World's Best Zoos

What’s the oldest zoo in America? How about the entire world? Discover the world’s best zoos, from the United States to Asia, where wondrous wildlife exhibits delight visitors of all stripes.

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: San Diego Zoo Global

Photo By: Wildwood Discovery Park

Photo By: Julie Larsen Maher (c) WCS

Photo By: Leonid Pilnik, leonp69, Getty Images

Photo By: Zoo Berlin

Photo By: Christopher Futcher, Getty Images

Photo By: Deni Williams, flickr

Photo By: Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Photo By: Edinburgh Blog, flickr

Photo By: Saint Louis Zoo / Ray Meibaum

Photo By: Toronto Zoo

Photo By: Mr. Nixter

Photo By: Reuters / Carlos Gutierrez

San Diego Zoo

A cuddly polar beach takes the plunge at the San Diego Zoo. More than 3,700 animals call the famed zoo in San Diego's Balboa Park their home. With 99 acres as their lair, they've got plenty of terrain in which to spread out ... and splash.

Wildwood Discovery Park

The long tufts on this furry cat’s ears are a definite standout at Wildwood Discovery Park. Located in northeast Kent, England, the 40-acre park is home to over 200 species of animals, including this captivating Eurasian lynx, indigenous to the British Isles.

Central Park Zoo

These adorable snow leopards make their home at NYC’s Central Park Zoo. Only 6.5 acres, the zoo is small in size but big on star attractions: More than 150 species of wildlife from around the world can be found here, from mammals and birds, to reptiles and amphibians.

Bronx Zoo

While in New York, don’t forget the Bronx Zoo, either. Make sure to bring your walking shoes; the 265-acre zoo is the world’s largest metropolitan zoo, home to some 6,000 animals, representing 650 species.

Melbourne Zoo

Head to the Land Down Under to catch a glimpse of this ring-tailed lemur. The Madagascar native, with a striking black-and-white tail, joins more than 5,120 animals who call the Melbourne Zoo home. Find the 55-acre wildlife wonderland in the center of Victoria’s capital city.

Zoo Berlin

The Berlin Zoo is the oldest zoo in all of Germany. Opened in 1844, the grounds are home to an incredible collection of wildlife: 20,500 animals, representing 1,500 species, are housed here, making it the most comprehensive collection of wildlife in the world. Not surprisingly, the zoo is Europe’s most visited.

Dallas Zoo

What’s a penguin doing in Dallas? If he’s an African penguin, he won’t mind the weather. In all, the Dallas Zoo houses more than 2,000 animals, across 406 species. Find the zoo just 3 miles from downtown Dallas, and block of the day to explore its 106-acre grounds.

Philadelphia Zoo

City kids love the Philadelphia Zoo. The zoo -- the oldest in the United States -- boasts something sure to delight visitors old and young: a children’s zoo and family education center. Kids and adults alike can pet miniature horses, sheep and goats.

Sao Paulo Zoo

When in Brazil, check out the country’s largest zoo. Located just south of Sao Paulo, the Sao Paulo Zoo spans 204 acres and is home to more than 3,200 animals. The zoo opened in June 1958; in the decades since, it’s focused on preserving Brazil’s endangered species, such as lion marmosets, Neotropical felines and miniature blue macaws.

The Singapore Zoo

Join in the family fun and feed the elephants at the Singapore Zoo. Billed the “World’s Best Rainforest Zoo,” the grounds rest in a heavily forested nature reserve. Inside, visitors can see exhibits like "Elephants at Work and Play.” We’re betting snacks from visitors are part of the “play.”

Edinburgh Zoo

Want to see the UK’s only giant pandas? Hop aboard for a tour at the Edinburgh Zoo. Opened in 1913, the zoo features many unique attractions. In addition to two pandas on loan from China, Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo is the only zoo in Britain to house koalas. The zoo was also the first in the world to house and to breed penguins. Today, visitors can see Gentoo, rockhopper and king penguins.

St. Louis Zoo

Located in Forest Park, the St. Louis Zoo features animal attractions like Sea Lion Sound, the Insectarium, Big Cat Country and Bear Bluffs. See black rhinos and sun bears at River’s Edge; red pandas and gorillas in The Wild; meerkats and tree kangaroos at Discovery Corner; amphibians and reptiles at Historic Hill; or stingrays and sea lions at Lakeside Crossing. The Zooline Railroad, Children’s Zoo and “Ice Age: awn of the Dinosaurs” 4-D Motion Simulator are few other must-see attractions at this zoo located in St. Louis, MO.

Toronto Zoo

Home to more than 5,000 animals representing over 450 species, the Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada. The 710-acre zoo is divided into 7 regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia and the Canadian Domain. We recommend heading to the zoo’s Africa region to see hippopotamuses, hyenas, sable antelopes, olive baboons and the world’s largest indoor gorilla exhibit.

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Ranked “World’s #1 Zoo” in 2014 by TripAdvisor, Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium features the largest cat complex in North America; “Kingdoms of the Night,” the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; Lied Jungle, the world’s largest indoor rainforests; and the Desert Dome, the world’s largest indoor desert and world’s largest glazed geodesic dome (larger than Montreal’s Biosphere or Epcot’s Spaceship Earth).

Beijing Zoo

Located in China’s Xicheng District, the Beijing Zoo is one of oldest zoos in China and it has one of the largest animal collections in the country, which includes the Giant Panda, golden-nosed monkey, South China Tiger, white-lipped deer and Tibetan gazelle. Home to 14,500 animals, the 220-acre zoo is a center for zoological research that studies and breeds rare animals from various continents. Visitors should also check out the zoo’s classical Chinese gardens with flower beds, stretches of meadows, small streams, rivers, lotus pools and pavilions.

Trending

Trending

Trending

Trending

World's Best Zoos

Related To:

Shop This Look

San Diego Zoo

Wildwood Discovery Park

Central Park Zoo

Bronx Zoo

Melbourne Zoo

Zoo Berlin

Dallas Zoo

Philadelphia Zoo

Sao Paulo Zoo

The Singapore Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo

St. Louis Zoo

Toronto Zoo

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Beijing Zoo