Toledo Zoo

Visited for the Lights Before Christmas. The zoo was lit up wonderfully! It was bitter cold, but there were many opportunities to warm up at a gas heater or duck into the Reptile house or other shelters. The big tree was awesome to behold and the myriad of other dancing lights around the park were wonderful!

Large and fun zoo. Animals are very close and were very active in the cold. Zoo lights were very cool at night. Detroit Zoo has a more elaborate Zoo Lights experience, but costs extra even if you are a member. Got here near zoo opening on a weekday in December and there were not very many people there, but it was packed by the time we left.

Love this zoo, I've been coming here since I was a kid- and it seems to just get better and better each year. We went on a Wednesday this year and it wasn't very crowded at all. The animals were more interactive than I've ever seen That's gotta be my favorite thing about this zoo, how well the animals are looked after. Their enclosures are large, they seem genuinely happy, which makes this place such a great experience. I've gone to other zoos in major cities and in comparison, they've seemed like backyard barn farms. Despite the stellar review, definitely be prepared for the price of food. It's outrageous, but what tourist attraction doesn't have outrageously priced food? It's a tradition. The souvenirs are also jacked up in price- but the stuff is pretty cute. I personally love my little octopus plushie I got from the aquarium gift shop. And as a native to the Toledo area, its very important they reopen the entrance on Broadway. If you serve the community in such a large way as letting the entire county free on Mondays, at least let the people who live in the neighborhood walk in. They have to put up with a lot due to the zoo- and it would be nice if the zoo extended that kindness. Other than that soapbox speech, the Toledo zoo really is a wonderful place that is near and dear to my heart.

Very nice zoo. Came from Detroit to see animals we don’t have at the Detroit zoo. I personally didn’t get to see very many, as the group I was with was slow moving lol. This is obviously no fault of the zoo but I missed a lot and I will certainly have to come back. From what I did see, it appears to be a very nice zoo and the animals were pretty active. They do also have a small aquarium which is included with admission. You can easily get through the aquarium in half an hour, so don’t expect to spend a long time there. They do have a touch tank where you can touch rays and small sharks. The kids really enjoyed that.

The zoo does have a train that doesn’t go very far, but it’s only $2.50 per person, they also have a merry go round for $2 each. They of course also have places to buy souvenirs and get your face painted.

The coolest exhibit I saw there was the museum of natural history that had lots of detailed sculptures of animals that were once in America but are now extinct such as giant sloths, mastodons, etc. This building also had a touch tank where you can touch sturgeon.

There are quite a few places to eat there, but a lot appeared to be closed. Be prepared to pay a premium for bottled water, you may want to consider bringing your own, as it was $4 per bottle

Overall, we had a fun time and I definitely want to come back so I can see everything. I would definitely check this out if you’re in the area and if you’re in Detroit, I’d suggest visiting this zoo as a change from the one in Detroit if you’d like to see some different animals. Zoo is only about an hour away from Detroit.

This zoo is a wonderful fixture in the community. We have lived here over a year now and have been members since our first week! The summer camps are great, lights are magical, the ice slide is a fun addition. We always get the experience package and definitely recommend the addition to the membership. We went to Noon Years Eve this NYE and everyone in our party had a blast. I lead a local Girl scout troop and our girls have been for the zoo sleepover as well as 2 day programs, everything we have had the opportunity to participate in has been great!