Houston Zoo Reviews

At when it isn't hot, but at least they do have a splash pad during the warmer months

A jungle in the middle of big city! New animals I've never seen before. Great experience.

An interesting zoo to visit with children. It's one of the places included in the city pass.

Great experience, plenty of animals active and nice layout.

It is ok. Many exhibit areas still under construction when we visited Jan 2020. Price has gotten up there but at least parking if free if you can find a parking spot. We parked a bit far after driving around the nearby lot without luck. We were also able to bring in drinks/food so that's cool.

We make a day at the zoo several times a year. All of the exhibits are well done. We love the gorilla exhibit. The splash pad is fun for the Littles, although the changing rooms make me cringe for the smell. We love the carousel as well.

Always will be a childhood "Throwback" Great to go to before it gets SCORTCHING HOT,otherwise you will be drained just by walking

Everything was great, even with alot of areas shut down. We spent almost 3 hours there plenty entertained! They are doing by reservation only though so make sure you ate aware and buy tickets via their website before going!

I was really expecting g for this zoo to have more exhibits. What they have is well kept and a great place to take the kids.

Always a great place to relax and visit with the animals.

I absolutely LOVE our Zoo here.
There is a wide collection of animals and they all have large, modern, clean habitats. The staff makes a clear effort to make sure the animals have proper enrichment.
Definitely visit the Red Pandas!
The Houston Zoo is not by definition an aquarium, but they also have a decent amount of aquatic life, fresh and salt water.
This is easily one of the best zoos in the United states.

Had a great day. The weather was overcast and so not as many people but the rain held off and it seems like the animals were happier about that too. Lots of interaction from them today. We did the giraffe feeding. Hours are 10-2 and costs $7 for 3 pieces of lettuce. Just enough time to take some quick pictures.

Love going to the zoo, but parking is horrible!! Sometimes I have waited an hour to get a parking space and sometimes it's so crowded, I just leave and take my kids elsewhere because they get tired of waiting in the car. You guys need more parking spaces. The renovations in the zoo are nice, but more adequate parking is a NEED. Another ideal would be to have separate zoos, like one for the woodlands (like North Houston Zoo or The woodlands Zoo, one for Galveston or Katy, and or one for sugar land or Pearland area. This would disperse some of the traffic coming to the downtown area zoo. In California, they have the LA zoo, the Santa Ana zoo (which is in the OC), and San Diego zoo. Yes, these are different cities, but Houston is so large, it really needs to have more than just one zoo for the entire population or at least more parking. It's a nightmare to come to enjoy if I have to wait for so long just to get in. Might be something to consider and it might be why you guys did not make the top ten list for the best zoo.

Not to many animals out lots of exhibits closed but I went on a monday so maybe not the best day to go lots of empty exhibits as well but great service and clean.

Free Zoo Afternoons: Admission times from 12 - 5pm

February 5, 2019
March 5, 2019
April 2, 2019
May 7, 2019
September 3, 2019
October 1, 2019
November 5, 2019
December 3, 2019

Summer months June, July and August do not have free afternoons.

Excellent zoo. Make sure to check the bulletin board near the front for a schedule of meet the keeper talks. Parking can be tough during summer, holidays, or nice weather. It is easier to fine a spot across the park at walk a little further.

Love the Houston Zoo animal exhibits, the friendly staff and great family time. Zoo lights is one of the best displays of holiday lights.

Great escape! Awesome exhibits for kids. Membership is a great deal bought a family membership so my mom can take the kids during the day. Loved the birds!

We have always wanted to go and see what it was about the zoo lights, so we went and we liked it! It was a nice For a walk at night drinking hot cocoa and watching different shapes lights of animals. It took us around 2 hours. Baby enjoyed it too! But we probably won't do it next year! For our own opinion are those things you just need to see it one time and repeat it maybe one more time in a couple years..

While it was fun for the kids, the jaguar, elephants, fox, bobcat, and tiger all seemed very distressed. And the jaguar, fox, and bobcat enclosures were infuriatingly small. They need bigger living spaces.

The zoo is nice and clean but most of the lager animals seem to be drugged. Everyone I go it's that way. I'm hoping that they get new animals soon.

Really has changed since I was here 20 years ago. You can bring food now and there are picnic tables with bbq stands in the park outside of the zoo. The paddle boats and train are very nice too. All of the animal exhibits were very well kept and larger than when I last saw them. I have always felt really bad for the creatures in the zoom but this time I think I feel better as these creatures would probably be hunted and killed in the wild. (Human over population). The Ape exhibit is fantastic!!! The new avian areas are phenomenal and shade is everywhere. I missed the reptiles somehow but will probably be back again soon now I see how nice it is. Also I was amazed that so many adorable children were there and families. I did not see one child having a melt down. So they must be doing something right. Only one thing, still the cat exhibits are needing more room. Their cages are larger than before but still not large enough. The cheetah and the Jaguar specifically. Their cages are epic amazing with water features and toys but they need enclosures that connect to longer run areas somehow. Support your local zoo so they can keep up the good for the creatures.

We had a great time. The zoo was mostly empty so there was no crowed at the exhibits.

Good zoo, some animals deserve larger areas to roam around in

I always love the zoo. But the Zoo Lights were so breathe taking. I truly enjoyed my visit with my family.

Great place. Throughly enjoyed it.
However, I would like to see more kiosks along the path selling hot coffee or tea in addition to cold beverages especially during cold snappy winter nights for people coming to watch holiday lights.

The most active animals I ve seen at a zoo or theme park. Animals looked well fed and happy. Staff was friendly. I was upset that we went during rain/cold front and most animals were hiding or taken away. Overall great experience. The rangers helping with giraffe feeding were great!

We had so much fun at the zoo. The Christmas lights are great. We went other time and got to watch elephants take bath.

Houston Zoo is always a fun place when you take your kids and family I love going to the zoo very nice place to visit

The zoo is great and all but I expected more from the zoo. The lights were spectacular but I hoped to see some animals, at least some nocturnal ones. And not the whole was open. But I guess the animals need their rest or would feel uncomfortable with lights. Other than that, the animal diversity is great. And I am so proud that Houston's zoo has never encountered a problem or mishandled a situation. Their animals are cared for so well and their fundraising events are extensive.

This is an excellent zoo right in the center of a large urban park in Houston. It is adjacent to Rice University and the Medical Center, creating ample opportunities for trails and walking around the city. The area is also accessibly by the metrorail, though you have to walk a bit to get to the zoo itself. The zoo is well-designed and large! You can definitely take up a whole day there. They are also constantly improving it and adding/updating exhibits. I also recommend attending some of their annual evening events, such as Feast with the Beasts - such an intimate and fun way to see the zoo!

Pathways aren t intuitive so it s easy to miss things. It s nice that several exhibits like reptiles are air conditioned so you can take a break from the heat. Decent zoo. Animals well cared for. Refreshments are pricey but that s nothing new to attractions.

We had a great time at the Zoo, but because of the Coronavirus parts of it were not fully open yet. Also, because of the Coronavirus the Zoo was only open to a quarter of the normal amount of guests, but the smaller crowd made it a more enjoyable time. Overall we really enjoyed our visit.

There was ample parking, the lights were very well done, and it was a very pleasurable experience.

Awesome place to visit during weekends for all age groups. From kids to grandparents, everyone is bound to enjoy it. Also it's free for University of Houston students if they have their Cougar Card/ID Card

Nice zoo in general, knowledgeable staff members, reasonable ticket price. Petting zoo was great!

Beautiful zoo! Very fun and entertaining but id suggest getting there very early if you want to see the whole zoo. There is so so much to see!

Always a fun experience. I've been a member for 2 years and it has always been a great experience!!

Awesome place! Really fun place to visit with family and friends. They maintained it very well. I think Evening time and morning time would be best to see lion roaming

wear comfortable shoes and a hat. this is a wonderful place to visit. buy a accept the following promo codes, each one good for a free one-day rental of any Blu-ray one day. every visit is a new adventure. in the summer take dry clothes and towels. get yourself a foldable wagon. I found mine at Academy. I've seen nice ones at Sam's too. lots of special members only events. if you have a few hours a month to wear out the kids, here's your spot.

It's all about how you plan your trip. With a 1 year old, we go right when it opens, pack a lunch and you're good to go. Highly recommend membership and then you can spend 4 hours and not feel like you're wasting your money. Gorillas are great and the elephants are getting revamped for later spring 2017. Great zoo!

Nice zoo. Clean with lots of exhibits. Poor amount of parking when we were there. All nearby lots were full. Had to walk a very long distance. Concession prices were ridiculous. Caused us not to eat and the lines were all empty. They could cut prices in half and they would serve 4 times the people.

Nicely organized animals. The zoo keepers are very knowledgeable and helpful. The front desk people are very friendly. I went out during the visit and the stamp fainted away. I could get a fresh stamp to reenter.

We had an awesome time the lights were beautifully done. Plenty of photo opportunities

The Zoo was amazing but the parking was not what I was expecting. .. why??

Best in the morning when the monkeys are making music and activity is happening. Love the houston zoo...

Such a nice zoo! Most of the animals were extremely active while we were there. We even got to see the baby giraffe. We went during field trip season so finding parking took some time. I would definitely come back!

Biggest and best zoo I've ever been to. I'm in love with this place.

Great zoo. Very good animals and helping conserve the endangered ones.

Really big zoo and plenty of things to do after you leave the zoo as well.

So many different things to see. Many of the exhibits allow you to get really up close views of some amazing animals. Several air conditioned areas to check out. Stoller rentals available. Free parking.

It's alright. Expected more out of it. So many enclosures were closed or being worked on. Maybe next time will be better

We have a membership with the San Antonio Zoo which gave us a 50% discount on admission to the Houston Zoo. The biggest differences between the two are the variety of animals and the Houston Zoo allows you to take coolers in with food and drinks. I was expecting to see more concession stands here but they were far and few between. I wish I would have known we could bring snacks and drinks in before we showed up. That would have saved me a considerable amount of money. If you go here I also recommend a good pair of walking shoes, it took us about 4-5 hours with my two little ones to get through the whole thing. If can probably be done faster but we wanted to see everything.

Very nice entertaining place. Wonderful zoo lights. Just that they should change a few things at least once in six months to keep things interesting. There are too many birds. They can let go of a few and bring some other interesting kinds of animals or amusement related to animals. That would make us go every few months.

Free visit to the Zoo on a not so hot day was great

I love the zoo I am an anual member and it has been the best money I have spend. I reckon that with the renovations is going to be even better. If you live or if you are in the Houston area the zoo is a must see. The zoo keeper at the giraffe pavilion are very nice and accommodating. You will have lots of fun kind of sad that the tunnel for lion viewings are not open any longer but otherwise a great experience. Bring food the only downfall is the price of the food it is very steep.

The Houston Zoo is a wonderful family day. I love the way it is set up and that you can easily get through the whole thing in one day.
You can bring your own food and drinks to help if you are on a budget.

There are so many types of animals and exhibits both indoors and out. So on those hot dog days of summer you can sneak in for a little A/C break from the heat.

The kids area is WONDERFUL! I love that I can allow my daughter to run around and get her "wiggles" out.

The new elephant exhibit is fantastic and I am looking forward to seeing what's to come with the new native Texas exhibit that's underway.

A must do every time we go to the zoo is the giraffe feeding, if you are a zoo member be sure to get a "frequent feeders" card!

We're zoo members and go once a week even though we live far away. There is much construction going on there right now. It's still enjoyable however and after so many trips I plan to change into swimsuits after and play at the splash pad in Hermann Park, dry off put on clothes and enjoy Miller Outdoor Theater. It is a fun time!

Become a member if you go more than once a year. It's worth it. Having member mornings where you can get there at 8am and have a parking spot that is close by is the best. Bring water and/or snacks with you because the concession areas do not open until 9 or 10.

We love the place since i lived in Houston we have got season pass every year the pass where you can bring couple adults and too many children.

Loved the zoo lights! It was a perfect team building activity!

Nice sized zoo that is also expanding. Their elephant exhibit is fairly big and is a must see. They do have a guest-aninal interaction program, I don't know it's costs but was able to see some guest being able to get up close with a sea lion.

Great place to go with kids...but food is expensive. So if you can bring your own food and drinks for you and your family. If you bring your lil baby's you should bring umbrella attached stroller...

Love the zoo! Parking is always a mess so be prepared for that but it's worth it. We like to be around for trainer talks, but those only happen on certain days for certain animals. The children's zoo area is great for the kiddos to get all that extra energy out.

Love the Houston Zoo! So refreshing, clean and beautiful. Get a season pass, it's perfect for your daily walk.

Love going to the zoo with the fam. They have been updating and remodeling and it is great to see what it has changed from when I was a kid 20yrs ago

My family and I love the Houston zoo we spend a lot of time there I think the dinosaur exhibit was our favorite!

Always a blast especially with hermann park right next door!

Great place. All the good animals are all the way in the back. You can get stuck on birds for awhile I mean if you're a bird person cool but um I was there for the lions and what not. The animals look so sad I wish they could be free

My kid is 18months old, she loved looking at animals in the Zoo. Houston zoo has wide range of animals. Their Giraffes and Elephants collection is huge. Zoo is very clean and they have lot of places where we can sit and relax.

One of our close friends arranged their kid's birthday party last year and the loction was Pavilion. It was really good and fun. In near future we want to plan our kids birthday party their too.

Children's Zoo is our favorite, we get to touch and pet farm animals like Cow , domestic goats etc.Houston Zoo is one of the best places to visit to entertain kids for a whole day.

Phenomenal! The atmosphere is great! The staff is friendly and informative. The animals are beautiful and the dinosaurs were the icing on the cake for my 3 year old!

It was awesome. I had a great time with family and friends.

The points program for kids that turn in things that they find in the wild is wonderful! My daughter asks to spend more time outside knowing that she can go to the zoo and trade her treasurers for an amazing and environmentally friendly momento as well as a bit of education that goes with it.

While we appreciate the effort to have the zoo open while being so very cautious re: COVID protocol, signage was inconsistent and confusing @ times. In theory the one way path should work, but seemed to cause a backup instead. The Carousel personnel were a little abrupt, though the procedure to clean and space out riders is certainly understandable. Perhaps a sign with procedure would be better than being shouted at periodically? There were restrooms and a couple of the cooled exhibits open for respite, but overall, a bit disappointing.

Great asset for Houston. Fun for all, plenty of shade. Great all time of year.

Loved the time I spent there with my friends. Everything was great and the staff were sweet and cordial!

We had so much fun, lots of beautiful animals at the Houston Zoo!