The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens Reviews

Girls really enjoyed it and had a blast, nice that it’s not as large as some other zoos in socal. Feeding the Giraffes is a highlight.

This is basically a 2 mile loop around a small park-like zoo. We were there in cooler weather, so it was uncrowded and the animals were active. The "gardens" part are all that much, so don't go just for that. We paid the normal entrance fee, but had to pay an extra free to get into the hummingbird/butterfly exhibit which seemed odd and unnecessary.

We were looking forward to seeing this zoo because we were told by a staff member at the Palm Desert Visitor Center it was beautiful and that the animals were in large comfortable habitats. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! While the cages weren’t all the barred concrete prisons of the past they are not much better. The enclosures we saw were small, there was nothing for the animals to do and if it distressing to see one animal after the other pacing the same well worn path I can’t imagine how the animal feels. Suicidal I’m sure. This is a disgusting way to treat animals! I know we have advanced in our treatment of captive animals but it appears that The Living Desert Zoo is stuck in the 1960’s.

There was very little education about the camp either. A small plaque telling visitors what sad animal they are looking at and how endangered they are is hardly teaching us anything. Google has much more.

Hold tight to your wallet as well. The tram is not free, riding the camels cost more money, the butterfly house was not included with the gate admission, the carousel wasn’t free, parents bring more money!

I would not set foot at this attraction again. I will confess that for the most part we only walked through North America. We had planned to see the whole zoo but we couldn’t stand the treatment of the animals we had seen. How man is top of the food chain is beyond me. No other “animal” treats animals the way we do.

This “zoo” needs to stop bringing in animals, let the ones there now live out their poor pathetic lives and concentrate on the turning the venue into a proper botanical gardens.

Loved it! This was one of our favorite exoeriences in Palm Desert! Great hiking trails! We were lucky that we went on a beautiful day in February.

The zoo is fun with some features not seen in many other zoos. Free-roaming wallabies are quite a sight. However, for the size, the admission price is steep. And $8 for a handful of lettuce to feed the giraffes is a certifiable rip-off. Then there is a dearth of food and drink for sale. We tried to get three drinks at one of the shacks, and walked away after 5 minutes of being first in line. I completely understand (but not accept) that the pandemic killed service. Yet, how about those vending machines? On our visit, those were empty, but gladly accepted credit cards with a happily non-functional "cancel" button. Oh, well: at least water fountains worked.

Wonderful way to spend a half day or more in a laid back and low key zoo. Reasonable entry fee and plenty of parking. Looking forward to the Australian addition.

Nice zoo but overpriced .

It has a lot of animals and it's in a beautiful set up but can't get over the $40 entrance fee which I find very expensive for a zoo.

We visited the Living Desert last time we were in town and 6 months later the kids still "do you remember..." about it. Decided to come again this visit and we weren't disappointed. We made the tactical error of visiting the day before Thanksgiving (crowds) and arriving at 10:30 (more crowds) than our targeted 9 am. This meant the line to feed the giraffes by hand was ~ 1 hour, which the kids gracefully bowed out of as they have done before and we wanted to see more animals in our available time.

We were thrilled to see animals that were hiding last visit - the Cheetahs took a tour of their enclosure (which would have been missed if we had waited to feed the giraffes), the Fennick Fox (granted, was snuggled in, but you could see those gorgeous ears), the Big Horn Sheep (being fed, coincidentally), and the Rhino enclosure was open. As the day wore on, numbers increased, so there was a bit of a queue to enter the Wallaby world, but people were mostly good with spacing.

Such a lovely visit to a truly wonderful place, the kids are already planning their return!

Very nice hike available with access to The Living Zoo. Hike is about 5 miles and does gain some reasonable elevation that gives you some great views of Palm Desert and surrounds. Definitely agree with other recommendations that taking this hike counterclockwise is the best option. This takes you through the bouldering section going uphill, rather than downhill (much gentler on the knees). In addition, it saves the best views for the last mile of the hike and I tend to be a "save the best for last" kind of guy. The entire hike took us approximately 2 hours and we were a fairly fit group. Certainly could take longer or shorter depending on your approach.

As for the zoo itself, there is substantial construction going on as of Nov 2020. With so many exhibits closed off, had we not been more interested in the hike than the zoo, I think we might of been somewhat disappointed. That said, at the zoo, there is a fantastic Giraffe exhibit, that has them in a wide-open area with high grasses (savannah-like), but also palm trees and amazing mountain-vistas as a back-drop. There are also ostriches and gazelles in with the giraffes. That was the highlight of the zoo portion for us, but we can definitely see the huge potential for what this zoo will be when it's major renovations are completed. So if the zoo is your end-goal, you might want to follow the status of the construction and plan a visit for when it is mostly or entirely completed.

It was the best surprise by my husband! We went to the night lights. I didn’t realize that we would be able to see the animals too. They were very active and close up. The place was very easy to walk around and what a great place to start the holiday season!!

New rhino exhibit great. Animals basically in areas just like their natural habitats. Big horn sheep. wolves, coyotes

Excellent animal care as well as educational exhibits. Advise going early before 10AM when it gets too hot and the animals are less active. Since we were there last before Covid the new Australia exhibit is open and it's so wonderful to be in with the wallabies! highly recommended.

A fun little zoo. African animals exhibit and North American animals exhibit showcase animals from around the world. Easily walked or take the tram to see the park. Entertaining for young and old alike. Animal exhibits are informative and well curated.

This is worth the $40 adult admission fee but probably only if you go early in the day and not in the summer. During our winter visit the animals were all out and about and the crowds were low because we started at 9am. By the time we left at noon the parking lot was packed. There is a lot of walking to see everything but this also helps reduce congestion. Loved the gardens too!

I reserved a private tour for my granddaughter and family. A fun tour guide with a private tram met us in the parking lot. Well worth the money. He offered lots of info and many "corny jokes" lol....Much is still under construction as they are still expanding. Feeding the giraffes is always a highlight for me. They have added an Austrailian experience with wallabies that is great. Great family fun !

Masks were required.
Five adults took the VIP Tour and it was great. Saves a lot of walking, you're driven from place to place where you stop and get out and view the animals, feed the giraffes, etc. They're continually changing and improving and have plans for more and more animals. So if you've been before you can return in a couple of years and see some new stuff.
We were there in June and it was very hot as expected. I'd advise you take the VIP tour if you're there during the summer months as it's a lot of land to have to walk in 100 degree weather.
Due to the coronavirus you couldn't enter the gift shop. You could look in and if you knew what kind of thing you were looking for they'd bring it to you to see close up.

Beautiful large zoo with a great variety of animals and nature trails to appreciate the diverse plant life. We particularly enjoyed seeing the bobcat and the African area. Great staff at the Learning Centre with lots of hands on activities for the kids.

We enjoyed our time at the Living Desert. I've been here a few times, but its been many years since my last visit. It is better than ever, with a wide variety of animals to see, a multitude of desert gardens to explore, and several hiking trails. When my kids were young, we concentrated on the zoo exclusively, and since we always went in the hottest months of summer, it was a bit of slog to get through the morning. Visiting in November in 85 degree weather was so much more pleasant. We had more time to explore since the facility is open all day in the winter. Plus I now realize how much more the Living Desert offers, with gardens and hiking in addition to the wonderful animals. It was fun to revisit with my adult children and see the place with a new perspective.

The light exhibit this year was absolutely outstanding! Wonderful place to visit for the family. See you next year……..

We enjoyed seeing a wide variety of animals and learning how the natural climate zones of many of the animals are similar to that of the Southern California desert. We understand we were here in the off season, but it would have been nice to have encountered a few more zoo staff or volunteers for information along the way.

This is a special zoo to visit. The way they use the natural landscape to there advantage is special. The animals are well taken care of and the staff was very friendly.

If you get a chance to sit in on some of the talks you will be impressed.

Even though right now the facility is undergoing some transformations as they are being renovated, the animal collections are phenomenal. From wallabies just wandering to wild dogs as well as being able to feed the giraffes, this is a must see in Palm Desert

Such an amazing experience! Beautiful property, well maintained! Good food! Clean bathrooms and the animals and scenery are breathtaking! It doesn’t feel like a zoo! It feels more like safari! We saw animals that we had never seen in other zoos! I hope the management keeps up the good work and keeps the place as nice as it is now! Definitely worth the drive.

We never realized that there was a zoo in Palm Desert. There are a lot of diverse animals in open settings as well as a number of gardens and garden paths. We were there for over 4 hours and did not follow all the available paths. It was a very pleasant, entertaining and educational was to spend the day.

One of the things that impressed me most about the zoo is that it has plenty of space for the animals to roam around. There were also numerous enclosures housing multiple animals of different species. The giraffes and the cheetahs were particular highlights.

We are zoo pros. Getting there was easy, parking was easy- no line, about 5 minutes to wait and get in. Lots of exhibits along the paths between the bigger animal attractions. The carousel was tiny but the characters were really awesome- great photo op. The gift shop had two penny presses! Bathrooms and water fountains were plenty and side paths with interesting plants were great but added some confusion on the most efficient walking route. Highly recommend packing a few bottles of water and snacks and plan for 2 hours plus walking, $25 per person was steep but the cheetahs, Bob cats and wolves were worth the visit. Oh! And there's a gigantic model train.

Had a wonderful personalized driven tour of the facility. Our guide was most knowledgeable of the area, plants and animals and was most accommodating with my physically-challenged spouse. Also experienced feeding a giraffe, and extra opportunity.

If you have time, well worth visiting this zoo. The zoo is super clean and informative guides everywhere. We fed the Giraffes, which provided some very up-close experiences.
I really enjoyed the Big Horn Sheep, almost seemed like their natural habitat.

Wonderful place! Don't miss feeding the giraffes- such a great experience up close! Lovely shaded spots throughout, many Interesting exhibits, excellent and knowledgeable staff.

We spent 3 1/2 hours here last week. What a great experience. It was the highlight of our 5-day trip to the LaQuinta area.

Some history: we came here in the heat of the summer a few years ago. We got out of our car in the parking lot, walked to the entrance, turned around and walked back to the car. It was way too hot to really enjoy the zoo and gardens. But, last week was perfect. It was a sunny day in the mid-60's, and just right for a casual walk. So, we took our time to take in the beautiful grounds, learn about the animals and get a good understanding of where they came from and how The Living Desert Zoo makes sure that they are well-kept and comfortable in this environment. From everything that we saw, the animals are fortunate to be in such a wonderful, caring place.

I read some review here on TripAdvisor where people complained about the cost of tickets. That's too bad. This Zoo is non-profit and privately funded. To keep it so well maintained and special, they need your money!

If you enjoy walking around a beautiful environment, and seeing some very unique animals, it's well worth the cost of admission. And I will say this: you'll get, at a minimum, just as much out of a visit here, as you put into it. Take your time. Open your eyes and look around. Be open to a learning experience, and the value of your visit will far exceed the cost. Beyond that, you'll help support this very important place.

There is something new to see here at every turn. Real surprises! For example: we just happened to walk into the Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center. This is an amazing facility. There are 2 full-time vets that care for all the animals. And everything is state-of-the-art. We had the pleasure of meeting Cathy Dickson, a docent at the hospital. Cathy did an incredible job taking our small group on a tour. What a great learning experience! Thank you, Cathy.

There is so much here to see. To learn. To experience . Later this year, they'll be opening up a new section that is currently under construction: The Australian Adventure. One thing for sure: it's going to be another amazing area. Sorry we missed it on this trip.

This is the 50th Anniversary of The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Open your mind and visit this zoo. A "coolish" day will make your experience even better! In the Summer months, just go early. Very early!

We really enjoyed our day at this zoo. Easy to find, lots of convenient free parking. There was good signage to find our way around, well laid out, benches to sit and rest, or enjoy the scenery, good restrooms. Unfortunately, the rhinos were sleeping when we were there, but we did see lots of giraffes, and bought lettuce to feed them. There were several animals out including zebras, jaguar, camels, wallabies, and also a huge model train display. We stopped to share a delicious sandwich and lemonade at the Kookaburra Cafe, one of several little cafes. There are also water stations and a picnic area. Lovely botanical gardens. You can even ride the shuttle. Well worth a visit, easy to spend a couple of hours or more!

Overall, this is half zoo and half botanical gardens. We enjoyed both. I would recommend going first thing in the morning as it is cooler and by 11:00 starting to get crowded. They are supposed to be limiting admissions to keep crowds down, but by mid-morning it was getting a bit crowded. Other reviews said it took 2 - 3 hours to see, but we stopped to look at everything and it took nearly 4 hours.
We thought the desert gardens were nice. You can even do a hike out back along the San Andreas fault, but it was getting hot. Decent selection of animals. It was nice to be so close to the wallabys, but you weren't supposed to pet them and it was just too tempting. We are spoiled as we live close to the best zoo in the world ( the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha ) and we have been to many zoos across the country and would rate this one as OK. The gardens are as enjoyable as the animals. They also have a nice model train exhibit and you view the veterinarians at work in the animal hospital.
Don't plan to eat lunch here. Line was VERY long, food RIDICULOUSLY overpriced, and service as slow as a tortoise. There also is not very much seating. We decided to eat a little later after we left.

First of all it is WAY overpriced!! Ridiculously overpriced. Poor layout...Little guidance throughout the park. Some normal zoo animals...but nothing very exotic. Would recommend if you had nothing else to do with kids...Otherwise go to the tram..Joshua tree....ice skating...etc...etc.

This was a nice change in Palm Springs. Although they have a nice assortment of animals available, the gem is the giraffe exhibit which also includes ostriches, crested cranes and kudu in a wide open savannah. Worth the price of admission for this view. I would save this for the last part of the visit and start on the other end as it is the highlight. Also would not recommend the shuttle as it doesn’t go back into all the areas and especially for some of the better views of the animals.

Really enjoyed this zoo— there were many animals we haven’t come across at other zoos; rhinos, giraffes, leopards and cheetahs. It’s a huge vicinity, so wear comfortable shoes and plan for it to be a 3-4 hour affair. We also were able to feed giraffes which was so co!

I was expecting a normal type of zoo, but was impressed with the design, and emphasis on indigenous animals and flora. They are expanding some of the exhibit areas currnetly. Lots to see and if you are a train fan there is a large model railroad display really cool.

Terrific zoo, clean, and numerous exhibits. Our children loved the experience of feeding the giraffees.

This zoo, although absent of some animals one comes to expect, is top notch. I loved this place. It is quiet, manageable and has free parking but the overall animal layout is what sets it apart. The free-roaming wallaby exhibit was my favorite. Don't miss it. The way they just lazily lounge around a few feet from everybody is amusing. Once in a while, they'll hop across the path just for the heck of it. They're the kind of mellow marsupial that you want to hang out with. The meerkat was hilariously goofy, the emus are ridiculous looking, and the giraffe exhibit made me feel like I was on the African savannah.
Everything was clean and the enclosures gave the animals decent elbow room, for those that had elbows.
Even for someone who isn't into toy trains, I was extremely impressed with their train exhibit. The grounds are beautiful and they seem to have big plans with adding animals. As it stood in 3/21, though, they have plenty to see already. It's well worth it.

We had our whole family visit and all of us went to the zoo. From a senior down to a nine month old. It was a fabulous activity on a beautiful sunny Palm Springs Day. Great selection of animals to observe in well cared for habitat. A must do while here. My granddaughter love feeding the giraffe. Go midweek and early in the day to avoid any crowds.

We have visited before and enjoyed our visits but this time there were major building works going on and diversions and closures and as we were not provided with a map to guide us we found it frustrating and in the end left early. There was a bar code we scanned but the resulting map was too small on the phone to be of any use. We were told later that there are laminated maps available at the entrance but no-one offered one to us. It seems that the nearly 40 dollar entrance fee is not sufficient to provide a guide during the building disruption.

This is a great place to visit to slow down and take it all in. Go early to have your best chance at viewing the animals. Make sure to visit the animal hospital. We got to see baby sea turtles - hundreds of them!

I loved seeing animals that were new to me and the natural like settings many were in. I was impressed by the conservation efforts the zoo is involved in. The grounds and gardens were lovely. It’s a great place for a walk.

A huge zoo where I spent a whole morning but you can safely spend a whole day. The zoo is divided into thematic areas. America, Australia and Africa are the continents from which the guests who populate this zoo come. During the day there are continuous opportunities to listen to the people who care about animal health, on their website there is the time of each meeting (there are so many that it is virtually impossible to do them all). There is also a mega city with trains and various play areas for children. I have seen many people carried around with electric cars but given the size of the park it may be necessary especially for those who are not used to walking so much. Really nice.

My wife and I were accompanied by our son and his wife. There is a great variety of animals and exhibits. Two sections to see. The African section featured giraffes, warthogs, and a multitude of other animals. The North American section had birds of prey, coyotes, fox, and so many more. Especially good for children. One negative point. After paying the $22.50 entry they try to nickel and dime you by charging a fee to go in the butterfly exhibit and feed some of the animals.

The Zoo reopened today, Dec. 17, at 8 am, and we were there. We booked online, although you could just walk up. Attendance was very low and seemed completely Covid-safe. One attendant reminded my husband to wear his mask OVER his nose. Most exhibits were open, but amenities, except for Rest Rooms, were not. We spent 6 !!! hours there, so I would say it was a great experience. It's a great day out for all ages. We are in our 70's.
Just bring your own snacks and water.

We didn't have high expectations of this place but were pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed seeing all of the animals. The grounds seemed well maintained and the animals seemed well cared for. Our favorite place in the zoo was a thick stand of palms near the entrance/exit. It was a quiet oasis hidden just off the beaten path away from the screaming kids. It was a peaceful and relaxing place to spend time before we left the zoo.

More than a zoo, it's a serious conservation entity. Threatened and endangered species are supported here and around the world. Check out the onsite animal hospital where you can observe procedures that are open to the public. It's not like any other zoo in existence.

It was a last minute decision to stop in, as we had an empty afternoon. Easy to buy the tickets online and to find. We were pleasantly surprised to find hardly anyone there, that being said, it was a breeze to park.
The staff were friendly and engaging.
The park itself was beautiful and so well kept. All the pathways with mini gardens throughout were great. My kids loved all the exhibits that you could walk through with the animals free to roam. Specifically the wallaby’s and giraffes. The train exhibit was my favorite. Only took us a couple hours to get through.
What a special place.

Lots of interesting animals to see. There was an actual mountain inside the zoo for the mountain goats to roam. I may have missed the “garden” part of the zoo because it was too hot to finish the walk. Or maybe the “garden” was the zoo itself. In that case, knock a star off because there wasn’t any plants, except the tree with yellow flowers, that caught my attention during the visit.

Wow! What a great experience. Spacious so easy to view the animals and they look so well taken care of. A must to see! Safe travels my friends!

Like all zoos, it has to enclose wild animals while providing for their care, rehabilitation, and species survival, such as protecting from avian flu. Like all good zoos, this one does its job ethically, as the This Is How We Zoo behind-the-scenes electric cart tour shows. And hearing the children squeal (with delight, mostly!) is a good reminder of why zoos exist. This one also has well-marked gardens and advocates for native flora, so critical in a desert. Easy to spend 3 to 4 hours here.

Went on a Sunday morning. The animals felt like they were in very small enclosures. Walking on the hiking trails-very boring -not scenic at all. $40 for an adult. Bring in snacks & drinks. A bottle of water was $10 in the zoo

Fabulous low key zoo with lots to see. These animals are well taken care of. Feeding Kelly the giraffe will continue to be a memorable experience. Worth every penny!

Easy to get to from anywhere in the Palm Springs area. Free parking, staff very helpful. Plenty of animals to see, fun experience for the whole family.

Had a very nice time, saw lots, and did not even have kids with us.
See the animals then cross over into the gardens, over and over again, very nice. Getting Black rhino now also.
Set up as living desert in US and Africa, so no monkeys but lots else.
Well done!

I have always been a fan of The Living Desert. I have taken my kids, my students, and last year I took my grandkids. But Glow in the Park was a whole new experience! It was so beautifully done. You have to go see for yourself.

A great place to visit. Knowledgeable staff and well maintained animal pens. Whilst conservation is front and centre for the Living Desert and zoo, and we are fortunate to have organizations like this to educate the public on the wonderful animals in their care, some of the enclosures were very small and the animals were just pacing. Hopefully the construction project currently ongoing will include improvements in this regard.

As an aside I understand raising the money required to run the zoo is a huge undertaking but $42+ for 2 beer and popcorn is excessive.

I would certainly recommend this activity for families but unfortunately it's not affordable for many.

Large desert garden with zoo and wonderful interractive hiking trails. On hiking the Eisenhower mountain, know that you'll be under the sun for few hours climbing boulders, so take ample water and good shoes. We did the hike first thing in the morning and enjoyed it very much. The zoo itself is great - all kinds of desert dwellers, diverse desert gardens, all provided an amazing interractive experience.

A beautiful conservation zoo with lots of unique animals. Loved the opportunity to feed the giraffe’s for $7. Such gentle, beautiful, giants. Ran out of time to get the hikes in on the property.

We hadn't been to this zoo in 20 years since our kids were young, now we went with them and our grandkids. There have been huge improvements with many exhibits added over the years. Feeding the Giraffe's was a huge hit with my grandson followed by combing the goats. There is an impressive collection of desert friendly animals that is worth a visit with a lion exhibit coming in 2025.

This was an awesome experience - we took one of the golf cart tours and the guide was really knowledgeable. The displays were well laid out and it was an awesome experience

oct 31 thur. tear down the 3 story building that is destroying the vibe. 38 year visitor the best place in the desert ,was.

We came here one day on our trip to Palm Springs. There is plenty of Desert Flora and Fauna. We were able to see a lot of animals and even feed the Giraffe. My only complaint is that there were no maps. You need to download the app. If this is the case, they could have had more signs or maps to help navigate. I found it very confusing. For the price, they need to improve on this.

In the age of covid, this was a welcome way to be able to get out of the house for some enjoyment. Everyone was wearing masks and keeping their distance. Tickets are purchased for a specific admission time so they are appropriately limiting attendance.

We enjoyed all of the animal exhibits - especially the Giraffes in the Africa section, and the Wallaby exhibit in the Australia section. The Giraffes were so close, and being able to be in the large enclosure with the Wallabies was especially fun.

Highly recommend this as an activity, and your ticket purchase helps support their conservation efforts. We'll be back!

this is the ONE of most beautiful zoo I have seen ! I went to about 20 zoos in my life . all the animals have huge habitats even the bighorns has their private mountain ! the staff placed the food strategically to attract them in a specific spot for the visitor to see them ! each natural element is present everywhere and every detail ! wood for seating or straw for building roof . beautiful

I would give this place a six if I could. It is beautiful with friendly staff and excellent habitats. They brought out the two new baby bobcats, David and JoAnn, for a short time yesterday and we were lucky enough to see them run, chase each other, climb their trees and be totally adorable! You can bring in your own beverages and snacks. There are plenty of water stations to refill water bottles. The shaded picnic areas are throughout the zoo. The restaurant is new and modern, although expensive.

If you are wondering about whether GLOW IN THE PARKI is worthwhile... GO. It is absolutely the best for all ages! we were wowed over and over again by the time and energy that went into setting up these amazing lanterns!! It really is a feast for the eyes! We were a family with a teen and grandparents but saw many many young children. There are so many things for the kids to 'do' as well - there are even swings that glow in the dark, as well as music, bubbles and interactive displays. AMAZING!!!!

Wow this is a lovely place. The area itself is beautiful, very spacious but lots of walking. I saw most of the animals, some were hiding as they do sometimes. I attended an interesting talk. There is plenty of parking and it was easy to find my way around.

This a must stop for visitors to Palm Desert. We have brought our grandkids and also visit as a couple. We take advantage of the nature hiking trails.

This looks like it would be a great place to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately their covid precautions were virtually non existent. There were too many people, which made it difficult to get close to viewing areas. There were also few volunteers around and therefore no enforcement of mask requirements or one way pathways. There were numerous people without masks on and my family felt very unsafe. Unfortunately we had to cut our visit short.

An outstanding experience. We had no idea such a gem existed in the California desert. The natural enclosures were wonderful. The giraffes were outstanding with the highlight being an old baby giraffe.

The animals had spacious enclosures and there was plenty of helpful tips on conservation. The animal hospital and its desert tortoise breeding program was awesome. I really enjoyed seeing the African wild dogs.

I read reviews that were nearly all positive and decided to visit.

The positives: The park is clean and there are plenty of places to cool off, get drinks/food, and rest rooms. The gardens are beautiful and well kept.

The negatives: the part seems to be trying to be a one stop playground for children. They are adding on a splash pad, there are these really, really unattractive, large metal/fabric garish larger-than-life sized flora and fauna "art" throughout the part that distract from the natural beauty. They are everywhere. There is a beautiful at a distance wisteria tunnel that is actually plastic plants and fabric flowers. Why? Then there is this light display at night I can only guess to get more evening visitors. But the most troublesome to me are the animals. I've never been as close to a giraffe as I could at this zoo--yes, this place is an actual zoo, and even without paying for the feeding, visitors can get within 10 feet of a giraffe. While the animals appear to be healthy, people stand in lines to "feed a giraffe" either lettuce leaves ($10, 3-6 seconds per person) or grain in buckets for I'm sure a much higher price. I understand that the place needs income, but I am doubtful that the animals in any way benefit from constant physical and emotional interaction with humans. But what's even more disturbing is how close you can get to a wallaby. Inside the Australian village the wallabys run wild. They seemed to not have anywhere to get away from human noise and viewing. They looked miserable and have to run quickly across human walking zones to get to other "off limit" sand locations with a few boulders. I watched this occur. There are two frog birds there as well--amazing birds but who seem to spend most of their time hiding from the constant noise. The whole area is an acre or less (my estimate) but I bet these birds' territory in the wild is much, much greater. Apparently the two breed and nest unsuccessfully each year. There is no protection for their nest--it's in a tree right now that you can stand on a boulder (which is allowed--I asked if I could--was told of course) and get quite close to. While I found all the staff to be knowledgeable and friendly, there was zero enforcement of "quiet zones." Adults generally allowed their kids to run, yell, scream as if they were at a playground.

Finally, just be aware that like nearly every similar place the markup for food is crazy high. I bought one can of Bud Light for 14.99.

We took our own lunch and lots of water - visited the Africa side animals then did the 6 mile (long route) circle hike - rocks to climb but an incredible view then back to do the North American animals
Plan for the Entire Day! (At least 6 hours) if your going to do the hike too

After my visit yesterday I left with mixed feelings on this place. Due to the emphasis on species conservation and rescue, I expected it to be more of a sanctuary — but I didn’t find it to be that different from any other zoo.

I agree with one of the reviewers here that the cages for some of the animals are too small and it was distressing to see a couple of them (roadrunner, bobcat) pacing. Seeing two eagles sitting at the very top of their cage was also sad.

I came away wishing they would only rehab animals that are injured or otherwise threatened, and only temporarily, and that it’s not as altruistic a place as they make it seem.

It was warm for the time of year and the zoo took very good care of the animals. It was well documented and provided with the necessary information.

What I found insane is...
that the animals had the space to walk, to move. This zoo has the capacity to keep the animals more or less their sense of freedom. Animals have a lot of place to move, act crazy etc.

Even though there were innovations outside a small diversion I enjoyed this visit all day.

We LOVE this zoo so much that we purchased the annual pass. Animals well cared for, easy to view and lovely paths and grounds. We like this more than some of the really big zoos.

Peaceful way to begin your morning. Interact with giraffes. Large miniature train city. Petting zoo with friendly goats. Great for children and teens who enjoy educational activities.

We loved it! One of the nicest zoos we've been to. Very clean, well laid-out. Interesting and varied animal environments. Especially loved the Rhino and Giraffe areas. And getting up close and personal with the Wallabies! We spent about 4 hours there but could have spent even longer. Highly recommended.

After seeing signs for The Living Desert over the last several years, we decided to check it out this year. What a pleasant surprise! This is a wonderful zoo and garden. There are teams at an additional price for those who need to to ride. Fabulous zoo with many guides who are there to assist, give directions, and explain the exhibits. Don’t leave without seeing the extensive train display. Running trains traverse a very large, detailed set of scaled towns and villages. We enjoyed this more than the San Diego zoo. This is a must-see.

This activity should be part of the Palm Springs things to do list. I was visiting Palm Springs and somehow I found out about this place and decided to spend half a day there since the Tramway was full and the Air Museum did not interest me. I have visited many zoos and I have to say that this one is one of the best in the world. What stands out is the landscaping. They have integrated the exhibits with the natural environment and you can enjoy the dessert as if you were hiking in a state park. I also enjoyed the birdwatching. I was admiring the exhibit of south american coatis when I saw from the corner of my eye a roadrunner perched in a background wall! I spent some time following this roadrunner until it disappeared in one of the trails of the park.

A great zoo and just as interesting a great botanic garden. Featuring animals and plants from the African and North American deserts (and soon Australia), it has wide walking paths, good signage and is very clean. Two highlights were the African village and the incredible train display. We have been to zoos all across the country and this was among the best.

This was always our favorite zoo, and yesterday we went after several years.

First off, admission has skyrocketed to $39.95 pp - and NO senior discount! It's $29.95 for toddlers. They do have military discount. Also, I paid $15 for a bottle of water and a small cup of soda.

My favorite was the rhinos and the giraffes. The person who complained that the animals are restricted and stressed, is wrong. The various gardens are very nice, too. It's hard for me to say whether or not it's worth attending anymore due to the costs but that's up for others to decide what they can afford. For me it was our last time.

Absolutely LOVE this place. One of my favorite places on earth. Plan on spending the whole day here. PEV Scooters for rent. A mixture of wildlife in natural settings, desert, cactus, gardens and event exhibits. I was there for the orchid exhibit. Areas can be reserved for weddings and social events. Glow in the Dark occurs 1.5 hours after closing and requires a separate admissions. I guess this is seasonal. Members like to stroll in the evening since it's cooler and can see the starry sky. everything is accessible by scooter / wheelchair / pram. This place is big so plan on spending the whole day. There is a trail displaying the early indigenous culture and spanish immigrants farming, cooking and building techniques. There are desert trails which are quite a bit of walking. Closer to the entrance is various gardens: butterfly, bee, flower, etc. Located in Palm Desert and not Palm Springs. There is a big running model train running called the Bighorn Railroad's G-scale. Large gift shop at the exist. Sells small cactus plants. A lot of California and African wildlife on display.

We spent a morning just walking around enjoying all aspects of the Living Desert. It was not crowded and had a great atmosphere. We will definitely be back on our next trip to Palm Desert.

We brought our two-year-old daughter to The Living Desert to feed the giraffes, and it was such a great experience! The weather was perfect—not too hot—and there was so much to see and do that it kept our little one engaged and excited the entire time. She absolutely loves animals, so this was a perfect outing for her.

The highlight of the visit was, without a doubt, feeding the giraffes. She got to hand them lettuce, and it was such a magical moment—she still talks about it to this day!

This zoo is well laid out, family-friendly, and a great way to spend a day in the Palm Springs area, which happens to be one of our favorite nearby getaway spots. We will definitely be returning on future visits!

We are members of the LA Zoo and we got 50% to the Living Desert Zoo. We loved our visit there. So much fun, beautiful ground, entertaining and engaging Reptile show and great views of the animals.
We got to see the Cheetahs and Jaguar in their full glory active and playing. The other animals are beautiful, specifically the giraffes and Zebras. There is a lot of walking and it can get hot, although the weather was perfect for us!

Concise Review

The Living Desert is A MUST SEE

Part zoo
Part arboreteum

We saw the giraffes and ostriches, the cheetahs, the wallabies and emu... and many more animals

On any trip, you should spent at least one day at The Living Desert... on any visit to Palm Desert / Palm Springs / Cathedral City / Rancho Mirage / Indian Wells / Indio / La Quinta / Desert Hot Springs / Coachella Valley.

Consider the season pass... with you can enjoy several visits for less money.

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Longer Review

We have visited Palm Desert / Palm Springs many times over the years and The Living Desert is the one place we visit at least once every trip.

We visited Southern California - Palm Desert, Yucaipa, and Malibu - for Spring Break 2021. Our cousins joined us at The Living Desert, driving in from Yucaipa (45 minutes away).

The entrance has changed since our last visit several years ago... they have a big new entrance closer to the animals. Knowing that giraffe feeding time is usually first-thing in the morning, we still went straight to visit the giraffes, hoping for a chance to see them. Often they just stay over the other side of the hilll, and you’re fortunate to see the tops of their heads. This day, being a little windy, they were moving around much more, and a couple of them walked and trotted across the tops of the hill and even a little closer to us.

In the same space, the ostriches were right up at the fence, close enough to pet. And the pelicans were there, too!

We visited the African village watutu and saw the hyenas and curly-horned addax.

In the other areas we saw
- Arabian oryxes
- Fennec foxes - smallest member of fox family and the largest ears of any fox
- Grevy’s zebras
- African wild dogs... 13 of them!! ... more than we have ever seen on previous visits... and they look just like on the Nature or National Geographic show, but more impressive in real life... right there in front of you
- Cheetahs... on previous visits we’ve only barely seen them when they just lift their heads up to look around... that’s been about it... barely a glimpse as they would be lying in the sun barely moving. 
Today... more! 
This day we were there at the right time (~4pm?)... one of the cheetahs was up and walking around when we first arrived! Then our daughter and I went back for another look, and then quickly brought the rest of our family, to see two cheetahs up and walking around!! Then we noticed that a keeper arrived and looked to have food... seems the cheetah expected that it was feeding time... two approached and fed; the third walked around but did not approach to eat. But we saw all three walk around their area!!! so majestic. Awesome!
- Big horned rams on the rocky hill
- The new Australian area:
- So many wallabies - sort of like thigh-high kangaroos who were keen to visit the keeper for feeding time
- A tawny frogmouth bird
- A kookaburra bird (ala Outback Steakhouse)

The huge model railroad... 3,300 feet of track... everyone loves the railroad, for good reason... it is awesome!

And even seeing all I just mentioned, we didn’t even see half of the Living Desert... next visit... next visit!

Thank you Living Desert!

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This is a natural habitat effort with less "cages." Plenty of fencing for safety, but many large outdoor enclosures. Some you can go through a trap to get into the enclosure to be closer to the animals and birds. Lots of creatures indoors and outside from around the world. In summer is only open from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm, for good reason: it was 114 degrees when I went there about 11 am. Take water, hat, and suntan lotion. There are lots of places to sit down and a fair amount of shade. I was comfortable for about 1.5 hours and covered half the park. Nice Big Horn Cafe in the middle of the park and the food (chicken tender) was quite good. Had a great view of the sheep on the mountain right outside of the cafe. Two surprises for me were a water park for kids and a fairly elaborate model train setup with at least three different trains operating. There was also an oval track with three small trolley cars set up so three people can hit the respective start buttons and see who wins the race around the track. Claims to be rated as one of 10 best zoos in the US specializing in the deserts of the world. I was impressed.

You must take your children here. The staff is outstanding. The exhibits are fascinating and the setting is gorgeous. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit even though we just had time for the Africa side. The feedings were fun but we were charged extra for them. You could easily spend the whole day here.

What an amazing zoo. My husband and I went early in the morning so all of the animals were very active. We purchased our tickets ahead online. We wanted to feed the giraffes but that part of the zoo was under construction so all of the noise was scaring the giraffes. Can’t wait to go back when all the construction is done.
The outside train display is amazing. Unfortunately the trains do not run in the summer due to the extreme hot.

From Australia to Africa, the Living Desert Zoo is celebrating 50 years with animals from around the globe.

The giraffe feeding experience was a highlight. For only $7, guests can have a one-on-one encounter with these graceful giants. Selfies are encouraged, but a friend or family member is also welcome to photograph or video your animal encounter for no additional cost.

A visit was included in our Empire Vacations tour to Palm Springs. Due to a heavily booked schedule we unfortunately only had enough time to explore the Africa section of the zoo. It was relaxing, fun, and I'd love to return to experience the rest of The Living Desert Zoo.

Just a lovely as it was last time, this time with the addition of the Rhino.
I sampled a delicious blueberry muffin whilst sitting at a new coffee spot overlooking the enclosure, which is also next to the giraffes. Great place to go and see nature as well as animals.

We went to the Wild Lights display and were quite disappointed. The lights were nothing very special or creative. The Xmas music was blaring so loudly it was ridiculous. We felt very sad for the animals having to put up with that. We could see the giraffes seemed stressed as they were pacing back and forth, back and forth. I’m sorry we partook and regret supporting it. If they would like to class up their light displays, they should visit Butchart Gardens xmas lights….

This was on our list to do while on vacation. The African section was very impressive. Everything was clean and the staff was available to help. Glad we did it.

This was our first visit and we were very impressed.

We went on a weekday and found the zoo to be quiet which was nice.

We loved how some animals were out of their homes and we could see them up close like the porcupines.

It was also a treat feeding the giraffes and seeing them up close.

We spent around 2.5 hours at the zoo and went at a moderate pace.

We found the admission to the zoo fair; however thought some of the add-ons could have been incorporated into the admission price, such as the butterfly enclosure. Mostly it was just inconvenient to pull out our credit cards several times while we were there.

This place was pretty cool. Although I am a non-believer of facemasks out in public in free space not a lot of people were social distancing but everybody had a face mask on I think that’s quite crazy. Anyway it was a warm sunny day. Some animals were out some animals were not the place is clean well provided for a bit overpriced

We always visit the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens when we arrive in the Coachella Valley. It’s the 50th anniversary of the zoo this year.

We noticed lots of new additions to the zoo this year. So much fun walking on the San Andreas Fault Line and touring both the North America and African sections of the zoo. See all the plants, birds and animals. The zebras and giraffes were amazing!

We’ll be back again.

There were a couple of zebras and a few giraffes, and no Rhino which was in their advertising. Not worth $27.

I have visited many zoos and aquariums and even volunteered at an aquarium. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this attraction. We did the private tour and our guide, Harold, was great. If you are in the area and have the time, this place is worth visiting. We spent 6 hours here and saw everything. You could just spend a couple of hours seeing the animals but we went through all the gardens. Feeding a giraffe is a great experience. We had the burger and fries at the Thorn Tree Grill and were again surprised at the quality. Not to say it was the best burger I have ever eaten, but it was very good. There are places that provide shade throughout the park. Wear comfortable walking shoes, this place is huge. Bring a water bottle, sunscreen, a hat and your camera.

Small zoo but very interesting animals in very nice naturalistic environments. Lots of nice plants. Good places to sit and relax or picnic.

We took the private tour which turned out to be a fabulous experience and worth every cent. Our tour guide, Harold was so knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the place and the details and insights he gave us were fascinating. The Giraffe feeding was great fun. We will definitely be back and hopefully next year, the bird flu will no longer be an issue and all the birds will be back.

This was our third time to the Living Desert Zoo, and it never disappoints! I don’t know who designed the layout of this zoo- but he or she was a genius! So beautifully laid out with incredible animals living in ideal environments. We live to do this zoo over & over!

One of the best zoos that we have been to. Love the natural surroundings and the ability to walk out into the desert area.

Perfect Saturday afternoon and after-dark visit on the same day. Early dinner at a close-by Indian on Hwy 111 and return for the Living Desert's "Wild Lights" show after dark. Wild Lights runs in December, 2025.

The animals were active early afternoon, which was fun to see. We left and returned for a 6:30 p.m. entrance to the Wild Lights show. Zillions of lights. All kinds. Not a big crowd, and walking the zoo at night after walking earlier the same afternoon in the daylight is really different. Several of the animals were still up and about at night. The keepers had fed some of the nocturnal critters recently and they were fun to watch.

We'll go again next Thanksgiving weekend.

Very impressive zoo. The integration between the flora and fauna are the best I've see at a zoo.. Incredibly well cared for animals fit right in with their respective desert environments. So much care has been taken to preserve exotic plant life as well as animals. The new Australia exhibit is really fun with wallabys hopping across your path. And, who doesn't love hand feeding a giraffe. The 24,000 sf wildlife medical center on the grounds is also worth a visit.

I can tell the animals are well taken care of here. the giraffe exhibit is exceptional, the way they have the giraffes staggered around their grassy area. I also really like walking along with the wallabies, in the newer Australia exhibit. Come to see the animals- plan to eat somewhere off site either before or after your visit. Free parking, small military discount.

They have plenty of animals but you have to walk about 10 minutes past the entrance gate to get to them. All I kept seeing were larger-than-life 3D art installations in the shapes of flowers, leaves, birds. I finally got to see some live animals after walking quite a bit. The most spectacular for me were the giraffes and the wolves. Several animal pens were quite large, as they should be, but I was very sad to see the owls, eagles, and mountain lions in tiny enclosures. It really was depressing and put a damper on the place. I didn't buy any food or drink as I didn't like the prices. If you have 2 hours to spend, it's worth a visit if you're already in the area of Palm Desert/Palm Springs.

We often visit the Living Desert when in Palm Desert. It is always interesting no matter the season. There is a large variety of animals displayed in natural environments. Trails extend into the adjacent desert. There are many "themed" gardens and some interesting oases. The very large, outdoor model railroad is a bonus.

The Living Desert is well worth a visit, even if the price of admission is nearly $40 per person. High marks for enthusiastic staff, beautifully kept grounds, and close access to the animals (giraffe feeding!). The collection is relatively small, and as the name suggests, focuses more on desert wildlife, such as coyotes, prairie dogs and tortoise. Large African animals feature cheetahs, giraffe and rhinos; Australia is represented by wallabies, emus and kookaburra. This zoo also has Amur leopards to admire.

This garden had some great afternoon light for walking & painting. A bit hard to find a place in the shade to set up without being in the middle of the pathway, but worth it.

This is probably one of my favorite zoos in the world. The desert is such an amazing place to be celebrated and this zoo does a great job of it! I've been here many times over the years and always learn something new. They are improving and expanding their exhibits and is just a gem to visit. I look forward to seeing the new rhino exhibit this fall!

We visited the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in February 2020. What a fantastic place this is. Highlights for us included the Giraffes and the cactus gardens. We stayed for three hours but could have stayed longer. They are expecting to open a new exhibit this year showcasing Australia.

It was not our first time here and we found the place so Amazing we are now Members.

What a place !
So many things to see and to discover!

Beautiful giraffes .. so gracious and the two young Midwesterners – Jaali and Nia so wonderful..!!

You learn so much with the dedication of the people who are here to teach you.

Do not miss this place .. A GEM 🙏❤️

Perhaps February is not the best month to visit the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Perhaps mid-day is not the best time to visit. Enjoyed the giraffes. Especially the young children feeding them.

We’ve been coming to Palm Springs for years, but this was our first visit to the Living Desert Zoo and Garden. To my surprise, it was amazing. The animals were in wonderful settings and well cared for. There are also hiking trails, so remember to bring your gear. This place is has something for everyone. Make plans to visit here on your next trip to Palm Springs.

We were sustaining members in the late 90's and loved the place. Have not been back for 3 years and what a mess it has deteriorated to. They charge three times the old rate,yet it is a construction zone. They should just stay closed until they finish the rebuilding. Third world countries are not as shabby.

Honestly, one of the best zoos I’ve ever been to anywhere in the world. Just incredibly lovely well laid out and quite fun for my whole family. We plan to go anytime we are ever back in town.

Every year the kids want to go to The Living Desert Zoo when we visit Palm Springs. The zoo is small and very walkable. Make sure to check the time of the animal shows they are fun. My son LOVES the train exhibit. For the past two years we have gone to the Zoo lights which they host through the month of April (I believe). Zoo lights has not only amazing light sculptures of animals throughout the zoo but also interactive activities for kids. This experience is worth the time and money. During the day I would plan 2-3 hours for the zoo. The zoo lights can be done in an hour, dress warmly for the evening chill. Don't go to the park on a windy day. Due too the wind and the many trees throughout the zoo they are forced to close areas fur to facing limbs and the train doesn't run when it's windy.

Great open displays of animals. Nice landscaping. Adequate shaded areas. Our 2 year old was excited with every display.

This is a lovely small zoo and botanical gardens. It is wonderfully laid out with a good amount of shaded areas throughout the park. The animals are appropriate for the area. (You won't find penguins here!) What makes this small zoo a real treat are the variety of botanical gardens throughout the park. This is a park that will appeal to people of all ages. It looks like they are enlarging the zoo. Well worth a visit. There are also some short hiking trails.

My wife and I were looking for some fun and entertaining, but informative adventures for our kids to enjoy with us and this truly fit the requirements.
We all had an awesome time and recommend an afternoon to truly experience the many sights.

Great activity for the whole family- especially in the mind before it gets too hot. Highlights were feeding the giraffes and seeing the rhinos!

The downside on arrival this trip was the lack of Tran service around the park.

I have visited in the past where the narrated transportation took you around the park with many stops and opportunities to see everything.

In the most recent year experienced neck surgeries so found it extremely difficult to navigate the park, missing many lovely areas and wildlife.

Eventually I found out you could pay extra for guided golf cart tours, which were already booked up for the day.

I would highly suggest if you experience difficulty walking inclines to reserve an “adult cart” or guided tour.

What a great place!

I was coming to see the wildlife and hadn't realised there were hiking trails! What a great surprise! I only did the medium loop as I was on my own and because I didn't know in advance didn't have a good shoes or enough water, but it was still very impressive! The turnoff to do the loop rather than walk all the way back wasn't obvious (well not to me!) But it's at the last signpost before the signpost indicating the start of the long 6km trail. I was there early, about 8.30am at the end of February, and it was already quite warm - definitely a case for a hat, plenty of water and sunscreen!

The zoo and gardens are split into African and North American sections. As I'd done the hike I only had time to do one section so chose North America. Fantastic animals, including beautiful mountain lion cub (see how big his paws are, he will be huge), rehabilitated eagles, and Mexican wolves. There is an Australian section opening later this year.

What I particularly loved were all the beautiful themed and curated gardens - little corners of tranquility! The one bit of the African section I managed to see was the Madagascar garden and it was beautiful!

Oh and the gift shop is really good! Good-sized, good-quality plush cuddly toys of every animal you can imagine (Meercats anyone?) are $32 for two! That is such good value compared to other similar attractions I've been too. Note that they don't have single-use bags of any kind, so bring a reusable one with you if you think you might want to buy something. Otherwise you can buy one for $2.99.

Definitely a great day out for all ages!

$29 in person $27 online. $25 for seniors over 62. Great value for over 5 hours of entertainment. This November 78deg temps didn’t hinder us or the animals daytime wanderings. The zoo keeper talks/encounters range from 8:30-11:30am. The animals are spaced into continental quadrants. Leopards, cheetahs, giraffe, reptiles to name a few. New rhino exhibit coming. The cement paths are wide for wheel chairs and strollers, yet some sand paths take you “into the wild”.
The flora was amazingly diverse. Of course many succulents and cactus, but the best part was the labeling of the many species with little signs. To top it off, in “Africa” there is a soft serve shop with snacks and draft beer. And another with hamburgers etc. the perks go on! Guests can bring their own food in! Picnic tables throughout. For those who need a break, benches line the paths. Plenty of water fountains and fill bottle stations. The exhibits have view stations and glass partitions. Bird habitats walk through! And a little petting encounter. Loved it. Reason this in top 3 must dos.

They have discontinues for scan map. Map very poor design. Labelling very bad. Confusion qhere you are going. Should sell nap for $1 to cover recycling.

My friend was visiting from Minnesota So we took my 13 year old nephews for a wonderful day at the zoo. My favorite was the butterfly garden ... amazing
The boys loved the giraffes and the hyenas
We are so lucky to have this fabulous zoo here in the desert all the animals seem to be loving their enclosures and you can easily see them in those natural habitats.
If you live here become a member
If your visiting the desert make sure this is one of your destinations, especially if you have children, excellent place to come.

Bought two tickets at $30 each at 3:00 P.M. today. We were told would take two hours to see everything which was fine since they closed at 5:00 P.M. We got to the kangaroo exhibit in the Australia section at 4:30 and got kicked out. The guy was saying it was closed and as soon as he threw the other folks out he would be gone. We just drove from Florida and he really destroyed the entire event. Felt we were lied to and got ripped off.

Really enjoyed this smallish zoo, I spent about three hours on a beautiful morning. A tram is available to take you around, but it's easy enough to walk this zoo as well; interesting animals, natural habitats and gardens/walking paths. Feeding the giraffes was a favorite as well as some of the keeper talks, including giraffes. I also did the butterfly/hummingbird house and really enjoyed.

We visited with an 8 year old and were looking forward to see the giraffes, cheetahs and jaguars but didn't get a glimpse of any. The giraffe exhibit was closed for repairs.
The trains were running, so that was cheerful, as well as the Australian Garden exhibit where we were Enchanted by the wallabies, parakeets and snakes.

If you are going to visit this zoo, you really MUST do the Private Safari - we had a lovely guide named John who was utterly fantastic - we saw loads of people wandering around who kept stopping us to ask him where something was - it is very well signposted but most folks seemed to have no idea of what they were looking at! John knew the history of every animal and tree....

Love this place, great value, plenty to see & lots of good hikes too...take water hiking boots & good sun protection...

The place itself is okay, worth 3 stars or a bit more. A fair number of opportunities to see interesting animals (mostly African) in a natural setting. Not as impressive as the similar park associated with the San Diego Zoo. Friendly staff or volunteers scattered around.

It is difficult to find your way around. They don’t give you a map but instead want you to use their poorly designed app. Since the app is useless, they need much better signage. Another signage issue: I hiked out on a trail to see the San Andreas Fault exhibit. Only when you get to the last branch to the exhibit is there a sign that it is closed. There should have been a sign to that effect at the beginning, which would have saved me 15 minutes of walking in the heat.

Now for the worst part. Not only is their app useless for navigation, it uses a ridiculous amount of data. I discovered I had burned through almost all of my 2 GB monthly cellular data plan in just a few hours at this place trying to navigate with the app. So avoid their crummy app at all costs unless you have an unlimited data plan.

Not sure if it was worth it. We went to the Christmas lights exhibit at night, what they call wild lights. There was lots of construction going on, lots of areas blocked off, and we saw very few animals. The lights were fun at first, but we really came to see the animals. If you were in it for the lights only, you would enjoy it.

That said, what redeemed it for us was we did get to see the giraffes up close. They were active at night and came right up to the fence which was a cool experience. We also saw the rhino lumbering around a bit. But that was pretty much it. I think I was expecting the animals to be active at night, but we definitely did not see them. I've been in night zoos in other parts of the world so that's where my expectation came from. I would probably not come back.

My husband & I always visit the Living Desert whenever we visit PS. There is something for everyone. Try to go early as the animals are more active in the morning. Bring lots of water, sunscreen & a hat. Getting to feed the Giraffes is such a treat for both you and the Giraffes. There is always staff available for questions. The new water area is perfect for kids of all ages. Can’t wait to see what the next improvements will be.

It was delightful meandering through the many geographically-themed desert plant and wildlife collections. In one moment we would be in North America's deserts and in the next in Australia's or Africa's. The grounds are beautifully tended and filled with sights and experiences that appeal to anyone from children to those like us, senior citizens. The big takeaways are how rich with life the desert regions are and how they are both resilient to their weather extremities and yet fragile to human impacts.

This place is well worth the visit and the ticket price to get in. It is kept immaculate and you feel like you are roaming through Africa or Australia. The animals do not look as if they are trapped in any way and it is wonderful to see animals you may not otherwise be able to in that area. The model train section is spectacular and a must see well there. Also, we were able to see the Jaguar awake and moving around and what a sight to see!

This zoo is great! Highlights of our day were seeing the rhino, petting goats, and the Australia area. The Australia exhibit was so well done. My boys loved seeing the wallabies up close and the plexiglass barriers allowed for better viewing.

This was a fun family outing. Plenty of animals to see (up close) and lots of informative displays. The volunteers are full of great information. A lot of walking to get around but ample bathrooms, concessions and water stations along the way. Free parking and reasonable entrance fee. The animals all look well cared for in spacious pens.

The best! Must see! I’m a member of the San diego zoo and this has the best of both the zoo and the safari park! It’s so fun! Well worth the low cost of admission $40. Bring a hat, sunscreen a backpack and good walking shoes! Arrive early and see all the encounters! We loved watching the camels being fed! We will return

Wonderful exhibits of flora, fauna and animals from desert regions. A great place for young and old alike Recommend going early in the morning or later afternoon to see more animals out and about They also had a nighttime light show/special event which I'm sure would be lovely but we didn't visit. The highlight for us was the ability to feed a giraffe. Cost is $6 for non-members but really is something special. Allow about 3-4 hours for leisurely pace. More if you want to attend feedings/talks.

The zoo itself is nicely laid out, a good variety of animals and grounds are beautiful. We went specifically because we had seen you can feed giraffes. After we paid our 25$ admission and walked the grounds and made our way to the giraffes, we were told by one of the five staff members sitting there that “the giraffes don’t want to come down today”. Essentially a waste of our 50 dollars.

Went on a Saturday end of January without having bought tickets in advance. While the parking lot seemed very full, the place didn't seem crowded at all. Most people wore masks when in line or in an indoor space, if this is important to you. The natural habitats and set up allowed us to see many animals up close: hyenas, cheetahs, leopard, rhino. Closest views we have ever had in a zoo! Fantastic time feeding a giraffe and we only waited in line about 7 minutes to do that. We would go back again in a second, especially as we could only spend and hour and a half there and so missed many attractions.

Loved the day we spent at the zoo. This is a nice zoo with good habitats for the animals. Although it was crowded the zoo is large enough that it didn't feel it once you left the parking lot. The zoo is very clean. We didn't eat but noticed a few placed with food available. Feed the giraffes if you can. It's awesome.

We also went back in the evening for the Zoo Glow. It was breathtaking. So many light displays and activities. We did not do either visit with children and absolutely loved it.

This was a little jewel. It had great animals including a feisty jaguar. It was a good 2.5 hour visit. The giraffes were fun to watch.

Do not miss this attraction! Beautiful park, well maintained, wide variety of animals and walk-thru gardens and paths. One thing we did not realize until we happened upon it, is that you can walk out the back gate next to Bighorn Mountain and access several loop trails (.5 miles, 1.5 miles, 5 miles). Since we still had more park to visit, we just walked a small way, saw an exhibit on the side of the rocky hill, walked up to that and realized it was the San Andreas Fault exhibit! Make sure you do that! Very informative display sign about the Fault, how it was formed and how to view it in the distance (see photo)! That was such an added bonus! It took every bit of the 5 hours we were there to thoroughly take in all the attractions - including the huge model train exhibit at the end!

Must see !!!
The animals have large areas to roam!
Clean, well signed to find the animals…for train enthusiasts… amazing train display!! Better than ones I’ve seen in museums!
Kid friendly! Don’t miss this place

Enjoyed our day at the zoo but the cafe and "restuarant" were disappointing. The cafe supplied good coffee but the pastries were tiny and expensive, two bites and they're gone.

The Restaurant is fast food, fast burgers which suits a lot of people bug would be good to have more choice.

But the waste! For a place involved in conservation, I was disappointed in how little food packaging is recycled. The cuterley was plastic, the food served in waxed cartons and drinks served in unrecycable containers. Probably plastic straws but we brought our own water.

A present surprise and transformation from my visit 10 years ago. This is nothing like the past and all in a good way. Upgrades in every way ups the visit to a local must see. A fun visit for both kids and adults . Worth the pice of admission and more upgrades on the way. Most exhibits give you a close view . Well marked path makes you visit easy to navigate. Must see Australia exhibit is a wonder for kids and adults . Lots of informative signs give you helpful information at each stop. About a 3 hour experience . Food and snacks available as well as picnic spots to bring you own.
Summer can be hot so plan in cooler parts of the day.

Amazing time! It was very beautiful & clean there-All the animals are so incredibly well cared for by the staff & they areas are large & beautiful. Lovely coffee cafe’s & beautiful seating areas. The volunteers there were most helpful & educators on the animals there with many interesting animal facts! Very much worth it!

Took my eight year old granddaughter on a Nanacation. We came from South Dakota and we have visited zoos around the country and have seen some beauties (Omaha and St. Louis, for example) and The Living Desert is one of the best. I was so impressed with the conservation and educational efforts! Well staffed and knowledgeable. We even toured the hospital. The giraffe habitat is exquisite and was our favorite. Gorgeous grounds, too. Also appreciated our reciprocity discount!

Would definitely recommend! Our family of 5 loved the morning spent at the zoo. Lots of animals were seen.

Wonderful exhibits. Easy walking with restful scenic stops. Wildlife and exhibits in a beautiful natural setting.

The Living Desert is a Must See! There is so much to see and do. First, go and enjoy the incredable Train exibit, we have never seen anything like it. You can hike a little or a distance, depending on what you are in the mood for. So many animals and plants to see. When you get tired, ride the tram, it cost extra but we enjoyed it.

This was our first visit and my husband and I were very impressed. Every staff member we encountered was extremely friendly, helpful and informative. We've been to a lot of zoos and this was certainly one of the best. We loved the desert being incorporated into the gardens and habitats and it did our hearts good to see the animals appeared "happy" and unstressed. We were also glad we stopped into the hospital for a quick tour to see the program they have in effect to help the desert tortoises. The walking paths were very nice and not too hilly which was nice for us older folks. With the exception of the zebras, we could see most of the other animals up close and the giraffes were definitely our favorite exhibit. Although, I initially thought the admission was expensive, I felt better about the cost by the time we left. If I lived in the area, I would absolutely by a yearly pass and go there every day for my walk. Fantastic Experience!

This is an excellent zoo. It is very walkable with few inclines. You don't have to go up or down stairs for anything other than the giraffes. The train exhibit is absolutely amazing. I have never seen anything like it. We especially enjoyed the wallaby exhibit, where you can walk right around them. One of them had a joey, and it was adorable.

I just loved our experience here! I felt that the animal enclosures were immaculately kept. The animals were healthy looking and seemed to be well cared for. I also loved the natural settings! I haven’t seen such a wide array of animals like this in one place before. Fabulous!

Have been visiting Coachella Valley for over 30 years and have been impressed with the growth, development and expansion of this one of a kind animal exhibition over the years. Well managed, informative and lotsa fun for all age groups. Not one's usual run of the mill Zoo-type experience. Visit every year and never disappointed.

You will not be disappointed.. the grounds are beautiful. The animals surprising at every turn. You never know what you are going to experience. Just a great time exploring one our our deserts treasures.

Amazing time with family at the zoo. Went with two boys, 10 and 3 yrs old. Got to feed the giraffes, and had a wonderful time. Bring a hat (or get one at the gift shop) and sunscreen. The weather wasn't too hot but very sunny so you can get a sunburn.

We visited the Living Desert early in the day. Enjoyed a "giraffe talk" and training right away. There were volunteers willing to share many amazing facts about any of the animals you see. You can tell they really have a passion for the preservation of species and educating the public. We enjoyed the merry go round, animal hospital, cactus and Palm Tree gardens too. Only thing we skipped was the butterfly garden and giraffe feeding. Maybe next time! It was a very nice time for all!

A well cared for zoo. Staff are caring and knowledgeable. The onsite hospital for the animals is key to the level of care. Definitely recommend this place. Roughly 3 hours to see all. Don't miss the railroad display.

This place was rather expensive to enter, with no discounts really offered other than a couple bucks for military, but it was beautiful upon entry. The paths were wide and it was kept up really nicely. The caretakers were all really friendly, too. We started our way through Africa. We had some nice animal viewings and found some decent shade along the way. Restrooms were readily available. On the other side of the place, it was a lot less zoo and a lot more desert garden. The train setup was cool. We decided to grab a little lunch, which was a huge mistake. A bowl of soup, a sandwich, a bag of chips, and a couple drinks set us back $45. That was totally a rip off, so bring your own food or plan ahead to skip their gouging. They also seemed to have much more fake animals in their glow party displays than real animals. Also, the eagle cage was really depressing. No room for two beautiful animals to move around. Set them free!

My sister and I had a private tour in a cart. 2 plus hours. It was so worth the price. We fed the giraffes and had the wallabys nibble at our shoes. Our guide was very knowledgeable. We covered animals, plants, conservation. We saw the hospital and the tiny desert tortoises they are incubating in conjunction with San Diego Zoo. We were able to tour the rest on our own - not tired as we were carted around in the morning.

Well done, many African species and some darling Wallaby's that you can get up front and personal with. (But not touch)

My family really enjoyed our visit here. The talks by the guides for the hyenas and giraffes were a highlight.
Great place but make sure you don't leave it too late so you can enjoy everything on offer.

Haven't been here for about five years. What a treat with all the treats and reasonable pricing for a day of enjoyment. The zoo has expanded and very spacious walkways to view the animals and garden. I was a little disappointed that the plant nursery is no longer there. But everything else was superb. We had a wonderfully delicious lunch at Thorn Tree Grill in the Village WaTuTu. The train display is also a hidden gem. I would highly recommend this place as well as the time of year.

We had an amazing time. The animals were well cared for and the desert gardens were spectacular. We live in the midwest, and the desert vegetation was so very interesting. Don't miss this special location.

I have been a member of The Living Desert for 5 years!!! Absolutely fabulous experience every time I go to this venue. When company visiting, I take them there--they love the beautiful grounds, feeding the giraffes and being up close and personal with all of the animals.

This zoo is spectacular! The habitats are well maintained. The amenities are in working order. You can wander, hike, watch animals to your heart’s content! Some eateries seem to prefer electronic payment so FYI! You can bring in your own food and water bottles. They have refill stations free of charge.

It is place where you can find yourself in a different world specially if you have kids with they will love it to have great time

Amazing adventure seeing wild life from around the world. I must see when visiting Palm Springs.

Beautiful grounds and well maintained.

Excellent spread out venue with a variety of desert species as well as well as your zoo mainstays. Wear your walking shoes!!

One of the very best zoos I have ever visited. The animal enclosures are excellent, and provide a natural habitat while allowing guests to see the animals up close. The entire area was spotlessly clean and well-managed.

The Living Desert has reopened after the Pandemic Shutdown. Paths are marked one way with huge arrows. Masks are required. Buildings and some experiences are not open. Masks are required.
Walking in heat in a mask is not a ton of fun; but, I am gladdened TLD is doing it and enforcing it. Most people were good about social distancing but the masks are an issue.
I am sure nobody on staff wants to be the mask police but we all need to be safe.
Cover your nose and mouth, protect yourself and others, wear a mask.
The new Australia exhibit and gardens are beautiful. The plants are amazing. The wallabies are pretty cool, also.

This is one of our best experiences while staying in Palm Desert. The zoo is laid out by continent and gives you excellent vantage points to view the animals. The rhino, giraffes, wallabies, cheetahs, leopard, camels, and snakes were particularly well done. Price was reasonable for the experience. We will be back.

This is a great zoo with surprises around every corner. Even our teen daughter had fun. I think our favorite part was the wallabies that you can walk around witg

We had a super fun time checking out the Zoo for the night lantern event. The zoo is huge and definitely a great way to kill some time.

Used to be so charming and its gone totally commercial.
Membership used to include being able to enter an hour before opening
Ive heard now theyve taken away the guest passes too!

Great zoo! If you haven’t been here for a few months, check out the Australia exhibit! It is wonderful! In the past I would bring a small water bottle and refill it throughout my stay. But heads up! They turned off the water drinking fountains!! The couple of Cafe stations are open for outdoor dining so now you need to buy their water. My next trip I will carry in 3 water bottles.

There is more to this attraction than meets-the-eye! First it is a very long walk to see all that is offered. Recommend older folks take a shuttle tour car & guide.
This is one of the few places in the world where one can see up close endangered Black Rhinos. You name the animal and it is most likely there...along with desert plants w/name plates.
Even at the end there was a surprise of a huge model railroad layout.
This special place is recommended to all families and nature lovers.
I want to go back because I did not see all of it!

We visited yesterday, arriving around 11:30am this is a pretty place, expect lots of walking. Lots of construction going on but what bothered me most is we didnt get to see much, a lot of animals were hiding. Probably our fault as we went during lunchtime, I'm sure early morning/late afternoon is better to visit.

Many exhibits to choose from. Plenty of shade to cool down. Staff are more than helpful and very knowledgeable. Will recommend.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is an amazing place to spend a morning (when it is cooler) for a leisurely walk among the animals and foliage. My favorite sections are the prairie dogs, giraffes, and the longhorn sheet that adorn the mountainside! The docents who are throughout the park, are very knowledgable, friendly, and helpful.
The park has many areas in the shade, places to eat, indoor air-conditioned exhibits, and water fountains. Bring your own water, too - it is allowed.

If we lived closer I would consider an annual membership. It is the perfect place for couples, families, and those who just love being in nature.

This is exceptionally clean and pleasant. It has a variety of different wild animals of which we got great views. It is super clean, tranquil and easy to navigate. We really enjoyed our time there. Highly recommend!!

We didn't know much at all about the living desert, but went to see what it's about. General admission for adults was $25.00 and for seniors, I think it was about $22.00
There are many signs to guide you around, if you want you can take their shuttle for $8.00, but it doesn't give you enough time at the stops. We walked, and enjoyed seeing all the animals: giraffes, cheetahs, zebra's , monkeys, and many more.
The educational part was the explanation of many of the trees or plants that were growing there, some from Africa, others from Madagascar, it went on and on, explaining the type of climate they live in, and some were only grown in one place in the world!
At the end of the trail, is this huge elaborate model train exhibit! It's very impressive with waterfalls, bridges, little towns set up with people and old cars. We had no idea we'd see something like this and it was just wonderful!
I could go on and on about the Living Desert, but you really should go see it! We went in the beginning of March, and it was around78 that day, so it did get warm on our walk; but March was perfect, Wear sunscreen for sure; we spent about 1 1/2 hours there, you could spend more time if you wanted though.

This is a marvelous zoo, just minutes from Palm Springs, that exceeded our expectations. I believe the zoo takes up about 80 acres and offers animals from Africa (giraffes, rhinos, camels, zebras, etc.), Australia (emus and wallaby's), and what they refer to as The Wild Americas (bobcats, big-horn sheep, mountain lion, coyote, etc.). The animals have room to roam in a really beautiful setting. Paths make viewing easy for those needing to push strollers or wheel-chairs. The zoo and botanical garden are a part of a larger nature preserve.

Not much to see other than construction everywhere. Very few animals were seen and it was a beautiful day in the 70s so it wasn’t the heat making them hide.
Did a lot of walking around but with not much to look at I could have just spent my day walking trails for free.

A very well laid out plan for observing both animals and nature gardens. There grounds cover a large area and the extra few dollars to ride the shuttle with on and off privileges is well worth taking. We visited on a very hot day that was pushing 90F and the frequent shuttles provided breaks from the sun.

We did think that the zoo’s nickel and dime policy to feed the animals or visit the indoor butterflies was petty and should just be included in the entrance price. We felt like we were constantly taking out our credit card.

There are a few animals that are representative of hot, dry climates but many mammals typically seen in a zoo are not able to tolerate these hot and arid conditions. Some enclosures seemed a bit too corralled and unnatural with visible fencing, etc. compared to more modern zoo settings.

Staff and volunteers were very warm, friendly and informative. I believe there are more senior volunteers than staff.

Go early morning when there is nearby parking, no lines and not yet hot. I think .January & February would be ideal.

Pro: This visit to the zoo was for the “glow in the park “ event. It was definitely worth the trip. Magical is the only way that I can describe how the zoo was transformed. Even at night there were still a number of animals to see which was an added plus. The lighting (interactive lanterns) was thoughtfully placed throughout the zoo with some enjoyable musical choices. Lighted animated characters, flowers, animals, birds and more. I would recommend this to everyone.

Con: it’s only around once a year…. It’s over this year.

So it’s shutdown time and not a lot to do. My 19 YO and I headed out to the zoo. It was great to be able to get a different scenery. The wallabies were adorable. Many things were closed due to covid including the giraffe feeding. If you have $25 to spare per person it’s a beautiful place to wander around and the animals were pretty cool. Some of the enclosures were pretty small and that was a bit disturbing.

If you are COVID phobic, it's probably best not to come here on the weekends or during a school holiday. We visited on Saturday after Thanksgiving, in the morning, and it was pretty hectic. Kids are everywhere and touching everything. EVERYONE had on masks but it was pretty hard to stay away from the chaos. All in all, it was still a great visit.

We were here about 5 years ago and the place has improved so much. They are in the process of building a rhino area that will be fantastic. They also have a few trails off the back side where you can walk between 1.5-5 mile hikes. It was great and there are very few out on their trails.

Cant wait to return in a few years to see their new exhibits.

So much for for the whole family! Animals seem well cared for. Staff is incredibly friendly! There is alot to see, so I recommend getting an early start.

I guess eventually it will rate a 4 or so, but for now I can't go higher than a 2.
Make reservations on line ahead of time. No problem. Go early this time of year!
We thought it was not well maintained. Areas need to be blown out of leaves, etc.
The train was cute, but we didn't like all the ads, and again - needed to be blown out.
Cages were old and small. Some not cleaned properly. I felt bad for some of the animals.
The new rhino area should be nice, but all the construction now just makes it dirty and dusty - and you have to walk way out of your way to get in and out of the park areas.
We are jaded as we have been to better animal parks - and have seen the real thing in nature - but this place needs some work.

Had a great afternoon here. We went mid week and in the early afternoon and it wasn’t that busy, easy to get around and see everything. I’d pay for the shuttle, we didn’t and there’s quite a bit of walking for little kids. Feeding the giraffes was the highlight of course.

Absolutely loved it! My daughter is 4 and she had a blast as well as I did. Soooo many exhibits to see, 10/10! Will definitely come back, all the animals looked well taken care off, large exhibits for them. They also have a hospital at the park for them/other animals to use. Loved everything about it

Great way to observe animals in a wonderful setting. They have ample room unlike some zoos. Easy to navigate with kids in tow

Great littke zoo with nice pathways as well as hiking trails, if you want a little more exercise. The exhibits were really nice with quite a variety of African and North American animals. They were just building an Australian area when we were there (Feb 2020) so it should be open soon. We took a nice leisurely self-guided tour but you can get guided tours and/or ride the tram with a tour guide explaining and stopping at sites along his route. There are a couple of refreshment areas in the zoo so you are rarely far from a snack, beverage or rest area. Staff were always helpful in pointing out the animals (they often hide during the heat of the day) and were very informative about the animals and their lifestyles. Overall a great time!!

The lack of information about the zoo layout and maps is appalling. They have a wall display map of the general pathway layout near the ticket booth, but there are no map handouts available. After two hours inside, we found only ONE layout map somewhere in the back of the zoo. I cannot tell you where this second map is because it showed no 'YOU ARE HERE' information!!! .... which is simply absurd and of no use at all.
This is a fairly small zoo in terms of number of animals and size, but I suppose they can only do so much in creating artificial habitats in a desert.

The entrance fees are steep ...and if you want to buy food here folks, be prepared for some stunning prices.

The living desert and zoo are well laid out with lots of places to top up water bottles. There is ample car parking and the model railway is superb. If you are in Palm Springs this an inexpensive thoroughly enjoyable day out.

This zoo was fantastic. Their are a variety of desert animals and we were able to see a majority of them out and about! The giraffe feeding was awesome for a minimal fee, would recommend.

Not much to see. Not worth half of the price. The miniature train with its advertisements does not belong there. The gardens are neglected. Too many people admitted at a time. Too many unruly screaming kids.

Costco does NOT sell Living Desert tickets!
Costco does NOT sell Living Desert
tickets!
Costco does NOT sell Living Desert tickets!

This is a very pretty zoo and we did have a nice time, but it was hilly in certain areas and my elderly mother needed help pushing her walker up the hills.

Also to get a closer view of the animals you have to leave the paved walkway and go onto dirt. This was very difficult for her to do using the walker and could not do it without help. I saw people in wheelchairs not being able to get closer because of this.

Also, there are not enough bathrooms and we had a very difficult time finding the one bathroom past the Carousel. It's a very far walk, signage to find it was terrible (we were luck to flag down an employee to ask for directions and helped another family looking for the bathroom) and you would think there should be a closer bathroom with so many children near the carousel.

The model train area is lovely and you can easily spend a lot of time looking at all the details.

What a great zoo! So clean, so much to see, and then the surprise trains at the end! Don't forget to ride the carousel and feed the stately giraffes!

This was a highly recommended site. The gardens are beautiful and the animal enclosures seemed spacious and clean. We enjoyed the opportunity to see some animals up close. Only a few exhibits were closed during our visit. Refreshments are available throughout the park. We spent 2 hours walking the grounds. Admission seems somewhat expensive for the experience, additional opportunities such as feeding the animals are available for extra fee. There is a nighttime Glow in the Dark event going on. The displayed lanterns are elaborate and must be enchanting after nightfall.

Such a fabulous place to visit, especially if you are an animal lover! Lots of different displays of animals from lots of different countries…Australia, Africa, etc.

Memo the Jaguar is spectacular, the cheetahs are great, the new Rhino exhibit just being completed & of course the Australian exhibit where wallaby’s are freely wandering about the guests!

It’s a lot of walking, but you can hire a guide & you will be driven around…(Ask for Ron)

I have been to the zoo several times and have enjoyed it every time. The animal collection is great and I loved the plates at each site which tells you whether the animal is endangered or not.
There are lovely gardens to stroll through, such as the butterfly garden.
If you time it properly you can see animals like the cheetahs being fed.
The first time I went there I went with my adult sons and they wanted to go back again this year.
While there is lots of parking I did notice that people had to park on the road outside on the weekends.
They also have a huge model train set-up near the exist.
Highly recommended.

This was a fabulous zoo and lots of fun for the kids and the adults. It has a lot of different animals tries to highlight those that live in desert areas. There was a fair amount of construction while we were there but it did not take away from our visit. The boys (3) loved feeding the giraffes. The porcupines were huge. This is a great outdoor activity.

We are Zoo people, and have visited Zoos in many spots, as well as overseas. AZA accredited Zoos are the best, and sometimes have gems that many don't know about. This Zoo has on the grounds some really unique enclosures, such as the Australian area of wallabies, and the huge Rhino exhibit. But also we came across the trail to the San Andreas Fault exhibit, and other fun trails to explore if we'd had more time. And I knew there was a model railroad exhibit, but this was a WOW for us, so large and detailed, in itself it would be fun for kids of all ages. I noticed some older gentlemen with big smiles watching the trains go over the unique features.

This is a wonderful place to visit. Although we were just friends, it’s also a great place for kids. Animals indigenous to Africa & North America were to be found here in different areas. New exhibit for Australia was forthcoming later in the spring. Opens at 9:00 am and I suggest to go early since you could spend at least 4 hrs there. Not much as far as food, but take in your own bottle of water. They are getting a 30mil$ uplift I the near future. I was saddened to even think that in another century it would be the only way to see animals of this nature.

The back drop of the mountains made for an even more spectacular view.

We took a 9am vip tour with a guide in a small golf type cart. Ron, our guide, was wonderful talking about the animals. Most of the animals are from Australia or warm weather areas. He answered all our questions and treated us like vip’s. The gardens and zoo are quite extensive so we were glad to ride.

I am a third time attendee - every single time I break down in tears from the magical beauty of Living Desert. This time was absolutely no exception. The Living Desert is a meditative, life affirming experience - an environment that showcases the beauty of each animal in its earnest surroundings. I added on the Rhino Experience to my yearly Living Desert romp - highly highly recommended. And a special shout out to zookeeper Nico and Jolly the Rhino - both of whom a perfect guide (one human, one animal) for the sensorial expedition. Long Live Jolly!

I was here last year and it was lovely and very memorable.

Upon arrival people were crowding the entrance to show their bought on line tickets and not social distancing.

Due to Covid any indoor activities (ex. reptile house) were closed and a long excavation project for a new, large, Rhino attraction inside the entrance to the zoo is extremely dusty. A young woman asked us if there were any animals at the zoo as there were artificial ones inside the entrance. It looks very dismal.

The trolley which is necessary on hot days, for those who can't walk long distances or with asthma is not in service. Some trees were pollinating which aggravated our allergies. Food services were closed (only vending machines for beverages). There are several outdoor rocking chairs and none are sanitized after people have sat on them or kids have played on them. There are some pebbled-textured, stone benches which are extremely uncomfortable.

I suggest waiting until Covid has passed before visiting here. This was not the return I wanted to share with our adult-friends. We left after 1 hour.

What a treasure Palm Springs (Desert) has with this beautiful zoo and gardens. We enjoyed walking around and were impressed with animals and habitat. The gardens were awesome. Will return!

One of the few attractions open to the public during the pandemic, although many of the exhibits are closed because they are undergoing renovation or new construction. Be sure to check out their website first to know what is closed. We went on a Thursday afternoon and it was teeming with families with toddlers and preschool age children. Our visit was close to two hours to walk everything that was open. If you have kids you may want to allow up to three hours.

What a great experience! Clean and easy to access, the keepers are very happy to talk to you about each animal and answer any questions you have. They obviously love being there and looking after the animals. They were preparing for the upcoming Night Lights and the displays were big and colourful… wish we were going to be there for those special nights - it will be amazing!

Don’t miss the opportunity to see this park - it is very worthy of your time and money!

I’ve been to a lot of zoos, this was on of the best.
We saw animals we typically don’t see at other zoos, but as expected being in the desert no cold climate animals. It is small to medium sized with spacious habitats for the animals.

Most animals were very active. In most zoos and animal parks I’ve been to, animals generally don’t seem active. Here, even one of the tortoises was booking (looked like he was trying to win a race) across an enclosure with gazelle-like animals. The animal enclosures added to were quite open and spacious. It made me fee like I was physically close to then. There were also other exhibits such as local plants.
The greeters were very nice and proactive in providing information about the park once we entered. As we were leaving, the ladies who greeted us were finishing their shift. They remembered us and inquired about our visit. They were warm and friendly. I would recommend visiting!

This place is a gem I take family and friends here and they are always in Awe
The zoo has had many upgrades in the past few years and the animals are respected and are not there to perform
It is truly an educational place as well as a beautiful walk thru nature

Outstanding displays of desert animals and plants from all over the world. Will keep you interest and appeal to all ages. Plenty of facilities for children, food and tours.

We got the wristband for $20 for unlimited access to the animal interactions. No more camel rides, but you can still pet & hand feed the baby (all of them are under 2 years!) camels. Also, you can hand feed the giraffes, which never gets old. Last time we went there was a lorikeet exhibit. This time it was butterflies & hummingbirds. Very cool. The little ones also get unlimited rides on the carousel. Also, they reciprocate with a lot of other zoos, so we got half off our admission with our Santa Ana zoo membership. Great day for the kids all around.

I wasn't sure what to expect but really enjoyed the zoo and gardens. We arrived first thing in the morning to avoid the school tours and leisurely walked through in about two hours. It's well done and has a variety of animals to see.

We visited the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in February 2020. What a fantastic place this is! Highlights for us included the giraffes, big horn sheep and the cactus gardens. We stayed for close to three hours. Go in the morning when it is less crowded and much cooler. Excellent for kids. The volunteer staff are very knowledgeable and keen to give explanations !They are hoping to open a new exhibit this year showcasing Australia. Highly recommended !!!!

There was a lot more to see here than I expected. The zoo was great- large enclosures, very clean, and most of the animals looked happy. My favorite exhibit was for the big horn sheep; they actually had a rock hill inside the enclosure for the sheep to climb, and sure enough they were hanging out at the top of that hill. The only issue is that it was hard to social distance at some of the tighter exhibits, especially with so many kids there. I was glad we didn’t go on a weekend.

We were also really impressed by the model train set up near the entrance- that thing is huge! But my favorite part were the gardens and the landscaping, which were pretty amazing. If you love plants, you could spend all day here. There’s an oasis here, and many varieties of cacti, including saguaros (no arms yet), organ pipes, and lots of ocotillos. Best of all the gardens were a lot less crowded than the zoo exhibits, so it was much easier to social distance.

Be aware that visitors here are required to wear a face mask at all times. On the day we went, mask usage was very good.

The key feature of this zoo is the natural environments where the animals are on display: open savanna, rocky cliff, verdant valley, etc. There are rhinos, a herd of giraffes, innumerable deer varieties, big cats. But choose a comfortable day — summer is hot mid-day.

Definitely a must visit if you're in the area. So many
animals to see. Fun trails to explore. The model train
exhibit is a lot of fun to watch as well. My kids love to feed the giraffes.

Must visit. The variety of animals was wonderful. Gentleman who greeted you upon entering ( I believe his name is was Bob) gave great advice on how to manage the visit. Giraffes were amazing, came right up to us. Plenty of places to fill up water cups and rest rooms throughout. Splash park was a big hit with our little one. Go early as it got very hot. There are shaded areas but it was HOT.

My husband and I arrived around 9am and all of the animals were very active. The weather was picture perfect around 75 degrees unlike our 1st visit when the temperature was over 95.
The African Safari was under construction the last time we visited. The Safari is now completed and absolutely wonderful. We got to feed the giraffes which I would highly recommend. Almost all of the animals were getting their feed so they were very happy and engaged.
On this visit all of the trains were running. The train display is absolutely amazing. There were plenty of staff around if you have any questions or concerns.
Just make sure you wear a hat & comfy shoes. Also bring plenty of water. There are plenty of areas to sit in the shade.

Not to bad. The cost is high but can be worth it. Great for hiking and looking at the animals. Kids love it. Lots of kids always there. Try a year pass

What a great day! The park was very well-maintained and managed. The animals areas were large, more than adequate. The grounds were spectacular with plenty of eating areas and restrooms available. Lots to do and see and we look forward to bringing our grandchildren back with us.

Nice zoo with an excellent 5 mile hike to the top of Eisenhower Mountain in between.

Loved the giraffes, rhinos, bighorn sheep, Eagles, foxes,…

Hike was not an easy stroll. You need to traverse the boulders in the dry river bed for about a half mile before the ascent. I strongly encourage going counter clockwise as I would not have wanted to do the boulders at the end.

The zoo offers various kind of animal viewing, and are all very well maintained. The fun part is giraffe feeding, $8 for 3 pieces of lettuce...

Spent three hours at the Living Zoo and Gardens and was very pleased with the experience. The signage, programs, and of course the animals made it a great morning. A bonus was a nature walk that included information on the San Andreas fault that runs through the valley.
There were visitors of all ages--babies through seniors. Plenty of walking but most paths were paved. A unique exhibit was a huge model train set up that was very entertaining.

We enjoyed a morning at The Living Desert Zoo with our sons (both under 4 years). COVID protocols require masks for anyone over 3. We visited on a quiet Monday morning and didn’t have problems managing social distance from other visitors.

I don’t know how people appreciate this space when the temps are so high during the summer months. Even the 80-degree morning was tough on our little guys. You’ll find a little shade approaching the jaguar but otherwise the zoo is hot with little respite.

I found the provided map, signage, and pathways to be difficult to navigate. The zoo is also undergoing a lot of construction. I was hoping for the most efficient route to visit all the animals before my kids overheated. We circled around quite a bit. I can understand now why other people recommend the VIP tours which use vehicles to reduce your walking.

My preschooler wanted to watch the heavy machinery more than the animals! Because of the construction, a lot of animals are off exhibit. You may consider calling ahead if there is an animal you are particularly interested in seeing.

All that aside, the animal exhibits are spacious and attractive. The zoo has utilized the natural landscape of the area to their advantage. It was a bigger zoo than we expected. The zoo was also populated with a large number of friendly and helpful volunteers. Would recommend a visit.

Every time we com here, it seems as though it's gotten bigger and better. This time, the first thing we saw when we entered was a black rhino moving around in its enclosure.

Most of the exhibits are very large areas that allow the animals to experience a natural lifestyle. It's good to see how modern zoos have worked to make things better rather than keeping creatures in old-fashioned cages.

My friends enjoyed feeding lettuce to the giraffes, and the giraffes seemed to like it, too.

The concrete paths are mostly wheelchair compatible, with ramps in a few places. I was fine walking with my cane. It's a big zoo, and we all got tired without seeing everything.

We checked out Glow at the Zoo, and it was a great night! The whole place lit up at night, and it was pretty. Didn't see a ton of animals except for the giraffes and the African area, but it was still a great time. Perfect for a chill date night or a fun family outing.

We were so pleasantly surprised to find this interesting and different activity in PD. We have been back twice and will most certainly bring our young grandchildren as they would enjoy immensely.

I had a great hamburger lunch combo set with selected organic ingredients.Also had a good rest stop with happy friendly atmosphere of this restaurant. The restaurant is combined with local shop for everyone. I really like to visit again and support restaurant and staffs

What a great zoo. Make sure to take the private safari tour. We had Bill and he was so knowledgeable. If you walk around on your own you will not have as great an experience. Loved seeing the animals in natural settings. Bonus marks for feeding the giraffes

We decided to go to the living desert zoo and we were very pleasantly surprised. A person at the visitor center kind of rolled her eyes and said it’s just a zoo. We found it to be a very nice, very well laid out Zoo. The animal enclosures were amazingly large and much better than we were anticipating.

The enclosure with the giraffes, ostrich and other African animals was very large and very authentic. We were very surprised at the large enclosures which look like the animals are in the wild. The bighorn sheep exhibit was basically a part of the mountain that was fenced off for the animals, so it was 100% natural, which was amazing to see the bighorn sheep that close. From the patio behind the bighorn sheep restaurant you can sit outside and watch the sheep just 20 feet away. There was also a cheetah exhibit that was also very realistic to what you would see in the wild. These are just a few examples.

We would definitely recommend seeing this Zoo and allow at least a good half day. If you go in a holiday time or in the winter time, I would definitely suggest going in the afternoon and stay until closing when it will be most cool and the animals will be out.

We were there at the end of the day and the day after Christmas when the lights for the Christmas exhibit came on at dusk. The weather was very cool and just perfect which made it extremely comfortable for all the animals that were out and about which you probably wouldn’t see if it was 120° in the summertime.

This is definitely worth the time. A lot at least a half a day if not longer. There are restaurants, a great gift shop, and it’s very easily accessible to young and old.

So many animals active during our visit and so many fun surprises! Not sure if it's because of luck or good weather or something else but this was the most fun zoo ever

It has been decades since we went to a zoo and although the reviews are generally very favourable for this one, we left feeling rather distressed. We very much enjoyed the various gardens and all the detail of the miniature railway, but a number of the animal exhibits not so much. Although the animals look healthy we noticed a number of the animals anxiously pacing back and forth. The back and forth pacing of the jaguar was particularly disturbing as was the wolves and badger. Seeing the beautiful bald eagle in the dark mesh/wire enclosure cocking its head at the sound of other free birds singing also did not sit well with us.
We take it based on the other reviews that in terms of zoos, this is a very good one, but we will never be visiting a zoo again. Perhaps a wildlife park but we are clear observing animals that seem to be stressed is not our thing.

This Palm Desert zoo leads the way in helping preserve endangered animals. My favorite part was the live talk about the wild dogs from Africa and hearing the zookeeper explain about their new puppies. Wish everything wasn’t extra. You would pay $8 to ride the trolley for an adult. The butterfly house is also an additional fee. Really enjoyed the view of the San Andreas Fault. Great outing for a sunny afternoon.

We were on vacation and went to this zoo for the first time in 24 years. It has grown a lot and was very good. staff were helpful and knowledgeable. Lots of animals I didn't know about. I would highly recommend a visit.

We went for their holiday festival. It was fabulous! Beautifully decorated, you could buy cocktails and hot cocoa and one end even holiday music. The other side (Africa) allowed us to see so many of the animals in their environment. It was incredible. The holiday light displays were magical! They really do a really nice job!

My 11 year old son and I attended for Glow In The Park and had the absolute best time. We bounced around this perfect size zoo playing in the light installations and were SO impressed with the experience.

What a fantastic layout (the zoo) and beautiful experience (Glow In The Park).

We especially loved the food and were so happily surprised that they had a fantastic tofu bowl (vegan).

I'm a solo 60ish female traveler. I wouldn't normally go to a zoo by myself. But, I wanted to hike, Indian Canyons was closed for the week, I only had a half day and didn't want to get too far from civilization. :)

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens was a pleasant surprise. In addition to the zoo, it has beautiful gardens and hiking trails I hiked and wandered for hours and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Cost: ~ $30 and no wait while I was there
Take: water, walking shoes, hat, sunscreen and an umbrella. There is a lot of shade - but also a lot of sun.
Clever: Loved meandering through the gardens including a palm oasis. Also loved the clever desert animal habitats where they have multiple, compatible species. In the Australia habitat the wallabies aren't fenced and hop around with you.

Hubby & I went with another couple and their 2 young daughters on a Sunday morning to beat the crowds. Thankfully they knew enough to book a private tour. Our guide was, Dave, a lovely older gentleman who drove us around in a large cart and was so well-informed about all the species of animals. The best part was feeding the giraffes with the girls (and being able to cut the long line, as a tour group!). The place is quite large, so being driven around to see all the habitats was quite welcome. If you have kids or just love animals, this is a great place to visit.

There’s lots of beautiful succulents and cactus all over the grounds. Go during the cool months. The walking trails are pleasant. Beware of the wildlife

Didn't exactly get our money's worth. Too much massive construction underway to be open. Many exhibits were closed and or off limits. We did a lot of walking around and looking for animals. Assistance from staff was very limited an had to ask over visitors where things were.

We attended the Zoo lights presentation here at the end of December. I had initially purchased online tickets to see the zoo, thinking that once we were done with that, we could simply see the lights once it turned dark . However, when I called the office to check the zoo hours, I discovered that the zoo closes at 5 PM, and everyone needs to leave the facility. Then they re-open at 6 PM for people to see the lights at night. A ticket to the zoo will not get you in to see the lights.
That was quite a shock….I had to have my zoo tickets cancelled, and then re-purchase tickets for the light show.
So, once we arrived for the Zoo lights, we found the display to be very extensive and quite enjoyable.

We explored Glow in the Park at the Living Desert as night fell. It was a clear, bright evening and the park was great. There were plenty of kids there, and it was a blast watching them run around and have a glorious time. We stood by the merry-go-round and LOL’d as one kid slapped hands with us on every rotation and giggle each time. The glow light part of the park was our favorite—so vibrant, so beautiful, so otherworldly, yet exactly spot-on in terms of the depiction of precious animals and plants that are so much a part of our world.

Nice way to spend the day. Go at your own pace and enjoy the animals and plant life.
Easy to find. Take a break have a beer or ice cream at one of the many cafes.

There is some construction going on but we enjoyed visiting this place. Took some great photos of animals and plants. Lots of places to sit and lot of shade trees to get out of the heat for a bit.

Any hotter and I would not have made the 5 hours we spent here. As it was a lot of walking and ground to cover. You really want to see it all of course, but that might not be possible. The Living Desert is an amazing undertaking, well done. The grounds are well cared for and thought out, many sings direct you to wherever you wish to go. Interaction with the animals in some areas is possible, feeding lettuce to the giraffes is one. The Big Horn Sheep are truly magic as they walk easily on the steep hillsides. The unexpected trains, on many different tracks and gauge systems caught me up and I could have stayed much longer watching them. Their “Merry-Go-Round” was a treat, $3.00 per ride. I felt it was the fastest I had ever been on.

We visited this place in October 2020. Due to Covid-19, they are limiting the amount of people in the park. Go to their website to purchase tickets for particular time slots. Due to the high temperatures in Palm Springs, we went at 8:00am when they open. The animals appeared to be more active in the morning with cooler temperature. We spent about 4 hours there and by the time we left it was hot and the animals were not as active.
Beside seeing the animals there are some hiking trails ranging from easy too difficult. There is also an expansive model train exhibit. It was fun to watch all the different types of train going there miniature towns.

What an amazing zoo! The manager in our hotel recommended the zoo and mentioned the "Glow in the Park" that was available in the evenings. We arrived at 6 pm and were blown away by the beautiful and interactive displays and creations. Highly recommend!

Enclosures for many of the animals were devoid of vegetation, overgrazed. Small. The aviaries and the predator enclosures were best. The gardens were good. The blowup & wire frame animals and Chinese dragons and what not were cute but detracted from the zoo and gardens.

If you really want to see desert animals and vegetation, trees to cactus, go to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. That is much better.

The zoo is amazing. You are greeted at the entrance by a volunteer with one of the zoo inhabitants. We were greeted by a desert lizard. All the animals do have names too. The animals are in a natural habitat. I recommend you visit this place. You will enjoy it.

This is a must see when traveling in the Palm Springs area. The grounds are beautifully maintained, and the animals fascinating. The staff were uniformly gracious, knowledgeable, helpful, and dedicated. They all seem to really want to be there. One of the best animal parks I’ve ever been to.

This is a spectacular park with wildlife and plants. Go early when they open to enjoy the trails before it gets too hot. Feed the giraffes!!

Came here midweek towards the end of October. Weather cooperated as it was not hot. We were going to celebrate an anniversary here, because, giraffes are top 5 on ht e list al animals se loves, and she has never met one face to face. I never told her until the the day before we left to tell her what we were doing.

I disagree when you go there they tell you allow at least 3 hours. MOre on that later. I paid for the full blown guided tour and I ma glad I did because there is a lot of walking. And it included what I was going there for, to let her feed a giraffe.

Our tour guide Bruce, was amazing and knew a lot. In a couple of places he had to drop us off and he would meet us at the end of a path that was too dangerous to take the cart. There were docent people telling you what you were looking at and a ton of background information.

We took a 2 hour tour that lasted almost 3 hours. Bruce sort of got the feel for thing he thought would love, he was right, and he even changed a couple of things we asked for. Over all, brilliant.

When we left him, we ate a pretty decent burger there. I would say I have never seen a place so clean and well maintained. The grounds, the building, you could eat off the restroom floors (but really, don't!).

WHen we left I realize we missed a good half of the park. Missed the hiking trails too. It is deceivingly small but it is not. We both agree we have to return, maybe twice because they will in the future be adding lions. They gave ua a very pleasant and fun day.

Clean, friendly staff, organized, easy parking,
Outstanding array of animals and birds, carts for
Rent for the physically challenged, lovely grounds.
A must see!

The zoo grounds were clean, spacious and beautiful scenery. Food for lunch was available in the African Village and the front entrance of the park. The chicken fingers were two very large pieces of white breast meat with fries.

Most habitats were natural settings allowing ample space for the animals. Some of the enclosures were closed for remodeling. The animal show started at 2pm
The walkway was very flat thru the park with a very slight upward hill near the trains.

Plenty of free parking was available. Tickets were available for day of purchase at the window near entrance of the park (cash,cc). Reciprocal agreement tickets did not require reservations (or day of purchase for anyone).

A new baby giraffe was born at the zoo a week ago.

Very pleasantly surprised at this facility. Lots of animals. Lots of open space. Great staff. Wedid not sample food. Many animal feedings diring the day.

Visited early morning which was apparently the right thing to do as all the animals were out and about waiting to be fed so you saw lots of them wandering around. the layout is nice to the right of the entry gate but the park area to the left seems to be spread out for no reason with almost no animals until the very end so if you are short on time go right, not left. Feeding the giraffes was a nice experience too.

This desert zoo was really well done. You could see every animal because of the design - no hidden animals. Clean, very friendly staff, and over half a day to explore. We have been on a couple of safaris, and this was satisfying to see.

A gem in the desert. I went on a cold and windy day, which meant almost zero people. Amazing animal watching, especially impressed with the giraffes, cheetahs and mountain goats! Oh and the wallaby experience was super cool- no fences between you and the animals! Beautiful gardens, tons of restrooms, and lots of areas to sit and take it all in. Very helpful and kind employees, too

Lots of ground to cover! Wear good walking shoes as the grounds are really spread out! Enjoy plants, animals, birds and a huge model train!! Cool and eclectic spot!

An example of why zoos are a dead industry. Seeing animals trapped for profits and our pleasure isn't a good feeling at all. They cope but this is not nature, and they should not a commodity for this tourist company. We may have needed zoos in the 1800's but not anymore... now we have larger than life nature shows like Blue Planet, etc, which show how animals really live life in vivid color. Who wants to go pay to see sad animals hiding? After Covid we should all appreciate how much our freedom means. Captivity sucks. Don't by a ticket.

There is no family ticket which seems weird as the majority of people there are families, making it more expensive to buy the two adults and two kids tickets separately (about US$80 total).

What then surprised us more, was that to feed any of the animals or even walk into the butterfly enclosure you were constantly being asked to pull your wallet out and pay again and again which took away from the experience.

Otherwise you can get up and close to many of the animals and there is a wide range so the kids (9 and 10) enjoyed their time there.

Worth a visit but allow 4hrs as there is a lot to see. Bring food and drinks.

Very well laid out as far as visiting the animals - the spaces the animals had were large (Not many cages). The gardens were beautiful. There is a snack place there and a nice gift shop. It is quite a lot of walking. At the end of the walk, there is an amazing miniature railroad display! One drawback, after paying entrance fee had to pay again if you wanted to feed some animals.

Can be a challenge for mobility constrained due to extensive walking, but trams are available so you can see most of the park and not get exhausted. Kids will get exercise and education. You can get close up and personal with some of the animals.

Beyond fabulous Zoo experience.Everyone from the 2 year old to the 62 year old. Just wonderful. Highly recommend.

This is a great way to spend day ! You can come up close to the animals without disturbing them. The animals have so much room to roam, especially the giraffes. You can safely feed the giraffes for a small fee.

I was expecting a similar experience to The Living Desert in Tucson. I would say this is more a zoo experience.
It was clean and well organized although I didn't see the Australian portion as I must have walked past it.
I have mobility issues but decided I would walk rather than rent a cart. There are numerous places to sit although some of the benches are rather low for those with difficulty rising from that position.
I'd intended to have lunch there but the selection of food was quite limited and I wasn't ready to walk back to the café.
I very much enjoyed sitting in a rocking chair watching the birds near the pond. One small boy sat next to me and said that he found it very peaceful. His mother told him he might remember it next time he lost his temper!

I love zoos and this is a beautiful one. The desert landscaping is stunning and I have never seen so many wild animals active in their natural exhibits. Feeding and petting a giraffe was my highlight of the day. Also took the nature hike into the Cochella desert. Would love to come back again when they finish the new habitat being built. Worth every penny. We spent 4 hours here.

Very clean, friendly staff, well organized, electric carts available, animals are happy not in cages, wonderful variety of animals, birds, and displays.

Know Before You Go:
YOU MUST WEAR A MASK AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN THE ZOO OR YOU WILL NOT BE GIVEN ENTRY OR ASKED TO LEAVE. They have people doing mask patrol in the zoo. Palm Springs, Palm Desert and La Quinta have signs all over telling you a mask is required even outside. If you have a problem with this, then don't bother visiting right now.
I say this in a non judgemental way, so you have a heads up and arent offended by these desert cities policies currently. I did not affect my ability to have a great visit anywhere I went!
So you'll spend abt 3 to 4 hours here and currently you buy your tickets ahead of time for a timed entry to limit the crowds with the current pandemic situation. They are $25 for adults, $15 for kids 12 to 3, and free for 3 and under.
We went here this past Wednesday and the crowd was pretty low. Well maintained paths for strollers and wheelchairs with some flat gravel trails next to the exhibits and thru the gardens, so I suggest wearing gym shoes as my sandals kept getting little pebbles stuck in my toes and it hurt. Plus it's dusty, so dirty feet at the end.
This little zoo has something for everyone and most of the enclosures are thoughtfully built to allow best veiwing and no iron bars of the old days. Here you'll find giraffes roaming a hilly grassy enclosure with ostrich and kudu. You can even feed a giraffe, which i definitely recommend. Good unobstructed views of animals doing their thing. There are meerkats, striped hyena, cheetahs, jaguar, moutain lion, bobcats, beautiful Arabian Orax, gazelle, antelope, big horn sheep on a piece of the natural rocky landscape they just fenced into give them the best environment. You can see some Australian animals & birds (no koalas or kangaroos tho) North American animals and birds and African animals and birds. All set among beautiful desert landscaping w every kind of cactus and desert plant. There is a big animal hospital on site, food and drink, restrooms, gift shop as well. Plus, you can see the new enclosure they are building for the 2 critically endangered Black Rhinos that are arriving this fall. I will drive back out to see them as I prob wont ever in the wild. A thoughtful zoo and conservation center all in one. A very enjoyable visit and I would recommend to anyone.

I love the zoo the greeter was really nice a friendly. We wanted to see Black Rino feeding at 11:15 it was 9:45 she said we could go see the Australia exhibit and work way thru the African animals and arrive on time to see the Black Rino feeding. She showed us on the map she gave us.

We paid the extra and had a wonderful driver that shared so much more than I ever knew about the animals and even the areas. It was great to feed the giraffe and have a picture taken by the tour guide. He shared about the trees and other plants as well.

What a wonderful thing they are doing here, educating people about endangered animals and conservation. I got to feed a giraffe, which was AWESOME. I also got up close and personal to a wallaby, which was equally AWESOME. The grounds are very walkable. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They are very environmentally aware. I especially love that there are no straws or plastic bags on the premises. Definitely recommend a visit or if you can’t visit, donate. They are doing great things here for the animals.

Was in Palm Spring this past week and decided to swing by the Living Desert to have a look! It was GREAT! Only open in the morning hours but it is a great way to see some fun animals and get in a few steps! The onsite animal hospital was pretty cool too!

Interesting animals, beautiful plants, great facilities, fun activities, and even hikes if you so choose. Lots of snacks available, and bathrooms spread out for your convenience.

Overall enjoyed zoo although a bit hard to navigate place to place even with maps. Saw feeding of cheetahs, feeding of giraffes, and African dogs with litter of 11.

Living Desert was one of the highlights of our trip. So many interesting animals, and we found the gardens and desert plants equally interesting to see. We spent about four hours there, including a break for lunch, and only saw the African side of the zoo. The kids loved feeding the giraffes, which costs an extra $7 for a few leaves of lettuce but was well worth it because it’s such a unique experience. There is also a massive model train exhibit in the centre of the zoo which is at least the size of a school gymnasium. It’s quite spectacular with all sorts of different scenes and types of trains. We had lunch at the Kookaburra Cafe and all of the sandwiches we ordered were excellent, and the fruit cups were a refreshing option. We did find it a bit difficult to navigate through the park, even with the map, and didn’t notice until afterward that the zoo has an app, so that might be worth checking out.

I came here on a Thursday afternoon a few hours before closing and the zoo was almost empty. Pictures really don't do this place justice, I wasn't expecting much when I arrived and the lack of guests didn't help. But this is the prettiest zoo I've seen. It felt upscale, which is fitting considering the area. I really came here for the giraffes, but it being the end of the day, we weren't able to feed them. They must've been full. If you want to feed the giraffes, do so early.

I didn't see many animals out and about, but just walking around the zoo was nice and the weather was beautiful. There are also a lot of renovations and closed off paths due to covid. It's still a nice place to visit, though.

This is a lovely find in the valley. It has a very natural environment for an array of large animals and birds spread out over an attractive desert landscape. I liked the fact that there were gardens too with labels for plants as much as for the animals. They explain the habitat and conservation efforts well. This is a rare zoo that you come away from not feeling depressed about the care or the animals and feeling that their lives are decent. The giraffe enclosure is lovely. It seemed worth the $29 admission and a nice place to take out of town guests. Go there on good weather days for a stroll.

What a great zoo and garden! Had a blast feeding the camels and the giraffes! Their tongue is really blue! Great idea to have a shuttle to drive around the zoo- can get off and reboard when ever you wanted

Excellent zoo and gardens. Animals have large areas to roam and are well taken care of. Beautiful gardens and a amazing train display that is a must see when visiting the gardens and zoo.

What a great zoo! It's divided into two main areas, African and North American animals! They even use the local terrain for many exhibits, like a small native hill for the big horn sheep, and, of course, the desert for so much of the Africa areas. They even have 3 hikes you can take while there. Enjoyed seeing the hospital where they examine the animals and give any care they might need. You can spend as much or as little time as you want, but we were able to make pretty much a whole day out of it.

VERY hot day so I got to the zoo just after they opened. Before I even got inside I was fascinated by the beautiful flowers and cactus plants surrounding me. Once inside I had time to talk to both volunteers and animal caretakers. I had SO much fun taking pictures. This is more than a zoo. The entire facility is clean, trails and walkways are perfect. The details to the desert environment was great. You'll see many pictures of the flowers along with the animals. It's a medium sized zoo with areas to sit and relax and vending machines to keep you hydrated. If I visit the Palm Springs area again I would 100% enjoy a repeat visit. One friend already commented to me that they were a "friend" to the zoo and I should come again during the Christmas holiday season. May just do that.

My two kiddos (ages 9 & 10) and I LOVED the zoo!!!!! We went in the middle of the day and were concerned that the animals would be sleeping/letharigic in the middle of the afternoon heat... but we saw enough to be HIGHLY SATISFIED! Maybe because it was spring break and school tours were not there... there were no crowds. EVERY SINGLE person that we encountered (mostly volunteers) were SO FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL! The variety of animals was great for a relatively "small" zoo, and the grounds were impeccable clean and well maintained. We loved everything about out day! The only complaint from my kids was that I wouldn't re-pay and come back in for the evening lantern exhibit (which I wish I had known about earlier! ... it would have been AMAZING to see the art lit up! Honestly, I can't say enough! The carosel was a cute addition, and $3 rides didn't seem toooooo bad. Water filling stations were spinkled around the park, and there were ample places to sit down and take a break form the heat! Even the playground was educational and super well thought out and fun! Can't wait to go back!

Visited with friends. We took our time enjoying all of the animals. We all agreed that seeing and feeding the giraffes was our favorite!

It's not big zoo, and not many animals as Los Angeles Zoo. But size is good enough for family with kids to have fun. Manage well and park people are friendly. And you can feed the Giraffe. Inside of Australian Adventures, many Wallabies just walk around you, so cute, plus the area for kids can pet the sheep. They have bighorn mountain for Bighorn sheep to climb the rocky mountain. Stop by there if you visit Palm Springs.

We had one last day in Palm Springs before heading home and decided to leave the pool loungers and hit up the Zoo. We went on a Sunday, early, as we were told it could get very hot in the afternoons. If you are Ubering, it's about $35 CAD from downtown Palm Springs. It wasn't overly busy, which was great! The enclosures are on the smaller side (sadly), but you're more likely to actually see the animals. We paid extra and fed the giraffes, which is a blast and I would of stayed longer if allowed. We ate lunch at the canteen in the Africa side, it was declious and the portions were huge! I do wish there were more signs on the flora/fauna though. A word of caution; it's on the hilly side, which is fine if you're mobile, but there is a shuttle that goes by on the paths (extra $, you buy at the ticket counter when entering) and if you stray off the paved path onto dirt, be careful along the sides, there is often a big drop between the two surfaces.

The zoo was in great shape, and the animals were very active since it was not exceedingly hot. On top of that the G-scale railroad was a highlight.

Enjoyed watching my 3 year old granddaughter. Animals were quite good ,especially feeding the giraffe. I think they could have done a better job at the ice cream stand .Not enough Nell ,1 window open .