The Buffalo Zoo

Wonderful, small zoo with great exhibits. Some exhibits were under construction and there weren’t any animals in them. Other than that it is a great morning or afternoon to spend with nature and its animals. There is a lovely walkway around a park that is disability accessible outside the zoo as well.

This zoo is on the smaller side but it was still a great visit! The animals look well cared for. Being it was November, things were bare and there wasn't as much going on, obviously. I'd be interested to see what it looks like in the summer months. I was actually only here for a conference, and the zoo and being able to walk through it was a definite perk!

Went on free Thursday in October was great weather not hot or cold was plenty of people for a weekday. Got to see the baby red panda were so cute .We had a burger at the burger restaurant was very good weird the pop was more than the burger! Spent couple of hours there got to see everything loved the polar bear and giraffes and the rainforest.

This zoo may be small in size but it is really nice. They have so many cool animals like Hyenas, Snow Monkeys, Seals, Polar Bears and of course Buffalo, as well as so much more. The Hyena I saw was so cute. Also apparently I went there while they were celebrating their 150th anniversary so there were a bunch of big light up displays and animal figures. I wholeheartedly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area. It is a lot of fun.

Very skimpy on animals. Good for a nice walk on a good day. I hope they turn it into an animal rescue site and rehab . We don't really need to cage more wild animals but great if born in captivity or a rescue. I understand the eagles can't fly doe to injury, the animals there are well taken care of and look really healthy.

Waste of money. This was the worst zoo I have ever been to $60 plus for 3 people plus parking! 0 out of 10 do not recommend. The animals looked like they were unalived. The lions looked half starved. The animals barely moved. The polar bear which was the highlight of the visit looked miserable sitting in dry dirt. No water in sight or anything for the poor guy. This place makes me see while animals should not be in cages. They did not look happy at all. I wished I could have saved them from their despair. Poor things. Do better for the animals. Also they were decorating but not decorating. Just had junk laying everywhere in piles even blocking walk ways. Very unprofessional and unpleasant in my opinion. Awful place 😖

This zoo has some incredible exhibits for a smaller zoo. One of the best reptile houses in the country. The rainforest house is awesome! I hear Luna is a huge Bills fan also. Go Bills!

A wonderful zoo with friendly, knowledgeable, and engaging staff. The zoo is very easy to navigate and isn't so large that you feel like you can't see everything in a timely manner. My wife and I purchased the giraffe encounter and that was just the icing on the cake. I would highly encourage you to look at and purchase an encounter to get a behind the scenes look that you can't get otherwise.

This was our first time going to Buffalo ,so we ended up going to the zoo . The first animal we saw was the Polar Bear, we were very happy to see one . Okay-- my young son wrote that. He loved this zoo! It was small and we saw it all fast. I would say it was worth a visit!

I went to the zoo all the time with the children I nannied in Buffalo 15 years ago but it was so nice to bring my own son and see it all updated. We went on a blustery Wednesday in October and it wasn't super busy. We saw a lot of animals and the fall decor was beautiful. The new enclosures are great and we loved hanging out with the red panda. Of course going on a weekday we missed out on the carousel and train but if we lived in Buffalo, we would be there all the time!

For the second year the Buffalo Zoo has a summer night event, called Zoomagination. All around the zoo are lit up displays of trees, animals and mythical figures. The zoo opens at 6:30PM for this event, open Thursdays to Sundays until the end of September. While it gets darker (sunset was at 7:30PM the day we visited) it gets more interesting. The displays look better and better the darker it gets. There is also a cultural performance (at 7, 8 and 9PM). It is definitely an event to go to.

Beautiful zoo, well laid out, clean, active animals with close up viewing. Love the informational screens throughout the zoo. Ready to read and learn a bit. Plenty of animal exhibits with a red panda, lions, tigers and polar bears. The reptile house has been greatly improved since the last time I was there... Fantastic viewing options of exotic colorful frogs, lizards and snakes. Most of the animals were outdoors and moving around... It was great. A wonderful zoo where you can enjoy a full day of animal watching.

Honestly, it was a good visit for the most part, and we had a great weather day. I love the Zoo-magination lantern festival overlay that is on during the summer. It brings a lot more to do and look at. When it's not up, it sometimes seems very empty and like it's missing something. But I understand it's a park setting with animals on exhibit so that makes sense. Even with it being a smaller zoo, there is still a good amount to look at and do. Most of the exhibits are good and the animals seem to have a good space to move around. There is a fun new dog show happening there which was nice to see. We saw a lot of animals out and that is always a hit with kids especially being able to see all the animals. Luna the polar bear was the most social animal and my son really loved seeing her out at the big glass wall. So much so, we even got him a stuffed polar bear at the gift shop. Food was good and came out hot and fresh. They do a great job having a nice menu here with something for everyone. The gift shop was very nice and air conditioned which felt great on a hot day. Overall, it was a great day at the zoo. Can't wait to see what new things they bring in next.

We took the grandchildren to the Buffalo zoo over the weekend, and they enjoyed the experience. The zoo has found an innovative way to fill the vacant animal exhibits with exotic silk fabric sculptures which are illuminated at night. The status of the Buffalo zoo has fallen off sharply in the last few years as the major large animal exhibits have been removed from the zoo. Be sure to bring snacks and beverages with you when you visit, otherwise you may need to take out a mortgage to buy a 6 ounce solo cup full of pretzels for eight dollars

This is another local gem in Buffalo, New York. I always buy a membership to Support them and went to zoomagination again this year with my family. If you haven't been to this wonderful yearly event, you definitely should! Every year it's a different theme, just beautiful, especially at night fun for the kids and adults too!

Particularly fun place during Zoomagination. Last year was incredible. Went there today with a 2year old who wants to walk everywhere. While he was attracted to everything he could climb on and wasn't interested in the animals at all, we filled two hours with walking around and getting ice cream. The carousel and train were big hits, and it was great to see all of the animals out and about today.

Love my Buffalo zoo! It may be small and sometimes our animals are on loan to other zoos, but it's an awesome place for children! It's just the right size to take little ones with plenty for them to see and do. My granddaughter is in love with the place and squeals with excitement when we pull up! I have seen this zoo in many stages and it's definitely on the way up! All of the keepers and docents are so friendly and willing to talk about the animals, they love their jobs and it shows! We've been members for at least 30 years and will continue to give support so our zoo can continue to grow.

This zoo was a lot bigger than I expected. For like $18 you get a good size zoo that you can walk around for a few hours or more. Plenty of animals were out. I took off a star because that parking is horrendous. It took us awhile to find a parking spot and it wasn't even close to the entrance. I still recommend coming here though.

What a sad and dreadful experience. Not just sad as in disappointing but sad emotionally. To begin--We went on a day that so happened to be school field trip day--first mistake. Was more like bringing the zoo to the animals than the people to the zoo. Truly--I was appalled by the chaotic nature of it all. Let's just say there are children that make you want to have kids and then there are those remind you why you don't. The animals themselves were cowering in fear over the constant screaming. And the animals that we managed to sneak a look at--in some secluded scream-free corner--had the saddest eyes. From the lone polar bear repeating his same rhythmic back strokes to pass the time to the motionless birds inside who never get to see real sunlight, it was all just very sad. The enclosures look very poorly kept and make it look like you're visiting an animal prison instead of a home. $20 tickets for that? Hard pass.

I'm like Goldilocks. I've been to the biggest zoos (St Louis, Los Angeles, etc) and the smallest. This one is just my size. It is also beloved by my 2, 5, and 7 year olds. We can see all of the animals in one trip, both big and small. Want to come face-to-face with a gorilla, polar bear, giraffe, lion, tiger, or rhino? This zoo can give you that in less than an hour. Feeling like hanging with the meerkats, reptiles, and capybara? They got you. For an added bonus, talk to zoo staff or follow them on Instagram and you'll quickly know the names of the animals. My 5 year old son believes that Mindy, the sea otter who comes to the glass to play with him each visit, is his soulmate.

This Zoo needs some work. Hopefully, with the price hike that will help. A lot of empty exhibits, cracked cement, weeds. It's just not a good look and the animals look so bored. They have nothing to do.

We came for the Trick or Treat event this year. While seeing the Sanderson sisters and getting free carousel rides was great, for the price we paid for our two year old to participate, we were very disappointed in the amount of candy. He seriously got one tiny piece of candy at 12 stations. Totally not worth the money. The zoo itself did have some cool animals, like an anteater and a rainforest area, but it seemed like a lot of animals weren't out. I would stop here again if I was in the area, but wouldn't go out of my way.

We took my 4 nieces and nephew to the zoo while they were visiting us, they are ages 5-13. They all had a good time, the animals were super active, It was a nice spring day and the animals were mostly outdoors. I was worried the older kids would be bored but they said they want to go again. They zoo was clean and the staff was nice and helpful. We bought a membership which we could structure to fit our family.

Come prepared to empty your wallet. The entry fee is high and parking is also very expensive, particularly for special events.

This is a great family activity or couple/single activity. This Zoo seams to provide good spaces for their animals and genuinely seams to care about the wellbeing of each resident

Got to visit the zoo for the first time in a few years yesterday and I was bursting with joy! The Buffalo Zoo was a staple of my childhood and I'm happy to see all the improvements they've made over the years. I think they're doing a great job with COVID procedures. They have staff posted throughout the zoo and for more sought-after areas (currently the baby lion cubs), they're doing a line system so that everyone has a turn to see and there's no crowding. I hope they keep this post-pandemic because I preferred it to everyone packing together to look. We spent about two hours here which I'd say is an adequate amount of time. They have so many different animals here and while they don't have some "classic" wild animals like elephants anymore, it's still a good time. I'm knocking a star off because parking is really brutal. Their lot is almost always full and on the weekends it can be nearly impossible to find street parking close by. We lucked out with a close-ish spot this time around. Everyone who visits Buffalo should come to our historic zoo!

Came here while waiting for my passport to be renewed and can say I was pleasantly surprised. The zoo is on the larger end but you can cover it easily in a few hours if you navigate according to your interests.

We visited the zoo yesterday. It was our first visit in a long time and I was a bit disappointed. It could have been a combination of new COVID restrictions and the weather but access was limited to many buildings and exhibits. We had printed a map at home since they no longer give them out (COVID?) but some pathways were blocked. Also, it just didn't seem that we saw many animal. There was 1 gorilla, 2 spider monkeys, 1 tiger, and I lion. I thought there used to be more in both the ape and cat families. No bears besides the polar bear and no elephants, though I do totally agree with that decision since elephants definitely need more space. That all being said I still think it's a good place to bring a family. You can see the excitement on the kids faces when spotting different animals. One of the favorite spots is actually the farm area. There's nice play areas though unfortunately they're all currently closed. Highlight is definitely the polar bear exhibit. I'll have to check out the rest of the zoo again in the summer when the weather is better and hopefully covid restrictions are less. 2021-40

We had a wonder full time here. The animals were active. kids were excited to see commodo dragon, gorilla, lioness up close.

I grew up going to the Buffalo Zoo and try to visit anytime I'm back home. This time was such a disappointment. If it wasn't for the pretty decorations for some night time light event it would have been a one star. I'm not sure if it's because of funding or lack of help but many of the animal habitats have fallen into disrepair. So sad because I really felt a few years ago it was really making progress in updating. Maybe this is a direct result of the pandemic and drop in attendance-I don't know. The lion and tiger habitats were some of the worst along with the rainforest. I felt so bad for the poor animals. No animal enrichment in any of areas. Even the gorillas looked bored. So, so sad.

I really love this zoo. I know people previous reviews said it was sad etc but I guess they never visited neighbor zoo Seneca zoo. This zoo is very big and have many nice animals and exhibits. They lay out of the zoo is really nice. It's worth the admittance fee. We came here today for the Halloween event. We got a late start to getting here and the parking lot was full. We found an alternative parking spot which was a small walk. Even though the zoo parking lot was full the event itself didn't feel crowded. People kept their space and things went very smoothly. The event was wonderful. The animals were very well taken care of and exhibits very clean. Coming from Rochester and our zoo.. but all the animals were very active. The staff at the zoo were very nice and friendly. It was a beautiful day at the zoo and the Halloween event was a lot of fun for my son.

Horrible, disappointing and embarrassing. Took out of state family there yesterday. Run down, foliage overgrown. Lack of live animals sad..

Went here recently for the Zoomagination event. It was much better than I expected! I enjoyed watching the lights. They where really interesting. I enjoyed the parrots and the peacock the best. They where really neatly animated. There where some really cool walk ways. Most of the gifts are really over priced. There where some cool aluminum crafts for sale. I got a near looking rose. Drinks and snacks are pretty over priced and the selection is very slim. Overall it was a nice but slightly overpriced experience

very disappointing, feels run down, weeds overgrown lots of money spent on "zoomation" lanterns but the place looked bad. almost embarrassing for our guests.

Decent zoo. Animals seem well cared for. Zone is clean. Nothing particularly unique in the collection but fairly large. Not a destination zoo but not bad if in area.

I liked all the animals and the reptiles and the Komodo dragon. -reviewed by a 6 year old

I've been putting off revisiting this zoo because as an adult, I've been to so many zoos around the country and compared to those, I knew ours kept looking more abusive to the animals. Heartless things aside, THERE ARE NO LABELS WITH ANIMALS NAMES OR GENDERS AND BACKSTORY/MARKINGS NOTHING. This really feels wrong because you can't identify with any of the individual animals and they seem more like display items and not well loved and respected creatures. The large animal exhibits are still cramped and many times there's nowhere for the animals to hide from people. Especially the gorillas who are oogled all day long from 360 angles and look downright miserable/angry. The giraffes surely should have some sort of adverse side effect from being housed so close to an intersection and a bunch of electrical boxes on display behind them. And I'm not sure that bats appreciate being housed in an environment so loud and bright. Seeing the zoo from a historical angle, this is something that would be valuable to preserve as how inhumane humans used to keep animals but the zoo continues to house animals in these inhumane enclosures. The reptile house was the only place I didn't have any beef with, besides the fact that the cockroach exhibit is gone. I'm so glad the elephants are gone and I'm sure they are too.

We love the zoo. As a family of four with two small kids we became members. The zoo is small but easy to walk around with lots of animals to see. We bought a membership for ~$120 for the four of us PLUS a free adult every time we go. We love this feature. Grandma wants to meet us? Zoo. Want to catch up with a friend? Zoo. We love going on rainy, cold, less than desirable days since the animals are usually more active and we get the zoo to ourselves. It's not nearly as big or nice as Columbus or Cleveland but it's great for kids and families. They've done some major improvements so if you haven't been in a few years definitely give the zoo another shot!

Haven't been to the Buffalo years in about 6 years. Was so disappointed! 1 pillar bear, tigers weren't out, only giraffes, no other bears, no otters or sea lions and what happened to our elephants?

We chose a visit at this zoo during a weekend stay. It was actually quite enjoyable. The statues that decorate the grounds provided plenty of picture opportunities and the animals were well described. Although this zoo is not too large, it does provide plenty of walking and milling about. We spent about 3 hours enjoying the sights and were not disappointed with our experience. The zoo in NYC is larger, but much more unruly and the artwork would not last a NY-Minute. It was the calmness and relaxing atmosphere that made this visit well worth the time.

This is a must everytime we come to town. Just the perfect size zoo for a fun afternoon. I love the old stone buildings that they have used for years. Zoo could use some tlc as it's being to look a little run down. But the silk and iron that is put up right now is gorgeous and I'm sure spectacular at night lit up.

Visiting a zoo is one of my favorite activities to do while on vacation and I certainly enjoy coming to see all the animals in my hometown zoo.You can just gaze at these amazing and beautiful creatures for hours.I enjoy the gorillas especially with their new borns, the tigers,rhinos and Luna the polar bear.The rainforest falls is really amazing, and it makes you feel like your really there. They have a carousel,train ride for kids and when your hunger hits a cafe.I really enjoy attending the Wines in the Wild event here in July, its always a fun time and the money goes to the animals.

Normally, I absolutely love going to this zoo. BUT, this year, I was very disappointed . The price per person went up. I paid $43 for me & my 2 kids to get in. The cost of an icee & a medium sized pretzel was ridiculous. But the most disappointing thing was, the lack of animals. We walked around for over 3 hours & so many of the animals that we used to see, we're gone. So many cages,glass display cases ,etc.., were empty. Elephants are completely gone. The only bear now is 1 polar bear. The Bisons are gone, Most of the wild cats were gone, there was only 1 snow leopard there. No more Lynx,no cougars,nothing ! No tigers , Hardly any snakes are left, the cool alligator is gone The only very cool thing there this time around was the mana rhino & her adorable baby boy. The male rhino was also playing with these 2 little kids , which was something I have never seen before & it was simply adorable. Other than that, it was pretty lame & definitely not even close to worth the money. Very disappointing & sad ,because our zoo used to be amazing & so much fun. Now, it is so not !!!!

As one reviewer posted about the lone Polar Bear repeating the same backflip and swim over and over. Not impressed with zoo. Lone Gorilla,sad...

I only have the Seneca Zoo here in Rochester to compare this zoo to, but I thought it was a great visit. Lots of animals, and it was nice to see some animals not behind a fence vs at Seneca Zoo they would be. It's a great opportunity to get some good pictures in. The only complaint I have is while paying the parking fee, the gentleman told us, "next time, you can only pay cash inside." I personally did not see any signs or was notified of this. I found him to come across a bit rude. Other than that, I'd gladly make the hour drive from Rochester to Buffalo and visit this zoo again.

There is so much to see and do at the Buffalo Zoo.So many wonderful animals to see, giraffes, tigers, gorillas and everyone's favorite Luna the polar bear.The rainforest falls is a cool exhibit with wonderful species.There is a carousel and kids train ride to enjoy, plus if you get hungry there is a Cafe.The wines in the wild event in the summer is always a fun event to attend and give support to the zoo, lots of food, wine and of course the amazing animals to enjoy.

First off, to quickly add some Clarity \ explanation to the low review. It has little to do with how amazing the place can be exhibit and Animals wise. The place definitely would be 5 star if THAT was my only prerequisites for doling out reviews, unfortunately it's not. Issues: 1. Zoo employee's WATCHING and doing nothing to STOP a man walking about kids smoking heavily. The smell was awful and a HUGE issue for Asthmatic kids in my sons school group. 2. Restrooms were atrocious, to the point of driving people out of them with the god awful smell ... We would expect stink of THAT level from the indoor primate and bird exhibits, they dont have the ability to flush or clean... People do. Unacceptable. ESPECIALLY in a family restroom. Which by the way isn't kid or handicapped friendly as there were no bars and the sinks and soap dispenser was too high for them to reach. 3. Unmanned refreshments stands, huge issue on super hot days especially to parents. More than half were unopened. Notes if you plan to attend: 1. I know this sounds silly, but it's not, the exhibits get SUPER hot and on hot days it gets REALLY hot, remember these key items to save the day: Backpack cooler full of water and cooling packs, Hat, sunscreen, maybe a tiny battery operated spray fan (Wal-Mart has them for like 5$), you need to stay hydrated and keep kids from overheating and there isn't much shade to be had while walking or sitting. I would suggest for small kids to rent or bring a cart with a cover. 2. A lot of stuff \ kids activities costs extra, even with membership, so bring cash. I hope this is helpful. Recommendation to ZOO administration: To reduce heat issues on hot summer days, a hose sprinkler area for kids such as used at Seneca park zoo would be a huge investment, as would more outdoor dining options such as picnic tables WITH umbrellas. This may seem unimportant but to families or people with health conditions it's a huge and welcome accommodation. Keep in mind , dehydration and heat stroke are 0% fun and a SERIOUS liability.

Great zoo for the price. Really enjoyed our time here. Very friendly staff. Concession and souvenirs where pricey.

It's was a perfect day for the zoo so I took my Mom. I don't like that you have to pay to park. 5.00 for first 2 hours and 2 an hour after that. You have to buy the tickets on line ahead of time so it's never overcrowded The tickets cost us almost 15 each which is a little high especially as that's the senior price. I really enjoyed everything and we saw a lot of animal's which was awesome. The zoo seems to get nicer every time I go and has become a much better home for the animals there. My suggestion would be to put in more signs to direct you to where the animals are located. Normally I would just wander till I saw them all but my Mom is 91 and I wanted more direct routes. They also don't give out maps now which I would have liked. You can use your phone to look at a map but it's difficult to follow in that size.

Got through the zoo in 2 hours. We caught two of the shows, the 5 minute sea lion training which was cute, and the meerkat feeding which was 2 minutes. For being a Saturday, I was surprised there weren't more shows. There's a good variety of animals and I liked that many of the exhibits were interactive. Good mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits. Ice cream- only comes in one size which was huge! I recommend checking out if you're in the area, but agree with others that there are some opportunities to update some of the exhibits.

The Buffalo zoo is great for a afternoon with the kids to see all the different animals. I did give it a 3 star because of the lack of amount of animals here. No elephants anymore and a lot of the exhibits where empty or not being used. We went around 10:30am so I would have assumed everything would have been out! A lot of the stands where also closed and I am guessing mostly because of the guidelines. My favorite part of the day was seeing the baby lion cubs!!! Adorable of course but they did have a line to get to see them so people weren't crowed around the area. They had big blue dots on the ground and zoo employees managing the area to move the process along which was nice. I have been to a lot of zoos as I travel we like to frequent them. That is another reason as why my score was low as comparative to others they don't have the interactions other have either. Example like feeding the giraffes or sea lion shows etc...

Okay. How could you NOT like the zoo? Well, it's evolved into more of an animal themed adventure park. First you are herded into a line to await one of several pay booths with rather unfriendly employees. There were imho some horrifying electronic dinosaurs around the premises that scared the daylights out of me. Perhaps little children are not as cowardly as me. I did not see the point of them nor appreciate them. In another section, there were some farm animals in a spotlessly clean area that had some outstanding signage in the "barn". The usual way finding signage left much to be desired, not very creative, not large enough and not displayed in sensible pathways. There was a lot of focus on gimmicks inside some of the buildings, interactive displays that didn't have a lot to do with the zoo. The goats were in a particularly shabby outdoor area, not sure if they will be getting an update soon. There was the carousel as always with a high ticket price to ride. I don't know how families can afford to attend the zoo. I'd rather enjoy a day at Delaware Park than the reinvented Buffalo Zoo.

This isn't the biggest zoo and it's not the best zoo... but given it's size, I think it hits all of the things you'd want from a zoo. Animals from all over the world, check. Indoor and outdoor exhibits, check. Play areas for the kids, check. Food stands, check. Etc., etc., etc. I like our little zoo and try to make a trip once a year. I prefer the winter, because there are less people which allows me to take pictures at a more relaxed pace. It also makes me appreciate the warmth of the rainforest area that much more.

The saddest zoo. half the exhibits were closed, playground was closed, merry go round was closed, and more than half the exhibits were closed. The remaining exhibits were just depressing. I'm usually pretty kind in my reviews but we will not be back and honesty this is the saddest zoo to visit. I have seen it slowly decline over the years and it's to the point where they should consider the well being of the animals. You won't get your money's worth here. You just feel bad for the animals because they are in tiny concrete exhibits pacing back and forth.

The Buffalo Zoo is a very approachable zoo that is just the right size for an afternoon. Joining as a member is probably your best value for admission as it provides admission, parking, and tokens for the carousel/train. Speaking of the train, its not really a train but rather an overgrown and dressed up lawn mower with some carts in tow. This needs to be replaced. As for the carousel, there is now accompanying band organ. One would think that with band organs and carousels having been made locally that they would wish to include this, not so. The best exhibit is the rainforest exhibition. It does a nice job of simulating a rainforest but without all of those pesky bugs. This is an especially nice place to hang out with the children when the colder weather is upon us. The reptile house which was built by Marlin Perkins of "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" fame has been recently renovated. This is the big problem: nobody seems to know anything. The docents seem to be less educated with regard to the animals than my child. Shows and feeding times and places seem to change at random with park staff not being kept up to date as to what is happening when. A simple call for information as to what is happening that day is usually met with an "I don't know", "that's what used to happen", or some other weak and unhelpful response.

We visited the zoo yesterday for the first time in a few years and took our three year old son. We were able to purchase tickets in advance, which I thought was convenient. We appreciated the safety measures they took for Covid, requiring masks indoors, enforcing social distancing, and providing hand sanitizer throughout the park. Some attractions were closed because of Covid like the train ride, park, and bone zone which was a little sad because I think with the proper oversight, could be properly maintained. The animals looked happy and healthy and they had a lot of popular animals which kids could recognize - your gorillas, giraffe, zebra, lions (and Cubs ), polar bear as well as some other not-so-well-known animals. We all learned a lot and left happy.

If you love animals this is the place to go...you can go rain, shine, snow? Of course...animals are inside and outside. Going early is the best time as later in the day the animals tend to get tired. Spend a day with family enjoying time together.