First time in Ohio and it has a great zoo! The weather was awful and muggy but aside from that, it was a lot of fun! Parking is $11 and they do not accept cash. It isn't worth buying your admission ticket beforehand because you have to wait in the long line to get in. Only members have a shorter line. The security gates are before the admission and once you pay for your ticket, you walk into the smaller side of the zoo. We purchased tickets for the train ride ($3.50 a person) so we could beat a long line and we were so glad we did because when we got off (around 11amish, it was such a long line)!! The most disappointing thing to me was you literally cannot walk up to see the Giraffes unless you pay to feed them. That was really lame. You should still be able to see them. I enjoyed the other side of the zoo more. The food was okay (got a southwest wrap and it was delicious but pretty pricey at $13.50). You can't warm the wraps unfortunately and they come from a refridgerated section. I got a smoothie/slushy for $8 so that wasn't too bad and it was refreshing since it was such a hot day! The ladies working there were super nice too! Overall, would definitely come back! I enjoyed the Aviary section the most because I love birds and I appreciated how you can walk through the bird sections and take pics of them up close (they aren't caged). Super cool! The Aquarium was really fun too! read more

See all

This zoo is truly for people and not the animals. The aquarium is quite nice, and so is the Natural History Museum. The larger animals have very little room in their exhibits. Being able to see them so up close is very cool but the price the animals pay for that is devastating to say the least. A polar bear was going through active zoochosis. The dingo was very skinny and borderline emaciated. The indoor portion of the orangutan exhibit was VERY small and depressing. The staff members were very dismissive and literally falling asleep at the counters. I attended on a Wednesday morning in the summer, yet A LOT of exhibits, snack huts, and restaurants were closed which is disappointing after spending $32 to get in and $11 to park. I would honestly save my money and go to the Detroit Zoo any day. read more

There are some things that shine, like feeding the giraffes, although that does cost money and card no cash! The aquarium was nice but I was hoping they'd have the tunnel you walk thorough with fish all around you. Biggest regret were the big animals. A Bull Elephant was solo and neurotic, just bouncing back and forth because he was alone. There were only two other elephants a mom and baby (probably why the bull was separated but still!) a solo orangutan was in poor health and again, alone, which causes neurosis as well. The lone dingo looked like he was on death's door as well. Very emaciated and coughing. Again, totally alone. Zoos should work more toward animal welfare. I know there are groups calling for an end to zoos but if they are done well and animals healthy, they are necessary to give the majority of folks who will never be able to afford a trip to Africa and idea of what the world is losing. They also serve to potentially salvage a species like the przewalski's horse that was successfully rescued through careful breeding programs and now are being introduced back into the wild. Sad we drove all that way to see a zoo in decline! Oh and again, NO CASH ONLY CARDS FOR EVERYTHING so be prepared! read more

The Toledo Zoo is a fun visit. They now offer walking before the zoo opens as long as you register and leave before 9AM. There's lots to see and do at the zoo. We buy a membership every year and it's worth it! If you haven't done so, give it a try. read more

Very disappointing we were told at the gate that most of the animals aren't there. We got in all the concessions are closed up you can't get nothing to drink without walking a mile. I will never go back to the zoo again and I will not recommend it to anyone!!!!! read more

Been going here since I was a kid! Employees were friendly and helpful. The zoo itself is gorgeous and well maintained. The architecture of the buildings is a big eye catcher and something I hope they always keep. The aquarium is amazing, probably my favorite place in the whole zoo. I loved that we got to witness a one on one at the Arctic Encounter. There are so many animals but it's a little disappointing that they aren't always out. I understand there's reasons for that but I would have loved to see more! I cannot wait for the reptile exhibit to open back up. That used to be one of my favorites as well. They have a lot to see for everyone like the green house and amphitheater for concerts. It's not too pricey which is a plus but I'd definitely recommend investing in a membership so you can go for all of their seasonal events. read more

The Toledo Zoo - So many gorgeous little gems in the zoo - Zoos Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

I really do like this zoo. grew up going to it. But today I had the most irritating/frustrating experience of my life. We got to the zoo at 11 am. waited in a line to park for 20 mins. Then walked in. Waited in line to pay for another 30 minutes. which I understand. okay. it's busy. But. Everything was good. went to order a burger from the food place (2 burgers was 42$ absolutely insane). waited FORTY MINUTES for my food. i asked nicely the first 2 times. They kept skipping over my order. people who came AFTER me got their food FIRST. I don't usually get irritated and upset with people in food industries but I had 2 kids with me that were getting fussy. I was pissed. Then of course food was cold Then after 2 hours of waiting for food and eating it, we went to the aquarium and it was closed. At 3 pm. We didn't even get a chance to do anything else because no animals were out and we were frustrated. I want my money back. I'm so irritated with this zoo's quality the last few years. I wanna come back but not if I'm gonna spend another 150$ to be disappointed again. read more

This is a really solid zoo. It gets a lot of points for its beautiful vintage architecture. This is a very old zoo that has been updated very effectively This was a spring break trip and I don't think they are fully ready for the warmer months as there were a lot of exhibits that were closed, including the reptile house which I was looking forward to. But after an initial disappointment, I then discovered how much this place really does have to offer There were still plenty of venomous snakes to look at in the natural history building It had one of the best gorilla houses that I have seen The aquarium was very good, but I thought kind of small The free parking was nice too. I don't know if that was just because they had so many exhibits closed because they do have a station for paying for parking. I would like to come back when they are running at full power because their outdoor auditorium area looks second to none to me Maybe it will get the coveted five star by that point. But for now, maybe just barely a notch above the Detroit zoo read more

Cool zoo. Nice place to go spend a couple hours. The exhibits where the animals are out and around you was really kinda cool. There were some enclosures that had me thinking the animals just looked sad and depressed maybe even surprised at how small they were. Overall though cool zoo. Sad the reptile house was closed. Won't be open till 2026 read more

Awesome zoo! We spent about 4 hours but you can easily spend a whole day. This zoo has several parking lots so it is easy to find a spot. Upon entering there are two sections to the zoo. You have to either walk underground over a bridge to cross the highway to reach each section. I loved how kid friendly the zoo was with interactive areas with the animal exhibits. They had a great aviary, splash pad, aquarium with touch tank, sand pit by the bears and other near features. There is also a great play area for the kids that is indoors and out allowing them to do adult things in a safe environment with a play kitchen, stream and other fun areas. I loved some of the historical aspects of the zoo with the outdoor amphitheater and original zoo cages you can now eat inside. There was also staff in some of the exhibits that filled you in one unique information about the animals. If you are going to do any of the additional cost attractions I recommend the train since it travels through areas of the zoo you can't walk in. read more

See all

This was my first time at the Toledo Zoo today. We literally just renewed our Detroit Zoo membership because we knew they had reciprocal pricing here; It's normally $29 per adult plus $11 parking but our parking was free, not sure if they're supposed to do that for reciprocal memberships or not, and each person gets a half-price membership. There's definitely a lot of stuff to recommend here. My favorite thing was probably feeding the giraffes and getting up close with them, although that is a paid experience - we paid $11 for a family size basket of lettuce to feed them aka a head of lettuce but you can also choose the $5 option for four pieces of lettuce. Other favorites were definitely the red panda and the gorillas and chimpanzees. I do recommend getting there around opening time because we got there around 12:00 p.m., 2 hours late, and the parking lot was pretty jammed. They do 10% off food and gifts there for members as well and a few of the places honored our Detroit Zoo membership and gave us that which was nice of them. Overall I was really impressed with this zoo and I hope to return sometime soon. The only negative thing I can say about it is that the penguin area is very small (I'm spoiled though, Detroit Zoo has the largest penguinarium in the U.S. I believe), and I was hoping to get a souvenir pressed penny for myself - they have six or seven machines all over the zoo - but the zoo is cashless so there was no way to get change for them. They should make the machines accept credit cards if they're going to be completely cashless. Also: please add more water fountains. We spotted only two of them and neither worked. Next time I would bring a reusable bottle; the park says no outside food or drink but I did see a lot of people with their own food and drink. The cafe in the natural history building did have a self-serve water station, and we also asked for some water when we bought a soft pretzel. Other than that I didn't see much around. read more

See all

So much is closed, there's not really clear directions on how to get around, you're not allowed to bring food in but then most of the places to eat are closed, fell down wet stairs that had no signage posted on them, was bleeding, employee who watched me fall literally turned around and walked away without saying a word, a lot of good animals to see but service from anyone here is terrible read more

We went to the zoo lights later in the evening around 6:30 and the animals were not active at all when we were there which was a bummer but the aquarium was incredible! The lights were also incredibly beautiful. There were Carolers and music throughout the zoo which was so festive. The light displays were worth the entire trip. I would however, recommend going a bit earlier than dusk to see some animals being active and see ALL the lights as well as daylight disappears, to get the most out of your trip. Lots of hot cocoa stations or even spiked cocoa or beer tents with a great selection of local brews! read more

See all

I loved it i got walk around and saw everything. Bunch of restaurants, and bathrooms, and a bunch of people having fun. You can bring food and a water bottle. And have fun with the family. read more

The Toledo Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

We chose to visit the Toledo Zoo Lights Before Christmas on one of the warmest days in December, and it seems most of Lucas County had the same thought process. It took approx 45 minutes to drive 6/10 of a mile due to so many people making their way to check out the lights in the 50-something degree weather. It was crowded, but not so bad you couldn't move. Everything was done at a much slower pace. The Zoo does a fantastic job with the lights with only one exception, the train ride. Most of the ride was in the dark - no lights. We have an annual pass, so we will be going back on what we hope will be less crowded. read more

See all

Probably the greatest zoo in Midwest. Right when you walk in there are animals to see with minimal walking. We were greeted by a sea lion show. The kid absolutely loved it. The people are friendly. You can feed giraffes. You can ride the train. You can see exotic snakes. Bears and inches away from your face, through the glass. The train is like an African Safari. They did a good job with this zoo. Only down side was we didn't plan enough time to explore the whole zoo. read more

See all

Best zoo in the area and well worth the extra drive from Detroit! After numerous disappointed visits to the Detroit Zoo, my family and I drove to the Toledo Zoo for our most recent zoo day. It took us about an hour and a half to get there for our town. The parking lot was spacious and it was well maintained by parking lot attendants. Tickets were about $30 for adults, $26 for seniors and $26 for kids. The zoo has so much to offer that I believe the ticket price was fair. You will be walking a lot while at the zoo so make sure to pack sunscreen, good walking shoes and a wagon for kids. Within a minute of getting in the gates we stopped to visit the polar bears, seals and sea lions. They were all so active! We spent around a half hour just enjoying the polar bears! A large contrast from the Detroit Zoo where I haven't seen a polar bear in years. Next on the schedule was the Africa area, where you get the opportunity to feed giraffes. For $11 we bought enough lettuce so everyone in the family could enjoy the experience. I liked that the zoo staff made it so only a few people could enter the area at a time, making the experience special and less chaos. The giraffes were great! Giraffes are my favorite animal and while it wasn't my first time feeding a giraffe, this was probably the best experience I had. An hour in and we were all raving about the experience at the Toledo Zoo! If possible, I would walking across the bridge to get to the other side of the zoo. The tunnel brought a lot of anxiety out in me due to the claustrophobia. Other animal highlights include the multiple elephants, flamingos, hippo, and primates. I could easily spend an hour watching the gorillas and chimps! The aquarium and reptile area was also a nice treat for a hot day. I believe the aquarium was recently renovated. There is a sea turtle inside, octopus, in addition to many other fish. It felt so good being inside with the air conditioning! A highlight for kids is the splash area and playground -- which is included in the price of admission. I don't have kids myself but I did contemplate passing through to cool down! Food options are typical (hot dogs, ice cream, pretzels, Bomb Pops.) The Toledo Zoo also offers a cafe area that is air conditioned and a bakery in the gift shop. The only downfall was that a few vending machines didn't properly work and the penguin area is SMALL. That area needs a major overhaul. Can't wait to come back soon! read more

See all

Had an absolute blast at the Toledo Zoo/Aquarium. We had three families in town for a reunion and kids varying from 10 to 16 years old and they all had a great time. The poison dart frog area was a huge hit for kids and adults. Everyone had fun in the aquarium, seeing the new baby elephant, checking out the aviary and the rhino! We stopped for lunch at the BBQ place and it was good - corn bread was cold LOL but it was sweet & good. read more

See all

For being the fifth most extensive animal collection in the United States with 720 species, it's a tad underwhelming. But the Toledo Zoo is a great family outing nonetheless, and quite a sprawling property. Parking is efficient considering the plethora of daily guests and the zoo itself is laid out in a logical manner. Highlights (on paper) would include very rare animals like tigers, rhinos, and red pandas. But on our three visits, the tigers and red pandas were perpetually in hiding while only one rhino appeared. So the zoo is doing their part to preserve rare species, but you probably won't see them. Actual highlights include a large elephant exhibit, feeding giraffes for an extra fee, the impressive reticulated python and green anaconda, and an impressive array of giants like the hippo, many gorillas and Kodiak bears, and a spectacular pack of polar bears. read more

Huge! BRING YOUR WALKING SHOES. Probably the most expensive zoo I've ever been to- but somehow I'm ok with it. Parking was $11.. admission 38 or something? Soda $6 Giraffe experience $12. WOOOOFF $$$$ I wish the experiences like the giraffe, the train, carousel were included. Especially for such a steep admission price.. it should be. The zoo spans a huge area and is tucked into a really urban township. There are times you're looking at an exhibit and can see someone's house. There is a huge walking bridge that crosses over the highway. The zoo was clean and the exhibits were great. You can tell they care for the animals. You can get up close to so many of them. The aquarium was so cool!! Highly recommend that, don't skip it. The bird aviary was awesome as well, we saw so many of Gods beautiful creates today- we loved it. The natural history area, and reptiles / taxidermy was really cool too. So much to see. We saw probably 5 or 6 signs for exhibits or buildings that were closed during our visit. I loved the empires tamarin little monkey in the aviary. Stinks in that building bad but the monkey with the mustache was adorable. The gorillas, the keepers were right there giving info to visitors. The grizzly bear was so close to the glass too. read more

See all

I had heard great things about this zoo, but never had the opportunity to go. Finally had a free day from work and some amazing weather, so we jumped on the chance! This zoo is beautiful! All of the buildings are amazing and clean! We had a very nice visit. We spent about 3 and a half hours wandering around. read more

See all

This is an amazing zoo, the wait time to enter (1hr+) was probably due to it being the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and the new baby elephant. The bird feeder ice cream place was pretty good, the baby elephant is so cute! The aviary was very cool with lots of different species, the museum of natural history is very cool and interesting! The giraffe feeding was extremely busy but looked fun. Only problem is the bathrooms, the bathrooms are very gross and every bathroom had at least 1 out of order stall/urinal. Overall this is an amazing zoo, but due to the bathrooms it is only 9/10 (4.5 stars) (my review from Google Maps) read more

My wife and I went here to see the recent total eclipse. In addition to the animals you would expect (tigers, primates, fish), there were barnyard animals (fun for kids and me, too). There was also a pretty garden area. The zoo is very family friendly. Walking the grounds, I felt connected to nature and peaceful. This place is good for your soul. Lots of zoo employees are around to help. Many places to eat. My only complaint is that there weren't more animals out (elephants, giraffes). read more

Very nice zoo. Lots of different animal exhibits all relatively close together. Large variety of animals. Well maintained. Great for a day trip. Educators also eager to teach you about animals as well. Lots of nice areas to take photos too. read more

See all

After visiting The Toledo Zoo a handful of times, I proudly confess that I became a member and coin myself the aunt of all the zoo wittle animals, lol! The Toledo Zoo does an amazing job of hosting spectacular seasonal events and activities. Did you know they have a free Wild Walkers program? You could seriously get your fitness walks in while roaming the zoo trails in the mornings before the zoo officially opens. Whoa?! How freaking cool is that, ?! I value the effort the zoo staff put into keeping the grounds maintained and kid friendly. I believe you would, too. FYI Lucas County residents get to experience the zoo for FREE on Mondays from 10AM - NOON. read more

I'm a Columbus Zoo girl at heart, but the Toledo Zoo did not disappoint! I would recommend getting there early, preferably around opening time, especially if you are going on a weekend. We came early, and when we left, the line was going out to the parking lot. With this, I would also consider buying your ticket and parking online to speed up the entrance process. The layout is a little confusing, and we often found ourselves getting turned around and questioning where we had already gone. Also, I don't know if there's any stroller rules (I only know the ones at Columbus), but it can be hard to navigate indoor buildings like the aquarium because it's jammed with strollers. The animals were all pretty active when we went! One great part of this zoo was most exhibits had glass walls which made it super easy to look at the animals. They also had bird rooms where the birds will fly around you (only slightly terrifying). I saw animals here I've never seen at other zoos like the Columbus and Cleveland Zoo. We paid $31 each for two adult tickets. We didn't end up purchasing any food, but most of it wasn't open at the time we were there. read more

See all

Toledo Zoo Went to this zoo in 2017. Not bad. When you live next to the Detroit Zoo. Most zoos look small. Good size. Many people. No issues. I do like the fact that you don't need to pay extra to visit the Aquarium. Highly Recommended read more

See all

FOOD IS HORRENDOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! No outside food is allowed in. Good luck finding anything to eat at the zoo besides popcorn & garbage. Food stands either close early or never open. When they are open, food is dried out, overcooked most of the time. Selection is extremely limited. Overpriced. They used to have a nice cafeteria but that was removed years ago. I grew up walking distance from the zoo. Been going there since 1960. My 1st job was at the zoo. Landscaping is top notch now, Xmas lights are great (but NO food available). Ability to watch animals is great if not overcrowded. They are remodeling many of the VERY historic buildings which saddens me as those buildings hand crafted during the Great Depression are losing their history. My grandfather worked on crafting those stone and hand made wood interiors, now that beauty is being replaced with cold looking concrete and cheap artwork. The museum building used to have an amazing collection of rare historical items from civil war, Native American, etc, even a real shrunken head from the Amazon. They put all of it in storage and then it all mysteriously disappeared... inside theft job obviously. It was worth a fortune! Still great zoo for the animals and landscaping. But it appears they would prefer to erase history. Make sure you eat a good meal before you go or you may have to eat a dried out pizza or just popcorn! read more

Take your family. Prepare to spend at least 4 hours to see most but not all at this awesome zoo. Most animals given comfortable if not exactly perfect habitats. Many volunteers eager to inform and educate. A great way for young and old to see the most beautiful specimens up close. During the week there aren't many vendors open so please come well hydrated especially in the summer. Many fun activities including a splash pad for the younger ones and a zip line for those more adventurous. read more

See all

Love this zoo! You can pay to feed the giraffes and also pay to feed the barnyard animals such as goats . The Amur Tiger was very active while we were there and was amazing to see. The aquarium and bird sanctuary was fantastic. The Toledo zoo offers train rides and carousel rides. It also has a zip line were you can go over habitat of the African animals. (Obviously the herbivores area) This is a great zoo and worth a definitely visit. read more

Ots a great zoo with lots of animals that are easy to see. The entire zoo is easily traversed and the kids section is adorable. We also went to the lights at the zoo for Christmas and they went above and beyond. My only complaint is that some exhibits are rather small and some of the park isn't very scenic. read more

This is a nice zoo, went for the Christmas light displays. Tons of lights with a few Christmas shops and a tubing hill, not many of the animals were out for the winter but some where and a few of the building were open as well, but the light displays were awesome. read more

The Toledo Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

To see animals it's good . However the holiday lights are horrible compared to the Columbus zoo. read more

See all

Cool zoo with some unique innovations. First, the zoo is cut into two parts, separated by a road that you have to go over or under to access the second half. The first half includes a safari train and access to feed about a half dozen giraffes. The train ride takes you around the entire safari area, which I'd recommend. They also have a raised walkway and zipline ride for an extra fee. At $20 per person, we decided to pass. The second and far larger part of the zoo is on the other side of the road. They have a dozen different houses and areas with animals ranging from birds on up to gorillas. Our favorite part of the zoo was the aquatic building that includes an incredible range of fresh and salt water sealife. I think most probably find this to be the best part of the zoo, which is in the far backside of the property. All in all we spent a few hours here and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the zoo. Cheers. read more

The Toledo Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

See all

So one random day of adventure we decided to go to the Zoo but it wasn't until we basically ended up in Toledo that we really just said let's go here so with the one operating hour left we took on this awesome Zoo! As soon as we got to the front gate we found that they were closing in one hour which we were kinda bummed about but we still decided to visit for the hour anyway so with that said we went in and what did we find nothing but pure amazingness around every turn as this is a very well kept zoo with lots of good sized areas for the animals and people alike to see them! We wondered around for a bit saw the great deal of animals they have here then we stumbled across the super beautiful amphitheater which happened to be closed this day but needless to say we were blown away by the beauty of the architecture as it was just awesome! What else made this zoo incredible was the giant aquarium as it had a ton of marine life from just about everywhere swimming around inside its big circle of watery fun! One thing I really liked about this zoo was how clean it was it really shows they are about the facility as well as the animals as you can tell they were all about them here! Overall this was a really cool zoo with lots to do my only regret is that I didn't get to spend more time here but hey there's always another day as I know I'm going to come back here again another day! read more

See all

I went to Toledo Zoo to run in the Polar Paws and Santa Claws race. The race started in the park and then quickly went into the local neighborhoods and then ended in the park. About half a mile was actually running in the park. Then I explored the park but most of the buildings were closed and many of the larger exhibits there were no animals outside. Even with the buildings being open and animals being outside I still don't think it would be anything special. The park was also VERY crowded making it hard to see the exhibits or take pictures. I am mostly comparing my experience at Detroit Zoo to this Toledo Zoo. read more

See all

Fabulous holiday lights to enjoy and got to see the baby giraffe Franklin while we were there for a business event. The event centers are spacious with one of the biggest fish tanks I have ever seen! read more

The Toledo Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Toledo, Ohio

See all

Took the nieces and nephew here for a day of fun. We had great luck at seeing many of the animals. I do wish there was more educational resources. Many of them were only 1 time per week if that and for an hour. Some were already done for the year. Huh? It's July and no more until spring ... we had a great time. But the education level was not what I was hoping read more

Haven't been here in prolly 10 years or more. Everyone working here was so friendly and helpful. Didn't know they had a Military discount which made his ticket free and mine $30 can't beat that. We came early and on a day when it wasn't going to get too hot to quick so hopefully we could see more animals this way. I was so pleased bc our idea worked perfect. My favorite had to be the jelly fishes and polar bears. This park was dated in some ways but not a bad thing gave more of a nostalgic feel. Especially the cafe in the center. The exhibits were all well kept and all the animals we seen looked healthy and happy! Didn't really do any gift shops or anything but they were jammed packed with everything zoo related you could imagine. Definitely need to come again before so much time passes again! read more

Really nice zoo! The best part of the zoo is the giraffe feeding part. What a cool experience? I am from St Louis, so I'm used to a free zoo so I thought the price was fairly steep. read more

See all