Zoo Atlanta Review

The new exhibit area is great , you can view it almost all the way around, children friendly.

Love Zoo Atlanta. It has come so far from what it used to be. A great way to spend the day.

We decided to visit Zoo Atlanta after reading about so many positive experiences and really wanting to get our family out of the house. As previous reviews mention, masks are required and social distancing rules apply. Ultimately, we had an overall great experience. The animals were so beautiful and there are even animals I've never heard of. It was also interesting to read about how animals are treated in other parts of the world. The employees did a great job of sharing tid bits of information at each animal's habitat. We did purchase a stuffed animal from the gift shop and the arm fell off but other than that, we had a great time and would definitely visit in the future.

Loved the way they have it set up. Very organized. Loved the pandas!!!

Great time! The weather was perfect. The animals were out and active. The staff were polite and friendly. All areas were clean.

The zoo seems to be handling the pandemic well. I think the way they have it set up currently should become a permanent way for people to view. (Minus the mask) I understand the mask indoors, but I think it is a bit ridiculous outdoors. Other than that, great time!

Honestly, covid is a great time to visit the zoo. They have barriers everywhere to keep foot traffic moving in one direction which guarantees you'll see all of the animals in the zoo if you follow the path. Indoor areas are closed with a few exceptions but that's understandable. Good way to spend 3-4 hours of your day right now. Masks required, clean, food available.

Edit: forgot to mention, hand sanitizer stations EVERYWHERE and social distance boxes spray painted on the ground with plenty of employees there to enforce social distancing. I actually felt very safe being there during all of this covid stuff

My family loves this place. I take both my 2 sons here and it never gets old. Always a pleasant visit.

The Atlanta Zoo is amazing! Great animals and very friendly staff. We had a great time. The lions were so close in the close viewing area, it was amazing. We were amazed by the animals in the reptile and amphibian house. The zoo has plenty of shade, too.

My husband and I decided to take a trip to the zoo this past Saturday during our stay cation. The zoo did not disappoint. There is a wide variety of animals and exhibits that appeal to all. There were even several exhibits and animals that we have never seen before in other zoos which was a pleasant surprise. We look forward to visiting again in the future!!

Loved the place, fun place for family and kids. Light attractions are quite entertaining. Food zone is good as well, you can get variety of dishes and amusement park for kids.The landscape is beautiful in itself. Gaint panda was the big attraction and people loved watching him doing all his naughty and cute actions. You can also book special encounters and take exclusive sighting for you. The cages and sections are well maintained and animals can feel like home there as it has huge space inside,except the lions seem to be confined in a smaller area.Also there are few rare birds which are on the verge of extinction. African safari is now open and they have elephants and giraffes there. Though there cages doesn t look good and quite dry, I am sure they will improve it. Water bottles are real expensive so get your own water ther.

i love taking my sons here. youngest son is 12 and he still gets his kicks at the zoo...he looks just as excited in the face as when he was a youngin. i remember going to the world of reptiles when i was a youngin too. its changed now to the 'scaly slimy spectacular'. very modern and i have to say i like it more now than when i was small.

All kinds of animals are available and the workers are so friendly.

I've visited zoo's all over the world, Atlanta Zoo is so far the best I've seen. From the atmosphere to the enclosures and everything in between just absolutely fantastic. Most definitely worth the trip.

It had so much more potential, I wish the rhino was out, and sloth available. The inside shop and the train ride was closed. The splash park, the rock climbing, and the playground was closed. I do not feel I got the full experience.

It is just like your normal zoo, by a few extra things. They have this cool dome there with fish and stuff as well. It stinks in some places, but I think that is because of the animals.

I usually don't like zoos, but this zoo was really nice. I liked the selection of birds that they had. Their pandas are not the best, I have been to Memphis zoo, they had a really big panda that's worth seeing. They had a lot of gorillas, snakes, frogs, reptiles, turtles, and sea turtles. They also had a petting area for kids. The thing with zoos is that they cage the animals that were created to be free. The lions, tiger and elephants looked really sad, that part was really depressing. The parking lot for the zoo is small, so probably you have to find a parking either on the street or in the nearby residential area.

The company my S.O. works for had a family event at the zoo last weekend. It well organized by both the company & Zoo Atlana. Zoo Atlanta has some amazing, friendly staff! Walking around the zoo I noticed a few things right off the bat: it was very clean, there were lots of signs, & lots of zoo personnel. As we walked past the stands with toys, snacks, etc. I noticed that were no pushy sales people "showing off" toys to lure the kids over. It's a simple thing that was very appreciated by this Mama. The animals all seemed well cared for. Exhibits were appropriate for each animal, & nicely maintained. Many seemed to have areas that were a bit more private & out of view (both indoor & outdoor). That shows respect for the animals. Also, some of the exhibits are currently being worked on. I believe (well, hope) this is to improve the areas for the animals & their well being. I also noticed that a lot of these animals had back stories: some had been injured, some came from "exotic" pet owners, & others are there to help raise numbers for endangered species. Overall it was a great day, despite the heat. I hope that the Zoo continues to improve and grow, so we may all go see God's creatures, in a healthy non pitiful environment, so we can learn to respect wildlife and our environment more.

The new elephant exhibit is amazing! The rest of the zoo was great, as always. The big cats are my favorite, and even though they were all napping, I could clearly see them!

Such a fun time at the Atlanta zoo! The grounds are beautiful! Huge children s area!! The panda and gorilla exhibits were my favorites. There was a very nice docent who gave very god information about the gorillas and the brand new 2 day old baby! The bird show was also very entertaining. Had lunch at Nourish Cafe and the food was very good. All in all a super fun an education filled day!

Well done Atlanta zoo. Great job creating a safe experience with well organized pathways for social distancing and everyone's safety.

The parking is atrocious and you need to be aware that there is currently a lot of construction going on. The animal enclosures are adequate, but nothing special. The staff is what keeps this place going. The are friendly and knowledgeable.

The docents were lovely and shared alot of great information

What a wonderful little Zoo, perfect place to bring the kids especially during the hot summer months. Not only do they have a wonderful assortment of animals and educational attraction there are also numerous park/play areas as well as a splash pad area and high ropes course for the kids. The member family passes are very reasonably price especially with these kid friendly attractions !

The prices felt very artificially inflated more than they needed to be, every time I wanted a sip of water I either had to pay $3.25 for a water bottle or go thirsty. I understand the zoo has to make money but with the insane prices for the food and gift shops I can't imagine charging $1 or even $1.25 for water would hurt anything.

The Zoo was alright.... Didn't see as much animals like I would have loved to. Am in Love with the flamingos.

Small zoo, and I mean that as a compliment. Not having to walk miles and miles is great, especially when all the exhibits are very efficiently placed. Lots of shade is a big plus, too.

Because of winter some animals were in shelter but it would've been nice to have been told in the website

Zoo was ok but was expecting more for a large city zoo. Gorilla exhibit was great. Didn't see some animals because of construction.

Really nice zoo. Very clean and the exhibits were cool. Kids loved it and my daughter fell in love with Pandas

Good place for the kids
Just didnt get to see all the animals

Had a great, comfortable time at the zoo recently. All of the workers are so kind and welcoming. They are eager to share their knowledge and answer any questions about the animals they clearly love so much. I learned a lot on my trip thanks to them!

Beautiful day so many people had the same idea to visit Zoo Atlanta. NO parking, so we parked over 5 blocks away. The zoo boasts of over 1500 animals. Not sure where that figure comes from especially when many exhibits were closed. Facilities were clean and staff friendly.

Honestly, this was one of the best zoo experiences I ve had to date. I was so impressed with the way the Zoo is handling the pandemic and measures taken to keep their guests, staff and animals safe

The ticketed times and marked paths ensured easy flow from exhibit to exhibit while easily able to maintain social distance - it was actually fantastic as our little guy was able to easily view exhibits without the crowd!!

We had a wonderful time and can not wait to return, it was nice to feel a sense of normalcy and have a family outing during these uncertain times and I appreciate the Atlanta Zoo made that possible for us.

Felt rushed. Had to keep moving through exhibits. One way movement thru the zoo.

A weekday in late August was a great time to visit. Yes, a little hot but zero crowds. The new African Savannah area was really nice. We can't wait to see the zebras!

The staff seems really enthusiastic about the animals which is reassuring as the animals don't look particularly....robust is the gentlest way to put it. The layout of the facility on the other hand leaves a great deal to be desired. First the parking is pretty much just bad. In the 15 years I have been going to this zoo there has almost always been something under construction, the fact that they never thought to put a parking deck is curious to say the least. The one upside to the parking is that it is free. The other issue with park layout is that unlike most other zoo's I have been to the animal enclosures are either level, above or far too sharply deep to provide a good viewing angle particularly if you are bringing small children whom I assumed are the zoo's intended demographic. To put it plainly the animals are hard to see and what you do see is on the smallish size across species from the elephants to the lions. The gorillas are however the exception as they are quite large and majestic. The gorilla habitat is also quite well designed for viewing if not dangerously so. We were at one point a mere 20 feet from a giant gorilla separated by a waist high fence and a ditch. I felt myself hoping that there was some hidden security feature that we weren't aware of. It is certainly a nice walk in the park but nothing that will drop your jaw. If for no other reason than to help conserve threatened wildlife it is worth the visit.

Love the zoo! They are doing a significant renovation that should be completed soon (Late Summer 2019). My son loves going here and there are a variety of animals. They have a relatively new reptile facility with snakes, lizards, tortoises that is very nice! The price and membership is very reasonable so my family always gets one!

Took my now 2 yr old son for his birthday..he loved it!

Loved the new and updated surroundings for the animals. Friendly and helpful staff.

We love coming here, but we haven't walked so much of the zoo in years! COVID 19 Has really changed it. Instead of taking shortcuts to get to our favorite places, the paths are roped off. There is a clear one way path with lots of signs saying open, this way, exit only, etc. There are yellow markers to indicate stand here. Some areas require masks and have an attendant. I didn't see any options to go back to an area. It seems like they want you in and out, which helps with the turnaround, but it's not that great if you have to get to a restroom and skip some areas.

Currently, the main cafe is closed. The outdoor seating is split between in front of the cafe and under the pavilion. This is definitely a plus with little ones who like to run around. There are other places that are open. The gift shops have moved to outdoor venues and they sell masks in case you forgot one.

The playgrounds, merry-go-round, train and splash pad are closed currently. That's a huge factor when coming to the zoo.

Normally we spend about 2-2.5 hours there. We were only there for about an hour and a half.

I love the new elephant exhibit. I love the new baby gorilla. The variety of animals were great. I LOVE THE ZOO!!!!

This zoo is getting better all the time. The new Africa exhibit is great.

Nice exhibits! Easy to get around the zoo. They have a petting zoo with goats and sheep. You can feed the flamingos. They have a lot of activities throughout the day. There's a kids section for them to play. There's also a Tree Top adventure that's relatively cheap!

My family and I really enjoyed this zoo. They had all the animals kids know and love. What I really liked about this particular zoo was the amount of land these animals have to roam. A lot of zoos I have been to in the past made me feel sorry for the animals because they didn't have enough space. Zoo Atlanta has done a great job with making sure these animals have the land they need. We will definitely return again one day.

I always get the zoo membership because even if you don't come back, it pays for its self the first time. Also its tax deductible. Make sure you follow the schedules to see more fun and exciting things! When I come here I usually pack snacks, drinks, and some sandwiches for the kids. They also have a splash fountain so bring extra clothes, sunblock, and a towel!

Social distancing practices are very good and everyone had a great time. The animals seem very healthy and well cared for.

For the limited selection, this zoo was surprisingly crowded and busy. Before you even think of attending, check their website. There you'll find information on what exhibits and parking lots are closed. At least two exhibits were closed for remodel when I attended. That didn't leave a lot to see beyond snakes and turtles. We arrived shortly after opening and were finished before lunch. Be sure to arrive very early as parking is limited and fills very quickly. We were fortunate enough to find a parking spot on the edge of the lot. The park itself was kept clean and well-maintained. There are a few water fountains, though you have to look for them. Otherwise, be prepared to pay $2+ for bottled water. When all exhibits are full and if you attend the presentations/events, then the price may be worth it, otherwise, I'd wait.

Ok, with me being from Omaha, NEB.
I MUST say ANY zoo will pale in comparison to The Henry Dorley Zoo in Omaha.

The Atlanta zoo had many extras. A kid zone with water fountains that will be sure to cool you off after walking in this HOT August sun. They also have MANY sitting areas strategically placed for rest and shade. These were definitely a plus.

BUT their Rhino exhibit us under construction and coming in late fall.
Not only did we NOT see those but no giraffes nor zebras.
The map that each individual receives can be read simply.
They have a train and other activities for an extra fee.

Overall; it's NOT entirely big and we saw the entire zoo in three hours with our four year old.
The parking IS limited BUT free.
I believe the price should have and could have been less.
Our zoo in Omaha cost less with more to see.

This is our first and will be our last trip to this zoo.

Amazing zoo. The parking situation is the only reason for not giving 5 stars. One of the best reptile exhibits I've ever seen.

I loved this place. It was a very nice and neatly kept up zoo. I loved the animal enclosures and couldn't believe how close you got to some of the animals, like the lemurs. I would recommend this Zoo to anyone. I also loved the fact that the zoo admission was included in a city pass booklet. Being a tourist I loved that the zoo was included in the city pass booklet as it gave me options on where to visit while in Atlanta. Loved the zoo and would recommend it to anyone.

We had a good time and did a lot / saw a lot, but we defiantly picked a bad day to some up from Savannah, lol... The park closed early, there was Nothibg on the website about it and we were only able to do anything fun until 2:30, so that really ruined our day. :( Best suggestion I can make is to ALWAYS CALL before going and talk to a real person first and then make plans to go. :) Otherwise, we think it would have been a better first impression for us, so we will tray again layer in the year and hopefully update this review and the star rating... :)

Prices online are more expensive than in person (price + tax + online fee = more expensive than walk up). Parking is extremely limited and was full at 12p, be prepared to walk or take a Lyft. Enclosures were small, but you could see the animals. Bathrooms need to be updated, ones up front still have low flow hand dryers, and none have toilet seat liners. There aren't a lot of stalls. Be prepared to wait during peak season. Money is being funnelled into new attractions instead of updating current facilities. Food is what you'd expect, but you can bring in your own. No bag checks, or metal detectors.

I rated the zoo 3 Stars due to the ongoing construction work. I understand the construction is a move towards development and improvement, my experience that specific day was not the best due to the work. I must compliment the customer service I received at the diner I ate at. Top notch.

In spite of the social distance measures taken with crowd routing through the park Zoo Atlanta continues to be a wonderful place to spend the day!

Reserved a stomeslot around 2pm. Walked right on in. It was a great relaxed visit. From finding a parking spot to find something to eat and drink, on each corner someone was ready to help you out!

Even though it's a big city, it's a smallish zoo with just the right amount of animals. The giant pandas are amazing (only Atlanta and Washington DC Still have them in the US) and there's tons of views of every enclosure. One thing: either drink tons of water or find lots of shade. Atlanta is hot and the enclosures are mostly all outdoors.

A good place for kids. Some of the exhibits weren't available. It would be great if there was more briefing and labels on exhibits. Overall, it was a good place to spend a couple of hours.

Pretty small, most interesting exhibits were empty. Staff well informed on animals an location of things in the park. Very clean, well maintained, great customer service. Wish it was larger zoo.

Great Sunday outing. Just found out admission is free for veterans and active duty military. Pretty awesome. This was my first time going since I was a kid 20 or 30 years ago. Parking was absolutely terrible, but it is downtown, so that's to be expected...

Atlanta's Zoo is pretty well designed for a leisurely exploration of a lot of different species at a decent proximity to the path. During COVID-19, they've additionally done a good job of making a one-way trail with good masking rules, which makes it easy to explore almost any section of the zoo safely. There is a small train ride (diesel dressed up to look like steam) and a carousel which are both still open during the pandemic. I'll have to give five stars because it's hard to manage a zoo much better in normal or challenging times.

Just had to go and see their red panda! It was just before Christmas and they gave the animals presents, it was really fun. It's a great place to take your friends and see a plethora of unique creatures. Make sure you go when it's nice and cool out so the animals are out and active.

Not a lot of animals were out. But was good for our kids

Wonderful habitats. Animals are happy. Friendly, helpful staff and much care and thought put into safety, social distancing, repeated cleaning of surfaces and plenty of hand sanitizing dispensers.

Great facilities and exhibits. However, many of the children s activities require an additional fee. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful.

Not worth the $$. A lot of the exhibits were closed. Directions inside the zoo were unclear and parking spaces are tight.

The zoo was smaller than I thought it would be, but the layout is great! The exhibits are well built so you have a good view of the animals without them being crammed into small spaces. Lots of trees along the paths provide shade and an outdoorsy feel. The prices in the on-site restaurant were not bad either compared to similar places. I was also excited to get Dippin' Dots (my inner child loves them).

Still working, some sites are under construction nice place for going with your kids or friends

Absolutely loved this Zoo!!! The trees provide plenty of shade, being from Texas this is very important!! The exhibits are spacious and give plenty of room for everyone to view the wonderful animals. Zoo Atlanta has many animals that the San Antonio Zoo does not so my family and I loved the change of scenery! The pricing for drinks and food is about the same as any other zoo that I have been to. The staff is helpful and very nice. Thank you for the wonderful experience Zoo Atlanta!!

I am all for aquariums and zoological gardens. They are part of my vacation. They are what I book my vacations around unless it is outside of the continental United States.

Zoo Atlanta, I was impressed and underwhelmed at the same time. This only because they were doing construction and I couldn t see all my favorites. But what they did have was a state of the art reptile house that made me drool. Not all the species that you commonly see but well placed museum of living animals. This alone is worthy of me going back.

Well organized with signs directing traffic and social distancing. Their chicken tenders spot is amazing! Must get that food. The kids zone is awesome, however some parts closed due to Covid. Panda exhibit is a long line that moves quickly. Takes about 3.5 hours to get through everything, including sit down eating time.

Beautiful, clean, conservation based animal park. Never know you are in the city. Great food and drinks too. Free parking!!

Love the Christmas theme.There were many animals we saw up close.The pandas were up and eating bamboo.The red panda was hug cute and fluffy.All the animals were in clean environments and healthy.The chicken tenders and fries were delicious and very filling.There were many gifts to choose from.This is an awesome zoo even on a rainy day.We arrived at 1 and left at 5pm.

Thank you, Zoo Atlanta, for a wonderful experience at the zoo! We are repeat visitors, but we were very impressed by the upgrades (finished and in progress) that show commitment to the animals and the community you serve!! The animals appear healthy and happy and the habitats were lovely. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The grounds and facilities were clean with plenty of seating, rest areas, and concessions available. We also noticed the clear effort to educate visitors on conservation and encourage preservation of the blessing of these animals. My aunts (both in their 80s!) and my teenagers all enjoyed the visit. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

Its alot of walking but it was a blast seen things I've never heard of but I liked it would go back again

The staff are fantastically knowledgeable and fun. Great exhibits and real world conservation info. The animal encounters are top notch and a great opportunity to pick the brains of the keepers who care for them every day. Highly recommended!

Was a fun place for the whole family and plus they had a place for the kids altho they had to be 50 inches tall to get in or at least 4'2 ft the place for the kids was kinda like fritz if you ever been there the food was good too!!! And if things get hot you can go to the gift shop and get a motorized fan for 5.99 before taxs. Is highly educational and there is allways a bright happy face welling to help you at every turn.

Any zoo is a great place to learn about animals you'll only see in a book.

We had a great time at the Sippin Safari.. i loved the new giraffe enclosure..

We had a blast!! We fed the pandas... It was an amazing experience... Staff was very very knowledgeable!

Nice experience, even with the the time reservations. Take your time as you walk through because when you get to the exit it's over.

This was my family and I first time visiting the zoo. I purchased a City Pass which was well worth it. There are so many different animals. The children really enjoyed themselves.

One of my favorite places in the world. This zoo takes great care of their specimens and staff seem to really care. Great conservation efforts and I would love to be more involved myself with this great organization. I enjoy solo trips here on quiet weekdays to photograph the animals. One of the best orangutan exhibits you'll ever see. The zoo is very clean, but can get extremely crowded on weekends during peak times.

Constructive criticism: Your food is awful. I understand you have limited operating space and it's easy to make cheap/frozen food items, but you could really improve if you wanted to. I won't rate a zoo by its food selections, especially when you are allowed to bring your own outside food and snacks. However, you could benefit by putting a little more tlc into you quick service dining locations.

Today was perfect. Relaxing and adventures and entertaining for the kids. My 6 year old had blast on the rides , Rock climbing, train, play grounds, splash pad. My wife and 16 year old did a tree top trail. They had wonderful experience. If your a minor you will need a signature from a parent or guardian to participate. As long as you are 48 inches tall you can participate and younger children will need someone to participate with them. I saw children as young as 7 participating in the tree top trail.
The animals were out and moving around. Mid morning the animals become a bit lazy. So best time is early morning and evening for the zoo. Members get discounts. $9 for all day pass for rides mentioned above. Must be dry so if you play in water have a change of clothes. We also brought our cooler on wheels filled with ice and water, other drinks.
No glass .

My 4 yr old definitely loved it. We went during Halloween and we liked the Boo at the Zoo activities as well

Not the best zoo ever, but it was pretty good. Super hot when we went there, but there were water fountains everywhere. Friendly guides were stationed at most enclosures, helping to spot the elusive animals such as big cats. The pandas are adorable and make the trip worthwhile.

There Animals there we naver seen be for . There's panda bear's and red panda bear and there's nice people who work there.

The zoo was really nice and clean and staff were very kind. However the construction inside removed a few exhibits and also only one food truck inside and one small snack shop and maybe one small cafe. PARKING A NIGHTMARE. ... lot was full and people fighting over them. Parking on street available if busy time good luck.

I like being able to see the animals close and exhibits are setup very good. Nice variety. I would definitely visit again. I would recommend parking worst part honestly.

I went to the Atlanta Zoo this past weekend I was in town visiting my cusion and the zoo had cery modern habitats for their animals. The Gorillas are my favorite animal and they have one of the best Gorilla habitats Ive seen.I live in Cleveland and have a membership to the Cleveland Zoo so I got lucky and got half off admission. Over all a really nice zoo and will be back again