Oakland Zoo Reviews

Fun place for kids, great picnic area outside of park

The zoo has all the major species one expects at a zoo. They are in natural settings, easy to see. There is a path that takes us from one to another in about a 2 mile circle. There are docents everywhere to explain about the animals. The new CA Path is very interesting. There are rides for kids.

Oakland zoo was amazing. Very well planned and sanitized. I felt very safe there with all this Covid stuff.

Beautiful zoo. Plenty of parking ($10) interested to see once the construction is complete

Huge lines just to check in . Highly recommend to pay online and bring print out to skip line!. Food is expensive and isn't all that my food was cold. I recommend to bring your own food or eat before coming. Also wear comfortable shoes and clothes alot of walking up and down hill !

what a great day at the zoo...my only complaint would be the gondola ride. once at the top. to get down you stand in a line that long and there is no protection from the wind. for me not to bad but for my parents and my children it was a long cold wait no structure to ther system of loading people..we all had jackets. dont forget yours. also the doors at the cafe up on the hill wouldn't stay closed and the wind swept through the whole cafeteria and your food cools quick. bring water of your own or else bring a lot of cash. 6$ for a sm bottle. but over all a great day for my whole family

Been going here since I was just a boy! Wonderful zoo with great selection of animals.

It is such a blessing to have a zoo so close to home. We visit it at least a couple of times a year. Even on very crowded days (e.g. when schools have a vacation), it doesn't seem to get crowded inside the zoo. The gondola ride is lovely.

This zoo is a great size to get done in a couple of hours even with a toddler. There are quite a few hills but nothing terrible.

Great experience good place for kids good food at the coffee shop at the top of the hill

It's a world class zoo. And the new part will make it even better.

Kids love this place. Gandola ride was simply superb.

Grate for kids & grownups, gondola ride was great.

Love this place I can sit and watch the wolves all day.

Great zoo! I went here as a kid and just returned at more than 20 years. They continue to grow and improve in a way that provides as good a living situation for the animals as possible. The only negatives were the high prices for unhealthy food and the general unenthusiasm of many staff members.

Best zoo I have been in California. Have a new trail walk anyone will love. Check zoo website

Good place for toddlers and with the new addition of the gondola ride, it has more animals to see

Our family love this place so much that this is the second year of our annual pass. We usually go straight to the newer half of the zoo by taking the skyline. Afterwards there is a good noodle spot called Noodles Pho Me in San Leandro that's very close. Kids always enjoy this route.

Been a member for over three years. My son likes it here.

This zoo has a nice layout for those looking to get your kids tired. My recommendation is to park in the lower lot as you will then be walking down hill at the end of your visit. The African animal section is great. The new sky Cafe and lift are fun. The otters, petting zoo, and bug house are my son's favorites.

Very clean. Not expensive. Large areas for animals. Pure animals.

They have alot more animals than the SF Zoo and their gondola is the nicest one I've ever been on.

Lot of uphill walking you can get your exercises while at the zoo very clean very nice

Love it! I have a membership and go at least once a month to wear out the little one!

Great zoo. Nice size for a one day visit. Wheelchair and stroller accessible. Very few people on a weekday. My son loves the gondola and the staff is very friendly about letting you ride over and over again, especially when they are not busy. Some great views of the lions from the sky ride. My son also loves the rides outside the park .

Went on earth day. Friendly staff and awesome park.

They recently added a newer level to the park that wasn't accessible before but now through the gondola you can rise above and see a whole new circle and many much more animals, such as the Grizzlie bears and buffaloes as well as mountain lions and its really nice and worth the visit if you haven't been in a while or ever.

Pavement around the facility is in desperate need of repair. Very hilly and there were very few animals out (10:30 to 1:30). Very disappointing to spend $60 for 3 Adults an one 20 month free. By the time you add $10 for parking, it was too much. Oakland wastes too much $$$ the so-called protesters and not enough on the Zoo.

Very fun fun place for friends and family. However, there restaurant is very crowd and therefore not the cleanest.

The insect section is horrible. The room needs lighting. It needs more insects - there's just too much empty space. The floor could use tiling. I hope a millionaire ends up reading my review and donates a chunk of money to improve this section. Maybe they will name the insect section after the donor's name. How about Warren Buffet? How about Mark Zuckerburg? This area is only one star. The rest of the zoo us four stars.

If you are not up for a very hilly walk stay home! The animals are great. The new gondola ride up to the top of the mountain is amazing!

It was crowded for dress up day but worth it. You need to plan all day to get the full experience.

This is small zoo but it's pretty nice. Besides the animals and education associated with zoos it has a great view of the bay from the tram. It also is easy to walk and very kid friendly. There is a small ride park for small children who may get bored easily, a petting area with goats, sheep, and livestock. The zoo is affordable and even food items are relatively cheap. This is great for small children or just to get away for a couple hours.

Love it. They have nice views of the animals, also the new locations the added are very nice.

So refreshing to be at a zoo where the animals are not only exclusively rescued, but also treated super well.

I had a very nice time at the Oakland Zoo it had Christmas lights up and go up and down escalator thing and you can see all Oakland it was very beautiful

Customer service of the park was nice. The place seems in need of maintenance. Paint is flaking and much more. I so want to give it all 5 stars but I can't.

Zoo was nice. My rating is for the cafeteria. DO NOT EAT HERE. Save your money. Staff is rude and ignores you once you place your order. No changes, no questions answered, they just avoid eye contact. Overall terrible experience, food is less than average and as expensive as expected. Really ruined the whole experience.

We had a great time at the zoo, we liked it better than San Francisco zoo.. it reminded us of a smaller San Diego zoo...

This is a terrific zoo! While it is not the San Diego zoo, it is far superior to the San Francisco Zoo. It has very natural large enclosures for the animals and seems to incorporate various aspects of the land. The addition of the gondola and the California wildlife exhibit at the top of the hill is amazing. I love how it seems as though the enclosures are really nothing more than an untouched patch of native land including namesake Oak trees. My favorite animal is the jaguar, which my 18 month old daughter referred to as a kittykat when it was locked eyes with her six inches from the glass. I jokingly informed her that kittykat was looking at her like a snack. The highlight of the medium sized play area is the zipline. There is always a line of parents and kids waiting for there chance to send their kids flying down into a quintet of springs that stop the flyer less violently than other ziplines I have seen and ridden. Great selection of animals with Africa making the most prolific appearance. Overall it is an awesome zoo and I highly recommend it.

Friendly staff, plenty of parking, reasonable prices, and many great view points. Loved everything about this zoo and will definitely be back often.

Had a great time with family who was in town. I've visited this location several times this past year. Attended their holidays zoo lights, although colder weather in the bay recently it didn't stop us from a visit. The only down side was the chimps at the time was very agitated. Guests had to step away and observe from a distance but otherwise it was still a productive trip. Did the gondola ride. Wondering then the top exit for the California trail will be open.

Okay they gotta redo the parking here. There isint enough. Loved all the animals! I've never seen a lion in person nor a giraffe so that was cool! Dont know when I'd be back as its extremely crowded and parking sucks. And I was in line before they even opened..

Love the Oakland Zoo! I was there as a volunteer for a while and can attest to the fact that this is a good zoo.

The staff was very knowledgeable and the kids had a lot of fun. We got there before the zoo opened so we got good parking. Overall great experience and will go back

Great Zoo, lots to see and do, especially kid friendly.

Great place to take your children to learn about wild animals. As sad as it is to see these animals in captivity, you can't take your children to Safari over the weekend. Lots of family friendly activities (we planted poppy seeds in a cup last time we went.)

Visiting during cooler days makes for more active animals. My kids can finally walk around without a stroller, which makes for a great day learning about animals and getting exercise.

A really nice zoo. Animals seem very well taken care of. Gondola ride to upper level is fun.