The Woodland Park Zoo Review

Worth a trip if you're visiting Seattle. Admission is reasonable. Zoo was very clean. It takes a good 3 hours at least to take a look at everything but is worth the time it takes! Unfortunately part of the zoo was closed due to damage whenever I visited in early 2017, so we weren't able to see the entire thing, but I enjoyed my time and will be returning in the future. It's a good place to spend the day if you want to see all kinds of different animals from around the world!

// Edit as of September 2018 //
Went back this year to get some more pictures and experience the parts of the zoo that I wasn't able to in earlier 2017. The parts of the zoo that were closed off when I last visited I was able to see this time (namely the snow leopards). Still very clean, workers were all nice, and it was an overall enjoyable experience.

Pay for parking and zoo entrance fee. It's spendy but fun. It's best to go on a cooler day as the animals seem more likely when it's not too hot out.

Lovely place to see animals, get some drinks and lunch. Animal statues are beautiful too.

Best place to go on a hot day with your kids - it's really cool in the woods at the zoo!

Love how walking through the zoo is like walking trails. It's a really nice experience and the animals look really well cared for.

The Woodland Park Zoo is great! We caught tons of animal action today. The kids loved it! My son attended the Zooper Camp and had a wonderful time.

Big zoo with lots of animals to see. There's even a little kiddo indoor area for exploring when it's raining or too hot, or you just want to sit while they play a minute. Large grassed areas available too for picnics.

Even on a less than stellar weather day, the zoo is a great time for the family. Red panda kids were super playful and fun to watch.

Got a family pass so we can take all of the Grand Children for a year, 4 1/2 price adult's and 1 guest. Had a great day, perfect weather can't ask for a better visit! !!

Not a bad covid experience. Plenty to still do and see with minimal crowds. Food gets expensive so bring your own (especially water, which is only sold in small $4.50 cans). All the indoor areas are closed so go into it expecting only the base animal experience. Took my friend there and we still had a 4 hour enjoyable day.

We took our 3 kids yesterday, and they loved it. It was their first time going, and it was well worth the trip. A little expensive, but most zoos are. Definitely bring snacks and plan bathroom breaks for your little ones.

We went during an off season, but the kids and I really enjoyed it! Lots of birds! I enjoyed that ther peacocks were just meandering the trail.

Awesome place for kids to explore. Make sure you have min 3-4 hours to explore all the exhibits. My kid loved Tigers, Lions,snow Leopard, Jagaur and gorillas.

Even though we went while freezing outside it was worth the trip! The animals are great and the staff is super kind!

About 4hrs should be enough for this place to cover all or most exhibits. A decent variety of animals and plenty of birds to look at. Parking is packed. Good food court. Lots of birds. No, seriously, lots of birds.

It's the only zoo in Seattle, either you like it or you don't

Beautiful zoo. I think we went during nap time or something. Expansive enclosures, which is great. But it's really easy for even the biggest animals to find a hidden spot to snooze.

We booked through library in advance that saves entrance tickets , good customer service at entrance , map guide is must to collect at entry , Vast area , prepared to walk long day and enjoy thoroughly , cafe inside zoo, bird feeding was attractive , water bottle refill available , penguins was so beautiful, terrific dragon , too many good spots to take pics ,white wolves , zoo shop had beautiful collection to buy ,

We love the zoo! Bought memberships for years now we take advantage of tickets from the king county library or from gifts. Plan to spend the whole day and yes you can bring in your own snacks and drinks which helps keep little ones going.

An awesome & educational animal experience awaits :)

Not many animals to see,C19 is really hindering everything. Take the children, have a good time!

Much bigger than the Portland zoo, nice variety of animals and birds to learn about

Very wonderful experience. Perfect for families and dates

Perfect for a family outing! Lots of activities and information about the wildlife. One of my favorite places to spend the day!

You can wound but you can't kill. You can run, but you can't hide. To feed our children we hunt, to defend our territory we fight We prevail to live another day. Monkey Island, they may seem cuddly and cute, but if you invade their turf, they will fight back.

First time here and it's fantastic, my 13 month old loved it

Nice place, wonderful animals especially the red pandas but lacks handicap scooters/carts for seniors

It was just such a fantastic setting for an outdoor wedding and then reception in the Pavilion. The staff really worked hard to accommodate our production on a tight schedule since it's open to the public until 6.

Wonderful zoo; we have yearly passes and come here often.Indoor and outdoor exhibits offer variety regardless of weather. Zoomazium is excellent for 0-9 years and it's indoors.

Parking was really cramped and food was pretty awful. But the park is absolutely beautiful. Definitely will go back but bringing our own food

I really enjoyed this zoo. I have gone to San Diego zoo a number of times but I enjoyed this one more. The animals were easy to see and it was crazy overcrowded. My kids had a lot of fun. I was excited to see the baby giraffe and was so excited I forgot to take a picture.

This is the perfect day trip with kids of all ages. We went for Easter celebration and absolutely loved it. Great egg hunt, activities and animal viewing. I highly recommend this place with kids and the membership is totally worth it. They also offer many other activities for holidays and camps for kids.

This is the most wonderful and complete Safari Park I have seen and toured. Each Ecosystem is perfectly tailored to each species represented precisely.

Let me remind you, bring your walking legs, wear comfortable clothing and sneakers. Expect to spend the day there. We spent 4 and a half hours and I felt rushed and missed many of the exhibits.

There are many bathrooms through out the park, there is plenty of food to purchase and eat in the eating area.

This is by far the best and most positive family experience I have been part of.
Some of the residents will leave you breathless. We took tons of photos for show and tell.

Go early if you have little persons. Bring plenty of diapers, wipes, snacks and entertainment that will keep them quiet and engaged. The sights, smells and sounds are the whole reason we go there.

The Tropical exhibit is humid and soothing. Reminds me of Brazil or Puerto Rico. Smells and sounds like home. Worth mentioning, they actually have real Bamboo trees growing in the park. Unbelieveable!

There are Lions, Grizzlies, Hippos, Wolves, Leopards, Wolves, Elk, Eagles, Salmon, Zebras, aaaaw just imagine. Its there!

Besides the sights of Animals, Birds or Fish there are wonderful people looking at things just like you. Every ethnic background is represented. That makes it such more interesting. The sounds of other languages is truly an enchantment. The children yelling in excitement and the parents explaining what they are to them. The interaction is Magical.

With that said, come to this place. This Magical place and forget what is going on in the World presently. This is a place where Peace finds you.

One last observation. The Park is handicapped friendly and accessible. Plenty of Parking. You will not be disappointed. Bring your family, entertain friends, just go there and make memories.

Thank You to the friendly staff at Woodland Park Zoo. I moved here from Massachusetts just 2 weeks ago and we toured the park with our Daughter and Son and I am wicked impressed as we say in Massachusetts. "Wicked Pissah"

UR Simply the Best!

The La Salle family

Compact zoo in a beautiful forest setting. One of the nicest zoo's I have been to.

In town for the upcoming Easter. Hope we would have so much fun like the last.

Love the zoo, and this is some great albeit pricy parking!

Good surroundings, good variety, and the zoo is active in ecological preservation.

Overall a better than average zoo, with frequent shows and talks. They are also renovating some exhibits, so things should only get better.

Something new every time we go. Always clean and staff is helpful

We love the woodland Park zoo! The staff and volunteers are always helpful and informative and the park is always clean. As well it's clear the animals are very well cared for. We came on a holiday so it was really busy and the worst part of the experience was the crowds and dealing with other people, but that's never any fault of the zoo's.

Lots of fun! Great exhibits, although the gift shop could be priced better. Good ticket prices and speedy lines. My son who has autism had a great time and employees were very considerate of him.

Lots of trees and nature while you're walking around! We went early March, and it was sunny and cool (40 degrees). Almost no people were there and the animals were very active! One of the best Zoo's I've visited, would go again!

Staffs are very friendly and people were a masks and keeping thier social distance

Beautiful weather on a Sunday when I went. Biggest disappointment was the lack of animals. About half the exhibits were empty or the animals were missing. One zoo caretaker said they pride themselves in giving their animals a choice: places to hide from people, or being visible. I came to the zoo to see animals, not trees and bushes. It's not a learning experience for kids if they can't see the animals. Instead, I guess I'll use Google images...?

Very friendly staff willing to help. Directions were hard to follow. Mom and me day was fun, the inflatables were fun and a great energy relievers. Great idea. I liked the music too. We had fun!

What an amazing place. There are so many different environments and animals to explore. I appreciate that there are restroom stops frequently along the paths and several spots for snacks and refreshments. You need to definitely plan a full day here to really enjoy everything and not wear yourself out trying to hurry to get to everything.
They have several varieties of slushies at the snack area that are free refills, which was so nice for our family when we got hot & thirsty. We can't wait to go back.

The zoo has issues. They are always tearing something up or having a construction project going on etc. The zoo has no elephants, some of the exhibits are old. The new exhibits don't look appealing. The zoo needs an overhaul!!

We went on a rainy day (what's new here in the PNW) and it was awesome! No crowds, many of the animals were out, and my daughter had a fantastic time jumping in the muddy puddles! (We came prepared with rain boots and a Tuffo muddy buddy suit)

I wish that they still had there nocturnal place, but otherwise very fun and a great place to take your kids!

Best deal among the family attractions in Seattle. A family can easily spend a whole day on these expansive, well-kept grounds. There is enough to do and the food is reasonable enough for a lunch and/or mid-afternoon treat. Be sure to catch the raptor show, featuring showboating potbellied pigs! Parking can be a challenge on weekends, but be patient and be prepared to walk a little - - heck, you're going to a zoo ... so you're going to be doing a lot of walking!

Beautiful place to go with the family. It was a great time walking the zoo but we were disappointed not to have some animals my daughter so wanted to see (hippopotamus most especially) and said was gonna be back in spring. The map given on registering is helpful for those who can use it so well, we got lost several times before we came to using it so well. I feel they can get some more animals to be close to view like the Tiger (so far away and just 1 of it).
My daughter surely loved the Carousel that was cheap. The store is also a good place to get some animal character.

Getting to see the wild animal's is way cool , Thank You woodlandparkzoo

Too many people and parking was outrageous. Seemed like all the animals weren t even there. Rhino exhibit, no rhinos. There were several like that.

The Zoo Lights were very creative. The lights for the African savanna was fantastic. I loved the sounds and the synchronized lights were fantastic

It's a great zoo. Able to see most of the animals. Very clean, lots of bathrooms, and drink machines. They have wagons to pull the little ones around, you can bring in your own food which is always nice, lots of picnic tables and a huge food area with lots of choices. I enjoy coming to this zoo.

We just attended a kids bday party. Everybody had fun.

It's been a few years since we came here but now that it's been a long time I really wanted to come visit again..the weather was perfect at 74 degrees overcast we had some awesome shows by the animals on there own...we had fruit popsicles and clam chowder...I packed ppj and snacks and water so that was great..they were having a concert tonight so we got to listen to the bands practice as we walked around which was neat..we got free parking so that was a win!! If you park next to bear lot they have a huge park right before u enter we went after we were all done at zoo I visited the rose garden. Honestly cant wait til we go back to the Woodland Park Zoo .

Love this place. Little more walking than I'd like but still enjoy every time I go there

Always a treat. I only wish it was a nicer day when I went, it was somewhere around 93 and no breeze. They couldnt help that but yeah, animals seem relaxed and happy and the park is always clean and looking nice.

Had a wonderful day at the zoo the bears were very Happy and playful today.

False sense of animals in the wild. Tragic what we have done to this planet that we must force our inferior species ways upon the wilderness. Cage the humans and let the animals roam free. That would be the ideal zoo.

Fantastic zoo! My son always had an amazing time when we go. He loves to see all the animals. We have a membership so we can go whenever we want.

Great local little zoo. Can walk through it in a few hours. Great place to let the kids get tjei energy out.

Hands on experiences and all day fun.! Could go every week and see something new

Definitely a different experience due to Covid, but they do a great job to make it a good experience.

Been going here since I was grasshopper. Very nice zoo. I would bring back the train. That would be a hit.

Lots of room for kids to run and explore. Tons of immersive exhibits. It's a great zoo!

Bigger Zoo than I thought. Nice to see birds roam free. Like the red panda.

They seem to be taking solid steps for both the conservation of the animals as well as the well being for their patrons during these uncertain times

One of my favorite parks in Seattle. Close to Greenlake. Outdoor preschool kids have reported seeing owls, flickers, eagles and more.

Love this zoo, great variety of animals and very walkable for family's with strollers.

We love coming here. The animals have lots of space (which means sometimes we don't get to see each one). The walkways are wide, paved, and shaded. There are a couple places to eat (good food too). The kids love the animals and the indoor Discovery center. As well as the old fashioned carousel.

Well maintained zoo. Animals are kept in environment which closely matches their natural habitat. On a hot day its tough to see some wild creatures since they hide in shade. The vegetation is well distributed and organized. Just follow the map from any of the 8 entrance gates and you will be able to return to the same point after seeing everything. But some areas are confusing and you kind of return to an already seen section. Restrooms and cafes are located at multiple places. Parking is paid and limited in each gate so if one gate is filled, you will have to move to the next one. Best exhibits: Lions, bears, wildboar , penguins

One of the best Zoos I've been to! The whole park is super nice, easy to navigate around and fun for the whole family!

Great exhibits! Love the grizzlies at lunch time and the otters snuggled together.

This place is great. The Zoonasium for kids is particularly a big win for parents. The only catch here is the expensive and slow food experience.

Great Zoo. So many different animals. A lot closed during covid, but still a treat to go. They also have done a great job with social distancing. Nice day out to just relax.

Plenty of animals to see, easy to navigate grounds, friendly staff, and tasteful landscaping make Woodland Park Zoo a memorable experience for adults, kids, or anyone who appreciates animals and a walk in the park.
The admission was a little expensive, but not enough to keep me from coming again.
I do have to complain that the glass on a couple of exhibits was dirty and difficult to see through, especially at the penguin exhibit.

The Woodland Park Zoo was such a wonderful experience. The park is beautiful and the animals are in such a lush green environment. I have experienced many zoo's and by far this one is the best Zoo I have ever been to.

This zoo is very nice the staff are all very nice and helpful, they do things for kids like sing songs about the animals and such, and in the summer they do concerts and when you go to one or multiple you save animals which is awesome! and the concerts are fun just yesterday I went to see the lost 80's concert which had some awesome bands! they have a souvenir shop and some good places to eat and you get a map so you can get to the animals you wanna see which is nice, there's places to sit around the park, they also rent wheel chairs and wagons for the kids, they also have playgrounds for kids as well and a carousel. they do little shows that teach you about like different birds and other animals, and a petting zoo. you can get your face painted or get your picture drawn or taken as you walk in. I believe that's about it except that you can get annual passes and discounts, this zoo is an all around good zoo, Thanks again to the Woodland park zoo for all the awesome memories and good times you have given us. my family and I really appreciates you guys!

We had a lot of fun here. Go during the week if you can.

Big zoo...a lot of walking but fun and lots of exotic wildlife.

Lots of fun and some tasty snacks/food. The Rhinos are amazing. If anything go for the Rhinos

Nice display of some animals. Park does a good job trying to make them appear in their natural environment. Overall I enjoyed it, though my experience with zoos is quite limited

Nice city zoo. They have lots of volunteers to answer questions and quite a bit of space to walk around and enjoy the day. I felt they did an especially good job on the primate exhibits.

Do you like animals in cages? Do you like depressed animals in cages? Do you like children having meltdowns? If yes, this place is for you. If you don't, but have a toddler, this place is probably still for you. They have beer in the food hall by the thank God.

Absolutely freaking amazing!!!!! Highly highly highly recommend regardless how old you are. It s so so big park area and so much you could learn from different enclosures. Ticket is so cheap for its value. It s insane how well organized and well structured everything is. Staff is helpful and professional. The park is so big that we had to eat lunch there. Food is pretty good. Very happy experience.

The whole family had a great time. All the animals looked very well taken care of. They were beautiful.

Always loved visiting here. My my used to be a zookeeper!