Woodland Park Zoo
add photosWoodland Park Zoo's 92 acres features animals living in the tropical rain forests, coastal deserts and temperate rain forests such as we have here in the Pacific Northwest.
16 Reviews for Woodland Park Zoo
25
10
'11
1 family found this helpful
"HUGE!"
This place is too big to take in on one day. I would recommend getting a membership, I have heard they pay off pretty quickly. That way you don't feel rushed to see it all. We have fed giraffes here (extra $5 charge) which was so fun!!! They have enormous heads! For my (two kids at that time) family our favorite areas were the giraffes, the monkey area (forgive me, I'm not an animal expert) they were "laughing" My daughter (2yrs) loved it!
My son loved the "farm" area. There is a tractor you can "drive" and farm animals to visit (pigs, etc.) He also like the indoor play area. It had a huge tree to climb up (inside the trunk) and slide down. There were "rock" hills to climb up and then slide down. Little tunnels to explore. There is also a handy small toddler area for the quieter, gentler folks :) (babies) Where they can play with puppets and crawl through a log. It's great that you can bring in your own food and definitely bring a stroller, drinks, extra cash (if you want to do the extras), and of course camera and sunscreen.
Send a Message 
Send a Compliment
It's helpful
0 families found this helpful
"Great Zoo!"
This is certainly one of the best place for family to visit. They recently renovated the entrance, and it's beautiful. They constantly making updates and renovations. The Zoo is clean and stuff are very friendly. They also provide educational classes. Even when it rains, it's a nice alternative to visit as they have many in-door exhibits. In terms of animals there, they have many varieties from lions, snow leopard, baby gorillas, elephants, etc. They charge $5 for parking but finding a spot on street would not be that hard.
0 families found this helpful
"Good sized and nice."
It is a very nice zoo and worth the visit. They have lots of very nice exhibits. Even a petting zoo, that the kids loved. But being in Washington, make sure to choose your time wisely. It was pooring rain when we visited so it wasn't quite as enjoyable as it could have been.
0 families found this helpful
"Get a good Stroller"
Had a nice variety of animals and interesting exhibits. Most of the paths are dirt so if it's raining they become muddy. You will need something better than an umbrella stroller and the older kids will need boots. The butterfly exhibit was closed but I've seen it before this trip and that's really the highlight of the whole park. My daughter (was 14 months old) loved seeing all the animals and really enjoyed watching the penguins swimming. We got to see most of the park in a few hours during the morning before we had to leave to head home.
0 families found this helpful
"A great day of fun"
If you want a day to get away with your family the Woodland Park Zoo is a great getaway. Nestled in the heart of the city it is an easy drive from anywhere in the Puget Sound. The variety of animals and activities are fun for all ages. Pay special attention to the gorilla exhibit. I especially loved the bronze sculptures though out the park. The butterfly house is a delight and a must see for eveyone. Make sure you bring plenty of water and pack some little snacks. Like most major attractions, the food is pricey.
0 families found this helpful
"Awesome family zoo"
The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle has many family friendly activities. Tons of grassy areas for picnics or to let your kids run for a bit. It is a very stroller friendly zoo. My kids loved the penguins. Parking is my only complaint, the zoo is in the middle of residential area so there are many small lots.
0 families found this helpful
"Best place to take out of town guests"
This is my favorite place to take visiting friends and relatives. The kids have a great time showing them around instead of getting in the way or ruining "adult" time. It's fun for all. The only thing that bothers me is that the food is very expensive so bring a lunch and remember that the place is really too big to see everything in one day. The giraffe feeding is awesome and well worth the extra money but make sure you are there early for that.
1 family found this helpful
"The Zoo!"
A trip to the zoo is always fun. My daughter loves to look at the gorillas the best. This place is very stroller friendly, and has cafeteria with several lunch options.
This comes in handy since this is the kind of place you will want to spend a good deal of time at. I would make a day of it. If you bring a lunch, however, there aren't really many spaces available outside to enjoy it.There are plenty of statues your little ones can have their picture taken on.
Cons: It is a little bit pricey. You have to pay to park unless you can find street parking nearby, which is tough.
Solutions: There are coupons in The Entertainment book, or if you feel you would go often enough, a family membership is well worth the price, especially when they have their half off promotions!
1 family found this helpful
"Woodland Park Zoo with young kids"
This is such a fun zoo, but it's very big and spread out over a wide area, so make sure you don't try to tackle it all in one day if you have young kids. My favorite way to do this zoo is to come for about three hours and choose an area of the zoo to focus on. The next time you come, you can choose a different area. And bring strollers!
Tip: Don't miss the jaguar exhibit. Almost all the times I've been there he's been prowling around the glass, and you're literally RIGHT in front of him!
Tip: Don't rule out going on rainy days. The indoor Zoomazium is a lot of fun for kids (with a really fun giant slide) if you get rained out like we did last time we went to the zoo.
0 families found this helpful
"A zoo for the animals"
To start I should come clean that our "home" zoo is the Philadelphia Zoo, an older zoo that has been actively working to make their exhibits more like a habitat but was not initially designed this way. Woodland Park feels the opposite. I feel like seeing the animals is secondary to making the animals feel comfortable. This means that the animals seem very relaxed and at home, but can also result in difficulties seeing said animals.
The WPZ is very spread out with significant distances between animal habitats. The habitats are at times very large, but there are multiple vantage points at each one so you have a good chance of being able to see the animals. Our 17 month old had a hard time finding some of the animals (tigers and lions for example) because of the underbrush and the fact that they were sleeping.
The Habitat Discovery Loop and the Family Farm were our favorites because they were geared towards a younger crowd. Both have playground like equipment that also have educational value as your little one grows. Our son is a petting zoo fanatic and had a great time hanging out with the goats and rabbit.
We did not end up staying for lunch, but from what I saw on the outside signs there are some healthier choices (again, my home zoo is Philly where choices are limited to hot dogs, hamburgers,etc).
Overall this is a beautiful zoo with great exhibits. I would, however, recommend it primarily for slightly older kids, maybe 4 and up. Our son had a great time and we will definitely return, I just think he'd have more fun in a year or two.
Also, remember that if you are a member at a zoo in your home town, ask at the front gate if your zoo has reciprocity. My husband and I got in free because we were members in PA.
0 families found this helpful
"We have a membership"
We have a membership here and go year round. My favorite's are the Raptor Center, Family Farm and Animal Contact Area, Northern Trail, and African Savanna Exhibit. There is also a brand new penguin exhibit that is very popular.
The zoo will not give a straw or lid for your drink from the food court, so it spills all over the stroller. Try to remember to bring something with a lid to transfer your pop into! The sandwiches in the food court are really good! If you pack a peanut butter sandwich and eat on the grass, the squirrels WILL stalk you. They will come up and steal food right out of your hand if you are not careful.
2 families found this helpful
"Lots of cool animals of course!"
We just went to the zoo this morning... my son's first time and for 2 1/2 he was occupied the whole time we were there. If you have small children be warned, the zoo is quite large and there are lots of swerving paths between exhibits. You will do a LOT of walking. Bring a map too because it's easy to get turned around. And finally... always be prepared for Seattle weather! It poured about half the time we were there and most of the exhibits are outdoors!
1 family found this helpful
"My 3-year old loves it!"
We absolutely love the WPZ. I have been going since I was a child and it has improved immeasurably since that time. There is now Zoomazium, an indoor area for when the weather is bad. It includes a climbing structure for babies and a much larger structure for the big kids. WPZ also has a food court that features a wide variety of lunch choices beyond just pizza and soda. It's a great zoo that just keeps getting better.
1 family found this helpful
"A great zoo"
Woodland Park Zoo is located just off Aurora Avenue, near Green Lake, about 10 minutes north of downtown Seattle.
The Zoo is enormous-92 acres, divided into bioclimatic zones. I've been many times and have never managed to see more than about half of the animals. So be prepared for lots of walking! I really like this zoo because you feel like you're really in nature- there are lots of trees and greenery. The animal exhibits are mostly very large, with lots of places for the animals to wander.
The zoo also has snack bars, picnic tables, a petting area, the Zoomazium indoor play area for kids, a carousel and lots of other things to see and do.
Admission to the park is cheaper from October-April, so if you're thinking about testing out the zoo to see if you like it, I'd suggest going then! This is a great zoo for the whole family- wear comfortable shoes and prepare to have a good time!
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for the family"
Its been a few years, but this is one of my favorite childhood memories. I love how much there is to see. Make sure to take the stroller if you have smaller kids. There is a lot to see. Can't wait to go back w/ my kids :D Also check out their website to see what special thing they are doing for the day. http://www.zoo.org/zoo_info/planning/activities.html
1 family found this helpful
"Wonderful Zoo"
This is a great zoo. So much stuff to see that we didn't have time to do it all! We had our 3 y old and 16 mo (at the time) with us. About 3/4 of the way through our 3 y old wanted to ride in the stroller - it's that big of a place! Take an extra stroller or plan on renting one if you have little ones! There are all the standard animals but also a specific NW area that has Elk, Eagles, Bears, Otters, etc. that are native to the area. This was especially neat for us since we are from Texas and rarely get to see these types of animals. This is by far my favorite zoo and my kids were highly entertained as well! http://www.zoo.org/
What's Nearby? Hotels » Activities »
Find Hotels near Woodland Park Zoo »
Find Activities near Woodland Park Zoo »
Find Restaurants near Woodland Park Zoo »
Get the inside scoop from parents who have been there!
