Denver Zoo

The stars are for the the food and some of the service the lead chef is a douch bag. And its over priced.

My family and I always enjoy the zoo. We love that it is big enough to spend a day, but also a great lay out to easily just hit the highlights and only spend half a day. The highlight at this zoo for us are all the stops along the way for kids to explore and burn off a little energy. They have a sand play area and in the summer a water area for the kids to get their feet wet. They have a large hippo statue for them to jump on and climb all over, a hut type house to go in by the elephants and much more. I love their new addition by the giraffes for people to be able to get up close and feed them for a small fee.
As zoo members, we receive periodic email updates about the zoo and different events that are happening and it seems like they are always hosting events and doing fundraisers to make improvements for the animals which is great to see. We have visited during the summer months when they had volunteers setup around the property with different «learning stations» for the kids. We always enjoy walking around to those and finding out more information about the animals from knowledgeable and dedicated staff. Extra events they do such as summer camps, zoo lights, and the Lego exhibits are always a great bonus too.

I went to the Denver Zoo mid-​October and it was great. It was during the week so there wasn’t a whole lot of people. The temperature was awesome and the animals seemed a little more lively.

I really like it here. I think that the new elephant exhibit is great minus the Toyota logo everywhere. There is a great variety of animals and it is large enough to be fun, but not overwhelming. I will be back several times in the future. Only thing that sucks is the parking.

Who doesn’t love coming to the zoo? Unfortunately we picked the wrong day. We can’t find parking near by. After circling many many times, we opted to park 3 blocks away. It’s quite a long walk, by the time we reached the zoo there is a long line to pay and also quite a wait to rent a stroller. Only an hour inside I noticed most of the animals were not in the caging area. My children were disappointed. I realized its feeding and nap time for the animals. We decided to have lunch, it’s a long line to order food. thought the pizza was pricey (cant recall$).

Upon arrival to the Denver Zoo there were no lines. There were a handful full of children other than that couples, friends, and family members. We practically had the zoo to ourselves given that we went on Sunday afternoon. We saw almost every animal that they had to offer and were able to take our time and walk through.

Love the Denver zoo!!! I have been to many and this one is truly amazing with an amazing variety of animals to keep you and children entertained for hours.

Okay Denver Zoo, I see you! As a Philly girl I’m kind of spoiled when it comes to zoos, but the Denver Zoo was nothing to sneeze at. It was clean, bigger than I thought it would be, and had a good ratio of indoor/​outdoor exhibits.
We may have been blessed with good weather on our late November visit, but almost all of the animals were out and about, which helped to distract from that faint feeling of sadness I usually experience in the back of my mind when I come to the zoo.

I have lived in Colorado for twelve years and in Denver for seven. However, I had never visited the Denver Zoo until last weekend. What a fun trip! I enjoyed feeding the giraffes lettuce ($ 5 per feed) and seeing the lion cubs now that they are on exhibit. We have a great zoo. It’s smaller, but the animals appear to be well cared for and happy. Additionally, our zoo does a lot of important conservation work. Membership is reasonable and I’m thinking about joining so I can visit regularly.

Having been to a number of zoos including both of the Berlin ones, I was pleasantly surprised by the Denver Zoo. The size and layout are perfect for a half or full day visit. Good combination of outdoor and indoor exhibits. A number of them are currently under construction, but there was still plenty to see.
Most people will probably tell you that the elephant walk is the highlight, and it is quite creative indeed, with sound effects and designed to look like a village in Northern Thailand.
Other highlights are the feline house including a Siberian tiger, the Tropicals house with some cool snakes, fish and turtles, and the penguins. We got to witness a penguin feeding and chat with the zoo keeper.
They also have two daily shows of sea lion feedings, at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. We missed the show but got lucky when they brought out a sea lion for some training, which happens at random.
My absolute favorite exhibit of all was the bird house. Imagine a three story tall aviary with waterfalls, tropical plants and birds roaming freely. They are everywhere, on the ground, in the trees and flying right over your head with no fear. You literally feel transported into the jungle. Having all these birds uncaged and walking right up to you was totally awesome. Maybe not the best idea for small children or people who get freaked out by birds. Apparently, that’s a thing.
If you can, go in the middle of the week and you will escape the crowds.

I visited Denver this November and me and my friend decided to go to the zoo. I assumed not all of the animals would be out due to the slightly colder weather, but I didn’t know to what extent. When I went to purchase my tickets, at full price, I asked if there were any special events going on, they said it would just be what’s on the regular schedule and nothing more.
When I got into the zoo, I was shocked. There were numerous sections closed off. So many animals were not in their cages. It was pretty disappointed. I’m sure during the summer months this place rocks, but my visit was a bit of a bust.

As a zoo member, I really enjoy the Denver Zoo. Whether you can go all day or if you only have a few hours to see some exhibits, the zoo is a nice detour. I love what they have done with the elephant exhibit. I hope they update some of their other exhibits soon.

An exceptional zoo. You can spend the whole day here. Lots of cute animals to see and plenty of demonstrations. The food and drink prices (other than beer) aren’t bad either — better than a lot of «tourist» type places. Lots of kids, families, strollers, but that’s to be expected. Overall it’s a fun visit — be sure to bring your walking shoes!

I love the concept have having a huge plot of land that includes a park, a golf course, a pond, a natural history museum, and also a zoo. This also means one thing– there can be a lot of people in one place. In Denver, this plot of large land is known as City Park and surrounding area.
I enjoy going to zoos like I do going to gardens. Always great catching up with nature and rare animals. The first time I came to the Denver Zoo, it was in the winter time, I came later in the day, which I did not realize that they were closing up shop to open up for the Denver Zoo Lights (which is a separate admission). It seemed like all the animals already went in, and they were blocking off areas already for the event.
That visit pretty much summed up as– talking a walk around the zoo for my daily exercise, while dodging mounds of pigeon shit (which there seems to be a lot lurking around in Denver). This experience left a sour taste in my mouth, and took me a while to end up going back.
A month or so ago, I decided to give it another chance. It was again later in the afternoon, but I didn’t expect the place to be shut down like last time. One thing I did notice, was that parking can be horrendous. Look out for pedestrians and bad drivers. It will definitely keep you alert!
This visit was more pleasant, and I had no idea, but I noticed that they had Lego statues posted throughout the zoo. That was the highlight of the visit. I did also try the food place in the front– where you can choose from about 5 different varieties of food– pizza, pasta, sandwiches, street tacos, etc. It was palatable.
On this visit, I saw about 60% of the animals– at least there were more to look at. I enjoyed watching the bears– I like how their exhibits are over 80 years old!
I also noticed that there was not nearly as much pigeon shit as there was last visit. I was even able to find the reptile house as well! On the way out, I checked out the gift shop, which has a lot of knick-​knacks from A-​Z. Believe it or not, I restrained and didn’t buy anything!
It looks like If you go late in the afternoon, the crowds are leaving, but it also seems like the animals are too. Maybe I should go in the morning? Because yea, I will be awake at 9 in the morning (my bedtime is usually 6 – 7 AM) and all…
I do appreciate the improvement of cleanliness between my visits though– I hope they are able to keep it up!

My girlfriend and I came to the zoo after a trip to Mt Evans (see my other review), and it was an incredible experience! We’ve been to many zoos; home to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, and we just returned from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans a few months ago. The zoo was very large, and wasn’t too packed for a Sunday. All of the animals were out and about, another rare sighting for most zoos, as the lions, rhinos, and tigers are usually immobile throughout the day. We got to see a bunch of new animals up close that we haven’t seen at other locations, so definitely a refreshing experience. Loved the sea lion demonstration, haven’t seen that since I was in Hong Kong. Highly recommended for all!
Best,
Charlie

I’m not a fan of zoos, period. I have to begin this review with saying I believe animals are not ours to use for entertainment. That being said, my husband loves zoos. So does my brother-​in-​law. And yes I feel very hypocritical strolling along in a zoo. You’ll notice I didn’t upload any pictures of animals, and that’s because I feel wrong taking pictures of wild animals relegated to tiny living quarters. But hey, that’s just me. Read on!
We arrived on a Monday around 1PM and the parking situation was INSANE. When we pulled up parking attendants were out front standing next to «Parking Lot is Full» signs. It took us about 10 minutes to find a parking spot half a mile away in a distant City Park lot. Why are all these people here on a regular non-​holiday Monday? It was perplexing to say the least.
Admission price for adults is $ 17, but those with a military ID get in for $ 15. We spent 2 hours at the Denver Zoo, but could have easily stayed here for 4 hours if time allowed. The zoo is spacious and mostly clean, and I thought it was cool that peacocks roamed the park freely. We watched Silverback gorillas eat heads of lettuce, a grizzly bear eat a grapefruit, and seen an elephant try to cool down by covering itself in mud. I couldn’t help but feel sad as I watched a lion pace back and forth, growling as he paced, or feel sorry for the polar bear who also paced restlessly in his small area. I grew agitated as kids yelled at animals trying to get their attention, and as adults rapped on the glass of the animal enclosures.
There’s a few shows/​learning activities that run daily, but we didn’t check those out. Here’s a list:
Meet the Animal Stars stage 9:45 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.
Our Zoo stars wear fur, scales or feathers and are prepared for their close-​ups with you!
African Penguin Feeding 10:15 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Learn about African penguins and their care at the zoo while watching zookeepers hand-​feed them.
Sea Lion Show, Northern Shores 10:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Check in with the Zoo’s resident seals and sea lions for a daily feeding and watch these playful predators strut their stuff.
Wildlife Show, Wildlife Theater 10:45 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Be prepared for awe and wonder as our free-​flighted birds soar over your heads, with unexpected surprises from other exotic animals. Make sure to grab a Photo Buddy!
Toyota Elephant Passage Demonstration, McGrath Family Amphitheater 11:30 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Whether it’s a big elephant, a little elephant, or even a munching rhino, you don’t know who will show up, but you can bet on an educational and entertaining show.
Wild Encounters, Wild Encounters Amphitheater 12 p.m. & 3 p.m.
Meet zookeepers from our Guest Engagement Team who will introduce you to their favorite animal friends and share how we keep them happy and healthy.
Africa’s Greatest Predators, Pahali Ya Simba 2 p. m
Get a behind-​the-​scenes close-​up look at how zookeepers work with the lions, hyenas or wild dogs to monitor their health and keep them engaged and active.
Pelican Feeding, Monkey Island 4:15 p. m
Learn about pelicans and their care at the Zoo while watching zookeepers hand-​feed them.
GOOD TO KNOW: There’s a military discount for food and beverage items purchased at the zoo.
Worth a Return Visit?
I’ve been to a lot of zoos in my day, and the Denver Zoo was completely average in comparison. They didn’t have an aquarium section and the parking sucked balls. Admission price is reasonable. They’re just down the street from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, so you could do a double whammy.
Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #230

I’m so glad we decided to check out the zoo, while in Denver. We strolled through the zoo with our cameras ready to check out the wildlife. All the animals were out, and it was a great day to catch them in action. Except, the big brown bear was sleeping in his/​her hammock. Seriously, it was adorbs!
I would definitely recommended checking out the zoo if you are looking for something different to do outside the bars. It took us about half a day to get through the entire zoo. We stopped a lot of took pictures too.
For vegetarians, I would recommend packing a snack to eat. Their food was all meat-​based. You could get some popcorn, ice cream or cotton candy though.

I love zoos. I love that I can see animals from all over the world in one place, and I love learning neat tidbits about the animals too. Shopping is fun at zoos too.
I *really* like that the enclosures here are well-​maintained and seem large enough for the animals. I also really like that this is a pretty big zoo with lots of different animals, exhibits, and shows. Bonus: there are knowledgeable staff members who answer questions and offer information about the specific animals too.
On my last visit here, though, it was somewhat disappointing. We arrived shortly after the zoo opened on a weekend day and so much of the zoo didn’t seem to be open yet. The food stands, restaurants, and even a bunch of the exhibits — closed. A lot of the food places weren’t planning to open for at least 2 hours after the zoo opened which just seems odd. For early birds, it would help if the whole zoo experience was available when the zoo opened. /​shrug Honestly, I think I was personally most disappointed that so many animal exhibits were being cleaned (so animals weren’t on view). Really, just disappointing.
Arriving early, though, we were able to have some more up close encounters with some of the animals. The silverback gorilla almost walked right up to us with just the glass between us. One of the roaming peacocks fluffed up right beside us which was great to see and hear. Many of the animals were having their breakfasts too, so it was nice to see them in action and not just taking a nap.
The grounds here seem well-​maintained and the parking is easy and free. Overall, I really like this zoo and would go again… I’m just hoping more animals will be able to roam in their enclosures when we’re here next time instead of being kept somewhere while things are cleaned.

This is a pretty big zoo, which is awesome for both animals and humans alike. I love that most of the animals have ample space to roam. Some of these animals really know how to work the crowd! I came here around Christmas time, so the Zoo Lights event was going on. There is a separate charge for it. We killed about two hours throughout the whole zoo, and then as they were switching over to the night event, we actually got to see some of the light displays. Very cute. I don’t know if it was due to the season or the time of day, but the zoo was nicely quiet and uncrowded when we went.
Tip: The zoo is about a 10 minute drive/​cab ride from the downtown area.

Oodles of animals in an incredibly, easy walkable space. The staff is just as enjoyable as the animals are happy.
The layout of the zoo lends itself to peacocks and humans alike to enjoy the zoo in an open like, natural flow of space.
There’s even an indoor facility that houses the hippo and rhino! I’ve never seen a hippo before! And the open outdoor area where monkeys swing freely above you on branches was exciting. I also learned the animals, like the elephants, are rotated throughout the zoo on the daily. Changing up their scenery seems like a solid choice.
I’m no zoologist, and it’s a feeling I get it at every zoo: I just wish they had more space, but that’s contradicting of me to say when I’m a customer paying to see the beautiful beasts in captivity. It does seem, however, that the staff takes great pride in their responsibilities of ensuring the animals’ happiness and health.

Inmitten des City Parks liegt der Zoo in Denver, der sicherlich für jeden Besucher ein Highlight und eine Attraktion ist. Der 1896 gegründete Tiergarten fällt unter die Top Ten der Zoos in Amerika und hat einiges zu bieten.
Er beherbergt mehr als 3.500 Tiere aus aller Welt.
Das Affenhaus, «Primate Panorama», ist das größte der ganzen Nation. Hier hat man fast hautnahen Kontakt mit 30 verschiedenen Affenarten. Und ich konnte in die Augen eines großen Gorillas schauen, der seine Hand auf meine Hand legte. Es war nur die Scheibe zwischen uns. Ein unglaubliches Erlebnis!
«Tropical Discovery» ist eine Reise durch den feuchten Regenwald, dessen Bewohner sich manchmal erst auf den zweiten Blick zu erkennen geben. Kühler ist es in «Nothern Shores», wo man die Eisbären über und unter Wasser beobachten kann.
Als Besucher reist man durch Höhlen, auf tropischen Strömen, vorbei an Wasserfällen, Tempelruinen und einem Korallenriff.
Man braucht einen ganzen Tag, um sich alles genau anzusehen. Dabei wird man von netten Angestellten überall umfassend informiert, Fragen werden beantwortet und auch ein nettes Erlebnis wird zum Besten gegeben.