Utah's Hogle Zoo Reviews

Love it. Train ride is kinda a waste besides seeing a donkey lol need to display the big cats better but other than that I love this place :-)

pretty disappointed with this zoo. I am echoing what a lot of others had said in these main points:

The animals are depressed. They do not have nearly enough space compared to so many other AZA zoos which I have visited. The only animals that did not look depressed were the sea lions and otters. Their facilities are... okay? and I felt bad for most of the animals. A lot of exhibits also had little to no enrichment. Worst of all was that in March (45 degrees) THE AFRICAN ANIMALS WERE OUTSIDE?? They were so obviously cold and clearly evolution did not lead them to be able to adapt to cold weather. They looked the most depressed of all. Most AZA zoos keep their warmer climate animals inside until it is averaging at least 65 degrees. African animals also didn't have an ounce of grass/savannah and were rolling in mud (zebras, lions, elephants, etc.)... so sad.

Management and customer service is awful. I was in a very good mood before I made my phone call to be told by a rude receptionist (Jane or Jade maybe?) that my out of state AZA membership from another zoo isn't good. I would have to go in person to try and buy a ticket which is impossible since you have to reserve tickets?? It is really scummy not to mention this zoo is a lot more expensive than other WAY NICER AZA zoos in pricier areas (at least in terms of memberships... oh yeah, and visiting the zoo during zoo lights isn't included with a membership for no reason?)

The facilities are sad. This zoo clearly is smaller than other zoos but it is still way too cramped and crowded even during COVID when there is a "limited capacity" of people allowed in. Walkways are narrow and animal habitats are shabby. oh yeah, and every single hand sanitizer dispenser was empty, but plenty of social distancing signs (that everyone ignored and the staff did not enforce) to keep the COVID away!

I have never been to a zoo and felt disappointed and sorry for most of the animals there until Hogle zoo. I would not recommend wasting your money here. Honestly have no idea who gave them AZA accreditation.

I recommend the Aquarium in Draper instead. Much nicer.

We had a wonderful experience with all the animals there. They were healthy and active. I felt like a little kid as we saw Lions and tigers and bears (oh my!). We watched the feeding of the seals and sea lions and we're able at everything they could do. We ended the experience with a carousel ride and then a short train ride. Go visit the zoo!

It was snowing and place felt closed. Masks are an issue with my asthma so I recommend waiting if your in the same boat

Wonderful safety measures for COVID, not terribly busy either. Most likely due to said safety concerns lots of places are still waiting to open up. Had a great morning with the family!

They make you wear a mask in an outdoor zoo. This place is a joke.

The zoo is awesome, although I thought it would be bigger.

I love seeing all the changes and care put into the animals who call this place their home.

Large zoo. With lots of animals. The zoo has been working for the past 10 to reduce their exhibits. The zoo is very updated and has really nice facilities and places for kids to play.

The animal and people environments are better than ever. Big investment has been done to make it better for everyone.

The lights were neat, and they have good hot cocoa, 10/10

Great family fun but I think they need more Water sprayers

It is an amazing place to go with friends or family. The later in the day the more animals you see.

So.. $30 to get my 3 yr old and me into the Zoo today.. That's just to get thru the doors.. Let's not even talk about the train ride or carousal rides which of course aren't included, along with the ludicrous gift shop and food prices. And the food...not good.

Capitalism at it's finest folks!..

Let's turn what used to be an reasonable way to spend time with family here in UT into a full blown corporate money wheel.

Gross..

Awesome zoo!! The keepers and explorers are phenomenal with customer service, they take time to listen and explain in-depth about the animals and there habitat and all about there great conservation initiatives as well , love taking the kids there and proud to have this clean modernized zoo here in our state !

Hogle Zoo never disappoints. They have great exhibits and have done an amazing job at creating a fun experience while encouraging social distancing.

It was ok. It's a pretty small zoo for such a big city.

I've always loved the zoo! I've been here a handful of times. I went to zoolights for the first time last night. It was so fun! Being in the zoo at night was a whole different experience. We even got pictures with Santa. They're were 10 people in my group ages 11-45 and everyone had a great time!

Hogle Zoo is a pretty nice zoo, although it s fairly small for a city of Salt Lake s size. I used to go here a lot when I was little and really liked it but they have done a ton of work since then to make it nicer. The buildings are nice and kept clean, and there are good animals to see here.

It is often extremely crowded and parking is kind of a disaster, but if you are good with dealing with the crowds, it s a nice place.

Occasionally they do an event called Zoo Brew that is only for adults and they serve alcohol at different areas within the zoo. I have done this a couple times and I think it s pretty fun. It s also very crowded and the lines for alcohol are pretty insane, but it s still a good time

Did my daughters birthday party here today and had a great time. Animals are so much more active this time of the year.

It's a good size, we were able to see (almost) everything before my toddler got fussy. We didn't buy any food, but the drinks were really expensive.

We love Hoagle Zoo! I grew up in Northern Utah and have been enjoying this Utah treasure since as far back as I can remember. They are always adding something new or changing exhibits so it always feels like a different place. There are tons of photo ops for kids and family like the many statues around the zoo. Every visit the animals appear clean and well taken care of. The gift shop and souvineer shopping is massive. They have a carousel and a train! Many restrooms and drinking fountains which are a must with young kids along. The only thing I get a bit sad about is that years and years back they had a wax machine that you could watch mold you the shape of an animal. There are buildings and covered areas if you want to escape the weather and still see the critters from. Our favorite was the polar bear, he swam with a ball the whole time and it was adorable. My youngest loved the new splash pad playground area, it helped lots with the heat of the summer!

It's a great place to spend time with family and loved ones, 4 stars because of parking access isn't so great. Many folks come here and parking shouldn't be something that holds them back from going in. After all it is quite a ways to travel to get there.

Who doesn't love the zoo?! Animals are well cared for and caretakers will answer all the millions of repeated questions without getting frustrated.

I have been in the zoo area for over a decade so I have spent the day at the hogal zoo many times. It is a great place to take the kids on days the normal "go to's" just won't cut it and keep everyone happy and smiling or as a family friendly outdoor activity everyone can enjoy at any age, with either the family you are born into, the family that you get to pick or the one that picks you.

The 1-day admission cost per patron and age is more expensive than I like to pay but that's just me and my old-school belief that "anything over $4-7 is steep and there should be a coupon for that" hahahaha! It is definitely a better deal to purchase whichever 1 year membership option that fits your needs if you are a local and make the zoo a monthly family adventure... Time spent and memories made with your people is what life is all about and worth way more than any dollar amount every time!!!

I came here as a kid and so I didn t expect much. But it s so much better now. I actually bought a season pass because it s such a nice place to walk around now.

The Hogle Zoo is amazing. The remodel and animal additions were awesome. My son got to sit inches away from a full grown male lion, even being able to compare hand sizes and see the color in the lion's eyes! The special of the day at the restaurant was world class and worth the visit alone.

Such an awesome zoo! So many opportunities to get close to the beautiful animals!

Always fun activities for the kids and open throughout the year !

Another wonderful day at Hoogle Zoo!!
Great fun with my grandkids!!!

We were sad not to see more, but definitely understood! (Hello, winter...). We were lucky enough to catch some of the lights for zoo lights as we left!

The zoo is a great place to take the whole family out. My only quarrel with with Zoo is the cost. It is so expensive to take even yourself out to the Zoo let alone your entire family. Though the cost continues to rise their quality and experiences offered climbs also. The Zoo we have today is leaps and bounds ahead of the Zoo we once had 10 years ago.

Reasonably priced admission, and has an example of every animal you would like to see. The reptile house was our favorite part of the zoo. It also has plenty of bathrooms and even a nursing mother's room near the main entrance. My only complaint is that the leopard was pacing a lot and seemed very bored.

Great zoo. All the animals are easy to see and very active. Plenty of shade while walking around. We love this zoo.

Fun for the family. Great exhibits and good selection of animals. We wish they would tell you what animals were not out on the website or at least the front gate, though. The lions were out when we went and my son was disappointed.

I think this place is bit pricey compared to the space they maintain inside!

Love all the animals they are so adorable. Great price and great place to go with your family and friends. I brought my camera with me and took some photos I'll post them as soon as possible. I would definitely come again! Never boring.

My kids always love going to the zoo and seeing the animals. Most animals are usually quite lively. The train ride and carousel are really fun for the young ones.

I'm impressed by how many improvements they have made some I've last been there. There seems to be a lot of newer habitats there for the animals.

Such a great place to relax and enjoy the beautiful animals.

We love the zoo! Such a great place for families of all ages. My favorite animals they have are the seals and sea lions. Make sure you go up behind Asian Highlands to catch a glimpse of the big cats hiding!

Great place its so fun and great for children to learn and explore

It is very cute and I was able to go for Christmas and the lights they turn on at night They are beautiful, although most of the animals are resting, but it is a nice experience and there is a great variety of animals.
I was able to buy a portrait holder, since I love the memories that are very local; and I loved it.
There is also a little place to shop and it's rich .
If you go in winter time; It is very warm, since it is too cold, but it is because of the freezing wind. ......

Amazing animals and staff! If I could give this 6 stars I would. 10/10 recommend!

Went to the zoo lights. There are plenty of places to stop in and get warm at. Wasn't expecting to see any animals but saw sea lions, lynx, and tigers. Could easily spend 2 hours looking at the lights and getting something to eat.

Better than expected experience. Kids really enjoyed the animals and the giant bug statues they had throughout the zoo. I really enjoyed that despite the 100 degree weather, the park has a number of mature trees that provided shade through the majority of the walking paths. They also had fans and mist lines periodically that kept us all cooler than I had expected. Kids also loved the carousel and the playground area. Overall, came away with a better than expected experience that all enjoyed!

It's a great zoo for being in Utah. They've made some really nice additions and improvements over the last several years. We love the red pandas they just added! They offer a couple free zoo days in the Winter, which is pretty awesome! The bird show is really fun. Be prepared, the Reptile exhibit smells, and it's worse in the summer. So if you are pregnant or easily nauseated, skip it. Though they do have some really beautiful snakes in there! My boys love it!
It's definitely worth the visit

Nice local zoo, easy to spend 1-3 hours there. Going in the morning is best before the animals start their summer heat siestas.

The zoo sucked for my Grandkids first time not too many animals and the wart hog they are advertising was not even there lil kids hope gone and to spend that type of money and they close at 6pm really before it would take all day now like i said no hippos gaters snakes what....am I really paying for ...

I haven't been to the zoo since I was young it's nice to see that they have made several upgrades

Always a great place! I purchase an annual membership and we all go st least 15 times a year! Each season brings something different!

It's a fine zoo but it's not very big. It gets old after a few times.

love this zoo. animals look happy, they are easy to see, lots of great exhibits.

Beautiful zoo with a great staff and breathtaking animals. This zoo contains white tigers, great apes, polar bears and so many more incredible animals.

My family loves Hogle Zoo. They have lots of animals from all over the world. Our favorite time is spring and fall. December has zoo lights where they decorate the zoo with lights and you can walk through them at night. Memberships are available and bring special privileges and discounts.

It was fun but since covid honestly it does not feel the same and was a little pricey for what we actually got to expierence, we could not see the baby gorilla because the line was so long and many exhibits were closed or the animals were not there not my best zoo expierence but I understand its complicated right now I would love to return again when things are back to normal

It's a fun place to visit every couple of years and when you have kids with you.

Red panda was adorable and polar bears fun to watch!

It was a nice expierience and covid rules were enforced. They also had nice staff.

Great little zoo with many different types of wildlife

It was fun for the family it was an awesome experience

I'm a season pass holder. I have been for years. It's a good place to take kids, just walk and explore. They have many adults only events like zoo brew that is a hoot. Overall it's worth a visit if you enjoy animals and learning about nature. Every visit is different.

Nice place, sanitized and a lot of space to practice social distancing, kids and adults love it.Animals look healthy!

The polar bears playing is pretty awesome, but even they are ashamed of the poor food and drink selection.

Very nice place; nice improvement. It has been 20 yrs since I have been there. I just think the price is a bit much! Probably be another 20 yrs till I go there again.

Was good zoo. Small but good area for animals and great bird show.