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    The Living Desert

    4.5 (1.6k reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 1:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Samantha C.

    What an awesome experience! My inner little girl was living her best life when I got to feed the Giraffes!! Loved the openness of this Zoo. The family and I created memories that will last a lifetime. My god daughter loved the splash pad, a great touch to add for the hot weather.

    Genie L.

    The Living Desert is amazing! Such friendly staff and volunteers. Feeding the giraffes was the highlight of the visit. It's a great place for animal lovers with all types of animals like giraffes, monkeys, rhinos, birds, gazelles, zebras, wallaby, camels and so much more. Definitely bring sunscreen and a hat as it gets really hot. You can also bring water bottles to refill and outside food is allowed. Definitely coming back again!

    Patrick L.

    The Living Desert completely exceeded expectations. What I thought might be a quick walk-through turned into one of the most enjoyable and surprisingly immersive experiences I have had in a long time. Set right up against the mountains in Palm Desert, the backdrop alone is worth the visit. The whole place feels thoughtfully designed, blending into the desert landscape instead of fighting it. It is clean, well laid out, and easy to navigate, but still feels like a bit of an adventure as you move from one area to the next. The animals look well cared for and the habitats feel natural and spacious. You can tell there is real intention behind how everything is presented. Highlights for me were the giraffes, the big cats, and the variety of desert species you do not typically see. There is a strong educational component, but it never feels heavy handed. One of the best parts is just walking the grounds. The trails, the views, the quiet moments between exhibits, it all adds up. It is as much about the environment as it is about the animals. The staff and volunteers were friendly, engaged, and clearly passionate about what they do. That energy comes through and makes the experience even better. This is not just a quick stop. Plan to spend a few hours and take your time. It is relaxing, interesting, and genuinely enjoyable from start to finish. An absolute gem in the desert. Five stars.

    Carmen L.

    Finally came to check out this place. We brought our tickets online for 10am and got there a little earlier and no issue with coming in earlier. Parking was big and free. We checked our African section first as recommended by many. Suggest coming here earlier due to the heat and animals also tend to avoid the heat in the afternoon. Looks like the animals have very big space to run around and live not in cages. It's a small zoo and I think we spent about 2 hours there.

    Collette D.

    Absolutely had a great time feeding the giraffes. All the animals were out and moving about or laying out just sunbathing. The crowd was very minimum. The greetings from all the guys were very warming and informational. It was quite an experience. I highly recommend coming on a day is not too crowded where you can just kind of chill and relax and just go with the flow and don't forget to feed the giraffes.

    Tiffany W.

    We absolutely LOVED our visit to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens! It's truly perfect for all ages. Our 2 year olds had the best time seeing all the animals, and even the adults were amazed at how close we were able to get to the wallabies, cheetahs, and giraffes. We also really appreciated the military discount tickets were $39, which felt very reasonable for the experience. Plenty of free parking. We rented a double stroller for only $10.88, which ended up being a huge win. The kids loved it, and we really appreciated not having to use our own stroller especially since some areas had a lot of mud and dirt. It was so nice not worrying about getting our personal stroller wheels filthy. We had an amazing time overall. We were bummed that the butterfly exhibit wasn't available (it's currently replaced by the rhino experience), and unfortunately the rhino experience was sold out by 10:30 AM something we definitely wish we had planned for and will absolutely do next time. Note, the he goat petting experience has been changed due to goats ramming into little kids. So they separated the goats from the public but you're still able to get close in proximity to them. This is a must see stop if you're visiting the area. We can't wait to come back!

    Haleh M.

    While visiting Palm Springs we kept hearing about this Living desert wild life zoo. We decided to stop by thinking we would get to be in close proximity to the animals... turns out it's like any other zoo. The only area where the animals are roaming is the Kangaroo area in "Australia". Tickets were pretty pricey for being a zoo $40 a person to see exhibits without animals. The gift shop was also overly priced. If you have a tot make sure to bring a stroller it's a lot of walking. My kids enjoyed feeding the giraffes and riding the merry go round.

    Hollyann B.

    The Living Desert is a place I heard about for years before I finally went, and man, why didn't I go sooner? The giraffes are spectacular. You can pay a little extra to feed them. The rest of the exhibits are just as incredible. Don't skip the rehab center!

    Lam B.

    The Living Desert opens early which makes perfect sense given the desert heat. Even with the high temperatures, the animals were some of the most active and lively I've ever seen. Adult admission was $39.95, which felt a bit pricey for the hour or so we spent there, but the warm hospitality and unique animal encounters made it worthwhile. While many indoor buildings were closed during our visit, there were plenty of friendly and knowledgeable volunteers throughout the zoo who shared interesting facts and helpful suggestions. Arriving early was recommended as the animals were wide awake and ready for breakfast. The enclosures were designed with low fencing, so you can get surprisingly close to the animals. Some areas could use a bit more upkeep as we noticed cobwebs in the trees and swarms of gnats and flies near a few of the glassed-in exhibits. There was a charming little greenhouse in the back featuring a variety of cacti. The feline exhibits were remarkable as they were full of energy. The Australian section was also impressive, with kangaroos freely hopping and play-fighting a few feet away from us. The reptiles looked healthy and well cared for, basking lazily under heat lamps. There was also an animal hospital available to tour. Although we missed the peak season for seeing desert tortoises, the zoo usually runs a conservation program for them. Visitors may get to observe procedures if they're happening during the visit. The heat was definitely intense, so be prepared. Bring lots of water, sunscreen, and a hat as there wasn't much shade.

    Giraffe
    Katie J.

    This review is specifically for the WildLights (Nov 25-Dec 30, 2025). This was a special way to enjoy the holiday season! Tickets were reasonably priced ~$25 for adults. We got there a little after 6pm on a Saturday. There was still plenty of parking, and it was easy to navigate. We started out in the animal section as we wanted to catch some of them before they went to sleep. Harder to see the animals in the evening (as expected), but e were able to see pretty good views of giraffes, African wild dogs, gazelles, zebras, various birds, porcupines. The lights were beautiful throughout the zoo, with enough for kids to really enjoy the fun as well! There is a merry-go-round, a section to make smores/get hot chocolate, a Santa meet and greet, a dance floor with kid-friendly music, and interactive areas for kids to play while learning about the animals.

    Victoria B.

    We loved this zoo!! I've been seeing it on TikTok for a while & we were staying in Palm desert for my birthday. We decided to go on the last day of our trip before heading home & it was so cute. There wasn't too many people so it was pretty nice to take our time and see all the animals. I feel like this is a pretty interactive zoo! We were able to feed the giraffes for $10. Honestly was so excited because I love giraffes!! The zoo staff was also very informative and had a lot of cool info. Even the goat area, you were able to pet & comb the goats. A lot of them were just roaming around and lounging. They even had an area with wallabies where they're just free roaming and you can walk around them. This place was like a dream come true lol. Definitely the best way to end my bday trip! My fiancé and I had such a good time.

    Wallabies
    Robert B.

    The common consensus is this: The Living Desert has business being this cool! This is a must see. It's hard to over state how great this zoo is. Where to start? First, it's such a chill experience walking around and seeing the animals. Our favorites are the giraffes, which you can feed, the rhinos, and the Australia exhibit with the wallabies. They have a new family of monkeys which are the cutest! They do so much to actually help these animals, from activism, conservation, and raising money. Importantly throughout the zoo they have staffers who will just talk to you about the animals and their habitats. We go there a lot. They do a some fantastic holiday events that are so gorgeous.

    Halloween
    Saralee S.

    There's always something new at the zoo when we visited right after Halloween this year everything was decorated thematically for Halloween! We decided to go on a day when it was 94° and it turned out. It was a great decision because the zoo was almost vacant. It was right after Halloween so there weren't too many people there. Because of that we got to see a lot of the animals who were very calm in the almost deserted zoo. We saw cheetahs mole rats, and then made our way up to the new monkey pavilion and saw a whole family of monkeys that are new to the zoo. The dose they gave us a lot of information about the monkeys and when I think about it, one of the best things about this is the very friendly docent who are always happy to inform you about the animals that you are observing. We also enjoyed discovering the new Bighorn Café and got some wonderful ice creams there as a well-deserved rest from the heat. The café is located against a cliff and has a big patio area so you could eat outside or eat inside in the air conditioning. The menu includes the usual hotdog and hamburgers, but also has açaí and salad bowls. We rounded out this trip with a visit to the New Australian wallaby enclosure. We were able to go inside and see the walls up close while they hopped around the grounds. We still enjoy all the great places to sit and observe the animals. The big cedar logs and the rocking chairs are fun ways to have a little rest and watch the animals!

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    Went for their Bring Your Dog to the Zoo " day. I had a blast and highly recommend it!

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    The Living Desert Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Living Desert

    If you got ebt do you get a discount ?And do they give you a time to enter the zoo?

    People with an EBT card can purchase tickets online (https://estore.livingdesert.org/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=TLDCON&c=WEBDIS). At the entrance, they must show a valid ID and their EBT card, along with the e-tickets.

    Is the zoo stroller friendly, will a 1 & 2 year old enjoy this place?

    Smaller children love this place. Stroller and young children friendly. Strollers and those in mobility devices will appreciate the wide, stair free walkways!

    Can you bring your own food?

    Technically there's no food check when you walk in with a backpack, so I guess you can? I did bring snacks like nuts and bars

    What are the updated hours?

    7am to 1:30pm through September 30.

    Do they sell beer like they do at the san diego zoo?

    Yes. They have beer & wine at both the Thorn Tree Grill & the Kookaburra Cafe.

    How much does this cost to get in?

    About $29

    Can general admission be upgraded to membership onsite?

    Yes. We did it when we were there. They credit the entrance fee towards the membership. I'm sure it has to be the same day of visit.

    For current general admission timed tickets, what is the time window for entry? Like if your ticket is for 12pm what is the window of time you're allowed to enter the zoo?

    Not sure, but I can tell you that we arrived 15-20 minutes "late" a few weeks ago and still got in.

    Are the model trains open?

    I was there probably 2 months ago and the model trains were definitely open.

    Can you purchase food at the zoo? If not, are there places to sit and eat food brought in? Thank you.

    Yes they have food cafes at the zoo. There are tables and benches to sit and eat. They also have vending machines for drinks.

    Is this a traditional zoo, meaning they've purchased wild-trapped animals who were brought here to the enclosures? Or is it a refuge with rescued animals?

    Animals were either born in human care or rescued from the wild due to injury and rehabilitated.

    How busy does it get in the summer?

    Want busy at all when we went a few weeks ago.

    I'm planning to visit tomorrow, do you have new rules due Covid-19?

    Yes, everything for new Policies and Procedures can be found on our website Livingdesert.org/health… Read more

    Does anyone know if this place is open now ? And is there any restrictions and/ or limitations as far as petting zoos and what not?

    It is open but not sure about restrictions.

    Are there still camel rides?

    At the moment No. they have the baby camels out at the moment and you can pet and feed the babies.

    How much is general admission?

    Buy your tickets at Costco if you have a Membership. You can get 2 tickets for $22.99. Better than the admission price for adults or kids if you bought direct. Adults are $24.95, kids are $14.95 on their website or at the door.… Read more

    Is there any place to cool off between animal viewings?

    There's a restaurant, an ice cream shop, a discovery center, and possibly more places that are all indoor.

    How long does it take to experience the entire zoo?

    It can easily take 3-4 hours to experience it fully.

    What times are you able to feed giraffes during January?

    Hi Vianna! Giraffe Feeding is from 9:30am - 2:30am. If you'd like a full list of our Daily Happenings, make sure to visit out Calendar of Events on our website. Hope this helps! =)

    Aaa discount how much?

    AAA $18 with ID

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    Review Highlights - The Living Desert

    Our favorites are the giraffes, which you can feed, the rhinos, and the Australia exhibit with the wallabies.

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    We were in Palm Desert for 12 days. Upon arrival I tried unsuccessfully to get tickets for the…read moreHistoric House Tour and the Open Air Experience. The tours were either sold out or had one spot available. There were 2 of us. I would recommend purchasing tickets online before you arrive to Palm Springs because of the popularity of the tours. You cannot purchase tickets by phone, email or in person. There are no waitlists either. We walked among the garden area, visited the small but great gift shop, watched the movie about Sunnylands and viewed the current exhibition. The next time we're in the Palm Springs area I will definitely plan ahead and purchase tickets way in advance.

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    The Living Desert - zoos - Updated July 2026

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