Philadelphia Zoo — Attraction in Philadelphia

For having a reputation as the nation’s first zoo, I was deeply disappointed with what I saw first hand as a visitor. Zoos are inhumane and this one is no different. The giraffe exhibit is absolutely abhorrent. The three giraffes I saw walked around in a small enclosure that has gravel on the ground, and they just walk around in aimless circles and have no leaves to chew on because there are no trees for them to pick their food from. All of the animals in the zoo were removed from their native habitats and placed in enclosures with things like plastic crates and plastic balls. There was a piece of car tire in the African Ankole exhibit. There was a really low quality construction of habitat for them to be situated in. There was a piece of cardboard from a desert package strewn in an enclosure on the ground. It was a dystopian nightmare. The tigers and big cats all avoid making eye contact with visitors and they don’t hear or pay attention to jeering or noises from people trying to get a bit of personal attention. The tiger I saw was 30 years old and it looked like it had no desire to occupy that space. Granted, there was plenty of space for it to roam around in, but the tiger walked in circles around the rocks and just looked anywhere except at the visitors. I don’t know what kind of population votes five stars for such a pathetic example of an animal zoo that boasts its reputation of being the first American zoo established. You would think that the zoo would have some level of thought and consideration for the habitat the animals occupy but that’s not the case. This zoo must be about one hundred years old and in that vast range of time, nothing has been done to improve the quality of conditions that the animals live in. They aren’t beasts. They are nature’s treasures and certainly this municipality has no consideration for preserving the dignity of the creatures living in this zoo. I walked out of there feeling heartbroken after all that I saw. One thing that stuck a cord with me was the sycamore trees that the orangutans were situated among. What kind of orangutans resides in a sycamore tree? It doesn’t have enough branches for them to hang from, and you could tell the zoo was thoughtful about this so they hung up long rope-like apparatus for the primates to grab onto so they could move from trees. The giraffe exhibit was the absolute worst thing I ever saw. It invoked such a high level of empathy for the beautiful animals that seemed to be treated like nothing but captives in the concrete man-made civilization that surrounds them. Disgusting and disgraceful example of animals in a makeshift habitat intended to display their unique and remarkable characteristics. What the hell! Aside from those critiques, the sculptures and exhibits were nice to observe and there were plenty of restrooms and the place was family friendly and creates a fun environment to walk around in and explore the offerings that the zoo had. There were nice blossoming trees and flowers to beautify the place. Not a complete waste of time or money. Just very poorly constructed and poorly thought out in some aspects. It makes a difference what time of year you visit because in the spring and summer you get the greatest benefit of...

We took a trip out to Philly the weekend before Christmas to visit the Zoo's Luminature exhibit. The Exhibit begins at 5 PM on select days where the zoo decorates the zoo with various "holiday" lights throughout. The main attraction is a 30+ foot polar bear where light is projected upon set to music and a show. This runs every 30 minutes and lasts about 5 minutes, so make sure you get a good viewing spot. The tickets are about $20-25 per person which I thought were on the higher end, but on par with similar attractions. ZOo members get a few dollars off. The zoo parking lots are opened during this time and cost the usual $16 per vehicle unless you are a member which allows parking for one vehicle per visit. Overall we had a great time and am glad we took advantage of our membership to visit this year to get the free parking and discounted tickets. I don't think it is worth it for those who aren't members and going without a discount....a family of 4 with parking would run about $120!!! which I think is a lot for what you get. There probably should be a package deal offered, which includes admission the zoo itself, and admission to the light show later on that same day...maybe throw in parking. That would be worthwhile. By the way, we did attend the first 5 PM show and it was crowded. Lots of strollers and minimal walking spaces near the bigger attractions and narrow paths. You may want to pick a later time, or go during the week. The zoo may also want to further limit the ticket sales per time slot..which is the whole purpose of giving time slots. We took a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo fro NYC. We got there around 11 AM on Wednesday morning and the place was practically empty except from a few camp trips there. The main parking lots still had lots of space. Parking is $16. Though the surrounding neighborhood isn't the best, the short walk from the parking lot to the zoo entrance is safe. The admission to the zoo is about $20-25. There are lots of animals at the zoo, all with adequate space. All animals appeared to be well maintained and cared for. As with most zoos, the earlier you get there the better..less crowds, closer parking and active animals. There are a few areas to grab a bit to eat as well as restrooms. Unfortunately, it was raining quite a bit that day so our trip was cut short. We plan on attending again soon. Keep in mind that if you plan to visit more than once in a year, the membership might be worthwhile. The membership includes unlimited admission for one year and includes parking and discounts at the zoo store and eateries throughout the zoo. There is food for sale...

Hello Google Fans, this past Memorial weekend was a perfect time to head out to the Philadelphia Zoo. It has been years since as a child I've visited the zoo when the train was in use riding through the entire site. Moving forward in 2025, the location is perfectly accessible off the I-76 and welcoming public transportation for all Philadelphians and visitors to enjoy. There is plenty of parking spaces available at the designated gated spots and off the road on 34th Street. The ideal dress attire would be to wear some comfortable sneakers, loose fit clothes, and bring your sunscreen, especially for a sunny day. Here is what I experienced during my visit as an adult.

Pros: There is a little to no wait time entering the zoo and the check in process is self explanatory. The entire layout of the scenery was well though out, clean, definitely a good walk to get some steps, and an up close experience to capture some great photos of the animals. It is very kid friendly environment with a few locations to get your face painted and a playground for kids from all over to socialize, play together , and make new friends. There are many food vendors available, one of the many I visited was the pretzel and lemonade stand. It was a good choice to get spicy mustard, dipping cheese, decent size pretzel, and a refreshing strawberry lemonade (no lids per Zoo).

Cons: The cost of the admission ticket is not fully satisfying for the overall experience. The scenery could use more sound effects through out each site to introduce an adventurous atmosphere for all visitors. It seems like there is a shortage of staff because there wasn't much informers available to explain much needed information about the nature of the animals on site. The reptile and primate indoor sites didn't contain air conditioning, comfortable enough for visitors to fully enjoy a bonding moment with the animals. No animal show or concerts was hosted during today's visit. The cage for the lions/tigers was not in use so, it didn't promote no movement of the crowd to be amazed of the wandering lions/tigers. It is one of the key animals many visitors were holding a high expectation to see including, the elephants, panda bear, and a few missing inhabitants.

Recommendations: It would be a good idea to introduce a scavenger hunt for both legal guardians and kids to bond throughout the entire walk of the zoo. Create an adventurous environment to promote all Philadelphians and visitors to come back numerous time, including shows/concerts/plays contracting with Disney to promote all animal related cinema...