It's a small but awesome zoo. My grandson enjoyed himself. It's not too crowded and he was able to see the animals. They were up and moving in their cages. The tiger exhibit was the highlight for us, as the tiger was out and walking in its big enclosure. Before we left we got us some braddah pops. Haven't had them in so long, it hit the spot after walking the zoo. read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Zoo sign - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We're all for paying a fee to help keep the zoo going. Today was our 1st time since they began charging. The lady at the window asked me if I was kama'aina, I said yes. She asked for ID, and saw my original Maui address. She said she had to charge me full price because my address on my license (not expired) is not a Hawai'i island address. Then, my husband presented his ID which has our Hawai'i island address and he got a discount! If you ask me, that was wrong. We were charged $17 for 2 adults. Kama'aina should be state wide! When you go to O'ahu zoo, they don't ask for your address, they see the pink license and know kama'aina. Same thing when you go Maui, they see the pink ID and they know kama'aina. read more

So we basically decided to visit Hilo just so that we could go to the zoo and see the white tiger. The zoo did not disappoint! There were so many animals and loved the fact that we were basically walking through a rainforest. It was so beautiful and peaceful just walking through the zoo. You do have to pay now to get in, but it's totally worth it. There's even an awesome playground for the kids to go to while they take a break in between visiting the animals. This zoo is highly recommended!!! read more

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I mean, how can you not give 5 stars to a free zoo?! I'm sure there are some but don't let the free admission fool you, this place is legit! Plenty of animals, a beautiful playground (the only playground we found on the Big Island), and $5 stroller car rentals! If you have a choice, come on a Saturday! Apparently, that's the only day of the week that they feed the Bengal tigers. We went in the summer so most of the animals were hiding and sleeping in the shade. So we were not able to see any tigers. I'm sure the feeding is a sight to see! We did, however, get to have a close encounter with a couple of the birds! A blue parrot and a Cockatoo! It was really need to watch them play. We couldn't touch the birds but the trainers were very kind about it and answered all the questions we had. The most excited part of our day actually was seeing a real life axolotl! It's my daughter's favorite animal! She is absolutely obsessed and where we live, they are illegal so it's very difficult to see one in person. The one at this zoo was one of the wild ones from Mexico. It was super cute! We had a great time at this zoo and would definitely visit again if we ever travel to this island again! read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Close encounter with a parrot! - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Wanting to leave Kona to see what Hilo has to offer, my wife created a small itinerary that included visits to the zoo, a museum, and a local tavern. After making the 1.5 hour scenic drive, we pulled into the parking lot of Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens. Unlike any other zoo that I've visited, as implied within its name, the zoo is literally located in the rainforest. Walking through the gift shop that serves as the entrance, we were warmly greeted by two employees who cheerfully accepted our voluntary donation. If you're a fan of birds, this zoo is pretty bird-heavy. Although not part of the exhibits, there were beautiful peacocks casually walking (I was hoping that one would spread its tail feathers). Out of the all the animals, I found myself intrigued by the tiger exhibit, specifically the white tiger. Obviously a menacing cat, I love their texture. The zoo is free (don't forget that they accept donations) and is a good spot to bring your family, you should check it out! read more

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$34 for our family to enter this charming rainforest zoo that is surprisingly packed with animals, clear signs, and fun facts (2 adults at $12 each, 2 kids at $5 each btw 6-12, no local discount since we don't live on this island). A quick 1 hour where we saw lots of colorful birds, snakes, turtles, emus, sloths, and more. We got pretty close to the bengal tiger. Our kids loved the axolotl. Very approachable for even younger kids (playground, rentable stroller etc). read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Animal whose scent smells like buttered popcorn! - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

This zoo is located in Hilo, Hawai'i surrounded by lush rainforest and offers a peaceful environment with variety of animals. Great activity for the whole family to visit. Admission used to be free, but as of September 2025 there is a cost to enter. Not too expensive, but decent affordable prices for myself and two kids total of $22. Definitely was worth checking out. We saw different exotic birds, monkeys, turtles, frogs, tigers, and much more. The zoo also offers snacks, ice creams, drinks, and souvenirs for purchase at great prices. We really enjoyed our visit and looking forward to returning in the future. read more

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Came here on a whim and so glad we did - it was a lot better than we expected. For the situation, The cages seem relatively decent size for the animals, it was almost a relief to see. We really liked seeing the tigers and they were so pretty. Lots of birds, turtles, and all sort of animals! They had a peacock and some peasants (?) walking around. The admission is free; parking lot was decent size. Also a gift shop you go through to get to the animals. They have a petting zoo on Saturday's with farm animals. read more

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Hands down, the best zoo in Hawaii not only is it FREE (donation accepted) but the animals have sooo much space and were all visible. When I found out there was a zoo in Hilo I knew we had to go! I saw all the reviews and videos raving about how many animals they saw. And they weren't lying. We literally saw every animal in every enclosure. My highlight was definitely seeing the white and orange tigers. Not only did we see both of them but, we got a picture of them right next to each other! That was sooo cool! I was probably more excited/impressed than my daughter but that's okay! She loved seeing all the different birds and reptiles. What I also love about this zoo is how much free range and space the animals have. There was so many signs that said don't feed the animals or don't stick your fingers through the fence because the animals can come right up to you. The emu, goats, and pigs were so close to us which was so cool to see up close. Lastly, they do have a petting zoo on Saturdays and have other special viewings like animal feedings and trainings. Overall, it took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes to see everything but, you could definitely spend longer here. There's lots of tables and chairs to have a picnic, and multiple playgrounds. If I lived in Hilo, I would literally go every week! read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Pueo - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Spent a day tooling around the Hilo area, and my wife found this spot. If you are into small zoos, or have kids and want something non water related to do this is great. First off, it is free. So there is that. The zoo has some endemic species and plenty of others including a couple of monkeys and (as of now) 2 tigers in a very large enclosure. They also have a petting experience where you can walk along and have short interactions with a variety of calm animals. I the kids need to run around, there is a large play are as well. read more

A donation based zoo! How cool is that? We were in Hilo for the day and the grandkid was over the ocean for the day (sunburned and tired) so we looked up attractions nearby. When this popped up we headed straight over. It had plenty of shade a playground and a gift shop with cool drinks and treats. The animal shelters and enclosures are well maintained. On Saturday they have a petting zoo where they bring out some animals for up close interaction. Would definitely recommend as a family friendly destination. Mahalo for the beautiful day :) read more

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If you're visiting the Hilo area and looking for a fun, relaxing, and educational outing, definitely make time to visit this hidden gem of a zoo. Officially known as the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo, it's one of the few zoos in the United States located in a tropical rainforest -- and best of all, admission is free. From the moment we arrived, we were impressed by how clean and well-maintained the entire property was. The zoo appears to be state-run, and you can really tell that the staff takes pride in keeping the grounds in excellent condition. The pathways are wide, smooth, and extremely accessible -- wheelchair and stroller friendly, which is a huge plus for families or anyone with mobility concerns. The variety of animals is also surprisingly good for a smaller zoo. We saw monkeys, owls, parrots, tigers, and lots of other interesting creatures. The enclosures are thoughtfully laid out, giving visitors great views without feeling overcrowded or rushed. Everything felt peaceful and inviting. This place is especially great for kids. There's a fun children's playground where little ones can burn off some energy, and plenty of shaded areas for resting or snacking. Near the entrance, there's a small but charming gift shop with reasonably priced souvenirs -- perfect for grabbing a memento of your visit. Overall, we had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this zoo to anyone spending time on the Big Island. It's a relaxing way to enjoy nature, see some amazing animals, and experience the unique beauty of Hilo's lush rainforest environment. Definitely worth a stop. read more

Best local zoo. Worth the stop en route to volcano. Unique wildlife especially bengal tigers and poison dart frogs and iguanas. Great playground for kids. Lots of monkeys too! read more

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Free entrance to the zoo?! Heck yea! Actually even when they start charging, I think it's still a good place to go. This was a good place to check out with my kids after it's been raining the night before and the morning of our first day in Hilo. This was near our rental so it was an easy drive and free parking. My kids enjoyed seeing the animals and most especially the playground. We bought some goodies to support this place. read more

This was a hidden gem in our drive to volcanos national park. It's amazing that this zoo is free and it was evident that the people who work here do it because they really love the animals and what they do. The most memorable parts of the visit for me were the colorful frog exhibits, lemurs, and tigers. The tigers out on a show for us, both Sriracha and Tzastiki were wrestling each other and strolling their enclosure when we came to watch. It was beautiful. I was also watching the lemurs for a while because they were having such fun playing around and making little cooing noises. I also loved the owl exhibit, iguanas, bear cats and alligator. read more

Beautiful zoo, free for visitors. The grounds are well manicured. You can see pride of ownership. All aspects are well cared for. The animals have roomy spaces to roam. read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Beautiful place, well manicured grounds. Good place to let your kids run. There is no charge for the zoo. - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Charging big island resident full price for such a small zoo not worth it to go. How annoying!

FREE Zoo with a wide variety of exhibits and animals. The grounds is a decent size with clearly marked paved paths. A lot of free parking nearby. It is truly an amazing zoo that is completely free. My nieces and nephews loved it. read more

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This free zoo was absolutely amazing! We went on a Sunday with only a little bit of time before we had to head back to Kona, but it was so worth it!! The grounds were so lush and well maintained, staff was so wonderful, and the animals were just gorgeous! It was crazy to see them so close up, and Tzatziki even put on a show for the few of us there. I was sad the petting zoo wasn't open, as it's only open for about an hour on Saturdays, but we still had such a fun time! We did not forget to support the zoo and got lots of goodies to bring home including a very cute zoo T-Shirt! read more

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This picturesque zoo is beautiful! It's exactly how I would have envisioned the Garden of Eden to have looked. Everywhere you look the garden is very well kept and the animals look happy and peaceful. You also cannot beat the price of "free" admission! We gave a donation at the end of our self guided tour. During our visit, we spoke to some of the staff. The employees really seem to love their jobs. We witnessed them playing and caring for the ostrich as well as the Hawaiian hawk. If we were residents, we'd frequent this zoo! It's a must-see while visiting beautiful Hilo, Hawaii. read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - White beautiful tiger! - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

What an amazing little park! It's a zoo, it's a botanical garden, it's a playground, it's free! The park is a great place to take kids. The park/grounds are beautiful, filled with tropical vegetation and flowers. The walks are paved and easily accessible for strollers or wheel chairs. For $5 you can get a turtle themed cart to push around your toddler. Most of he vegetation is well labeled. The grounds are immaculate. The zoo has a good array of interesting animals including a bengal tiger, assorted birds and monkeys, emus and much more. On Saturdays, they offer a petting zoo for the kids. The playground is by far the nicest I've seen in Hawaii. The equipment is new and clean with shade covers. There is something for all ages. Underneath the equipment is a soft matting so if the kids fall they do not get hurt. There is a large picnic pavilion that appears to be great for birthday parties. Along the path of the zoo are plenty of nice benches so you can rest or ponder the beauty of the park. There is small zoo themed gift shop that also sells soft drinks and ice cream bars. There are several sets of restroom facilities. There is limited parking but free. Get there early! read more

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This place is amazing. Far exceeded my expectations. And it is free?!? Amazing. So many animals, kind staff, not too crowded. You can get pretty close to the animals and see them eating food or playing with their friends. We came around closing but were still able to have a great time visiting. Would definitely recommend for locals or tourists in the area! read more

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Truly a hidden gem - a small, locals zoo where animals are happy and healthy, lots of places for little kids to run around. Bring water and food, nothing available at the park side from snacks in the gift shop. I love supporting this little zoo! read more

Free zoo? Well not any more I guess. We talked with some local friends about this zoo and they were kind of embarrassed by the size of it compared to the mainland zoos. Nevertheless, we always enjoy this zoo and we have had season passes to the San Diego Zoo. There's something about being in the tropical environment and seeing these animals living there that makes it special. There's peacocks roaming the grounds and we had a shower hit us, but we really enjoyed our time there. There's no food options there and a little gift shop at the entrance. read more

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I enjoyed this zoo it was my first time here and all thought it was a small zoo we got to see almost every animal there. Will definitely go back when we come back to the Big Island. I should've took more pictures. read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Alligator - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

No longer offering free admission, but still worth the visit. The animals are in a beautiful maintained space with plenty of play structures for the kids and they even offer a petting zoo on Saturdays. read more

This is a beautiful zoo! We especially loved all the animal benches that are throughout the zoo. We took a picture on each one. The animals are great, very well kept and the enclosures were clean. The gardens were also beautiful with lots of plant and flower varieties. The gift shop was nice I enjoyed that they have affordable little items for kids to buy. They also have a penny souvenir machine incase you collect those for your journal. I wish they had more postcard varieties. I saw a sign about book donations needed for their little free library but forgot to ask where it was. This Zoo is donation friendly so make sure to donate to help run it. They have a cash box as well as you can donate with your card so no excuses! read more

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I was not expecting so many wonderful birds and animals! The two tigers are beautiful, as are the parrots and other birds including an emu, so many monkeys, turtle, alligator, frogs, lizards and others. A great stop with kids (or without!), there's also playgrounds and lots of space to roam. Highly recommended read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Tiger! - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Really neat zoo that is free! They have a donation box inside the gift shop if you want to donate and support them. We saw many cool birds, a tiger, alligator, lemurs, and more! We spent an hour and a half here, and we walked very slowly and took many pictures. I loved that they even had a playground for children and many animal themed benches all over the zoo! They also have a petting zoo, but it was closed when we went. A sign said that it was open Saturdays from 1:30-2:30pm. The paths were smooth and easily stroller-able. You can also rent these little push carts for younger children for a small fee. Definitely a great place to spend an afternoon, especially if you have kids. read more

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I love this zoo. it's free. it's clean. the staff was extremely friendly. the new renovations make the zoo even more accessible. read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

A FREE ZOO! With a petting zoo option, cool playground and amazing animals. Made this a must visit on our list for Hilo. Take the kids!!!! Pack sunscreen and bug spray just in case. PLEASE MAKE A DONATION, yes it's free but this is a wonderful place read more

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It's FREE so you really can't complain. It has a WHITE tiger too! The zoo is well kept and lots of interesting animals to see. Our kids loved it. They especially loved the playground. I wish we had this on our island. read more

We had a wonderful time , entrance was free, but they do have donation boxes when you enter and leave. Donate and keep this place going. It is a beautiful zoo from the animals to their landscaping. So happy we made this one of our stops. We spent about two hours here. The little play group was perfect for all ages read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The zoo and garden is free admission and great for exercise. It's not a typical zoo, there's less animals than a traditional zoo, but they're spread out far so you get the feeling like it's a large zoo. It's definitely worth it if you've never seen it, I don't think I'd visit a second time though since there aren't a ton of animals. But for a free zoo and garden they did a great job! read more

Coming here is a must! It's free! (donations welcome) it was my first time here and we very much enjoyed walking around looking at the animals they had and the beautiful gardens. They have tables to eat at and a play ground for the kids. Would definitely recommend coming here! read more

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Free. Zoo. This zoo is free to enter and I was blown away by the amount of animals they had there and how well maintained the grounds were! We didn't see the white tiger while we were there, but the other tiger was there. There were also all kinds of other animals there, including the Hawaiian Hawk, and a bunch of peacocks that were roaming around the grounds like they owned the place (maybe they do!). I don't know where this zoo's funding comes from or if it will remain free to enter forever, but this was a nice stop in our Hilo adventure day. There's also playground equipment for the kids to play on, just like the Honolulu Zoo, but on a smaller scale. This place is kinda just outside of Hilo on the way to Volcanoes National Park. Plenty free parking in the zoo's parking lot! read more

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I have loved this zoo since visiting as a little person. Absolutely love the price (free admission, donations welcome) and the spacious walking grounds and gardens. It's not gimmicky or touristy and there aren't as many animals as any big city zoos, but it is comfortable and cute and they have a sweet playground for the kids. There is a special place in my heart for the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo. read more

Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens - Black swan at feeding time, koi pond in the background. - Zoos Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Somehow this zoo is totally free to visit. It's a spectacular visit for free, and would be a great visit even if they started charging. There are many monkeys, birds, and a few mammals to visit. The main attraction are the two Bengal Tigers which have a huge habitat. You won't find any food or drink vendors inside, but you will enter through a gift and snack shop. Restrooms are also free and located just before the entrance. Parking is also free. read more

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This zoo was pretty cute. You can tell everyone works really hard to keep it clean and put together. There was a lot to see but the map was a tad confusing in my opinion. My s/o and I kind of just walked around and bounced back and forth to take everything in. I enjoyed it. read more

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So so impressed! I cannot believe this zoo is donation based - what a great gem here on the Big Island. They have such a variety of animals that look very healthy and cared for. Full of native plants, the grounds are well kept and very clean too. A lot of places for children to be children and picnic areas. Truly a great place to visit whether visiting from afar or a local. We will be back! read more