Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Review

The prices are high for what you get anymore. A lot of the exhibits are consistently empty or dirty, not including the bear area which has been vacant for years now. Cramped spaces for most of the animals compared to other zoos I've visited, and a lot of them seem to be unhappy or nervous. In dire need of an update overall, but is located in such an area that it may be impossible. The overall experience is way worse than it was 10 years ago. At the current rate the zoo is being managed (add new half hearted exhibits, ignore renovating old ones), it will just get worse. It may just be time to transfer ownership or just sadly shut it down.

Great to see the animals and the aquarium. Happy we could do the drive through during covid! Something to do!

It was nice and got everyone out of the house and we are definitely doing it again

Really hot, lots of hills... nice and cool inside. The escalator is extremely terrifying but there is a elavator you can ride instead if you have a stroller or wheel chair.

The corona protocol is all over the place. Confusing directions for walking and sitting. Several things are closed, as expected. They don't really seem to enforce masks or social distancing. Ordering food is a real process.

Had a great but brief visit mostly in the Kids Kingdom. Clean restrooms even after a long day of visitors, plenty of water fountains and some are set up so you can refill your water bottles.

My sister and I experienced a wonderful day at this exceptional zoo with its beautiful surroundings and animals. Every animal, which is very special, lives in a unique habitat and receives great care.

The Drive through zoo safari was a great idea by the zoo to showcase the animals during this time

It's a fairly large place. Next time we'll take 2 days so we don't have to rush through it. The kids had a great time. Plenty to see and do for the little ones. The kid zone was awesome, tired them right out with all the climbing!

Went to the penguin March for the first time this year. The Pittsburgh zoo is worth the trip all year

I love our zoo but only gave it 4 stars because the aquarium was VERY crowded. No one was monitoring how mant people were inside.

Love it!! It's a great place to go with the whole family

Beauitful place to visit love seeing the animals and not a bad price to get in

Fun for the whole family. Prices are reasonable. A lot of animals to see. Meerkat exhibit is fun for the kids.

Best zoo ever! The design of the zoo is people and animal friendly at the same time. The zoo and aquarium combo works perfectly to keep you going interested till the end without doing it too much. The place really show cases animals and the layout makes it possible for you to see animals without interfering in animal privacy much. The walk around the zoo is not very long but long enough to tire if you have toddlers. A stroller is highly recommended even if your kid can walk . They get tired easily and your trip can be a disaster on the way back. I have seen many parents having a hard time dealing with cranky, tired kids on their shoulders. Strollers are available for rent for nine dollars inside the zoo if you end up not bringing yours! Great little shops inside with souvenirs, snacks,drinks etc. Morning is the preferred time to go before the temperature rises. Otherwise you will end up seeing sleeping animals and grouchy people all around. The aquarium is beautiful and all the animals in the zoo are well fed. Elephants are older elephants but very friendly. Giraffes were funny and curious. Red pandas were so cute to be real. Flamingos stunk but were so colorful. Loved this visit!

Great zoo! Involves some walking up and down hills but is well maintained.

I was surprised of the amount of animals that were out this time of year. We were able to see the cats out and moving. The elephants where in the barn but still viewable. And they had the penguin March going on which was awesome to see.

Great single path hike along a mountain side with plenty of animals to see. Despite the mountain, it's not too hard for most to enjoy! Favorite zoo so far!

We get a membership every year! We love the play areas. Hard to get through the whole place with small kiddos so we usually do half one day and the other half another day. My daughter asks to go to the zoo almost every day of the year, even now in the middle of winter. The camps for kids are wonderful and have done them almost every year.

Had a good time, but alot of the animals were unable to be seen right now due to covid-19. Some of the tanks could have used a good cleaning, as well as the walkways being in need of a good landscaping job. The sea lion exhibit also has a strong smell of chlorine. It was a little nauseating and I'm sure it can't be the best for the animals to be swimming around in. Besides that, a good and cheap day for the family can be found here.

I haven't been here for over ten years so it was great getting to reminisce. The newer attractions are also very neat too. Great for all ages!

Amazing zoo and aquarium! Well kept and the staff is great and knowledgeable. Reasonably priced and lots to do throughout. I would recommend this zoo to anyone.

Pitt zoo is a real fun place. It's pretty large and there are a lot of cool animals found here. Lots of stuff for kids to do also. I live in the Canton area and I would rather come here or to Columbus than the Cleveland or akron zoo any day.

There is something for kids and adults alike. The animals appear very well & taken care of. Very clean.

Food isn't what it could be. Main dining workers not organized at all - unclear if there was a manager in charge of anything & workers outwardly/loudly arguing.

New dinosaur exibit was great - very interactive.

Animal education is great! All schools in the area should consider a field trip for any age group.

Overall, a great place to visit - kids or not.

Fun place, great for kids and adults. The kid area is a blast. The aquarium is amazing. Always enjoy going to the Pittsburgh Zoo and will keep going there. The staff and cleanliness is great as well as the affordability of tickets to get in.

The zoo is amazing! Its a top notch experience, the exhibits are clean and the animals are healthy. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Only thing, its VERY hilly, so prepare to climb. Not the zoos fault tho.

One of our families favorite zoos! The aquarium is amazing!

Sprawling, very open space, popular and tends to be crowded over weekends and holidays. Mediocre and $$ food options. Great fun for kids of all ages!

This was perhaps my best zoo experience ever. I appreciate the creativity with the layout and exhibits. Several of the animals were missing, which we did not understand, bit assume it was a seasonal reason. We spent 2 hours here. I recommend a visit.

Great zoo lots of animals and aquarium is amazing would definitely recommend if your in the area.

It is worth being a member. My wife and I just enjoyed a members night. The animals were active, the food was discounted and they had great interactive opportunities such as pet the bunny and the lizard and learn about the elephant.

Really nice zoo. We visit a lot of zoos around the country and this one was in the top 4 forsure. Well kept and great variety of animals.

I haven't been to the zoo since I was little. It was so great going back to it. All the animals! The weather although a few quick rain showers here and there waa nice! So many interactive things. But the best part?! I got to pet an elephant!

We always enjoy going to the Pittsburgh Zoo. I do enjoy it more in the spring and fall but we always enjoy going. Petting the Elephant Natasha was probably the highlight of this trip.

Would give 0 stars if i could. The glasses were dirty from the people breathing all over it with their hot breaths, spent more time looking for the animals than actually seeing them. Majority of the exhibits were closed. WAY too crowded. 0/10 would not recommend.

It was fun and the animals were all out and easy to see. The food available was good - especially the chicken strips!!! They were super crispy and tender.

One of the best zoos I visited
The aquarium is great

Fun times. Back open. Have to wear a mask. Construction in some areas but most of it is open, except kid's play area. Relaxing walk among the animals. The aquarium is a great place to break the heat and cool off. The cooling fans are definitely a hit as well. Lots of animals active in the morning before the day gets too hot.

My kids loved it. Was kind of disappointed that they were working on a few exhibits and some of the animals weren't out. Take drinks and snacks with you because drinks are $$$...

Reasonably priced and a full day of things to see and do.

A great day all in one! Enjoy the nice outdoors and see all kinds of lively and fun animals. Every exhibit has a great floorplan to ensure people can see and flow through the areas.

Had a wonderful time definitely will be coming back again

We went to the zoo in January. Most of the animals were absent. We very much enjoyed the Aquarium, the snakes and bats though so we felt we still got our money's worth. We saw the tigers, pigs and donkeys. I look forward to going in the summer. We basically had the place to ourselves which was awesome!

Lovely zoo with wide variety of animals. Having lunch at the restaurant facing the African park is such a wonderful experience. The aquarium is also significant with alot of fish and penguins.

I really love this place I try going here a few times a year just a lot of fun seeing all the animals and them playing around!!

Crazy impressive from the moment you take a giant escalator to get to the entrance! The zoo is huge, and the aquarium located inside is remarkably large as well! The children s area has a play area with lots of slides. If you have a zoo membership to your own local zoo they may be able to take a discount; we saved 50% on each ticket.

The new exhibits have raised this a star in my eyes. Good job! Worth the visit my than once.

The zoo probably needs a landscaper full of tall weeds and not very clean we had hard time seeing thru the plexi glass we went to money's to below them sitting on s branch poor monkey surrounded by a hole lot of mice or rats disgusting well the zoo was disappointing not to many animals to see and health dept should visit an weedeater to

A great zoo, and open year round.
This zoo is one of my children's favorite parts of Pittsburgh! We love the variety of animals, the aquarium, the helpful staff.
We plan to keep going back!

Always a lovely experience going to the Zoo. Went in December after Christmas on a cool day and had fun. The animals were active, people were friendly and the aquarium was clean and warm. Most of the stores and food stands were closed this time of year, but the main restaurant in the food court area by the giraffes was open. No bad experiences here if you read the details on the website beforehand about which animals are not out in colder weather. Good times. We go multiple times per year.

Great visit for me and my daughter clean great prices food was good not to expensive cant wait to go again

Needs some upkeeping, but an overall good experience!

We always try to go here once a year twice if we can. We always love coming to the Pittsburgh Zoo. The variety of animals is excellent. The food is really good, and the ice cream. We always but a souvenir cup each year to collect as many as we can. It is a great way to spend the day with the family.

Impromptu visit yesterday as we needed to kill some time while in Pittsburgh....took my 13yr old daughter cuz she hasnt been to the zoo in a few years....
I am only giving it 4 stars because alot of the places werent open (like the little icecream places, the carousel ride wasnt operating, the little shuttle wasnt running, no places to eat except the grill, couldnt feed the giraffes, some of the animals werent out despite it not being terribly cold)
We had a blast though! It wasnt too terribly packed although alot busier than I thought on a Tuesday....it was nice to have room to walk at any pace & not have to wait to get up to see the animals....all but a few where outside...no tortoises (they dont like the cold) & no polar bear (guess they only swim like 10% of their day) which was a bummer, I love seeing the polar bear....some of the animals look so sad though---especially the monkeys....their enclosures arent really that big considering the gorillas have that big outside area....orangatan looked so lonesome & sad, broke my heart...zoo itself was decorated neat (halloween & fall) theres so much to do & see---you definitely want to plan to spend the whole day there....
Eat at the jambo grill! (I think that's what it was called) The food there is amazing!! We got the chicken club sandwhich---yum! Grilled chicken was big & juicy, had a great taste...bacon on it was nice thick slices, alittle messy cuz they put this sauce on it along with pickles on the bottom of the bun but worth every napkin used...comes with homemade chips (they werent bad but would be better with like a cheese sauce for dipping) we left there completely full! Alittle pricey ($24 for the 2 of us-- 2 meals, one drink) but considering how good it was, it was okay to splurge...
Giraffes were the best! He walked right over to us, I think if he could have gotten down past the big boulders he would have! Such beautiful animals....he stayed right there for a good 20 mins or more just checking us out & looking at everyone....very cool---wish we could have fed them but it was closed :( that would have made my daughters day, she loves giraffes....
All in all, a great visit & we are already planning our next visit for next year!

My family loved it! The exquisite layout of the zoo on the hills of Pittsburgh as well as the immense glass panels and tunnels give it impressive and close up views of a wide range of wild animals.

I came from Vegas, yea it snowed and some animals were put away but it was still great being there. Can't wait to visit again during the summer.

Excellent way to spend a few hours with your family. I was impressed with the amount of animals and loved the layout. Having the aquarium in the zoo was awesome and our daughter loved every minute. Highly recommend!

We had a fun day walking around the zoo basically to ourselves! There were no crowds and most of the animals were out. Granted we went on a Monday early afternoon in the middle of January, but it was still really fun and decently warm out. Apparently Veterans get in for free, which was pretty cool. They have new baby leopards and lynx which were both on display. The lion exhibit was closed for renovations which was disappointing but apparently they are getting ready for a new lion pride so that will be cool. It was about 3 miles all the way around for us, so we got a decent workout as well.

Very family friendly, great exhibits, and di a lot for animal conservation.

We had lots of fun. My daughter loved the leopard. All.of the staff was polite and friendly. It was a great trip

Beautiful landscaping helps accentuate magnificent animals. Easily a whole day of activity. Amenities were beyond what I was expecting, especially the cafe where my partner and I ate lunch while watching giraffe and zebras play. Only qualm I have is the aquarium tanks are not terribly well labeled, they are however very beautiful so they get a pass.

We get the season pass every year! Always love when the lions roar, you can hear it through out the park. I'm a exercise guy so I love the hills. Also I enjoy sitting and having a beer in the middle, just enough time to then get going again.

Pretty awesome zoo with a variety of animals as well as an aquarium section.
Zebra, giraffe, elephant, African lion, all types of cats (cheetah, lynx, tiger, clouded leopard), red panda, rhino, ostrich, flamingos, and so much more. Great place to take your family or even visit alone.

Did the Zoo Boo drive thru today. It was a good time and well planned by the zoo.

Majority of people not wearing masks or not wearing them over their nose, especially in inside places like the aquarium. There s no enforcement of masks from the zoo so stay away if you are at risk!

They are imroving constantly and i love it...the old bear exibits are all closed and they made one a bar and dining area...the cheetah cubs were all about the guests right up and active with the glass. The congestion control was definitely working...

A wonderful experience for friends, family or for a date. Plenty to see and can spend a good 4 hours enjoying nature and all the animals with a food court. It's open even during winter though you will not see all the animals out in their pen it's nice because not a lot of people going out so no wait or line and you can enjoy it with the people you are with.
They have a large food court though only one large building may be open during the winter weekdays with very minimal visitors.

I wish their space was a little larger but certain animals seem to fit comfortably.
There are two sovuineer shops, one in the aquarium and the other at the very beginning before any of the exhibits.

Make sure to vists all the corners of the map to get the nice full experience one can get. From polar bears to lemurs to fish and lions.

Customer Service: Great 4/5
Experience: Great 4/5
Price: 18 a ticket

The Pittsburgh Zoo never gets old. So many animals to look at. My favorite is the aquarium. Who doesn't love sharks?!?! It's just a beautiful place to go and the whole family will enjoy.... guaranteed!

The zoo added several new exhibits. Including anteaters and reconfigured several areas. They also redid the food area. Great experience!

I like that it is easy for visitors to see animals close and clear. There are plenty cool events they held, I really like the penguin parade the held in winter. The staffs are always helpful and smiling.

Love the zoo. Loops for easy escape before the kids area if you're in a rush to leave. Very crowded on the weekends in the summer.

My family has a zoo membership, and, under normal circumstances, it is one of my favorite places to take the kids. If you are still trying to be cautious and maintain social distancing right now, the Zoo is NOT the place to go. There were far too many people there to keep your distance. I was also very disappointed to see they had large group tours going on at the same time as other guests. I mistakenly thought that because you had to reserve an entry time and get tickets ahead of time that they would be more cautious. They had the obligatory signs up to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and not to move tables/chairs in eating areas, but no staff members helped to encourage or enforce it at all. Most people were not respectful of social distancing and most people did not wear masks indoors. Additionally, several of the hand sanitizer dispensers were empty. I will return to the Zoo, but not anytime soon. They seem to be going through the Covid motions.

One of the best public zoos I've visited with a vast range of diverse exhibitions that feature African wildlife, a tropical forest full of animals, the islands with reptiles, a jungle odyssey that includes ziplining, the PPG Aquarium that features fish, coral reefs, and other aquatic life, a kid's kingdom that allows children to play, an education amphitheater, an education complex, kiddie rides, restaurant, and much more! Admission is not expensive, but food and drink is a little pricey. The Zoo allows you to bring in your own food and drink. Parking is free. Lots of sights! I highly recommend this family-friendly place to you!

Had a great time. We got here early to avoid the crowds and also there was only one elevator available at the time which limited and extended entry to the park. Quite a few exhibitd were closed due to the time of year but still got to see quite a bit.

Came here for my daughters birthday and many times before and it never gets old or boring. Lots of animals, hands on activities for kids and play areas to burn off some energy.

All the animals were out and looked happy and healthy

The Zoo had a very large range of animals to view. Seeing the bobcat babies were so cute. The Aquarium was one of the best in PA!! From the penguins to the jellyfish, everything was clean and well kept. I swear one of the fish smiled for his photo!!!

We had a great visit to the Zoo. Happy to see the new exhibits including the hippos!!

Went to the zoo in September during the week, Tuesday. Hardly any one there and enjoyed it very much. Gift shop was still open but some the food stands were closed due to being later in the season.

Was very nice to see animals. Drinks were mainly beerr nothing for kifs coule water. Would have been mice for some juice

The Pittsburgh Zoo is huge with so many different areas. I'm still discovering things each time I go. A membership is so worth it for a family with kids, plus parking is free. We love the playgrounds. It's very easy to pack lunches for everyone. We even love it in the winter. Saturdays and Sundays in winter feature the penguins on parade!

I have always loved the Pittsburgh Zoo. It's affordable and a great place to take a family. This was our first year going to the Halloween ZooBoo. Our daughter had a blast trick or treating and watching the animals playing with their pumpkins.

We love the Pittsburgh zoo and PPG aquarium. You can spend all day here and not see things twice unless you want too. It is so fun for my kids and we go frequently. We love walking through all the animals and grabbing dip n dots and playing at the slides and park!

I loved watching the animals play with their enrichment toys! The entire park was fantastic!

I had a wonderful time! The exibits were beautifully crafted to meet the animals needs.