Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Reviews

Really nice Zoo with plenty of parking. Cost is what you expect but charging for parking at a zoo is not perfect. Zoo is very spacious and they were doing a lot of remodeling when we were there. Hard to spot some animals at times in their enclosures but that is pretty normal at zoos. Follow us @WanderingParents

When to Zoo with family and grandkids had a fun time got to see the animals and feed the Graff, when on June 16,2018

Animals are very well taken care of
Very clean zoo with friendly staff
Really enjoyed the Christmas lights and train ride as well !!! A wonderful day and night at the zoo

We renew our zoo passes every year, so we are fans. The new Roo Valley and Penguin Encounter is too cute. The kangaroos were being lazy when we visited, but it was hot. We will go back in the morning. The penguins were really enjoying their new habitat and were showing off. Great date or family outing. They have signs posted where you need to distance and wear a mask, but most places you were free to remove it and enjoy the experience!

We haven’t been to The Cincinnati Zoo for many years. We recently visited and were pleasantly surprised at all of the changes! Such a beautiful Zoo! Our o my complaint was parking. There was no parking available and we ended up pretty far away on a side street. It would be nice if there was a back entrance into the zoo, while the parking lots are under construction. You forget how hilly Cincinnati is.

We arrived in the last hour of the day. I could not get over the manicured flower beds and easily walkable trails. It was lots of fun!

zoo blooms is just unbelievable! thanks to all the volunteers that make this possible. if you ever want to see what heaven looks like visit zoo blooms. to walk the grounds in april is to stroll thru bliss.

Nice zoo. They are updating some of the habitats. Need to add more signs at intersections so you know where to turn to see other animals. I didn't catch his name but the eagle looked very regal. We saw a baby giraffe and flamingo (see photos). Allow at least 2 & 1/2 hours. There is lots of welcome shade from the trees as you go throughout the park.

I went in with high hopes & was disappointed. It’s an incredible botanical garden. Incredible! —-But it’s a disappointing zoo. So many empty cages/spaces. So many listless, depressed looking animals. If we did find an animal, they looked like they regretted their life choices. Even the hippos were underwhelming. They were asleep at one end of the water & we had to wait in line to get a 30 second view before getting out of the way.

It was very difficult to navigate the zoo. We took the wrong way & ended up in dead ends multiple times. It was so difficult, we missed some portions of the zoo but were too frustrated to figure it out.

The line to get into the parking lot was long. No way they’re allowing only limited entry. The parking lot was almost full when we arrived at 10:20 for our 10:00 reservation.

The Wings of Wonder presentation was our highlight. Very entertaining & worth the 20 minutes to see.

Tips: take your food & drinks. People were picnicking everywhere & there was no problem. Prices weren’t terrible but if you can take it in, you’ll definitely save $.
Rent an electric scooter online before you go. Lots of hills. Lots of walking. Scooters sell out fast. If you have any problems walking, it’s the way to go to enjoy the zoo.
Plan to see the Wings of Wonder show.
Enjoy the foliage & flowers. It’s beautiful.
Go to the Gulf Breeze zoo in Pensacola for a more animal centered experience.

Traveled to the Zoo for the first time specifically to see Fiona and was hugely disappointed!!
Checked the website prior to driving to the zoo to see what would be closed today, only to get there and walk around for 5 hours hoping they would open Hippo Cove…of which they did not!!
So, needless to say, I made the trip for nothing because I didn’t get to even have a peek at Fiona.

I totally understand having to acclimate the new Hippo Tucker with Bibi and Fiona but informing the public in advance would be fantastic before visitors make a long trip and spend alot of money for nothing.

My biggest complaint is: that the Hippo Cove would be closed today was not on the website until late afternoon and they close at 5pm.

I am a fan of zoos and this is one of my favorites! It’s cool when I can sneak over in the middle of the day and walk around. It’s casual but you get close to the animals and during the work day empty of course. I rarely make it when I am in town for work but when I can… well worth it.z

Several large carparks, most with covered area like scaffold canopies which I am fairly certain had solar panels all over them, good for them. $10 to park. Had hassle with scanning for parking but at least could pay at kiosk with entry to zoo.
$30 entrance.
Yes, nice zoo
I Liked the layout with animals in zones and in tucked away areas. We didn’t see much, possibly too hot for most but we were zipping round really. Black rhino x 2, flamingos, zebras, gorillas, a Bongo! Have I seen a Bongo before? - African striped antelope. Okapi with baby, Oh the Manatees- eating lettuce – cute, went into the Night Hunters exhibit, it was good with a couple of unusual small cat like animals, bats, and several others, some still could not be seen. No good for photos, all came out red. Oh saw a Bengal tiger from a distance, didn’t look closer as was making an awful noise that didn’t sound very happy. Last spot were the Bald eagles.
10 minutes to find the car! We had left via a different exit to where we came in, so take note!
The botanic side of things, yes good and mature planting but most of the colour was from annual planting, this is becoming a bit of a no no in the garden world for climate and water reasons.

I loved the gorillas and the hippos the most. The botanical garden incorporation throughout the park was gorgeous, however, I think they could do a lot more to highlight that part of it in my opinion.

I can’t say enough good things about this Zoo! We felt very safe during this crazy time. All the animals were very active. Fiona is a star. So cute and wonderful. I would say at some points we felt a little lost. But we’re able to pull of the map for help, but maybe some better signs would be helpful. Also you will get her workout on hills everywhere! Overall great Zoo and experience!! Will be back!!

I took my daughter her three kids and my husband to the zoo. Wished they had handed out a map which would have helped. We are seniors and there are not many places to sit down.
The food is very expensive. We bought a petzel, a beer & 1 soft drink & it was over $17. Way too expensive. Wanted to take a train ride but choose not to because of the expense.
A lot of the places were closed down which was a disappointment. We did enjoy the ones that were open.
Would recommend going to the zoo.

I was denied entry at the gate for having on a halter top on a VERY hot day. I even had an undertop on to hide anything that would be revealing. I understand this is a family friendly establishment, and if people were coming in with bikini tops that would be one thing, but a tank top?! It was extremely embarrassing!! Do better

Great places for families or friends. Has lots of animals and very educational. Lots to see and places to play

We loved the zoo. Very easy to get around the zoo. Beautiful gardens and the animals were amazing. So glad we came. Food lines were long which kept us from eating there but we still had a wonderful time.

If you want to mark off two states off your list to visit, this is a good city where Ohio and Kentucky are across the Ohio river from each other. Cincinnati has a decent skyline and the Roebling Bridge, Union Terminal, Beautiful ball parks, Music Hall, Washington Park and Tyler Davidson Fountain. The city is not crowded at all and you do not have to wait for service in restaurants etc.

The zoo was nice and clean. The reason for 4 stars was the map was online and not easy to follow. Bought a map for $1, after being there an hour. Didnt jnow you could get a map. Really needed it to navigate the zoo as there were so many deadends. Really didn't like the hard to navigate. However, the manatees were wonderful as was the hippo.

Beautiful zoo. Well maintained. Lots of zoo staff available to answer questions. They are building a huge new elephant area which will open in 2024.

This was an amazing zoo! We only had to wait in line once (Roo Valley). Lots of different animals, and the zoo has tons of beautifully planted tulips along the way, as well as lots of “treat stations” for kids. There was also a plaza with some restraunts where you can eat outside, and the animals were AMAZING and seemed to be well taken care of. One of the best zoos I’ve ever been to!

This zoo is very large, even for a zoo. If you have small children, bring a conveyance. The design is very well done with many shaded walkways and very nice seating areas. There are quite a few daily talks, shows, etc. we didn’t feel the need to wait in line to ride the train or carousel, and they are not too omnipresent, so refusing to take small kids is sort of possible. The zoo has a great variety of animals. When we toured, approximately 20% of the exhibits were empty at that moment, which we find is pretty normal for most zoos. Food is not great and outrageously expensive, as usual for zoos I’ve visited. It’s a zoo, so if you can’t handle lots of whining children, don’t go.

I would not waste my money on this. We went and on the day we were there at least 50% of exhibits and demonstrations were closed and most of the food vendors were closed. Not worth the money. Other Zoos are much better and have a much better support infrastructure for food and drink.

My daughter was on crutches, and luckily we at least were able to rent a wheel chair as all of the scooters were rented out, but there's a LOT of hills to climb/descend which made it awful! If you're in Ohio, skip Cinci zoo and go to Columbus. So much better! Parking was awful, signage of how to get in bad (had to ask someone which path/escalator to take) it looks like the zoo hasn't been updated in many many years. We never did find Fiona, but were too exhausted to try by the time we realized it. It's off my bucket list, but I won't be back. That said, if you're in the area and looking for something to do, it is there.

A great way to spend a few hours or a whole day. I get there early and close them down. 9 a.m. entry is one of the advantages of being a member so...front row parking and you get to see the hippos before the throngs invade. This was a very HOT day but, fortunately, there was still a lot of activity throughout.

Day started with encountering Isla, the tamandua, out for a stroll. The hippo bloat was chilling in the corner...until the hippo encounter experience brought romaine. Kip, the white cheeked gibbon, is not to be missed. The dude is pretty nonstop action and a video is a better option than trying to take stills. He is always on the go when he's not sleeping in the hammock and those long arms straight up in the air as he runs around are a hoot. The meerkats go nuts when they get a cricket delivery. Beaudan, the new bongo calf, is so freakin' cute and fun to watch when he gets the zoomies.

Take in Wings of Wonder. Great, educational show with some pretty impressive fly-overs. The Cheetah Encounter is more of a conservation/awareness show than just a cheetah run featuring several species teaching RRR and other sustainable practices. These shows DO NOT run every day so check the schedule before you go.

Beautiful grounds/flowers. Well taken care of. No wonder they're an accredited arboretum. There is quite of bit of relatively steep terrain so be prepared for a cardio workout.

Beautiful zoo. Some parts very hilly. Lots of places to stop and rest. Fiona and family were out! Sort of confusing on parking and also inside. Even with a map I know we missed a few things. Overall good day. Expensive food but this is common at any zoo or attraction.

Wonder Day! We had so much fun seeing the hippos! We also enjoyed the gorillas, elephants, and orangutang. I am excited to return once BiBi has her baby hippo.

Could not be this close and not come see Fiona!! It was an awesome break from reality.
First let me say awesome Price for entry. I'm so use to everything being so expensive this was a good price for entry. We went on a Sunday in hopes not to be over crowded and it was not. It was perfect. My daughter (19) and I enjoyed everything, minus the train. It's for little kids. It was nice to sit for a little while but I wish It made like 2 loops around instead of one. Staff was all friendly and helpful. If I lived here and had been able to plan bringing a lunch would be fun. Overall great day and family time.

This zoo was nice and is expanding exhibits too. The line to get in was a bit confusing at first but we managed. The animals were active and in good health. Overall a good zoo experience.

This zoo is big and spacious. Most of the paths have bamboo and other fauna along them which not only add ambiance but natural shade. There are some paths that have some elevation changes. Consider your mobility issue. The exhibits are nice. There is a good variety of animals. Sometimes, the zoo can be confusing. There are many maps, an ap you can download and staff to help. There are many eateries and experiences to be had.

The remodel is ongoing making this place even better when this zoo is still the best I have ever visited. The lion and tiger displays are the best.

I like to go to zoos on Black Friday to see their Christmas lights, get away from the busy crowds at shops, and get the opportunity to see the animals still!
I tried out Cincinnati this year and was mildly disappointed as their Christmas lights are ranked as the number 1 zoo light festival in the country.
The lights are essentially supposed to look like paper lanterns of different animals - cool in concept, but they’ve had them for too long and they all look a bit worn out. They also had some for animals they don’t even feature at the zoo?
I was also a bit disappointed to discover that SO MANY animals weren’t available to the public. I understand the animal safety situation, but other zoos have alternate viewing areas to see some animals during the colder months.

The food in the zoo was fine, the general decor and interactive aspects were great, and we had a nice time either way. But I wouldn’t go back at this time of year.

Not sure why - if there was any special event etc. - but there were tons of families with kids. Lots of animals that we don’t see other places like Bonobos and Sahara desert cat. Lots of nocturnal exhibits. A huge new elephant exhibit with bears coming in 2025. Also very few animals off exhibit. May not be as big as some zoos but what they have is excellent.

Circled the zoo twice before finding a parking lot that wasn't full or under construction, and was for the general visitor. Once in the lot, found there was apparently no way for me to get to the actual zoo (I can walk, but not far, and it was uphill). Gave up and left.

i have zoo pass. I got several times a year but if you don't have a pass Oct wouldn't be my choice. the pass gets you a slight discount for the Halloween Jacko lantern night event 44 for 2 adults with the discount 50 for full price. I wouldn't have came if I had known it wasn't free for members. I also thought it was real pumpkins these were all fake which is practical because they will be reused for years. But it was a letdown since nothing was real.
over all good zoo but sadly not one of the top like it was. sad they don't have polar bears and grizzles and the orangutang and tiger don't have any of same species in thier area. The orangutang they put another primate in their but not the same and they never interact so both are stuck with a species not their own. This is shameful and cruel.

Not enough parking and crowded. Our local St. Louis zoo had much more to offer. Very disappointed. Not going to recommend.

Nice zoo. I'm from Columbus, so I'm a little spoiled by our zoo. I did like the fact that you were able to get closer to the animals (smaller exhibits), but the down side to the smaller exhibits is the animals don't have as much room to run or play. Very clean. Nice selection of animals. One area where most of the animals were not in their exhibits (too cold) should have had some type of signage. We walked along this long, snaking trail to find only 3 exhibits.
Two things we didn't like; they didn't have any copies of maps. You could try and look at a map on your little phone, or there were some posted maps throughout the zoo. I bought an item in the gift shop. The person said they didn't carry paper or plastic bags to put my item in. I COULD buy a bag for $2.
Parking was confusing. We put in the zoo address in our car's navigation. It took us to the zoo, but didn't see any parking. Was driving around trying to find it along with another SUV. We kept seeing them turn around like we were.
Overall a nice zoo.

went to the zoo for my wife's birthday, we got season passes and really enjoyed our time there it was to cold for some of the animals but there was plenty to see and do
loved the elephants, and the monkeys, birds, and the eagles

Fiona (the princess hippo) drew me to this zoo on line and I was thrilled when I was able to finally go. I will admit hippo cove was our first stop and we spent a lot of time here. Tucker and Fiona were out first followed a little while later by Bibi and Fritz. They were very active. I also purchased the hippo barn tour that was very interesting. We were lucky after the tour the bloat was being feed at the wall. We also purchased the behind the scenes with the giraffes. So cool to feed them and be so close. It was also very interesting to learn more about the giraffes. We loved it! The zoo is much larger than I thought and even though we were there all day we didn’t get to see all the animals. (Mainly because of the amount of time we spent in hippo cove). We enjoyed seeing the other animals. We even got to see Juno the baby sloth. Juno did a quick peek from being hidden by mom (Lighting). Rico the porcupine was cute. I had to ask for directions I couldn’t find him on the map. HallZOOween looked like a great time for the kids. The food was what you would expect for fast food. It was fine. Parking was easy. The zoo is hilly so be prepared. If you’re doing the behind the scenes or barn tour get your tickets online early they sell quickly. Also plan your visit wisely, some animals can’t be out if it’s too cold. I really enjoyed hearing about the enrichments the keepers provide for the animals. Extremely interesting. The flowers were beautiful too.

Lots of walking and what a beautiful walk it is, most of the walking paths are shaded which is nice in the heat of the summer.

Simply a world class zoo. Well laid out, great animal attractions, and wonderful plant life to admire as well. Good facilities throughout the zoo.

Such a great zoo. It was clean and wide to walk through. There were so many exhibits. Lots of animals. Exhibits were set up in ways that you could see the animals, even if they didn't want to be seen.

My wife wanted nothing more for her birthday than to see Fiona. We traveled from Seattle and got 10am entry tickets for a Saturday.

The good:
Parking was a breeze getting in and out as was entrance to the park.
We were lucky to see Fiona and Bibi first thing and they were active. Got great pictures and video making the trip worthwhile by 10:15.
The other animals looked well cared for and happy. Lots of babies to see!
Prices were what I expected at concessions.

Feedback:
Enforce the mask rule. Saw literally hundreds not wearing masks just walking around.
Signage could be better. Took a while to find things or to see an animal was not there.
Some habitats looked overgrown and unkempt.

Overall, my wife’s happiness with seeing Fiona dictates the rating.

We got annual ticket and visited the place with the children. Undoubtedly its worth visiting for all age groups. Despite the current pandemic there was a good rush of people and ofcourse the necessary protocols were being followed.
The zoo is quite vast and well maintained. Though I had a chance to visit such places in many countries but I do understand that its really one of the best.

Beautiful zoo. Animals looked well fed and healthy. We rode the train throughout the zoo, which was pretty cool. There was a bonus having the Botanical Garden in the actual zoo.

We spent two days at the zoo and had a great time. The enclosures for the animals are among the best we've seen (and we've been to a lot of zoos around the world), and we had fantastic behind the scenes encounters. The selection of animals was good, and many of the enclosures are designed so that the animals' enrichment gets them into good viewing positions. It is a very walkable zoo, while still offering a lot of diversity of animals. Our behind the scenes encounters were all very different, from feeding African penguins from the public viewing area (because they are aggressive penguins and being closer would not have been safe) to being one on one with Galapagos tortoises (we were able to stroke their necks, feel their shells and legs, and feed them), to being in a closed space with four Little Blue penguins that walked all around us and tried to eat our shoelaces. The encounters were appropriate to the temperament of the animals and the number of people participating in the encounter. I would definitely recommend a trip to this zoo.

After our visit to the National Zoo last week and reading the reviews in which people stated to skip Columbus in favor of Cincinnati, we chose Cincinnati.

NOTE- this zoo has variable ticket prices based on predicted attendance. Higher, the closer to your expected visit date.

We arrived about 15 minutes before the 10a general opening time and were directed to a spot in the main lot convenient to the entrance. Parking is 10 dollars and you can pay at the welcome center or the booth on your way out.

You drive through neighborhoods to get to the zoo, stay to the center lanes as streets are marked for two lanes either side of the center, but curb parking is allowed. Our route in was super easy, I-75 from the north to Mitchell, to Vine, to the main parking lot.

Once in we chose the counter clockwise route. Elephants, giraffes, cheetah show...many animals out and on display. Only saw a handful of empty or off display exhibits.

Park is very lovely landscaped though a couple of hedged were a little high, like at the rhino enclosure.

Park was crowded but most people were patient and took turns viewing, especially at the Hippos.

I will say, on a personal note, the number of extremely cranky or crying/screaming children seemed inordinately high.

As the day was hot, we pooped out before we visited gibbon island and the red pandas. However, we took the last, long downhill ramp to Roo Valley and were totally astounded. We were ushered into the enclosure WITH the kangaroos. You can walk a path where there is nothing between you and them but air. Wife was blown away.

Finally, we left about two in the afternoon after 4 hours in the park.

We have visited zoos from San Diego to Washington DC and Abilene to Roswell NM. This is the best zoo we've been in after San Diego. We highly recommend it.

We love zoos and were excited to finally go to the Cincinnati zoo while on our vacation. We arrived only to find out they don’t accept cash for parking. You HAVE to use their parking app in order to pay. I guess if you don’t have a smart phone you are sorry out of luck. That being said, we get up to the gate only to find they have only one window open for ticket sales. Again, it almost forces you to buy the tickets on line in order to avoid standing there forever. We finally get inside and found there isn’t a flow with the zoo and you have to retrace your steps, a lot. The walking paths are also hard to maneuver when there are strollers around because they’re so narrow. The part that has the composite decking is worse, with uneven planks, and super slippery, even when it’s dry. As we were walking around we found it amazing how few animals we were actually able to see. There are a lot of the enclosures empty or there were signs that said basically sorry they aren’t out. I understand how the weather can affect the animals and the zoo needs to be concerned on whether to have them outside or not, but I shouldn’t have had to pay full price if they aren’t available to see. The ticket prices are outrageously expensive to begin with and change from day to day for no apparent reason. I paid 27.50 per person to see very little. I overheard one of the other guests say they felt the zoo “has improved” since the last time they were there and if that’s the case I pity anyone going there as they are wasting their money. You know the old saying, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice…. We won’t be back any time soon.

This zoo was great.
We loved seeing all the animals, even on a hot day, and the staff was very friendly.

I will say the park could have been laid out better, it can get confusing at times.

To be a 5 everything has tobr perfect
This zoo comes so close. The only down side is outrageous captive food prices.

They took the covid timrto do a large upgrade

The jellyfish lights were great. Swan lake was extremely disappointing. The carousel took away from it and there was only globe lights and the tree. The years before at the festival of lights were a lot better. I was really disappointed in the lights this year. We only could see the elephants through the doors. Unable to walk inside.

This zoo never disappoints! The majority of the enclosures are open habitats rather than just a fenced in area, the animals seem happy, and the staff is always friendly and helpful.

It’s always a workout because the zoo is on a hill, but it’s not too bad. The train does circle some of the zoo and animal habitats so you can actually see the animals from the train.

I did the 30 minute elephant bath experience. It was so fun and worth it. It is just your group, an elephant, and knowledgeable staff for 30 minutes. You get to hose the elephant down, give it water to drink and brush it. I got to see the elephant lay down so we could wash it's back. The elephant really enjoys it and often leaned into our petting it. It also lifted one of its legs up in enjoyment. If you love elephants, book this experience!

Excellent zoo. Especially the behind the scenes tours. Highly recommend! The guides & zoo keepers are very friendly & eager to educate on the zoo & animals.

We’ve been wanting to visit for a while now. It’s a beautiful zoo, very clean and obviously well cared for. It’s always disappointing when you don’t get to see as many animals as you’d hope. There were a lot of empty animal homes due to the colder weather. Kangaroo walkabout with no kangaroos...Fiona wasn’t out...neither were my favorites (sloths)...BUT the painted dogs, manatees, lions, giraffes, elephants, gorillas, red pandas (among others) were on display. The train ride is cute. I highly recommend visiting. Well worth the time (and we spent 5 hours).

We visited on rainy/drizzle day, it was less crowded n most of the people were following covid guidelines. Bring your own hand sanitizer because I didn't find sanitizing stations placed near all areas. This is not the best laid out zoo, make sure to print maps at home (they don't hand out paper maps)
Tulips are beautiful n in full bloom right now.
Some exhibits were closed, I wish they place sign at the entrance. We went thru roo valley only to realize kangaroos weren't there.
Overall good experience.

We ordered tickets online and had to choose a entry time. They are restricting the number of people each day and staggering entry to help with COVID. Masks are required in high traffic areas. Parking is $10 and you can purchase a ticket when you order tickets. The parking lot was very nice with covered parking. We took the elevator/escalator to the top and crossed the bridge to the entrance. Everything for entry was touch less. This was our first time to the zoo and I didn’t realize the botanical garden is part of the zoo. The grounds were beautiful with flowers, trees, fountains. We enjoyed the zoo so much. We felt the animals were up close and more personal than other zoos we have been to. We were told this is the oldest of in the US. They have restrooms and a water fill station near the entrance. There are two areas you can buy food or you can bring your own in. We ate at the food trucks. I was disappointed the taco truck was closed the day we were there. We had the chicken fingers and fries. You got a lot of food. They had tables with umbrellas to sit at. The snack truck had ice cream, pretzels, cookies, Icees, cotton candy. The zoo is NO plastic so no straws for drinks. The shows and experiences were closed with COVID but you can still feed the giraffes. It was a very hot and humid day and we wished we had brought out spray fan to cool off. We noticed as we were leaving they were selling them at the souvenir stand for $12.99. Wish we had seen that earlier. You will need a lot of sunscreen and water when it is hot. It is a really nice zoo, we wish we had an earlier entry to see some of the animals before they went to sleep during the heat. The staff were very helpful and knowledgeable.

What an incredible experience. I had a few unplanned days off from work so we decided to take a 4 hour drive. We were not disappointed. So many animals to see and in larger then normal habitats (which made us happy). Fiona is still the star! We've been to many zoos (Bronx included) and this was tops!

A wonderful zoo with tons of exhibits both indoors and outdoors. The bear exhibit was still under construction (ETA 2024) but every other exhibit was well maintained.

The zoo's layout is such that you are frequently walking in circles and ending up where you started and can pick up the next path.

Would recommend for any trip.

This zoo is not worth the money! It is a sad situation to see how the animals are not cared for. None of the trails run into each other, so You have to do a lot of backtracking. There are no water fountains around the park for visitors. The signage is lacking the direction to take you to see the animals. Employees just walk around not noticing things that need attention. They are defensive whenever it is brought to their attention. Heartfelt situation for the animals here. We noticed the electric fence by the Bonobo cage was sparking and smoking because it was hitting a tree… We brought it to an employees attention and they could care less. I feel disgraced that I came here. Also $10 to park. They should really care for their animals better.

Canadians Beware - they are going to price gauge you.

The zoo itself was fine - but thier pricing scheme is clearly designed to gauge tourists. When we complained, we got a sarcastic “Meh! Welcome to USA”.

$62 for admission and $6 for water! Not even watering stations for refills!

Cincinnati is a great city. There are other places that will respect your tourism dollars.

The zoo is a blight on the area’s tourism strategy.

Let’s be honest people like to come here to see Fiona, and she doesn’t disappoint. If you take Fiona out it’s a very average zoo. Like most I found the map on the app almost impossible to use. The setup is very weird. Some dead ends and strange setups. It was a good visit and a good way to spend a few hours on our road trip. But if we weren’t there to see the hippos it would have been one of the more forgettable experiences on our trip. It’s a good zoo, but it’s similar to almost every other local zoo. It’s not something I would travel to go to like the San Diego zoo.

I visited the zoo today (7/12/2021) and very disappointed by the lack animals on exhibit. I’ve been coming to the zoo for more years than I want to count and this was the first time I walked away totally disappointed. I know some circumstances are beyond the staffs control, however, it would be nice if zoos website would list the vacant or closed exhibits. I really hope the quantity and diversity of the zoos population/conservation efforts increases in the months and years ahead.

So so much hipe about the hippos that I was disappointed. There seemed to be a lot of backtracking. I did like how close you could get to the giraffes.

Excellent zoo. We are a member at the Maryland zoo and this zoo gave us a great discount on our tickets because of it.

It was a cold Easter Sunday in April but it didn’t really matter much. The majority of the animals were out and about. We got to see animals that we don’t have back at our home zoo such as the gorillas, kangaroos, and manatees.

We loved the cheetah show! Wow they are fast.

The zoo was clean and appeared well maintained. The animals looks happy and healthy.

This place is BIG! Bring your walking shoes!!!

Great time had by all.

We visited because I wanted to see the hippos. They were out and active, but the water was so murky you could barely see them. So, no good photos :( I really enjoyed the manatees - the viewing benches for them were totally awesome (shaped with manatee heads ). There were a few animals that we never found even with the maps. As others have mentioned, we found the layout very confusing. All animals near the kangaroos were hiding because of construction noise (luckily an employee told us before we went down the hill). Being in a wheelchair, the pavement throughout the zoo is very uncomfortable. I know they want it to look nice (and it does), but it is very rough on wheels. A lot of the outdoor viewing areas also had the fence railing at the exact height of my viewing area so I was not able to see anything. We recently purchased a membership and hope to go back again. We weren't interested int he restaurants, but most of them were closed.

First, let me say that I'm a native NYer and the Bronx Zoo will always be my favorite. That being said, this Zoo is pretty incredible. It's super clean with nice wide pathways and very clear/well designed signage. The animal habitats look impeccable and the place is really just well kept. A must go if even remotely in the area!

We've been to quite a few zoos now and we thoroughly enjoyed this one. Everything and every animal seems well kept and we enjoyed the more "natural" feel to this zoo versus some which really seem more "cagey" if that explanation makes sense. Overall we'd definitely visit again if we're in the area with our children.

We were not able to see all animals due to some exhibits still closed for the season. Enjoyed the kangaroo area and the active hippo that was putting on a show swimming. Lots of hills but well maintained. Nice adjacent parking lots- $10.00 per vehicle.

Had a great first time and will return. Only negative: signage could have been more prevalent within the Zoo so we could find our way out. With some exhibits being rehabbed and/or pathways blocked, it was difficult to know where we were in relation to the parking lot. Don't miss the giraffes!

We could not have loved the Cincinnati Zoo more. It was perfect for our 5 year old and filled with amazing animals and fun! The staff we encountered were just wonderful. We are members at the Brookfield in Chicago and have been to the National Zoo and, of course, our local Lincoln Park zoo, and this was, by far, the best zoo we've ever been too. It was beautiful and filled with fun around every corner!

My husband and I were visiting Cincinnati mainly to eat at the Montgomery Inn and had some time to kill. I suggested the Zoo and Botanical Garden. It was a great choice. I struggle a bit with zoos since despite knowing all the good they do, it makes me sad to see animals who are supposed to live in the wild behind fences. However, this Zoo is beautiful with walking paths and gorgeous gardens and is very clean and well-cared for. We spent about 3 very pleasant hours here.

Great things about the zoo:
1. Fiona!
2. Decent signage overall.
3. The animals are the BEST!

Not so great things about the zoo:
1. Prices in the shops are astronomical.
2. Should be a map to tell folks where the "famous" animals are (Fiona/Rico/etc)
3. Parking was a mystery. We paid $10 for parking in advance, but when we got there, the lot was full (we then parked in overflow), and there was no one keeping tabs on who paid (or who didn't).

Solid recommend for the animals.

We decided to include the Cincinnati Zoo on our travel itinerary as we swept through Ohio over a few days in late December. Overall, reviews gave this zoo high marks and it was touted as one of the best zoos in the United States.
Let me start with the obvious. Cincinnati is relatively cold in late December. While it wasn't frigid during our visit (upper 30s), it was still as bit cooler than our home temperatures (outside of Charlotte, NC). I will reference the impact of the cool temps shortly.
On a positive side...
The zoo was clean. It as was easy to maneuver (maps and footpaths took you from one exhibit to the next with short walks). It is fairly condensed- I am guessing that you can get from one end to the other in a 15 minute walk. There are a variety of animals from around the world.
Also, while we were not visiting for the Festival of Lights, they were beautiful.

On a negative side...
We were unable to view a significance number of animals. In cases, exhibits were being constructed (manatees for instance). In others, the animals were either hibernating or inside. This included many of the large African animals. This is where the weather comes in. If you do a winter trip to a zoo in a cool weather state, be prepared for this reality. This is no fault of the zoo, but a function of the God given design of each animal. After all, we might be able to take the animal out of its natural habitat but we can't take the natural habitat out of the animal. This led to us missing out on African lions, zebras, warthogs, the famous hippos (including Fiona), and a host of other savannah creatures. In addition, we did not see in polar bears or kangaroos, including a number of other animals. In other words, we walked by a number of empty exhibits.
My advice is this. If you want to experience the animals of the Cincinnati zoo, come in the warm months. You will see a lot of animals with little effort. If you are okay with possibly missing out on a number of animals, but feel that the lights are more your thing, then be sure to come during the Festival of Lights.

Drove from MA to see Fiona. It was nap time at the Hippo exhibit. I circled around 3 hours later and they were still sleeping, just sunbathing instead of underwater. At least I could actually see Fiona this time, but viewing is limited at their rather small enclosure. Overall, enclosures were small and lacked creativity for the animals. (Compared to Denver Zoo, Nat’l Zoo, Bronx Zoo, and San Diego Zoo)
Other exhibits, if open, were very limited activity from animals (except the Meerkats). We had timed our entrance for the Penguin Parade which didn’t happen. Staff was difficult to spot once inside the zoo, although sanitation stations were available at every building and restroom. Masks were required, but not all guests followed this mandate. It was crowded and difficult to maintain social distancing on paths and most exhibits. I don’t feel the need to return, and won’t be recommending a visit to anyone in the near future. If anyone is a Fiona fan, she’s more easily viewed on the Zoo’s FB live feed. My visit left me quite disheartened.

What a wonderful zoo! Great collection of many animals I’ve never seen before. And the hippos! Loved it.

Great Zoo. Nothing amazing about it. Guess we have seen many zoos. Although it was during Covid-19 restrictions which did take away from the experience.

The Cincinnati Zoo is really nice .we loved the elephants ,red Panda and Giraffe exhibit. But Hippo Cove is the place to be. We dove over 6 hours from Pittsburgh just to see Fiona, Fritz ,Tucker and the family. They did not disappoint and we spent 2 hours watching them show off. It was very relaxing and entertaining. They were very active in the afternoon. It was definitely worth the trip to the Cincinnati Zoo . The Zoo is very crowded and almost impossible to get a parking spot. We couldn't find one in the morning and had to leave and visit the Taft home and came back at 1pm that day. People were leaving and there were then many parking spots. Overall a wonderful time.

A well-kept clean zoo with a compact layout for visitors to see the various animals in their environment. Also the train ride in the zoo is a great bonus who want to see it all in one ride.

I have been following the zoo on Instagram for awhile and was so excited when my husband and I had an opportunity to go to Cincinnati. We bought tickets for a weekday. It was not overly crowded. Many many exhibits so we chose the not to miss ones and really enjoyed the landscape walking throughout. I would have loved to seen Fritz but he was only a few weeks old and not yet out for public viewing. We especially enjoyed the gorillas, elephants, manatees, lions, Rico the porcupine and of course the hippos. Great way to spend an afternoon.

Amazing!! Such a fantastic Zoo! Tons of animal exhibits and experiences! We went to see my favorite animal, the Hippos, and it was magical! If you get a chance to do a behind-the-scenes tour with the Hippos, DO IT!!! It was incredible!! We got to see the Barn, hear all of the histories, and then witness an up-close feeding! 10 out of 10!

Surprisingly in the middle of the city but still lots to see here! Parking is strange because you pay as you're leaving the parking lot not parking. They make the most of their limited space by having lots of different circular walkways, which makes it a little bit harder to make sure you see all the animals. Obviously mostly an outdoor activity, but they did have a few scattered indoor exhibits, more so than some other zoos it felt like. Food and beverages throughout for sale, but you're also able to bring your own bags/snacks into the venue to save money. Great for all ages. One disappointing feature was park staff was not enforcing mask wearing, despite the large crowds in the zoo.

We were told that this is one of the finest zoos in the US. They certainly have as wide a variety of critters as anyone could wish, whether you're into birds, primates, reptiles, mammals, or all of the above. This is an older zoo, and, when we visited, several exhibits were closed and there was a good deal of construction going on---completely understandable. And I liked the way the staff was always on hand to make sure the animals were not disturbed by people. In the kangaroo enclosure, some of the 'roos were chilling in the middle of a walkway, and there was at least one keeper there constantly making sure that visitors did nothing to bother them.

My biggest problem with this zoo is space, or rather, the lack of it. A good many enclosures just seemed far too small for their occupants. Also, the ten dollar charge for parking is extortionate. Food and drink are way overpriced here, again an issue at many such venues. Overall, pleasant enough to walk around for a couple of hours, but I wouldn't go back.

I’m used to the San Diego zoo but with a toddler this zoo was perfect. You can see the whole thing in a short day but it has enough to be a big time attraction. My kid loved the white fox which came right up to her face. Very cool!

Canadians beware! They are going to price gouge you because you are “not a preferred member”

But who would buy a membership if you are a tourist exploring the city?

We got gauged at the ticket office ($62 USD for 2 people) and then again when we went to buy water ($6 for a small container of water!).

We tried to get explain it to a manager that their pricing is unfair since we are just visiting as a 1 time event. The reply “Meh. Welcome to Cincinnati” along with a smug grin.

There are no water stations - so take more than 1 bottle with you. Otherwise, you will pay outrageously for it!

I suggest avoiding the zoo. There are other more worthy things to do that respect tourism dollars.

My wife and I spent two days here trying to go different zoos every year. The main reason to come here was to see the hippos since not many zoos have them. Those were one of our favorites but there’s so much here that it will take probably two days to see everything. The Asian Elephants were another favorite and while their enclosure was quite big they are working on an even bigger exhibit due to up within a year or two. Lots of primates here as well as reptiles and birds. Like the Columbus Zoo they also have manatees and there’s some fish in that building as well. There’s plenty of dining options to choose from and there are water stations spread around the zoo as you can bring in your food and bottles as long as they’re not grass. The gardens help make the zoo more beautiful than it already is. I don’t think I have been to another zoo that had as many different types of penguins as they do here. Try to see the cheetah encounter as they usually have it once a day.

Lots to see and do. Many helpful zoo employees/volunteers to answer questions. The weather was beautiful, so the animals and plants were fabulous. Zoo maps were posted around occasionally, but could have been more so pulling up the tiny map on our cellphone wouldn't have been necessary. Got to the 2:30 giraffe feeding by 2:25 and they were finished, apparently doing the feeding early for some reason, so that was disappointing.

We decided to buy a family membership for our daughter and family. we bought it the day before. We used it May 30th. My husband
and I bought senior tickets. We are from Nebraska and will renew our membership
in Nebraska. Our daughter's family came back to celebrate a birthday on June 6th.

We thought 4.5 hours would be sufficient. We were so very wrong. It is a lovely zoo.
Loved being so close to the elephants. They were eating and seemed to be relaxing.
The gorilla's were wonderful. Enjoyed the leopards too. The grounds are very
clean and it was a lovely way to spend time. Will take the train next time too. Not enough time to get to watch the hippo's.

The gift shop was very hot and we did not stay long enough to shop.

Our grandkids are already planning our visit for next spring when we come back
to Kentucky.

We were fortunate that the time they had given us we had found parking right across the street from the entrance. They had plenty of benches if you wanted
to watch the animals and relax. The paths were very well maintained and they had
benches too if you needed to have a break.

We didn't eat at the zoo, but, they had plenty of options if you were so inclined.

A great idea for a family gift.

We came to the Zoo, specifically to see Princessm Fiona and her Mom Bibi. They did not disappoint. I would suggest going after 12 noon, that is when they are the most active and better possibility of seeing them in the water.
The Zoo is large, so we were only able to see half the zoo.

The food at the Zoo is very good as well. Pizza and super creamy mac n cheese. YUM!

It was a fun afternoon.

Overall great experience. Since we are members of Zoo Miami in Miami, FL, we got a 50% discount. Nice zoo with adorable animals. It was very easy to get around the zoo and know where you’re going. We enjoyed the bird show a lot and it gave us a chance to rest on a hot summer day.
I’ll never understand charging for parking though. They did the same at Louisville Zoo. Where we are from, our zoo does not charge for parking. I think admission prices should include parking.

This is a must go if you are in Cincinnati this was the best Zoo I have ever been too and have pictures to share! I will go again when I come back.

The Cincinnati Zoo is THE BEST ZOO EVER! I have been to many but this one really stands out for beauty and the different animals there. Today we did something different ..the KangaClimb was outstanding!! We would definitely do it again. The carousel is beautiful too. I love this place! Highly recommend!!

We really enjoyed the zoo. It is orderly and not crowded. They could have a better plan for entry times as it really just has a bunch of people congregate by the gates now. But, otherwise it was better than expected.

The Zoo was wonderful and was the actual reason for our trip. It was great to see the hippo bloat in person! The Zoo is very clean and all animals appear well cared for. This is a full day experience!

What a wonderful, well designed zoo. We were lucky enough to see the main zoo attraction, the hippos. Four beautiful hippos are houses at the Cincinnati Zoo, something our local zoo doesn't have. A wonderful docent told us all about the 4 hippos.

We had pretty high hopes coming from WI to visit Fiona. She did not disappoint. The rest of the zoo is pretty “meh” though. The signage to navigate the zoo is lacking and the walking trails are hardly wide enough for strollers to pass by each other. There were numerous times we headed the direction we thought we wanted only to have to backtrack.

The staff is friendly, the enclosures are nice, & the animals seem well, but yeah - other than Fiona, this isn’t really any better than other zoos we’ve been to.

As for Fiona, we worked our way to her when we arrived at 10 and she was sleeping - which is cute for a few minutes. Luckily my wife is a fan of hers and knew from Facebook that she livens up in the afternoon so we came back around 3 and both her & Bibi were swimming laps for the adoring fans.

Very very nice zoo.
Very clean and well organized. All staff are well trained and helpful.
Very busy, and a big difficult to navigate. Charging $1 for a map is kinda dumb.
Really good experience overall. It would have been a 4* rating, but my Daughter was able to pet her favourite animal (Galopagus Tortoise) so that bumped it up to a 5 star. We had a great time.

This was our first visit. They did an excellent job with atmosphere. Even saying that I was disppointed in the gardens or lack of gardens The animals were varied and it was a nice outing.

The only reason I gave a 4 and not a 5 is due to how many animals we were unable to be seen or located.

The place was very clean and every staff member I spoke with was nice and polite as well as knowledgeable about how to get to certain parts of the park.

The Zoo itself was fine other than the father of 2 young children twice suggesting that his children look at the lion's testicles who was sleeping by the window despite his wife's protests that he not act like a pre pubescent male in a public setting.

Getting into the zoo was a really mixed bag.

Let's start with the good. The parking is covered by solar panels which provides electricity to the zoo and shade for the cars, an idea so profoundly brilliant it makes you wonder why the whole world isn't doing it.

Then the idiotic. We walk up to the entrance. There's a very nice sign there that says pay for your parking here with a qr code. Get in there, pay for parking and done. Why didn't that webpage ask me if I needed zoo tickets? At the entrance there was a sign pointing to a row of unused and empty ticket windows with signs directing us to the right. When we got to the right we were informed we'd gone too far and needed to turn around and walk back behind the building we'd just come from to purchase tickets. While standing in line to buy tickets I looked online to see if I could purchase them but oh my god there were like 7 choices and I finally got so frustrated with their stupid web page I just walked to the window and paid for tickets. Turns out I actually paid 10% more at the window than I would have on their webpage but their page design was just so bad I couldn't figure out which option was right for me. This whole experience honestly just put me in a really bad head space walking into the zoo.

Once inside the zoo, we found the usual zoo nonsense of exhibits not having animals in the stations where they're supposed to be for whatever reason. Walked into the manatee building, did not see a manatee. Walked into the elephant exhibit, no elephants. Walked to the giraffe exhibit, no giraffes.

I did find the bald eagles extremely impressive - can't say I've ever been face to face with an eagle that close before and they are extremely impressive birds.

All in all, Cincinatti has a very nice zoo marred by an incredibly bad visitor welcome experience and the usual zoo nonsense of animal availability.

Employees are 50/50 on being polite. Very rushed at opening. Buildings are not handicapp accessible. If no opens doors for you, you can get in. Both of us in scooters

We got tickets for the zoo while we were in town for the day. You have to make reservations ahead of time which was nice to know they were managing the attendance. They need better signs as the zoo isn't easily navigable, and for people who had never been there, we spent a lot of time backtracking. If you haven't been there, I would recommend printing off a map to look at before you go, to eliminate getting lost too much. There were a lot of animals not out due to the weather ( about 45 degrees, which is understandable) Fiona was out and was totally adorable.

This is a wonderful zoo . Animals appeared to look so healthy. Grounds were decorated with Christmas lights . I will definitely go again in summer months

This is a nice zoo...nothing spectacular but a good place to walk around, see some animals, and enjoy the day. Although Fiona was not out on the day I visited, I loved watching the other hippos.

I got sucked into the Fiona hype. Went to see the hippos 2 times today. First time disappointed. Second was better but the social media for the zoo is better than the zoo. The elephants were good. Lots of MIA animals. The tulips are beautiful. Felt like it was very disorganized in many ways. Long lines at bathrooms. I fell like I walked many miles today. They tell you to pay at ticket office for parking which was a real hassle only to leave and not be asked to show if you paid or not. I guess it was $13 for entrance.

Got a 3:30pm time slot on Sunday to visit. Lots of people, but at least felt comfortable in outdoor exhibits. Several people not wearing masks in indoor exhibits - yuck. Lots more animals out now (monkeys, rhinos, kangaroos etc) but still no lions.

In the par the zoo is wwas always rated a 5. Not any more. It is an entertainment zone. We went from trains to ziplines.what the heck does a zipping adventure course have to do with animals?

Does a zoo need to server beer and wine. So much for a family event unless Mom and Dad can tie one on.

As to the animals, the nocturnal house is so poorly lit you can not read. It was a hot day and most animals were not outbecause the zoo gave them no cooling.

All in all, I think it is time to switch to a Columbus membership

I had long heard that this was an excellent zoo and it was. In fact it may be my new favorite. Facilities were clean, information was interesting and understandable, variety of animals and plants was outstanding. Parking was convenient as well. Setup is really helpful for getting around even on little legs. Staff on the rides and food service were noticeably disinterested and unenthusiastic, but those who worked with animals were passionate about their jobs and about conservation in general. I'd be happy to visit again.

We’ve always enjoyed the zoo and even this time, the Festival of Lights was spectacular.

However there were 3 negative things that happened that resulted in my less than 5 star review

1) Birds of Flight sanctuary indicated that it was open until 5pm but we arrived about 4:50pm and doors were locked
2) In one of the houses where they have the monkeys, along the path there was a large snake on the side of the path just sitting there unattended (and my wife is deathly afraid of snakes)
3) there was no staff helping to get the cars in and out and it was chaos trying to leave

The Cincinnati Zoo is a great tourist attraction while visiting Cincinnati. It's a great place for families.

I normally like zoos, but found myself underwhelmed after the few hours I spent here. There are many great parks in Cincinnati where you can spend time outside for a lot less money, and many attractions for the whole family that I feel like are more unique to the area, and that you would get more out of. I agree with other reviewers that this zoo is not that well laid out, leading to missing exhibits, having to backtrack, etc.

They needed another entry ticket booth window open (there was only one) as the line was really backed up on a Sunday, but judging from the fact that it wasn’t hard to find parking, I’m guessing this was a light weekend day for the zoo. Even so, there were enough people that it was hard to really enjoy watching the animals or be able to get a good look. They did have a few animals which are less common to see in zoos. I know that hippos are a big draw for that reason but again good luck getting a look at them because it’s so packed in that area.

Perhaps if you’re a local and can visit on a weekday when it’s not 1000° outside, and can take your time, it could be quite nice. If you’re just a tourist sightseeing, I’m not sure this zoo is different enough from others to be worth your precious vacay time.

We saw lots of active animals out even though it was a little warm outside. There was plenty of shade though, which was helpful. We even saw an ostrich get in and out of the water (something apparently pretty rare)! There were tons of pumpkins on display. It was fun to check out the carved ones that had Disney characters, etc. My only complaint is that the walkways were not smooth. You could certainly use a wheelchair or stroller on them, however, they were a little uneven because they thought it would be clever to make paw prints throughout the zoo. I've seen other zoos do this. It just isn't practical because of the bumpiness. I'm guessing those who decided to do that never rode in a wheelchair over the paw print impressions. They wouldn't think it was so neat.

What do you do with four hyperactive nephews, a toddler and two teenagers in full teenager mode?
Go to this zoo, that's what. It was a great day out for all of us - the Cheetah exhibit was cool, but the zoo is also pretty well set up in terms of ambling between different (groups of) attractions and taking a mini-train when you need a break.
I particularly loved the hippos, you can get up right next to them on the other side of the glass.
Downsides? I'd say mainly the food. Take your own.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden - a great visit during COVID with great weather and a wonderful Team member that escorted us to see Fiona when we asked where she was. Page was her name and soon to be Page Turner one she gets married. She was the best guide on the way to see Fiona.

We looked for the new baby Black Rhino was she and her mother were not out. Over all a great visit to the Zoo I grew up with before moving out of town.

if you are ever in cincinnati in december you must visit the zoo during the festival of lights. you wont be disappointed. its beyond pretty.

Very educational and entertaining. Wear walking shoes and sunblock. Great variety of animals. Loved seeing them without cages or barriers. Parking is one block from gate. Fascination with exotic animals, to look at them, hear them, and even smell them, never gets old. Cleanest zoo ever. Take a full day to see it all.

We followed Cincinnati Zoo on Facebook and their socials are fantastic. My children felt like they knew the animals through the posts and they could call them by name. So of course when we visited an area within a 45 minute drive to the zoo, we had to go. My kids were so looking forward to visiting their “friends”. Right away we noticed everything was dirty upon approaching the zoo and riding the escalator up. I mean, filthy. We approached the ticket booth and the man selling tickets was not friendly and charged us more than the listed price of tickets on the website. By this point my husband and I are cutting eyes at each other and really not wanting to continue this endeavor, but the children are excited, so we do. After we officially enter the zoo we make a stop by the bathrooms. Again, absolutely filthy. We come out, trying to make the best of it and look for a zoo map so we can find our kids’ favorites. We couldn’t find any maps so we stopped by customer service and we were told they no longer give away zoo maps…for free, but we can purchase one. This is supposedly to be more green, which I could appreciate if it weren’t for the fact that we could still buy one and the condition of the animals, but I’m getting ahead of myself. So we strike out map-less. Approximately 50% of the animals were not on display in their habitats. After I had already paid more to get in than was advertised I can tell you that was quite the annoyance. But we proceeded. All over the zoo we saw trash and just general dirtiness and windows that were growing green algae from not being cleaned. Then we came to the poor alligator. It’s hard to empathize with a giant reptile, but being from Florida, my kids know what an alligator is supposed to look like. They literally got teary because they thought he was dead. Finally he moved but he had growths and was floating in a lazy, unhealthy looking way. His water was gross. It was a sad experience. We were losing heart fast at this point so we just asked a zoo employee to please point us to the hippos and Ricco the porcupine. We got to the hippos first. They at least looked somewhat happy as they frolicked in the water but their water was disgusting. It had lots of poop floating in the water and was filled with grass and debris. Our last ditch effort was to go see our favorite, Ricco. Poor Ricco was sitting slumped over in a pet carrier facing the back. He never moved during our visit. He just sat there facing the back of the pet carrier. As we were exiting we noticed it was about 1pm and we hadn’t had lunch yet. My son refused to eat in the zoo because as he said, “It’s too dirty here.” That’s coming from a ten year old boy, unprompted, and he was hungry. Lastly, the gift shop. The kids had money burning a hole in their pocket. My son bought an $8 geode. It’s crumbly and we had to get it all the way back to Florida. I asked for a bag at checkout to conserve it during the trip and you guessed it - no bags. Because they’re so green. But I can buy one! Honestly we couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I could have elaborated more on some of the other animals but this is already a ridiculously long review. I expect there will be people who want to slam me for this review because apparently this is America’s second favorite zoo. To that I can say, the people who run their social media pages don’t get paid enough, because they had me fooled too. We won’t be back, ever. I’ve unfollowed their socials because now that we’ve seen it in person, those cutesy videos can’t bring us joy. It was a sad day.

This is fast becoming one of my favorite zoos. It is very shady and many little paths to follow. I feel like I see some new way every time we go. The animals always seem well cared for. The hippos are one of the favorite animals at the zoo, although I personally could watch the penguins all day. I do wish there was more seating around the penguins. The walk to the zoo from the parking lot isn't to long and there are elevators available for those who can't do the escalator or stairs. I found the keepers to friendly and willing to answer any questions. The dining options are your standard park fee, but decently priced. There are few places to get a beer although I never have. There is only one gift shop which is fairly easy to avoid if you are going with kids who just have to have everything like mine. The restrooms are large and appeared clean.

Extremely fun! We went early to find a long line around 9:44am. We ended up purchasing our tickets online, however, the email took a long time to appear. I would suggest if you are purchasing tickets online you do so before you arrive at the zoo.

Even though the open time of the zoo is listed at 9 am that time is for members only. If you have a general admission ticket you will not be able to get through the gates till 10 am.

We entered the gates at 10am and began our walk around the zoo. The highlights were the giraffes, hippos, and manatees. So many other animals to see as well!

We had a great time and I would recommend this zoo for any age group.

Ohio has a lot of great zoos (Columbus and Toledo come to mind) but this zoo is just as good as any of them. This is one of the oldest zoos in the country and a little hemmed in due to its urban location but most of the exhibits are new and the enclosures are large.

This isn’t a flashy zoo but you will find a lot of unique animals here that you won’t find in other zoos, such as cheetahs and opakis. The insect house is unique to most zoos and fascinating.

Wasn’t sure if the weather while we were here had anything to do with it or not (60 degrees and sunny) but almost all of the animals were super active even during the middle of the day.

Zoo can be a little expensive to visit ($73 for a family of four that included parking) but it will take you 4-6 hours to see everything. The zoo is large but manageable to walk around it in one day.

Main parking lot is off Vine St. and you cross a foot bridge to get into the zoo. Not sure if this is due to Covid but you pay for parking when you leave, so make sure to have your pre paid parking as you leave.

Due to Covid, they have timed and limited entry. We bought our tickets two days before going and they were already sold out of the 9, 9:30, and 10 tickets for a non holiday Friday entry.

We got to this zoo before it opened at 10:00. (Members get in at 9:00, but we were not members). Parking is covered and very close to the zoo entrance. You can take in picnic supplies and water. Benches are everywhere, helpful for seniors! Before time to get in, an employee came over to make sure we had scanned a map of the zoo and to give suggestions for visiting the parts of the zoo that really get crowded in the morning when not as many people are there. Wow! We really appreciated that! We did go to the kangaroo encounter first, then wandered over to the African part to see hippopotamus, African painted dogs, etc. Well done! There is also a cheetah encounter, a bird show, and talks where many different animals are showcased. In the afternoon, people can line up to feed the giraffes.
We ate at a bench at the zoo, but there were restaurants, food trucks, and beverages and ice cream places available. It was a hot day, and it is hilly, but we managed to see the zoo pretty thoroughly in the five or six hours we were there.
When you leave, there is a $10 parking fee that is payable only by credit card.
I would highly recommend this zoo. You can also include the train and carousel with your ticket. We bought our tickets on their website a couple weeks before we went, and that worked out really well.

This zoo is one of the best in the country and the second oldest. I’m not gonna lie, I go there to see Fiona, but they have plenty of other great animal exhibits to see, too. The penguins and meerkats are close runner-ups to the hippos.
If you have kids, ride the train. It’s adorable.

I have been to several zoos, and this was one of the best. All 4 of my family members agreed that a second trip was in the future. There is so much to see. You need to allow 4+ hours to see everything...you can actually spend the entire day there. It was well organized, and the signs and maps were a great help finding the areas we wanted to see first. Take good walking shoes...the paths are a little hilly.

This is a GREAT zoo. It offers plenty of covered parking, you can bring your own food/drinks, and is beautifully landscaped.

Oh my! Worth it! This is unlike most Zoos featuring several hours of exhibits and animals from across the world. This zoo is an excellent attraction for families of all ages. It has been 12-years since we visited the zoo. Our adult children grew up with the zoo and wanted to return when visited Ohio this week. tGreat memories and now new memories.

We came on a summer Thursday with few crowds. My favorite new exhibit was Fiona the Hippo! I highly recommend this zoo for many reasons.

This zoo was great. The free cheetah and bird shows made it seem like a better value. You need to make sure you are there at the right times for those, however. They have some animals one doesn't see at most zoos such as puffins, hippopotamuses, and manatees. Most of the pathways are wide with plenty of room, although the zoo was crowded in some areas.

Parking is $10. You have to go up an escalator or elevator when you get there. There could be more signs directing where things are such as the train station.

It was annoying that we had to get off of the carousel if there was an employee on a power trip that wouldn't let people with unlimited rides stay on. The carousel rides are quite short. It is silly to have to get off when there is a very small line to get on. If there is a large line, it makes sense to get off. If there is a small line, it does not make sense to get off.

Cincinnati Zoo has beautiful gardens and several species of trees and plants. Our favorite exhibits were, the Cat Canyon, where guests get the opportunity to observe several nocturnal animals during their active hours. We enjoyed the cheetah cubs, African wild dogs, snow leppard and fennec fox.

This is probably the best zoo I’ve ever been to. There is a lot of debate between this zoo and the St. Louis zoo (I’ve been to both), but I think this one is better (yes, the race is close). The layout is more intuitive and flows smoother. The animal habitats seem more natural and creative, some of them almost art-like.

The zoo has many sections, including Africa (birds, hippos, giraffes, elephants, hippos, etc). There is an opportunity to feed the giraffes, but I chose not to do that due to COVID and social distancing issues. Meet cats and painted dogs—the painted dogs are gorgeous and in a beautiful glass enclosure.

Zoo also has reptiles, insects, a Galapagos tortoise, rhinos, bears. Many primates of all types, and they are easily visible. Of course they have Fiona, the famous hippo, who is the smallest hippo to ever be born and survive (check her out on the internet—she wasn’t in a photo taking mood when I visited).

Blue penguins are a lot of fun to watch.

They have a kangaroo court that they are expanding upon. This huge, beautiful expansion is supposed to open summer-ish next year.

They have a lot of beautiful garden space with a lot of nice benches and picnic areas. They have many cafes and food/drink kiosks, though services are limited by COVID 19 right now.

This zoo has so much to offer, and I really feel it’s above and beyond the average zoo. Support them and their mission of preservation. Maybe you’ll even get to see Fiona!

Great zoo---animals taken care of---wish we had more time to spend there--nice places to sit--food not bad--and places to get drinks all through park--

I have a pass and stopped by several times. I missed the peak tulip season because I was traveling. Shame because the tulip time is the one thing they do great.

Some of the animal exhibits are disappointing. Such a shame several animals don't have a mate or same species. The orangutan, snow leopard and tigers. There are 2 tigers but they are separated. Really miss the polar bear. They are putting in a black bear exhibit but black bears aren't on the same level as polar bears.

They keep the baby animals somewhere u can't see. Sux, when you drive hours to find they had no intention of having the animal you came to see out. Kinda a waste. They could easily post on their Facebook site what animals are not out. But they want you to come even if it was a waste.

Several say this is the best zoo in the country.. I'm sorry but I have seen better. St Louis zoo is as good and free. San Diego zoos are by far the best. But its ok and in a crappy part of town.
I really debated buying pass to Columbus or Indianapolis but they are quite a bit farther.

Being on our nations top 10 list of best zoos I can’t see why! This Zoo was so confusing to navigate through we had to stop and refer to the map via phone so many times my phone almost died. And the train and carousel are a joke! We paid well over $150 for the day and what a waste! Omaha ZOO rates #1 and it’s worth it! This zoo should not be on the top 10 list. And the zoo is SMALL the exhibits are SMALL!

1st there on 7/6/24. Parking was easy & I liked it covered to keep the sun off. Solar Panels on top - great thinking! Took a good solid 3 hours to see a lot without stopping for breaks. You need to plan 3-5 hours when going. Lots of shade and places to sit. Several mist fans were great to walk upon on. Easy paths to follows. I liked people going in one way & exiting another. Cool AC in enclosed exhibits was nice! Bring sunscreen & wear walking shoes! Some paths were inclined. Lots of restaurants & restrooms. Parking is 10 and 2 adults tickets came to about 75.00. I really liked it. Here are pics - hope this was helpful

We loved the zoo, unfortunately it was hot and I wasn’t feeling the best this day so we cut our visit short and didn’t get to see everything we hoped. We definitely will come back next time we are in the area to see it all!

The zoo was so pretty with all the Christmas lights. Only a few animals to be seen, but that was expected with the time of year.

Great zoo! The zoo has a variety of animals including some well known ones like Fiona, the Hippo. The grounds is beautifully manicured with flowers and plants everywhere. As a botanical gardens they have most plants labeled. This zoo is well worth your time!

Their Zoo is one of the best in the country. It is also a beautiful botanical garden. Lots of different animals. From great views of elephants and giraffes. To Manatees and Penguin's . Plenty of parking lots. Good food selection. Very good senior rate to get in. A great zoo for kids. It was great to see the animals without cages.

This is one of the few zoos we've visited lately, that actually took us all day to explore. We were there when the gates opened and left, just before they closed. A lot of the animals seemed to be out, visible, and active which was a huge plus. The only downfall was the price seemed a little high, even with a reciprocal zoo membership. If you're in the area though, you definitely should check it out.

This was our first trip to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens and was definitely worth the trip! We were a little disappointed that some of the animal enclosures were closed due to the colder weather.

We drove 9 hours to see Princess Fiona - it was worth every minute spent in the car! Not only was Fiona the star attraction, we also got to see all of the favorites we've seen on social media, and heard about on Cincinnati Zoo Tales.

As a couple in their late 20s with no children- we LOVED this zoo.
We were big fans of Fiona to begin with, but her spunky personality really shined the day we were there. I highly recommend heading to see Fiona first thing if she's why you're there. She was WORKING the crowd, swimming back and forth across the span of her enclosure. She even seemed to be posing for the cameras and pushed Tucker out of the way to be front-and-center!
The layout of the park did cause some backtracking, but overall they had some great exhibits. We were even lucky enough to see the Cheetah show where they run full speed! Stunning!
The manatees were definitely another highlight- we were there right as they were fed romaine lettuce! Seeing them eat was adorable!

It was about 60 degrees the day we went, so some animals were inside for the winter (or like the blue penguins- nesting season!) which was totally understandable.

The two reasons I rated the zoo a 4/5 instead of 5/5 are:
1.) The restrooms were disgusting. One restroom I went to at the beginning of the day had 5 toilets, but only one was in "acceptable" condition. It was a struggle throughout the day to find a decent restroom.
2.) The food quality was low and the price was terribly high. We ended up trying the taco truck; ordered chicken taquitos, a baja bowl, and a soft drink that totaled $26. The baja bowl was flavorless and mushy- a nightmare for someone with texture sensitivity like me. The taquitos were very hard, but edible. The $4 soft drink did not allow refills though the cup was half ice.

If I were to come back in the future, I would bring my own food and drinks into the park with me, and I would probably try to use the "Family" restrooms as opposed to the regular restrooms.

My whole family loved this zoo. We have visited several zoos around the country and this definitely makes it near the top of the list. It was easy to walk around and very clean. The animal seemed well taken care of. We loved the Gorillas and monkeys and of course the hippos. We had pizza there for lunch, which was good.

What an awesome experience visiting the Cincinnati zoo. We will definitely be back. Very well kept, and one of the oldest zoos in the States.

The Cincinnati Zoo is a beautiful habitat for some of the most amazing animals. I believe it is a MUST see when visiting Cincinnati. It’s hard to say that one exhibit is better than another. They are all so impressive. I personally loved the eagle enclosure and was also mesmerized by the lion and lioness - they sat right up against the glass!! The landscape and gardening is like the cherry on top for the zoo. Hats off to the team that cares for these creatures and the gardens as well. My two recommendations for visitors are to bring a water bottle and sunscreen. And, since there are no printed maps make sure to take a screenshot of the map at the entrance to the park. It will make navigating around much easier.

What an affordable way to spend half a day! Even though some animals and experiences were not open (it was early March after all) we still had a great time. Parking was easy, plenty of room for everyone. Honestly the only negative is that the food was terrible and only one restaurant was open. But who goes to the zoo for their food...hah

What a gigantic waste of time. I understand the need for masks and what not, but to have most of the exhibits closed and animals out of their exhibits. No warning at all about this. Fiona was incredible but that was it. Also if you buy souvenirs they have a no plastic bag policy (and no bags for sale) but plastic cups and spoons are fine.

fantastic place to visit.go early stay late. take your time relax smile enjoy. ride the choo choo be a kid again. the exhibits so nice. the food tasty and the little toddlers so fun to watch as they go by. the zoo is especially beautiful in april the tulips so pretty and in the fall its enchanting,just fabulous,a cacophony of color. wish i were there fight now.

Spent the better part of a day here. Of course, we were here to see Fiona and Fritz - which we did, but they weren't very active LOL. The grounds are lovely and we enjoyed seeing the animals!

What an incredible time! The entire family enjoyed themselves. My 5 years old was involved, engaged and thrilled to go around all night.

We’re zoo members and thought we would take advantage of the early entrance option for members. I have been to other zoos and amusement parks, and enjoyed the extra hour even with larger crowds. We didn’t have the same experience here. The majority of animals were not released into the viewing areas, and many could not be seen at all for various reasons. Most of the food and gift shops only gradually opened over the course of the hour, but a large minority were not open even at 10am, the regular opening time. The carousel was open and fun, but the train was broke down for the whole three hours we were there. I know there’s transition pains from being mostly closed to being fully open. However I would expect if there’s a member hour that more than the carousel, black rhinos, Andean Bear, manatees and penguins would be open.

I've lived in the Bronx most of my life, if you haven't been to the zoo multiple times .. you'll never see everything. Same with the Botanical Gardens. They are literally across the Street from each other. Maps are great, but footwork is important. If you're an out of towner, you need at least 2 days per venue. All day, from opening to closing. No joke. To this day I still have a problem seeing everything in one day, and I truly know my way around.

This was such a great zoo! I almost didn't go because of the negative reviews on this site. Don't miss this zoo. It was really cold the day I went, between 36 and 40 degrees. Some of the animals weren't available to be seen and there was some construction so I couldn't see another area. HOWEVER, the animals I did see were well cared for, in great habitats, and such great views of them. I saw manatees eating, hippos, penguins, giraffes, birds, coyotes, a black rhino, elephants, bald eagles, lemurs, and I could go on and on. I spent about 3 hours and didn't see everything. I went during the week and I think only the main cafe was open which was disappointing but I understand especially considering the weather. I've been to a lot of zoos and this was one of the best.

The title of my review pretty much sums up our time at Cincinnati Zoo's HallZOOween event. NOT WORTH IT. DON'T GO, YOU WILL BE WASTING YOUR TIME! Zoo was packed. Longs lines for one tiny piece of candy and a coupon. If trick or treating is part of the event, then make it worth the wait. Supposed to be a kid friendly event, but it really wasn't.

Great zoo. Every staff and volunteer was friendly. The flat bread for lunch was yummy in a nice shaded eating area. The animals interesting. We did 3 talks or shows - all great - but the highlight was the world of birds. Only complaint was it was very hot and we wanted to refill our water bottles but some of the refill stations the water tasted terrible. The one by the train station undrinkable but the one at the front no weird taste.

What a beautiful zoo! My husband and I, our daughters & a 2 yr old grandchild loved the Cincinnati Zoo this weekend! The landscaping and flowers were top notch and perfectly manicured everywhere, the variety of animals was amazing and our lunch was really good! The kangaroo & penguin walkthrough was a highlight, as was the walking bridge with koi fish & gibbon monkeys. Our grandchild was thrilled with the giraffes. Most of the animals were close enough to see quite well. Next time we'll go on the train ride too. Can't wait to visit again!

WOW! see the animals, taste all the best restaurants in Cincinnati, The entrance fee covers all the food (you can't possibly taste everything because the portions were more than bite size and it seemed like 60+ restaurants) and 5 drink tickets!

Absolutely Beautiful! This zoo is one of the prettiest zoos I have ever been to. All the animals were having a great day and we were able to see so much. We walked it all and were extremely tired at the end of the day.

My trip to Cincy was planned entirely around going to the zoo to see Fritz and Fiona! Sadly, the hippos were not active on the day I was there. I tried going to Hippo Cove 3 times throughout the day, but there just wasn't much going on. There was a zookeeper there at one point who said that when it is 75-85 and sunny, they like to just lie in the sun and sleep, which is mostly what we saw. Fritz stood up for a little bit and Fiona was in the water (but not moving) during one of our times stopping by, so the action was limited. That's the chance you take when going to a zoo. It was still fun to explore all of the areas; I liked the kangaroo and giraffe areas best. I chose to pay to do the giraffe feeding encounter - totally worth it!

This was the first time for me and my family at the Cincinnati Zoo. It was wonderful! We reserved our tickets about two weeks ahead time. This zoo was so nice! We loved that there was plenty of space to spread out and it never felt crowded. The only thing I wish I knew was about the food truck section. We ended up eating at a different place. We will definitely be returning!

This was an amazing zoo. The Kangaroo Walkabout was so much fun! Up close and personal with the hippos. I always love the giraffes.

Great tourist area and a lot of fun for the family, but we got lost quite a few times due to the poor layout. It was very entertaining though. I recommend.

Giant waste of time. Area looks horrible visually, completely disorganized. I question the professionalism of at least the support staff. This is the same zoo that shot Harambe if that tells you anything.

It is a small zoo and in the winter time most animals are indoors. The ticket is pretty steep to purchase and you have to pay extra for parking. It is not cheap to come with a family to this zoo.

It would have been better if the staff at the ticket booth informed us that the animals are not in display when the weather turns cold.

Since this zoo was rated among the best in the country, I did the journey to visit the zoo and I was stuck. As you already have to pay for parking before you purchase a ticket.

The Cincinati Zoo and Botanical Gardens is known as one of the best Zoo’s in the country. It is located in the heart of the city. Access, parking and ticketing are easy accessible. Although general admission tickets are $28 at the counter, you can purchase tickets online directly for a nominal discount.
The Zoo is vast and comprises of many animals, birds, insects that are both unique and common. Fiona the hippo is no longer a baby and is a star at the zoo. Where the Zoo gets high accolades is with several personal touch offerings ie; Giraffe feeding where zoo hosts can actually feed the giraffes by hand, a walk-in Kangaroo enclosure and a few other experiences not to be missed!

The botanical horticulture and arborist garden displays are inter-dispersed all throughout the park. It’s easy to spend an entire day here and not see everything.

There are plenty of refreshment stands and a cafe that offers a variety of food for the entire family. Your own food and beverages into the park is allowable.

We arrived around 10:30 on a Saturday. Parking really went quickly considering the crowd. Our visit was nice. It was hot and animals were resting but too be expected. We had a map of the zoo but it wasn’t really helpful. Signage was not great. The overall flow could be improved. We would get so far in an exhibit area and there was a bottleneck of people trying to go both ways, or there would be a zoo talk in the middle of the path and people were stopped so the only way out was too backtrack. It could have a smoother in and out of areas.

I’ve always enjoyed the Cinci Zoo. You can’t beat seeing Fiona and Fritz. I’m a huge fan of Bug World. Sometimes hard to see the animals bc the size of their enclosures.

once we made it into the zoo it was enjoyable. My disappointment was in the lack of customer service. Our first issue was in signage. We finally found the parking lot, but there were multiple signs that said entrance, but no direction to where you could park. I ordered the tickets online and was told we would get an email to print out the tickets. Never got it. I wasn't worried because I had the order number and proof of payment. Went to the gate and was told they couldn't let us in because they had to scan a barcode, so I had to stand in line for 1/2 hour to get the paper tickets. The only way I understood to get a map of the zoo was to scan the code, which I was having trouble doing as I had scanned a code earlier about the parking. I don't use this function often and really didn't know how to scan another item. When I later figured it out there were no places to scan the code. When we were ready to leave there was no signage on where the exit was, with the exception of one exit that was blocked. All of this made our visit less enjoyable than it could have been. I think it would be valuable for the zoo to improve their signage, give their employees more training in customer service, and realize that not everyone is tech savvy.

We really enjoyed the zoo. Even with COVID restrictions they we’re able to keep most of the zoo open. There were a number of indoor exhibits closed which of course was disappointing, but at least they were better than another zoo I visited recently.
The only thing is that I wish they would have more zoo staff around. I wanted to ask some questions about the animals but there was no one in sight.
The insect exhibit was entirely fascinating. Can’t miss the leaf cutter ants tunnel!
The animals were very active and most were up close to the viewing windows. This was impressive for such a hot day.
My girls loved the baby flamingos. They were fascinating to watch.
Hope they are able to reopen the animal encounters soon. That was a disappointment since this was our very first visit to Cincinnati and we had hoped to do one.
Otherwise a wonderful experience!

A lot of the key experiences we traveled for were closed. The cheetah encounter was closed and that was the main thing we were looking forward to. Also due to COVID-19 they were not handling out paper maps. Which is totally understandable although there was no signs or staff helping guide people along. We were confused multiple times and kept walking the same route. This caused a lot of frustration. Once we finally finished the gift shop was closed!! They only had a select souvenirs outside which were a disappointment. I was unable to get the famous Fiona magnet for my travel collection.

Here is the skinny- I went as a single 50+ year old woman to kill some time. It was about $40 with parking to get me in the door. The animal exhibits are hit or miss. Some are very well designed and some feel like the are old and inadequate for the animals. The spring is always an interesting time at the zoo. The animals are doing animal things while dad is yelling "yeah buddy get ya some!" and the moms are going "oh look honey there are fish in the water" to distract the kids! There is giraffe feedings and other fun things to watch. I really enjoyed my time there.

My wife and I have visited many zoos and the Cincinnati Zoo is in our top three zoos we have seen and number one for my wife. The animals' habitats are large and there are numerous vantage points to both see the animals and get great pictures. The manatee habitat is marvelous as were the exhibits for the hippos and cheetahs. We were there later than most of the blooming flowers but it was still quite stunning with the plantings for Fall. So much to see and so well presented for guests. If you don't love this zoo you just don't love zoos period.

Very nice zoo tucked away in the city. flowers and landscaping were tastefully done. There were many animals to view especially enjoyed the cheetah run and the cheetah cubs.gorillas we're great also. Rhinos were not available.

Even in the winter a lot of animals are still out and about. The houses are heated and those contain insects, reptiles and birds. We went for the festival of lights. It was very busy so I suggest getting there early.

Overall great experience, however parking was ridiculous. We went ahead and paid for prepaid parking. However when we got there, almost all parking lots were full or closed. We had to drive around trying to figure something out until eventually we were directed to the only empty lot. Other than this, we had a great trip. It wasn't too hot, so the animals were out and about. We would definitely go again, just have to be prepared for the parking situation.

I traveled from Washington state to see Fiona

I went on a Monday at opening in a warm day. Fiona and her mother were the characters I social media made them out to be! Unintentionally went tulips and cherry blossoms were at there max. Couldn’t be happier!

This is a beautiful zoo! The botanical gardens as you walk through the zoo are gorgeous and you feel like you're in a tropical Oasis. There were a few animal exhibits closed, but most were open. We went the last Sunday in September and it happened to be 91°! We got there at opening time at 10:00 a.m., and it did not start off well. Sign tells you to go to one building to purchase tickets if you don't have mobile check-in. We go to that building and there's a sign directing us to a different area which is where they're scanning your tickets to get into the zoo. We go over there and they tell us no we got to go back to the back side of the original building we were on. So that was very confusing and just an unorganized mess! Parking lot is nice and covered. Any staff when we encountered were very friendly. We spent about 5 hours walking around the zoo. We thoroughly enjoyed our time. Please be aware that this zoo is extremely hilly. So if you have a hard time walking up and downhills, you might want to see about getting one of their little scooters. I am quite overweight and have a bad knee and asthma, and I can tell you it wore me out spending 5 hours here, but I would do it again because it is a great Zoo!

Awesome zoo. Visited in March. Beautiful spring trees and flowers adorn every corner. Elephants out. Visit Hippos first thing in the morning as water will be cleaner. 😬 Fed giraffes. Rode on train. Our large family stayed at Graduate hotel and walked to zoo. We visited 5 hours in the zoo.

My second time here from Florida. Family of 6 met here. Beautiful day. I think zoo should let you know what animals won’t be out before u walk to that exhibit . Also I think Animals should have enrichment toys so people can see animals out and about . Food people down by trucks. One with ice cream cone on outside . We’re miserable not nice people . Two girls.They did not want to be there. Brevard zoo is known for enrichment toys if want to check them out . Overall beautiful grounds. Lots to see. Love the insect and butterflies!!Red Panda and Gibbons island was amazing

It sounds crazy, but I almost feel like I've left the city and entered the Garden of Eden when I visit this zoo. Everything is so lush and green and shady and sunny and beautiful with all the blooms! You constantly hear birds singing and calling and other animal vocalizations and smell the aromatic plants and flowering trees. With all the bamboo and other foliage, you often feel you're in an enchanted forest or exotic jungle. The winding pathways, walkways, and buildings are charming and unique, and the entire place is clean and gorgeous. Unlike in many other zoos, the residents (animals) here seem to be well and thoughtfully cared for and quite happy; the care teams must be wonderful. Of course, Fiona, Tucker, and Bibi didn't disappoint, and the manatees (one of only two places to see them outside Florida) were a close second. All the employees and volunteers are cheerful and helpful, and there's just a sweet feeling to the place -- maybe because it's so historic. There's plenty to buy in the way of food, drink, and mementoes, but it's not commercially crass and overdone in a tacky way. My only suggestion would be that they post an employee or volunteer in the monkey habitat; first there was the tragic Harambe incident with an unruly, unsupervised child and, when I was there, kids - both with parents and in school/camp groups - were screaming and hooting at the primates, pulling up plants to throw at them despite the "no feeding" sign, and banging on the glass of the indoor enclosure. Something about those exhibits just makes them "go ape." But that was the only annoying part of a wonderful day there from opening to closing.

(I was sorry to see so many bad reviews during the Covid period; give it another try!)

We have been waiting to visit!! Traveled 10 hours and so worth it!! The zoo is wonderful. We also stayed for the Christmas lights and it was magical. Had the best time. Such a happy zoo

Excellent and fun day had by all. Arrived at 9:00 as members and entry was smooth. Went first to the Kangaroo Habitat and walked among a number of free range kangaroo. No petting, but they still came right up to people without touching. Several staff to watch and protect animals and people. Saw a large number of Blue Penguins in their habitat. Everything so far was up close and personal. Visited several other animals and then went in the afternoon to see Fritz in the Hippo habitat. He and his mom Bibi did not disappoint. Even though there was a large Saturday crowd everyone was polite, took their picture and then let others come forward to the viewing window. It took us only 5 minutes to go from the back to the front to get our pictures.
Note: Bibi and Fritz come out at one time and Tucker and Fiona at a different time.
Would recommend bringing a picnic lunch as there were long lines to get food or schedule lunch between 11:00 and 11:30.

Look I loved this zoo the last time I went. This time I felt like I missed a lot of stuff because I couldnt follow the map because it was confusing. Also all the birds were off exhibit and I wish that had been on the website, so I knew. But its not on there. Also it seemed like other animals were missing or I just couldnt find them. They are also in the middle of moving stuff and doing a renovation of the zoo it looks like. I was very happy that I could see the wolves this time and spent the most time in that area. I think maybe once they finish and maybe get the map and signs in a better arrangement it might be better. They have plenty of parking and its covered if you get the main parking lot. They also can sale the parking tickets at the window if you wanna pay cash.

Loved seeing the animals that were active. A handful of them weren’t. We got there right at opening and spent about 2 hours. Bring a mask even though you’re not required to wear it - if you want to do any of the encounters they will ask you to wear one.

The bathrooms were great when I went along with concessions! This zoo is easy to navigate through and would bring my family next time my work sends me that way!

Zoo was clean but extremely crowded since the weather is warmer. I was a bit surprised at the crowds for a Friday considering they are supposed to be very particular about the number of tickets sold each day. Sadly a good number of visitors aren't wearing masks as required, and no one is telling them to comply. These aren't children with sensory challenges, these are entire families, grown adults, groups of teens - it's been a year folks, wear the mask.
While I understand that the weather will dictate whether or not animals are available for viewing the zoo does a horrible job with signs and identifying which exhibits are unavailable. At one point we walked a good bit out of our way just to end up in a spot with a tiny sign saying the animals were off exhibit for the season. We read the website about all the different animals before arriving and because of poor directional signs, massive crowds and no online map available (which was a big reason for losing one star) we couldn't even find many animals listed. Maybe they were off exhibit, maybe they were just hidden, but even after passing many exhibits more than once we gave up. It was a very disappointing afternoon.

Great trip. We arrived at approximately 10 am and made our way towards the entrance of the zoo. After paying the admission fee we began to explore the site. The zoo was quite large and spread out into several different sections. There were informational plaques in front of every animal exhibit, detailing what we were seeing in front of us and providing some additional background information on the animals. There was a huge variety of animals to view and observe. The animal exhibits were quite spacious and gave the animals plenty of room to roam around in. There was some ongoing construction work when we went, however that did not impact our experience at the zoo. There were several different food options, along with numerous restroom locations scattered throughout the park.

Tip: I recommend spending 5 hours here if you truly want to see everything.

We were there 4.5 hrs and saw about 90% of it. Thought it was great, and we didn't buy a map. The free QR map was fine. There are spread out enclosed parts to cool you down and there's tree Canopus covering a good amount of the paths. I recommend and would go again. Staff were friendly and are near some stalls to tell you about the animals. We got there at 10am and left at 230. You can bring strollers and outside food. Train was a short ride, but still fun.

We have been members at the Cincinnati zoo for over 30 years and I absolutely love it. I recently tore the meniscus in my knee and I have to be in a motorized wheelchair. I can only take a step or two, and that is using two canes and having assistance. we went last night for the first time since I’ve been injured and I realized that none of the doors at the Cincinnati zoo have handicapped access. They all pull out towards you. None of them are automatic and there’s no handicap button to push to have the doors open. I couldn’t get into a restaurant by myself. I couldn’t get into a gift shop by myself. I couldn’t get into , the restrooms by myself. I had to rely on the kindness of strangers if I got separated from my family. There were times where I decided to use the restroom while the rest of my family went to an attraction. When I got to the restroom door. I was shocked to find out I could not get in. Another time I went to get a warm drink while my family rode the train. I could not get into the restaurant. In 2023. It’s kind of shameful that Cincinnati zoo does not have handicapped access doors.

This zoo did not disappoint. Located on a very hilly piece of property Next to University of Cincinnati, the use of the land topography is very unique making the most of the animal enclosures as well as the visitor’s experience.

Staying downtown we chose to take a Lyft to the zoo - thinking that it would probably save us money instead of getting the car in and out of the garage. The ride up to the zoo was only $10. But I think coming home it was a little bit more expensive most likely due to the time of day. There is an easy drop off location for Lyft and Uber drivers, although on a main road, it seems like the drivers for a while aware of the spot.

The zoo was very well staffed, it appears a lot of the local college kids get jobs there which makes it enjoyable having young adults who seem to enjoy their job. Plenty of places to eat although we did not partake of any food while we were there. There was no searching of bags; we took in water and snacks for the road. It appeared that many other families did the same

Being still a paper map person - was able to purchase a map of the zoo at the visitor center. $1 . They did not have kiosk out with them readily available. Note; due to the zoo being on a hill we figured out that we probably should have gone to the right when we entered the zoo which would have most likely take us down hill for us for our journey. We went left - and was meet with many hills. Warning for those pushing strollers or elderly .

The parking for the actual zoo is across the street but there is an escalator and elevator that will take you to a walkway to the entrance of the zoo where the ticketing booth is. This is a paid parking lot; you pay when you leave. Flat fee

Things of interest

1- walkabout inside enclosures - Both the kangaroos and the tortoises I have a walking path inside of the animal enclosures. It was the closest I’ve ever been to a kangaroo. And pretty fun when one jumped right in front of me. Although you’re not allowed to touch them and they have somebody in the enclosure all times to make sure

2- They actually have nocturnal enclosures. This is a really cool part of the zoo where are you enter buildings that have altered the sleep cycles of nocturnal animals. The areas are dark with red light illumination so you can actually see the animals. But it was a fun way to actually see the animals awake during the day.

3-Very large ant colony inside the insect world. If you have kids who love to just sit and watch ants for hours, this is the place to do it.

4-They honor reciprocal relationships with others in memberships at a 50% rate . We are members of the Atlanta zoo, therefore I got 50% off our entrance fee to the Cincinnati zoo. Please make sure that you take proof of membership at your local zoo

5- I assume that the botanical gardens part is actually inside the zoo. We never stopped to ask but most of the vegetation is labeled.

6-There was not a Harambe memorial. Upon research it appears that there was a temporary one at a recent anniversary of the incident, but it was sad that they still do not have it up.

My teenager and I enjoy the zoo. We are glad that we went.

They still do timed entry which made for a very confusing and long wait as people thought the lines were all people entering and didn’t realize it was only those with timed entry waiting until the top of the hour. Food prices are typical zoo prices with almost $5 for a bottle of water. A lot of exhibits were closed or the animals weren’t out so it was a bit disappointing. The new elephant exhibit was great though!

If you are going to come 2 or 3 times in a year ..its worth getting a seasond pass. This is also a botanical garden and has lots of plants and trees. The tulips and fliwering trees in the spring are absolutely gorgeous. Ive been to Amsterdam and Washington state tulip festival and this is on that level. IN winter the holiday lights are beautiful.
For several months the new baby hippo is the star of the zoo. They aren't always out where u can view them. It must be 50 degrees or warmer or they are inside and can't be seen. The hippo area can be crowded, so head there first.
Parking is 10 dollars but is included in my gold pass. Plus can get inside an hour early when u have a pass. There aren't exit signs to find your way out, but as u enter, you can scan the qr code to get map. Elephant area is near the entrance / exit.
When animals are inside... expect an odar.
Things that could improve... the orangutan needs friends ... other orangutans. Ive never seen him interact with the other species they put with him. Its sad. All their bears died the same year which seems unlikely. They are getting black bears ... really miss the polar bears and grizzlies would be more interesting than black bears. The world moruned the killing of the silver back gorilla. Horrifying.
In this day of cell phones ... would be nice if there was something posted or on their Facebook page to indicate what animals are not out or available.
Or what shows or areas are closed. Really cant they get with the times and have a way to keep us informed so dont drive hours to be disappointed. Some drive from other states so this is a problem.
This is a large zoo with lots of hills. Lots of kids.. strollers and wagons. Getting around can take some patience because parents are often outnumbered by their children. I come here often and over all its a good zoo.

We arrive at the zoo early, because sometimes you get lucky and a member will claim you as their family and take you in early with them. Today we weren't so lucky, but we were informed by a staff member that if we buy ride tickets we can go in at 9:30 instead of 10:00, which is what we do for a small fee. It is worth it.

The zoo has some very nice exhibits, but is plagued by overcrowding, inconsiderate people, and one of the worst zoo layouts of all time. Exhibits require constant backtracking because paths don't connect when they could, and it is very akin to a maze trying to get around. I'm not a poor navigator and I've been to many of the largest zoos in the eastern US, and this one is by far the most difficult to navigate and the most frustrating.

Many exhibits seemed to be staffed by young children, perhaps on some kind of internship program? Not sure what that was about.

Adult staff was either top notch or completely disinterested, there seemed to be no in between for them.

Overall, I'm not upset that we went, and we'll likely go back, but it is a frustrating zoo experience when compared to others within a few hours drive. Columbus, Louisville, Indianapolis all have much better layouts and provide a much less frustrating experience. We always find ourselves deciding what not to see at this zoo, because all the constant backtracking and navigating make it hardly worth seeing everything.

Fiona was the main attraction for my 6 year old niece. 5 kids, 4 adults and a wagon of goodies and the day went off without a hitch! Being able to bring our own food and coolers was a big help. The kids were able to snack and have plenty of water so we could get to all of the attractions!

Very impressed with their safety measures. We arrived late due to traffic and called ahead to inform them since we need to reserve a time spot. I liked the flow of the Zoo. Masks were required going into any of the buildings, which was fine. Due to the reservations, with the amount of people, it was easy to social distance. It was very clean. They had a great variety of everything (insects, reptiles, fish, and mammals).
Enjoyed the baby hippo "swimming" with his mother. The ant highway in the insect house was very cool. The outdoor primate area was cool. We are hoping to plan a return visit after the pandemic so we can enjoy more of the interactive things. If there was a negative, it's that the zoo is in the middle of a neighborhood and finding the entrance was a little annoying. But that could have just been the gps directions fault.

I think we expected to see more activity amongst the animals. Perhaps if the zoo opened at 9 or stayed open to 6 or so the lions, hippos, and other animals may be out or not sleeping. We arrived about 10:15 and this was the case with several of the exhibits. The elephants weren't available the day we came. We did truly enjoy, though, the animals that were lively. The flamingos were beautiful - never having seen ones in person before. The blue penguins were adorable and the SLOTH. My husband loved the cheetah exhibition. The shade in the zoo is great as well, especially on a hot day. We would recommend bringing a picnic lunch. We waited for almost 1 hour for our lunch and it wasn't that good. Overall it was a nice day.

My wifey and I visited this zoo on Saturday last month First, we had to wait in line for 10 minutes to buy our tickets. Parking was a bomb, zoo prices: (eye lip eye) then they charged $1.00 for a so called zoo paper. The worst was that we had to wait in line AGAIN for 10 minutes where buggy’s are rented to buy a paper map. Defs should have been free.never paid for a zoo paper at any zoo what’s goin on?

My favorite zoo. Love the Gorilla enclosure. Will drive almost 6 hours vs 2 hours to the Detroit Zoo because it’s better.

The good:
1. One of the best and most unique collection of animals of any of the zoos we've visited in the Midwest.
2. The manatees were a family favorite. We came home with a stuffed manatee, and my daughter has lugged it around non-stop since.
3. Compared to other zoos and the animals they offer, I thought this zoo was very reasonably priced.
4. We aren't "step tracking people," but I'm sure we got our steps in. Our kids are 13 and 9, and all of us are athletic, so it wasn't a problem for us. But it's a ton of walking to see everything.
5. The parking lot is mostly shaded, thanks to solar panels. On a hot summer day, that was absolutely a blessing.
6. They allow outside food and drinks, good for cheapskates like me.

The not-so-good:
1. College kids trying to administer parking at opening time - yikes. We ended up parked out in one of the farthest out spots, when there were a ton of open spots closer to the gate. The folks running the parking seemed to be college kids who appeared inexperienced, and it was not a well-run system. However, we ended up not having to pay the $10 parking fee, so I guess that evens out.
2. The zoo layout is not the best. The signage is minimal, and we ended up going the wrong way multiple times. That being said...
3. The online map is atrocious and extremely difficult to use. We gave up after 20 minutes and paid $1 for a paper map. That made things better, but it was still difficult to navigate.
4. And really... $1 for a map? Bump up the admission price a dollar and offer everyone a paper map.

The staff were friendly but we went on a hot day so many of the animals were not active, I do not blame them. I would suggest going in better weather. Overall it is a nice zoo.

Very nice zoo and you could tell that the animals were very well cared for at this zoo. The reason for the 4 stars was due to some of the exhibits being closed.

Overall good experience, points for having beer at concession stands. Was expecting to see sloths, very disappointed they weren't in their habitat.

My wife and I had not been to the zoo in a long time and decided to go, even though it was very hot. Many of the animals were probably inactive due to the heat, but we saw plenty and enjoyed the experience. There were many children who were enjoying themselves and I wish we were going with our grandchildren, but will have to do that on another time. We saw the elephants, giraffes, gorillas, cougar, monkeys, kangaroos, penguins, Fiona and many more. Sorry, not interested in the reptile world. The zoo has many paths and the plants and landscaping are great. Thy have a cute train for the kids, etc, and plenty of food and drink. I did not realize that buying an entrance ticket online beforehand could save money. We are senior citizens and I could have bought a ticket for $17.50 per person the day before and had to wait in the heat and pay $21 per person the day we went. We also parked on the street for free instead of paying $10 for parking in the zoo lots. Better to go when the weather is not so hot.

My family and I had a great experience at the zoo while traveling this summer!

Given our party of three adults, we decided go ahead and spring for the dual gold membership, which allowed for two adult members plus a guest. Given the heat wave that went through during the trip, we were happy to have made this decision. Getting in an hour early was beneficial several times over!

With the membership we were able to arrive an hour early for easy parking. Getting in an hour early proved to be beneficial in terms of temperature as well. We had an hour without larger crowds to get our bearing, and see a lot of early morning, animal activity, and in spite of the temperatures. The heat got progressively worse throughout the day, and we decided to come back the next morning, at no additional cost to us, to take our time and finish the circuit.

Our favorite part of the zoo, got a doubt, was our encounter with the manatees. Although an additional cost on top of our membership, the behind-the-scenes, small group experience was priceless. We not only got to see more about how the zoo functions, we had the opportunity to prepare some romaine lettuce in an artificial look-alike-log to feed our hungry friends! The keepers were authentic, able to answer all of our questions, took good care to keep us safe while behind the scenes, and were clearly passionate about their charges!

We would highly recommend this zoo, and hope to return in the future!

One of the best zoos we’ve seen. Three adults and two children on a Monday morning. We spent two delightful hours and only covered half the place. The kids were fascinated by so many animals, especially the hippos, meerkats, and the noisy but entertaining gibbon. Gorgeous plants and flowers everywhere. Free wifi! Will definitely return.

This is a very nice zoo. Clean & it is well shaded for hot days. Nice you can bring in drinks & snacks to save money. There are a few water refill stations. Saved a little money doing tickets on-line when we got there. The Little Blue penguins were one of my favorites. We spent about 5-6 hours there.

alot of animals to see. good for kids.and remember to bring suplies like water,sunscreen and hats.my favorite part was fiona the hippo.

We came to Cincinnati on a family vacation with a 2.5yo. We spent the whole day at the zoo and we all had a great time. One of the better zoos we’ve been too. Would definitely do again.

The zoo is an all day experience, but it is worth it! It’s clean, designed very well, and has a great variety of animals! We loved watching Fiona and her mom splash around, and we had a lot of fun feeding the giraffes. I can’t wait to go back during the Christmas lights!!

Outside of the pandemic, I would’ve loved the Zoo.
However, this place is currently a COVID outbreak waiting to happen.

50-75% of the visitors I encountered were not wearing masks and many others were not wearing them properly covering their noses and mouths.

There was absolutely no social distancing happening near and in the exhibits.

There were no employees whatsoever enforcing the mask and social distancing rules anywhere within the Zoo.

They may be trying to manage crowds but the exhibits were still way too crowded in the middle of a pandemic.

I will not be returning until COVID safety protocols are strictly enforced.

It feels as though barely any effort was made to keep visitors safe.

This is a beautiful zoo with animals amongst the flora! We were there on a rather hot June day but the animals were active and rather easy to see. Volunteers and zoo staff were knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. Being from Columbus and frequenting the Columbus Zoo, this zoo was nice to visit.

This Zoo is great and always plan a visit at least once a year. The grounds are always clean and the variety of animals are great.

So glad we came to check out the zoo, we had so much fun. This is a great size zoo, with large variety animals to see. We only had 3-4 hours planned for the zoo and that only allowed us to check out about 1/3 of the zoo, that tells how big the zoo is.

The botanical garden plants mixed well and appropriately into the zoo landscape, which definitely enhanced the beauty and ambience of the zoo.

There are mist sprinklers placed throughout the zoo, which are great to cooling down the humans LOL.

Service throughout was very good from friendly staff.

Value: since we are visiting, so only get the daily tickets with military discounts. After enter the zoo only to find out if you want to ride the train, or do carousel or other activities, all will be additional cost. Therefore, for people who live close by, a zoo pass is the way to go.

Parking: there are a lot of parking spaces spread out through the parking lots all around the zoo, depending on distance, they do offer shuttle service to you from the parking lot to zoo entrance.

Highly recommend to pay a visit.

My son and I made a special trip to see this zoo, and we came midweek. Bought tickets online and enjoyed the savings. Parking was fine but looked like a small lot that could fill quickly on weekends. On a positive note, there is a wide variety of animals and certain exhibits were quite good- the hippos, and large cats and outdoor penguin pool. The flowers and man made waterfall features are lovely and the trees provide some shade.
The zoo could benefit from a better layout or at least better signage. We past a few exhibits and had to double back, even with our map. Also, a good scrubbing of the restrooms and more attention throughout the day is needed. They were quite dirty. The bird aviary area was so stinky we couldn’t stay in the building to see all the species.
We did not ride the train but it looks like a really neat ride, winding through exhibits.
All in all, we had a lot of fun, but it isn’t our favorite zoo. Like most places, I imagine staff shortages are contributing to the challenges.

Loved this zoo! The hippos are a have to see . They also have so many exhibits that I haven’t seen at other zoos . The nighttime cats , the ant exhibit , and so many more

This is a solid zoo. The exhibits were easy to explore, but the layout of the zoo was kind of confusing to us, but we were able to see almost everything before it started raining. Most employees were super friendly. We stopped for tap water at a place in the Africa area, and the workers were passive aggressive about handing out waters. There was no one else in line, but they were clearly more interested in talking to each other. A mask is required for petting zoo area and if you want to feed the giraffes as of June 2021. The gorilla area was my favorite.

Overall, we had a pretty good time at the Cincinnati Zoo. Besides small shortcomings, we were happy with the folks here and what they have done organizing and caring for this zoo. We really enjoyed the train ride around the zoo, although taller people might have a harder time fitting in the train, it’s definitely worth the ride. The restaurants and small shops were even a favorite of people who don’t like restaurants and small shops. The small animals were very fun, as well as the larger ones too. It looked like a few parts of the zoo were overgrown and a bit gross though. Overall, though we were impressed with the zoo and our experience there.

Terrible trip. I first got there and all the parking lots were full. I had no trouble getting in since I was a Columbus Zoo member I paid $15. Once I got in it was the most confusing zoos I’ve ever been to. I spent my first 1 1/2 hours looking for the hippos. The maps are confusing. I was so frustrated. I’d walk these long pathways to an animal and nothing. No manatees, no red pandas among others. I got to only see 3 animals in my day. Then I go to find my car. No car. I walked around parking lots looking for it forever. I was extremely tired from walking. I had to go up to the booth (which I swear was a mile walk) and had to have security help me. I did not enjoy myself or have any fun.

Zoo very nice..attractions are great..face painters and shop staff very pleasant..large food areas clean and staff nice.. small food service/carts/concession are horrible. If you dont want to be there,can't acknowledge someone become a garbage man

We were looking for something, anything, fun to do that would be covid safe and outdoors. We booked tix online in advance for a sunday afternoon visit, and were planning to stay after dark for the holiday lights. (Turns out we were tired after about 2.5 hours and left before it was dark.) We were pleasantly surprised that animals were out and active. Buildings were open, like night hunters, bird house, etc. There were more things open than we expected. Very nice experience, nice and clean. Check-in experience was good. Big enough space that you can avoid others if you are patient. Tickets—Advance reservations required, the farther in advance you book, the better the price. Masks are required. They brought back the very cute zoo key program. You buy a plastic key that plays audio facts at different exhibits

Zoo was ok, some of the animals were not available for unknown reasons. Be prepared to walk up and down hills a lot. Layout is a bit confusing. Train ride was actually fun for the adults

While they were busy you have room to move about and see everything you want to without having to wade through a see of people to do so.

I read numerous reviews prior to deciding to visit the zoo but I'm so glad I didn't let them scare me off from going. Many people spoke about how hilly it was and there was a lack of shade. Well I'm here to tell you there's plenty of shade and we turned right as we went in so we had mostly down hills only a couple up hills. I was so glad due to me being on blood pressure medicine making me sensitive to the sun. Also, I've got a medical issue that makes it hard for me to breathe when trekking up hills. The zoo is laid out beautifully and most of the animals you can see pretty well. The food and drink prices are typical for zoo's so it wasn't a shock. I'd visit the zoo again if I'm in the area. If you go for a visit you will not be disappointed.

Lovely zoo and botanical gardens. We came to see the baby hippo but got to see Fiona and Tucker instead. The pathways are shaded and there is signage to identify plants. They have misters set up to help keep you cool. There is a large gift shop. Thoughtful awnings are overhead in the parking lot. There is an escalator and elevator to reach the entrance. Parking is not free.

Been years since we had been there. The wife and I were disappointed. We love zoos and will never go there again. Not enough animals out and ones that were out not enough of. Examples, only 2 elephants, 1 orangutan, 2 lions and to charge people to feed the giraffes, which is doing your job was a joke. Will never go back. Go to Columbus Zoo instead

We ran down to Cincinnati for a quick trip to celebrate my birthday. The moment we walked through the gates at the zoo the sky opened up and rain poured down, but it did not dampen our experience. For a small zoo, they have some beautifully thought out exhibits and the animals all seem very happy. The new Elephant Trek is fantastic. I wish so many animals were not off exhibit, but with the amount of construction going on it makes sense and certainly makes us excited to go back in 2026 and see the changes.

Visited in late October. It was a warm day and most exhibits were open. Love the bug building and always enjoy watching Fiona. Really wish we could have seen the new baby rino but it wasn’t out. It was neat to see pumpkins in many of the exhibits.

My group absolutely loved this zoo! It was so pretty and the enclosures were huge and they had a ton of exhibits. We saw all of the major exhibits we wanted to see in just about two hours but you could definitely spend way more time here. Just get there early, pack your patience!

My family and I have had a membership for the last 3 years, and I have always really enjoyed our visits. We visited March 2021, and were very disappointed overall. First of all, the line just to get our membership card and the line to get in were both really long. I thought reservations meant only so many people could be there? Obviously that’s not the case. Also, I feel like as a member there should be a quicker line for those who have already paid. And the social distancing really wasn’t taken seriously at all. People with masks down, and in very close proximity. Nothing to really enforce these rules, such as standing points 6 feet apart. Don’t know if I will be renewing my membership for the first time in years.

Our October day at the zoo was nice, but a bit disappointing. Unfortunately, all birds, flamingoes, & penguins were not out due to bird blu. Construction is going on so there were no bears on display. Other exhibits were closed for various reasons. The hippo area was a bit chaotic with everyone trying to see the baby. We couldn't see the new baby hippo because the mother stayed between the baby and onlookers. The giraffes are friendly because there is food for sale. The zoo was clean. A lot of walking. We ate pizza for lunch at the Base Camp Cafe which was good. The plants & flowers are well kept and were still blooming. Bees & butterflies were enjoying the blooms. The weather was nice and the time with family was great. Doubt that we will visit again.

Lots of walking and great variety of animals. Lovely gardens throughout. Enjoyed our time there - spent several hours and still did not see everything. Kids would really like this zoo.

Despite the title it is a nice zoo, beautiful grounds, hilly so the hike is invigorating, but they make you give up all your personal information to park and like clock work the next day the scamming/spamming will start. The only reason people need that much information about you is so they can sell that information. Your privacy is meaningless to business people. The zoo is also overpriced. I went on a cold day in December when there were few people at the zoo and many exhibits were closed. A bigger discount might make it possible for lower income or big families to afford going during off season.

The zoo was amazing and quite large. Animals looked very healthy. The zoo is well maintained, plenty of shade on a summer day and the food we ordered for lunch was quite good. The staff we interacted with were nice. We saw plenty of workers through-out the zoo too.

Even though it was raining, still had enjoyable time. Some of the animals were hiding from the rain but there was still enough to see and do. Would love to go back when the sun is shining.

As always a great adventure. We go about once a year and always find something new to see. The animals always look well taken care. This year we went through the kangaroo exhibit and was surprised that we were walking right through their area (on blacktop …stay off grass) and the kangaroos were about 30-40 feet from us!!

It was a great experience- even in the rain. Zoo was very clean, animals were beautiful. We did a VIP behind the scenes tour of the “gentile giants” - giraffes and it was amazing. Staff was knowledgeable, friendly and 70% of the cost goes to conservation and is tax deductible, I highly recommend.

We had the best day! We fell in love with this zoo over social media during the pandemic and drove 5+ hours to visit. We were not disappointed! All of the animals are well cared for and property is beautiful and very clean.

We got to the zoo at opening time so we would get a good parking space. They have excellent parking for people who are handicapped. You can rent a reserve a motorized wheelchair ahead of time. Prices are very reasonable. The people were nice when directing us to our parking area. The zoo is clean and kid friendly. The bathrooms are clean and well maintained. The places to get food and snacks are clean. Prices I think were a bit high, so we settled on Pretzels and popcorn. The gift shop was well stocked and there was plenty of help. Again, prices were a bit high for a zoo that should be bale to operate year-round.

We went to see Fiona the Hippo and she was fun to watch and see her interact with her fans. The 4 Hippos did not disappoint us. This alone is worth coming to see.

We also fell in love with the Kangaroo exhibit where the males are walking around. You can see penguins in the same area.

The zoo is large enough to spend a good 4-5 hours and see everything. The day we went the giraffes were inside due to work on their area. They have Gorillas, red panadas, and the usual zoo animals.

We loved this zoo and will be back.

We went during the zoo's Christmas light event. The animal luminaries are so cool, and there are thousands of lights on the trees. Some of the zoo animals were off display for the winter, but there were plenty of animals out to make the trip worthwhile.

Very nice zoo but very hilly. This was our third day in a row of walking 3 to 4 miles and we are in our mid 70’s! Probably not the optimal time to visit as there were a LOT of school groups there!

Where do I begin? I travelled from Washington to visit this zoo on my Birthday - as my wife and I have been inspired by Fiona for years. It did not disappoint!

The botanical garden aspect of this zoo is beautiful and so endearing. If we lived/worked close, we would have a membership just to find a quiet nook to take breaks in. Even on a busy day (end of June, beautiful weather) there are peaceful corners of the zoo surrounded by vegetation.

As far as the animals, of course Fiona and Bibi (the mom and daughter hippo) are incredible and were very visible when we checked in on them (twice), but the manatee rescue section is inspiring and rare as well. There is a great selection of animals and one can tell the zoo is conservation minded.

Finally, one criticism I see from others is hills/walking/etc. It is important to bring a zoo map to the zoo. There are hills and it is not just a basic circle. But for me this was part of its charm. You could have a different experience every time you visit. Plus, the habitats are masterfully planned to use the acreage and hills to give the animals the best (and often biggest) environments possible. I was surprised and very happy to see some spacious exhibits that showed this zoo cares about the quality of life of their animals. If that meant a little more walking for me, I'll take that any day.

In the end, it was an incredible Birthday. Well priced for a zoo of its caliber as well. But make sure to bring the map and comfortable walking shoes. And get there early so you're not rushed - we took about five hours. Enjoy:)

We loved this zoo and spent more than 3 hours even with moving quickly through the many exhibits. Majority of the walking paths are shaded which was a huge plus given the heat. We didn't ride the train but it looked cute if you have kiddos with you. Lots of beautiful flora given the botanical gardens are throughout the zoo.

The Cincinnati Zoo, the second oldest zoo in the United States. In my travels, I try to support zoos.

I saw the bald eagles, elephants, red panda, kangaroos, giraffes, etc. The kangaroos exhibit was my favorite because you get to walk through their habitat with no fence.

A friend of mine told me about Fiona so I went and met her. She’s their famous hippo. Learning about her incredible journey from a premature baby to a thriving adult was awesome. So cute.

Had a great time at the Zoo. Very family friendly and well put together. The natural flow of the zoo and the animal enclosures made it very appealing. Take the family or go on your own, your sure to love it.

The Cincinnati Zoo is always worth a visit. They do their best to look after the needs of the animals while also giving their visitors a great experience. They are doing a good job of observing guidelines for Covid safety.

We enjoyed our visit to the Zoo. I liked the gardens aspect of it--walking among the plants/flowers as we moved from area to area was nice. I was a little disappointed at the number of animals--I expected more. But we still had a good time looking at what animals were available. We were not able to see any bears as they were remodeling the bear habitat. The cost of admission was reasonable too. It was an enjoyable 5 hours.

Ok… so I've been there twice now a year apart and it always seems that all of the animals are in for the day. Seriously after walking literally miles around the zoo we might have seen 20 animals? Not counting any indoor or water related animals. In fact, the only two elephants we saw were in a pen just outside of the gate, meaning we could have not paid and seen 10% of the animals that were out. A lot of hills as well. It is a pretty park however, and its well kept.

Amazing zoo! Clean, well-kept, with happy animals and fun exhibits. Perfect for families and animal lovers alike!!!!

a very nice zoo but to those that claim it's the best in the country ... you need to travel more. no way is it as good as st louis or both the San Diego Zoos ect. Im not sure its even the best in Ohio any more ... the Columbus and Toledo zoos have been stepping it up.
really miss the polar bear. They are getting some bears next year but I thing for the last few years no bears at all and the orangutang doesn't have a buddy so they stick some other breed of primate in there. I never see them at all interacting so it's not like they are friends. Its sad. The orangutang looks bored and sad .... hurts my heart. get him a companion.

I am a member of the zoo because it's close but I think it's been going downhill. the tulips are lovely and they do a nice job with holiday lights ... but still prefer Columbus for that too.
this year they don't have any zoo baby that I care about .... and the hippo def isn't a baby anymore.
Just went to st louis zoo it's as good or better and free.

So first of all it's all worth it to see Fiona! All the long lines, the staggered entrance times, the shops closed due to covid. Etc. The gift shop being closed surprised me though. I really wanted the tye dye fiona shirt but they had a very limited selection of things for sale. The zoo as a whole was very enjoyable, lots to see. So much so in fact that after spending 4 hours there we still hadn't seen it all. We had to double back to see things we'd missed. Also we noticed that early in the day the animals aren't as active as they were in the afternoon. For example, fiona and bibi were asleep when we first came around but awake and swimming when we came back. The only actual food for sale were the food trucks and the taco was closed when we were there. We settled for the chicken one and it was unimpressive. Over priced and just not great. Overall the zoo was a great experience and well worth the ticket price. I will say, don't go early for your reservation and expect to be allowed in, they're very strict on that. We will definitely be back in the future!

We went to the Zoo on a gloriously blue-sky frigid day. But that also meant we had the Zoo mostly to ourselves. No lines, no crowding to see the animals. Perfect!

It had been a few years since we had been to this zoo, so we were very pleasantly surprised upon arrival to see the parking lot upgrades. Having covered parking is good, but then to have it topped by solar panels? Seems like they are taking the conservation thing to heart. So kudos for that. Then the nice escalator and pedestrian bridge across Vine Street is also a nice way to enter.

One thing we really like about this zoo--and we have visited many--is that it isn't just a zoo, but also a botanical garden. There are very few zoos in the country that are as attractive. Plus they were already decorated for Halloween!

The animals on display are always a highlight here. They have been actively working to conserve species and educate people for 150 years now making this the nation's second oldest zoo! We particularly like the way the exhibits are laid out by continent.

Normally I love this zoo, but you are now required to make reservations way in advance and there are no refunds for bad weather. You can also not leave and come back in the same day. Today it was literally snowing and so the following animals were not available: lions, bears, gorillas, gibbons, flamingos, hippo, kangaroos, elephants and a few more. Obviously I want the animals to be comfortable, but at least allow us to exchange our ticket for another day or not charge full price.

Great zoo! We liked how shady it was. There were a few displays where we couldn’t see the animals. We aren’t huge animal people so we were done in about 2 hours. You could easily spend more time. We say hippos but not sure if one of them was Fiona or not. We joked that she needs a name tag.

We travelled quite a distance to visit the zoo. It did not disappoint. I am a Fiona fan and was happy to see the beautiful hippo area.

The entire zoo was clean, beautiful and lit up for the holidays. All the animals looked well cared for. Staff were encountered were all very friendly.

This is a must do in Cincinnati!!!!!

We love zoos and spent 47.00 dollars to visit this zoo. We agreed our journey to visit the elephants bit there were none, next giraffes, again, none, we kept meandering through the zoo, sooner or later there would be some animal, much more walking we did find antelopes yes. We kept going, it seems that was all we could find, no wait a goat at the petting part of the zoo, but don't touch. We tried to go into the cat room but it was so crowded and NO social distance, so we left. Onto Gorrilas surely they are out to play, no none there either. So we enjoyed a nice long walk saw a lot of humans markers but alas very few animals. We left very disappointed in this zoo experience.

We visited the Zoo during Labor Day weekend with hopes of seeing Fiona the hippo and her new brother, Fritz. The weather forecast ended up calling for thunderstorms and rain, and I believe that the zoo was much less crowded because of the weather forecast. However, we were there from 10AM-1:30PM and it never rained! So we got lucky there. Prepare to pay $10 for parking - however, our hotel was very close by and we were able to take a quick .5 mile walk from the Graduate Cincinnati hotel and avoid paying for parking at the zoo.

The layout of this zoo is very confusing and many of the exhibits are like roundabouts. There is not really an easy-to-follow path that allows you to see the entire zoo. In fact, after leaving the zoo, we realized we had missed several exhibits because they were so complicated to find. There are some signs along the way, but not enough direction for someone who has never been to the zoo before. I wish we had been able to have a paper map with us, but the zoo did not offer them. Using our phones and minimal directions/signs throughout the zoo was not really enough. Our trip would have gone a bit better and been more productive if the zoo was easier to get around.

The Hippo Cove exhibit is truly wonderful. Getting to see the hippos so clearly while they move underwater is a huge draw to this particular zoo. We got very lucky and had the opportunity to see all four hippos, even though it was very packed with hippo fans! Some other animal highlights were: the cheetah, the snow leopard, the red pandas, and the giraffes. The enclosures are very well-kept and the visibility to most of the enclosures is very impressive. We had a great view of nearly every animal we visited, which was very exciting. The zoo also offers a lot of animal talks throughout the day, as well as other opportunities such as feeding the giraffes for $4.

We would definitely come back if we were in the area again, but with a printed copy of the map and a better idea of what animals to search for.

Great variety of animals. Some animals I’ve never seen before (blue penguins from Australia). Got to see Fiona! But it was a bit unorganized compared to some other zoos we’ve visited (and we have visited a lot in the Midwest) some pathways seemed narrow. Not always easily accessible for those who are in the motorized carts or wheelchairs. Loved the mist-ers around the zoo to help cool you off on a hot day. Food was reasonably priced but the water was overpriced. And paying a dollar for a paper map- come on! Use the interactive map- that was awesome and convenient Parking was a little confusing but we ended up in the solar panel lot and that was NICE to come out to a car that wasn’t blazing hot. The zoo was clean except for some of the animal exhibits. Overall a nice time.

Huge zoo lots to look at and very clean. All staff were friendly and helpful. Liked that you can bring in a cooler to have lunch for people that cant afford the prices of zoo food. All animals were well taken care of.

I love this zoo!! They animals are well taken care of, the workers are great, there are hands on activities, and there is so much to do. I did go to a zoo camp but because of covid-19 it was not that enjoyable. I love to go here with family anytime. I would like to work here in the future with animal enrichment. I would totally recommend this to everyone who has a love and passion for animals like I do.

We were so excited and drove down about two hours to go to this zoo. Unfortunately we went on a very busy day and it was awful. I think they need to seriously overhaul their parking and facilities in order to accommodate the volume of people now or somehow limit the amount of people they allow in. We waited in car lines for 40 minutes just to get to a parking spot with all kinds of weird tight turnarounds just to get to a car line that led to a parking lot that had vacant spots. Inside in most of the shops and popular exhibits it was shoulder to shoulder people. We skipped going into any of the indoor exhibits, we opened the door, saw the amount of people, and just skipped it. Another huge problem is the availability of food to purchase. The shops are pretty spread out and lines were also 40 minutes long which is all frustrating given how long it took to get inside in the first place and how much time it took to wait for people to move so you could get a little peek at whatever was there. It was an absolute nightmare when my kids got so hungry that they started to feel sick while we were waiting in line for one of the restaurants. Once we got inside it looked like part of the problem was that there was only one single person working the register at their biggest restaurant. I would recommend if you go, bring a lot of food because there's no telling how long it will take to get any, and figure out what days are less busy than when I was there! I was so disappointed, we were so excited to go. I think their growth because of Fiona and Fritz has just massively outpaced their improvements that make it so they can handle such a large volume of people.

Overall it was an enjoyable zoo. We specifically went for Fiona and the Bloat :) Which we were able to see with a little waiting. We enjoyed seeing a lot of the animals even if it was mid day. The staff was friendly, the younger staff seemed a bit nervous but didn’t really well. We spent about 5 hours there.

Downfall is always the other visitors and their entitlement/rudeness. But we didn’t let that spoil the day.

Plan ahead as parking can be a bit of a tricky thing. They close lots and reopen them.

We flew in to celebrate my birthday with a behind the scenes tour with Fiona!
It was absolutely amazing! The weather was very humid and hot. So not all the animals were feeling active.
But, it was still a great time.
I wish the zoo sold sports drinks at their cafes though. It would have helped me stay better hydrated while we spent 7 hours wondering, viewing, and purchasing food, drinks, and other merchandise.

We stopped in Cincinnati to visit the zoo because we have followed them on social media since the pandemic. The gardens and open spaces are beautiful l, spacious and well kept. All employees were helpful and knowledgeable. The older gentleman in the outdoor aviary was awesome!

We felt like the map was difficult to follow and required a lot of backtracking and that too many animals were in small solitary enclosures. We have been to a multitude of zoos with the Philadelphia zoo being our home zoo, so expectations were high. For us, this zoo was very nice, but not as spectacular as we expected from social media.

I think a lot of good goes on behind the scenes that a normal visitor doesn’t get to see from the front end.

Plan to spend the day and it will be worth it. A wonderful zoo in multiple aspects. Great exhibits, plenty of shaded areas to rest and all the amenities needed. The layout provides multiple options on what to see and the multiple trails creates the illusion of fewer people than are actually there. Great exhibits, animals appeared unstressed and healthy. Spent 4+ hours and could have easily stayed longer. Keepers and docents are engaging and informative. Easy to see why this is consistently ranked among the country's best zoos.

Before visiting this zoo for the second time, I already had negative experiences in Columbus and Dayton. Columbus was negative hotel experiences. Dayton was being forced to show my ID when mistakenly and misled by Google Map to a military base when trying to visit the Hoffman Prairie Field. The officers there asked too much information when a simple U-turn sending me away was all it takes. They even asked for my full social security number, which I told them they have blew things out of proportion for an out-of-town visitor that unknowingly drove into their place by following GPS's guidance and that they had crossed boundary. They then backed off.
The next day is when I visited this zoo, after the experience from this zoo, my decision of never visit Ohio "by choice" again was cemented.

Positives:
- What sets this zoo apart from other zoos is the famous Hippo, Fiona.
- Has a wide variety of animals and some are rare such as red panda and cheetahs.

Negatives:
- Hard to get a good look of the hippos, let alone enjoy seeing them in action.
My first time was in Jan 2022, they couldn't let the hippos out due to cold temperature. I tried again nine months later. This time was too many people blocking the views. You can't get a good look. It's a good problem to have but the place was designed before they got this famous Hippo. I went there around 10:30am, did not get a good look. Went to see other animals, returned at 12:30pm, still did not get a good look. Tried again around 2pm, still did not have a good look. And one more time around 3:30pm or 4pm and still full of people, did not get a good look. :-( Four times I tried throughout the day, and still did not get a good look.
- The zoo management did not honor what it said. For example, they announced that another hippo, Fritz, would be shown at 12noon. I was there at 12:30pm and Fritz was not out saying they gave Fritze freedom to choose. Later another staff at the visitor center changed its story by saying Fritz was out this morning and has returned to inside. I asked what time, she said she doesn't know when I told her I was there from 10:30am to 11:15am-ish. The way they handled it felt like a "crying wolf" where they announced, got people's attention, and did not happen.
- I was asking questions sharing feedback with staff at the visitor center on why Hippo Fritz did not show as scheduled, and suddenly the zoo sent two security guards to follow me everywhere asking what I want to see and where I want to go. Worse yet, asking me to leave right away after several minutes at the hippo viewing area. They said they were "monitoring" me because I behaved badly without any more specifics. This zoo treated me with disrespected. How these securities nagged was obnoxious.
- This zoo has confusing signs. I am a person with a good sense of direction; and I made three attempts to find the rhino viewing area without much success. To get a physical zoo map, you need to pay a dollar because they want you to use the zoo app. I avoid using mobile phones to save battery because there aren't charging stations readily available throughout the zoo or any other zoos. I did not expect the zoo to have charging stations. When arriving an intersection with three forks, the signs was unclear. What would be better is to list out animals in this direction, or that direction. In the hindsight, rhinos are in the same direction as the world of insects.
- Staff attitude: 3 out of 5 staff did not have positive attitudes, especially the securities. I appreciate those who treated me with respect and positive attitude. I do not appreciate those who bullied me.

This is an unpleasant visit. I will never go there again, and I don't care how special their hippos are.

The zoo has an excellent variety of animals with superior signs (printed in large fonts big enough to read) telling about each species. The Botanical Garden has planted flowers, bushes and trees throughout the zoo for a spectacular show if color.

Let me start by starting openly our family are zoo people. We love attending zoological locations. Next, we travel a lot, it's one of my favorite things to do. My husband and I have 5 children ranging from 26 down to 10 together and we vacation as a family. Zoos are always a great way to spend time when you have a family of our size.
That being said, this is one of the worst zoos I've been to for its supposed rankings. First off, the price to get in for our family with a Tampa Zoo membership was nearly $80, which is insane for what we get. They want you to PAY for a zoo map ($1) even though the price is beyond crazy to get in. The online map is terrible.

The amount of backtracking, I cannot even begin to start with. Every time we saw something we had to backtrack to get to the next thing, and then the same thing. Super complicated to find our way around, there are even random dead ends or exits.

I told my kids we would get soft serve, the first location only had blueberry. We were directed to another location. The girl was playing on her phone sitting off to the side, after watching us plan looking at the Dole Whip she rudely snapped that the machine "ain't workin" then when we turned around began laughing with the other girl next to her about how funny it was to watched people plan and then have to tell them no. Im using much nicer language.

Most animals seemed to be insects and birds. The reptile house was.... well sad. I keep and rescue large breed reptiles (and small) my collection I care for at home was better.
Fiona was cute and the manatees were amazing.
All around a very disappointing experience. This zoo likes to pretend it is on the same level as Columbus and San Diego but can't even keep up with the Detroit Zoo.

Getting into the zoo was a mess, they really need better traffic management on Vine St. After we parked in the main lot, it was a hassle finding entrance due to lack of signage. We'd bought and printed our tickets in advance, but not all the entry points were open (which was odd for a Saturday) so it took forever. Website said maps were available for $1, but gift shop attendant said they were out so all we could do was use the terrible QR map or the tiny signposts around zoo.

Getting to exhibits was a pain because so many in the first half are dead ends, and the paths are tiny due to all the foliage so getting back out of some is nearly impossible, especially when so many people have giant strollers and wagons and can't walk a straight line. Really wish they'd ban strollers and wagons from indoor exhibits, especially reptile house and bugs, it was way too crowded with those in there.

Food was decent, pizza slices were around $4/ each which was super reasonable. Train ride was fun, got to see some animals that we couldn't figure out how to get to due to poor signage/ map situation.

One bonus: when we left, all parking gates were up and no one was in booths so parking was free, happy we didn't prepay.

Disappointed that allot was being redone so allot was closed. The hills are a bit ruff and not much eating inside. The sensory package was great and so was the sensory room. And several sensory bathrooms were closed which disappointing .

Very nice and big zoo. I haven't been to this zoo in a very long time and it has changed a lot, it has gotten bigger and better. The large animals have much more room to move around. Unfortunately, I did not see bears or rhinos because they are expanding those areas.

One of the top rated zoos in the U.S. On average, to see the entire zoo likely takes about 4 hours. There's an outer route which takes one around the perimeter; and then you'll need to wind in the middle a bit.

Quite a variety of animals - large enclosures. One of the more unusual things is that we saw a dog in the cheetah enclosure - apparently it helps with "becoming a cheetah" as if in the wild. The zoo has a manatee; which is more common in aquariums.

Beyond that, they have nice paths all throughout with lots of shade or protection from the rain. They have a lot of indoor exhibits as well as outdoor exhibits.

They had many food court areas offering a variety of food options.

Works for kids and adults of all ages.

What a wonderful zoo! We enjoyed our visit immensely. The animals seemed well cared for and happy. The zoo was very clean and the staff was friendly. It was easy to find and the parking was reasonably priced. So many beautiful animals!

Great zoo! Animal enclosures and landscaping are first class. We really enjoyed the insectarium with LIVE bugs! Usually they’re dead and pinned. The food court at the back of the park was really good and served big portions for attractions usually you get teeny size and big prices. They have beer if you’re so inclined. Free parking across the street.

Loved it! It’s a zoo! Variety of animals and habitats was impressive! Lay out was up and down hills just FYI. Staff was friendly and informative. All in all a great zoo experience!

My son wanted to see Fiona the hippo and cheetahs, so we decided to visit the Cincinnati Zoo. We were not disappointed. Many people wearing masks and social distancing was being practiced. We had timed tickets for 10:00 to 10:30 am and were very pleased with how easy it was to not only purchase tickets online but get through the gates once on site.

Animals were active and it was upsetting that some indoor areas were closed and exhibits were closed, but we still were able to see so many animals.

We loved the botanical gardens that wrapped around the animal enclosures. The bamboo provided quite a bit of shade. In fact, it was a nice surprise to see how shaded the zoo was to be nestled within an urban neighborhood.

The safari train and feeding the giraffe were musta do items. The train wraps around the lake and allows you to look into enclosures from a different perspective. We highly recommend!

My sister and I were fortunate to attend the Behind the Scenes Hippo Experience. Mike was our tour guide for Fiona's residence, full of facts about her birth and caring for her when she was premature and very weak. He was full of interesting facts, pleasant and enthusiastic. He took tons of photos when we met Fiona that we received via email! Jenna her caretaker fed Bibi and Fiona lettuce and cucumbers and shared more information. We were about a foot away from "the girls" and they were very open to company. We were given a nose print of Bibi as a special memento! Jenna and Mike helped make this a truly wonderful and memorable experience. Kudos to them and thanks for this wonderful opportunity!

Always pleasantly surprised. There are SO many things to do other than Fiona and Fritz the hippos, even though they're adorable. It's a great place to stroll around and see ALL the attractions.

We had a great time visiting the Cincinnati zoo. Even though it was a blistering hot day, lots of animals were out and active. Our favorites were the kangaroos, which someone told us are most active in the morning, and the hippos, who were both out swimming when we were there in the late afternoon. The exhibits and gardens were beautiful and seemed well cared for. We happily spent an entire day and still missed a few things.

I'm especially appreciative about the customer service experience we had. I bought advance tickets for seven family members but my parents were unable to join us due to health reasons. I emailed the zoo store and they reissued tickets for a new day at no extra cost (although if the new tickets had cost more, I would have needed to pay only the difference). I'm relieved my parents will still get to go on a new day.

If you go when it's hot note that most building interiors were warm too, so you won't find much relief there. Probably more energy efficient that way.

Food was expensive, which was expected, but it seemed like the only options were heavy, diner-type foods. If you don't want something greasy and overpriced, I recommend packing a picnic.

I understand that due to covid things have been "difficult". BUT we are passholders and travel over an hour to visit with a two year old. we like to get there early and leave at nap time, we have only been able to make a reservation on a weekend one single time this year. There was even an instance that the reservation line told us to show up and we would be able to go in without a reservation, we were turned away and have to drive back home. Fast forward to festival of lights and trying to make a weekend reservation and all time slots are already filled. For the amount of money we spent on our passes this is 100% not ok. We have been to the Columbus zoo on several different occasions this year and had no trouble getting in. Next year we will be changing our zoo passes to Columbus.

We thought the Zoo was great! It is nicely laid out and offers beautiful botanicals and landscaping to view as you stroll to the different habitats. The paths are nicely meandering and fairly well marked. The animals were out and fairly active for a rainy, cloudy day. The hippos were exceptionally frisky and fun. Although some exhibits were closed or under renovation- there was plenty to see. You can tell the Zoo and animals are treasured by the staff. The habitats are refurbished, in the process or plans to update are in the works. Great stewardship! We spoke with several staff members and they were all knowledgable and happy to share info on the animals. We learned a lot about their blue penquins, hippos, leopards, elephants, the manatees on loan, and even millipedes! The Zoo offers a cute train ride, a fun carousel, and plenty of refreshment spots throughout the park. Lovely sculptures are interspersed throughout the grounds and there are plenty of great photo op spots. There are shows to enjoy as well, they begin in May. The Cincinnati Zoo was an immediate top of the list addition. Pricing was reasonable, an online map is available through a QR scan and map boards are placed at several locations. Be sure to leave at least three hours to truly enjoy all the Zoo has to offer.

This is a nice zoo. Very clean. Exhibits are viewer friendly with a lot of visibility. The history of the zoo is quite interesting as well, especially regarding the gorilla enclosure. They have a lot of photos of past gorillas including Harambe. Overall it is one of the nicest zoos I’ve been to.

We had a wonderful time at the Cincinnati zoo. We downloaded the map and though at times confusing was helpful. There are a lot of sections to the zoo and the we would have missed some without. Was a great zoo with a lot of variety and the grounds are beautiful with all the flowers! Would definitely return.

We were in the USA from UK to visit USAF Museum in Dayton which was incredible. With a spare day we decide to visit Cincinnati Zoo which is reputably one of the best in the World. The Hippos were terrific particularly the young and views underwater. The Mantees likewise which I had never seen before. Gorillas were also pretty good. However overall I wasn’t bowled over, there are Zoos in UK equally good such as Colchester, Edinburgh and Whipsnade and I was probably more impressed with Munch, Basel, Antwerp and Berlin in Europe.

We had the best visit to the Zoo! It was our 1st visit and it did not disappoint. I couldn't get over the amount of beautiful spring flowers blooming all over the zoo. The animals were out and active, which my kids loved. We can't wait to plan another visit!

Just ok. Several exhibits were empty. The place is laid out in an odd way. You'd walk a trail into an exhibit area, then have to "swim back upstream" against the crowd of people in order to get out, is the best way to describe it.

Oh, and the bees. Bees were everywhere. We thought about gettin lunch while there, and immediately saw people trying to eat while swatting bees. No thanks.

We got a good deal on tickets though, since we've got a membership at our local zoo, so theres that.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Even though the weather was still cool, there were plenty of animals out. There were a few exhibits closed for refurbishment and there's more construction going on, so I expect that the zoo will continue to improve. The hippos were, of course, the highlight.

Our primary purpose for visiting was to see Fiona but everything else was above our expectations! Such a beautiful zoo, wonderful facilities, habitats were incredible and a great price. I cannot say enough about the kangaroos! I have visited the San Diego zoo a couple of times and they are neck and neck with number one zoo in my eyes. Will definitely make the trip again. Sidenote… Book a room at The Graduate Cincinnati and walk to the zoo

Admission price is not truthful. At the entrance you are told there is a processing fee added. Beware - $6.00 a ticket!
At the gift shop, they don’t have bags for your purchases. Oh, wait - they do, but you have to pay for a bag.
To feed a giraffe, they charge you $4.00. Train rides are $4.00 a person. Bottled water - same. Parking is only &10.00 but they don’t accept cash!
Hidden expenses. You know you will pay more for food but information should be accurate.
Seeing Fiona, Fritz and the animals were wonderful.

First, I want to make it clear that I love zoos. I love seeing the animals, learning about the animals, and just wandering around the places looking at the humans on exhibit there as well. And other than the last aspect, this was about the worst zoo I have ever been in.

So, in their defense. Avian flu is running around this fall, so I completely get why all the birds were not on display. I understand it, but it still sucked. Also in their defense, they are building exhibit space to improve the quality of what they offer. But that meant that there were no bears or otters on display because both of those spaces were under construction. There were also no manatee there as they had been sent back to Florida to be put back into the wild. Cool. I'm all for that, but I didn't get to see them, just a couple of alligator gar floating around in their tank. There were many other exhibits that were empty as well, to the point where we were questioning if there were any animals in the zoo at all.

There were, of course, but aside from the giraffes, all of them looked pretty thin. The tiger was way, way underweight. And many of the animals displayed the pacing behavior of anxiety. Just back and forth, back and forth. Oh, and the giraffes looked pretty healthy, I believe only because people could pay to feed them, meaning the zoo was making money, so the animals got a side benefit of being well fed, unlike their unlucky neighbors.

There were technical issues too. Out of food here, don't have lids, don't have CO2 for fountain drinks, just everything was not working properly on the day we visited, which was.a special event day, and you would think they would have everything in top shape for that. But no. And... nobody there seemed at all happy to be working there. Just cranky, doing enough to get by, but not concealing frustrations, of which it seemed there were many.

The hippos were probably great, but since that was one of few functional exhibits, the line was ridiculous and we had about given up by then, so I sat down with my twelve dollar beer (that was horrible, by the way), and we watched people for a couple of hours. That part, at least was fun.

Save your money people. You'll only feel bad for the few animals you manage to see. It really could be a great zoo. It just isn't.

hallZOOween is so much fun for kids of all ages. so many happy faces. thank you cincinnati zoo. the cincy zoo never gets old. cant wait to get back.

Great zoo experience. Animals everywhere and gorgeous flowers. Hippo exhibit was the best. Big cats and reptile house were great as well.

Stopped in to see Fiona the hippo. My wife has been following her on u-tube. Great experience and wonderful zoo. saw many different animals and everything was presented in a pleasant format. Very clean and animals seemed to have space to roam. Heard it was rated #1 in the country and I would agree.

Great zoo, a lot of great interactions throughout. Be prepared for a lot of hills. we went on a particular hot day, not a lot of shady spots.

Parking is worst I've ever seen. Reserved our so called time slot online and prepaid for parking. Drove through 4 parking lots before finding a spot. The girls working yelled you cant park here and didnt tell us what to do. A person walking helped us instead! The lines were long the zoo was triple booked with "reservations " and they ran out of parking. No one was collecting money so the pre paid parking is a scam. Once you get inside it's alright no maps anywhere. Now I know why my friends go to the Columbus Zoo instead. They even left trash from feeding in the enclosures with the animals. So very sad.

Not as big as I would have thought, but I did keep discovering new paths and animals!

they have a good layout and organization to the zoo. Good themes and environments. No real aquatic area, but there's always the aquarium for that I guess.
I went in Dec. so not all animals were out, but quite a few were.

I stayed for the PNC Festival of Lights. They did a nice job lighting up the trees and adding lighted animal figures throughout the park. It was on par with Indianapolis. Nashville zoo and the lanterns blows all zoo's out of the water in holiday lights.

They did a few animal encounters and have a Christmas tree at the entrance for photos. There is a food truck area and general eating area. It definitely gets crowded. If you want to ride the Polar Express (which looked fun) it's an additional cost, but get in line EARLY or you'll be waiting a while.

Between exploring the zoo and the holiday lights I spent a good 5 hours there, but 45 min was waiting for dark.

Parking is confusing. I'm glad I was already parked from the daytime, getting out was complete gridlock and a mess. They need to organize traffic patterns better, took at least 30 min to get out of parking lot. There was a huge line of cars waiting to get into the lot.

We really enjoyed our day here! It was a very hot day, so we took several indoor rest breaks to enjoy some air conditioning, but we spent 5.5 hours to see everything. It is a huge zoo! There are lots of trees and not too many paths where there isn’t shade. It was clean and it was the perfect day for our family! We will be back.

The Zoo is beautiful, some exhibits were closed to COVID. We ordered tickets online and picked a time to go. Parking isn’t free. The Zoo and Botanical Garden compliment each other pretty well. While walking around to the different exhibits I felt like we were in a jungle. Their are beautiful flowers everywhere, bamboo, and trees surrounding the area. We enjoyed the monkey exhibit the most, as their habitat was open and made it feel as if we were on a safari watching them communicate and swing around.

My granddaughter and I liked so many things here. We thought the bug exhibit wouldn't be that much fun but it was very interesting. The night time creatures was also fun. She really liked all the animals and we didn't even get to all the exhibits. We came back a few days later for the VIPenguin encounter so we finished the areas we didn't get to originally. I highly recommend the behind the scenes encounters.

There is not much more to say about this zoo but wow! It is very well put together and easy to navigate. Spent 5 1/2 hours there and loved it. Fiona and Fritz are definitely the stars of the zoo but dont miss the penguins or the meerkats.

Great zoo! Really well laid out, there are some hills, be aware. Loved Hippo cove. Pictures came out better earlier in the day of the Hippos in the water. The meerkats were fascinating and watching the manatees float about was calming. Giraffe feeding was a treat. For warmer weather animals - you might want to wait til May to come visit as they cannot be outside until the ground reaches a certain temperature. Also hippos cannot come outside if temps are below 40 degrees. If you follow the zoo on Instagram be aware there are certain animals that are “ambassadors” that you cannot see - they actually live offsite (I didn’t know this) for example “Pocket” and “Kris & Remus” are ambassadors.