Woodland Park Zoo

08/23/08

NOT FOR SMALL KIDS

by PoppaPat at Citysearch

It's not about "habitat"-- the landscaping is OUT OF CONTROL. You take your toddler, and tell her she's going to see lions, tigers, and bears! You have to hoist her onto your shoulders at every exhibit, and all she's going to see is shrubs, dead trees and bamboo... and she has to walk a long, long, way from one disappointment to the next. If you like to pat yourself on the back for being politically correct, have fun missing the animals. If you have small children, just skip it and go to the Seattle Aquarium instead.

• Pros: clean
• Cons: kids can't see anything

11/20/06

Nice picnic area

by jags999 at Citysearch

This zoo has come a long way! They have an interesting variety of animals that seem well cared for. Try to catch the presentation on the hawks, eagles, etc. Very interesting. The nocturnal house is fun, just remember to shhhhhhhhhhhh! It's fun to go in the winter when it's not crowded and you can still see the animals. Don't forget some of the outerlying areas - great animals there too!

• Pros: Buy a membership if you want to go a few times a year!

11/19/06

Good zoo

by kee22 at Citysearch

The woodland park zoo is a pretty good zoo. The exihbits are nice...I agree that the new design makes it a little harder to see animals, but I can't blame them...I guess its good that the animals can escaped when they don't want to be bothered. There is still a lot to see even with the new design. They have a pretty good Halloween program for kids. The only downside is that it is more expensive than it used to be.

• Pros: Good exhibits, nice zoo
• Cons: getting more expensive

An outdoor, family-friendly concert series that epitomizes summer--and keeps the giraffes and lions grooving.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
On summer nights, the Woodland Park Zoo's North Meadow is a patchwork of blankets sprinkled with families toting picnic baskets. They come out for the Zoo's long-running summer concert series, which has attracted the likes of Roberta Flack and Rickie Lee Jones. The vibe here is kid-appropriate (no alcohol allowed, kids 12 and under enter free with an adult), and with only festival seating, shows are summery to the hilt.

10/05/06

Great Lazy Day

by darcscout at Citysearch

After the zoos new renovation it is better than ever. All the animals have their new exhibits which they look more comfortable in, and the atmosphere is just more relaxed. You might not be able to see all the animals because the new exhibits are supposed to let them hide if they feel pressured by the public, but any animal lover would agree that's better than a steel cage. It's a great way to spend a day especially if you can get there early on a weekday to avoid the crowds. Highly recommended for a lazy day.

• Pros: a relaxing walk with things you wouldn't see on one around the city
• Cons: price

02/29/04

"New" Zoo Overrated

by sherryd53 at Citysearch

As the Zoo prices have skyrocketed, I feel what the zoo visitor gets is less and less. The last two times I took my granddaughter, we hardly were able to see any animals, there was construction going on all over (we were not told of this or that the map we were given was worthless). You have to hunt to find exhibits for one animal, only to find they're not currently there. In the last three visits, I have been unable to find any of the highly touted animals other than a gorilla, elephants, and a few zebras and gazelle off in the distance.

I believe that the Woodland Park Zoo is suffering from the same malady as many other "modern" zoos that are geared more toward expensive breeding programs and garnering awards for landscaping--for which they have to raise prices and sell overpriced merchandise and food.

• Pros: Gorillas, Elephants
• Cons: , Hard to find exhibits, On-going onstruction

08/18/03

Award-winning naturalistic landscapes and a wide variety of creatures.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
Woodland Park Zoo earned international bragging rights as the pioneer of naturalistic exhibits when it gave up barred cages in favor of award-winning realistic landscapes. Creatures are grouped together in ecosystem themes instead of species: Lions are found near African animals, while cougars are near other Northwest natives. Stroll along paths in a tropical rain forest--under a canopy of vines and coffee plants--for authentic views of the popular gorillas, poison frogs and other animals that inhabit these forests.

Photo by Chris Daniel

01/28/03

WHAT A BLAST!!!!!

by dmatwood at Citysearch

Great learning experience. Learn/see something new every time you visit. Fun for even the youngest in the family.

• Pros: family oriented, excellent family pkgs, excellent parking

09/18/02

Lots of fun!

by Warren1 at Citysearch

Very fun! Amazing exhibits and great food! Fun for the whole family!

08/23/02

Best Day

by warner01 at Citysearch

I had the best day at the Woodland Park Zoo!

The Northern trail is fantastic, one of the bears swam right up to the glass and the otters were zipping all around!

The hippo's were my favorite though, ok and the wild dogs, and the Tapir.