Oakland Zoo

My family and I visited the Oakland Zoo this past Sunday. The weather forecast predicted a light drizzle starting at 12 pm. Despite the slight drizzle, we arrived at the zoo at 11 am and found it surprisingly empty. The zoo was teeming with animals in various habitats, showcasing their natural behaviors. The staff was incredibly helpful and friendly, making our visit enjoyable. While the food prices were higher than outside the zoo, I understand that they have to cover their expenses. I appreciate their efforts in caring for the animals. I highly recommend the Oakland Zoo as a must-visit destination in the area. Although I’ve been to the San Diego Zoo, I found Oakland’s zoo to be quite comparable, particularly in terms of the cleanliness of its grounds.

Always a nice time at the Oakland Zoo. We had a 4th grade fieldtrip and they all had a great time. Carol made the education room experience really fun for all, with a predator/ prey game. She also did a great job engaging the whole class. We're all exhausted, so a definite success!

Had a wonderful time at Glowfari. The lanterns were magical. The staff were efficient. The cafes were good. The gondola was fun. I wish they had opened two lanes of traffic at the entrance because traffic was backing up kinda ridiculously under the freeway overpass.

I’ve been to the Oakland zoo before but this was my first time at Glowfari. We had a blast at this event. I recommend showing up early for parking, wearing adequate shoes that are weather dependent it was very muddy post rain, and you do not want to miss the gondola that was my favorite part. The view from up top is unmatched in my opinion.

One of the best in bay! Although the tickets are cheaper for afternoon slot- you won’t be able to cover gandola ride and entire zoo! It’s better to come in early and complete the trip throughout the day! The guide here are very informative and welcoming! I met an amazing guide near the chimps- she was really very knowledgeable on chimpanzees and her talk actually made me very interested to learn more and spend some time there..

Great experience at the Oakland Zoo! The zoo is clean, spacious, and well organized. The animals look well cared for, and the exhibits are informative and fun to explore. The gondola ride is a highlight and offers beautiful views of the Bay Area, although it was a little disappointing that it closed at 2:30 PM. Staff were friendly, and there are plenty of places to sit, eat, and relax. It’s a perfect spot for families or anyone looking for a nice day out. Definitely worth visiting. I’ll be back!

Beautiful and well kept zoo, at a reasonable price. Friendly and informative staff. Visited on a weekday, fewer crowds. The gondola ride up the hill was amazing with beautiful views and included in the ticket, which was a great add on. The habitarium and petting zoo was a great interactive learning experience, especially for the kids.

Glowfari was amazing! First time at the Oakland Zoo and I was awestruck by how huge and well taken care of this place is! We didn't see any (live) animals, but the safari of lights and colors was beautiful. Oakland felt so alive! Really happy this is happening in The Town. Highhly recommended!

Oakland Zoo was an unexpected gem when I discovered it a few years ago. Since then I've had the annual membership for my family. My daughter loves animals and my son loves going there to collect the trading cards. The animal exhibits here are larger than what you'll see at most zoos with lots of open space and interactivity. My favorites are within the California habitat area which features gray wolves, bears and mountain lions among other species. A must-visit if you're looking for a way to spend the day in the east bay.

This trip was a little different for us than the last, with two little kids in haul! A few highlights: - the grizzly bears were putting on a show for bystanders. An absolute amazing experience! - staff members in the ride area were very friendly. Our toddler had a blast on the merry go round! - wear your walking shoes because it is a workout! Lots of uphill climbing to get your blood pumping! - they don't regulate outside food, so you can pack a nice picnic lunch! Cons: - only one stroller allowed per gondola ride, even though we folded the umbrella stroller up small. This meant my husband and I had to be split up and split the kids up to get up to the top section of the zoo. - once we got up there, the elevators were out of order. We either had to carry the strollers down multiple flights of stairs, or walk all the way back around to the beginning near the condors. Hopefully this is fixed next time we go! Overall a must stop for anyone within a 60 mile vicinity of the Oakland Zoo. It's a fun day trip for everyone, all ages!

Of our two Bay Area zoos, Oakland Zoo is by far the best. SF Zoo is so much more convenient for me, but it feels cramped, there's less to see, and leadership has been severely lacking in ways that put staff and animals at risk. (There have been some really good feature stories on this, in addition to all the reporting on recent controversy with the now ex-CEO). At Oakland Zoo, there are so many animals to see, the animal habitats are so extensive, and the conservation message is conveyed really clearly. My kids also love the gondola! The only thing I don't like is the pay-extra area just outside with rides, which seems like kind of a crock. We went to Glowfari for the first time last night and it was amazing! My advice for those who want to go on the earlier dates is to buy tickets as soon as they go on sale. I logged on the second they went live for non-members and was 57th in line. It was worth it! And bonus--despite the park being really busy with even more young kids than usual, and despite the late hour--the bathrooms were clean!

This is a nice, small Zoo. They have a diverse collection of animals and reptiles. It is hilly, so traversing the grounds may be challenging for some. There is also an aerial ride and an enclosed Gondola that provide a "bird's eye view" of the animal enclosures. It is a nice 2-3 hour outing for your family. The Zoo offers a special glow-in-the-dark experience, focused on the children's area during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. It opens at 5pm and has a separate admission fee.

This is my favorite zoo in the Bay Area! It's so beautiful nestled in the outdoors in the Oakland hills. So many different animals and a wonderful gondola ride that takes you to experience wolves, bears, and bison. The zoo is very clean and practices sustainability. I also like that they have ticketed times when purchasing online tickets to help manage the experience and not feel overly crowded.

I'm a teacher in San Francisco, and I'm always on the lookout for the best field trip experiences in the Bay Area. The Oakland Zoo has become one of our absolute favorites. Over the years, I've tried several of their educational options: the first year we booked a wildlife assembly (we were the only class there), the second year we participated in the ZooSchool program, and this year we explored the self-guided option. Each experience has been well-organized and engaging for students. In the past we never had time to ride the gondola or explore the zoo on our own so we never collected Zoo cards. My students this year loved collecting cards throughout the day, but what really stood out was an Oakland Zoo staff member who went above and beyond at the end of the day. He took the time to trade cards with my students and make the experience feel extra special. The Oakland Zoo is, in my opinion, far superior to the San Francisco Zoo in terms of both educational value and visitor experience. We'll definitely continue returning year after year. Highly recommend it for teachers, families, and anyone looking for a meaningful and memorable day at the zoo! I also attended glowfari for the first time last year and WOW! It is worth every penny. The decorations are up and it's looking EPIC this year.

Here is advice for Glowfari, which starts in November and lasts until January: - It's awesome. It's definitely worth it. The lanterns are meticulously designed and painted, and many have animatronics. There are a huge number of lanterns. - Skip the train ride. The lanterns along the train ride can all be seen when you drive up/down the access road, and it's not worth the very long wait or $6 ticket fee. - Go at the earlest time slot; Both parking and the zoo get more crowded as the night goes on. - When you enter, immediately take the gondola to the top and check out the lanterns up top. The return line for the gondola gets super long later in the evening. - There are strollers everywhere. It's a great family event.

Recently took the littles to the zoo, for their first experience! They had a great time, but I was a bit disappointed. We prepaid for parking, to accommodate my older parents, but still had to park at the bottom of the hill, though we have a handicap placard. This made the experience quite challenging at the very beginning. We arrived to the park around 11:45/12pm, and most of the animals were sleeping or hiding. I later learned that it's best to arrive as soon as the park opens since the animals are moving around for breakfast. Then the gondola closed early so we missed out on the other exhibits. One of the staff members told up to take our time viewing each exhibit because even when the park closes you'd still have time to walk through the park. This was NOT TRUE. When the park closes, they round up all guests and escort you off the property. So my suggestions for a good experience are as follows: -Arrive at opening -See as many exhibits as you can and jump on the gondola, early in the morning. -Then enjoy lunch later in the afternoon, as you make your way to the exit. We had a very pricey 2 hour experience for a group of 8.

The Oakland Zoo is a pretty great zoo experience. We really enjoyed ourselves on a July weekday visit. Sections of the zoo-- Tropical Rainforest African Savanna Children's Zoo California Trail (via a gondola ride, free with admission) Wild Australia (via a train ride at extra cost) Rides area (pay for tickets, adjacent to the zoo) What I liked-- -Nicely maintained with a lot of big habitats to see so many neat animals -Foliage or covered areas provided nice shade -Multiple viewpoints to look at animals -Lots of seats/benches available -Encountered staff who shared information -Cool gondola offered a peaceful ride with lovely scenery to enjoy -Awesome views of the bay from the California Trail section -Play areas for kids (the California Trail play area was especially fun) -Hand sanitizer bottles widely available -Cool animal statues & different cut outs for cute photo opps -The (extra cost) train ride goes into the Wild Australia area to see a few animals up close, gives nice views of the bay, & offers looks down into parts of the zoo Be aware-- -Like any zoo, the chance of seeing animals out & active will depend on timing -Inky re-entry stamp didn't dry & smears -Elevation differences require some uphill walking on some paths -The Reptile/Amphibian Room was stuffy & muggy The workings-- -Reserve & buy tickets in advance online. Price for admission is variable depending on the day/entry time. We showed our online parking payment proof at the entrance window. -Parking was a little dicey, we got lucky finding a spot while people circled. -Outside food & drinks are allowed to be brought in, but no plastic lids & straws. Water filling stations are scattered throughout. -Women's restroom experience near the entrance was very busy, so supplies ran low/out. The restroom at the California Trails section was less busy, nicer, & better maintained.

I've been to my share of zoos and this one is pretty close to the top. It's not San Diego Zoo but it's perfect for us. Since purchasing a membership, I've now been twice. (But I've been 3 times since I also went last year during glowfari.) I recently went with my work family which includes little kids. I didn't realize you can purchase these keys at the gift shop and at most enclosures, you put the key in and listen about the animals. It definitely gets the kids excited about moving throughout the park. Plus, many zookeepers (or they might be volunteers) hand out cards to the kids on different animals. Look out for those while you're visiting! The kids on my visit collected at least 4! Plus there are several play areas for the kids and they are super fun including a zip line. The key is going first thing when the animals are more active. Plus we were lucky that the weather was very cloudy with some sprinkles. The animals loved being out since it was nice and cool. When it's hot, they tend to go find a shady spot and sleep. Not to mention, when you come early, less people to deal with. We took the gondola up to the top right away and we had most of the place to ourselves. So what did we see that day? Everything! Jaguar, mountain lion, lions, tigers, bears, giraffes, meerkats, baboons, wolves--and all of them were up close. It was a great visit. They have a nice food establishment at the top but be prepared to spend big money. If you don't want to lose your entire paycheck on a meal, you are allowed to bring food in which is what we did. If you're coming here for the first time, I highly recommend getting the membership. 1) You don't have to worry about timed tickets. Members can come whenever. 2) Members don't have to pay parking. 3) After your second visit you've pay for your membership so it's totally worth it.

It's been quite awhile since the last time I visited the Oakland Zoo. My kids are grown adults now and for Labor Day I decided to take them. I was a bit disappointed. The river otter habitat was leaking water. It took some time before we were able to see the ONE river otter. We also saw ONE rabbit and ONE alligator. We visited the petting zoo. The goats looked sad but maybe that was due to the heat? It was a hot day in Oakland and there were A LOT of people today. Tickets were actually SOLD OUT when we arrived. They had us parking in the GRASS area. I was not a fan of that. Things have really changed since our last visit. The best things I saw were the giraffes today. Every other animal was in hiding or nonexistent. We were hot and tired so we did not make it to the new part of the zoo. Another plus was the people working there were super nice and friendly.

This zoo was a fun place for my friends and I to wander and yap. We were sad Kaya was not there yet. Really love the gondola ride that is free. We spent 3 hours here. Super family friendly and stroller friendly. Saw a lot of families who brought their own lunches. We snagged some watermelon lemonade that was 10.50 for a cup, quite pricey but super quenching.

Highly recommend! Kid-friendly environment: The zoo is a great place for families. California Trail: This area is a popular attraction, showcasing native California animals. Gondola ride: The gondola is mentioned as a fun experience and really relaxing. Food: Typical zoo food. I brought my own lunch. The zoo is considered a great place to visit, not just for locals but also for tourists.q

How do You Zoo? Founded in 1922, the 100-acre Oakland Zoo is run as a non-profit and houses over 850 native and exotic animals. They are also AZA (Association of Zoo Animals) accredited. The Good: *Membership pays for itself in two visits and you get free parking. *Fantastic views on the way up to the zoo along the hill *Tram ride (free) to the California side of the zoo was fun. *Great little "restaurant" in the CA area that has lots of food options beyond greasy pizza. It's pricey but it is what it is. *Loved the variety of animals here *If you have young kids this is a great place to bring them, as there's tons of play areas for them. *Animals look well cared for with large spaces *Glowfari Christmas light display during the season. The Meh: *We found this out the hard way, but they still require timed entry reservations for non-members, and unfortunately, we were already en route when we found this out. -_- So their evil plan worked and we bought a membership. *They charge for parking unless you're a member (see above) The Ugly: *That train ride is cool but kind of a joke. It goes by so fast and we didn't see one animal, except for Lou the Emu being a PiTa and not allowing the train to enter the area. It was pretty funny, tho, but don't bother with it unless you have a kid who's really into trains. Conclusion: Maybe the best zoo in the Bay Area, as we slightly preferred it over the SF Zoo.

I am currently a zoo member and love the Oakland Zoo! This review is for the overall zoo experience (not including dining experience at the zoo). STARS (stand out qualities) -Great variety of animals that are well taken care of and have a lot of space -Trading cards are given out by some staff and docents -Location is well maintained and clean, including bathrooms -Staff and volunteers are professional, friendly and helpful STAIRS (areas of growth) -More cards passed out by docents and staff TIPS -Membership seems to pay off after about 3 or so visits and has a lot of perks (newsletter, special events, store discount and more) -Special events that are an additional charge include an animal feeding, veterinary hospital tour and Glowfari

Our grandchild sat on the lap of the best looking Santa I have ever seen. He was at the Glowfari Led-illuminated animal lanterns event. His suit was made in Chile in South America, and he has wore it for 56 years at Christmas time.

Honestly I think this is one of the best zoo/museum memberships in the Bay Area, especially if you are living in the East Bay. The Zoo is well kept, has interesting/unique attractions such as the Gondola, and has both exotic and local animals species to see and learn about. The Landing Cafe up top also has some of the best views of the Bay you can have and the food there is constantly changing/delicious. Super nice to go even just for an hour or so before closing to go for a walk with your kids. The playground up top is fantastic for the little ones to explore and run around in. Just be mindful on long weekends or holidays that it can get PACKED. As in backing up onto the freeway packed, get there early! Or if you have a membership you can get in earlier. We love this zoo and would highly recommend this for any family in the Bay Area.

2nd time here You have to go to the website and buy your tickets for the specific day and time slot . If you are an Oakland resident you get a discount Adult tickets are $25 Parking is $13 This zoo has a lot of hills so be prepared especially if you are pushing a stroller There is a little cafe/restaurant one near the main entrance and one on the other side of the zoo You need a ticket for all kid rides Train ride is $3 Carousel ride is $3 No more elephants at the zoo But there are lots of little play areas and it's really kid friendly I would recommend coming here and experiencing it for your self

Oakland Zoo is a gem of the East Bay and I like to come visit every now and then. It's a mid-sized zoo where you can see everything in under 2 hours. My first stop is always to ride the gondola to the upper portion and get an amazing view of the Bay. I was pleasantly surprised to see the grizzly bears so active and playing as last time they were far away and resting. One qualm is that some of the enclosures, you can barely see the animals...or they may be hiding altogether. But there were enough of other animals to see like zebras, hyena, meerkats, baboons, lions, etc. to have a satisfying visit. This zoo is on a hill, so be prepared for some incline and wear good shoes. And if it's sunny, I suggest bringing an umbrella for shade. I didn't get to try their cafe or food and brought some snacks and fruits instead.

I don't love zoos, and this zoo is no exception. But I will try to be objective. Tickets: buy them online, along with parking. They have time slots that you will need to select, and that is a good thing. The car line getting into parking was about 15 minutes long, and I fretted about it being too crowded. It was okay after all. The tickets are a little pricey, but I imagine that caring for animals is pricey too, so if you like zoos, probably becoming a member would be better. The enclosures are mostly thoughtful, blending the animals' needs for living without stress and people's desires to see animals. The lemurs had a good enclosure (no sightings at 1, but we returned at 4 and saw a few). I felt sorry for the giraffes, lions, and the chimpanzees, but what do I know. I did feel like it was too easy to throw or drop stuff into enclosures. One lady had a big bag of peanuts like in a 1950s cartoon. No. Not much visible staff. The gondola was absolutely thrilling and gorgeous. The new top California area was very well done. The wolves seen from above were wagging their tales and looked like dogs that they are. Bears were lounging in hammocks living life. We had good fries with an amazing view. We have two big boys--my 13 year old was the oldest kid I saw--but we had a fine time staying nearly 4 hours.

First time here at the zoo and it was a pretty fun experience. Went on an off weekday and it wasn't as busy which was a plus. Not necessarily nicer or more interesting than any other zoo I've been to but the upside here is that the newer area up in the hills that is only accessible through the free gondola ride (which as someone who has a somewhat fear of heights, was still ok). That area felt much more well maintained and going around the perimeter allows you access to see a wider vantage point for animals such as the bears, wolves, vultures, etc. It's a big positive that their seems to be a good amount of care to increase the living space for these animals which can't be said about every single captive animal across all zoos. The main restaurant is also on this higher elevation and surprisingly has some tasty offerings (which we ultimately were suckered into getting cause of how hungry we were). Naan-chos were pretty good a filling although its really just fried pita with a tikka masala-like topping. Lastly, this upper area had a children's section that was actually pretty accomodating for for all ages as we found out they had implemented a while back a trading card system where each month or so they would roll out new cards that they provide for doing "challenges" in designated areas. Most of these challenges require ansering questions about nature that can be found nearby by reading through the plaques and info cards. You can also trade existing cards even to staff members - and they even have collabed with the SF Giants at one point with SF specific cards. The downside here is that the bottom older area is a little less well maintained with tons of construction currently happening to fix up some of the existing problems. Several exhibits were not in function during our visit which was disappointing and many of the ones that were in action, a lot of the animals weren't out and about (which ultimately is a game of chance so not to upset here). While we did get to see tons of birds, apes, and even the elusive rare sun bears, we were sad to not have been able to see tigers or hyraxes (awawas) even though their exhibits were open. Ultimately, Oakland Zoo is a great place to visit especially considering they also offering some discount for folks on EBT so that anyone can come and experience and learn.

We love the Oakland Zoo. Their Glowfari event is magical and goes through the end of January, but just visiting the zoo during the day is great too. A few things to note: *you need to buy tickets with a timed entry in advance. Usually cheaper to do that as well, then risk them being sold out when you arrive. *you should pay for parking in advance as well Plan for a few extra minutes to get in and park - they are sometimes backed up. This zoo is set on a mountain and is surrounded by beautiful views. It's spread out so prepare to walk and some uphills as well. They have a gondola that you take up high for some of their exhibits, I would do this as early in the day as you can. The exhibits are designed well with seating, etc since some animals require a bit more wait time to appear. They have a shop and some rides as well, although when we were there this week they were all closed due to an earlier power outage.

Me went here during Halloween time on a rainy day. Me saw many animals. Highlight...giraffe and California animals from gondola! Some animals hide from rain. Me like California gondola the most.

Sad to see where the Oakland Zoo is heading. I grew up with great memories there, but today with empty enclosures (the elephants) or near empty enclosures (flamingoes, bats, bug/reptile, & monkeys), it felt like a ghost town. The biggest miss by the zoo was buying 1:30pm tickets with no clear warning that the California Trail (the best part) closes at 2:00pm, a full two hours before the zoo closes at 4pm. Add the sold out train to the Australian zone and you can only see half the zoo. For $35 a ticket, missing half of what makes the zoo good, is a steep price.

It was my first time to Oakland zoo and it was such a fun time! We went around 1pm on a Saturday, it was pretty hot and luckily some animals were very active! Favorite exhibit was grizzly bears, wolves, giraffes, we went to 3 different bear exhibits and they were all so cute. Definitely take the sky ride! We took it and were able to see sleeping lions resting underneath the shade further back in their exhibit. If we didn't take the sky ride, we definitely wouldn't have been able to see them. It also has great views of the bay! We also did the train ride- this one took a bit long to get on as there were so many families and large parties. This is the only way to access wallabies and emus. It was fun to see emus up close- but maybe would skip if you're short on time and the train line is too long. Definitely would come back again to enjoy the park- who doesn't love animals?

Lovely visit on a slow weekday with mild summer weather. This is my favorite Zoo - great layout and variety and the gondola is the big highlight. The views are beautiful. The kids love the park at the top - we spent a long time there and also ate at the Landing Cafe. Cafe was more expensive than the restaurant near the entrance for similar items so next time we will probably eat there and maybe grab a snack at the top. Kids loved petting the goats and watching them butt heads. My fave was the otters. So cute. We did spring for the train ride this time - $18 for three people. It was a short ride and we saw one emu and some wallabies. Will probably skip next time for the price. Should be included imo. That and the sky ride both charge extra but the gondola is included.

A little shy from $115 spent for a family of 2 adults & 1 child's entry fees + parking. Please keep in mind that tickets need to be purchased PRIOR to arrival according to the gentleman working @ the entrance booth. We did see a few families who purchased entrance tickets at the entrance booths but it was obviously frowned upon since the process does back up everyone else. Oakland Zoo has been on my go-to list for years!! Now that I have a toddler who is overly in love & extremely interested in all types of creatures, what better place would there be to take her????! While it does state that the Oakland Zoo is the home to over 850 animals, a lot of the noted animals were not visible or out for viewing. Many enclosures were completely bare leaving my 4yo disappointed. The highlight of our experience was the petting yard. This is where my daughter THRIVED. Goats and sheep will keep your little ones entertained for days. If you are lucky enough to visit during feedings, the animals are a lot more active making it easier to brush and pet. Another exhibit that stood out was the giraffes yard. These gigantic majestic creatures were a beautiful sight that brought on massive crowds. 3.5 stars for our overall experience. While this zoo is absolutely beautiful, it unfortunately did not deliver when it came down to a number of animal viewing pleasures. Our visit was largely spent with the goats and some younger volunteers who could learn to be more kind and patient with the smaller visitors.

We love Oakland Zoo! My kids and I enjoy every time we visit. The park is pretty good about trash around the park they always have someone walking around cleaning up. All the animals are great! My baby son's favorite animal are the giraffes he is just so amazed by what he is seeing. I recommend everyone visiting the area go check out the zoo! Awesome food all ages. Plenty of refreshments around and awesome views when you go up the gondolas to explore the other half of the park. Make sure you wear good shoes cause you will be doing some good walking.

One of the best zoos that I've been to and I just want to keep coming back. True, it's not cheap when you add up the admission, parking and other costs but it worth it for a great day wandering an amazing zoo. Be prepared to walk some hills but you can also be rewarded by a beautiful gondola ride to the top that offers some of the most impressive and sweeping views of the Bay Area. The California exhibit at the top is spectacular and not to be missed - you will walk along a boardwalk that is perched over packs of roaming wolves, the grizzly bears seems to be everywhere and the condors and cougars are a beautiful site to see. My grandson asks me to take him every time I'm in town! I should probably have a season pass!

We had a fun visit to the Oakland zoo yesterday. It was the perfect day. The weather was nice and it wasn't very crowded. I loved riding on the gondola's. The views from above were beautiful. I also like that the majority of the animals had very large enclosures to move around freely. We had lunch at the landing cafe. We had cheeseburgers and fries. It was actually pretty good. My favorite animals were the wolves.

Gorgeous zoo with great views and nice enclosures. I am a regular at another local zoo and noticed some differences, both good and bad. In general the animals have very nice open enclosures with plenty of space to roam. From a viewers perspective it was great, you can get quite close to many of the animals and get a clear view. Some things I was not such a fan of, while the enclosures were large there was little enrichment activities in the habitat with them. And while it was so nice to see the animals up close I think it was too close to keep the animals safe. Many enclosures have large openings to slip things through, such as food. There were also railings, which I saw too many parents standing their child on to get a better view, which could easily lead to a slip. Accidents happen and it did not look like there were many precautions put in place to prevent them. There are a few signs that warn against feeding the animals or keeping quiet voices, however I saw tons of trash littered the edges and witnessed many guests taunting and yelling at the animals. There is a lack of connection here between guests and the animals. None of the animals had their names or stories displayed, and there were no published feeding times. The few workers we saw were not open to answering questions about the animals and seemingly avoided the guests. There are 2 parts to the park, the top area is accessed by riding a gondola up, there was a bit of a line, roughly 15 minutes or so on a Saturday afternoon. We dined at the cafe at the top and was less than impressed. We ordered the garlic fries($10) to snack on and it took over 20 minutes to get, and when we got them they were cold. The sauces were empty and there was also no soap in the women's restroom. When I tried to notify the staff they all pointed me to a different staff member.

Dear Oakland Zoo Team, I've already reached out regarding our tickets for Glowfari today. Unfortunately, my baby has fallen ill, and our party of five is unable to attend. This outing was meant to celebrate our baby's first year, and we were very much looking forward to it. I understand your policies on ticket changes and refunds, but I'm hoping you might consider making an exception. Families attend the zoo and its special events for their children, and we would be so grateful for any flexibility--whether a reschedule, credit, or alternative option.

We had such a wonderful time at the Oakland Zoo! We chose to go on a Sunday at 1:30, as the rates are priced cheaper later in the day. They accept reciprocal membership discount so that brought the price down as well. It was definitely crowded, but I'm so glad we chose to hit the newer section of the zoo first. (The gondola ride that leads up to the California Native animals). So glad we did this first as it is best to save at least 2 hours. Beautiful playground up there and the lines are around 20 minutes. Online it says the zoo closes at 4, but we were able to stay until 6. Phew! I guess last entry is until 4. Rides cost extra (just good to know in advance to set expectations with kids). The zoo is very impressive, clean and well maintained. The animals have very nice habitats and enclosures. Happy day for our whole crew! Thank you Oakland Zoo!

PRO-TIP: Free parking & entry for 4 if you have EBT/SNAP! Absolutely big W and great for the community. It's a "smaller" zoo, but that doesn't make it lacking in any way whatsoever! Just make sure to wear some comfy shoes because there's a lot of hilly inclines at this zoo and lots of walking to do (goes along with making sure you have a hat and some sunscreen too). We came here a couple hours before closing and because the upper half of the zoo (Californian ecosystem and animals) and the Gondolas (free with entry) were closed, we were able to see everything around 2.5 hours. I believe just check in to see if it's open or it may be due to the fact that it was later in the day or a staffing issue. Something SUPER cool about this zoo that encourages a community is the unique trading cards that they release for their animals. Very cute, educational, and a great souvenir to have too! The cards are unique in that they are NOT all available for certain seasons and some cards can only be acquired by speaking to certain staff members such as docents, volunteers, groundskeepers/maintenance, public safety, gift shop staff, etc. They also have trading areas and days where people can meet and trade cards. If I was a local, I'd collect them all! Also, if it's your first visit to the zoo or your birthday, you also get a neat button. Love that little addition too and it's also another neat souvenir that's free! There are tropical and rainforest animals, African savannah animals, a Children's Zoo, some rides in the front (separate from the zoo, but you can always get a stamp for re-entry), some eateries and a gift shop. Got to see some lions, a tiger, an elephant, chimps, various monkeys, lemurs, giraffes, zebras, flamingos, an alligator (lots of the standard favorites you expect from a zoo), and some unique critters too like the chuckwalla (LOVED THESE FUNNY LITTLE DUDES) that are found in California, the Golden Panama Frogs (haven't been seen until 2009), Rock Hyraxes (dudes are so cute), and much more. They also have a petting zoo with various sheep and goats and even some barn cats there. Their newly added Australian area is only accessible through their train ride, which costs 2 tickets ($6 per ride), but they slow down in the enclosure and you do get to see some wallabies, emus, and wallaroos, as well as a lovely view of the city below. I'm hoping they extend the Australian area or have a section where you can take a look at some Aussie birds or reptiles (I'm looking at you BTS & pogona champs). Overall a great fun stop for a day to see some animals!

It took 1 hour and 20 minutes to receive our food at the cafe. So incredibly irritating trying to find lunch seating, and that was at an early lunch time. It wasted and frustrated so much of what time we had for spending time there. It's okay that there aren't lots of animals, but many enclosures need a refresh or expansion. After everything, you need to pay even more money to take the train to the Australian animal area. Unreal.

I'm a grandpa visiting from Chicago and I would say that Glowfari and the zoo were amazing and magical! While my 3 year old granddaughter loved the bubble machines - I loved the SPECTACULAR amount of lights and displays. They were everywhere! Unique and awesomely cool! We went a few days after Xmas to try and avoid massive crowds. My tips would be to buy your tickets way in advance. Also, I would buy the earliest tickets available as it was starting to get crowded at 6:30 (long lines for the gondola). Also, early allows you to, hopefully, catch the sunset which was beautiful! Kudos to the zoo and all the employees - friendly and helpful.

I haven't been back to the zoo since our son and daughter were young, maybe about 30 years ago! Things have definitely changed for the better and now I'm taking my grandson and his mom! The ease of getting tickets online, great map of the zoo and plenty of signs, plenty of shade and benches. Clean restrooms, friendly staff! Our grandson had a great time exploring and using his zoo key! We enjoyed lunch after our exploration at the restaurant near the main entrance in a cool and clean restaurant. We ordered two hamburgers that come with fries and some fruit! We also went to the store next to the restaurant and got some small animals for my grandson to play with. Next time, we'll have to check out the rest of the zoo and also by then, my 20 month old grandson will want to ride the steam train and merry-go-round.

Such a great zoo! We love coming here with our toddler. There is always plenty of parking and a guaranteed good time. We also love learning about all of the good work that these folks are doing and the docents are wonderful at educating us about the different animals onsite.

What a great place to take a stroll, enjoy the animals and the Bay Area view! The zoo is a great place for a family outing or play date as kids can freely run around, especially after the gondola ride up to the California trail where the playground is located. There are plenty of locations to have a picnic or snack break. Zoo volunteers and staff hand out animal cards to the kids and sometimes have learning stations at different exhibits where kids can learn more about the animals and touch skulls. Osh is no longer at Oakland, so there are currently no elephants here. But during the winter they setup Glorfari, a pretty impressive light decor throughout the zoo that you can visit at night. Highly recommend taking a family trip to checkout whenever you're in town.

Always have an absolute blast each time I come to the Oakland Zoo. From daytime visits exploring the massive grounds with varied adorable, scary, and weird species to the evening Glowfari lights event each winter never failing to blow my mind. Can't recommend this zoo enough! Locals - get that membership already!

Our 7 yo daughter and 6 yo son had a wonderful time and I loved being able to take them here. The zoo itself has a nice feel with lots of natural foliage along the walk. I also liked being around people of diverse backgrounds, as SF zoo has a different atmosphere. Many of the animals weren't in view, but if it's because they aren't forced into small spaces in order to be seen, then ok. We liked the big grassy area in the children's zoo area as well as the bug habitat. Metal ants and bees found along walk ways and on the sides of buildings are a nice detail that our kids noticed. The chimpanzees were showing out and as usual looked unreal, in a good way. The giraffe enclosure looked grand and the giraffes looked healthy. All the animals we got to see looked healthy. There were also a good amount of shade and benches for a tired Mama to rest, and for the kids to have a snack and water. There was an East Asian? fellow in the cafe that almost ruined my good mood while I was minding my business, enjoying the time with my kids. He was standing around gossiping with his Latina? coworker and seemed to have an annoyed attitude when I picked up our food and when I asked for a to go container. I understand if they don't have one, but he and the coworker acted like I was crazy for wanting to take the food to go in case the kids got really hungry later. The coworker eventually gave me an open container, which I figured was better than nothing. She asked if I wanted another and I was like, for sure, as we had ordered 2 chicken tender meals that were difficult to finish eating. The guy muttered, 'why not 3,' or something silly under his cowardly breath. People like that guy seem to hate life, and are a disappointing part of an expensive but otherwise fun family experience. I hope he is ok as it takes a lot of sadness in life to be rude to a random lady who did nothing to you, and to have nothing better to do than to gossip at work. More importantly, the food was truly terrible. The chicken and fries were bland and cold, insultingly overpriced. The packaged cookie was ok. This was a last minute surprise trip and I didn't realize that outside food is OK to bring in, saw another family with their Tupperware meals. I will definitely keep that in mind if we ever go back here. The best part was the train. We waited for 2 trains before our turn, which felt like a good while. Yet, I was lucky that our kids were patient and having fun. The lady who stamped our hands before exiting to the rides area and the ladies operating the train seemed professional, upbeat, and kind. We saw a bunch of kangaroos, a turkey, and an emu who was just hanging out. Nice way to end the trip. The overall experience was positive, though I am not sure if another visit will be worth it. Update 7/30/25, adding back a star: After reaching out to the zoo customer service, I was contacted by the Food and Beverage Operations Manager for the Tuskers Cafe, which is managed separately from the zoo. He was professional and apologized on behalf of the rude and unprofessional employee. I received a refund for our meal and an invitation to return to the cafe for a better experience, the experience my kids and I deserved. Though not having that original experience during an otherwise lovely day with our kids would be preferable, this is a helpful and appreciated resolution.

One of the best zoos I've been to! Parking is right next to the entrance. Animals look happy and healthy. The enclosures are huge. The staff are very knowledgeable and I learned a lot from them. Would definitely go again. A must go when visiting Oakland. Some enclosures are bordered by water which animals do not cross so you can take pictures without gates blocking the way.

We had such a great time at the Oakland Zoo! The place is super clean, animals look healthy and well cared for, and the staff is really friendly and helpful. The gondola ride gives amazing views of the whole city and the hills -- totally worth it. It's a perfect spot for families, kids loved the petting area and the playground. And at the end there's a small amusement park with fun little rides for young kids. We like this place!

Fun and varied zoo with quality, educational interactives Was pleasantly surprised by our visit to the Oakland Zoo. Have heard many good things and once we made our way past the notorious traffic and parking, it was an enjoyable day. The layout is relatively straightforward to catch all the animal and educational exhibits without hopscotching around. The enclosures are attractive and seem very humane to the animals. Kids enjoyed the mix of animals, which all looked healthy and comfortable, along with detailed educational displays and histories. There are also educational installations and interactives at the top, after taking the gondolas. The Kaiser Visitor Center and California Conservation Habitarium (sp?) were simple, but kept us occupied for the better part of an hour. Then, off the the wolves, eagle, condors, bears, jaguar, and mountain lions. You see the bison while on the gondolas too, which is cool. One of those legacy attractions worth the visit. If the highway traffic and parking were improved, I'd easily give five stars.

We always have a good time when we visit the Oakland zoo. It's clean, well maintained and there's ample parking. Although this zoo may be smaller compared to other zoos, they utilized the land and layout well to incorporate the various exhibits on the upper and lower zoo areas. I actually like that it's smaller so everything is within walking distance especially with toddler in tow. Within a couple of hours visit, we were able to accomplish quite a bit and it worked out perfectly for us. Our recent visit was the best ever! There was no line for the gondola ride that we were able to catch a few rounds of rides in as this was our young cub's favoritest thing to do at the zoo! Moreover, the zoo residents decided to grace us with their presence! They were actively striding along, being playful and/or just chilling. The bear exhibit was one of the best as you can view the bears up close and in their natural habitat. Our visit would not be complete until we had a train ride in and several rounds of carousel rides at the ride area adjacent to the zoo exit. This train ride was especially exciting as the wallabies attempted to escape! But alas, plan foiled; they got caught and had to hop on back to Wild Australia.

Two first timers were totally enchanted by this Zoo. I loved the very open habitats! The gibbons were singing loudly, maybe because the baby siamang recently came out on nearby habitat. We were blessed with a very clear day and had no idea the location offers the best view of the bay and SF!!! Took the gondola up and what a treat! We agreed that the Sun Bear habitat was our favorite. I ask a lot of questions and all the staff I encountered graciously spent time answering and helping. Yay for great zoos!!!

I was pleasantly surprised to see how well maintained everything was at this zoo. The facility map was provided and was super easy to follow. We got to see lots of animals - wolves, tigers, flamingos, Amazon parrots, bugs, tortoises, and many more. There were some area where we couldn't see the animals but there were very few of those. And mostly there was some explanation to it - either the animals are nocturnal or the location was under construction. The zoo had an upper level which we had to use a gondola system to reach. The gondola ride was fun. It was a perfect place to visit especially when you have kids.

They really need to reassess who they have working the carnival rides as many of the employees are not suited to work with kids, especially toddlers. I encountered an employee that was rude, impatient and intolerant of a 2 year old! Put them on the concession if they can't work with kids

This is embarrassing. I have been here with the kids so many times over the past two years and have never reviewed it. I just take it for granted, I guess. This zoo is THE BEST in the area. You can probably view it all in about 3 hours, but you'll probably want to come back. Parking is paid for in advance, or included with your membership. I recommend coming early for the best parking. The zoo is mostly paved and stroller/wheelchair friendly. The zoo starts with a lower level, but they have a (stroller friendly!!) gondola that takes you to an upper level. The gondola is my toddler's favorite part . They have a few cafes with decent food choices (though about $15 for a burger and fries), and a few snack bars with popcorn, dippin dots, etc. Our favorite things to do: Lower level- Petting zoo (mostly goats, the sheep are skittish) View the bats Watch the elephants Upper level- Look at the bears (especially when they're swimming!) Go to the kids' play area Find the wolves roaming about Get a good view of the oakland skyline There are, of course, a lot more animals to view, but I can't list them all. You'll have to see them for yourself!