Reviews
The San Antonio Zoo is a great place to spend good quality time with your family. The zoo is going through some renovations and some parts are not finished and there are a few empty animal cells that you will see. I hope the renovations won’t last too long. The zoo is fairly big and it can get pretty hot outside since there are sections of the park that are not shaded. Make sure that you take a good sun-blocking hat or cap and light clothing. You will be walking quite a bit so have some comfortable shoes as well. The zoo has a great place to look at the hippopotamus and rhinoceros. These animals are majestic and great to watch. The feeding time for the rhinoceros change often so check with the zoo keepers, but definitely is worth watching. Another great section to visit is the butterfly room. It’s located across the 4D movie theater next to the tiny tot nature spot. It costs $4 dollars per person but it’s worth it.
I'm very impressed with all the upgrades they've done since I used to go. They have options to feed flamingos, giraffes, and the lorry birds. However, the lorry birds aren't able to be fed because of construction in the habitat. They had a ton of "cool zones" throughout the zoo. You can also go pet kangaroos. The only downside is how everything is digital id rather have a physical map of the zoo, and a lot of the kiosks weren't open. If you go in the mornings, it's much less crowded and it seems the animals are more lively and out, which was a huge plus. Also, tickets have to be bought online, and they have a special HEB community day where tickets are significantly reduced. 100% would go again
My daughter and I really enjoyed our experience at the zoo. We went during a spring break trip. Lots to see and do. One of our favorite things was feeding the flamingos we did it twice! but also enjoyed feeding the giraffes and the kangaroo interaction. The butterfly exhibit is also a fun small exhibit. The zoo does shows its "wear" in some places but upgrades are clearly ongoing. Overall, it is a fun day that will take you several hours to see everything.
Always a great time at the zoo! We have season passes. We get there first thing when the gate opens. The kids only last a few hours. Bring plenty of water and electrolytes. Freeze your water bottles the night prior. Sunscreen and hats. They have plenty of activities inside to cook off here and there.Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes
The animals here are very well cared for and very loved, and the people who work here are always courteous and knowledgeable. They even have misters and cooling zones set up for people to refresh themselves from the heat! The care this zoo has for its patrons and critters is obvious. This is a wonderful zoo!Visited onWeekendWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedYes
I enjoyed the zoo and got to see lots of beautiful animals. This is one of the best zoos I’ve been too. It’s fun even for adults! I went just me and my partner and we had a great time! There’s lots of fun and activities for children as well. And the zoo is so large that it doesn’t feel too crowded. You do have to buy tickets online before entry, which we did and it was super easy!
Very nice and lots of place to use the clean restrooms, different types of food and water fountains. Was clean and not packed when we visited July 5th2023. Also many activities to enjoy with your little ones 3yrs and up. We brought our own water bottles and went closer to closing because theirs not as many people. Many exhibits are being worked on. Animals where hot of course but we got lucky with lots of cloud cover. We even caught a little show inside for our kiddos to learn about the bearded dragon and touch itdepends how the animal is feeling. Staff was all very knowledgeable and helpful.
We got a good deal for the year pass for the price of a day, and while the zoo is still under some pretty major renovations, the parts they have opened up again look great. They also have an awesome pet adoption center right outside their front entrancen that is not part of them but fun to see the kittens and puppy anyways. If you find a deal on tickets you could definitely spend a day there.
No clear signage about where to park and where the entrance is located due to zoo construction. You have to buy the tickets online and they will try to force you to do it on your phone. I had no service so I was the exception to the rule but not after making me try for 20 min. The map is also online and so I had no way of getting it due to no service. I did appreciate the Cooling Stations and we were allowed to bring in water. Unlikely I would go back and if we did it's just for the areas we missed looked up map at hotel afterwards. The staff was nice overall and helpful when I was lost.
I will say the zoo is clean and the habitats are well maintained. I feel like admission is very high, it's 10$ a ticket more than our zoo back home and for a family of five that adds quickly. I hate that we have to walk through amusement rides to get to the zoo. There are a ton of experiences, which again add up quickly. I feel like I get nickel and dimed. I grabbed tickets for the carousel only to learn that my 4 year old needed a secondary person - with a paid ticket- to stand next to him. When I asked the attendant he pointed above his head and said it's clearly written in the rules. He's right, they are, but I honestly didn't even see this sign until he said something. It certainly wasn't mentioned when I purchased three tickets for three kids. As for safety, I understand that. However we were at Morgan's Wonderland a week prior and my kiddo was on his seat independently while I sat on the ride as well. I don't like that there isn't a map- not at the entrance, not online, nowhere. At one point I was tired of seeing birds and it would have been nice to know which way to go to see other exhibits. Not all of the restaurants are open. Seems kind of odd for a weekend. I like that there are exhibits in the shade and inside, a nice break from the heat and sun.
