San Francisco Zoo
add photosFree Days
The first Wednesday of every month, admission to the Zoo is free. The Zoo reserves the right to limit attendance on Free Days in the best interest of the animals. We recommend that you take public transportation because parking is limited.
56 Reviews for San Francisco Zoo
22
170 families found this helpful
"Where we go wild for wild animals!"
The San Francisco Zoo is possibly the best zoo in Northern California! The animal habitats themselves are well-kept and often just as aesthetically beautiful as the amazing exotic animal residents within them.
Our family enjoys this zoo so thoroughly, we go right at opening and stay all day. Upon entering the zoo, we typically take a right and head for the expansive giraffe house and grounds, then loop around and become engrossed in the primate exhibit for a long while.
Though sometimes we pack a lunch, I typically just budget for eating within the park. The International Tastes Deli has a great taco salad, and the veggie stir fry is another tasty option. Just next door is another little cafe featuring typical attraction fare: hot dogs, burgers, pizza and more.
On a weekday, the zoo handles the amount of visitors well, so the pathways are open and even my five year old can run a wee bit ahead of the family... After a day of animal sight-seeing, we hit the playground for swing, slides, and climbing fun; then we make a final stop at the historical carousel (an extra $2/person) and sometimes even the Little Puffer Train ($4/person)!
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It's helpful0 families found this helpful
"Always something fun to see"
Love this place! With membership, it's a cost effective way of spending a morning or afternoon. There is so much to see and do here and they always have special exhibits and events that cater to kids of every age, and adults too. My kids love the steam train (free for under 3's) and the petting zoo as well as watching the bears, giraffes etc. And then there;'s Boo at the Zoo (to get the most out of Halloween costumes) with healthy treats, and holiday gifts for the animals (the polar bear gets snow!).
'11
0 families found this helpful
"San Francisco Zoo is NOT for you!"
Very disappointed with the SF Zoo! It's dirty and doesn't have any animals. They don't have any elephants because they all died. They didn't have any bears in their sections except the Grizzly Bears. The Merry-Go-Round wasn't working. The Little Puffer Steam Train was super expensive per person at $3 or $4. The kiddie lunches, which was a crustables PB&J was OVERPRICED! It's ridiculous! I was extremely disappointed in the SF ZOO and do not recommend it to anyone.
0 families found this helpful
"One of the best zoos that I've been to."
I'd have to say that the San Francisco Zoo is a must see if you are in this city. If you have kids along with you, be sure not to miss this place. There a great number of so many different types of exhibits and animals to learn about. When you need to take a break there are so many places where you can relax and enjoy such beautiful scenic views. Besides the wonderful exhibits, there are a wide arrange of places to dine with the whole family with many different types of foods. So check out this place, it's fun for any age.
0 families found this helpful
"A good way to see the animals kids love up close."
The San Francisco zoo is always a bittersweet place to visit for me. The animal enclosures which have been updated are awesome: the lemurs, gorillas, and african plains exhibits are all great. It makes the old exhibits look all the more sad though, and many animals are left with old, outdated quarters which are simply too small. Overall, I know that the zoo is doing a good thing to expose people to animals, but many of the exhibits are in serious need of refurbishing. So, know that your admission prices are going to care for animals that need support!
0 families found this helpful
"Very fun"
when i went here a couple years ago it was great. its probably changed quite a bit sinse then, but i still think it will be great. if you live near here and have never been here, or if youlive far away and have been 1000 times, this place is amazing and fun for everyone
0 families found this helpful
"I wouldn't pay to go"
I remember going here on field trips when I was younger and I really enjoyed the experience because I got to see real life animals up close. As I've grown up and returned, it's not really amusing. I've seen a peacock walking around where pedestrians do. There are other birds chained down, and all the animals look sad. If you do want to go, I'd recommend going first wednesday of the month since the admission is free. Otherwise, save your money for something else that's fun to do in the city.
0 families found this helpful
"San Francisco Zoo"
This was a nice clean zoo. There were many animals to see and most wernt sleeping. The staff were friendly and easy to find. The food was still overpriced.There were many animals to see other than birds. Most animals were easy to view and not sleeping.
1 family found this helpful
"Zoo Time"
My family had a blast at the zoo. My kids, I have noticed, have a trend of loving animals so we had such a good time. The exhibits were really interesting and even I had fun learning about the different types of animals. This is a place I would definitely visit multiple times. The gift shops were great and had some good prices. They have a lot of toys and a lot low on the shelves so I prepared my kids to not just grab out and they could each get one toy. I had a good time at the petting zoo but would suggest you don't bring toddlers in with you. The prices were a little steep. Older children, I feel, will still get a kick out of this place. The staff is young and welcoming. I would suggest that you are prepared for running all over the zoo because my son had a lot of suggestions of what to see I can only imagine older children would have many more.
0 families found this helpful
"San Francisco Zoo"
I love this zoo, but the last time we went it was February and that is kind of a different time to go. The animals are quieter and many were not out and active. The one exhibit that was great at that time is the penquins. Always check out the feeding schedule when you get there that is always the highlight. The were feeding the penquins and that's what we got to see. Very neat.
0 families found this helpful
"A Classic"
This is one of our favorite zoos. A lot of the animals have large open spaces to roam and and interact well together. My 20 month old son really loved to watch the zebras, giraffes, and ostriches roam around the Africa exhibit. They also have kangaroos and koala bears which don't seem to be at many zoos. There is a nice children's zoo area with insect houses and a room where they do some private toddler animal education classes. We saw one in action and it seemed quite fun. The kids were pretending to be penguins and making animal art projects. Overall very worth the visit. They even have reindeer around holiday time!
0 families found this helpful
"The Zoo!!"
Went and had a FANTASTIC time! It was much nicer than any Zoo we have in Florida. The variety of animals, the cleanliness of the park, friendly staff. I did not want to leave! Definitely would not want to wait till Summer to go. Went in the Spring while on Vacation and will definitely go again once my 2 year old and 6 month old are a bit bigger.
0 families found this helpful
"A day at the SF Zoo"
This is a great place to visit with your little ones, more so on a nice sunny day. If it's cold out this may not be the best place to visit, with it being right now to the beach, it could make for very cold gloomy day. If you child likes train rides they will be in for a real treat. My kids love it. There could be more animals in their exhibits though. The petting zoo is just average nothing extradinary.
0 families found this helpful
"Could be in a better neighborhood."
Let me just say that I AM spoiled with a large zoo where I live and that I had heard rave reviews about the San Francisco Zoo. I decided to head over there and check it out and see if it was any good or not. I loved the naturalness and how "green" it was. I think that it was a little small though, but we didn't really get bored. The only bad part of it is that we rode the bus to get there and I felt that the bus stop was in a very bad neighborhood. I might be wrong, but that was the vibe that I got. If I do end up going back to SanFran, I don't think I will go there again.
0 families found this helpful
"Always a good time at the zoo"
I have been to many different zoos in CA. This one was nice because it was flat and more "open" then others. It's nice too because you have the ocean close by. Kids had a good time. It's not in the best neighborhood but it's ok. The kids had a good time. It was just really chilly, even in the summer.
1 family found this helpful
"Animals in cages!"
Always fun to go to the zoo. This one has some of the best birds I have seen and many more animals to pick from if birds arent your thing. The Casaway is my favorite. The zoo is pretty old school and not much to write home about. There is a playground area and the petting zoo is my daughters favorite until she gets charged by a goat or a sheep baaa's. They are surprisingly scary!
1 family found this helpful
"Great place for kids and adults"
We love the SF zoo. When we lived only several blocks from, we visited it more often and the membership makes it definitely affordable to go to every week.
The only problem I had with the zoo was its size. By the time my toddler would get from one exhibit to another, she would be so tired that she'd want me to carry her (she hates strollers).
Also, the Zoo takes AAA memberships for a discount and if your address is in SF, show the proof of that you also get a discount.
0 families found this helpful
"great group outing"
as one of our weekly trips we decided to get together in a group with two toddlers and two 8years olds. finding something they enjoy doing together is difficult but all four loved the zoo. it was clean inexpesive family fun. the children loved the animals and the trip to the suvinier shop on th way out. i recomend to all friends and will deffinatly go back.
0 families found this helpful
"Need I say more?"
there is no better zoo in my opinion! nothing like spending the day in pleasant weather, surrounded by amazing creatures. There is so much for little ones to see and learn about at the zoo. My son prefers the lions and giraffes. what is your child's favorite?
0 families found this helpful
"Great way to spend a day!"
They have some great animals and even a great little train for the kids to ride. My son loved the petting zoo and the train the best. The only negative is, that I wish they had better food offerings and that the food was a little more kid friendly. They don't have a lot of healthy options kids will eat. Overall this is a great zoo with a lot of activities for the kids to take part in. We ended up buying a season pass at the end of the day which is a great deal if you plan to visit more than once.
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