Utah's Hogle Zoo

Small zoo. Cute animals! The sand cats and black footed cats were the cutest things ever. We watched the seal and sea lion trainings which were very entertaining. This is a fun day trip that’s about 50 minutes from Ogden. They have a wide variety of animals with our favorites being the cats and the Przewalski horses. Expect to spend between 2-4 hours here. Tickets were a little pricey at $23 per person. There is a grill on site that serves pizza and burgers.

Family goes to the zoo every year but this was the first time we'd been around Halloween. The decorations were amazing and animals we had never seen active during the hotter months of the year were pouring on quote a show! The polar bear, the lions... the giraffes and camels were a favorite. Employees were all wonderful. It was just the best trip. We can't wait to go again next year!

Had the fortune to go at a time (early Jan) with no crowds. The zoo is part of the AZA association which was unknown to me until I visited. This means they have a pretty high animal welfare standard, and you see it clearly. My favorite animals were the snow leopard, the red panda, and the black and white monkeys. Had a great time with my family and wanted to support the zoo with a review.

We had a great time tonight with the family enjoying the Christmas lights. It was also fun the l to see the nocturnal animals up and moving. Ships we're open... Good was available.... Carousel was running. We also found fire pits around to warm up by.

This place was so fun! We spent 3 1/2 hours here, so worth the ticket price. Inside is a little pricey but I love that it goes to a good cause and the animals seem well taken care of. The staff were also very friendly and knowledgeable. We bought our tickets online which save $2/ticket.

The animals are so calming. Recent local events we're making me dressed and getting out in nature and hanging out with the animals was precisely what I needed. I could sit and watch the monkeys for an hour. The small animals building is a treasure with all the fun animals. The zoo has a vintage vibe in the older area. There are fun play areas for kids to run and climb. They have a train ($3) and merry go round ($3). I was just happy to be there watching the tiger stalk around, the polar doing his laps with a dramatic jump at the window, the angry cat who seemed to growl, the monkey who was chattering. I'm a personal fan of the tortoises. If you haven't gone to the zoo in the whole, just do it. Wander and look at the animals. It will do your soul good.

While attending the Aquarium and Zoo Facilities Association conference I was able to visit the Hogle Zoo all the way from the Phoenix Zoo. The staff was very friendly. The facility was clean and very well maintained. The food was really good. This is a must see facility if you are in the area. I will definitely visit again the next time that I am in Salt Lake City.

The season pass for this place is awesome. You get unlimited train rides and unlimited carousel rides. We try to get our kids up here once a month. We probably ride the train four times the carousel five times and I love seeing all the animals. Lions were roaring, and the kids loved hearing them. New baby monkey was cute. The park is clean. Bathrooms are clean Food is a little overpriced, but to be expected for a theme park. Also the train is all electric.

If you are looking to do something while in Salt Lake and want to get away for a few hours go to the zoo. I went early enough that most of the animals were out enjoying them selves before the weather got to hot. It will take you at least 2 hours to see everything.

This is my fourth time @ The zoo! And it was the first time feeding the Giraffes, seeing the dog show, watching the camel training, and the seal training! That was so cool! My kids had a blast! Thanks for the experience and the memories!

If in the Salt Lake Area visit this Zoo, plan to spend the day here and be prepared to walk your butt off!! We fed the giraffe and that was such a cool experience. It was so fun to see all the animals. Pro Tip: bring food into the park to eat and bring a stroller/wagon for littles.

Family trip here and we all loved it! It is a decent size and has a lot of attractions and decorations. I loved seeing the red panda and being so close to some of the animals. The staff here is fantastic!!

We had so much fun here. There is a great variety of animals and they all seem to be happy and well taken care of. Lots of room to run around. The kids loved it.

Meh - very small, uninspiring. Maybe a toddler would enjoy. That's about it. Except I need 85 characters

Been here twice. Between the first visit and the more recent visit in June 2025, several improvements - keeps it current. And... it is very clean. They have both zookeepers and volunteers. Hey - besides seeing a lot of animals... In the newest section, they do keeper talks. Near the entrance, you can feed giraffes. The play area on the far side is modern, huge, and younger kids stay for quite a while. There's a great carousel in the center. There are several places to eat. The area with the giraffes is huge, has ostriches, warthogs, and some other animals. Wide variety of animals with a themed area in Asia mode for the tigers and red panda and related animals. About 3/4 of the zoo is outside exhibits, the rest is inside exhibits. Depending on weather - some will be outside and some inside. Polar bears don't like summer heat. Gorillas don't like winter cold. In just under 3 hours, you can see it all for most people.

I LOVE Utah's Hogle Zoo!!! I've been going to the Zoo since I was a child and I am thrilled at all of the wonderful improvements that have been made over the years!!! Keep up the EXCEPTIONAL work!!! 100 Stars!!

Went to the zoo while we were visiting some family in Utah and we had an amazing time! The zoo was very clean and the keepers were all friendly and happy to help guide us around the zoo. The animals all seemed happy and healthy which is always the most important part to see when visiting a zoo. There were a bunch of animals to see but the enclosures were pretty close together so we didn't have to walk incredibly far to see the whole place. Our son had an absolute blast especially seeing the monkeys.

The Hogle Zoo is a blast for kids and adults alike! My boyfriend and I are DINKS, and we love attending fundraisers and Zoo Brew events. The animals are engaging and the staff is always friendly. This is a must-visit on your next trip to Utah!

The Hogle Zoo is quaint and conveniently located just outside of SLC. It was the perfect outing for us on a day where we weren't feeling overly ambitious. They had a number of shows and animal interactions planned throughout the day (you can even feed some animals for a small fee) which kept us all entertained as we leisured through the zoo. A few notes: - Plan for a solid half day to get through the park -They have a little splash pad area for kids to cool off -be prepared for some serious incline in some areas while you're walking around - They have a good variety of food once you're in the gates - Train & Carousel are an additional fee, not included in general admission They even have polar bears here, which I don't see at Zoo's in California. Overall, I'd recommend stopping in if you have animal loving children! It's family friendly and loads of fun!

I had a great time here with my kids and grand kids. We ate lunch at the Bistro which we enjoyed. They have a fun playground for kids to play, along with a splash pad for summer days. My favorite animals to see is the meerkats. They have a fun carousel. They also have a train but the train is very short and it goes behind a bunch of buildings. The train is not that great. They need to make it longer and better.

We love the zoo. They do a great job including the community and making us feel like it's our zoo too. We've had passes most years since my 13 year old was born. The kids know the names of some of the animals and feel so at home there. We love the new Utah area, but were sad to see the elephants go, though we understand why they had to. The play area and splash pad are fun. The Instagram posts keep us informed and excited to see new animals or changes being made. We especially love zoo lights, which we go to every year. The last 2 or 3 years it seemed like lights were breaking and going out and things were going down hill. But this year we can see the fruits of their hard work and it was better than ever. We are sad on the years they don't put lights in top of the bridge and only put them on the sides. That's our biggest complaint.

I just love this Zoo! My boyfriend and I went during the fall and had a blast. We went to the new Utah exhibit and I was amazed at the selection they had. It was well designed and lots to learn. My suggestion is to go early in the day, there were so many critters that were up and about and many more groups coming in later in the day. Parking close can be a bit tricky but up the road across the street there is another couple lots with a dedicated cross walk. My one critique is that Utah families don't know theme park etiquette. So getting around can be a bit tricky to navigate but it's a Zoo for kids what can you expect.

First time at the zoo. We were in Salt Lake City for a conference and had an afternoon free... What a pretty zoo so well-maintained and we had a great time.

So I may be biased because I am from San Diego so all I know is the San Diego Zoo. However, for what it was this zoo was so cute and amazing! The train ride was fun, carousel ride super cute, and the animal enclosures had excellent viewing areas. My favorite were the grizzly bears!!! I would definitely recommend.

Family friendly, beautiful variety animals. The train ride for $3 was okay but wish it explored the right side of the park as well.

We have a family pass here, which for young kids, is perfect. We can pop in, walk around, and leave without feeling like we need to spend a certain amount of time to get our money's worth. I love how walkable the zoo is, great layout. The playground and splash pads are nice for tbe kids. We love the specialty events like BooLights, though, they are definitely pricey!

This zoo had so much awesome stuff. Gorillas, safari, seals and tons of art throughout

Ok it's kinda unfair cuz I've been to the San Diego Zoo and FREE zoos that are better : Lincoln Park (Chicago) and the best ever free zoo in St. Louis-- so this zoo would be a let down if comparing to those. But... it is a fine zoo. :) Especially for the little ones. My teens are kind of hard to impress. Haha. The big thing I want to say is that I do give an extra star (hence the 4 star review) to the fact that the Hogle Zoo Truly supports the military community! They give FREE admission to the military member and their WHOLE IMMEDIATE FAMILY TOO- 3 days a year: Armed Forces Day, 4th of July and Veterans Day. Now that is truly generous of them so it bumped up my 3 star review of me stating this was an "average zoo". Thank you so much Hogle Zoo owners who really support the Military community!

I would have never guessed that a snowy winter Sunday afternoon would be the best time to go to the zoo! The animals, particularly, all the large cats were the most active I've ever seen. The snow leopard was doing parkour, the tigers were singing, and the watching the seal and sea lion exhibit go through their daily enrichment exercises was incredible to see! I hadn't been to the zoo in ages, and it was really nice to see all the improvements that have been made to give the high percentage of rescue animals here, a more enriching and comfortable life in their exhibits. Also... the zoo was empty on the snowy Sunday, no toddlers, no crowds. This made for a 5/5 experience!

Haven't been to this zoo since I've lived in Utah. Really awesome park. Appreciate how well they care for the grounds. Really like their cafe. Went there for coffee and tea, but they have a section for pizza, right outta the oven. Staff is very friendly.

I have been to many zoos. And although this zoo is a little on the smaller side, it is big in everything else!! The giraffe feeding was not too pricey and my little brother loved it because they are his favorite animal! They offer a train ride in the zoo which may help for those who can not move as far on their own. The animals were very active and it was not too busy.

VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED. No elephants, could get close to the giraffes. Dixie get yo see the baby monkey. Would not recommend this place to anyone! Save your money. I did enjoy renting a scooter. Well worth it if you're old.

Pretty expensive ($25 per person). It would be nice if they offered a discounted rate for people who go after 4:00 PM. They do have some great animals that you aren't guaranteed to see in other zoos. The polar bear was cool, for the 2 minutes he was out!

This place is awesome. My kids love it. The trains also very cool and the new exhibit is also very nice.

Some of my earliest memories are of coming to this zoo. Fast forward 20 years, and I'm not bringing my own toddler to this zoo. It's pretty much exactly as I've remembered it. It's not the biggest zoo you'll go to, but it's got a little bit of everything. I do wish there were more animal experiences. I've been to similarly sized zoos that have all sorts of animal feeding opportunities and team members standing at the exhibits ready to tell you all the information that you'd like. The "beastro" here is actually pretty good! All the food I've had (I typically get a burger) is higher quality than I'd expect, albeit fairly pricey. There is also a cloud ninth ice creamery, and if you havent tried cloud ninth, it's a must!

Very family friendly place! Great way to kill an afternoon, we got here at 2 left before closing at 5:30. Our 6 year old didn't get tired until the very end of our trip, it's not a giant zoo. There's a diaper changing room at the entrance so you don't have to wait in a line for the bathroom. Food was expensive and lines were too long but we brought our own drinks and snacks anyways. The carousel was super cute and they have benches so I happily sat down with my baby instead of having to trade and switch to sit down or just watch. Expect to pay about $20-30 per souvenir. You totally get your moneys worth for $20 a person, and of course baby got in free.

Utah's Hogle Zoo was an incredible mix of animals, between land and sea. I really enjoyed the meerkats (they even pose for you!!), and the gorillas exhibit. The zoo feels as though it was incorporated into the stunning mountains around it, which was breathtaking. Also enjoyed how much walking you could do throughout the zoo. Had a great time here!

I'm in the military so I am very impressed with how the Hogle Zoo gives the military members and their Immediate family free entrance to the zoo 3 times a year: Armed Forces Day, July 4th & Veteran's Day. We went last month on Veteran's Day last month. We have lived in Utah for over 12 yrs now so we have been several times thanks to these Military Free Days. We were disappointed this last time however because the Elephants are gone! They were moved to another zoo to be with a herd. So there's this really nice elephant statue before you get to the Elephant section but no more elephants. There's plenty to see at this zoo, even a couple Red Panda's which is my son's favorite. It's not a big zoo of course but it's big enough. It's a great place to take younger kids. There's a cool play area in there, a dog show showcasing the tricks they can do, a carousel (extra fee) , a little train (extra fee).

When weather is cool strolling leisurely through the exhibits is very enjoyable. It's clean, well managed with tasty snacks when you need a break.

It's amazing to read the old reviews and realize how much has changed (for the worse). Prices are WAY up, quality is way down. We're regulars--live nearby and have a pass--so we go 2-3x a month. To us the zoo is basically a nice park with a few animals. Now that the elephants are gone it is a long walk between something to see. Hogle Zoo used to be remarkable. I've been to zoos on five continents, and during the pandemic my favorite activity was to watch zoo-360 tours on YouTube with my baby. (I highly recommend Singapore btw.) But Hogle Zoo's bird show really set them apart. It was truly world-class--the kind of epic experience kids will never forget. But they got greedy and forced out the creator, which killed the whole thing. Tragedy. Now they have a dog show. I am not kidding. A *dog* show. DOGS. At a zoo! Pretty soon they'll build a goldfish exhibit. I am also the opposite of excited about the "local animals" exhibit. That is what nature is for people! That is NOT what a zoo is for. A zoo is supposed to expose people to animals that they could never get to see normally. My dad still talks about the liger they had when he was little. Now they want to charge almost $100 for a family of four to see the same animals that eat their garden in the backyard. Boo zoo. Boo. Update after their response: I completely understand why Christie and Zuri (the elephants) had to leave. Sad for us, but good for the species overall. The rub is that the zoo has said that they don't plan on replacing them. Everything I said was accurate. More money for fewer and less exotic animals.

Our first time at Hogle Zoo! We were in SLC this weekend to celebrate both our son and my husband's birthday. Our son loves animals so we knew we had to come here. Parking is free and the lot is huge. The reviews on Yelp are right about advising to come in when they first open at 9 am. Btw be sure to check their website for hours of operation since it does change. When we got there around 10:30 am on a Friday morning, the lot was already packed. We had to park at the far end of the parking lot which was quite a walk from the entrance. Tickets are $23.95 for adults and free for children under 2 years old. If you go on their main website to purchase tickets in advance, you get a $2 discount off the original price. There were so many awesome animals to see. We enjoyed the elephants, seals, polar bears, and the lions. There is a huge area called the African savanna with multiple giraffes and zebras. The zoo is about a medium size zoo where it is a very walkable zoo with lots to see. It took us about 3 hours to check out each exhibit, which was the perfect time before our 1 year old son started to get fussy and tired. There was some construction going on because of their plans to expand the park, but it did not bother me. I love the vibe of the zoo. There's a cute carousel that's $3 per person. Our son really liked the carousel ride. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable. We stopped in the gift shop before we left the zoo to buy our son a small little souvenir. Prices there are reasonable. What's nice about this zoo is that you can bring outside food and drinks. We made sure to bring our own water and snacks for our son. We did not get any food at the zoo but we did hear that it's really good. The ice cream and popcorn were very enticing too. We'll have to try that out next time. We had so much fun at this zoo!! Seeing the smile on our son's face really made us happy. I have zero complaints about our zoo visit and would love to come back when we visit SLC again!

As an adult I've really come to appreciate animals and had a blast at the zoo. Went with a date and we had a great time. You can probably walk it in one hour if you're wondering about timing. Some of my favorite exhibits were the polar bear, sea lions, giraffes and gorillas. You can pay a small fee to feed the giraffes or ride a train through the zoo. They also have an amazing gift shop. Highly recommend bringing your own water bottle to refill since water was like $4 each. Thankfully they have plenty of ice cream and food options for the summer days.

Went here for field trip and then stayed longer with my kid after the trip was over. Hogle Zoo is located above the University of Utah campus. My recommendation is to go early in the morning because most of the animals, including reptiles are active in the morning. Hogle Zoo is a small zoo but they have all animals you'd expect to see at a zoo. Plenty of seating areas to sit and rest from walking. WHAT I LEARNED/DISCOVERED - The zoo has an Amur leopard and it is estimated there are 84 left of them in the wild - Foxes leave a secretion that smells like skunk - Desert tortoises can go without water for a year - This zoo has a red panda - very cool if you've seen the movie "Turning Red" TICKETS You get a $2 discount if you purchase tickets online instead of at the gate. There's even a sign with a QR code where you can scan to go purchase tickets with your phone. One of my favorite parts was the carousal ride. It is $3 a ride but it's beautiful and kids have a great time on it. FOOD We went to the "Beastro". Ordered a cheeseburger and 2 Costco sized slices of pizza. Burger was ok, fries were good, and was surprised the cheese pizza tasted great. I didn't order drinks but you have the option to round up your order so the change goes back to conservation. $21 total. Overall, very happy with zoo experience this visit. Recommend and will be back

The only reason I didn't give a 5 was because we went later on a hot day and many of the animals were not out and no shows were going on. But that was understandable. I was able to order tickets on line for a certain entry time. They had a cooling station and bottle refill fountain to accommodate the heat. We got to see a cool chalk art exhibit when we were there in June. The gorilla family was really fun to watch their interactions. I also like how they made being a green facility a priority. Good for families and kids of all ages.

Such a fun place for such a good price! I bought chicken tenders at the restaurant and I was not expecting them to be as big as they were!!! I was stunned lol. The animals are always so active and fun to watch. Perfect for a fun lil date during the day. Or to take the kids out! The day we went the tiger was sleeping against the glass wall!!! So we got really cool close up pictures!! Such an amazing moment. Especially for the kids.

I can't believe they charge for admission to this run down, sad, neglected zoo. There were so many empty exhibits, as in NO animals in the exhibit at all. No elephants, no polars bears, no penguins and limited other animals. There are very limited snack shacks. The misters on most of the fans were either turned off or not working. I love zoos and have visited Hogle Zoo for a lifetime. This is by far the worst zoo and worst condition for THIS zoo that I've experienced. I do not intend on going back.

The more we go, the more I appreciate just what a great job Utah's Hogle Zoo does. Not only as a great entertainment / education venue for us biped humans, but also in the care and treatment of the animals here. A lot has changed at the zoo over the last few years and the enclosures and exhibits just get better and better. Animals sometimes transition in and out as we (the zoo) participates in a lot of accredited species survival and breeding programs. These exhibits and enclosures are quickly reused and it is rare to see empty space in the zoo. A few tips: You can bring in water. Do so. It gets warm and there is a lot of walking. TONS of shade available but it's good to have some hydration. You can also bring food but this brings me to my next tip: Try the food. The Beastro has an amazing Chef and staff and they offer good food at very reasonable prices. Everything is made fresh and they change up the specials weekly / daily. Come early. Animals are, well, animals. Many of them will be asleep or napping in the middle of the day. Want to see the lions up and really energetic? Get here early. You will also be avoiding the heat and the crowds. Enjoy the events. Boo Lights, Winos for Rhinos, Zoo Brews, etc. Great fundraisers and (in some cases) adults only. Great way to see the zoo from a different perspective while adding a little more to the survival of the species.

Love the Hogle Zoo! We got to see all sorts of animals. Sad though, because there weren't any Rhino's or Elephants, just this type of wild horse. It rained halfway through our visit, and we bought umbrellas. I loved the umbrellas, and we bought stuffed animals. I'm not too happy with the price, but it was fine. :) The food was delicious but quite expensive :) Would come again and I would recommend it

Must visit every salt lake trip wasn't crowded at all it's summer for Utah but so much cooler then what I'm use to . Food was great and reasonably priced .gift shop was also affordable.

Super disappointing. Don't get me wrong I love the zoo, been going here for years. Went during zoo lights this year and wow, what a disappointment. Huge budget cuts were very apparent. Plus, the new exhibit with "local" animals was very lackluster. Legit things I could see in my backyard. Overpriced for the experience you get, if you could even call it an "experience".

This was our 10 month old son's first trip to the zoo. As a child I hated going to zoos. Mainly because of the smell(s) and I was not a huge animal lover. Over the years I've avoided zoos because after taking a course in college about the inhumane/humane treatment of animals in various establishments, I couldn't look at zoos the same ever again. However, while in Utah on a quick vacation, we decided that one of the days we would go to the zoo. Of course we chose a day with rain, sleet, hail in the forecast. It was cold as heck for this California girl, but I still had fun. Wait. Me? Having fun at the...zoo? Yes! First of all, this zoo is not that big. That means you can walk and visit all the animals in under two hours. It does NOT have to be an all day thing. This was perfect for a 10 month old. My son smiled and looked on in awe at all the animals. We got great pictures and video! He is also a new walker, so he was able to walk around and through the small animals enclosed space and peek through the glass. I love all of the signage next to the animals. We enjoyed reading facts and new info out to our son. We loved the picturesque views of the mountains , too. Beautiful! When it rained, it was easy to find awnings or indoor spaces. Perfect! Staff members were friendly and animal spaces were neat and tidy. We enjoyed ourselves!

Tiny enclosures, animals look so unhappy. The leopard looks super stressed out and the larger ape looks depressed. But the administration building sure looked nice and new, so at least they're comfortable in their offices. This was probably one of the most depressing zoos my family has ever visited.

I loved this zoo. The animals were close enough to actually see them. The sanctuaries were built for with the public in mind. The giraffes were available for feeding from a tall feeding deck. For a small fee you can let the giraffe eat lettuce from your hand. Everything is not located outside. There's aa small animal building that was my favorite. I'm not a fan of snakes but they have plenty on display for viewing. They had a sloth! I love sloths. They had small wildcats. A porcupine was there walking around. They had an armadillo with personality pacing in his enclosure. There's also a bird sanctuary with tropical birds. They have aquatic areas. The sea lions and seals were easy to view underwater. We saw a huge polar bear resting in the water. Speaking of bears. The bear display had a young grizzly bear in a simulated creek. They also had a black bear and another bear as part of the bear display. The bears were easy to see behind the safety glass. If you have children this place provides a lot of areas dedicated to them. They have a carousel as well as many educational areas. The gift shop also has fun things for purchase for your little ones.

Since 1931 Hogle Zoo has been making its presence in Salt Lake. It is located on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. James A. Hogle. Did you know Hogle Zoo is one of the top places to visit in Utah? This zoo has many exhibits of different animals. The Rocky Shores is an extensive multi-animal habitat featuring bears, sea lions, seals, and otters. The exhibit is modeled after a cannery or shipping dock on the northwest coast of the U.S. The African Savanna is a habitat with rolling grassland, dotted with trees, and includes a watering hole. The habitat features giraffes, zebras ostrich, warthog, Egyptian geese, and guinea fowl. You can get a great view of the savanna from Twiga Terrace. The exhibit also offers a place for guests to feed and interact with the giraffes. This is a great place to visit and learn. I appreciate that the zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. That's affiliations mean they care and will look after their animals. A cute zoo for people to enjoy.

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful zoo in the state of Utah. They do such a good job with the space they have and they are always introducing new animals to their exhibits whether it's through breeding programs or relocation from another zoo to keep you coming back again and again. Their single day passes are little bit on the pricey side but I feel that their annual pass options are very reasonable and are the way to go if you don't get bored of visiting the zoo often and can offered it.

Right at the base of Park City only a 20 minute or so drive. $20 FOR ADULTS $16 FOR KIDS ( UNDER 12 I BELIEVE) it took us just over an hour to go all the way around. I mean around literally as it is laid out nicely in almost a circle, so no maze or minimal backtracking. This is a small zoo, and I don't see much more than 2 hours spent here. Parking is free and was very convenient for us. Most all of the animals were active and only a few were missing.

Ok but going there during off season with your kids is amazing bc no one is around, your kid can be free lol the animals are out eating around noon. We had a blast & probably will only go again in the winter to avoid big crowds. The bistro food was good!