The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Reviews

Not as big as the San Diego zoo, but plenty big to take up a day. Super friendly staff and great layout help to round out an already great zoo.

Went thru it all in one day! Zoo mission accomplished!

The only thing that saved my trip to the zoo was my family because there weren't a lot of animals. One thing that I would tell you is to be ready to walk like a lot. The food and stuff to buy there was very expensive. Long lines and not a lot of sitting areas. But there was a nice section for kids to play and it handicap friendly.

Great time my daughters 15 & 17 were blown away thamks

LOTS OF PEOPLE ON THE WEEKENDS BEST DURING THE WEEK LESS PEOPLE .PREPARE TO WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES ALOT OF UP AND DOWN HILL WALKING ALOT GO ON A COOLER DAY TO ENJOY THE PARK BRING YOUR OWN ICE CHEST WITH FOOD AND DRINKS TO AVOID OVER PAYING FOR FOOD AND DRINKS.

I've always have gone on weekends but this time in a weekday with someone who i take care off and he also enjoyed it. Found lots of different animals since last time i've had been there like a year or so.

Had a great time! This zoo allows outside food so we brought water, sodas and pizza for lunch. We were able to see all the animals we were looking forward to seeing~ surprisingly every animal was out so we were able to enjoy the entire zoo exhibits. We purchased souvenir cups which are refillable for a dollar. We also purchased stuffed animals and a sweater which were reasonably priced. Overall just a great place to visit and spend the day.

Big zoo with many animals. However, the zoo is unable to expand due to location, unlike the Chaffee zoo in Fresno County which has better habitats for the larger animal species. Also, their animals are trained to go into their pins behind the enclosures by 4 pm. This means the zoo wants people to start to leave an hour early than their actual closing time. So go before 2 if you don't want to feel rushed or miss out on seeing whatever animals choose to immediately go in. Literally saw the mountain goats line up to be let into their pins (photo attached).

Animals all looked depressed. The only thing that pushed by buttons is they only had two meerkats and they were separate, one was outside one was inside. Meerkats are supposed to be in pacts not lonely. But I guess it's ok for a zoo. This place is clearly all for profit and doesn't give a damn about the welfare of the animals.

Great experience. The zoo is looking a little tired and old these days but it's still the best Zoo north of San Diego and south of San Francisco.

I love the LA zoo! I always have a blast when I come. I would avoid this place during the summer as it tends to be overcrowded and it s too hot for the animals (and most humans) anyways. The best time to go is either really early in the year or really late. They are constantly trading animals with other zoos to find mates for their animals which means babies are constantly being born. I want to go just to see all the new babies! Parking is free but you need either need to park really far or loop around the lot for awhile. They have valet parking for $7 too.

Great place...it's happy and sad only because we enjoy the animals and want the best for them, but know that the best would be in there natural habitat. My kids always hi Ave a good time at the zoo.

Overall a great experience! My wife found a Groupon deal and we actually paid like $16 each for the tickets. If you really want to explore the whole zoo, I'd say it would take you about 5 to 6 hours. Food is not best but they do sell beer so that evens out the situation (at least for me). Aviary is a must.

Nice variety of exhibits. Most of them seemed quite ok in their surroundings, some were more well designed than others, but generally looks well maintained. The chimpanzees seems over slightly crowded though. Quite an educational outing for my kids.

Big difference in comparison to how it once was. Nice place for adults and kids alike!!!

Few animals, in the lions only 2 elephants only 1 zebras 1 bears 1 and always asleep for the small place where they have them.

I'm normally a big proponent for the LA Zoo. I'm a zoo member and have had a membership for the last 6 years. This was my first visit in quite a while however. I still rate it highly but I think just a few areas weakened my experience.
I enjoy photographing the animals and in a few ways this has gotten even harder. There sometimes appear to be fewer animals of a given breed on display. This reduces the chances of getting a good view of an animal breed/species at any given time. I also noticed late in the day that the jaguar didn't appear to be on display or was well hidden (could have been brought in for the day). I was never impressed with the visibility in that enclosure, but the one place I had good luck getting photos in the past is now useless because the vegetation growth now blocks the view.
I suspect that the animal inventory was reduced because of ever changing zoo requirements that recommend more and more space per animal. Overall however, I still believe it's a wonderful place and a great experience for kids and anyone else that loves or takes an interest in animals. They also try to show case various plant life around the facility and often have placards with their names on them.

A very big and nice zoo. There's a lot of animals to view here. Be prepared to view some great exhibits and make sure to get some good walking shoes.

My family was not very happy when we had to do a lot of walking,because we would have to pay more to get on the trolley. Also not all the animals were out, plus we had to pay $5 dollars to feed a giraffe

this was one of the best zoos i've ever been to. its very easy to navigate, and the theming is cool too.

It was very disappointing. The TV makes this place look alot better than in person.

Its not that great compared to other zoos like denver, omaha, my kid enjoyed the zoo. I hate that they do not have any vegetarian food, I would recommend to take your own food with you if you are vegan

Lovely. Easy trails and a measure of quiet, even when it's busy. Well worth the drive.
Serenity in the metropolis.

L.A. Zoo is defiantly a place to take the little ones, or even for a couples day away on a warm Sunday. It quite a nice zoo. Not very large compared to most zoo's around the country, but it's quite conveniently located in the heart of the city inside of Griffith park. All so if you are around during Christmas time, the Los Angeles zoo has a fantastic Christmas light show!

The zoo was great but this time around for the trick or treat event was disappointing there was not many candy stations this time which kinda sucked the animals were active good time bad treating on the candy side I give it a five star for the zoo a 2 star for the candy stations

Nice, very nice, a place to go with the family and enjoy watching your children play and have fun.

It needs a little work. Lots of enclosures closed. Took those pictures there and it was a pretty good time

I love going to this zoo. Very kid and handicap friendly. Clean and well kept.

Huge zoo, lots of animals to see and the membership is totally worth it.

My only complaint is that many of the cages make it nearly impossible to get a decent photo.

Also, take weather into consideration when going. Many animals just sit there if they're out at all when it's cold. Can't blame anyone for that though.

Been here twice. Both times, kinda boring. Animals are always sleeping or hidden.

Was my very first time with my daughter. Very please for been clean areas. The only negative that the animal were lazy and sleepy.

i really love the zoo but i have notice over the past years how poorly this zoo has become.. there is just so much waste there. the encounters are soo dirty the glass to see the gorillas are so dirty u cant even see tru them. there is not alot of green. Trees are dying, dead leafs everywhere sometimes bloaking peoples views. and not to meantion bees everywhere. im sad bcuz this is my zoo and i came as a kid and i want my kids to enjoy it. i just dnt see anything cheerful all the colors are fading . they surely need to repaint.

I was referring to the Autry Museum when originally posting this! No they don't have Buffalo Bills jacket!

Always fun. great place for walks. The elephants are nice. Love the giraffes. A lot of areas have been remodeled. If you are local I think it's best to get the year pass .

We had a really fun time. Big zoo with lots of animals.

Very good place to come for a walk and have fun with the little ones have the animals clean and in good condition. Excellent family place.

My kids had a blast! They could make some exhibits bigger for the sake of the animal. Los Angeles Angeles the was a lot of extra money. This might be a good place to put some of it

It s very nice to took kids to visit and feed the giraffes is really cool!!!!!!

Lovely animal exhibits with a lot of scheduled programs and reasonably priced food.

I was with my daughter in her 1st elementary field trip. It was my first time as an adult, and we had alot of fun. The gorilla had a baby just weeks before, and the elephants are awesome. There are shows are fun, the reptile walk through is fun as well. There is also a tram .

Wow we loved it !& we went on 4th of July! Not over crowded Lots of walking so a great place to get some walking done .. the exhibits need improvement. Otherwise a great place to go with kids or on a date.

Not very big but just big enough for my baby to see enough animals and for me to get a decent workout in. So happy to be members here. Surprisingly very clean too.

Great place to se some amazing animals. Be careful if you are allergic to bees. They swarm the garbage cans.

Really cool place to go with family and see things of cool animals. My family lovesto go here and do i. It's great!

Your an animal if you don't like a good zoo from Tim to time. From lions to tigers to bears oh my. There are allot of places to eat, drink and get some ice cream. Love the way the zoo is setup easy to see everything in a timely manner.

A must for everyone who is here. Mega beautiful well-kept enclosures and animals. Good selection in the shop and moderate prices.

A beautiful zoo. A wide variety of animals Usually I am not a fan of zoos because of caged animals but their habitat is a reproduction of their usual life and makes everything very beautiful. We see the staff take care of the animals gives them food and reassures about their living conditions. To recommend

We had an awesome 1st and 2nd grade field trip for the day! The children loved seeing the zebra running back and forth braying. They also enjoyed seeing the giraffes, lion, tiger, monkeys and many others. We brought our own sack lunches.

Awesome time at the LA Zoo. Lots of animals to see. Hadn't been in years, it definitely worth a trip. Go if you are thinking about it. Fun time.

A wonderful zoo in a lovely setting. You forget you're in the middle of a major city.

Went to LA ZOO LIGHTS, the only "cool" thing we saw was the tunnel of lights.
There was a sign that the show was cancelled due to winds, but there were no winds!

My family has an annual pass to the Los Angeles Zoo because we love being able to get some fresh air and exercise while enjoying all the animals, which are clearly well cared for and provided the best "captive" lifestyle one could afford. While I always prefer seeing animals in the wild, I think the LA Zoo takes great care of their exhibits.

The zoo is the perfect place to bring your family for a few hours. There are some nice gift shops and plenty of food options scattered around the park. Grab a cold beer while you're there and a fresh slice of pizza just past the flamingos!

I'd recommend getting here at 10am when the park opens and being out by 1 or 2pm as that's when it tends to get pretty hot, driving the animals to the shade. And get yourself a pass - seriously worth it.