This zoo is one of the best zoos I've been to as far as information, friendly staff, and great exhibits. They also have water bottle refill stations all around the zoo.
Get there early to see feedings and meeting animals in person. Please respect the Zoos rules too. Flash photography can be harmful to some of the animals.
All the staff was very friendly. I love how you can bring your own ice chest along with food and drinks. My kids loved it will definitely be back soon.
The lights are very nice, especially the ones in the center after you first walk in on all the live oaks! The price is pretty steep in my opinion. 24.95 on Saturday Nov 23. I remember when the zoo was free... times change.. definately worth going if you have never been. The prices vary depending which day you go so look online to buy tickets. They are also a little cheaper online.
I would've given 5 stars had it not been for the rudest encounter I've ever had at the ticket counter. As soon as we walked up to the counter, the girl, the name tag was Sarah I believe, she had short brown hair with red highlights and looked to be in her early twenties, gave us the ugliest look and didn't even greet us. Now, we haven't been to the zoo in a while, and back when we did we got free tickets by using A Bank of America card when it was the first weekend of the month. So obviously we tried doing that, and she aggressively tells us that we can't. This wouldn't have been an issue, had she given us an explanation. Any ounce of politness this woman had, if she had any in the first plave, flew out the window as she tolls her eyes and starts cursing under her breath. At this point we didnt even want to go in anymore, but we pay the money, still without an explanation as to why we couldnt get the free tickets. She glares at us as we walk away and continues to mumble. The lighting show was great, my family and I had a great time, its just a shame it started off like this.
Went to see the dinosaur attraction that they have at the end of may. It was a little pricey-er to be able walk through a small trail with animatronic dinos. I thought it was detailed very well with facts posted next to them.
The animals were very active and the staff was awesome.
Zoo lights was amazing!! The lights were beautiful, the crowds we're not very packed, and the staff was very helpful with taking pictures for you. Santa even showed up!!
Parking was not good. Areas blocked off. Spent at least an hour looking
Nice option for a day out in good weather. It obviously does not stack up against San Diego or Bronx. The ongoing renovations look promising.
Fun family outing with my toddler and cousins aged 6 to 12. Plenty to see without being overwhelming, and so many outdoor activities incorporated into the exhibits! I could see going back time and time again.
I love all the different animals! They have several photo opportunities. Lots of walking room. You could easily spend the day there plenty to see. They also have a Trading post bring in cool things to share and show off. Check the website for more ideals
Its great, just got confused with the map. If they could add maps in more places to show tourists like us where we are and how we could get to different places.
A great place to spend the day, in Houston! A lot of awesome animals!!! The kids really enjoyed it and I did too!!!
My family had a blast was a little disappointed that they didn't have the reptiles open but other then that we had a blast
Need more improvement with people that work their not much help if you need to know where everything is located please take map which is the more of a help you will get at this place
Great zoo that I lived near for years and didn't know it was there. A lot of the walkways are shaded which is great.
A great place to spend a whole day. The zoo lights in December are a must-see!
Loved it took my kids very nice and clean restrooms were very clean
They do keeper talks about every hour, and you can see the animals more active. A lot of fun. Sea lions at 1:30 usually.
Great zoo!!! Fairly shaded so not too bad even in the heat. There are also several indoor exhibits so opportunity to cool off there or in the splash pad.
If you can, pencil in a few minutes to feed the giraffes (only 2 times available per day when we went). It's less than $10, but the experience of being that close and having them eating out of your hands is priceless. The staff let's you take plenty of pictures while you're there.
Great place with hygiene and housekeeping practices. This is a All Day visit. Plan it accordingly
My kids love the variety of animals and large exhibits. The train ride outside the zoo is a lot of fun. Parking can be difficult just be ready for a little walk to get there.
This zoo was great! I've been to various zoos in Texas, and there were some animals I hadn't seen before here. You definitely need plenty of time and energy to explore. They have several cafes on location for you to eat if you get hungry. The grounds are beautifully landscaped. The park outside the zoo is very nice as well. They also have events at the zoo sometimes, so check their website. It was a very busy Saturday when we visited, but it was still a nice time.
Houston Zoo is boring and expensive. I'm from another state and our zoo makes the zoo here look like trash. The animals look so sad. I won't be going back for awhile. I can't wait to take my kids to the zoo back home like the flamingos and only held back by a chain. Every animal is well protected but the exhibits are well set up. So, the animals dont mind being showcased.
Great zoo. So much to see and the exhibits are gorgeous. They have keeper chats throughout the day and they are very informative and interesting. Food is of course overpriced but that is to be expected. I love this zoo so much
Excellent outlet for children and adults, you will see a variety of animals. You can walk four hours in this place
Great place for family fun and a great way to learn about plants and animals. Great Children's Zoo as well.
Tons of options. Tons of things to do. We didn't pay for any of the extra exhibits on this trip and still estimate we saw less than a third of the animals. Several trips minimum before the kids could even think of being bored. And for a bit of an interesting lunch we actually left the zoo and picnicked in Hermann Park, where the squirrels are so friendly and so tame that my wife and daughters got to feed them from their fingers.
Has a great kids area with shade and a petting zoo. Great place to have lunch if you visit the zoo
The Zoo always makes for a good time. Buy a membership, it'll pay for itself on the third visit. Important things to keep in mind: Parking is difficult, you can bring in coolers and food, the zoo has a list of banned items, if it's a nice day there will be lines. If you keep these things in mind you can have a great time.
We love coming here the staff is very friendly and the exhibits and animals are always great. We try to come every time we visit Houston. One of the best things is that you can bring your own water bottle and they have fill stations to refill the bottle for free. The best thing about viewing animals is you never know how they might act or if you will get lucky and get some good views.
Go see the orangutan he loves the kids and interacts with them through the window.
This is a family friendly place, really nice environment. There is a lot going on here check out the website on Google. A good place to spend time with your friends and family
Got all the animals. The petting zoo is great. Parking is a bit hassle but not soo bad.
Fun I have been there before and this was just a thrill.
Everything was easily accessible. Staff was cordial. There should have been a little more signs and better landmarks to coordinate between actual location and map points
This place caters to all. The handlers are very nice and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend it. It has a cool down port where anyone can stand in the water. Heavenly!
We enjoyed seeing the animals and shopping in the gift shop
Don't believe the zoo visit is worth $20. All the animals sleeping didn't help the experience much either. Would only consider going back for special events
Zoo Lights are a wonderful, wonderful way to bring in the Christmas Season. Even better - catching the Lights on a chilly Houston evening.
I love the zoo. It so clean and we'll kept. It is very big and has lots of animals. You can take coolers and backpacks which I suggest you do if you go in the summer/spring because it is very hot and the water they sell is kinda expensive. And take comfortable walking shoes. I didn't get to see all the animals because the people I went with didn't take comfortable shoes so we left because their feet hurt. The animals are beautiful.
The exhibits are really nice and the animals are well cared for.
Monkeys are cute, go see them instead of other animals, so go see the monkeys. P.S bf says to see the bugs, but I disagree they are scary
It a good place to let people come and visit the animals and habitat, reptiles,... and more.
We had an amazing time at the zoo! The Houston weather was super hot but because there are so many trees at the zoo it wasn't too noticeable. We took in our own cooler and lunch so I'm not sure on the pricing of the food there. I did notice that all the cafe shops close really early which would be my only complaint. They had the dinosaur exhibit which was pretty awesome, the kids and I enjoyed it so much. We got the value pass for all of us which is pretty affordable, we were able to see the dinosaur exhibit and ride the carousel. Overall great place to pass the day.
Having visited this zoo many times over the last 50 years and having visited many other zoos I can say this is one of the best. Medium-sized and we'll laid out, with beautiful lush landscaping. It continues to make constant improvements for both residents and visitors comfort and enjoyment.
Nice little visit, they have good precautions in place. Would take the family again soon when the weather is cooler. Overall a nice experience. Animals seem to be well kept.
Suprisingly an awesome place to bring the kids. This zoo is impressive with how it is ran and kept very clean.
I wasnt gonna go due to the hot weather, but this zoo is prepared for hot days, lots of trees that give shadow. Places to cool down. Nice area for kids to play and to enjoy having contact with animals. And it's beautiful. I wouldn't doubt about going there.
Great place to see animals and enjoy some time with the kids!
A great trip for the family, and just a great place in general
Great zoo! The zoo is really big so it never feels crowded to me. My kids (4,2,1) love coming here! Zoo lights is amazing too! Be sure to purchase your tickets online to avoid the lines. Looking forward to returning next year for zoo lights!
Well planned and maintained zoo. Wildlife is kept well. Would have given 5 stars if the reptile zone and other places were kept opened, I can understand it is difficult at these times. Tickets could have been discounted or atleast visitors were informed about the change online so we would know what we can expect.
I wish they would expand this Zoo,, nvr too much room for Animals.
This is a great place to visit with your family. I live about 2 hours away and tend to travel to Houston on business but when my family is with me we always enjoy visiting our old friends the elephants. The animals are great! As for parking I would get there before they open up at 9am or plan to wait on a parking lot row for someone to leave. If you just have to get there later watch for people leaving. I always have luck with people walking streight to their cars and leaving. Overall it is a pleasant place to visit. There is also a free park and pond to the right of the zoo entrance that has paddle boats and wildlife that will eat out of your hand. Bring a loaf of bread for the ducks, squirrels and turtles. Have fun and enjoy your time there.
Amazing experience, may get too hot in the summer. Kids love it
I was very disappointed, but it wasnt their fault really, they had a heat advisory, it was 110 degrees ...their electric shut down, so they was closing the park we was their only 10 minutes, and paid for the unlimited carousel, zoo admission, and the dinosaur attractions, we came from midland to visit their town and zoo and was very disappointed. The animals was all inside trying to stay cool and I dont blame them...lol...well, I guess I'll try going in march or maybe October?? That should still be cool enough??
My family loves the Houston Zoo, so much to see and has plenty of shaded areas too.
I found my way to the zoo as a respite from MD Anderson Cancer Center where I was keeping a friend company during treatments. It is very accessible and beautifully landscape. Signage is average. A lovely collection, especially strong in primates. It is a serious collection but housed on a walkable site, so you can see almost everything in about 2 hours. Nice eateries and gift shop. The covered walkways would be helpful in rain or heat. A minor jewel of Houston
First off, the Zoo is HUGE. There are only TWO Giraffe feeding times, so make sure to check when they are. For us, it was deeply disappointing. It is $7 a person, which is very overpriced, especially since they give you only 3 pieces of lettuce. Then, when it's your turn to feed them, there is 3 other workers up there that hurry you up, and take their on pictures of you to try to sell you WAY overpriced pictures. For having spent $14 to feed them, we were in front of the Giraffes hardly 1 minute, no exageration. Other than that, it was okay.
One is the greatest attractions downtown. It's a must see
Love going to the zoo always something new and always improving! One of the highlights in Houston!
Good prices. Nice displays. Can rent strollers or wagons for the kids. It was hot when we went. Still super fun.
Parking is always chaotic and zoo itself is so-so. Also very expensive! Not worthy of a top city like Houston.
One of my favorite places to go!! There is plenty to see but make sure you get there before noon because all the animals will be sleep. It s a very popular place and depending on the day you may have quite a walk. Last time I went their lots were full so I went and grabbed lunch and Ubered from there.
Best visit ever this weekend.
I guess social distancing is making the animals less shy.
Houston Zoo is gorgeous! Lovely place to spend a day with the family. Make sure to get there early or finding parking is almost imposible.
Highly recommended.
Wonderful amazing place.
The animals are so well cared for.
If you can do a behind the scenes tour do it you will not regret it
I have been to Dan Diego zoo, which is a lot better
Had a blast when my wife and I went there the place is very well maintained he animals are fun and exiting to see. They share alot of knowledge from the Good people who take care of the land and the animals my favorite one was the elephant family and the tigers I think they are amazing. Will go back soon during the year.
Nice place--big enough to have all the favorites, but not too big to explore fully. Only complaint is that the gift shop doesn't have bags (except reusable ones for a few bucks). I understand wanting to go green, but who brings their own bag to a zoo?
Arrive in the morning so the family can see all the shows and or q&a sessions. 10:30 to 11:30 for a majority of them. I would suggest to bring a wagon and cooler with all your own drinks and food unless you have a rather large chunk of money in your pocket to purchase those items at the the vendors!
My boyfriend and I are both 21+ and we had a blast at the Houston Zoo! So many animals to explore and the Zoo is huuuge, so make sure you got them good walking shoes on
An excellent day for exercise and outdoor activity The zoo is always changing new plants blooming and growing animals too! The staff is great and it's something you should do more than once a year
First time here as a family. It's a really great zoo, huge park with alot to see. Can also bring your own food which is great! We will return in the fall when it cools down.
We love the Houston zoo, we are members and it is a great deal. We love the reptiles, fish and the new African exhibit. Also, you have to watch the elephants play in the water and hay.
It was a fun experience. Was sad that all the animals were locked up in cages with sad faces. Except for the elephants they seem awfully happy.
Performed work for the zoo during the night, so it was really cool to see all the different animals. Great place to take the kids.
Zoo Lights is always fun family outing. New path which was a nice change. The chimp exhibit was a little overwhelming, but definitely gave you the feeling of being in a snow globe! Parking and traffic were a challenge. Definitely suggest trying out the available shuttle.
Love the animals, great for the whole family and so excited to see them expanding enclosures.
houstonzoo.org