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    El Paso Zoo

    3.5 (127 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Reviews With Photos - El Paso Zoo

    Front Entrance
    David K.

    For a local zoo, it's pretty nice. I wish the areas for each animal were a bit larger. I feel bad that they are not able to run in their enclosed areas. I visited on a Friday and it was nice because it was not crowded. All the cart stands for drinks were closed but the main restaurant and the gift shop was open. The entry fee is reasonable but the gift shop prices are pretty high. I assume the proceeds go to maintain the zoo. Over all, I enjoyed the zoo.

    Amos S.

    I absolutely love the zoo. I had forgotten (sort of), and the pandemic was a big part of that, but typically I'm even a Zoological Society Member! I just love animals. Big ones. Crafty ones. Small ones. Unique ones. Friendly ones. Ones to be feared and respected. I love animals. The El Paso zoo is not too bad (considering we live in a literal desert). They definitely have some beautiful big cats. Some elephants. Giraffes. Wolves. And, they are actually expanding! Yup, you're EP ZOO is getting bigger and will have newer and upgraded event spaces and animal sanctuaries. Hey do have food on site. Nothing special, but enough to snack on. Drinks stations and ice creams stands are littered throughout... El Paso gets HOT, so it's needed. It's very affordable - $9 per ticket with military ID, or $12 without. Go see! Go support! And go find out the mystery of the dang prairie dogs

    Selvyn C.

    Went to the zoo on Mother's Day, and my wife got in for free. Wonderful thing the zoo did. The last time I came here was 5 years ago. , the zoo felt very small. We were surprised how much the zoo has changed. It's beautiful and looks 10 times better. The animals looked happy, and the zoo felt more inviting . We were sad the train was close, but they were going to make it electrical. They are going to be adding more to the zoo, so we can't wait to come back when its all done.

    Carousel
    Katy C.

    One of the nice perks of having a membership to our local zoo in Grand Rapids is the reciprocal benefits, so often when we travel, Nate and I will look to see if there's a zoo we can visit for a discount. I had some time to kill while in town for work, so I stopped by the El Paso Zoo. With my zoo membership I got in for half off, so I only paid $6 which was a steal. There were several school groups there when I arrived, but the zoo is pretty big so I never felt overcrowded. Overall the zoo experience was just ok. I noticed that some habitats were closed or under construction, and some of the habitats were hard to see into because they were enclosed in chicken wire. The whole zoo just kind of seemed a little run down and outdated, like things hadn't been updated in awhile. It was really cool to see some animals that we don't have here, like the giraffe, zebras, elephant, and road runner. It was pretty warm so I think some of the animals were hiding out. I wasn't given a paper map of the zoo but they had a QR code you could scan. I found the online map to be a bit confusing, and signage at the zoo was a little lacking. I didn't really mind this, as I was really just wandering around at my leisure with no real need to see anything specific. I don't think I'd re-visit this zoo, but with the discount, it was a nice way to be outside and enjoying the sunshine for only $6.

    Alligator
    Kristy A.

    Husband and I love going to the zoo. This one was super fun! We had a great time! Hope to visit again soon

    Lauren S.

    For being El Paso, the zoo is such a cute little place to visit. My family bought the yearly membership and we have utilized it. The wolf pack package was for 2 adults and 5 kiddos. We bring family here because they have discounts for senior citizens and offers something to do. The animal exhibits are gems. My favorite are the jaguars. At certain times, they offer different shows. We watched the jaguar get his daily check up while being educated about Guapo and Luna. These shows are at limited capacity so get there early! My family and I walked around all the exhibits before my children's grand finale, the tree house playground and splash pad. The fact that you can bring your own food and drinks in a rarity. It saves us so much money. The zoo is clean and big treat for El Paso.

    Danielle G.

    We went to the zoo this morning and had a blast. We went right when they opened at 9:00am so it wouldn't be too hot outside. The high is 94 today. We really enjoyed looking at all the animals!

    Tiam L.

    This was a cool zoo. It wasn't huge but wasn't too small. Sometimes when zoos are too big it can just be a bit overwhelming but I did enjoy the size of this one. My biggest and only qualm was that so many of the animals were not there. Would have loved to see animals we typically wouldn't see in DFW since we were visiting ELP. Had there been more of the animals that were listed in the guide, it would have been a better visit especially considering we were all still charged full admission and hours were cut a bit short on the day we visited. Gift shop was pretty cool. All of their stuffed animals on the wall were 2 for $40.

    Jennifer D.

    A beautifully set up zoo! Exceeded expectations! So many different animals - Zebras, hippos, tigers, seals, lions, orangutans, giraffes, penguins and more. A lovely playground to stop with the kiddos. You can even adopt a household cat at the zoo!! The bird exhibit was amazing! You can walk into it and get up close with some of the birds! Everything was well kept. The parking lot was also set up so nicely to have walking spaces between the parking so you don't walk where people are driving. I only wish there were more El Paso zoo branded souvenirs at the gift shop. There were mainly just toys in the gift shop.

    Handsome, the cat I adopted.
    Kendra S.

    Animals kinda look bored, but it's not the zoos fault at all. Staff are very friendly, a good time to talk to. Loved seeing their wolf rehabilitation habitat the most. I also adopted a sweet cat from there, his name was Handsome, but I renamed him Pluto. He's an absolute love bug!! Didn't get to try the restaurants that were there because I got there on a rainy day, sadly, so no update there. Loved that they discount locals as well as military! Had a good time with my friend, and I'm so very sad that their sunbear didn't beat her battle with cancer. Condolences to the staff.

    Jenny L.

    The El Paso Zoo had a Lunar New Year event this morning. I didn't know we had 2 tigers! It's the year of the Tiger. Next week the Museum of History has a take home virtual event. Check it out here: https://www.todoelpaso.com/event/lunar-new-year-celebration-2022/

    Very active! Entertaining!
    Rachel B.

    The El Paso Zoo is an unsung adventure in the El Paso scene. I have visited the zoo twice and both times had a positive experience. I also follow the El Paso Zoo on Facebook and they are so entertaining! Seriously whoever is doing there marketing is killin' it right now. A constant source of comedy! The bathrooms are clean - the cleanest I have ever seen at a zoo! Tons of cute photo opp spots all over the zoo. There were eateries available but I can't say the food options seemed all that great. Mostly sandwiches and snack foods. Although I do enjoy dippin dots - ALWAYS GOOD! I visited during Halloween and there were lots of themed decorations everywhere for those into holidays. There are lots of informative well placed plaques to learn about the animals at each enclosure. I am not a veterinarian but I think the animal enclosures look well cared for. The animals look healthy. Of course there are some areas that need renovation such as the seal enclosure. And there are lots of areas already in renovation BUT once those areas get fixed up I am confident the El Paso Zoo will be even better. There were even security guards around the premises that allow you to feel safe. I highly recommend the El Paso Zoo!

    There are some nice things about this zoo, like the splash pad and big treehouse playground.. but then there are other things that make it feel like this isn't worth your money. Half of the exhibits don't have animals in them and then the sea lions water has not been cleaned in (what looks like) YEARS! The water is completely green you can't even see through it, and even when you go on top the windows haven't been cleaned so you can hardly see through them! It makes me sad for the sea lions. Also, the train hasn't been running for 2 years lol. I think they could do things that would make this zoo a lot nicer.. just even by keeping areas clean and kept up :)

    Monkey

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    9 years ago

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    2 years ago

    pretty good my friends liked it and the staff was good and nice and the food was yuumm

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    5 years ago

    This is by far one of the nicest zoo's we've been to! The exhibits are very large & spacious for the animals. Everything is so beautiful!

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    Jungle Reef

    Jungle Reef

    3.4
    (29 reviews)
    6.6 mi

    Took my special needs daughter who is in a wheelchair and we had a blast!! Birds literally eating…read moreout of her hand, petting zoo, snakes to pet, lizards, so many different fish to feed. I know some people said it was pricey, but honestly the day-to-day budget to keep this open must be a fortune! It was 4 of us and we spent 90$ but we bought a stuffed animal and we fed a ton of animals! Its 10 for children & 14 for adults. And 1.50=1 token and 1 token to feed animals. I thought it was very reasonable! It could have been a lot less if we hadn't bought the toy and fed so many animals. I really hope this place makes it because El Paso doesn't have a lot like this to offer!!

    I wish I could say our trip to Jungle Reef Aquarium was memorable for the right reasons, but…read moreunfortunately it was more like watching a slow‑motion disaster while feeling absolutely nothing. My grandma spent most of the visit loudly pointing out the animal welfare issues -- tanks that looked too small, creatures that didn't seem healthy, and enclosures that felt more like afterthoughts than habitats. She wasn't wrong, but it definitely set the tone. Then my mom went to the bathroom and came out pale, insisting there was an escaped snake curled up behind the toilet. Staff didn't seem particularly alarmed, which somehow made it worse. Meanwhile, I just stood there watching the whole scene unfold with the emotional investment of a houseplant. If you're looking for an aquarium that feels safe, well‑maintained, and properly managed, I'd strongly recommend looking elsewhere.

    Photos
    Bird feeding station
    Bird feeding station
    Sting Ray
    Sting Ray
    Jungle Reef

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    Brew at the Zoo

    Brew at the Zoo

    4.3
    (4 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    The first annual Brew at the Zoo! To sum it up in one word: (in my Stewie Griffin voice) Excellent…read more First off, who doesn't like beer? No one, that's who. Okay that's a stretch, but even for those who aren't keen on sampling ten different craft beers of their choosing, Brew at the Zoo offered wine. And boy did that wine go fast. I'm a big kid at heart and I absolutely love the zoo so when I found out that the El Paso Zoo was hosting an after-hours adult event I was elated! The cool part was there were animal encounters throughout the night... only animals that could be up in the wee hours of the night like the lizards and snakes, but the elephants were out and about too which was awesome. I didn't mind that a majority of the animals were sleeping away hidden from the public eye, but I would've liked for them to keep the entire zoo open so you could've caught a glimpse or two of the animals that are always on display like the sea lions. The animal encounters were kind of cool because you got to take pictures with the different reptiles (but no touching... which is understandable because of the size of the event). But you came to this review for the beer. The beer was awesome! I got introduced to a lot of different brews and left with some awesome knowledge like the fact that there's a store in EP where you can buy all the brewing supplies you would need to make your own stuff at home. So cool! There were quite a few different vendors and they were from all over the country. I'm sure they'll add more breweries next year, but honestly there was enough as is. And you also had the option to purchase the actual beers. Next year I'd just like to see more wine especially since there's a list of wineries nearby. There was food on hand, but only out of their cafes and a few stands. And it was very limited. Brats and pretzels were available in their cafes. The brats were pretty good (cut in half for some reason... even though you could only order two at a time). I picked up some chicharrones (sp?) and you know, they were chicharrones. There were a couple of other options, but I think they could benefit greatly from getting the Food Truck Circus involved next year... just saying. Options are nice. This event was one of my favorite events in El Paso. I hope they do this every year and I can only imagine it getting bigger and better every time.

    I like beer and I'm always looking for new and exciting places to drink it, that's why I was very…read moreexcited when our wonderful Yelp ambassador Tanya shared this event. At first, the price of admission seemed a little steep, but any such worries quickly dissipated once I learned that the proceeds benefited the EP Zoological Society, so it is fundraising for a worthwhile cause. Ultimately the $35 price of admission is similar to what other craft beer events in EP and you get just as many samples. The brewery lineup was very good, mostly from Texas, like Adelbert's (shout out to the 512!), but with a good number of other states well represented. We weren't expecting to discover anything new but we were pleasantly surprised to see Nebraska Brewing which was new to us. I think this event would be better in the afternoon rather than at night, that way we can check out the zoo's exhibits during the event. I really had a fun time, 2015 was the first year and I'm hoping for many future ones. The folks who put it together clearly worked very hard and they successfully sold out the event, I hope they take my feedback as constructive suggestions, I'm not mentioning them for the sake of being critical. Loved, loved, LOVED the no kids allowed policy!

    Photos
    With the Brew at the Zoo lion!
    With the Brew at the Zoo lion!
    Brew at the Zoo
    In the treehouse!

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    In the treehouse!

    El Paso Zoo - aquariums - Updated July 2026

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