Cincinnati Zoo

We came to see the Binturong. There was not one but two Binturong. So epic.
Unfortunately there were no gorillas.

i love the Cincinnati Zoo’s conservation mission. i love its breeding work with Sumatran rhinos, with manatee rehabilitation, and with with rare plant species conservation.
i love the red pandas exhibit. i love the nocturnal hunters and the exotic cats.
i love all that, even though the thought of animals held in captivity, instead of living and thriving in their native habitats, breaks my heart.
but i don’t fault the Zoo for that. i fault man for making captive conservation necessary.
the Cincinnati Zoo is one of the best conservation zoos in the world, with an incredible success rate for breeding critically threatened species. it produces amazing educational programs for area schools (i have very fond memories of Zoo Overnights, Zoo Cruises and A.D.O.P.T. special member events).
5 stars for all of that. come out to the zoo, Zoo, ZOO.

The Cincinnati Zoo has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. And for as long as I can remember, it has always been a pleasurable place to visit. With a range of animals in controlled spaces designed to mimic their natural habitat, there’s something for everyone’s interests upon entering the park. Informative panels next to each viewing area explain where the animals come from and are designed to enlighten the reader about the animal’s diet, temperament, and add other known interesting facts. A little train runs through the park, passing the wolf habitat and a man-​made lake. Peacocks roam freely, often looking for a bit of bread as you eat Skyline on a picnic table beside a fence made of thick rope. Carved rocks create easily walkable paths designed to lead you to the best spots to view the animals. As far as I can tell, the whole park is wheelchair accessible which also means bringing a stroller for your kids will also be easy.
They have all the iconic animals one would like to see with their own eyes: lions, tigers, bears (I won’t say it), elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, monkeys, apes, flamingoes, eagles, and other exotic creatures not native to this area. Their bird house is massive, so too is their extensive insect house, and the nocturnal animal building is varied with everything from cats to bats. There are manatees, there are otters, and the oldest standing zoo building in the country (1875) devoted to reptiles with snakes the size of fire hoses and a sunken alligator pit in the middle of the whole thing. Sloths hang out in trees in one of the buildings, and farm animals encompass another corner of the park. Did I mention there are ZOO BABIES as well? Yes, miniature, baby animals ready to be adored by everyone in your group. It’s the greatest.
The Cincinnati Zoo has a long history of preservation of endangered species and has been around for a very long time (1873). Martha, the last passenger pigeon, was taken care of until she finally passed away there in 1914; this isn’t just some new institution that put animals in cages one day and charged $ 20 for admission. It’s an established, organized, thoughtful institution that keeps endangered species away from poachers and harmful entities and pays to do so by allowing the public to come take a curated look at an animal they’d never see otherwise.
Another thing I love about the zoo is how it makes you exercise. If you’re a health conscious person trying to get in as many steps in a day as you can, the zoo has lots of inclines and paths that will help you burn calories while you enjoy sights you normally wouldn’t have. Every single time I’ve left the zoo, I’ve felt like I’ve worked out to some degree because of how much walking I did that day. It feels great and it’s fun while you do it.
Take your friends, take your kids, take anyone you care to spend time with. The Cincinnati Zoo is amazing.

I just went to the zoo this past week and it continues to amaze me the time, care, and passion they put into making a great experience for children and adults alike. They have great programs to educate children year-​round, the guides are helpful, it’s easily laid out with great access to all kinds of animals, and the zoo as a business continues to develop new breeding programs and conservation efforts to help efforts beyond their own walls. The new Africa exhibit has great views of all of the animals, including a giraffe feeding station for photo ops with the little ones. The old African exhibit is now their parking lot, that uses uses solar panels to shade your cars. Those solar panels pay for ¹⁄₃ of the zoo’s energy for the YEAR, including Festival of Lights (another must-​see). How cool is that???
Seriously, this is the best zoo I’ve ever been to, they truly care about every person and animal that comes through their doors. Don’t believe the hype of zoo cruelty, these guys are truly dedicated to ALL of earth-​saving causes.

Well for my second visit of the year here we spent a great deal of time in both the insect and reptile houses. Both have tons of things to look at as I’d say we spent a good hour in each one. They also had a special flamingo demonstration where they had a few flamingos set aside and talked extensively about for a bit. It was cool to be able to get that close to them. We took in the interactive farm animals exhibit where you got to rub on and brush goats and such which is neat for kids and adults alike. Cat Canyon was really cool as it’s always cool to scope out the big cats. Last but not least the kids enjoyed the merrie go round that they had. Another fun visit and I can’t wait to come back.

Very nice zoo, but we visited right after the gorilla incident, and unfortunately, that exhibit was closed on account of it; can’t say we were surprised, be weren’t expecting either. It was super hot out, so we spent more time than necessary in the manatee exhibit and the zoo shop. Train ride was nice to get off the feet for a little bit, but it is super short, and you don’t see a whole lot. Also, the pink vanilla ice cream tastes like vanilla, but it’s just weird.

A fun place to visit! It had been a few years since we last had a membership, and with the kids being 17 (almost 18) and older, I sprung for a student membership for myself (I’m in grad school). What a deal?! All their memberships now include parking! A student membership is just $ 65 with a student ID. Visit the zoo 3 times and you’ve got your money’s worth (regular adult admission is $ 18 and parking is $ 10). With a student membership you can bring 2 guests with you and they pay half price each time.
The zoo itself is an adventure any time of year. The animals are most active in the morning when the zoo first opens. Most recently I took my dad to the zoo. We arrived around 10:30 and left at 2:30. We barely got the perimeter of the zoo and still missed some of that. It is a day long adventure of you want to see everything. I recommend getting a membership and spending a couple hours here and there to see it all.
Each season brings its own fun. The Festival of Lights from thanksgiving to New Years is so much fun. In the spring is the tulips in the zoo. There’s just always something exciting happening at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Me and my wife went on a cold Sunday and really had a wonderful time even though some exhibits were closed such as some monkeys and the sea lion to name a few I assume because of the cold weather from what the volunteer customer service person told us. Every animal we went to was so perfectly done and explained there climates/​habitats so well I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth. Just remember if you go to wear very comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk up a lot of steep hills overall though this is one of the best Zoos I’ve ever been too the employees who worked here are very friendly and were around to answer any questions.
Ps very saddened on what happened to the gorillas please watch your kids people!

Such a top notch zoo, and one of the best in the country! My favorite is the cat house. They offer views of some of the most exotic cats in the world. My favorite being the lions and bobcats. This zoo is truly a Cincinnati staple. They offer an insect house, elephant house, bird house, and many more. Great to bring the family too, and I’ve had some first dates here! You can also use the zoo as a work out facility. There is roughly 3 miles of walking space that is great for some warm spring nights to get some cardio in!

Love, love, love zoo. The best part is being from Louisville and a Louisville Zoo member, I get a 50% discount. This makes the short drive so worth it.
The zoo staff is always very friendly and helpful. This is also a very clean zoo. I have found that the facilities and the restrooms are all well kept.
Several great places to snack and eat while at the zoo from a barbecue place, Skyline chili, to their café with lots of options.
But who am I kidding? The best part about the zoo is that they serve beer!

Hadn’t been to this zoo since I got married 19 years ago. I know it’s a large amazing zoo and on this spring weekend we decided to take my mom and go check it out. They had planted over 100,000 tulips and we came at just the right time to see them. it was breath takingly gorgeous. Many people taking pics. selfies … pics of their kids. We walked until we were all beyond exhausted and still didn’t see it all. So fun. The snacks you buy there are super expensive but work hard and deserve that 4 buck scoop on ice cream :)

This was a somewhat sad excuse for a zoo/​botanical garden. Many of the exhibits were closed or the animals weren’t out when we were there. I saw some elephants, two gorillas, a white tiger, a couple snakes, and a camel.. . and that was about it.
The «botanical gardens» are supposedly throughout the zoo, but it appeared the term «botanical garden» was used pretty loosely to describe a bunch of tulips, some bamboo, and some common trees/​shrubs. I would describe it more as «landscaping» than as a «botanical garden.»

Holy cow this zoo is so nice. It is a little hard to find, it is tucked behind the University of Cincinnati but very worth the adventure. I arrived alittle before 10 am, and the parking lot was quickly filling up with mother, children and strollers. If you purchase your tickets on line they offer a discount and of course you move through the line quickly. They also incorporated a Botanical garden with the Zoo. Bamboo with the primates, and a Butterfly garden by the insects. It all just flowed so nicely. Parking is $ 10. If you are in Cincinnati, please take some time and check this out.

Absolutely LOVE the Cincinnati Zoo! I’ve been here a handful of times, and each experience was very memorable. They have such a variety of animals, and they’re all given enough space to run around so you can see them in motion!
We saw a sea eagle chowing down on a rat before it took off and flew into it’s nest. There was a very lovely bonobo family running around outside with their new baby bonobo. It was very entertaining to watch mama bonobo keeping her other older babies in line. The manatees were interacting and swimming as well. That’s just a few highlights! This was without any of the scheduled shows either — I remember watching a leopard and ocelot run on a previous visit. It’s really amazing to see some of these animals, especially since many of them are endangered.
I can’t believe they’re all there in the middle of the city near all the UC hospitals too. If I still lived here, I’d be a season pass holder for sure! They have very open viewing spaces, which allows for an intimate viewing experience.
Annual passes were on sale for $ 60 (student pricing), so my boyfriend bought one. It comes with two half price guest passes with each visit ($ 9 each) and free parking.
While some of the restaurants and shops were closed, the exhibits were well kept and the place seemed pretty lively for a Friday afternoon. Not so crowded where you had to squeeze to get a look at anything though.
Another highlight is the Festival of Lights during the winter. It’s absolutely incredible and very romantic. The whole place is lit up with christmas lights, light shows coordinated to music, and extravagantly adorned Christmas trees. They have lighted tunnels and the works. Not one area of the park is left untouched during the season — every region is lit up beautifully! It’s very popular though, and can get pretty crowded. Last winter, my boyfriend and I attempted to go again during my visit, but the traffic was crazy and we didn’t end up going. Come prepared! It’s definitely worth the time investment to get in, especially if you’ve never experienced it before.
Hands down one of my favorite activities to do in Cincinnati. Great date spot too, and it promotes a lot of walking! I can’t wait to come back again :)

Great zoo with lots to see! Somehow it was very crowded during my visit but probably because the weather was really nice out! Not so much on the «botanical» side like it claimed though!

Have visited a couple of times now and always a great day out. When we last stopped by, Nasha the baby giraffe had just arrived — so cute! Always loads to see, and the train ride was fun!

Q: What do you get when you cross an elephant with a rhino?
A: Elephino. *ba dum tisssss*
Visited on Tuesday December 8, 2015 at about 3pm. I didn’t read any reviews before I went and frankly was not impressed with the sketchy neighborhood it was in so I went in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised! $ 9 to park is too expensive but worth it because there is literally no parking outside the gate anywhere that I could see.
This zoo is much bigger than it looks from the outside, the habitats are very clean, and the staff were incredibly friendly. We went during the festival of lights and had a half off coupon we got at Skyline Chili so it was $ 44 for three adults and one senior. Children under 2 are free. The tickets we bought included unlimited rides on the carousel and the train. I would have paid full price for the experience I had, however… It was totally worth it.
I highly recommend going to the zoo early in the day to see all the animals and staying for the festival of lights because if you come when it’s dark you will not be able to see many of the animals because the outdoor enclosures and habitats are not lighted.
My favorite part of the zoo was not actually part of the zoo… it was the hundreds of squirrels roaming the park! I love squirrels. My second favorite part was the bats! They had fruit bats and vampire bats. The vampire bats were drinking from bowls of blood! So awesome!!!
I was really excited to see the Sumatran rhino but we could never find it.
Anyways…awesome zoo… five stars. Visit this place if you can, especially during the festival of lights because it’s a great value.

I came here, probably for the last time. Not because I don’t like it, but because my daughter is no longer a child. We came here the day before her 18^th birthday. Yes, I know, that makes me officially old now too.
My BFF lives in Cincinnati and has season passes. I’m not exactly sure how they work, but if you’re going to go more than once a year, it’s worth looking into. She gets her, her son, and a guest in free… with her. Not a bad deal for me at all ;)
We fed the giraffes. They only offer that until a certain time, so if that interests you, and you don’t care to pay the minimal fee, look into whether or not they’re offering it at the time of your visit. I recommend that you check that specifically, because even the «feed the goats» was only offered during certain times. So, don’t promise the kiddos without knowing the hours of that availability.
When we were there, they were offering a special trick-​or-​treating event, so I assume that they have sporadic events throughout the year. If huge crowds annoy you, then make sure that you don’t plan your visit around the special events.

This is the best zoo I’ve ever been to. It’s so beautiful and really well laid out. It’s easy to see every exhibit without feeling like you’re walking in circles. There is a wonderful variety of animals to see and it’s so great to see that they are all very happy and healthy. The close encounters really sets this zoo apart from other zoos. I’ve had the opportunity to get up close and personal with so many cool critters like a Hairy Screaming Armadillo and Flamingos.
The zoo employees are extremely friendly and helpful. I’ve never actually had to ask for assistance since they always seem to sense my confusion long before I’ve has to seek help. All employees are knowledge and don’t seem to mind the endless questions that all the little people throw at them.
I cannot recommend the membership enough. Since the zoo is open all year, with great events like the HallZOOween and the Christmas lights, it’s so easy to get your moneys worth. My $ 200 membership covers zoo entry for myself and my entire family, one free guest per visit, free parking, free train and carousel rides, and discounts at all the gift shops and refreshment stands. It’s such an amazing deal. Great for a birthday or Christmas present for a kid (because kids already have too many toys).

Der Cincinnati Zoo hat eine lange von deutschen Auswanderern geprägte Tradition. Die grüné Oase inmitten der im Juni/​Juli meist stickigen Stadt ist wundervoll angepflanzt, jeder Winkel topgepflegt und ist dadurch weit mehr als nur ein Zoo.
Für die vor Ort betriebene Forschung und damit einhergehenden, seltenen Tierarten haben sehr beeindruckt. Ebenso die neuen Solarpanelen, die die gesamte Parkplatzfläche wie Sonnenschirme überspannen und unserem Auto Schatten spendeten.