Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

What a wonderful zoo. Get there early and avoid the crowds. We have been coming for years and the additions, like the new aquarium, are fantastic. My kids have grown up visiting this zoo and it’s still one of our favorite family activities. It seems like the staff really do care for the well being and protection of the animals. Consider a membership if your local. It pays for itself very quickly!

Overall it was a lovely experience, though the crowds were a bit much, it was to expected over spring break. The gift shop had decent prices, and the staff was very nice and informative. It is clear all the animals are very well cared for. The only downside is that one of the aquariums is closed for renovation. I would have loved to see it, but what we did see was wonderful.

This is a beautiful little zoo and aquarium. It sits in a very large park beside the sound. There is free parking. They are both very popular and for good reasons. The zoo and aquarium had a few attractions that were closed the day we were there. They were working on adding a new attractions and fixing some. There was still a lot to enjoy. I won't go into specifics for there is to much for me to tell. But if you enjoy beautiful animals and being able to interact with them and their staff friends, this is a great place to plan a trip to. They do offer zoo memberships that can save you money throughout the year and enjoy other benefits. Look into there website.

The journey was unique and memorable. We bought tickets online to save some dollars $20/each before tax. We visited early on a Sunday morning, so there was no wait, and it helped us to visit each animal at our pace. I love how the zoo management devoted a section for children called the kid’s zone, where children can learn about animals and their habitats. The sad news is that there is no more polar bear or arctic fox, and the south aquarium is closed until 2023. I would love to come back someday to see the new things in this zoo next year.

Great zoo and aquarium especially with younger kids - it's not huge territory but also the amount of animals or sea creatures is not a huge variety. Great kids zone area with playground and petting goats area. Prettiest carousel ever! And free parking is a huge plus. Also zoo located in point Ruston and around is a ton of easy outdoors hiking trail options, viewpoints and Owen beach. Easy can spend all day in the area.

Just became Deluxe Household Member after 2 visits. Love this zoo! the staff always goes above and beyond and is incredibly helpful and friendly. The zookeepers are also incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Lots of zoo talks/feeding shows every hour. LOTS for your kids to do!! We typically spend about 3-4hrs each visit, you CAN bring your own food and drinks, but they also have multiple spots to get food the main one being by the entrance for the adults they do serve cocktails in a can! 1 per person per time. The food has actually been pretty great and the kettle corn is awesome. Overall I love going to this zoo with family and even became a member. It’s 100% worth it!

It was a good little zoo. Not overly big. Walkable In about 3 hours. The keeper talks are interesting. Some exhibits are closed for renovation. Animals are mostly limited to marine wild life and some asian. This is not the San Diego Zoo, it’s also not trying to be and as such is a great addition to point defiance park!Visited onWeekendWait timeNo wait

More of a park with animals than a zoo but it was still cute and we were happy to support a small zoo. Views were awesome of the water and Mt Rainier. In the Asia area they rotate the animals through the different enclosures so they could be in a different area everyday which is really neat, never seen that before. Nice for a quick visit and pretty affordable.

This zoo has something for everyone in my family, exotic animals, endemic animals, play areas, aquariums, food, shows, animal encounters, a carousel... We always get a yearly membership. It makes sense for us as we have kiddos that have varying attention spans and while we would like to stay all day and make good on the drive time for us, it doesn't usually happen. I don't feel so badly about leaving after a few hours knowing we can just come back.

It was pretty cool! The Aquarium was def the best part. It’s kind of small for the price. Some of the exhibits are closed too. It was nice and empty though. Cool seeing the animals though gift shop is ridiculously overpriced though *apparently the online tickets are cheaper so next time I think I would try doing that instead :