Phoenix Zoo — Attraction in Phoenix

The Phoenix Zoo exceeded all expectations! It's one of the best zoos we've ever visited, both in terms of layout and the experience it offers. Located in the beautiful Papago Park, the scenery alone is worth the visit — lots of desert beauty, mountain views, and walking trails throughout.

What We Loved:

🦁 Animal Exhibits: The habitats are thoughtfully designed and spacious. We got to see a wide variety of animals — from African lions, giraffes, and elephants to native Arizona species like the Mexican gray wolf and javelinas. The animals looked healthy and well cared for, and we saw many of them up and active, even during the heat.

🌵 Arizona Trail: This was a unique and educational part of the zoo that showcases local wildlife and desert ecology. It gave us a whole new appreciation for the Sonoran Desert and its inhabitants.

🦒 Safari Cruiser & Camel Rides: The Safari Cruiser is a great way to take a break and still see a lot of the zoo. And the camel ride was a big highlight for the kids — very safe and well organized.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Friendly: Tons of shade, misters, and indoor exhibits helped beat the heat. The zoo is stroller-friendly with plenty of rest areas and picnic spots. The "Harmony Farm" area was perfect for younger children, with goats, sheep, and hands-on activities.

💡 Educational Displays & Keeper Talks: We learned so much from the signage and staff presentations. The zoo does a great job of explaining conservation efforts and the natural behaviors of the animals. It's clear they're passionate about animal welfare and environmental education.

🍽️ Food & Facilities: We were pleasantly surprised by the food options — clean, decent variety, and not overly priced. Restrooms were clean and easy to find. Gift shop had unique, not overly touristy merchandise.

🗓️ Tips for Your Visit:

Go early to avoid the heat and catch animals when they're more active.

Wear sunscreen and stay hydrated.

Book some of the extra experiences (like giraffe feeding) ahead of time — they’re worth it.

Plan to spend 3–4 hours if you want to take your time and...

I am such a big fan of the events offered at the Phoenix Zoo but the Candlelight Concert is, by far, my favorite experience so far. It was beautifully done, the crowds were well controlled as far as traffic is concerned and the seats weren't bad for the price. We bought tickets in the less expensive zone B and it was not too far from the amphitheatre stage at all.

Their candles are all LED with little air flicked "flames" in the centers so unless you're looking closely, they actually look pretty real. The lack of real candles does not take away anything special about the night. I love me some instrumental and tonight's show was called A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions. You have to go if you're even remotely into Halloween music.

They offer one very small booth of kettle corn, popcorn, locally brewed beer and a red and a white wine. The popcorn was $9 and the beer cans were $12 a piece so I don't recommend waiting until you get to the venue to snack and load up on booze. At that price, two cans could easily buy you a high quality 12 pack. They have bathrooms located about a 5 minute walk from the amphitheatre and the booze/popcorn booth was right across from the entrance to the seating zones.

They allow guests to bring their own reusable water bottles, booty cushions and blankets. I highly recommend you bring your own cushions (they have cushions for rent but I brought my own so I don't know how much they cost) and also a light jacket, just in case the weather permits coziness. The actual seats are extended metal benches with small backs to them. The performance from the quartet was incredibly satisfying to listen to and the tunes were all classic chiller/thriller types you could easily recognize from Halloween pop culture. My husband is not a classical fan but he loves horror flicks and this hit the spot...

I came to the zoo on Sunday (March 9th, 2025), and understandably, it was super busy! My father, sister, niece, and two nephews came with me.

The parking lot was packed, but it was very easy to find a spot because the lot employees guided us. Thank God for them, because otherwise it would have been a sh*t show!

We all had a really fun time, especially my niece, who is 4 years old. There is a cute little wooden playhouse near the entrance that she didn't want to leave!

I was very disappointed by the prices of food and beverages, but it's kind of expected for places like this to have high-priced food. What was very upsetting was having to pay $5 for a can of Dasani water.. there are water fountains, but I don't know how filtered the water is. Especially with Covid still lurking, I personally would rather skip the fountains, but after you've spent $15 on water, you kind of have to start using them.

There was a very nice employee who provided me with a cup of ice water. I think he could tell how thirsty I was, and I must have looked desperate, lol. I'm not going to divulge anything about the employee or which place they worked in because I don't want them to get into trouble for giving out a courtesy cup of water.

Apart from my little water rant LOL it was a really fun time. My personal favorite was the alligators. They even had two employees showing real alligator/crocodile skulls to the kids and told us cool facts about them.

I would highly recommend this to anyone. It probably wouldn't be a fun solo trip, though. There is also a tram (I provided a clip of it driving past) that brings you around the zoo, which would be very helpful to someone who has...