Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This second oldest zoo in the U.S., considered one of the best in the country, is most renowned for its endangered species and birthing programs, particularly for gorillas and white tigers, and has a wonderful collection of felines and a delightful manatees exhibit.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Laura D
    Downers Grove, Illinois96 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved seeing the baby hippo!
    Here is the skinny- I went as a single 50+ year old woman to kill some time. It was about $40 with parking to get me in the door. The animal exhibits are hit or miss. Some are very well designed and some feel like the are old and inadequate for the animals. The spring is always an interesting time at the zoo. The animals are doing animal things while dad is yelling "yeah buddy get ya some!" and the moms are going "oh look honey there are fish in the water" to distract the kids! There is giraffe feedings and other fun things to watch. I really enjoyed my time there.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 3 April 2023
  • 🥳 🎉 🥳 Keep Life Simple 🥳🎉🥳
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania92,849 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the trip
    The Cincinnati Zoo is really nice .we loved the elephants ,red Panda and Giraffe exhibit. But Hippo Cove is the place to be. We dove over 6 hours from Pittsburgh just to see Fiona, Fritz ,Tucker and the family. They did not disappoint and we spent 2 hours watching them show off. It was very relaxing and entertaining. They were very active in the afternoon. It was definitely worth the trip to the Cincinnati Zoo . The Zoo is very crowded and almost impossible to get a parking spot. We couldn't find one in the morning and had to leave and visit the Taft home and came back at 1pm that day. People were leaving and there were then many parking spots. Overall a wonderful time.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 April 2023
  • Julie F
    New Lenox, Illinois161 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved it!
    We had the best visit to the Zoo! It was our 1st visit and it did not disappoint. I couldn't get over the amount of beautiful spring flowers blooming all over the zoo. The animals were out and active, which my kids loved. We can't wait to plan another visit!
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 April 2023
  • John W
    Lostant, Illinois2,244 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Zoo
    My wife and I spent two days here trying to go different zoos every year. The main reason to come here was to see the hippos since not many zoos have them. Those were one of our favorites but there’s so much here that it will take probably two days to see everything. The Asian Elephants were another favorite and while their enclosure was quite big they are working on an even bigger exhibit due to up within a year or two. Lots of primates here as well as reptiles and birds. Like the Columbus Zoo they also have manatees and there’s some fish in that building as well. There’s plenty of dining options to choose from and there are water stations spread around the zoo as you can bring in your food and bottles as long as they’re not grass. The gardens help make the zoo more beautiful than it already is. I don’t think I have been to another zoo that had as many different types of penguins as they do here. Try to see the cheetah encounter as they usually have it once a day.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 May 2023
  • LivelySD
    25 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful day for the zoo.
    Lots to see and do. Many helpful zoo employees/volunteers to answer questions. The weather was beautiful, so the animals and plants were fabulous. Zoo maps were posted around occasionally, but could have been more so pulling up the tiny map on our cellphone wouldn't have been necessary. Got to the 2:30 giraffe feeding by 2:25 and they were finished, apparently doing the feeding early for some reason, so that was disappointing.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 8 June 2023
  • Mike K
    52 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place to visit.
    There is not much more to say about this zoo but wow! It is very well put together and easy to navigate. Spent 5 1/2 hours there and loved it. Fiona and Fritz are definitely the stars of the zoo but dont miss the penguins or the meerkats.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 June 2023
  • Ken
    298 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful, top-rated zoo.
    A great way to spend a few hours or a whole day. I get there early and close them down. 9 a.m. entry is one of the advantages of being a member so...front row parking and you get to see the hippos before the throngs invade. This was a very HOT day but, fortunately, there was still a lot of activity throughout. Day started with encountering Isla, the tamandua, out for a stroll. The hippo bloat was chilling in the corner...until the hippo encounter experience brought romaine. Kip, the white cheeked gibbon, is not to be missed. The dude is pretty nonstop action and a video is a better option than trying to take stills. He is always on the go when he's not sleeping in the hammock and those long arms straight up in the air as he runs around are a hoot. The meerkats go nuts when they get a cricket delivery. Beaudan, the new bongo calf, is so freakin' cute and fun to watch when he gets the zoomies. Take in Wings of Wonder. Great, educational show with some pretty impressive fly-overs. The Cheetah Encounter is more of a conservation/awareness show than just a cheetah run featuring several species teaching RRR and other sustainable practices. These shows DO NOT run every day so check the schedule before you go. Beautiful grounds/flowers. Well taken care of. No wonder they're an accredited arboretum. There is quite of bit of relatively steep terrain so be prepared for a cardio workout.
    Visited July 2023
    Written 19 July 2023
  • Luann M
    Pecatonica, Illinois424 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This zoo has beautiful animal habitats enhanced by gorgeous landscaping!
    We got to this zoo before it opened at 10:00. (Members get in at 9:00, but we were not members). Parking is covered and very close to the zoo entrance. You can take in picnic supplies and water. Benches are everywhere, helpful for seniors! Before time to get in, an employee came over to make sure we had scanned a map of the zoo and to give suggestions for visiting the parts of the zoo that really get crowded in the morning when not as many people are there. Wow! We really appreciated that! We did go to the kangaroo encounter first, then wandered over to the African part to see hippopotamus, African painted dogs, etc. Well done! There is also a cheetah encounter, a bird show, and talks where many different animals are showcased. In the afternoon, people can line up to feed the giraffes. We ate at a bench at the zoo, but there were restaurants, food trucks, and beverages and ice cream places available. It was a hot day, and it is hilly, but we managed to see the zoo pretty thoroughly in the five or six hours we were there. When you leave, there is a $10 parking fee that is payable only by credit card. I would highly recommend this zoo. You can also include the train and carousel with your ticket. We bought our tickets on their website a couple weeks before we went, and that worked out really well.
    Visited July 2023
    Written 22 July 2023
  • Andrea S
    30 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Overall, it was ok
    We arrived around 10:30 on a Saturday. Parking really went quickly considering the crowd. Our visit was nice. It was hot and animals were resting but too be expected. We had a map of the zoo but it wasn’t really helpful. Signage was not great. The overall flow could be improved. We would get so far in an exhibit area and there was a bottleneck of people trying to go both ways, or there would be a zoo talk in the middle of the path and people were stopped so the only way out was too backtrack. It could have a smoother in and out of areas.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 July 2023
  • Wendy C
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must do while visiting Cincinnati
    It was a great experience- even in the rain. Zoo was very clean, animals were beautiful. We did a VIP behind the scenes tour of the “gentile giants” - giraffes and it was amazing. Staff was knowledgeable, friendly and 70% of the cost goes to conservation and is tax deductible, I highly recommend.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 July 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
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Tina L
Warsaw, IN3 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Very nice zoo and you could tell that the animals were very well cared for at this zoo. The reason for the 4 stars was due to some of the exhibits being closed.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KabarJaw
Marion, IA19 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
Giant waste of time. Area looks horrible visually, completely disorganized. I question the professionalism of at least the support staff. This is the same zoo that shot Harambe if that tells you anything.
Written 9 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicholas & Sarah
St. Petersburg, FL35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
What an incredible time! The entire family enjoyed themselves. My 5 years old was involved, engaged and thrilled to go around all night.
Written 4 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jenandallthethings
Los Angeles112 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
Not as big as I would have thought, but I did keep discovering new paths and animals!

they have a good layout and organization to the zoo. Good themes and environments. No real aquatic area, but there's always the aquarium for that I guess.
I went in Dec. so not all animals were out, but quite a few were.

I stayed for the PNC Festival of Lights. They did a nice job lighting up the trees and adding lighted animal figures throughout the park. It was on par with Indianapolis. Nashville zoo and the lanterns blows all zoo's out of the water in holiday lights.

They did a few animal encounters and have a Christmas tree at the entrance for photos. There is a food truck area and general eating area. It definitely gets crowded. If you want to ride the Polar Express (which looked fun) it's an additional cost, but get in line EARLY or you'll be waiting a while.

Between exploring the zoo and the holiday lights I spent a good 5 hours there, but 45 min was waiting for dark.

Parking is confusing. I'm glad I was already parked from the daytime, getting out was complete gridlock and a mess. They need to organize traffic patterns better, took at least 30 min to get out of parking lot. There was a huge line of cars waiting to get into the lot.
Written 1 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LuckiestManonEarth
Union, KY117 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
We’ve always enjoyed the zoo and even this time, the Festival of Lights was spectacular.

However there were 3 negative things that happened that resulted in my less than 5 star review

1) Birds of Flight sanctuary indicated that it was open until 5pm but we arrived about 4:50pm and doors were locked
2) In one of the houses where they have the monkeys, along the path there was a large snake on the side of the path just sitting there unattended (and my wife is deathly afraid of snakes)
3) there was no staff helping to get the cars in and out and it was chaos trying to leave
Written 30 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

New Englander H
3 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
We have been members at the Cincinnati zoo for over 30 years and I absolutely love it. I recently tore the meniscus in my knee and I have to be in a motorized wheelchair. I can only take a step or two, and that is using two canes and having assistance. we went last night for the first time since I’ve been injured and I realized that none of the doors at the Cincinnati zoo have handicapped access. They all pull out towards you. None of them are automatic and there’s no handicap button to push to have the doors open. I couldn’t get into a restaurant by myself. I couldn’t get into a gift shop by myself. I couldn’t get into , the restrooms by myself. I had to rely on the kindness of strangers if I got separated from my family. There were times where I decided to use the restroom while the rest of my family went to an attraction. When I got to the restroom door. I was shocked to find out I could not get in. Another time I went to get a warm drink while my family rode the train. I could not get into the restaurant. In 2023. It’s kind of shameful that Cincinnati zoo does not have handicapped access doors.
Written 22 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jessica SpeLangm
Cincinnati, OH58 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
Always pleasantly surprised. There are SO many things to do other than Fiona and Fritz the hippos, even though they're adorable. It's a great place to stroll around and see ALL the attractions.
Written 16 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jv66210
Oklahoma City, OK90 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
We went during the zoo's Christmas light event. The animal luminaries are so cool, and there are thousands of lights on the trees. Some of the zoo animals were off display for the winter, but there were plenty of animals out to make the trip worthwhile.
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Valerie D
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
The zoo was so pretty with all the Christmas lights. Only a few animals to be seen, but that was expected with the time of year.
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amanda F
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
The jellyfish lights were great. Swan lake was extremely disappointing. The carousel took away from it and there was only globe lights and the tree. The years before at the festival of lights were a lot better. I was really disappointed in the lights this year. We only could see the elephants through the doors. Unable to walk inside.
Written 2 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is open:
  • Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM


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