Portland Zoo – Zoo Review | Condé Nast Traveler
"Give us a look at this zoo from 30,000 feet. Home to nearly 3,000 animals—including 19 endangered species—this wild and woolly 64-acre animal park is so thoroughly landscaped with native plants that it blends seamlessly into the lush Washington Park landscape surrounding it. Put on your walking shoes before you head through the front gates, because you’re going to cover some serious ground as you weave through the 23 engaging exhibits, divided into five major themed areas: the Great Northwest, Pacific Shores, Discovery Zone, Africa, and the spectacular six-acre Elephant Lands. Thanks to the city’s support in the form of a $128 million bond measure for zoo improvement, the grounds are only getting better with new exhibits like the Polar Passage, Black Rhino, and Primate Forest. What are your favorite animals to see? The sleek, slippery, and ever-playful North American river otters are riveting, the Penguinarium offers some of the best bird-watching ever; the Insect Zoo will entertain bug buffs for hours, and you mustn’t miss Zawadi, Kya, and Neka, the trio of lions that rule the Predators of the Serengeti roost. But perhaps most mesmerizing is the expanded six-acre Elephant Lands. If you’re visiting in summer, check the summer concerts calendar, which brings beloved musical guests like Ziggy Marley, The Roots, and "Weird Al" Yankovic to the 3,800-seat outdoor amphitheater; in winter, queue up early for ZooLights , the wildest holiday light display in town, with nearly two million twinkle lights illuminating the zoo every night between Black Friday and New Year’s Day. We're probably going with kids, so amenities are key. How are they? Benches are plentiful, a restroom is never too far away, and there are numerous nooks to stop and rest. Nearly a dozen onsite coffee bars, snack bars, and cafes deliver everything from fresh sandwiches, salads, and soups, to Tillamook cheeseburgers with Sidewinder fries. Order the signature cinnamon sugar–dusted deep-fried Elephant Ears for dessert; the zoo’s been serving them for 35 years, and guarantees that no elephants were harmed in the making. So who would you recommend make time for it? If you’ve got kids, this zoo is not to be missed; whatever your kiddos' current animal obsession is—be it a cheetah, chimpanzee, naked mole rat, or Madagascar hissing cockroach—they’ll be entertained for hours. On weekends, the parking lot can be, well, a real zoo, so consider parking downtown and taking the MAX light rail to the Washington Park stop. Not only will you sidestep the parking pandemonium, you’ll also experience the deepest transit station in North America (260 feet) and get $1.50 off admission with your train ticket." - Jen Stevenson
