The Zoo was pretty cool, however a lot of the attractions were closed on Weds when I went, so didnt really get to enjoy the full experience. However staff were very friendly and very knowledgeable. I am going to go back on another day so I can get the full experience.
I had so much fun here! I loved the beautiful gArdens that surround all the animal displays. There was so much to learn. I really liked the African exhibition. My only thing is that I just wish the animal enclosures were bigger. I've definitely seen better living conditions for animals at other zoo's.
Parking can be a challenge. There are a number of lots and at times they are all full. And this is Seattle... street parking in a neighborhood? Forget it. But once inside it was great! Even on a crowded day there is plenty of room. There are new features. Lots of clean restrooms. Many benches to pause and rest while munching a bag lunch. Even a decent food court if you don't bring your own. Would have given it five stars, except the parking has been an issue for years and they refuse to do anything. Seattle just isn't a car friendly place, so they probably never will...
This is a zoo that you might imagine of. Nothing short of if you go here right imung of the year. Winter visit might not be a good idea.
Highly recommended Zoo! Easily to spend whole day! Unforgettable for adults and kids place, even when it's raining. Natural vast spaces, variety of species's make this Zoo interesting for everyone. Parking lot is huge, costs 6$ now. All information about events and tickets you can find on the zoo website.
A perfectly sized zoo to see just about everything in an afternoon. Not too crowded, even on memorial day. The only problem was finding a parking spot which took over 5 minutes.
I've never been there because of the concerts happening every summer weekend. I think it's cruel to turn on loud blasting music right next to the animals. It must be real torture for them. The management should find another place of venue.
Zoo Tunes into September is too much. It's Sunday, school kids are in bed (it's almost 9:00) and the noise from the zoo is obnoxious.
Yes, it's profitable, but is it good for the animals? Is it thoughtful of zoo neighbors? Of course not. Is zoo management aware of these problems? Of course they are!
Shut down zoo tunes in August at the very least. Shut it down completely if you're concerned about the animals you care so much about.
Many new types of animals including baby rhinos, snow leopard, and a butterfly house. They also have award winning facilities and multiple aviaries. If you'd like, you can visit at certain times to see feeding of certain animals. Definitely worth a day trip if in the area.
Some fun for kids in Seattle with all kinds of animals,it's little bigger to walk all the park
Its pretty cool like 7 of the animals arnt there and i wouldnt recommend going mid day the animals are sleeping alot in early day
Great zoo with lots of exhibits. Quite large and you will probably spend at least 2 hours there if you look at everything.
Nice place. Zoo created within natural beauty without affecting surroundings. Volunteers are very friendly and helpful.
A place you can enjoy with your family!
beautiful zoo! It is super large, has many animals of all types are divided into continents. The animals are looked after and clean. There are small shops and restaurants. the entrance is a bit expensive but it is worth the price.
Had a great time at the zoo with the kids (5 & 2.5 yo)! There are plenty of play structures spread throughout the zoo that they thoroughly enjoyed. We were there for 6 hours and didn't get through all of the exhibits, so we will definitely need to make a return trip.
32$ for 1 1/2 meals! Half the animals were unavailable to see, favorites no longer there. Big up on learning now which is nice. Loved the butterfly place!
The animals felt like they were at arms reach. Beautiful zoo!
All of the animals have good spaces and the staff was friendly and helpful.
Make sure all your party has the same cultural approach to timed entry.
Fun zoo. They are taking Covid-19 seriously and have employees setup at critical areas for crowd control and mask enforcement.
Huge and, even on a sunny day, not crowded. The map was dependable and the staff was respectful. The animals seem happy and clean.
Its a zoo! So of course its perfect. Over priced food! Take snacks and water!
Wonderful zoo! It s also cool to see the Northwest exhibit. It is different than other zoos. There are grizzly bears, elk, and wolves.
The zoo is amazing. I love the bear exhibit. It's beautiful and it looks comfortable and homey for the animals. This zoo's habitats make me feel like they really care about the animals and their conservation mission. We always go to the carousel, and are disappointed in the cost increase. Also, parking just went up.
Loved everything there very fun my 4 year old loves it
Great zoo, lots of different animals, all well cared for.
This zoo is just the right size! Strolling through the tree-covered paths is so pleasant that I sometimes go during non-busy days to just walk. The membership pays for itself. The Wildlights event during the holidays gets bigger and better every year.
Absolutely amazing! Beautiful animals and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
I love this place. It's fun for all ages, reasonably priced, and such a wonderful way to get kids curious and interested in the natural world. They also have great seasonal events.
Takes about 3 hours to see everything. 6 dollars for parking. If you like shows and interactions, go early, most are around 11am.
A great place to visit. I enjoy seeing the animals every few years.
Beautiful, green forested zoo with clearly demarcated areas for various land and water animals as well as birds, signage boards put up all around the park, restrooms and drinking water, stroller parking also available throughout the route. Snacks and souvenirs can be purchased from the zoo stores at every gate. Paid parking available outside. Fun place for a day outing with kids, family and friends.
The zoo was awesome. WILD LANTERNS was really cool we.had lots of fun
Had fun. Good company & kids all enjoyed themselves.
The family passport membership is worth it. We have a flex adult, named adult and 1 child membership as the other 2 are young enough to be free.
Nice weekends mean tight parking. So, if you get there within an hour of opening parking in the close lots is easy.
The carousel is about 3$ a ride (you can prepurchase at membership or guest services) parents can ride free with younger kids and is always a hit. There are 2 main kids play area, Discovery Habitat and Zoomasium. The first is an outdoor play area and the latter is indoor which is nice during winter months or cooler days. Planning your trip (with kids) to include playtime towards the end is a good idea.
The exhibits are static as compared to point defiance zoo and point defiance has a better outdoor kid area as it includes several animal exhibits. However, they don't have a good indoor run around area like woodland.
There are several close up encounters at Woodland and feeding options (penguin, giraffes, birds, and rhino). Woodland has a lot of good viewing options and if you consult the board by the west entrance you can see all the days' activities.
2 main eateries are Gather and Graze ( was the chowder house) and the pavillion (by zoomasium). South entrance also has an eating option (it's more of a coffee shop).
There are 2 different outdoor animal encounter/show areas. The bird one gets closed soon after starting so be on time to that one.
Some exhibits sections are more interactive than others.
African Savanna has a lot of different animals to see and kids can play in the village. New baby giraffe born 2019
Temperate forest: family farm has a petting area with goats and sheep most days, but you can pet through the fences anytime. There is also a small play garden and tractor.
The bug zone is a small walkthrough with a peekaboo hole for kids
Up the hill and through the birds area there is a large pond you can feed some birds through a feeding station
Tropical Rainforest has a close up with birds in their aviary. The building circles back to stroller parking.
Tropical Aisa is close by with a small play area near the river otters. And is split into 2 parts. The one fed from the rainforest does not have the rhinos
Tropical Aisa part II has the rhinos and large pavillion for eating and running around. There are rhino encounters (consult the schedule)
Australiasia has the bird feeding area ($3 a stick or 3 for $5) and a kangaroo wallaby viewing area. Sometimes you can see a baby tail out of the pouch.
Northern Trail has a video area inside the Tundra area near the bears. And in 2019 the otter Valkyrie gave birth to some baby otters.
Komodo Dragons and adaptations have small play areas on either end of the building.
Butterflies are seasonal generally May to Fall
I'm sure I've left things out. To see everything as adult plan for 3 to 4 hours with kids I've never done it all in 1 day.
Parking is 7 dollars plus tax
My sister on a whim decided to come over from the east side of the state. Bringing with her purse mom and her husband and their 2yr old twin girls. None of us thought of buying tickets ahead of time online... well we ended up having to wait 2hrs because of covid19. Only so many people are let in at a time, so tickets are available at certain times throughout the day.
Unfortunately it was raining, but even so, most displays and enclosures were closed. Been there a few years ago and excellent. Now, wouldn't bother.
One of my favorite places as a kid, and now one of my favorite places as a treat for my kids. However sometimes certain animals you hope to see aren't in sight so plan for that.
The souvenir shop is alright. In my opinion the stuff they sell directed to kids especially the stuffed animals are subpar. Ive seen better and more detailed stuffed animals offered at Bridge's Pet Store in Snohomish for less. My husband did buy an awesome charcoal water purifier glass bottle that we use daily though.
The Zoo was a lot of fun! I'm from San Diego so we have a pretty good Zoo to beat bit this zoo was a lot of fun plus its included in the CITY PASS which I recommend if your visiting Seattle. But pretty cool they have this little baby giraffe. I would recomend you plan out 3-4hrs to see everything. Its not the biggest zoo but will take time to see everything! Thanks Woodland!!!
Cute zoo at a great price! All ways a fun time for the family
Great experience for the family, didn't see alot of the animals late in the evening.
Really big beautiful enclosures compared to most zoos like Tacoma and the animals look happy. I'm still waiting for the reptile house to reopen though.
Lazy lions. So much fun with the family. We spend the whole day here and love it. The food is just ok and expensive.
Great place to take your family, a lot of different animals and great workers, would definitely recommend
I love this Zoo. It is such a great place to take your children. So many things to do. You can spend the whole day here.
Took my son here it s a nice zoo really wish we could ve checked all the animals out but we will be back to cover everything in our next visit. My son enjoyed himself and the map
First Time there it was very nice most of the wildlife was on display.
brought the kids here and all of us had a great time. the exhibits were awesome and the staff here are fantastic
Lots of cool animals, perfect place to bring the little ones. The only reason I couldn't give it five stars is because there aren't very many bathrooms, and the ones there are have NO heating
It definitely a great place for family and friends to go to. The environment and how it organized is amazing. We don t go there every year, we keep it fresh to go there every the other year. Families have yearly membership is a great choice to save money and have a wonderful place to go.
The Zoo is so beautiful the trails in and out of exhibits. Nice looking Zoo. The Lion was the coolest animal to see.
I love this zoo. It's a good way to kill an afternoon with kids. There's always something fun to see and it's a wonderful place to go to have some much needed outdoor time.
Wonderful zoo. Toddler loved it. The giraffe feeding experience was wonderful.
Excellent zoo with great enclosures and knowledgeable staff. Parking can be tricky at times because there is limited room and the lots are split across the different sides of the zoo. Many special events during the year. Family pass pays for itself with just a couple of visits.
Woodland Park Rose Garden, one of best free things Seattle has to offer
Amazing zoo, Has restrooms make sure you go before you start your walk. The rainforest is so realistic. No more elephants . Safari zone is awsome and the parrot zone is amazing $2 for stick feeders. Warning birds will fly towards you and sit on your hand so they can eat. Just a heads up. Awesome experience for the little bird lovers. A must go to. There is a carousel ride also purchase ride when you purchase tickets.
Animals are usually sleeping. Not much really happens but I mean if I was a zoo animal being kept in a box for that long I'd be sleeping too. Still had fun though.
By far one of the best zoos around! They do such an amazing job caring for and protecting these animals the zookeepers and the volunteers are all so knowledgeable and amazing. Every visit is a wonderful and educational experience. Zoos get such bad rap but I feel anyone who dislikes the idea of a zoo just needs to visit this one and take a tour or talk with a volunteer if you love animals then you'll see why zoos especially this one are good and not bad.
I took my Grandson Elliott to the lantern lights at the zoo for his 2nd birthday. He was in awe, just as we all were! It was definitely a memorable experience. The lit up animals and plants were just spectacular! We loved it, and it definitely made a little boy very happy! Thank you!
I can't wait to come back. This is a zoo that's responsible with their animals, and truly cares about their wellbeing. I love it here.
We visited on a sunny fall day with family and took our time to visit every animal display. The photo set ups are fun. The rhinos were.nice to see and we got to feed Dave, the giraffe.
Nice and amazing zoo. They have protocols for Covid - 19.
Always have a blast with the family here! Highly recommend!
It is a large zoo with animals from all over the world. My son enjoyed seeing Humboldt penguins and my daughter likes tigers. They had a wonderful afternoon at the zoo and slept very well at night. DO NOT buy rainbow ice-cream cone. It is terrible. We threw them after the first bite. The popcorn is half meter long. We could not finish half of it. :)
Such a great place to visit. Probably been here with the kids 20-30 times and I'd go again next weekend. They've done such a great job with the exhibits and the animals are loved and well taken care of. Great variety of wildlife. Fantastic areas for the kids to play. Plan on spending 1-3 hours here.
Great variety of exhibits. I loved how the landscaping and nature trails between exhibits aligned with the style of the exhibits (rainforest, temperate forest, etc). It made traveling between exhibits a pleasant experience.
Between times tickets and one-way pathing, it made for a smooth visit with hardly any crowding.
I haven't been to very many zoos in my life but I would say this one is too tier. Great view of many of the animals. Close up experiences with 3 aviaries with birds just flying around you. See attached map for animals that are in this zoo.
It's hard to do this zoo in just one day. The yellow loop (on the map) is one mile and you will probably end up walking closer to 2 miles because you can't just walk around the main loop.
They have extra experiences with the animals at certain hours of the day. You can look these times up on their website. For example there is an opportunity to feed a rhino but it costs 10 dollars extra. And you will have to wait in line. But it's a great photo opportunity.
There is a zoo cafe with some food. A little expensive but decent. See photo for food prices as of Oct 2019.
Good zoo with lots of rare animals like Penguins, RHINO, Gorillaz.Very good outing with kids
Great little zoo. Very clean. Easy way to spend 3-4 hours visiting all the exhibits. Go before lunch if possible, animals will be active. The tiger and bear feedings were cool.
Where did all the animals go? Saw 1 tiger, when there used to be at least 3. Saw 1 male lion who used to be surrounded by females. A handful of penguin. Was everyone on vacation?
Love visiting this zoo. Especially zoomazium (indoor playground), all outdoor playgrounds and the farm are fun.
Cafe food is decent.
The wife and I have been here twice and we really enjoyed both trips. Very enjoyable atmosphere. Good variety of animals, no elephants at this time. (one of our favorites) A little pricey compared to others zoo's we have been to, but it felt worth it when we left.
Love this zoo! Super big, a lot of different animals and a lot of open cages and shows. Only bad thing is that it is pretty expensive and sometimes very crowded.
Though I am often conflicted about zoo's, this one seems to be a fine specimen.
Really good, just be prepared, good shoes for long walks and snaks.
Most of the animals were asleep by the time I got there. They probably should offer more indoor activities or some kind of option for this situation
Beautifully maintained and organized zoo with different animals to see including leopard and gorillas. There is a nice food place too. Great place to come for a family day out.
A lot to see, great for a whole day to spend. Make sure you have enough time to enjoy this place in full .
Awesome! Clean, well made paths, helpful volunteers and there's always something going on.
Woodland Park is one of my favorite zoos. I am an avid bird photographer and I am amazed at how many avian species they have on display. The exhibits are roomy and the birds are easy to find and recognize. Signage is informative with photos and facts. Furthermore, several of the exhibits are freeroaming. You can literally be in the middle of the birds flying around you. There are tropical birds, northern birds, and local birds that you get to see.
Willawong station is a fun hands-on experience for kids and adults alike. You can hand-feed birds and see them around you. The "Flights, camera, action" is a fun little family show with birds-of-prey ambassadors.
My favorite experience is the Steller's Sea Eagle exhibit, which lets you see the massive birds up close. The birds have always been visible and I've gotten some gorgeous photos.
Great zoo both for a casual zoo-goer or a family, or for an experienced birdwatcher like myself.
Zoo was very fun. Most animals were available to see. Easy to find, parking was a breeze on site. Layout of the exibits needs improvement. Doesn't flow very well, lots of backtracking. Bring comfortable walking shoes
Went on sat using my quest card took my daughter grand daughter and hubby only way we could of afforded it Had a good time. Only thing I wish was there were more signs where some of the animals were to find them easier Hope you offer this again Thank you
We enjoy seeing all the animals. Love how they have various things for kids to climb on throughout the zoo. Wish they had elephants.
My son and I spent the whole day there. So many different animals. I love the setout of the zoo and it was easy to get around. Plenty of places to sit and rest and food kiosks accessible throughout the zoo.
I think this zoo is great!
I buy a yearly pass to take our grandchildren. If you have little ones, check out the Zoomazium, an indoor play area that is pretty amazing. Kids up to age 8 can play here. There is a toddler area also.
There is a food pavillion with good food choices, espresso bar with pastries and satellite food spots around the zoo.
The only downside is that due to the spacious areas and dens that many of the animals have, sometimes they can't be seen. That can be frustrating.
There are two gift shops. One is located at the south entrance and one at the west entrance.
There is a beautiful vintage Carousel also.
During the summer there are concerts.
There are three parking lots that you have to pay to stay. They are located on the north, west and south sides of the zoo. If you come early you can find free parking on the west side of the Zoo located on Phinney Ridge Avenue.
There is a beautiful Rose garden located just outside the south entrance.
They have a nice display of Christmas lights during the holiday season. Zoolights is accessible through the west entrance only.
They have rentals available at guest services inside each entrance.
*(Must leave a $200 refundable deposit and valid driver's license; 18 years and older or 16 years with parent/guardian permission. 400-pound weight limit.)
Zoo hours:
May 1- Sept 30
Open 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
October 1 - April 30
Open 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The zoo is open daily except Christmas Day, December 25.
Admission prices:
Discount for persons with disabilities: $2 off regular admission
The Woodland Park Zoo is a popular destination for animal lovers and families in Seattle, Washington. The zoo is home to over 1,000 animals from around the world, including endangered species like snow leopards, red pandas, and gorillas. With its commitment to conservation and education, the Woodland Park Zoo offers visitors a unique opportunity to learn about wildlife while enjoying a fun day out.
One of the things that sets the Woodland Park Zoo apart from other zoos is its focus on animal welfare. The zoo's staff works tirelessly to ensure that all of its animals are healthy and happy. This includes providing them with spacious habitats that mimic their natural environments as closely as possible. For example, the zoo's African Savanna exhibit features wide-open spaces where giraffes can roam freely alongside zebras and ostriches.
In addition to providing a great experience for visitors, the Woodland Park Zoo also plays an important role in conservation efforts around the world. The zoo partners with organizations like Panthera and Save the Elephants to protect endangered species in their natural habitats. It also participates in breeding programs for threatened species like red wolves and Oregon spotted frogs.
When you visit the Woodland Park Zoo, you'll have plenty of opportunities to learn about these conservation efforts firsthand. The zoo offers a variety of educational programs for visitors of all ages, including behind-the-scenes tours and animal encounters. You can even sign up for overnight camping experiences where you'll get an up-close look at some of your favorite animals.
Of course, no trip to the Woodland Park Zoo would be complete without seeing some of its most famous residents up close! From majestic lions to playful otters, there's something for everyone at this amazing attraction. Be sure not to miss highlights like:
- The Tropical Rain Forest exhibit: This immersive exhibit takes you deep into a lush rainforest environment filled with exotic birds, monkeys, sloths and more.
- Zoomazium: Designed especially for kids aged 8 years old or younger this indoor play space encourages children’s curiosity through imaginative play.
- Northern Trail: Here you will find grizzly bears playing together or swimming in their pool; river otters frolicking; snowy owls perched on branches; Steller’s sea eagles soaring overhead; harbor seals sunning themselves on rocks.
- African Savanna: A large open area where giraffes roam free alongside zebras & ostriches
Overall if you're looking for an unforgettable day out that combines fun with education then look no further than Seattle's own Woodland Park Zoo!
zoo.org
