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Another trip and another zoo to knock off the bucket list. We arrived at Artis a little after the doors opened and it was already pretty packed. One super cool thing about this zoo is that when you walk in, there's a planetarium (sadly, only the little kid show was happening during my visit). My wife and I spent about two hours walking around this zoo and had a pretty solid time doing such. The highs for me included the gorilla exhibit, the red panda, the butterfly room, and the giant birds that were just flying around and landing in all the other animals areas. Did I see everything? No, we didn't go into the bird building and kinda skipped off the reptile exhibit due to some small time restraints but both buildings looked nice enough. Although this definitely wasn't my favourite zoo in Europe so far, it was pretty simple to navigate and had a large amount of animals to look at and see. Overall, Artis is a nice little zoo located in the middle of Amsterdam. The zoo itself is pretty nice and features a lot of different activities, snacks, and a pretty good sized gift shop as well. Would I come back? Sure, as long as the adorable red panda is still around I'll for sure visit on my next visit.
You need fairly good weather to enjoy the Artis Zoo, not so much for yourself as for the animals. They were languishing in the heat of an 85F day. The highlights for us: - The giraffes, zebras and antelopes enjoying each other's company in the same enclosure. This bunch seemed to be weathering the weather better than most. - The sweet butterfly garden. - The sea lions could have cared less about the heat and watching them play at deep water level was a hoot. - The enormous collection of giant tortoises lolling about. - The tiny wallabies appeared to appreciate the heat. A massive new enclosure for lions and tigers is under construction. Note that Artis is next door to the Horticus Botanicus (Botanical Gardens), a worthwhile visit. Walk a block away from here for an extra good Australian style lunch at Box Sociaal.
The Artis Zoo in Netherlands was a nice experience with a few animal exhibits that really stood out as world class. The most impressive was the elephant exhibit which featured a large and deep pond where I watched an elephant play and swim for 15 minutes. Rarely do you see that type of joyful behavior from elephants in zoos. The whole herd behaved as closely to a wild herd as I'd ever seen in a zoo. Some of the exhibits weren't as modern and the route to get around the zoo required some backtracking. Definitely a mix of an old historic zoo with more progressive modern exhibits, but you could see and feel that it is headed in the right direction. I look forward to going back next time i'm in Amsterdam!
What a cool zoo! Being foreigner I found it super fun to see unique animals I haven't seen before. My kids loved it! We got their via our bikes which made parking easy. My only complaint would be the price for tourists, 20 Euros for kids 3 and up, 25 for adults. Despite the high price I thought it was worth it. Some highlights were the fact they had an aquarium and a really cool park for kids in addition to all the other animals. The park had a huge slide that the kids got to via a huge rope playground. Another unique quality was that for instance the wallabies were loose in an area you could walk through. It created a more intimate environment to see the animals. I would recommend coming visiting here especially if you have kids!
Artis is a fantastic zoo just east of central Amsterdam. The grounds aren't massive (being a city zoo), but they're densely packed with all sorts of creatures. Enjoy elephants, giraffes, vultures, sea lions, penguins, and more. The zoo is extremely lush and navigation is a bit complex, meaning every corner brings a new surprise -- but also meaning it's easy to get lost, so bring a map and stick close to your friends! I spent about three hours here, so if you're on a schedule, consider prioritizing which animals to see and bee-lining straight to them. Overall a great visit!
Let me start by saying this: I don't support keeping animals in captivity unless there is reasoning behind it, but my cousin really wanted to come here on our trip. I put my own feelings aside for this and made an exception for her, as she had never been to a zoo. I wanted her to form her own opinion on the whole matter. The zoo itself is grand, and much larger than I thought it would be. The grounds are something out of a dream - greenery everywhere, gorgeous architecture, and tons of quiet space. Nothing like the zoos here in NYC. The only NYC zoo that could come remotely close to Artis is the Central Park Zoo which is much smaller and much more crowded. This zoo provides a much different experience. Although beautiful, I was still a little heartbroken to see the lions in cages that were too small, and the elephant sadly swaying with a "get me out of here" face. I really couldn't bear it. That's when I was able to talk to a sweet woman who worked at the zoo. I asked her about the lemurs who are allowed to roam free in certain areas, and I asked her if they were recent rescues. She mentioned that they're an endangered species and the lemur we were looking at had lost his parents, so that's when the zoo stepped in to make sure he had a home AND that this species doesn't go extinct. That made me feel better about this particular animal, but I still couldn't shake the sadness in the eyes of the lions and elephants. Do what you will with that, but those are my personal feelings. I did see that some other smaller animals were very playful and had adequate space to roam. This is why I'm so torn about the whole "zoo" idea. Whether you want to debate about the ethics or not, it cannot be denied that the space itself is quite lavish and lush, and the grounds are indeed beautiful. Entry here will set you back about 25€ pp for adults. It's certainly a unique experience.
Artis is by far one of the nicer zoos I've been to. Being a rainy, November day I was quite pleased to see how much each member of our group enjoyed it. The aquarium was informative of the canals and which marine life can be found in them. There was a wide variety of animals and what I found the most interesting was how different species were kept together or nearby. For zoo enclosures, each pen seemed very thoughtfully laid out to meet the animals' needs as best as could be for captivity. I also thought it was neat that some enclosures used water as barriers instead of fencing. The highlight was probably the indoor area where the animals are literally running, jumping, hanging out within touch of you. Tiny monkeys, reptiles, bats, etc. I also liked watching the gorillas. I probably could've spent an entire day watching the mother and baby and the huge silverback. Watching the tot gorillas rough play was amusing too. Every staff member we came in contact with was so pleasant and truly seemed to enjoy their job. Definitely recommend. (** least favorite part was the atrium, but that's personal preference- the birds are flying all around you allowing the possibility to be pooped on. heh)
I saw dead baby mice about to be fed to reptiles. You ain't never gonna see that at the Bronx Zoo, yo. Oh yeah, I saw a llama shoot like 100 chocolate pebbles out its azz. That was cool. Camels, elephants, llamas, goats, baboons, bulls, lions, leopards, turtles, lizards, gators, snakes, spiders, birds, and friggin foreigners...its all here. These lil penguins run at you. No joke. I was scurrred.
Not very big but quite entertaining zoo. The ticket is a bit pricy (24€ for adults), but the experience is worth it. It follows the best practices of European zoos: animals walking freely, no bars or cages. You can see the animals in their natural habitant. It also has a planetarium (the shows there have their own timetable) and an aquarium with sea lions and many fishes and other sea creatures and plants.
Love- Love- Love this ZOO! A full sized zoo in the middle of Amsterdam! Impressive! Starting with a 2€ donation, I opened my huge colorful map and began to explore. I started with the outer perimeter and worked my way in 4 hours. Went on a weekday, busy with kids and dey camps, but fear not, it was more calm and organized than expected. Highlights : Giraffes, beautiful creatures that would tower over us and look down at us in wonder. The elephants were beautiful, wish they were closer to photograph. The small primates house was cool, you're able to get up close and touch a sleeping sloth, curled on a tree branch, small monkeys ran and played inches above your head. Beware, they pee often and freely, peeing on two women who were unaware. * yuck* There is a large bird house with birds flying freely which was cool. Butterfly house was nice, I found there to be more moths than colorful butterflies. Kangaroos were cool to see. The big cats were sleepy on this chilly grey afternoon. Vultures exhibit had actual carcass' of smaller birds and rodents, amazing and disturbing at the same time. Least fave was the Aquarium. Being to many aquariums both international and domestic, I was disappointed with this exhibit as a whole. The lighting is dark in most of the exhibit which takes away from the beauty of the fish, also makes it a walking hazard. The quality of the water was sad, the aquariums seem neglected. Cloudy, murky and dark shouldn't be what you see at an aquarium. The diversity of the fish was nice, I hope they work on this. A lot of empty, abandoned cages where birds used to be. There is a lot of construction going on, building bigger and better. This zoo has a lot of places to sit and eat, more than I have ever seen and a bit pricey. Highlight- saw the camels. People were yelling for their attention, no response. I walked over, yea you know....I did it.. I said " What day is it?" and the sitting camel turned over and looked. lol. hilarious. leave it to an american.....got the pic though! Would come again, early in the day and hopefully after construction is completed. Not all signs/ information placards are in English, so often you're not able to read/understand what your seeing.
I haven't been to the zoo in a very, very long time, and my decision to visit this one was a bit of a surprise. My plane arrived early in the day, so I got to my hotel well before the room was ready. I was able to stash my luggage in the housekeeping area until check-in, but what's to do with myself for five hours? Enter Artis. Located just had a block from my hotel, this was a natural choice. It's probably not exactly what you have in mind when you think of a zoo. Instead, it seems more like a giant, beautifully-maintained park full of gardens that happens to contain animal exhibits, a planetarium, playgrounds, and fun interactive things for kiddos and the young at heart. (I am DELIGHTED that the tulips are still going strong.) As soon as you enter the park, you pass through some absolutely lovely flowerbeds, complete with benches for basking in their beauty. From there, you have your choice: there are so many things to see and do! In addition to the habitats that have multiple layers of fencing (and/or moats, and/or electrical fences, and/or signs warning about sharp beaks, teeth, and claws--I'm looking at you, jaguar and griffin vulture), there are some habitats that let you get up close to the animals, too. There's a lemur zone, where the lemurs lounge in trees just next to the path. There are indoor areas where you can walk right through a primate habitat or bird habitat. There's a butterfly habitat! It's a real treat, and everywhere you go, there are helpful people ready to tell you the funny story about how a bad taxidermy job got the emperor tamirin its name or point out the adorable Pygmy marmoset hanging out right next to you. It really is a wonderful place, ideal for kids and adults, groups and singles, and anyone who loves nature. It's a really nice group of guests--everyone is kind, and people are happy to point out the bird that is hiding behind the bush or the frog that is in that rolled-up leaf, and the youngest guests get super excited when you point out the massive walking stick or the capybara that is taking a nap right next to the fence. I got lots of steps in and enjoyed every minute of it. Absolutely recommend. read more
Artis Zoo completely surprised me in the best way and ended up being one of my favorite experiences in Amsterdam. From the moment you walk in, it feels less like a typical zoo and more like a beautifully designed park that just happens to be filled with animals. The grounds are stunning, with wide walking paths, old trees, and historic buildings that give it a really unique charm you don't usually get at zoos. The enclosures are thoughtfully done, and you can tell there's a real focus on animal care and creating natural environments. There's a great mix of animals too, from the big, iconic ones to smaller, more unique species that are just as interesting to watch. What really stood out was how peaceful it felt. Even with other visitors around, it never felt chaotic or overcrowded, which made it easy to take your time and actually enjoy each area. It's the kind of place where you can wander for hours without realizing how much time has passed. If you're visiting Amsterdam, I can't recommend Artis enough. It's the perfect mix of relaxing, interesting, and genuinely enjoyable -- whether you're into animals or just want a beautiful place to spend a few hours. read more
Fascinating zoo. Almost everything is outside in the open. It wasn't busy. Probably because it was super hot (about 97 degrees). It's an amazing zoo! I was able to see every span of animal from every continent. My personal favorites was the zebras and elephants. They were even feeding and giving the elephants showers when I was there. The butterfly house was extremely humid, so be prepared. you'll be here for awhile. I loved it. read more
Another trip and another zoo to knock off the bucket list. We arrived at Artis a little after the doors opened and it was already pretty packed. One super cool thing about this zoo is that when you walk in, there's a planetarium (sadly, only the little kid show was happening during my visit). My wife and I spent about two hours walking around this zoo and had a pretty solid time doing such. The highs for me included the gorilla exhibit, the red panda, the butterfly room, and the giant birds that were just flying around and landing in all the other animals areas. Did I see everything? No, we didn't go into the bird building and kinda skipped off the reptile exhibit due to some small time restraints but both buildings looked nice enough. Although this definitely wasn't my favourite zoo in Europe so far, it was pretty simple to navigate and had a large amount of animals to look at and see. Overall, Artis is a nice little zoo located in the middle of Amsterdam. The zoo itself is pretty nice and features a lot of different activities, snacks, and a pretty good sized gift shop as well. Would I come back? Sure, as long as the adorable red panda is still around I'll for sure visit on my next visit. read more
3 years ago
You need fairly good weather to enjoy the Artis Zoo, not so much for yourself as for the animals. They were languishing in the heat of an 85F day. The highlights for us: - The giraffes, zebras and antelopes enjoying each other's company in the same enclosure. This bunch seemed to be weathering the weather better than most. - The sweet butterfly garden. - The sea lions could have cared less about the heat and watching them play at deep water level was a hoot. - The enormous collection of giant tortoises lolling about. - The tiny wallabies appeared to appreciate the heat. A massive new enclosure for lions and tigers is under construction. Note that Artis is next door to the Horticus Botanicus (Botanical Gardens), a worthwhile visit. Walk a block away from here for an extra good Australian style lunch at Box Sociaal. read more
The Artis Zoo in Netherlands was a nice experience with a few animal exhibits that really stood out as world class. The most impressive was the elephant exhibit which featured a large and deep pond where I watched an elephant play and swim for 15 minutes. Rarely do you see that type of joyful behavior from elephants in zoos. The whole herd behaved as closely to a wild herd as I'd ever seen in a zoo. Some of the exhibits weren't as modern and the route to get around the zoo required some backtracking. Definitely a mix of an old historic zoo with more progressive modern exhibits, but you could see and feel that it is headed in the right direction. I look forward to going back next time i'm in Amsterdam! read more
2 years ago
Wonderful zoo wow! With great student discounts too! Recommend to tourists! Butterflies were to die for! read more
What a cool zoo! Being foreigner I found it super fun to see unique animals I haven't seen before. My kids loved it! We got their via our bikes which made parking easy. My only complaint would be the price for tourists, 20 Euros for kids 3 and up, 25 for adults. Despite the high price I thought it was worth it. Some highlights were the fact they had an aquarium and a really cool park for kids in addition to all the other animals. The park had a huge slide that the kids got to via a huge rope playground. Another unique quality was that for instance the wallabies were loose in an area you could walk through. It created a more intimate environment to see the animals. I would recommend coming visiting here especially if you have kids! read more
Artis is a fantastic zoo just east of central Amsterdam. The grounds aren't massive (being a city zoo), but they're densely packed with all sorts of creatures. Enjoy elephants, giraffes, vultures, sea lions, penguins, and more. The zoo is extremely lush and navigation is a bit complex, meaning every corner brings a new surprise -- but also meaning it's easy to get lost, so bring a map and stick close to your friends! I spent about three hours here, so if you're on a schedule, consider prioritizing which animals to see and bee-lining straight to them. Overall a great visit! read more
7 years ago
Let me start by saying this: I don't support keeping animals in captivity unless there is reasoning behind it, but my cousin really wanted to come here on our trip. I put my own feelings aside for this and made an exception for her, as she had never been to a zoo. I wanted her to form her own opinion on the whole matter. The zoo itself is grand, and much larger than I thought it would be. The grounds are something out of a dream - greenery everywhere, gorgeous architecture, and tons of quiet space. Nothing like the zoos here in NYC. The only NYC zoo that could come remotely close to Artis is the Central Park Zoo which is much smaller and much more crowded. This zoo provides a much different experience. Although beautiful, I was still a little heartbroken to see the lions in cages that were too small, and the elephant sadly swaying with a "get me out of here" face. I really couldn't bear it. That's when I was able to talk to a sweet woman who worked at the zoo. I asked her about the lemurs who are allowed to roam free in certain areas, and I asked her if they were recent rescues. She mentioned that they're an endangered species and the lemur we were looking at had lost his parents, so that's when the zoo stepped in to make sure he had a home AND that this species doesn't go extinct. That made me feel better about this particular animal, but I still couldn't shake the sadness in the eyes of the lions and elephants. Do what you will with that, but those are my personal feelings. I did see that some other smaller animals were very playful and had adequate space to roam. This is why I'm so torn about the whole "zoo" idea. Whether you want to debate about the ethics or not, it cannot be denied that the space itself is quite lavish and lush, and the grounds are indeed beautiful. Entry here will set you back about 25€ pp for adults. It's certainly a unique experience. read more
6 years ago
Artis is by far one of the nicer zoos I've been to. Being a rainy, November day I was quite pleased to see how much each member of our group enjoyed it. The aquarium was informative of the canals and which marine life can be found in them. There was a wide variety of animals and what I found the most interesting was how different species were kept together or nearby. For zoo enclosures, each pen seemed very thoughtfully laid out to meet the animals' needs as best as could be for captivity. I also thought it was neat that some enclosures used water as barriers instead of fencing. The highlight was probably the indoor area where the animals are literally running, jumping, hanging out within touch of you. Tiny monkeys, reptiles, bats, etc. I also liked watching the gorillas. I probably could've spent an entire day watching the mother and baby and the huge silverback. Watching the tot gorillas rough play was amusing too. Every staff member we came in contact with was so pleasant and truly seemed to enjoy their job. Definitely recommend. (** least favorite part was the atrium, but that's personal preference- the birds are flying all around you allowing the possibility to be pooped on. heh) read more
I saw dead baby mice about to be fed to reptiles. You ain't never gonna see that at the Bronx Zoo, yo. Oh yeah, I saw a llama shoot like 100 chocolate pebbles out its azz. That was cool. Camels, elephants, llamas, goats, baboons, bulls, lions, leopards, turtles, lizards, gators, snakes, spiders, birds, and friggin foreigners...its all here. These lil penguins run at you. No joke. I was scurrred. read more
7 years ago
Not very big but quite entertaining zoo. The ticket is a bit pricy (24€ for adults), but the experience is worth it. It follows the best practices of European zoos: animals walking freely, no bars or cages. You can see the animals in their natural habitant. It also has a planetarium (the shows there have their own timetable) and an aquarium with sea lions and many fishes and other sea creatures and plants. read more
12 years ago
11 years ago
Love- Love- Love this ZOO! A full sized zoo in the middle of Amsterdam! Impressive! Starting with a 2€ donation, I opened my huge colorful map and began to explore. I started with the outer perimeter and worked my way in 4 hours. Went on a weekday, busy with kids and dey camps, but fear not, it was more calm and organized than expected. Highlights : Giraffes, beautiful creatures that would tower over us and look down at us in wonder. The elephants were beautiful, wish they were closer to photograph. The small primates house was cool, you're able to get up close and touch a sleeping sloth, curled on a tree branch, small monkeys ran and played inches above your head. Beware, they pee often and freely, peeing on two women who were unaware. * yuck* There is a large bird house with birds flying freely which was cool. Butterfly house was nice, I found there to be more moths than colorful butterflies. Kangaroos were cool to see. The big cats were sleepy on this chilly grey afternoon. Vultures exhibit had actual carcass' of smaller birds and rodents, amazing and disturbing at the same time. Least fave was the Aquarium. Being to many aquariums both international and domestic, I was disappointed with this exhibit as a whole. The lighting is dark in most of the exhibit which takes away from the beauty of the fish, also makes it a walking hazard. The quality of the water was sad, the aquariums seem neglected. Cloudy, murky and dark shouldn't be what you see at an aquarium. The diversity of the fish was nice, I hope they work on this. A lot of empty, abandoned cages where birds used to be. There is a lot of construction going on, building bigger and better. This zoo has a lot of places to sit and eat, more than I have ever seen and a bit pricey. Highlight- saw the camels. People were yelling for their attention, no response. I walked over, yea you know....I did it.. I said " What day is it?" and the sitting camel turned over and looked. lol. hilarious. leave it to an american.....got the pic though! Would come again, early in the day and hopefully after construction is completed. Not all signs/ information placards are in English, so often you're not able to read/understand what your seeing. read more
6 years ago
9 years ago
Very surprised with the beauty of the park in the middle of Amsterdam! They have a nice restaurant next to the entrance where you can come and enjoy the few birds and flamingos without buying a ticket to the zoo. Inside is a lot of nature, many benches just to sit down and enjoy the views. I loved the Butterfly place and also an Aquarium (many times better than the "Sea life" in Scheveningen). I visited park on Sunday from 10:30 till 15:00 and it wasn't super crowded, so you really could enjoy every view without being pushed of other people. They also have nice places to eat inside and prices are not as expensive as you would expect for the Amsterdam. Very recommended place to spend your day! read more
13 years ago
11 years ago
I'm not sure if you can say all that much about a zoo other than the fact that it is a zoo. Okay, this is a pretty old zoo, apparently one of the oldest in Europe, however it is still basically a zoo. Mind you, when you like animals, especially exotic animals, then all zoos can be pretty amazing. That was the case for my brother, and the main reason we came here was so he could see the animals. The collection is fairly broad, and they even have an aquarium, and an aivery. The other cool thing, like a lot of zoos, is that they have a recommended path for you to follow so that you can pretty much see all of the animals on display. Like a lot of zoos they also have feeding times, but you generally need to be there at the right time to see it, and they do tend to get pretty crowded as well. As a zoo it was okay, but not fantastic, namely because most of it was looking at animals in cages - well not cages per se, but similar. read more
14 years ago
12 years ago
7 years ago
Wonderful grounds which are home to a zoo, aquarium, and planetarium. Zoo offers a variety of large mammals, butterfly enclosure, pair of beautiful jaguars, tank display with fish native to the area. Several dining options or pack your own picnic. I highly suggest spending a few hours at Artis! read more
12 years ago
11 years ago
For a zoo in the middle of a city, there was quite a bit to explore. For all the spots they were selling food or souvenirs, you can't help but wish they gave that real estate to the animals to have more space to roam. Another place where admission is free with a city pass. read more
10 years ago
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