Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

My wife took us here… I’ve never been, but been to many many zoos across the us and they are all zoos. I knew what to expect. WRONG. This place is AMAZING. A real hidden gem in baltimore. Clean, nice, friendly (better then disney). Take you family and enjoy the day, the animals, the train ride and the food.

Been the big animal lover that I am, I had to visit the zoo while in Baltimore. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Yes, it’s true I decided on going in December and although its been a mild winter, the day I went was colder than the previous days. Most of the animals were inside, so I couldn’t see much. Anyways, I exclusively went to visit the giraffes and feed them, but It was close because of the temperature. I did get to see them at their ‘house’ and one of them was kind enough to get her head over the wall and posed for me!
The most exciting part for me was when I got up close with a penguin. They have a new-​renovated exhibition with african penguin which is pretty awesome!
It’s a very small zoo, in comparison with others I’ve been to. Entry ticket was only $ 12 because it was December. If you are debating whether to go to the zoo or the aquarium, go to the aquarium.

Compared to the DC Zoo, the parking is much easier to deal with. The tickets however, are expensive seeing that the Zoo closes at 4 even on a Saturday. A good amount of exhibits are closed, but the ones that are open are well designed and gives you a closer encounter compared to other zoos (Smithsonian). Cool zoo overall, my 3 year old son enjoyed it, as did my wife and I. There was a train that circled the Zoo which featured a Halloween theme which was exciting for our son.

This is an awesome zoo! Super clean, easy to navigate, pricing is decent, and a great variety of animals to see.
I’ve seen a few reviews on here that mention «went here in the afternoon» followed by «there were no animals!» Well, going to any zoo in the afternoon isn’t smart. You want to go early in the morning, because most of the animals wake up super early. I saw every animal I hoped to see, and more. Will be going back!

I had never been to the Baltimore zoo. Growing up in DC always went to the National zoo. Being a Fonz member my family goes to the National zoo about 6 times a year. For a change we went to the Baltimore zoo. Yes it is not free like the DC zoo. But parking is free. In DC zoo parking is $ 22. On the plus side you don’t have the step hills the DC zoo has and it is a smaller zoo, so it’s easy to see everything. What we enjoyed were the different animals the National Zoo does not have: Polar Bears, giraffes, chimpanzees, Penguins, and camel rides for the children. The zoo is laid out like a hub and spoke system. So you don’t have a huge walk to see the exhibit you are interested in. Also when we went on a Sunday there were keepers at most of the exhibits to answer your questions. Everyone was very friendly and we had a great day at the zoo

I gushed about this zoo to everyone I’ve talked to since my visit this last weekend. Maryland Zoo has to be one of the prettiest, and cleanest, zoos or aquariums that I’ve ever visited (and I’ve been to many)!
I was there on the second Saturday of the month which has twilight hours (open until 7 pm instead of the regular 4 pm closing time). They also have a special rate starting at 4 pm on these dates — check out their website. Regular price for adults is $ 18 which can add up fast, so discounts like this one are helpful.
You can catch a free shuttle to and from the Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore out to the Zoo which is located in a beautiful park just north of the city center. I caught a lift with the friend that was hosting me, but I would definitely use this service in the future.
A bulk of the exhibits are nestled among a densely forested area which provided great shade from the sun and heat of an August afternoon visit. My favorite has to be the giant tree area in the Maryland section. Who can resist venturing into the center of an enormous tree to see animals?
I got a slice of cheese pizza while I was for a very reasonable price ($ 3.50). All the food there was much lower than other tourist attractions I’ve been to in Baltimore and the greater DC area. You can also bring a picnic to enjoy while there.
I’ll be back next time I’m in Baltimore, maybe for one of their special events!

Amazing upgrades for the Penguins and it looks like (according to a sign) that they’ll be adding an upgrade for the cheetah. I absolutely loved to new Farmyard area (past The Children’s Zoo zone). The have all the farm animals plus an alarming rooster! They also have a silo slide! Nice touch #themarylandzoo! We all had a blast in the Goat area. They have brushes for the kids to brush the kids pun intended! I may not be a fan of zoos but this one certainly gives a fun experience and I like that they have added some interactive elements that don’t cost an arm and a leg to do. My suggestion: explain what happens after dark with these animals. In particular, the owl, the eagle, the Ravens. Also it’d be nice to learn about their lives before captivity and how long they are kept in the zoo etc. overall great experience today. And thank you soooo much for having water most areas to keep the kids cool!!! #lilbellnation has an awesome time!

It’s what I’d expect from a zoo in middle of a city. Not too bad for what it is.
I think I’m going to retire the zoo soon. The more I come the more I’m against gathering animals from the wild for human pleasure. They look miserable.
My boy loved it though.

I dont know why there are negative reviews. The park is clean, organized and not pricy for what it offers. Very good costumer service and family friendly. From what we saw, there are 2 places to buy food, and there are not expensive, about 7 $ a person. Lot of variety of animals (giraffes, elephants, lions…)and reasonable for what we’ve paid. I would say its much bette than tampa zoo.

My fiancée and I live in the DC area. We have been to the National Zoo a million times, and one warm weekend in May 2015 we were really bored and decided to go to Baltimore to see animals there. Initially, we wanted to go to the Baltimore Aquarium, but that was $ 40/​person, so we decided to go to the Baltimore Zoo instead, which is only $ 18/​person.
This is a very small zoo, and that’s why I can’t really give it more than 3 stars. You don’t get the full zoo experience here. But there’s about two hours worth of stuff to see, and we did have fun here.
There are only three parts of the zoo. One of them is dedicated to local animals from Maryland. One of them is dedicated to animals from Africa (except there are randomly Caribbean flamingos and Panamanian frogs). One very small section is dedicated to polar animals, anchored by the polar bears. Oh, and right at the entrance to the zoo, there is a prairie dog colony, which is adorable.
The star attraction is the zoo’s colony of 60 penguins, which are in the Africa section as they are African penguins from the beaches of South Africa and Namibia. We were lucky enough to see a penguin feeding, which happens twice a day at 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM. Two zookeepers came out and fed fish to the penguins, who lined up in an orderly fashion to get the fish. A volunteer then talked about the penguins and took questions from the crowd. We were also fortunate to see lemur feeding time.
Many animals have signs next to their enclosure saying that the zookeeper comes by once a day to talk about that animal. We only saw a talk for one animal, the penguins, but it was worthwhile and I imagine the other talks might be too.
Overall, I would say the star attractions here are the penguins, the lemurs, the chimps, and the giraffes. They do have a lot of standard animals like lions, zebras, rinos, elephants, etc. In the Africa section, the bird house is pretty cool.

I hadn’t been, and thought the «Brew at the Zoo» fundraiser sounded like a surefire way to have a great time. Nope. If tickets were $ 20.00 I’d feel average about the experience, but for what they charge, it’s a huge rip.
To clear things up «Brew At the Zoo» means «brew near the zoo» or «brew, close to the zoo». This is the same Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ boring snoozefest, but you can complete the circuit of «entertainment» ie vendors and distributors in 5 minutes or less. Yes, the local, usual suspects showed up to give up beer, but I was hoping, or thinking, that maybe you could take your drink with you to the zoo. WRONG. If you want beer at the zoo, you pay $ 7+ like the rest of the Bros prowling around. So that’s neat that an event officially runs from 1−7pm, but the zoo still closes at 4pm and you have to still experience it like a regular admission holder. The food vendors are also carnival-​tier of event catering.
The zoo itself is kind of pitiful. Exhibits «under renovations», Animals missing (your warthog is on the loose), and just a sad excuse for ticket prices. The most surefire attraction is «Farmland» with cute pygmy goats and alpacas. Look, I came to see Dik Diks, cheetahs, and not a whole shrine to the eastern hellbend salamander. If this was a cheaper community zoo, OK, I can relent, but to slap a title like «Maryland Zoo», especially compared to the aquarium, is pitiful.
Pros: Plenty of bathrooms
Cons: Insufficient animals, annoying crowds (plenty of strollers and bros for you), expensive admission for nothing **animals looked sad. They look very under-​stimulated, and depressed.
I’d give no stars to «Brew at the Zoo». If you like watching all the special marylanders crawl about in their MICA attire and natty-​boh shirts, cool, this is the place for you. For the rest of us, it’s completely ordinary or worse. The Zoo itself is sad, and people giving it anything more than 2 stars are just pure MD pride-​blind to what an incredible sad state of zoo this reflects.

Just went to the zoo on a field trip yesterday! Regardless of the rain it was a great time! The animals were all out and some were very entertaining. The gorilla was showing off for us. It was some of my students first time experiencing the zoo so it was exciting for me to be a part of that! All of the staff was helpful and accommodating to our large group. I would like to give a shoutout to Nathan! He coordinated our trip for us to make it very convenient. Thank you!

This zoo is phenomenal, especially compared to The National Zoo in DC. It is incredibly clean and well maintained. All of the animals habitats are clean and nice and you see the zoo keepers interacting with the animals. The animals actually seem pretty content too. I’m pretty sure the ones at the zoo in DC want to kill themselves. They have volunteers all through at different exhibit ready to answer any childs question. Everyone that works here is happy and friendly and loves their jobs. The food is even not bad for venue type fast food. It’s not free, but it was well worth every penny in my opinion. Parking is free though. They are very warm and accommodating to families. I was VERY impressed with everything. People are complaining about certain animals being «off exhibit» I like that the zoo keepers/​owners take the time to let you know an animal isn’t there due to weather or whatever else. That way you’re not just standing around looking for them. This zoo is definitely smaller, but worth it in my opinion for its cleanliness and you can tell the zoo keepers really love their jobs and care about the animals. The staff informs you of things you want to know and it’s helpful to your visit… for example. When we got on the carousel we were reminded that the animal we chose didn’t move, told to have camera ready when feeding the giraffe because it goes fast, that they don’t allow lids and straws for animal safety, etc.
PERKS
VERY clean
You can feed giraffes!
Carousel is in good shape
Animals are well cared for
Habitats are very clean
Staff is incredibly friendly and happy
Hand washing stations. Clean and nice.
They have Beer! What parent doesn’t love that?
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
Bathrooms could be a little cleaner
The cobble stone parking lot is a pain in the ass for strollers
The Bald Eagles cage was a little small for my liking. Same with the Ravens and the white fox. But most of the other animals seemed happy and content.
We will definitely be back and probably get a year membership!

This zoo is bad, and it should feel bad.
I went on an autumn afternoon. My friend and I paid the unnecessarily high admission price and waltzed in, ready to see some animals. We love animals.
Too bad there weren’t any animals.
I think I saw 1 rhino, 3 giraffes (2 baby ones that were separated from their mother by a fence, and the mother kept peeking over the fence to make sure they were okay), some donkey thing, penguins for approximately 3 seconds, and a fox. They all looked really sad.
The most rewarding experience happened by chance when we witnessed an otter feeding. The guy feeding them was very friendly and had a vast knowledge of otters which delighted me. Someone give that guy a raise. I wish I knew his name. Unfortunately one of the otters had arthritis which was a little hard to watch knowing that any given day this poor aging otter has kids slamming their little fists on the glass wanting him to do tricks. Can someone please let that otter have a peaceful retirement?
Overall, this zoo deeply unsettles me. I almost feel bad about myself that I paid money to contribute to its madness.

No, it’s not the National Zoo. It is somewhat expensive and there are far fewer animals; however, it is beautiful and charming. Interesting city location and close-​in parking. And if you have little kids, there are enough major animals to view. Park employees are friendly and informative.
It is a bit of a walk from the entrance but there is a tram if you prefer. We walked in since it was a beautiful December day. In particular, the zebra and rhino exhibit are nice, with several good viewing angles of these amazing beasts

I absolutely love zoos so this is tough love. Tough love I said! *raises hand to wallop Baltimore Zoo in the fucking noggin.
This is the single shittiest zoo I have ever patronised in my entire life. (And I have been to a couple.) Hell, even Newt Gingrich would hate this zoo. (If you knew anything about Newt, you would know he is known for two things: being an unapologetic hypocrite and a zoophile.)
Here are some real life quotations that I recorded as I walked the grounds:
«Everything is under construction in this fucking place.»
— Not only factually correct, it is so in a disturbingly wide scope. Nearly everything was in fact under construction at this zoo.
«I can’t see! I can’t see!»
— Children don’t tell lies (at least not when they are being honest); and, the fact of the matter is that we couldn’t see shit either, kid.
«You can’t see shit.»
— I cannot recall if an adult reconciled the testimony of the child with this statement, but it would have been really funny if he had so let’s say that he did for the sake of comedy.
«There are too many fucking strollers here.»
— It is a zoo — a place of wonderment, merriment, and delight — but, still, there were indeed too many fucking strollers. This is off-​topic: but, the little fat freeloaders should walk.
And too many exhibits were closed. And too many animals were nowhere to be seen. And too many animals were in pure, obvious discomfort and possible torturous pain. And we paid too much for this shit.
The Polar Bear should be returned to the Tundra Biome, or provided a goddamn habitat commiserate with his or her needs. What the fuck is wrong with you, Baltimore Zoo?
The giraffes need to stop being force-​fed. Stop! What the fuck is wrong with you, Baltimore Zoo? In Phoenix they only permit a certain amount of visitor feeding. San Diego: ditto. Why are giraffes running — literally running for their dear lives — away from feeding platform? Stop it, you animals. It does not matter if people keep on buying biscuits to feed them. They can only eat so much. You eat them!
The lions were nowhere to be found.
I have never been to a worse zoo in my life and I hope I never experience the displeasure of being able to say otherwise. Baltimore Zoo should be thoroughly investigated so they be stripped of their accreditation.
Postscript. They do have beer here. Believe me: you will need it with how horrible this place is.

Not the best zoo I’ve been to. It actually kind of dissappointed me a bit. I know animals have their own time they like to come out, but I couldn’t see most of them at all! And I felt like I had to hike a mile (over exaggerating a bit) from one exhibit to the next. :-(Some of the caves were cool, but seemed pretty repetitive to me.
The price is very high for what they offer. They’re also going through construction, so some exhibits weren’t ready. For that, they should discount tickets or something. They really lacked food choices as well.
Overall: If you want to experience a great zoo, drive and go to Philadelphia. You pay only a few dollars more and get to see and experience tons more. Or, go to DC (free) and you will get to see more.

I love the zoo because it is so close to my house and it is in the park, which makes for a nice walk. It is a small zoo compared to the zoos in other cities. I am surprised the zoo still has elephants, as most big zoos do not anymore.
Despite its size, the Baltimore Zoo has desirable animals such as polar bears, apes, and lions. You can finish the zoo in about an hour, and it does not have too many interactive activities.
However, the rates are very affordable, free and accessible parking, and there are constant promos, which make the zoo a worthwhile destination.

The Maryland Zoo has some nice aspects to it, but it isn’t nearly as nice as the National Zoo in DC. It is set in the lovely Druid Hill Park, which is really a bit of an oasis from the surrounding area. Coming in from DC, we had to drive through quite possibly some of the sketchiest areas my husband and I have ever seen, so I would suggest doing some research on routes before coming here.
We came here in February to take advantage of the ½ price tickets that are offered in Jan & Feb, and I’m glad we didn’t pay full price. So much of the zoo seemed to be under renovation (perhaps they try to do this in the off-​peak winter months, hence the lower ticket prices?) and generally rather unkempt in appearance.
When you arrive, you can opt for either a short shuttle ride or a walk down to the main zoo area. The shuttles run frequently, but the walk isn’t really far at all if you don’t feel like waiting (although a shuttle is a great option for weary kiddie legs!).
Granted, it was February, but it was a freak February day with temps in the 60’s, so we expected a lot of animals to be out and about. Sadly, many appeared to be hiding. We liked the penguins and elephants the most of the outdoor animals. The giraffe house is really neat — so cool for our little daughter to look up and see the giraffes swing their heads up and above the massive wall and look down at us with their gorgeous big eyes. (but beware –the giraffe house smells something awful!)
The bathrooms (close to the entrance) are in need of a make-​over. Dingy and not well cleaned — and for some reason, heated as if it was a sauna. I opted to change my baby girl’s diaper outside instead of in the bathroom, if that tells you anything.
There is free parking, which is awesome, but the parking lot has the most bizarre ground covering ever! Tiny little stone squares with significant gaps in between that make walking both difficult and uncomfortable (not to mention difficulty pushing a stroller over the surface).

I adore animals.
The zoo is a bittersweet visit for me. The animals look so sad in the cages, but then again, they’ve got it much better there than in the wild (almost doubles their life span).
The zoo was kept in fairly pristine conditions. Clean cages/​stalls/​whathaveyous. The animals looked taken care of and the staff was busy keeping things in order.
My biggest issues with this particular zoo is how much walking is involved and the lack of water fountains/​mist fans. That sounds like such a dumb complaint, but when you visit the zoo in 95+ degree weather, you’re going to want those things badly. It took us 20+ minutes to get to an area of the zoo in order to see anything (they do have a praire dog exhibit by the front gates, but that’s all). They have a shuttle, but it’s a tortuously slow process from point A to point B and back. It wasn’t worth it in the heat.
Because of the high temp, the animals were mostly put up. We didn’t get to see the majority of what they had, which was super disappointing at $ 17.50 a head. No otters, no bears, no foxes, pretty much nothing but snakes, turtles and the occasional penguin/​giraffe and other warm climate creatures (yes, these were African penguins. Those DO exist).
Ultimately, I’d much rather spend my money on gas to visit the free National Zoo in D.C. They have way more animals, more interactive opportunities, and generally more going on.
I’m glad I came here though, as I’ve been wanting to for a while.
Oh, and one big plus to the Baltimore Zoo — beer. There’s a concession stand that sells large cups of cold beer, which was seriously welcomed on that blistering day.