The Phoenix Zoo Review

Tons of stuff for the kids to do. If you have trouble or do not enjoy walking there is a caravan you can pay for to take you around the zoo.

Great place for fun. And definitley check out zoolights during the holiday season

My daughter loves this place so much. It is so great for kids. Even toddlers. There are a ton of activities and things to see and interact with to keep them busy. Even the food there is decent for a zoo. If you show up early in the summer it is not too crowded and not real hot yet. One thing you can't miss is the amazing zoo lights every year for the December holiday season. They are amazing and get bigger and better every year.

Get a membership, its worth it! We use the splash pad when it's hot so you can benefit from the membership year round.

Such a fun zoo! It's such a fun way to spend a day!

Great experience every time! Finally ate at the Savannah Grill and was very impressed! You expect generic bland food but the burgers are some of the best! Chicken fingers are big, waffle fries come in big portions. All the monkies are absolutely the highlight.

I went when it was cloudy and the weather was perfect. There are many rest areas and places to eat.

We went to see the lights. We all had a great time. The kids got to burn off some energy before bed and explore the zoo in a different way.

Recommended for the whole family although it is not the best time to visit

The zoo is a full day of fun with alot to see requiring lots of walking.

Outstanding. Many exhibits were closed, but there was plenty to keep us entertained.

Love the zoo and this one is top notch. Go for the day or just for a few hours. Expensive to bring the whole family but it is a nice treat for the kids. So many exhibits there is something for every age. Zoo lights are spectacular.

What can I say? It's a Zoo. Reasonably clean and well maintained. It's probably worth going to every now and then.

My family absolutely loved the Phoenix zoo! We got the whole experience package and it was totally worth it! We seen practically everything on the Safari cruiser. Which saved us a huge walk with our three-year-old. We touched the stingrays, rode the camel, watched the 4D movie, and all kind of cool stuff. The Phoenix zoo was absolutely amazing! The staff were great with the animals and the enclosures were set up very nice for the animals.

Ticket cost is reasonable until you figure out that you can't see much until pay for upgrades. Family visit for a day with the drinks, fast food and some upgrades and tickets will cost $200 easily. Too much

First time for Zoo Lights and they were wonderful! Paid extra for bugs exhibit which should be included in my opinion as it was no big deal. Friendly staff and well kept grounds. The only animals out were flamingos, eagles, vultures, reindeer and the sting rays. Also enjoyed the kettle corn.

If you're planning to go there for the day, take a hat, some water and sunscreen! You're going to get burnt if you don't. Loads of fun, for the admission and a few bucks here and there to spend on feeding the animals it's a fantastic experience.

Love the zoo.....mad about the lazy lions exhibit.. lol...other than that...it was a good trip ...going back again soon

This zoo has taken leaps and bounds. I have been visiting this zoo since 1994 and the exhibits keep getting better and better. The kuya cavern for the kids (near the squirel monkey house) helps keep you cool even when you visit in the summer. we get wet first and then walk around wet. this zoo is in valley of trees, so its hotter there than the temp outside of the zoo, so bring lots of water.

Bit underwhelming. Seemed kinda run down. Zoos as a whole are becoming a thing of the past. Unless they can provide an environment for all the animals that is as natural and stimulating as possible, they are just sad.

I had a great time!
the zoo looks much cleaner and well organized with happy animals.

My husband, baby and I came to the zoo today from Iowa. After we waited in line to buy our tickets for 15 mins. We finally got to the window to buy our tickets. After we bought them the lady at the gate told us the zoo is closing early today..... We asked why and she said so they can have time to put up zoo lights. An hour and half is not enough time to go through the zoo. Why are they putting up lights on the busiest day of the week? Why didn't they update their website?

So many great memories. My parents took me here as a kid and now I take my kids.

A great place. Staff is fantastic. Many animals and paddocks to see, and several trails to choose. Even a couple of spots for little ones to have fun too including a petting zoo. Worth the visit and worth having a membership.

Went to zoo light last night and what a huge disappointment! Compared to the other yrs, there were only half the amount of lights up...so bare and it only took maybe a half hr to walk through the whole event! No lego structures this year either! Also, charging full price for half the light show it ws last year is quite the disappointment ever! The music show where,the lights go with the music were horrible..nothing like it was before!! Dont waste your money if you were here before, then you know what i mean. Zoo lights..i will never be back...this was such an amazing event.

Wish the cost was less, but we had a good time. Lots of animals to see. Our daughter liked the petting zoo especially. Ended the day at the splash pad lunch area, which was a great end to the visit.

Beautiful, full of life, and fun for the whole family

Great zoo. Non profit organization. Take good care of all there animals and rescues.

Love the elephant exhibit! They both looked so happy

Nice zoo with friends staff. Go early to see the animals the most active.

Went for zoo lights. A great family experience; a bit pricey though. Bring your own water and snacks.

One of the most tranquil times I've had in a while

The Phoenix Zoo is awesome. If you haven't gone, you should. If you have gone, you should go again. I highly recommend getting season passes. I realize that it's not the largest attraction ever, but it is nice to go and feel like you don't have to spend all day just to get your money's worth. Aside from the animals, the zoo also has several play areas for kids including two different water areas. Why not let your kids use some energy there?

Great place to take the family! Much better to get a membership if you plan on going more than once a year.

Get a membership and watch the orangutans grow up! Fun zoo that provides a great place to walk and enjoy the animals. It's always a little cooler with all the trees and the splash pad is nice in the summer. Say yes to a hotdog by the petting zoo, but skip the 'kettle corn' which is really just popcorn with a little granulated sugar.

A bit small for such a large metro area. The zoo is nice, just real small.

Overrun with creatures great and small. This place is a zoo.

Can't say I loved this place, most animals hide in the shade, and who could blame them? not sure if desert is a good place for some of these animals.

Great night. Music and bright lights, perfect time for a leisurely stroll

OMG, the best place ever!!!
They continue to expand it, and have allot of construction going on for next exhibits, and the food prices are outrageous and ridiculous, but we take our own food so it wagers out. I grew up visiting this place and my children grew up visiting this place now my grandkids are experiencing this place and we love it.

Went here for Zoolights! The Zoo was really pretty in the night. An evening well spent! We saw a lioness, reindeer and many birds in their natural habitats! Definitely a destination to visit during the Winter holidays to experience the lit up lights l! Make sure you go early though to beat the crowds!

Overall it s a nice zoo. It s older than a lot of zoos but we enjoyed our visit. Reasonably priced and a fair amount of exhibits. Some exhibits were under construction during our visit so next time we are in town we will come back to see what s new. Definitely worth a visit

None of the good animals were out so I wasted about 100 dollars to see nothing but some

The animals were mostly hiding and we went early to try and see as many as possible before it really started getting hot.

Been coming here for a long time! Get a lot of mileage out of the membership. They use their funds to add more and expand exhibits. That said, it gets crowded quickly after opening.

I try and take my kids at least twice a year. I used to have a membership but we didn't utilize it enough because I work in the weekend. It's the only place I can take my kids to that they don't get bored ( I have 7)and it's great that you can bring your own food and drinks it does get a little pricey if you purchase it there. One thing we haven't done yet that I'm making a point to do this year is so lights

Always a great time when I take my family to the Phoenix Zoo. Super friendly staff!

Cant go wrong with a family vacation in the day or phoenix Zoo lights

Amazing place. Get ready for a good work out. This place is big.

Over priced. With surprise extra charges once inside

Today seemed like a lot of exhibits were closed due to cold nights or under construction. And charging people to touch stingrays is ludacris.

Loved this zoo! It's a great work out walking through this place and to my experience as compared to other zoos it feels much much more intimate, does not seem as though the enclosures are very separated from the people especially the aviary where the birds are just able to fly and walk right past you literally inches away from you I loved it!

The issue with this zoo is entrance into the zoo. There were two large lines that filtered into smaller lines. After waiting in line for a considerable period of time, our spot finally moved to a point where we split into 3 smaller lines. Once we got into that line a group that just arrived and had not been in line walked up right behind us. They began to explain that we didn't have to wait in the long line and we should have just walked up like them. From the time we arrived in the parking lot until we finally walked through the zoo gate was approximately 50 minutes. If someone at this zoo reads this, I would recommend having associates out front directing foot traffic so people know where the lines are and how they work.

To make matters worse, when we finally got to a window to buy a ticket there did not appear to be any urgency on the part of the cashier. She even attempted to up-sell us twice with different packages instead of getting the line moving.

The best part of the zoo was the zoo itself. It is a large location with many animals to visit and we had a great time once we got in. The negative comments about entering in the zoo can easily be worked upon and no one should anticipate the same experience we had.

I went during winter time. So if you choose to walk in the zoo rather than ride go during winter. Check temperature before going because you need to walk a lot.
Areas are caterogrized based on animal living habits. There are areas near pond with shade to have your lunch. You can relax by sitting near the lake and watch cranes, birds.
First go to end of the zoo where you have camel, hyena. You can try camel ride too for 5$. Then finish tiger , then elephant, then go for birds and snakes.

You have a small play area for kid too.
Even you arrange party by getting prior permission from zoo authorities. We didn't host any parties but we say one gathering which was about to held after 5 pm

Beautiful and open zoo, had a wonderful time with amazing 70 degree weather.

Very impressed that they lent out sensory bags and weighted lap pads for those that need them.

I Loved it it was amazing I haven't been thar sens I was 7

My husband and I took the kids to the zoo for my oldest daughter s birthday. It was really fun for all of the family. There are so many animals and I love their open exhibits. I thought I would have to pay for a couple but everything was mostly free except for the safari ride 4-D theater and petting stingrays. Could care less for the safari ride because we walked around the whole place anyways. And it doesn t take you anywhere special that you can t walk too.

They always add new things and are expanding. It is never the same zoo twice

This is a great zoo with lots to do and enjoy. Skip the heart of the summer though, the extreme heat is just too much. Check for veteran and travel club discounts.

Lots of unique and exotic animals to see. We were able to see all exhibits in a 5 hour day, which was nice. We'll return so we can try out the paddle boats sometime.

Wonderful zoo that educates kids & adults. Understanding what life that roam the earth for thousands of years that makes it possible for today. Everything from small to life size forms. Everything is possible and slowly building a better future here at the Phoenix Zoo. The home of hundred thousand of animals and more. And many more to come!

Zoo Lights is so much fun and gives an entirely different perspective on the zoo.

Went to Zoo lights with the family tonight. We had a great time even with the rain. Phoenix Zoo always finds a way to stick with the tradition but still add something new each year whether it be different main attractions (dinosaurs, Legos, etc), or setting up different pathways, we even noticed a switch in the music a few times tonight which was pretty cool.
The cocoa was pricey but it was delicious and the kettle corn is almost a staple for the event. All in all it was another wonderful time at the zoo.

I live in tucson and i think our zoo isnt the best in the world but thats because its hot as hell here, now phoenix zoo we had high expectations... i wouldent give ours five stars tho because theres cirtin improovements that need to be made. But the only thing i saw better at the Phoenix zoo was that they had manta rays, an orangutang family and more space for the animals. But what the hell was the deal with the animals water? Cow pens were out of water completely, the elephants look like it has a pool at 7% full, and most animal exibits looked the same except the ones with swamps and turtles. But really, most people look at phoenix with the expectation that everythings bettter then tucson, but that was thrown down the drain with the zoo. Cant say i would go back, it may of been coincidence because they wanted to drain water or something but it looked bad when i was there. Orangutang family and stingrays were worth the one trip tho, hence the 2 stars (five stars on thoes exibits alone) were awesome.

Hello my name is Dave I'm going to tell you why I love you so much and it was the favorite place we like it so much they have a baby monkey and a baby

Small City zoo, but great play area for kids, and enough to do and see for 3-4 hours activity.

I'm shocked it had so many good reviews. Pretty expensive. Had 6 animals out due to I'll was or construction . I should get a freaking discount

Didn't know the night of lights there wouldn't be animals until we paided to get in......

I CAME HERE TO VISIT MY IN-lAWS TODAY AND THE LADY AT THE FRONT GATE HAD THE NERVE TO ASK ME IF I HAD A TICKET OR IF I WAS GOING TO PAY FOR ONE!!! JUST BECAUSE THEY LIVE AT THE ZOO SHOULDN'T MEAN I HAVE TO PAY TO SEE OR VISIT THEM. I DO NOT KNOW ANYONE DUMB ENOUGH TO PAY TO VISIT THERE IN-LAW SO I SURE IS HELL NOT GOING TO. FROM THE LOOK OF THINGS FROM THE FRONT GATE IT LOOKS LIKE A NICE COMMUNITY. IF ANY ONE READS THIS BEFORE ENTERING THE ZOO WILL YOU TELL MY IN-LAWS I TRIED TO CAME VISIT AND WE MISS THEM. LOVE RUSS THERE OVER WITH THE DONKEY

Phoenix heat is a bit much. Plan ahead and go early in the morning due to so much activity that you can't cover in a couple hours. Food and drinks allowed. They rent strollers which is a big plus. My kids loved their experience.

Love the zoo, go early. It's the best time to see the animals.

We ve visited numerous zoos and this is one of the best designed & worth visiting.