Zoo Miami — Attraction in Goulds

While visiting family in Miami, I decided to go to Zoo Miami. ( yes it’s called Zoo Miami. It is also known as The Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens) It’s the largest zoo in Florida and the 5th largest in the US. It’s located on 750 acres including behind-the-scenes tours. It’s the only sub-tropical zoo in the continental US. You can split it up over two days for an extra cost of $10 per person within 10 days. It was a beautiful hot sunny day 85°. I chose to go on a Tuesday 11/26/24 and It was the perfect time. It wasn’t crowded and parking was very easy.There is handicapped parking spaces. I got a parking spot up front. There is no charge for parking.I highly recommend ordering tickets online I think there’s an extra fee attached, and picking them up at the window.I didn’t know to do this at the time, so I just got in line and was lucky within minutes I went up to the window to purchase my tickets.if you purchase the tickets online then you can get in to the fast line and not have to wait in those long lines.Zoo Miami has 2000 animals and 375 species. The Zoo is open everyday from 10a- 5pm.( The last ticket is sold at 4pm.) They also hold evening events, and are open during the holidays. (I would suggest double checking times during the holidays or if you want to see certain animals or attend their Zoo Lights Event at Night for special holiday events this is not included with a day pass.) I HIGHLY RECOMMEND RENTING THEIR SAFARI CYCLES for $54. ( you do have to pedal, but it’s very easy, and one person controls the entire cycle.)Rentals are for 3 hours. If you go over it’s another $20. You must purchase the rental on their online app. It can be done at the park, that’s what we did. It’s the best way to get around easily. It takes 5-6 hours by foot .. On a hot days it’s nice to rent the SAFARI CYCLES bc you have a canvas cover over your head, giving you shade and there’s a place for water bottles,or beer to be held.) Small cycles accommodate up to two adults and two small children in the front basket.The large cycles accommodate four adults and two small children in the front basket. I actually saw some cycles that packed more because they had 4 children, and 2 adults. You can also rent a MINI BIKE which is decorated like a safari animal. It’s pricey at $75 for 3 hrs and it holds two people and can go quit fast. It’s all open and there must be an adult driver.They provide locks so when we chose to get off the cycle and see an exhibit, we were able to lock up our cycle. You can also rent strollers, wheelchairs, ECV’s ( electric convenience vehicles) you must be 21 and leave ID to pick up rentals.They have Safari trams It’s $5 for an all day pass. You can get on and off. There is a VIP Tour, Behind The Scenes Tour, and an Adventurous Expedition Tour. ( check for prices.) They also have Upgrades and Activities like-Lostman’s River Ride, Pedal Boats, and Wildlife Carousel, Greater One Horned Rhino Experience, African Elephant Experience, Pygmy Hippo Experience, Camel Feeding, Giraffe, Feeding, Galapagos Tortoise Experience,and Parrot Feeding. I saw the Samburu Feeding which was the Giraffes up close and personal. This Station is very popular and kids love this. They do get long lines.You can only feed the Giraffes at certain times of the day. All the animal feedings are posted. For $5 you get a couple of romaine leaves, or for $12 you get an entire basket of leaves. I counted 6 giraffes and they walk right up to the tall stand and you can feed them right from your hands.I was amazed at how calm and gentle they are. There are many attractions and exhibits to see. Many exhibits are interactive, which children love.They have many different kinds of Reptiles which were located inside, and large fish, ducks, flamingos etc. There’s a cool Amazon area, which was tropical and lush and several waterfalls. There are several splash pads and water fun areas in the park. ( kids love this especially on hot days. I recommend bringing a back pack,wagon, or stroller to get around when walking. Also water shoes. I...

Do not waste your time!!!! This is a shell of a zoo . The signage is horrible! I was actually shocked you walk around for so long and I mean so long without any attractions or any signs… Then when you finally get somewhere, you might get to a dead end or some broken down vending machine because there are no signs directing you!! Every other zoo has those cross signs that show you exactly which way to go for the animals Absolutely so much aimless walking ! I know it is hot so I get it, but don’t expect to see many animals. I also missed out on so many things Simply because there were no signs and. the layout this makes no sense at all. There are no physical maps or any signs but only QR codes. So you have to walk around holding your phone . When you get up to the exhibits, even then they only have tiny small signs. The staff is non engaging . No shows, no nothing . Just a sun worn sign to greet you. Will never come back!! I came from Naples, thinking it would be a better experience and I was severely mistaken. There also needs to be a time limit for the giraffe feeding As it is completely unfair! I saw some Adult buy three bowls on her own just to take Instagram pictures by the time she was done none of the kids got to do it because she was being selfish. Should only be allowed one bowl per person.. It was really really sad. This is supposed to be one of the biggest cities in the entire world and all it is is broken down money grab bcuz they can! An entire section dedicated to stupid fake dinosaurs that are sunworn .they charge u full price for a half broken park….. how stupid is this? They have a crocodile area with one crocodile everybody crowding around to see! One lonely elephant . One lonely panther . It is just absolutely pathetic, and it is truly a slap in the face to the citizens of this state You all should be ashamed, but it seems like it doesn’t matter you see all these terrible reviews and disappointed people that will never come back and you do nothing…. Never again. My kid went down the otter slide and not one single otter was in the water or to be found. Are you...

I grew up going to this zoo back when it was called the Miami Metro Zoo, and it's still a wonderful place to visit.

The zoo is still massive, and may be even bigger than it ever was before. It took my boyfriend and I almost 4 hours to visit the entire place!

The zoo has an impressive collection of animals from Asia, Africa, and the Amazon Rainforest. Many different antelope and cattle species throughout the zoo and they had the popular animals like giraffes and elephants dotted along the path. The Amazon Rainforest collection was very impressive, as it's a newer addition. They had indoor (thank you for the a/c!) exhibits such as reptile and amphibian habitats, and a small aquarium showcasing red-tailed catfish and even arowanas!

For those of us who grew up with it as the Miami Metro Zoo and remember the metrorail that took you to different parts of the zoo, it's closed down now. They have rental tandem bikes and mini scooters for getting around. If you have a family or group that can't walk for very long, it's definitely recommended.

They have giraffe feeding and a petting zoo if you're into that. Cute for the kids.

The only thing was that that the Asian Aviary was closed when we went (Aug 21, 2023). The amphitheater didn't seem to be doing shows either. There's no indoor exhibits in the Asian and African parts of the park, so take plenty of breaks in the shaded areas in you need to. The nice thing is they don't have you throw away any water, so bring plenty of it and maybe some Gatorade to stay hydrated!

We still really enjoyed our time here and I hope that the Miami Metro Zoo ( or really just Zoo Miami I guess)...