the giraffe feeding is a must and if you forget a packed lunch they have good American food. Parking is free but pack your patience as it does get crowded. The children's area is fun especially in summer months when they have the splash area open (take extra clothes, sunscreen and a towel!). You can be there all day and still not see everything!

We loved our visit. The staff was very informative and friendly during their Meet the keepers sessions. (Be sure to check the timings of the sessions on the paper maps to get the most out of your visit) They will take all the time to answer your questions and do not make you feel rush.

Have loved this zoo since I was a kid. Now get to experience this with my grandchildren.

Its a great place. We thoroughly enjoyed here. All the exhibits are clean and well maintained. Animals are under good care. The staff is very helpful and patient. But plan your day well. Stay hydrated as the temperatures are a bit higher we feel exhausted. Giraffes and elephants are my favourite. Gorillas & chimpanzees are very active. Zoo management is taking good safety measures for covid 19 as well. See the lion is sleeping. Aww how cute it is.

Houston zoo lights is an absolute complete waste of time. If I wanted to see Christmas lights I would ve drove to memorial city mall. I expected to see some of the animals at night time, instead I got conned into looking at Christmas lights shaped like animals. I would ve had a better time watching the discovery channel.

My son has a blast here! We have a membership and it's well worth it. The splash pad is always a hit.

Fun place to go. Exhibits have gotten a lot better since the last time I was there years ago.

The zoo has always been a favorite place. We love the Blue Throated Macaws and the St. Vincent Amazons.

Great experience to see and learn about small birds to large elephants. Good accommodations for families with small children. Go when they first open in morning.

It has lots and lots of animal's. My favorite animal is a cheetah.i heard it now has a water park in it.I can't wait to go again!!!

Fun adventure for kids and adults alike. Good theming to make you feel like you're taking an afternoon vacation

It's a fantastic place, we visit the zoo in 5 hours, I recommend go In spring because summer it's been very tired.

Nice layout and very clean. Friendly staff and great educational opportunities. When we went the animals were very active. Around 11 am. Easy to see displays. Loved it!

My favorite is the reptile building and the red panda! Summer is super hot to walk around but a lot to see.

Love our zoo! No complaints from me. Love that they give veteran discounts! Hoping to get a membership this year

I love everything about the zoo. The only thing I hate is the parking. You have to okay musical chairs to find parking, even in the furthest parking!!! But it's worth going once in a while. My daughter loved it

The animals were out, happy, and active! The zoo is always clean and well kept. The volunteers walk around and give excellent insight on the animals that are at the zoo.