Came here with my husband while our layover in Calgary. Its a cute and small zoo. We really enjoyed the penguins. I would recommend visiting

This zoo is pretty busy so it is probably best to arrive early. Easy parking ($14). Tickets felt a little pricey. During high season, they are $50 CAD on the weekend. If you are going on Sunday and love buffets, the best deal is to buy the combo breakfast buffet and admission ticket for $60 CAD. No brainer, but they stop allowing you to buy them online 24 hours beforehand. We didn't realize until it was too late, but we inquired in person at the buffet and although they had space they did not offer the same online combo deal. We skipped it. It may sound weird but the gardens and butterfly exhibit were the highlight. Well manicured and beautiful. Better than some botanical gardens. The most fun animal to watch was the Red Panda. Some exhibits named two animals in the enclosure but we could only see one ‍. I wish there were more bathrooms. read more

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We booked a surprise party for one our kids and it was a success. The staff were great about keeping it under wraps and helping us get everything in order. Bringing the food out at the right time. And the decorations! As for the zoo, I really wish we got to enjoy it. We went at a terrible time where it was raining, cold and windy. We got to enjoy some of the indoor enclosures. But most of the animals were hiding in the outdoor places. I really loved that they had a prehistoric area, my kid loves dinosaurs so we had to go through it. It was just so windy!! read more

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This is a lovely and large zoo that's organized by regions. I really enjoyed walking through when they first opened so it wasn't as crowded yet. The workers were very friendly and would stop and provide education. There are several cafés and food stands along the way with a variety of options and good coffee drinks. There is ample parking and you can buy tickets online ahead of time to really speed up the entrance process. What a great zoo! read more

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A solid dining experience with tasty food, welcoming surroundings, and polite staff. Service was generally good, although there was room for improvement. Overall, I left satisfied with my visit today. read more

This is definitely one of the nicer zoos I've ever visited. You can tell that animal and wildlife conservation is the overall theme and foundation of why they are here. It was blustery and rainy when I arrived but it got less so during my time, and the sun kept desperately trying to show itself. Aside from some kiddie field trips and a crowded penguin exhibit, I found there to be plenty of space to walk around, and quite enjoyable. My favorite part had to be the penguins for sure. Get here early to avoid the crowds so you can take your time to marvel at these adorable creatures. The gift shop/cafe at the end of my visit was pleasant. I enjoyed a yummy hot cocoa to top it all off. I would suggest at least 2-3 hours but you could easily spend a day here. Highly recommend this zoo if you are in Calgary. read more

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I went to the zoo for the first time after living in Calgary for almost 19 years. I was pleasantly surprised. There were so many animals I didn't expect, a butterfly conservatory and lots of places to eat. I had a dole whip halfway through the trip. I saw many animals including my favorites, giraffe, zebra and camels! Hippopotamus, lions, flamingos, gorillas, and a gorgeous peacock! I would recommend coming here to anyone who wants to spend the day with friends or family. read more

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Such a great zoo! Clean and well organized. We have been here for hours and only seen half the zoo. So many interactive experiences and each paddock or animal enclosure was like new and well managed. Nothing seemed dated or in disrepair. All the animals were lounging and we didn't get to see some as they were off exhibit or sleeping. Plenty of places to stop and rest. Plenty of food and water and restrooms. Plenty of staff and top zoo experience for us and we've been to many zoos. Lemurs and Dogs Penguins have standout facilities. Definitely would recommend this for a family or locals. An annual pass would be the thing to consider for locals. Also, this is an all day experience. Pack a lunch and take your time. read more

Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo - Grizzly cub - Zoos Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

This is a good zoo. It's 3 stars due to how small it is, lack of a variety of animals and the cost. $13 to park and $45.95 for admission for 1 day. The penguin exhibit is the best one I think. It's at the entrance and has a variety of penguins, those that live at the equator and those that like the cold. Asked for a map of the property after buying a ticket, told they don't have any. First time visitor, I followed the path and signs. I walked slowly and took a bench now and then and was done in 2 hours. read more

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What a wonderful zoo! We had a blast with my 5 year old daughter. Notable sitings was the red panda, polar bears, and a big boar! The place is very clean and well laid out. The dinosaur area is super cool and the flowers were beautiful read more

Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo - Flowers - Zoos Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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On our last full day in Calgary, we decided to just take it easy and visit the zoo. We'd been hearing good things about the zoo from locals and from travel pamphlets. So we set out on a surprisingly warm and sunny day and pulled into the parking lot, still wondering where they had installed this zoo since there were no large enclosures visible driving up. We found a parking spot and paid for parking at the machines near the entrance. You don't have to take the ticket back to the car to put in the dash. It knows you're there. The entry ticket was about $42 per person at the window. If you purchase online a couple days in advance, you can get a few dollars off, so look into that if you want to save. We started off in the North side and our first sighting of any wildlife was penguins. These little guys were hanging out in an outdoor, sunny area, enjoying the good weather. But the rest of the penguins were housed in a colder, climate controlled environment inside. As we traveled through the zoo, we realized how well maintained the enclosures were. And not only that, we were pretty much able to spot all of the animals, even if they were napping somewhere (save for the polar bear, for whom it may have been too hot). The zoo does their best to make the wildlife environments spacious and open but still safe for both animal and visitor. We saw lions and tigers and bears (oh my) plus monkeys, moose, a snow leopard, red panda, camels, giraffe, hippo and many many more. On our way out, we saw the souvenir collector penny machine and tried to buy one. The machine wasn't accepting our credit card, so we went into the gift shop and major shout out to Bonnie who helped us with our penny machine woes and so much more. Thank you Bonnie for your kindness!! And thank you Calgary Zoo and all its employees and volunteers for taking good care of these beautiful animals! read more

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Had an awesome day here! There were many exhibits that got you really good views of the animals up close such as the penguins. Seeing a hippo underwater was a highlight to me! Food prices were not too bad considering the location. read more

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Beautiful even in winter Wide variety of animals and great layout. Many things closed in winter, despite good weather. read more

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Good things first: A few of the exhibits were interactive, such as the lemur walk where there are no barriers between you and the animal, or the red panda with walls so low that I could lean into the pen for pictures. But that's also the bad part isn't it? Everytime I saw how easy it was to just climb into a pen or touch an animal I worried about the animal's safety and health. How many curious kids have grabbed at a lemur. On the flip side, so many animals were in small cages behind wire fencing, making photography impractical, and making it more like an animal prison than a place to admire nature's creatures. Finally, about 1/4 of the animals were under veterinary care or missing due to construction, significantly reducing exhibits. And I could help but to wonder how many were sick due to poor conditions. Ultimately, I enjoyed my stay, but left disappointed. Compared to San Francisco, San Diego, or Fresno, CA, it's just a sad place. read more

Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo - A beautiful lemur relaxing on the lemur walk - Zoos Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Can I give this place 7 stars?? We had some time here today and enjoyed seeing almost everything in about 2 hours. The Lemur habitat was our favorite, as you're able to be right in their habitat close enough to hear them eat and play. We didn't realize how loud they talk. All of the animals were active, enclosures were clean and staff was super friendly. I had gotten a lot of suggestions to visit here and was hesitant because I've been to a lot of Zoo's but this one was beautiful and the weather was perfect, too. read more

We added this to our "to do list" on the last day of our time in Calgary. I'm glad we did the whole family had a good time and I think yours will as well. read more

Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo - Wolf - Zoos Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Wow! An amazing place for people of all ages! Some very cool animals and attractions! Really good ice cream for summer and hot chocolate for winter, if visiting Calgary or need something to do, for sure come check it out! read more

This was a fantastic zoo to visit. The layout was very good with plenty of seating and shade during the visit. The enclosures looked fairly big for animals to roam. Unfortunately, a lot of the animals were hiding from the sun and heat. This was expected as the animals want their breaks too. There were a few playgrounds for the kids to enjoy. Overall, it was very easy to navigate around the zoo. I found the zoo to be so much better than other zoos I have visited. We were with a group of friends who had annual membership passes. However, we learned quickly there were different membership discounts. My friends had no idea there were different membership options and had bought the cheapest option. It was a good lesson if I ever decide to move to Calgary just to get a zoo pass. read more

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A visit to Calgary wouldn't be complete if it didn't include a visit to the Zoo to see the pandas. I remember seeing the pandas in 1988 at this zoo so I was happy to see the return of pandas. We bought our tickets online in advance to save $5 and skip the line as we were emailed our tickets and they scanned the barcode when we entered. The zoo is also easy to get to via train from downtown and it took us less than 10 minutes to arrive. It was a weekday morning and there were lots of school groups and children but the pathways are spacious and the zoo is large so it wasn't crowded. The signage is clear to point to all the areas within the zoo. We headed straight for the Panda Passage. Because it's low season, we didn't have to get timed entry to see the pandas. I was glad as the first time, only one panda was active but we went back at the end of our visit, and two pandas were active. Smart marketing to have the gift shop at the end of the exhibit so people must walk through it. In between, we checked out the other exhibits that were indoors and outdoors. Some of the food vendors were closed by there were places to find a snack, or meal, and washrooms scattered throughout the zoo. We spent 3 hours at the zoo and it was fun to spend a spring day! read more

Very stratified with our visit to this Zoo!! We were in a family vacation and we loved visiting the Calgary Zoo. Even though the weather was bad we still went and enjoyed it. The service is amazing. The animals are awesome. The food was really good! read more

Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I have been to this zoo so many times but this was the first time I went there for "ZooLights"! It was a pretty good experience and everything was setup pretty good. If you read this before Christmas, I recommend you to check zoo lights! It's a pretty cool experience! read more

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We head down to the Calgary Zoo nearly every summer and it never disappoints. It wasn't a super busy day when we were there which was nice. Bathrooms everywhere, helpful staff, lots of room to spread out. Four stars because the canteen prices are high (but that's expected). read more

Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo - I swear he's having fun. :) - Zoos Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

We landed in Calgary YYC airport, and needed to go over to the information kiosk to use the courtesy phone to contact our airport hotel. While there I spotted a brochure with the Giant Pandas on the cover. Ooh, pandas at the Calgary Zoo. The zoo wasn't on our radar but now it was. Checked into the Hilton Garden Inn Calgary Airport hotel. There was a huge cardboard cutout of the Giant Pandas. Asked the front desk for more information. Come to find out the hotel sold attraction tickets which included ones for the zoo. Purchased ticket for $25 CAD. We Uber'd it to the zoo (subsequently found out it was an easy ride using CT) the next day. But I digress. Our first stop once inside the zoo was to the Giant Panda exhibit. We were in luck. The two juvenile pandas were very active. Eating bamboo. We saw them around 10:30 am. From the Giant Pandas exhibit we hit all the other major stops. The zoo is well laid out and easy to move from one area to the other. We spent a good 1/2 day at the zoo. That's saying a lot for us five. We left the zoo on a high note. My 2nd digression: trying to get Uber back to our hotel was challenging as the Uber driver goes by the GPS on his/her smartphone & the Zoo has more than one entrance. Plus there were 5 of us so that was a challenge getting someone who could fit 5 even though we selected 4-6 passengers on our Uber app. read more

Wilder Institute Calgary Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I have a soft heart towards animals so I don't patronize any place that sell animals nor visit any place where animals are caged instead of being let to roam in a natural environment they live in. This is the reason why I don't go to any zoo but ended up here because of unavoidable circumstances. On our way home from Banff, my friend told me that she will treat her three young kids to a visit to the zoo. I told her she can drop me off a mall or somewhere else while waiting. She insisted so I reluctantly agreed. As expected, it was very difficult to see the animals in their cages. Aside from that, many areas were closed due to ongoing construction during our visit thus making it difficult for us to go around. Anyhow, I was delighted to find out that there was a botanical garden inside the zoo. There were plants and trees from tropical countries, stuff I see back home. There was also a butterfly garden that were very tame. At least, I enjoyed this part of the zoo. read more

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Came to Calgary in part because of these furry friends that recently moved here from Toronto! China's Giant Pandas! The habitat was constructed just for the 4 occupants, and it was done very nicely! I got the tickets on line and it was a breeze, for an additional $10.00 for parking, it's truly a good deal! Moreover, the Zoo is operating as a non-profit So by supporting it it's also good for the community! See photo for prices( as of May 2018 ) read more

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The animal exhibits were nice/decent. The hugest, most glaring issue about the Calgary zoo is the gross lack of signage. You would think a spread-out major attraction would have plenty of signage, letting you know where you are in the zoo. The "You Are Here" signs are way too few and far between. Worst zoo we've been to. We are not from Calgary, we are not members. The zoo obviously doesn't care about patrons visiting from elsewhere. read more

This is a world-class zoo. I finally had the chance to visit after more than 30 years, and suddenly I was transported into my 12-year-old self. The Giant Panda exhibit alone is worth the trip. I also loved the gorillas, colobus (a primate that is extremely rare to see in this part of the world), penguins, the Canadian wildlife hike, the the Prehistoric Park with its fake badlands. I don't think I saw everything, and I am not sure it's possible on one trip. Admission is pricey, but you can spend the whole day here - there are at least three restaurants, several food kiosks, and a gift store that is incredible. So much fun! read more

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The Zoo was terrific, educational first hand experience with animals. Landscape was magnificent . Staff are awesome and helpful. They have plan strategic places and benches for a rest. O e day is not enough! read more

Wow, this place is Awesome, there are so many different wild animals you would not normally be able to see but here all your wildest wonders come true! Walk around the zoo with your family or friends and experience the natural beauty the world has to offer in 5 different places of the world as a whole, The African exhibit with the hippos, giraffes and other animals you would find on the African savanna plains. The Asia exhibit with the animals of Asian heritage such as the Komodo dragon! There is the Canadian wilds which stores all the native Canadian animals we all know and love such as the wolves of Canada and wild bears! Next is the Amazon rainforest with animals that make their home in the lush trees, these include gorillas, monkeys and more! Last but certainly not least is the prehistoric exhibit, this brings all our prehistoric dinosaurs to life ( well almost) this holds almost identical animatronics to the dinosaurs that roamed the earth before us! Literal Jurassic park Deja vu. That's not even all of it! There is a specialized penguin walk through where you can see all types of penguins. They also have a massive garden greenhouse with tons of beautiful plants and butterflies. The price is a bit high but that is to be expected of such a high maintenance place. Also I suggest you come at least once in winter because their Christmas lights are truly something to behold! read more

My family disappeared into nature in Jasper, AB for some of August. This meant flying in and out of Calgary. I wasn't overly impressed with how serious Calgary was taking Covid-19, but I did need to do a little more with my kids than just show them the inside of their uncles' house on the days on either end of our holiday. The zoo was doing timed entrances and masks and sanitization in all indoor areas, with 3 metres between everyone and is mostly outdoors. We decided to brave it, I'm so glad we did. It's the perfect sized zoo for a family and we felt completely safe. Things that make this zoo special: +Penguins are there to greet you when you arrive +A lot of different view points inside and out for major animal attractions means you always get to see most animals (we saw tigers and lions no problem, often they seem to be hiding and napping at other zoos!) +A little nod to Alberta's dinosaur history, in the way of a prehistoric park. My daughter loved it! read more

I have been to the zoo many times pre pandemic and it is always so busy and packed with people that you don't get to truly enjoy yourself. During the pandemic the tickets have to be booked online for a time slot, once you get in they just confirm the tickets as they usually would. Masks are required through out the time you are in the zoo even though it is outdoors and guests are all socially distancing for the most part. The experience was nice because it wasn't crowded so you could take your time and enjoy seeing all the animals. There were arrows all around the zoo for guests to comply with the directions to keep everyone safe. I would love it if the zoo kept up with this way of doing things post covid but I am sure that it would not work out the best financially. Overall amazing experience. Must visit if you are in Calgary. read more

This Zoo was great. If you go on a warm day be sure to have water because you will be walking a lot. The zoo is large and there were lots of wonderful animals. Our favorite were the penguins. read more

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Fun day loads of walking. But a great variety of animals and plenty of people to help with guiding you around the zoo all around a good experience. read more

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amazing zoo! giant habitats! thought we would spend 2 hours but we spent 5! would recomend!!! love the red pandas read more

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This place is awesome! We took the time to do all the 'areas' except the dinosaurs. There was no let downs from Africa to Eurasia and Canada it was all good. Lot's of bathrooms and places to eat! Wolves, lions, tigers, bears. Its awesome. Plant and butterfly exhibits are even cool. Not cheap but worth it! Step your game up Edmonton zoo! A perfect date afternoon. read more

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One of the best attractions in Calgary. Season passes worth it especially for families as 6 visits in a year pays off membership. Plus parking is free when you purchase zoo pass Inspire. Penguins exhibit is very cold and smelly but one of my fav. Dinosaurs exhibition is outside with lots of trails and dinosaurs on display. Many animals exhibits have a mix of indoor and outdoor. There is a cafe with lots of tables, high chairs and outside sitting. The cafe food also has been very inconsistent being cold to barely warm. The Sunday Safari Brunch is very good but on the pricy side if you bring along kids. Selection is decent but quality is much better than cafes. Can't give this place 5 star as been here for the last few years and lots of the little concessions never seem to be open even during peak summer months. Great place to spend with family and friends. read more

Was here with a friend for zoo lights End of November. The lights were all lit up in certain areas. It felt very magical walking through. FYI Panda exhibit closes at 5 PM. Still got a great photo with the lanterns outside the panda exhibit. I also especially love that giant tree in the garden. Take a look at those photos Just magical read more

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Today we were here for a birthday celebration and decided to try their Zoo and Safari brunch combo- brunch is half price with zoo entry. It was FANTASTIC to say the least. They had all kinds of goodies from eggs benny to a roast beef carving station to a waffle bar (which were red velvet today as the buffet was Valentine's Day themed). They also had a free flowing Callebaut chocolate fountain with various things to dip in the fountain. They had a charcuterie station and a dessert table. Two dessert highlights were the white chocolate moisse with soursop curd and the lychee sponge cake . This is well worth the money and a great way to spend a Sunday morning. We stayed for the penguin walk and to see a few of the other animals as well. Not everything was open due to it being winter but overall it was a great time. read more

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I was so pleasantly surprised with this zoo. Coming from California, we are pretty spoiled with our Zoos (San Diego and LA Zoo are fantastic). But this place was great. Our favorite exhibit was the Dinosaurs ALIVE! I loved it! It was great! The dinosaurs moved... some with control buttons some with sensors. It surprised the kids and was great!! The butterfly exhibit was wonderful too. The staff was so informative. So many different species, you could easily spends hours in there. I would definitely go back and visit again. We didn't get to spend enough time there. (Parking is pricy $1.75 for 30mins, might as well just pay the $8 for all day) read more

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The Calgary Zoo Botanical Gardens is one of my favorite parts of the zoo because it is so fresh smelling and so beautiful! There are so many butterflied flying around you and when you walk in .. if you have ever been to Hawaii.. it feels like getting off of the airplane and landing in Hawaii with the humidity and the smell! Amazing! read more