Oakland Zoo Reviews

Had a really good time volunteering at Oakland zoo! The skyride is pretty nice.

This zoo is great for young kids, its affordable, it has the rides, it has enough animals to be exciting, its got great common spaces with grass and jungle gyms. The food is okay but now that they have the gondola, the view from the resturant makes the eating experience special. We can't wait for the new exhibit to open.

It has everything and every animal we wanted to see!

Great opportunity to get out of the house and into the outdoors and do something the whole family enjoys. Love the addition of the gondolas and the California trail. The Grizzlies were especially fun to watch. We also were able to see the lions get a snack.

My family and I had a blast at the zoo, many different animals to see and it had been updated since my daughter was little (now she is 10). Very fun experience, and the gondola was free to ride to see the other part of the park where we ate at the cafe. I was impressed by the quality and quantity of food; most items were only $10-$12. They had pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and even salad choices. There was also cheaper foods in the main part of the zoo which offered slushies which thw kiddos loved. Overall, it was amazing!

Awesome zoo! A variety of exotic animals, discounts for kids, seniors, and military. Park has breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay, but I think my favorite part was the great food options!

My family came here for a fun day. The exhibits are way better than the San Francisco Zoo and the animals are more active. Parking was a nightmare. I don't know if it was because it was Zoo Lights that evening or not but the website also said it was open until 8 because of this event. It didn't mention that you had to pay to stay at the park past the regular 5pm closing time. So we were told by 1 staff member that the zoo was indeed open until 8 but it was never said that they would lick is out at 5 and then make us re-enter. So we rode the gondola first and only stayed for an hour before being escorted out because the zoo was closing. So instead of seeing animals we spent the whole time waiting in line to be kicked out because the zoo was closing at an earlier time than the wedding and staff portrayed. We were only able to see 5 animals for to their negligence to give the correct closing time information. And the line to the the gondola back down was crazy because they ask how many are in your group and then separate the line based on that and let single people out before the family with small children that were on line before the others just to get more people out of the park earlier. Then complain about the children crying when those children would've already been gone if they never let about 100 other people cut the line. We waited about an extra 20 minutes due to then cutting the line like this. But if we were able to see the rest of the zoo it would've been great if the active animals we did see were any indication of how the rest of the park would've been.

The land is large, but the animals are small and have a (sun) word.

For a zoo it s kinda sad. But the sky transport was amazing

Wish we had more time to spend ... wasnt able to see everything.

I think occasionally the Oakland zoo as being smaller, but in better shape than the San Francisco Zoo. I probably prefer the Oakland zoo.

The lions and tigers look under wight was not happy about that fix it i was there 3 years ago and still look the same but evertthimg eles is good

Awesome views, beautiful new gondola ride to amazing northern California exhibit. Happiest bears I've ever seen in a zoo.

This zoo has a beautiful layout with viewing areas that seem very responsible and healthy for the animals.. I had a great day walking around watching the animals play and eat...will make this a local favorite spot to hang out

Oakland zoo has very good grizzly bear, elephant, alligator exhibits. You can see California Condor here. It is clean and nice There are fewer varieties of animals than the SF zoo. Kids love it as there is a train and rides too.

Beautiful zoo, allows you to see up close different wild animals up close

The wild California Trail is magnificent. Mountain Lions, Condor, Wolves, and a tram ride up to the ridgetop.

I like the zoo and the kids love it. I wish it was different animals and a better section of food. But it s cute for a day trip.

This is one of the few zoo's I actually like going to. It's clean, well laid out with a good variety of exotic animals in enclosures I consider reasonably humane. There's lots of goodies to entertain little ones. It's a good size too, you can cover it in about 3 hours at a leisurely place. The only thing I don't like about it is the crowd. Wow! it is popular on the weekends. If you get the chance to go on a weekday, you'll enjoy it much more.

Fantastic. I wish I would have went sooner. This gem is just in our backyard and we never made time until recently. The exhibits are well designed, the animals are all health and happy. A perfect place for your kids day out.

Zoo Lights 2019 was great!!
We even met Santa

Great place to take young kids but be prepared for all the hills if you bring a stroller!

we have been taking our kids for the past 4 years, and the whole family loves the zoo. animals seem well cared for and healthy. this is a hilly place with lots of walking, so keep that in mind for our visit. great kids area. do yourself a favor and take the tram first thing - it's a great way to see the animals, especially the big cats.

Over hyped zoo. Small and you can see the sadness in the bigger animals.

Fun place for kids... not too many animals though..

Great zoo! Each animal we visited had a staff member there to talk about the animals and to answer the many questions my kid had. We especially liked the views from the gondola.

A very fun full place to spend whole day. There are also lot of other fun filled activites other than animals.

Great family fun! My family has the park pass so we spent a good part of the summer seeing and learning about the amimals. They also have a rides area for the kid's that is both fun and entertaining.

Weak way over price. There is a lower scale zoo in san jose named sleepy hollow. Much better place for kids. Check my credentials I'm telling the truth.

Nice place to take the kids to see the animals and run off some energy.

Wonderful is a place that is worth visiting
Its beautiful

Cool mornings are the best time to see the animals out and about! A lovely zoo with plenty to see and do for a full day with the family.

so many amazing animals. the new California section is great

Came here for Zoolights and it's great. Free parking. There are some exhibits still available: bugs and amphibian/reptiles. The gondola ride gave great aerial views. Definitely worth coming to.

Wonderful place for kids with Adventure land area. Gondola is interesring to all ages.. very nice place to visit, can come here often to spend a day happily.

Lots of hilly walking but so great! Nice habitats and awesome gondola

I have loved this Zoo for years. I enjoy the small compact size and all the staff and docents that work with the animals always are so nice, informative, and seem to love all the aninals.

Only 4 stars cuz exhibits on the hill are difficult to see animals. We saw no wolves, mt lions, or black bears. However, they are built for the animals comfort so I understand.
Also only 4 stars cuz too many strollers blocking viewing or preschoolers running or pushing to the front while parent or nanny just watches their rude behavior and does nothing about it. Not the zoo's fault but still left me with only a 4 star experience.

Even at peak occupancy, The Oakland Zoo is a wonderful place to tire the kid out at. Come with your best walking shoes! The employees are always very friendly and the animals seem to be very active.

Perfect day for the Zoo. There were a few exhibits that were closed for renovations, but other than that it was a great day.

It was very funny thank God it was a very special experience to be able to enjoy the nature that God created

Best place to entertain your kids mid-covid. Get a membership for better parking and early admission. It's totally worth it!

The animal look like they on dope they move so slow

Zoo itself is great but customer service is non existent. Employees don't appear all that excited to be there and don't appear to care about customers. This could have easily been a 5 star review if it wasn't for the customer service issues I encountered

Surprisingly awesome! The new California trail is incredible.

Wonderful. First time at the Oakland Zoo. Really great zoo. Go if you can. Worth it!

I liked seeing the giraffes! It was not hard for me to walk around the hills and you could see all the animals that were out. The hyenas looked well groomed although they were quiet. I did not have anything to eat here but you are not forced to eat the cafe food as there are benches and grassy areas for you to have a picnic with your own food from home if you want. But it is a bit expensive as you have to pay about $40 for two adults, then extra for rides inside the park, plus $10 parking, and it is not as interactive or with such engaging staff as somewhere like Seaworld.

It's a great place with plenty of animals to see. All the shows are catered towards children, as the entire zoo is very children-friendly. To see the Australian animals, you have to pay extra to go on a little train ride, which is too bad.

Now that the California Trail is open I will be visiting as often as possible. Beautiful place.

Clean, well cared for! Lots of room, even though the parking lot looked packed, the zoo didn't feel crowded at all!

Staff is SO friendly, get ready to walk up and down a bunch of hills if you go here

I enjoyed the zoo. Be prepared to do a lot of uphill walking. It's pretty big for a local zoo. I advise bringing your own lunch and water. All the concessions were closed. Only a small gift shop was open. We were disappointed because we didn't get to see the lions, and a couple other exhibits were closed. The zoo does have a sky ride and an a gondola ride. Only one was working. There's a petting zoo for the kids. But only goats were available to pet. Toward the exit, there a small group of rides. A train, carousel, and some kids rides. It took us about 2.5 hours to walk and visit everything. So plan accordingly.

The lions and tigers were sleeping on the job.. It's 10 am you lazy mofo!!!!!!!! and I politely asked them to roar but they refused!!!

Loved the zoo! Worth a day trip to be surrounded by nature.

It was good experience and covered a good range of animals and birds. A good day to spend with family and kids. Gondola ride, lion elephant, camel, giraffe monkey and many more to see .

The Oakland Zoo spans some 100 acres and is home to over 750 native and exotic animals. I was not prepared for the hills, inclines and stairs to get in between exhibits. It is nice that there are live people guides to help direct you places and discuss the animals. Visitors can take a train ride and discover the Wild Australia section for emu and wallaroos. The African Savanna area is where the popular giraffes, zebras, and elephants are located. There are two aerial rides. The Sky Ride which you have to pay an extra $3 to ride and the gondolas that take visitors to the California Trail and visitor center. There is a panoramic San Francisco Bay overlook worth the wait in line and trip. There is a lot to see and do at the Oakland Zoo, we did not get to everything this visit but I look forward to the next.

It was incredible, we saw every animal picture-perfectly

It is a place where you can picnics and enjoy with your family

This zoo is easy to get around and has lots to offer for both adults and children!