The Oregon Zoo Reviews

Getting the electronic ticket was easy...going through line was great..all the zoo staff deserve a round of applause for keeping the zoo fun to walk through and yet safe in this time...the animals were out and there was no rush to get through...go and enjoy

Very nice zoo. Parking and admission are a big pricey. They have stands throughout the park in case you're hungry or thirsty while you walk around. The best part was probably the bald eagles exhibit.

Childhood memories, much better now, took my grandsons

Went to see a concert here, lines for drinks were quick and easy. The layout of the venue made it not extremely crowded

The carousel needs to go faster I don't care if there's 1 year olds it's a piece of scrap

Great time! Lots of animals were out. There is construction but just a bit. They are getting ready for polar bears.

Lots of construction and kids during weekday afternoons, but great animals and Northwest section

Beautiful setting that provides large enclosures for all of its animals and still makes the distances walkable. Fun and educational. Dedicated to the well being of the animals and involved in conservation research. There is a train, a carousel, a picnic area, and play spaces making it very family-friendly. Ample parking at the gate an excellent access to public transportation.

Lots of exhibits were closed or under construction. Paid full price for half the experience.

Well, it wasnt cheap but it was fun. The pathways in this zoo are super immersive, some parts almost feel like a hike. And I totally was drunk and wandered into some conference rooms and employees only areas, and I didnt get in trouble, so...5stars.

Taking way too long to finish the remodel. Sad to pay so much and 1/2 the animals aren't even there.

So much is under construction that it is difficult to enjoy it.

It s such a great atmosphere to be in. There are lights everywhere and even though it was snowing and rainy it made it feel magical. A winter wonderland with lights everywhere! It s a great place for kids and adult! Definitely should at least go to it once if you re ever in Oregon!

Had a great time there with the family it was awesome

The otters we're so fun but the elephant playing in the water was the highlight!! Love the zoo. Don't forget about the giraffes they are quite grand!

It is an amazing experience and super cool. The habitats are very humane and it's a great place for all ages

Zoo lights is not worth the money. We were practically gassed on the train ride when going through the tunnel. It is really expensive just to look at christmas lights.

Zoolights are much better than in the past! We loved it

Was disappointed in the Zoo. It was dirty and just wasnt alot there to see.

All the staff are very friendly and happy to help. The zoo itself is clean and well kept . It is not one of the larger Zoo's but it has alot of animals and entry fee is more than fair. You won't be able to spend all day here but there is plenty of other things to do in the area with a free shuttle to bring you around !

Amazing time. Train ride sucked but my kids loved it

I enjoyed it for the most part. It's been a couple of years since I have been there. Some enclosures were improved upon. A lot of things were under construction from the elephant enclosure to the otter display. So there were whole areas covered up. This is not good when it is summer & a million children are hoping to see "all" the animals. I also noted a lack of lions, rhinos,buffalo (bison) wolves, foxes, elk, and other such common animals both here in the northwest & in Africa! I see improvements, but so many more are needed! We pay a lot through Metro to have our zoo, we need to take care off it and do our best to "show" all of our animals. Where are the ones listed? They were ALWAYS here before! They say you can tell how a zoo is run by seeing how the wolves are treated! They weren't even there! You need to bring them and the rest listed back! Sincerely, Margaret Hume
P.S. I did want to add that when we came to the zoo we came up the back way, through Washington Park. (They really need better signs for direction to get to the park from downtown.) Anyway, the drive up through Washington Park to the zoo was just beautiful! Tree lined, lots of foliage, flowers and very little traffic. It was like stepping back maybe 30-40 years. It was wonderfully maintained. When you came to the end of Washington Park they had parking and tennis courts with beautiful displays of flowers and greenery. It was breathtaking. Almost worth just driving through Washington Park. We arrived early, before 10 AM on Tuesday. Excellent parking. No one there yet! Walked many hours and saw most animals that were "available". Left, about 1:30PM when all the hundreds of day camps, zoo groups & kids clubs arrived! Go early! Best availability! But please return the wolves, foxes, etc. to the zoo where they belong!

An excellent zoo! One of the best Elephant exhibits you will find.

One busy days it can be difficult to find parking. The MAX (train) line stops right at the zoo and is a quick trip to downtown Portland.

Great zoo with lots of fun animals. We love zoo lights!

March 2 2019.... nice zoo but a lot of attractions will be coming in 2020. Lots of construction projects going and some exhibits are closed at this time. However parking is easy in the off season as well as no lines. Friendly people

Gotta love the Oregon Zoo! A great experience for all ages.

It was ok, just very disappointed that the polar bears weren't on display as they are my favorite. I think the zoo should notify people what isn't on display before they pay full price tickets.

Went to a concert, and saw the zoo. Had a great time.

Discount days can be awesome if the weather is on the edge! We barely dealt with any sprinkling, avoided crazy crowds, and paid an actually reasonable price for the second Tuesday in March!

Beautiful zoo. Well laid out and kid or disabled friendly. Parking is paid. Lots of options for food and beverages. Summer time concerts are excellent.

They have signs telling you not to drink the water in the toilets! What is going on in this country?

So many cute animals, helpful staff, and they had it set up really well for dealing with the virus while still enjoying the zoo.

It's always fun to go to the zoo! I hadn't been in about 4 years and went for zoolights after the turn of the new year and was amazed at all of the new features and exibits they are putting in! Zoolights was phenomenal, as usual and we ended up walking the trail about 3 times before they closed down for the night!

I visited with kids during the Howlaween event and it was pretty enjoyable. However, with the extra construction, the middle portion of the zoo and a few other exhibits were off display. We finally got a chance to ride the zoo train and it went in a slow, short disappointing loop mostly with views of trees and construction. I'm glad the zoo is making better and healthier exhibits for the animals, but I payed a lot more for admission than I did last time to see a lot fewer animals. With more expensive admission, paying for expensive medicore food at the cafe, I didn't even bother looking through their gift shop. That being said, the new elephant lands are terrific, lots of interesting ways to observe and learn about the animals. We enjoyed the open exhibits a great deal. I would have felt a lot better about this visit if it had been more affordable.

They have elephants which is great but it's so crowded you can hardly walk. Pack lunch because the lines are long and it's definitely amusement park prices!

Thank you for every experience! I've visited this Zoo numerous times in my life going back to the 90s and every trip is a pleasure. New experiences are always available at the Oregon Zoo the staff is kind and helpful and even during this Covid time I'm so happy to they are open. Forever 5 stars.

It was a nice zoo and looked like many of the animals had sufficient resources. I forgot took a look of pictures and got my money's worth. I still feel sad about seeing animals in enclosures, even if the zoos have many benefits other than entertainment.

Bought a year membership and every time we visited there were at least 3-4 exhibits shut down. The polar bears, monkeys, hippo and rhino. Not to mention the huge empty area where the zebras used to be.

A lot of construction and most of the animal exhibits look old and in need of repair. Not worth the money.

Even with all of the construction going on, the zoo is still an exciting place to visit. The elephant habitat is amazing, can't wait to see what the rest of the new habitats look like.

Fantastic, get to have interactions with the animals

It was amazing, it had big cats, elephants, crocodiles and many other animals, The only thing I could criticize is the food, wasn't that good.

Seems like we came late and all the time are reserved until couple of hours and this is hard for us to pay online because not a lot of people can order online.

The very nature of the city helps the animals to be comfortable and comfortable. The natural landscapes are beautiful!

We love the Oregon Zoo, conveniently located just off of highway 26 and we are zoo members so we can go anytime, year-round to see the beautiful animals and foliage all over the grounds. We also attend the Zoo Lights and other events held there.

Alot of the stuff was blocked off for construction and a event that you had to pay extra to see drove all the way from spokane was very dissapointed

Cool elephant exhibit. Zoos in general are kinda whatever to me.

Great venue for shows at affordable prices but the lawn can get a little chaotic for sure. Low rise chairs are OK for most shows and make it so much more comfortable. Drinks are typically $9-11 for a 12 oz draft or 19.2 oz can. Arrive early to lock down good seats. Family friendly shows can make for an odd crowd.

Such a great zoo! The exhibits were very impressive and the animals seemed well taken care of. Highlight of my trip to Portland.

We made the drive from Seattle, WA to see this zoo. I was a little disappointed that so many exhibits were under construction but over all it was a great experience. I was most excited to see the elephants! We moved ours out of Seattle a few years ago and I have missed them! I definitely enjoyed myself at this Zoo!

My family totally enjoyed spending hours at this zoo!

Love the zoolights! My son asked Santa for a zoo membership for Christmas so we've come twice this year! We went on the train too!l

Was just a little bummed that there was so much construction. Should be much better when they finish.

It was ok. Grandkids liked it so that's what really matters. For us adults pretty much anywhere in Portland is a zoo.

Lots to see and so much fun! I went with my son's Boy Scout troop and participated in Zoo Snooze. It was amazing to see the zookeepers and learn of the animals first hand.

They are in the middle of a big construction project right now, but even so, the Oregon Zoo is lovely.

Beautiful. Place. To walk and enjoy the wonderful. Landscape me. Love it

They should lower the prices while it under construction.

I've only been to two other zoos in my lifetime, the San Francisco Zoo and the Oakland Zoo and in my opinion the Portland Zoo blows them out of the water. Definitely Rose to number one on my list of favorite zoos.

I will always have a soft spot for the Portland zoo, but lately a lot of it has been under construction and many of the animals are unavailable. Hoping the renovations really make this place awesome again.

Fact..They have had 4 elephants die here since 2015. They always have a narrative that excuses them from responsibility, but 4 acres to wander next to - of all grotesque things - a concert venue poses great stress on these big, precious creatures. It is no surprise they struggle to bounce back from ailments. When there are nurturing sanctuaries that avail 100s of acres to roam, it is inhumane to keep elephants in a zoo's fish bowl-like alternative!!!

Animals were not out. Food shops we're closed. Train was a waste of time.

The zoo didn't tell us that everything closes at 4. Without any warning the train and gift shops were closed at 330. To top it off the photo machine took my money.

Great zoo, and the concerts they have during the summer are awesome

Great zoo. We went in August and the animals were not very active. They're adding two more exhibit in 2020.

The Oregon Zoo is the best in the NW. Very kid friendly and educational. They have very nice animals and can tell they take very good care of them.

Beautiful place and love what they are doing to make it self Sufficient. Will go there again hopefully soon

Very lovely zoo. They're quite spacious and had many different kind of animals. The staff are friendly and very informative.

A must see attraction in Portland, Oregon! After over two years residing in oregon, my husband and I finally made the easy trip to The Oregon Zoo. There are multiple exhibits with plenty to see and do. The grounds are delightfully clean and easy to navigate with signs posted frequently. Its also clear to me the animals kept are well fed and cared for.

If you go early expect alot of them to be still very fun!

We lucked out yesterday. Not a drop of rain! After hard rain most of the day. Arrived by 4:40. Parking was easy... Well I wasn't driving. Manageable crowd. Beautiful. Simply beautiful!

We love taking our kids to the zoo when we are in town since we don't have one at home. They love it no matter what. This time (May 2019) there was a lot of construction going on that had a lot of animals gone and added to the walk. We can't wait to go back when it's finished.

Very different visiting during the Covid crisis.... So nice to get outside and see those cats though!!!

A nice place to hang around with family for a day. Animals are amazing and zoo train is nice.

Alot of construction and little kiosks closed perhaps because its a Monday..? Still fun to see the animals

I am a lover of animals (no teens not litteraly ) a nice place to hang out cool animals that seem happy and nice staff

I went during zoo lights this year. The light exhibits were awesome but I wish you could see more of the animals. Only like three of the exhibits were open...