San Francisco Zoo

I’ve been to a couple of zoo and San Francisco’s Zoo isn’t bad at all. I was on the skeptical side, because of all the bad review, but it turns out every review was wrong. I got the chance to explore the whole zoo and it took a little over 3 hours. A lot of animals and we enjoyed every minute of it. Of course, like any other zoo the food/​drinks inside are very expensive. Eat before you go. We ended up buying a bottle of water, because we got thirsty.
We went in the morning and some animals were sleeping, but woke up later.
Loved the bears and gorillas tho. Very active when we were there.

Just visited this zoo this past weekend. I really enjoyed it.
The parking lot is a bit of nightmare. $ 12 to park and was already full when we got there and seems really small for such a popular zoo. We were really lucky and were able to find free parking across the street at the beach.
The zoo itself is really nice. I think it’s spread out nicely. The zoo was busy but not packed. The animal exhibits looked ok, although a bit on the small side. I thought they had a good variety of animals. There was a baby giraffe there which was adorable.
I would definitely go again. It was $ 20 for an adult which I thought was really reasonable. I think the San Diego zoo is better of course, but I still think this is a fun zoo to go to for the day.

I had a great time at this zoo. This zoo is very well organized and split up into: Outback Trail, African region, Primate Discovery Center, Children’s Zoo, Cat Kingdom, South America and Bear Country. My favorite is the Cat Kingdom because of the tigers. Sadly, the lion exhibit was closed because one of the lions just gave birth. They have penguins and polar bears at this zoo as well. That was a bit shocking as I thought they only live in super cold climates. The animals have plenty of space to roam and there are good platforms with which to view the animals from. Also, they have two big playgrounds that is great for kids. There is an ice and forest playground. It sort of looks like a mix of ice and fire. I recommend car pooling here because parking is expensive. The only downside is that a lot of schools and organizations do field trips here so your odds of seeing crying children are high. Overall, I had a great experience and would definitely come back in the future.

First time here and I enjoyed it alot. I decided to come here because Sacramento Zoo isn’t big compared to SF Zoo. I really enjoyed many of the sceneries at this zoo, and the playgrounds were cool.
Wished they had elephants and orangutans tho.
But overall, awesome zoo! And located by beach!

I took the little one to his first zoo visit since he’s had an interest in animals lately. We came here on a monday and it was nice it wasn’t overly busy. They have some animals here that they don’t have at Oakland zoo but surprisingly, they don’t have elephants. A lot of the animals seemed down and sad. The zoo is bigger than Oakland Zoo and I like that they have a lot of trees and greenery but it just looks like an old zoo under constant construction with sad animals.
They do have a ridiculously cool playground for kids and toddlers which were full of kids playing happily. So there’s that.

I can’t believe it took me over five years to make it to the zoo. I even had been given a discount card by my company and managed to loose it. It took me too long.
They have a private parking lot and it’s $ 8 to park there. It’s probably a good option for families that have to carry a bunch of stuff. The Muni L line ends a block away from the Zoo and it’s really a convenient way to get here. If you show a Muni Pass you get a dollar of admission. Also if you’re an SF resident show your license for a discount. Everyone has to have your license of they won’t give that person the discount (ask how I know).
I’ll start with the good. It’s a really nice outdoor setting that’s a great place to walk around on a nice day. Bring your own food and drinks and have a picnic at one of the tables. It was pretty quiet when I was there so I could see these filling up quickly.
There are a number of Peacocks roaming around the grounds and going in and out of the animal enclosures. Obviously they don’t pay any attention to the signs saying to respect the animals. If you’re here a few minutes and can’t find a peacock, just wait a few minutes and you’ll hear their loud, squawking call. Then it’s really easy to find them.
There’s a decent assortment of animals to check out and most of the grounds are well kept. Some of the enclosures are creative. We rounded a corner and saw this Giraffe head peeking over this rock. He was licking something on top of this rock. It was very cute to watch him with his long black tongue trying to get at whatever. A lot of the enclosures have pretty good points for viewing the animals.
Then the not so bad. If you’re expecting something of the caliber of the San Diego Zoo or even the California Academy, you will be disappointed. There were a number of animals off display, parts of the zoo under repair, or in need of repair. Parts of it (and I’m not just talking the animal enclosures) could use some cleaning or upkeep.
Then there’s the ugly. Granted we were here on a weekday and the park was a little dead, but the animal talks we went to were really disappointing. We went to the 2:30 big cat talk and we got there early to get a spot. No one was there. We hunted a bit and found a sign. OK, 2:30 big cat talk here at 2:30. We checked it out a bit and a couple of other people showed up. We figured we had some time so we headed across the path to the rhino. We had fun watching this Peacock that was jumping between the enclosure and viewing wall. At a couple of minutes before 2:30 we walk back over. There’s one of the same people that was there before and she kind of shrugged, nothing. We waited until about 2:45 — 2:50 before someone else started looking for someone that worked at the zoo. She reported she caught someone about to go out an exit. I guess this person called someone on the radio. Someone did show up about five minutes later. She thanked us for coming to the zoo and read mostly from the signs. She was also very hard to hear and a few of the dozen or so people who waited asked her to repeat things a couple of times. We got frustrated and left to go check out the rest of the zoo. How disappointing!
I think we can cross the SF Zoo off our list as been there, done that. I’m a member at the California Academy and find that more enjoyable. We also have been meaning to go check out the Oakland Zoo.

Not sure why this zoo has so many bad reviews… Other than the fact that I’ve never seen so many crying children in one single area at any given time, I think this zoo was just fine. Sure, its not as big as the San Diego Zoo and maybe the place isn’t super modern, but its cheap! As an SF resident, and taking the muni out there you get a nice discount and the entry is only $ 16, so for a few hours to walk around on a nice day and pretend you’re a tourist in town, this is a good option.
Tips: Take the muni/​an über, parking is $ 10 and it does look like a nightmare. Get there early, the line gets pretty long mid afternoon. Bring lunch/​snacks, there are a lot of tables and places to eat (the food there looks gross and over priced) so bring your own (I suggest the little bodega outside George’s Zoo — $ 6 huge sandwiches, chips, beverages, etc). Don’t go expecting you’re going to see all the animals, a lot of them are hiding in the back/​sleeping and because this zoo is a bit small they only have one each of animals like tigers, polar bears, etc, so if they’re not out — you’re outta luck.

A girlfriend and I decided to jam all four car seats into one truck and venture into the city to hit up the zoo.
The bad:
The parking is TERRIBLE. We drove around and around and ended up at a lot that is quite the trek, especially for small children.
The scanner they use to get the bar code from your purchased in advance tickets is bad. Took the gal several times with us zooming in and out on our phone.
The layout of the zoo is not very user friendly and doesn’t seem to make sense.
I do not feel like there were enough bathrooms and the ones they had were very spread out.
The good:
The entrance fee was reasonable.
The gift shop was well stocked with all kinds of zoo animal related paraphernalia and was priced fairly reasonably. The gals at the shop were super nice and very helpful.
Stroller rentals are so worth it.
The ok:
The animals were often times hard to see and some of the enclosures seem a bit small.
All in all it was just ok.
I probably won’t go back, because the Oakland Zoo is far better.

$ 20 entrance fee for a limited number of animals and exhibits. That’s what you’re paying for.
I’ve been coming to the SF Zoo since I was a little kid and I’ve always wished they could do a better job showcasing the animals and having experienced/​knowledgable people walking around engaging visitors.
It’s sad to walk all the way back to see the grizzly bears without seeing many exhibits or animals. Most of the zoo is old. They really need a major makeover. It was smart of them though to makeover the playground since it’s their main feature. Sad.
It would be nice to have a world class zoo.

Visited San Francisco Zoo for the first time ever even I’ve lived in San Francisco for 4 years — I took advantage of the San Francisco Residents Free Day on 2÷29÷2016! In order to get in, just show the proof of your residence of San Francisco, get a stamp, and FREE to go in!
I went in the afternoon and there were less people than I expected. I guess it was because the free day was on Monday. The snack spots & cafes were closed, only 2 cafes were opened — I wish I knew so I could prepare myself better. Maybe there is a better way to tell us (the visitors) when we enter the zoo? I have no idea how the zoo run, so… oh well. Still surprised the snack spots were closed.
The weather was amazing on Monday and it was actually hot after walking for a while in the Zoo. There was so many things to check out in the Zoo, however seeing the polar bear made me sad. I don’t know what’s going on with the polar bear but it was just so sad to see him/​her sitting here. Maybe they can give the polar bear a shower? Again I have no idea.
I wish there were more water stations or the snack spots were opened during the visit. Most animals didn’t seem happy (or it was just the way they look?)… The staff were very friendly! I was so glad I saw tigers and lions,… they were so cute. The chimps were chilling and super zen.
The parking was fairly easy! I didn’t mind walk a couple blocks — hey, it was free day! Can’t complain anything when it’s free.
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It’s a zoo. It has animals. Some. There are no elephants and the animals they do have seem a bit tired and old. It’s still a great place for children as it’s the perfect size to walk around without getting extremely exhausted. The children’s playground is also very creative in the way it stays with theme.
Parking is very difficult so prepare to walk a lot from where you park to the zoo!
There are plenty of restrooms and spots to buy drinks.
If you are deciding between this and the Oakland zoo for children I’d say go to Oakland.

Had a great day, most animals where active. Just a little cold.
My favorite was the red panda. The ant eatter. The line was a little long for the president day weekend but the zoo did not feel crowded.
The train cost 5 dollars. Prices will rise in April.

What a lovely way to spend the day!
The San Francisco Zoo is extremely cute, clean, and well-​maintained. I especially love that they have several areas for small children, including petting zoos and an awesome park with swings, slides, and other fun stuff.
Also, they have a LOT of animals around here. I always get amazed watching the lions and tigers (and bears! Oh my!). The monkeys are super fun as well. Lemurs FTW!
They have lots of souvenir stores around the park and the selection of plush animals is adorable. I definitely recommend going to check it out. Another great thing about this zoo is that the restrooms are quite decent!
On the down side, the food is not that good (even though it’s expensive), and the coffee is terrible! And BTW, they make you buy their reusable cup when you buy coffee (which you can refill for $ 1.49), but you have to pay over $ 7.49 for a cup of coffee. SUPER EXPENSIVE! The only drink that doesn’t come in their cup is the espresso. And it is bad as well.
But, since you don’t come to the zoo for a gastronomical experience, I believe that is quite alright because of Dippin’ Dots (a must have!).

Well, we came here the day before we left back home. My wife and I were visiting my parents and sister’s family so figured to do a trip to the zoo. My niece and nephew came along so that was fun. I was able to use my Como zoo pass to get my wife and I discount. The zoo itself has improved quite a bit according to my brother-​in-​law. I was amazed that the giraffes and some other animals were all grazing together which looked right out of a scene from Africa. The landscaping is absolutely amazing and kudos to the renovations. We saw a lot of large mammals which my parents said were non-​existent in the San Jose Happy Hollow zoo. Parking was $ 8 on weekdays and $ 10 weekend. I think they got us on a holiday rate so we paid full price. Anyways, it was convenient and not as back as parking in downtown. We spent close to 3 hours since the zoo is gigantic. The restrooms are so far apart and there are at least a decent variety of food options in the café. One of polar bear finally came out once the sun came out. The train also had decent speed and didn’t look like ones I seen in other zoos that go super slow. Overall, we would come here again. It would make sense to get a family pass if we plan on going several times. I recalled Costco selling membership a few years ago so maybe check that out towards the holidays.

What can I say… my kids love going here. We live about 5 minutes away from the zoo so we have the annual pass. Both my sons enjoying seeing the animals and also gets excited to play at their playground. Besides the wild animals… their lobster roll is actually pretty good… lol.

3 &½ stars, really. It is a beautiful piece of land, and the grounds are very well maintained. The entrance fees are affordable, and though it was raining and many of the exhibits were closed, there was plenty to see and we enjoyed ourselves. I’m sure this is a gem if you live in the city and don’t get to see enough nature. It seems like the animals are well enough kept, not as depressing as other zoos, but certainly not the best. I’ve only been to the San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park, which is ginormous, so everything seems small in comparison. I understand these animals couldn’t survive in the wild due to injury, or other reasons, but I felt sad for them. None of the animals have much space, and most of them seemed lonely. Overall, I had a good time and it is a nice Zoo, but I might not be the right audience.

This review is for 3.5 stars.
This place is no San Diego Zoo, but it’s a great attraction here in San Francisco for people of all ages.
My boyfriend and I have been meaning to come visit for a while, and we finally made it up a couple months ago. The food is not great, but as with all family attractions, this was to be expected. This is a great place for kids to learn about habitats and animals and a fun place for a day date! I was only a little bit disappointed because it seemed as though the day we went, a lot of the exhibits were closed or were being moved, so lots of empty lots.

I love going to zoos and each time we’ve gone, it’s been relatively peaceful and quiet. That’s what we enjoy about this zoo in particular; it’s a great way to spend the time learning and viewing various animals. It’s got a great spread and the walkways throughout it are great. Not to mention that there will be a peacock in your path walking alongside or in the other direction. Actually that’s one of our games; spot the peacock where it ought not be. In the last visit, there was totally two of them hanging out with the kangaroos.
All around fun to be had at the zoo. :)

This is a rather infamous zoo. If you watched Jurassic World and thought, «those engineers couldn’t possibly have been stupid enough to put such a large dinosaur in such an under-​engineered enclosure,» well, that actually happened at the San Francisco Zoo with the tiger exhibit. In 2007, a tiger leaped over a wall that was not tall enough and killed one visitor and injured two others. News reports blamed the victims for likely having taunted the tiger. Note that they were separated from the tiger by a 33 ft. wide moat and probably reasonably expected that the tiger would not be able to leap out of the enclosure.
In the aftermath of the attack, the zoo claimed the wall surrounding the moat was over 20 ft. tall. They later stated that it was actually only 12.5 ft. tall (the recommended safe height is apparently 16.5 ft.).
The zoo’s also had trouble with animal maltreatment. It’s banned by the city from having elephants because its enclosures were too small and the elephants were all dying. A gorilla was recently crushed to death by a sliding door.

We went in on a rainy winter day and it was a great day to visit the zoo. There were no crowds and the animals were all very active. The park seemed almost abandoned and without the patrons to warrant it, most of the services in the zoo were suspended. That being said, the park is designed almost like a blossom or hub-​and-​spoke with the entrance at the base the flower. We were able to snack, use the family restroom, and play around in a photo booth between regions without going much out of our way. The staff was a skeleton mix of youth and veterans of the zoo, without much interaction there’s not much to be said. To those who feel zoos are principally a challenge to the decency of animals as they are captives, this zoo’s specimens were mostly rehabilitation and rescue animals. There were some that appeared to have been bred and raised in captivity based on the health and numbers of the giraffes.
The polar bear on exhibit did seem outwardly somber compared to his peers, we noted that his compatriot two enclosures over had recently passed away and considered the possibility of this affecting his demeanor. The gorillas were off exhibit, to our misfortune. The hippo, lion pride, and bald eagles were all favorites to behold.
While the issue of examining animals in capitivity walks the line between positive and negative awareness of the wild, the San Francisco Zoo accomplishes the task of raising positive awareness for the exotic habitats. The prices were very reasonable for entry and I recommend this for families and couples — while it is obviously capable of bringing enjoyment to anyone.

Go to the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois instead.
The animals in Brookfield must be on a steady diet of Modafinil. The polar bears were skipping to my loo. Tigers were turning into Lions. Lions were turning into Antelopes. Antelopes were turning into mangos and apples. All the animals were social butterflies ready to solve the socio-​political problems of the world. The Zebras were mating, squealing and frolicking under the September sun. Kids were laughing. Parents were laughing. The prairie dogs were laughing. The snakes were giggling. It was an amusement fest. Everyone was laughing except me. I was not laughing…
Meanwhile at the SF Zoo, the most active animal is the human.
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My family and I visited SF Zoo for the Zoo Lights and were extremely disappointed. We come from San Leandro so it was quite a drive but the kids wanted to go this year for the train ride and the reindeers. We went in a group of 9, 7 adults and 2 kids. We got there around 6pm, played the games and rode the carousel and enjoyed the fake snow. We arrived at the train station at 7pm and to our surprise the train was not running anymore for the rest of the night. We went back to maybe cheer the kids up by going to see some live animals such as the reindeers and the giraffes but they were gone for the night as well. I don’t understand why all the big attractions were closed for the night when there was still an hour of park time left and it is limited for 3 hours for zoo lights. I honestly feel cheated because we paid for the tickets, gas, and toll, and sat in traffic and didn’t get to do anything we wanted to. If the attractions were closed I feel that we should’ve been notified at the front desk while purchasing our tickets.
I have came here on a regular operating day and was pretty satisfied with everything. All the animals were out and everybody was cheerful. The kids loved it. Food prices are expensive but that’s expected. So maybe zoo lights is just a way to make extra money for the holidays for them? Because of this experience I’m not sure if I’ll be returning.

PROS:
— Huge zoo!
— Lots of animals
— Right near the water — so great views
— Private parking lot — reasonable pricing as well
— Plenty of animals to see
— Huge café
— Food was quite good, offering healthy choices and all decently priced
— Decently priced tickets
— Cute train ride around the park
— Clean park which is always appealing
— Weekdays are less packed which is good
— Huge play structure
— Adults: they serve wine here! #woo
CONS:
— Bring/​rent a stroller for younger children. My 3 year old go tired of walking around because it was so big & we didn’t bring a stroller
— There was a lot of remolding causes lots of bathrooms to be closed off — not good for children
— On the topic of bathrooms, there needs to be more of them within shorter distances, running around to find a bathroom with a toddler is no fun.
— Snack shops should be available around the zoo as well
— Some animals weren’t even in their designated areas which was a shame to see.
— May get windy and cold at times being close to the water

Those who gave this zoo a 2 – 3 star rating must not have been to the Oakland Zoo. ;-)
Honestly, as a member of the Oakland Zoo — which happens to be 15mins away as opposed to the 45 minutes it takes to get to the SF Zoo — I do enjoy both zoos very much. However, the San Francisco Zoo has a larger and more well maintained space, not one but TWO elaborate and entertaining playgrounds, more animals, and better food. They also do a better job at ZooLights and have an area for Santa as well as reindeer in December. They also have mascots like the polar bear and giraffes for the kids (or you) to take pictures with.
I also love that the San Francisco zoo is located right by the bay, which means you get to see the waves crashing against the shore as you arrive to or leave the zoo.
Parking is not included with your annual membership, unlike at the Oakland Zoo.

Silver bells, silver bells, silver bells, silver bells, silver bells, silver bells, silver bells…
The length of time you stay at the zoo lights event depends on how long you can stand listening to the same Christmas song on repeat.
The primary light display played the song «Silver Bells» over and over, and you could hear the song through most of the park, so it begins to drive you mad. Perhaps they only had the license to play that single song? Let’s get crazy and have two songs!
Also, so many exhibits were closed down, which is understandable because animals need rest, but please make it more clear with roped off lights leading you on a path instead of having to guess whether or not the dark cavernous areas are open.
Need more staff: the success of zoo lights depends on having one «expert» in each habitat area to give a presentation or answer questions for the guests. There was a staff member at the Koala exhibit, and the giraffe exhibit, but the rest were empty.
The whole event felt like a ghost town, and it was a Saturday night. The Portland, Oregon Zoo Lights is packed full of people every year. Perhaps advertise better?
The two best things about zoo lights were: the train ride and the playground with snow machine. Those were the two most busy spots, with lots of squealing happy children. If you don’t have kids, you might want to pass on this event.
Zoo lights desperately needs a sign in the front– one that actually says «Zoo Lights» for branding. Then people can get pictures with the sign and promote the event on social media for free!

This review is long over due! I visited back in October for my birthday. We came on a Thursday and it was lovely. It’s been years since I’ve been here (my 13^th birthday to be exact) and it’s just as wonderful as my last visit. The zoo is huge and there is so much to see. All of the animals look happy and healthy. It was clean and not busy, mind you we did visit on a weekday. I loved the African Safari with the giraffes and zebras. The monkey exhibit was also fun! They have so many different species and one of them had a 4 month old baby. It was adorable! Penguin island was amazing! You get up close and personal with them and it’s not a typical display where they are behind glass. They really are on their own little island! We were here for 2 – 3 hours and had a great time. I highly recommend this zoo, it’s well worth the visit.

Great place to go if you’re an animal lovers, a place to hang out your family and friends, or on a date. I went during the fall/​winter so there might be a few animals that may not be out/​available during this season compare to the spring/​summer time. But you still get to see most of the usual animals.
Its always enjoyable walking around at each station looking at the animal no matter what age you are. I like that it wasn’t overly pack even though it was a sunday.
If you are sf resident, you get some kind of discount as long you have some kind CA ID or Driver license. Thats if you dont go on the 1^st free day of the month. Theres parkings on the street and parking lot outside of the zoo if you dont want to pay at the zoo parking lot. But outside street parking can get fill up fast

Kind of expensive ($ 42 for two resident adults and parking) but good selection of animals and not too crowded even on a weekend day.
I recommend bringing a backpack with snacks and water because the food there is outrageously expensive and not very good.
Also, the keeper talks aren’t that interesting and very short. Don’t plan your day around them.
Animals are most active first thing in the morning and later in the afternoon.

This was probably one of the best zoos I’ve been to. It’s huge! And it’s very well kept, we walked around the entire zoo and the paths were clean, no litter, no suspicious mud puddles. Great dose of nature when you live in the heart if the city.
It seemed very well researched, I appreciate that the animals just weren’t caged for show, but they have a good bit of land close enough to their natural habitats. As soon as you walk in you see the giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and other funky birds just living together like the circle of life, without their predators of course.
We came on an SF Resident free day, yet surprisingly it wasn’t crowded. Very peaceful and quiet, families and children just enjoying and RESPECTING the animals and zoo ground rules.
Wouldn’t even mind paying regular admission to come here again.

3.5 stars. Had a good time with our family here on a weekday.
No crowds, which was nice when you’re wheeling around a 6 month old. Plenty of places to sit, no trouble what-​so– ever viewing the exhibits, I was able to look at the hippopotamus for as long as I liked.
Some highlights would have to be the tropical aviary. Exotic birds flying over your head, lots of reptiles. The python was pretty scary looking, put «Snakes on a Plane,» to shame… although I guess it doesn’t take much to do that.
Liked the grizzly bears, those crazy guys were playing & wrestling with each other in the pond. You can step down and see them close up, half underwater.
Would recommend not going on such a hot day, I think it was like 80° in the city by the bay. It made a lot of the animals find their little shade spots & not be very active. Was looking forward to seeing the lions a little more than just a tail or a pair of ears.
The train was fun & the engineer was really interactive with the riders. Don’t recommended riding it with a baby, because I think the train whistle alarmed the poor guy a little bit. Kids were free, adults $ 5.
Looked like there was some construction going on for future exhibits.
Adults cost $ 16.00 for admission and children under 2 are free. It did seem from the website that these prices do change depending on the season.
Bring the kiddos, we had a good day.

I absolutely love animals. The zoo is quite honestly one of my favorite places on the planet. What I do not like is showing up to said zoo and coming to the realization that a pretty serious portion of the attractions are not actually a thing.
My wife and in-​laws brought our families to the San Francisco Zoo this week and were somewhat disappointed with what we got. Entry price and parking are a little bit steep, but nothing too severe. There was plenty of stuff to do for the kids, but as I said before some of the exhibits were lacking, or not there at all.
My personal favorite attraction at the SF Zoo for the past 10 – 15 years has always been the big cat house. You are feet away from some enormous cats, as their roars fill the room. This is amazing, unless the house is closed on the day you go there. If this is the case, you are just shit out of luck. Also absent were a few monkey exhibits as well as elephants. It’s like they took some of the biggest attractions, and just removed them.
Of the animals that were there, it was pretty cool. The bug house is still pretty amazing and hosts a bunch of neat bug displays. My favorite here was the giant tarantula they had. Thing was pretty enormous.
For kids there is still the petting zoo, the little kids areas, the absolutely huge playgrounds, and the carousel. Little kids will have an absolute blast here, while adults will be somewhat disheartened with the animal selection.
Overall a decent experience, nothing really to write home about.

I absolutely adore the SF Zoo. I grew up going to zoos and this has always been a second favorite to the SD Zoo.
Parking can be a bit of a hassle if you do not come early, SO COME EARLY. You’ll just end up parking along Sloat street and walking probably ¹⁄₃ of mile to even enter the zoo, which if you don’t have little kids no big deal. But if you do have little kids, then big deal. The zoo opens at 10, be there at 10! Otherwise you can do valet parking for 10 dollars which may be worth it if you don’t want to walk. But we arrived around 1 to meet family and it was completely packed, albeit we did go on a Saturday afternoon so there is that too.
The zoo has had some great additions over the years. We love walking through the big giraffe exhibit and seeing the big cats, although there are some exhibits that do look quite depressing. The polar bear we saw did not seem happy, just our opinion, who knows maybe he is a very happy bear, but he didn’t seem like a bear who would thrive in the wild. We kind of joked about it, shame on us.
The park is the perfect size for a family outing. They’ve got a great petting zoo area for kids to enter and pet different barn animals as well as a couple great playgrounds with different themes that my baby cousin adored. One of the only downsides is this zoo feels like it closes early. It might just be because it’s a pretty big zoo and 5 just seems so bright and sunny, but it’s understandable. If you’re hoping to get photos with your little ones and fun barn yard animals keep in mind that children’s zoo side does close earlier than the rest of the zoo!

Although it is a little pricey (hey, it’s SF after all), it is a beautiful, well kept zoo with great views of the animals. The geeky zookeepers are happy to tell you minutiae about their favorite species.
It’s a little clunky to find your way around but not too bad. It doesn’t have a ton of animals, but enough of the large ones to appeal to all of us.
If you get bored, you can walk two blocks to the Pacific Ocean. Can many other zoos claim this?
It’s way on the other side of SF from the main downtown/​Union Square but the Muni Metro takes you to one block from the zoo.