Reviews for Houston Zoo
3959 reviews
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Knocking off four stars for having the most cumbersome process to buy tickets imaginable. It’s just horrendous. Prepare to spend 20 minutes filling out tedious online forms. I’ve seen large families give up and go home since they need info on EVERYONE. I feel for those that don’t know ahead of time or haven’t been there for a few years. I think they make it intentionally hard so people buy a membership in advance and avoid any more pain. The zoo is nice and all, but we are not going back until they streamline the process a bit.
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Absolutely love the bird exhibit
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Is it worth it? I would definitely recommend seeing the Houston Zoo at least once. I also highly recommend finding a discount, planning far ahead, or braving a free day. The entry prices have gotten a bit high if you're a spontaneous person who decides last minute to go. The day we went, the weather was great and there wasn't a crowd, so we were able to see all of the zoo this trip. We visited the birds for the first time since their updated exhibits. While I'm so glad the birds have more freedom to move about, there are only 3 exhibits and the pathways didn't seem to naturally flow from one to the other (we didn't have a map so maybe have that handy). We discovered the Natural Encounters is permanently closed. That and the aquarium they tore down several years ago were two of my kiddo's favorite places, especially in the summer when it's like the surface of the sun out there by May. Where are all the fish, rays, and seaturtles??? Please build something with aquariums and air conditioning next. I understand the zoo is mostly for conservation of endangered species but we like seeing jellyfish, too! The carousel was down for maintenance, the rhinos were blocked for construction, and we also missed the bats this trip - the colony in the children's area was not in its exhibit (no sign to explain absence - maybe just cleaning). So we were pretty disappointed about that. If you're on a tight budget, you can bring your own lunch - no glass bottles, no alcoholic drinks, & no straws, please - restaurant prices are shocking ($50 for a burger, chicken strips, and 2 drinks). The food tastes great though! So, yes we paid a good bit more choosing to go last minute but pleasantly surprised that it was not crowded on a Sunday, but I recommend planning way ahead to save money and going on a weekday if you want a decent parking spot. (I'm pretty sure the gate near the parking garage is closed so go early for a spot close by or park in the centennial gardens for short visits - only 3 hour parking there.)
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Good park for kids and Adults... you have to be an animal lover !!
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
This was honestly one of the most disappointing zoo experiences I have ever had. The Houston Zoo is advertised as a place full of life, wonder, and connection with wildlife, but what we got instead was hours of walking and over two hundred dollars spent just to stare at empty enclosures. There were barely any animals visible anywhere, and the few that were technically there might as well not have been. The only tiger I saw during the entire visit was sleeping and completely hidden away, and that was somehow the highlight of the day, which says a lot. It is incredibly frustrating to pay such a high price expecting a real experience and leave feeling like you were fooled. At some point it stopped feeling like a zoo and started feeling like a very expensive nature walk with signs and pictures of animals instead of the animals themselves. Maybe I was supposed to imagine them, because that is what it felt like the entire time. I understand that animals are living beings and cannot be controlled, but when you charge this much, there should be better planning, clearer communication, or at least some effort to make the experience worth it. Whether that means better timing guidance, transparency about what is actually visible, or offering something interactive, something definitely needs to change. Instead of leaving inspired or educated, we left disappointed, exhausted, and feeling like our money was completely wasted. I would not recommend this experience to anyone, especially families, unless you are okay paying premium prices just to see almost nothing at all.
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
It is a great experience, everything is indicated and is a very fun learning experience
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Hardly any animals out and about. Couldn’t get an icee or a good snack at any of the snack places. Either the machines were broke or couldn’t get waited on by the rude employees. Overpriced too.
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
Excellent service and very professional team. Honest pricing, fast work, and great customer service. I will definitely come back and recommend this place to others.
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946
It was a nice outing. We saw most of he animals we went to check out. It was cold so alot of animals were not out walking around. But overall a great experience
Product: Houston Zoo 9620237642608757946