Reviews of STL Zoo. (Other) in St. Louis (Missouri).

STL Zoo

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399 Comments

Other

Zoo

1 Government Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States

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Information of STL Zoo, Other in St. Louis (Missouri)

Discover the opening times, the location, contact, popular times, photos and real reviews by internet users.

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Reviews of STL Zoo

M Dowd

Beautiful zoo! And it is free! They charge for a few of the attractions but they are geared more for smaller kids (Dino, train, petting stingray.) The bird house was one of my favorite exhibits. We also loved the penguin exhibit and how close we were able to get to them. It felt like we entered their habitat, but without disturbing them. Oh, and the Grizzlies! Really, a great zoo.

Kyliebella

Nice zoo. Wasn’t crowded at all. Very hot out would recommend bringing personal fan or coming on a cool day. Gift shop items were reasonably priced. Also if you choose to touch the sting rays be aware of the fact that there Is no soap to wash your hands with. Everything was good except for the fact that you still need to pay for refills with the souvenir cup otherwise great experience.

Rosemary Watson

Love this zoo! Been twice now (I don’t live in St. Louis) and it is such a lovely place to visit. So many happy animals and each species has a well thought out, tailor-made enclosure. An all around great day out for both kids and adults - and admission is free! I particularly enjoyed the primates and the butterflies. The butterflies fly around a beautiful flower filled area and there are literally hundreds of them. You have to check you don’t have one on you when you leave.

Russell Lee

It's amazing that you get such a positive experience in a zoo that doesn't charge an entry fee. Great exhibits, great variety of animals and well maintained! Did not spot any animals that showed signs of sickness or malnourishment. Parking was a little bit of a nightmare so I highly recommend getting there early. Also the place is massive, definitely not something you'd try and complete in an hour or so unless you're speed walking through the entire facility.

Jill Walker

So much to see. Animals are active in the morning. Get your steps in. Amazing offerings for any zoo and entry is free. Signage is educational. Great place to learn! Parking is paid, but if you arrive early you can park on the street just outside of parking lot.

Vipila Bathvar

One of our nation's best zoo! It was my first visit and I loved it. So much to see and do. The habitats are large and well maintained. Penguins I like the most. They also had dinosaur animatronics during our visit. We completed in just 2-3 hours with 30min break. Butterfly visit was most attractive for me. I felt like I was in magical world

Courtney Peridore

What a great time! This was for my sons class field trip. The animals were all out, not hiding in the back. I love that people have to make reservations to be there. I think that helps so it is not so crowded. So much better not walking into people every time you turn around. Was able to get some great pics of the animals. Enjoy!!

Cathrine Knight

It always amazes me that such a phenomenally good zoo is free to the public! The newer areas are designed with a lot of thought, and perfectly maintained. My favorite place for a picnic is the historic area, with the picnic tables right in the middle of the beautifully landscaped shady valley, lined on both sides by the old zoo buildings. Staff is helpful and knowledgeable, with interesting exhibits. It's a VERY large, sprawling place. Don't be surprised if you can't see it all in just one visit!

Darla Baker (Darlena)

Beautiful, affordable, pay only for parking and some inside attractions were a few dollars extra. They just started fall festival season so the decorations were very nice and scenic. Easy to navigate once inside the park, although getting there was not as easy. One wrong turn and we ended up downtown, but even that was scenic. Overall great place for fun.

Lisa Battista

While you do have to pay to park and for some of the activities, the zoo itself has free admission. We were able to buy the pass for the activities like the train, sting rays, carousel at a discount since we are members of our local zoo. We absolutely loved the penguin area, it was a great way to cool off in the hot summer. The Sea lion show as incredible as well. Get there early if you want a good seat, it was full even during the middle of the week. My kids loved Sting Rays, so we went to that area first. You do need to pay extra to touch them and feed them. Understandably, they make you wash your arm up to your elbow before entering. I only mention that fact since I forgot to bring in our sunscreen to the zoo and this washes off. There was so much to see, were were there for over 5 hours and still did not see everything. Of course, we did go back to the penguins two times since we loved it so much. We felt that the prices at the snack shops were reasonable. We really loved our time at this zoo, and learned a lot.

Constance Steele

My family really enjoyed the St. Louis zoo! While you must make a free reservation to get in the zoo, the extra exhibits like petting stingrays and riding the train, etc call for tickets to get in. We purchased the adventure passes when we got in for 14.95 each and we could visit this exhibit is many times as we wanted during the day. You can bring your own food as long as you don't bring glass. The animals were amazing when we went. We will definitely do this again

Damian Panek

This was my second visit to the Saint Louis Zoo. Went on a Sunday and it was pretty chilly and a little drizzling but it was still pretty nice to go see some of the animals. Have to walk a lot in order to see most of the animals. Was able to save some money by parking on the street instead of paying the $15 in order to park in the big zoo parking lot. Would visit this zoo again, it's pretty nice.

Sandra Guigar

I've been to the zoo numerous times but the first time towards late fall. I feel this is the best time. The weather made it more enjoyable to walk around. It was decorated for Boo at the Zoo " witch" was a nice touch. More animals out as well enjoying the cooler weather.

Anthony Thomas

Really nice zoo. Park is laid out nicely with plenty of space for large crowds. Food and drinks are decently priced, and good, food/drink stations are everywhere! Had plenty of shade for the hot summer days, and still saw plenty of animals. Get the adventure wrist bands, they’re worth it!!

Flora Grebe

I used to visit St. Louis Zoo with friends every summer, but wasn’t able to visit for 2 years due to the pandemic. Thankful that I was able to go with my friends last week. As usual, always a great experience to visit and enjoy seeing all the animals they have there! Always an advantage to go early due to the weather and the parking space.

Amanda M

I love the St. Louis Zoo! It’s really the perfect size where you can see everything in one visit but there is still a lot to see. The Penguin exhibit is one of the nicest I’ve ever see and definitely my favorite of the exhibits and it was the only place besides food vendors and gift shops that we ever ran into lines even when there tickets were sold out. If you’re going during busy times- weekends, holidays, spring break, summer break I’d definitely recommend making reservations ahead of time. It also took us about 45 minutes to park on a nice day so keep that in mind parking when you’re planning your day at the zoo.

Avery

It's one of the best zoos for a reason. It's big, it's free, and there's a ton to see. This is fun for the whole family. This is one of the best activities to do in St. Louis, especially if you're just visiting. The are some paid areas/activities but there aren't many and the ones there are are pretty cheap. The zoo keepers were friendly and knowledgeable. There was an Oktoberfest event happening and lots of spooky decorations for Halloween. They are always doing something. Do yourself a favor and visit if you haven't been.

Armah Mitchem

The dinosaurs at the zoo were amazing. You've got to see them in person. My kids loved it. The zoo does charge for this portion but because nearly everything is free I feel it is well worth it. Go enjoy this park!

Melissa McNamee

By far one of the best zoos I have visited. Fantastic range of animals, staff very friendly and informative. The sea lion show was absolutely wonderful. DEFINITELY worth a visit when you’re visiting St. Louis. I couldn’t believe it was free, the zoo itself is so big!

Samara Hudson

Had a blast visiting the zoo again. The last time I visited was when I was a young child. It was a very hot day so a lot of the animals were hiding in the shade which made it frustrating. But the animals we did see were worth it! The penguins inside exhibit was a great way to end our zoo trip with the heat! Our girls both got a small stuffed animal that was $12.99 for each.

Lisa Curtis

STL Zoo did not disappoint! Fred admission, excellent variety of animals, entire outdoor & indoor spaces were clean, food & souvenir prices were reasonable, staff was courteous, exhibits were nice. Very impressed such a nice experience has free admission! You will pay around $15 for parking, but that’s extremely reasonable. The zoo had multiple areas decorated for Halloween which was cool! This is a full day experience and you should plan for it accordingly or you will not be able to see everything. Just a tip: the zoo map/layout can be difficult and get you turned around and you will end up missing exhibits if you aren’t careful

Andrew Hutton

We really enjoyed our visit here. Our total distance we walked was 6.25 miles. It took about 7 hours to completely make our rounds but it was worth it. The keeper do a very good job keeping the place clean, the couple we spoke to were very nice. The animal exhibits were well maintained and the animals looked healthy. My advice is to bring plenty fluids as zoo drinks are expensive as hell... and wear a hat if your prone to sunburns. We were also able to see most of the animals, and appreciated to climate control exhibits in this heat-wave! Lol We will be back for sure!!

Danielle Abril

We are so excited about being able to return to public venues after Covid. There is no longer any requirement to make a reservation at the Zoo. Overall, this is a pretty great Zoo. There is techinically no entrance fee (although you will most likely have to pay for parking - it's $15 now, up from $10). Buying a zoo membership very well may be worth it if you intend to go to several of the paid exhibits or visit more than once per year. There is a large array of animals at this zoo and we always see quite a few. The zoo is always updating so there is something new to see. The zoo is fairly wheelchair friendly with plenty of accessible spaces, ramps, and doors with wheelchair buttons. However, not all of them work and some of the hills are a little difficult with a wheelchair. The zoo is trying hard to be sensory-friendly with sensory kits available. However, I definitely would not recommend the dinosaur exhibit with young or timid kids because the dinosaurs are huge, loud, and unexpectedly shoot water! I would advise bringing your own food. The food at the zoo is over priced and frankly is not the highest quality. However, if you are coming too see animals and learn more about them, this is a great place to be!

Diane P

Love this zoo! You can really get close up and personal with the animals! Beautiful to walk. Just visited in October and the Halloween decorations were awesome! Staff is friendly and helpful. Zoo admission is free, parking $15. So worth it!

Jacob

Great place to go to. Wish it was a little more shaded. When we went it was super hot and sadly a lot of the animals were inside. But being free to go to can’t complain. The train you have to pay for but it’s worth going on. Makes it easier to get around.

Douglas Hutchings

This zoo was really good. We had some of the best animal experiences we have ever had with the penguins and polar bear. We went on a weekday and the weather was cold. It was not busy and the animals were active. We would happily return or recommend to others.

Andrew Smith

This was the first visit to the zoo for both my son, age 7, and my daughter, age 12. Of course my daughter initially thought, "Seriously, a zoo?" But after seeing the sea lions and red pandas her attitude changed to, "Did you see how cute it is?!?". My son had a great time as well. The new climbing experience with the monkeys was fun for both and a seriously cool addition. The penguins and puffins are a great up close and personal experience. Don't skip the stingrays. I think the kids could have spent an hour or more there. All in all, a fun, enjoyable trip for us all.

Terence Hill

I have been to this Zoo many times over the years. When my Mom was in Town I took to see her favorite animals - the Penguins. She loves them an collects stuffed animals. We both had a fantastic time at the Zoo. We spend several hours enjoying all the exhibits and the great Food. We where lucky and went on a Day when it was not crowded at all. It's very relaxing to walk through the Zoo. Can recommend this especially if you have kids.

Tj Ford

Went for “Boo at the Zoo” event. Tons of fun for the little one. Overall a great experience. Not my first visit to the St. Louis Zoo but this was my first time attending “Boo at the Zoo”. My father in-law can’t walk long distances these days and the motorized cart the zoo was able to provide helped us tremendously. Only 4 stars… I like to leave room for improvement. One issue at the Lakeside Cafe, hardly worth mentioning.

anirudh girey

This Zoo is rated one of the best in the whole US and the best part is that it is free! Love the variety of exotic animals and I especially enjoyed the Aquarium ! A must see when you're in St. Louis Missouri The zoo was a nice interlude on our recent family vacation. We spent one morning walking through and it was really enjoyable. It was raining a little but that wasn't a detractor. Some of the animals weren't out and about but that was ok too. It was a relaxing and enjoyable morning. The zoo is free and a great part of the St. Louis landscape. We really enjoyed our experience.

Shepherd Momma Hunt

The zoo entry was free. They have free maps which I recommend because it is huge. I believe the websites stated it is 91 or more acreage. We love loved the brown bears. They were so fun to watch. And the apes. They act like humans in ways. We enjoyed the indoors sittings as it was so hot. You can take a water bottle and there is a refill station. Highly recommend. Some attractions cost like the stingrays. I don't see any polar bear but we saw the penguins. We also didn't go to the dinoroar part. There was a little spray area the kids cooled off in. Then when we drove away from the north entrance we got in the fountain water pool thing that we seen others in. Parking in the parking lot was 15 bucks. Not sure if it costs to park on the street.

Randi Fairman

Amazing! So many animals to see, friendly staff, and very clean/well kept. Coming from a city (Calgary, Canada) with a zoo that has a fraction of the animals- it was hard to believe entry is free! At home, we'd pay close to $40 per person. This is an amazing way to spend a day.

andy herrera

This is an amazing Zoo. We had a great time and the layout is perfect.we were able to see animals at almost every enclosure. I cannot recommend coming here enough. If you are in St Louis you have to stop in. Plus it is free!

robin travis

We love this zoo so much that we travel 3 hours to get here. Exhibits are set up to each animal's natural habitat which encourages activity . I have been to several zoos in major cities in different states and the activity level of the animals pales in comparison. Kangaroos were hoping, monkeys were jumping and chasing each other, snakes were slithering(yuck), grizzly bears were digging for grubs and the polar bear was having a blast in his water. I also really love the fact that reservations are needed to enter the zoo because the crowd size is minimal and therefore you can actually get up close to the action!

Sandpit Sales

Always a great zoo to visit. Though one of the only free Zoo's in the country, there are a few pay to enter exhibits. If you go during a nice day, you're bound to see a lot of active animals. You can tell the pride that they take at this zoo.

Ryan Hurford

Amazing times to be had at the St Louis zoo! The diversity of life and the organization of the exhibits are both superb. The free admission is a great way to get visitors to pay for the experiences they want to utilize or enjoy, such as the train or the Dinoroar exhibit, without feeling like going to the zoo is a money pit. The food is surprisingly good and the workers were all kind and helpful, even funny. We will be visiting again because the experience was just so much fun...for so many different reasons.

Vannessa Guidotti

Love this zoo! Animals seem well taken care of, lots of variety, the train ride is good (seats arent roomy, but adults do fit) nice gift shops, staff was all very helpful and the restrooms were clean. I do not however, recommend purchasing the soft pretzels

Terrence Mahnken

A fantastic zoo with so much to see and do. And it’s FREE. My family and I went on a cool, sunny day and even though some areas were closed, there was still so much to see - penguins, polar bears, lemurs, butterflies. It was fantastic! We spent about 4 hours there and probably only experienced a third of what the St. Louis has to offer. The zoo is very well laid out with plenty of space including green space for kids to run around. There are several food areas offering tasty sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Also, there is a full-service Starbucks. ☕️ We will definitely visit the St. Louis zoo again (probably when it’s a bit warmer 😜)

Charlotte C

Absolutely LOVE the St. Louis Zoo. It was a beautiful fall day. The animals were moving and not hiding from the heat. I loved watching two of the elephants play in the water, like a couple of kids splashing around. Awesome learning experience for kids and adults too.

Qhuitnei Doss

We loved this zoo. Memphis zoo is really nice but this zoo has much more interactive activities for kids. Very big zoo! The fact that it’s free really puts the cherry on top. Make sure you pack a stroller for kids 5 and under. The walking is massive.

Rebekah Pease

This was a good zoo. Not phenomenal, but it *was* free since we parked on the street. The exhibits we enjoyed the most were: penguins, grizzly bears, seal/sea lions, and the hippos. The zoo definitely needs to put out some information about each animal and it could have been cleaner.

Clayton Sampel

Big and a lot to see. We really didn't get to go through everything but we had lots of fun. We got to see the apes get their lucky charms. The bear that took an ice bath. The beautiful butterflies. The primates eat from a white bucket amd throw it at other ones. The train ride was very cramped and hard on the knees. But we prevailed. Definitely would of loved to see the shows. Most of the other animals were just trying to keep cool and I don't mind one little bit. It was hot. Definitely recommend.

Diana Stafos

The reptiles were very active and the tunnel under the Sea Lions was beautiful. They put on quite a show swimming by. The Penguin exhibit was entertaining being so close to them. We were disappointed the bird exhibit was closed but understandably to protect them from the Avian Flu. Many animals were still indoors inside their habitats so we'll definitely return in warmer weather. There's still no charge to enter but they still require reservations.

Nicole P

Great zoo that's free! LOTS of walking so wear comfy shoes! Laid out kind of haphazard so we might have missed some animals. Lots of exhibits closed or empty. We were still there for multiple hours on a Friday in late March. Reserve your spot online. Parking was a whopping $15 so we ended up parking on the street and walking a mile to get in.

Kelsey Schultz

Ranked as the best zoo in the country AND it's free. I feel like I have no reason to visit any other zoo ever. I've been frequenting the St. Louis Zoo for as long as I can remember and they constantly work to improve it and create more attractions. The zoo offers an outdoor monkey habitat that you can walk through, a tunnel through a sea lion exhibit, and a pool to pet stingrays. Zoos make me sad to see animals enclosed in a small habitat, but the staff seem to do their work in the most humane way possible.

Ashley Goebel

The zoo was awesome- the zookeepers around the park were so nice and welcoming. My only gripe is the adventure pack they don't tell you which seasonal things are closed so we extra got the adventure pack for our family of 4 for my son to do the sting rays - as of today it was closed. Outside of that we fully enjoyed our time and my 2 year old LOVED the train ride!

Amanda Williams

We absolutely love the St. Louis Zoo. Each time we go it’s a great experience. We always get a membership and it most certainly pays off. It’s worth every penny! The zoo grounds are maintained well. The staff all around the zoo is slays friendly and knowledgeable. It’s easy to get around. When we go, we typically spend at least 5 hours there, usually longer. We buy the Souvenir cups so we’re able to refill those every time we go for just a couple bucks, then we throw some snacks and a light lunch on in a lunch box, throw that in the back pack and we’re good to go for the day. Also want to add, even though food is a little pricy here, if you have a membership you do gets discount on it.

Jason Watts

Our zoo is really one of the best things about living near St. Louis. We have so many great memories of visiting the zoo over the years it is really hard to believe not everyone has such a wonderful destination. Our last visit was just as great as our first. Each of our children has had a favorite animal to visit and learn about. If you are visiting, don't forget to put the zoo on your must to do list.

Mara L.

This is a wonderful activity for the whole family. We went in November and it was chilly, but we still got to see a lot of animals. It is not the biggest zoo I have been to but it is compact and offers so much to discover. The penguin area was our favorite. You could get really up close to the animals, which our daughter loved. I especially love how they decorated the park for Christmas. It must be beautiful in the afternoon with the lights turned on. Highly recommend this zoo. To make it a completely free activity, I would recommend to park up on the street if available and bring your own food and drinks.

Kayla Gluck

This is our second time visiting this zoo- the first with small kids. We really enjoyed it. The animals were up and ready to entertain! My daughter especially loved the penguins who loved her as well. Lots to do and see!

Brian & Nicole Love

The best place EVER and it is FREE. You have the option to pay $15 to park but really, you might walk a little bit but save your money. Something for everyone. Will keep everyone entertained. The park is super clean.

SonJoria Sydnor

This was our first time visiting the zoo since spring and it did not disappoint! Thank goodness we did our share of visiting the animals before stumbling upon the Primate Canopy Trails. My daughter LOVED it and the only reason she left was because we were out of snacks. I loved how I could climb through with her if I felt it necessary but I could also stand in the middle and watch her enter and exit at the 3 points. Can't wait to re-visit.

Jessica

We had a great time. We came across a couple of different guides and they both great. Super friendly and helpful. Love the animals. Really love how close you can get to the penguins.

William Elkins

The zoo is basically always fun every time we go. It's a great place to go and hang out on a nice beautiful day. The zoo facility is free to get in but there are a few attractions like the sea lion show and the train that cost additional.

Elizabeth Diane

We had a great time, the zoo is decent for it being free. No tickets required but you do have to make a reservation. There were quite a few animals that were off exhibit. But still worth the trip!

Jay Coore

This was an okay zoo experience and it was FREE! Book your tickets in advance and entrance is split into 2 sections: morning and afternoon. We saw some animals I hadn't seen anywhere else like hyenas and spotted dogs and a sunbear. Their sea lions exhibit was really nice too, especially from beneath. If you're from out of town with a child, they do have strollers you can rent $10 for single seater, $12 for double. Lots of nice scenery too. Parking is a challenge but not enough to deter visiting.

Peter Steenhuis

Great zoo, and it's free. There's so many other reviews that describe folk's experiences in detail, so I'll keep it short. Parking is kind of a pain on a busy day, but it's well worth it. There are plenty of free parking options around the zoo, including street parking. Enjoy your day at the zoo!

Luke Stigers

The Zoo is always amazing. Even on a hot day (high of 95, and it was 90 while we were there) you get awesome views of animals. The elephants took a bath right in front of my kids. Absolutely fantastic time! We love it here.

Nathan Flaminio

What a nice zoo! We had a great time here. We spent about three hours, and could probably have spent two more. I'm not sure about the reservations other people are talking about, we had no issues getting in, and nobody said anything about it. There are a lot of animals here, and the setup works well. Some of the signs seemed like they were pointing in the wrong direction, but just follow the loops around to see everything. There are plenty of food options, several restrooms, some indoor exhibits, and miniature trains to ride through. It's a little disappointing that there are no areas for smokers or vapers in the entire zoo. There were plenty of places far enough away from others that could have been utilized. Well worth the visit. Plan on at least three hours to see everything. There are a lot of Pokestops and gyms here.

T Horowitz

We used to walk the zoo when we were students at WashU once a week for exercise and entertainment. The zoo is free and one of the best in the country. Great for kids and adults of all ages. They currently require reservations ahead of time because of COVID so just make sure to get online before going. Highly recommend!

Rachel Whigham

I think the St Louis Zoo is under appreciated. Like seriously. Unless you’ve been to another zoo where you had to pay for admission for less animals you wouldn’t understand. We have a great variety of animals and they’re mostly always out so you can see them. Make sure you get tickets in advance to see the penguins. You can do this as you’re coming in to the entrance. The sea lion show is always fun too! You can have good fun regardless of whether you desire to spend money or not, love that about this zoo. It’s best to go early in the morning when the zoo opens. This helps you avoid the crowds. The late afternoon is pretty intense with crowds, parking, everything especially on the weekend. You can bring in your own snacks and water. It’s worth it to become a zoo member, saves you more money in the long run. My son who is 15 is a ZA (Zoo Alive) volunteer and the program is phenomenal. If you have a child who lives the zoo or animals or even kids this would be great for them. They also get 50% off on concessions which is a plus. The dinosaur exhibit is fun especially when you have a 2 and 4 year old like myself. There’s plenty of hand sanitizer around which I always appreciate. The bathrooms are decent, they do their best to keep them fully stocked and clean.

Sarah Hanneman

This zoo is wonderful! There is so much here and yet it is cost free! We spent six hours there and only saw about half. We are definitely going to go back. My favorite exhibits were the penguins and puffins, the polar bear and the grizzle bears.

James Kitahara

Amazing zoo in Forest Park! Parking is $15 for vehicles under 24ft long and $30 for vehicles longer than 24ft. The adventure pass is $14.95 to do all the add ons at the zoo but the actual zoo is free to enter to see all the animals. The best part of this zoo is you can get alcohol and walk around for nearly $7.50 each but they don't check bags so might as well just bring a bag of beers and walk around and enjoy :)

LEE'S PAPA

People around me recommended that St. Louis Zoo is good, so I went out with my family. And I was excited and excited because it was my first trip to St. Louis. My 8-year-old son loves reptiles so much that he lost track of time watching snakes, turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and so on. It was hard because the weather was hot, but I was glad that my son liked it. I really want to come back when the weather gets a little cooler. Love is falling out with St. Louis. Thank you.

Pelumi Ajayi

Extraordinary! It was most definitely worth the visit! It’s free to get in. I had to register online at the entrance but it took less than 2 mins to do that. I got to see the elephant, giraffes, hippos and all those cool animals..a rhino too! Those things are massive

Ryan Madlener

Such a fun time!!! I'm so impressed with the Saint Louis Zoo and the wide variety of animals they have here! The animals were lively and looked well taken care of. My favorite exhibits we're the Anaconda, Elephants, Penguins and toads! Thank you!

Sarah Scroggins

Oh my goodness this zoo never disappoints! They had it decorated for fall and halloween already so just walking around between animal exhibits was super fun this time. As always, the animals were super cool and active, so tons to do and see. It's always a must do when we go to St. Louis.

April Somerville

Absolutely amazing!!! Great family or adult or kid adventure. The bug area and big cats were my favorite. It’s winter so the dinosaurs area was closed and a few animals were not out but still. ITS FREE!!! YOu can always make donations or purchase the 10 dollar day parking pass or from the gift shop of course but there is free parking further down and the park is beautiful to walk. If you have kids or love animals and your in St. louis it is defiantly worth a visit for sure!

Casey Wells

Had fantastic time!!! Really wish had seen more animals but the heat kept them inside. Wish they had working misters for the people, never found a working 1. Ape house completely closed yet no notice at front and no one seemed to know why. 😕 Vast collection of vipers in the reptile house.

Paul “OmegaPrime76”

Beautiful Zoo! Free admission, but $15 for parking. Lots of trees=shade!!! Friendly employees! Animals are so close and some are so close you can even almost touch them, but don't! Again DO NOT TOUCH THE ANIMALS!

Alexandra G

This place is great! So many things to see and very interactive. Animals were very active when we went. The parking is a lot, but considering the zoo is free, it’s totally worth it. We loved the underground seal area, penguins, snake structure, and the monkeys. Animals seemed happy and well taken care of. Highly recommend this place if you’re in St. Louis.

Emma Hendrickson

So fun and diverse, can't believe it's free!! There's some great handmade items in the gift shop. Signage can be tough to understand but overall walkable and well laid out. Really enjoyed the insect area and birds. Also the monkey outdoor area with tunnels is unique and fun to watch! Great for all ages

Hanny Phanny

Zoo is free!!!! Only $15 to park and there are so many things to do, animals to see and many food places to eat and drink! I spent three hours here and I still have a whole lot to cover. This is such a fun place not just for children but also for adults too! I love this place!!!!!

Richard Glynn

Excellent zoo!! Parking $15 and free to get in the zoo. Pretty big and alot of animals and stuff to do inside. You can pay an extra $15 a person to get on the train and some shows n stuff too. Kids loved it!!

Path Finder

Zoos often have their drawbacks, but the St. Louis Zoo has done its best to create a family-friendly environment that’s free to the public and safe and comfortable for the animals. Forest Park has numerous attractions, including museums and the planetarium, and the zoo itself is a great place for summer fun.

Hannah Tindall

We had so much fun yesterday at the zoo! Admission is free, you just need to select a time beforehand. The staff was really nice and helpful! The zoo had a great variety in animals and the coolest penguin exhibit we’d ever seen- there was a sign that said not to pet the penguins but physically, you totally could’ve- SO cool! They also have lactation stations for moms of little ones which is amazing to see! Our only disappointment was that almost all the food stands were closed, but even so, such a great experience!

Angela Julian

Great place to bring the family. The zoo is always free but bring the wallet for specials, eating and shopping. With other free museums around the park, you will want to spend a few days and make a mini getaway of it.

Shyanne Thomas

Word to the wise: wear comfy clothes and walking shoes and be ready to get a workout in! This was my first time visiting the STL Zoo and I don’t think I even got to see it all. My favorite part, besides the gift shop, was the butterfly garden and seeing them just happily fluttering around and EVEN LANDING ON YOU! Please keep helping these beauties in the zoo live a long, virtuous life. 🥹🤍

Bryce Garner

We had a good morning at the St Louis Zoo on Saturday. It is so nice that the zoo is free for everyone to enter and enjoy Pro-tip, park on the other side of the freeway near the tortoise park so that you do not need to pay $15 for parking and wait in a horrendous line to get into the parking lot.

toto

I don't even know where to start . It is always so fun to go here . Brings back good childhood memories. The Staff are always very nice and the restrooms are mostly clean . It is free to get in and their food is fresh . There are some things that cost like the train ride and some of the shows. Overall one of the best zoos I have been in .

Hilary Ring

A nice zoo, and it's free. Lots of animals, but you can see how so many people visiting so close to the animals makes them anxious anxious. If they can, the animals stay out of sight or as far away from the crowds as possible. There was a fun butterfly exhibit. While most things are free, the railroad around the zoo is an additional $15 per person.

Hamza Raja

Free Free Free! Maybe a litle improvement wouldn’t hurt no body but it’s a great tourist attraction! Love being there. Tickets are free and are available online! Check them out so you avoid making a return trip without a visit!

The HOOMstead

Absolutely one of the best zoos in the United States! We like to visit a new zoo every vacation and this one so far takes the prize! Beautiful exhibits with fun interactions. And it’s FREE! Highly recommend it if you are in St Louis!

Kailey Parks

I was SO impressed by this zoo! The grounds were clean, the employees helpful and friends. And the number and variety of the exhibits far exceeded my expectations! And it's FREE!! Definitely make a stop!

Charles Njongoro Gachie

This is a must go for anybody visiting St. Louis, MO. On my over-the-road as a Professional Trucker I stopped by to visit my best friend and it happened, they had plans as a family to visit Saint Louis Zoo for the Spring Break weekend and ask me if I wanted to join them and off course I accepted the offer. We toured the Zoo and I was so impressed by all the animals I saw, the various stations to visit and the general ambience was friendly and conducive for an outdoor activity. The weather too favored us though was a little chilli.

Raven Moonchilde

The zoo is an absolute blast, especially around Halloween time! There is so much to do and see, it's fun for the whole family. The zoo itself is free, there is limited paid for parking or you can park for free on the streets and walk. There are attractions that need to be paid for to enter and enjoy but you don't have to pay to see the animals.

Carmen Tucker

I love the STL Zoo. It never disappoints. The weather was in the 60’s. A lot of active animals. We did miss the grizzly bears and hippos. Neither were available to the public. The polars bear was amazing!

Jeremy Zumwalt

This zoo is fabulous. They do a great job with their resources and I never feel like the experience is a wasted time. It always confuses and amuses hearing patrons complaining about how bad it is because the animals they want to see are not cooperating. It is almost like they are animals that do their own thing. What total jerkfaces, the animals and the zoo. Who comes to a zoo to see animals behaving naturally?

Dorina Crabtree

Great Zoo. Lots of animals to look at. The train that goes around the zoo was a nice addition. It was nice to go right to the sections we wanted to see. We really like the penguins.

Rachel Kotalik

Always a great time at the zoo! It's free to enter and if you don't want to pay for parking there's always free spots around Forest Park. Be prepared for a lot of walking and there is a big hill to get from the sea lions to Red Rocks.

Ryan Stone

The St. Louis Zoo is a terrific spot for families. Zoo entry is free to everyone, and normally, I'd go four and a half to five stars, but they are doing a lot of renovation right now, so there are several exhibits that don't have animals in them. That's normal over time, and we weren't disappointed. Still lots to see and do, but also lots of empty enclosures.

Jennifer Reid

This place is amazing! Lots of food and gift shops. Entrance is free, parking is cheap. You could spend all day here or breeze through in a few hours. Awesome way to get steps in!!

ronald hinkle

This was a nice park with some animals and free for most of the area. Disclaimer up front today is going to be really hot and it is the day after 4th of July. We got to the zoo at opening hour of 0800. Several attractions and areas like the river area did not open until 0900. It seemed alot of exhibits were empty being cleaned. I would say 3/4 of exhibits did not have animals in them. The River area only had elephants out which were really cool watching them soak in a close viewing water hole. The penquin area was super cold and a great treat. They were close enough to touch and the freezer like climate was refreshing. I probably would have skipped this zoo if I knew it was so empty of animals today. Wait until a nice cool day to walk this park. If you want to pay for the several for cost exhibits then go and see it. The food looked good and not too up priced. They did have Dole pineapple icecream.

Sarah Gruhn

Our family loves the St. Louis Zoo! There are so many cool exhibits you can see for free, but the newest Primate Trails exhibit is really fun, interactive and a great climbing exercise for kids and adults alike.

Tyler Hartman

Nice zoo! Love that it has free admission. There are lots of kiosks for food, snacks, and alcohol. We went on a Saturday which was really busy, but they had some cool animals. My wife and I loved the polar bear and the elephants. Only downside to the day was parking. You can pay 15 for the zoo parking, but its somewhat limited. We drove around the lot for 5-10 minutes before a space opened up. There looked to be parking on the street throughout the whole area around the zoo though if you dont mind to walk extra.

Kent Bachman

One of the top 2 zoos I've ever been to. The other being the San Diego zoo. Admission is surprisingly free. Large variety on animals in great habitats.

S T

Large zoo. Plan an entire day to see everything. Prepare for lots of walking. Free to enter, but will cost $14.95(Adventure pass) per person for Carousel, Dinosaur, Stingray, Sea lion show, 4D theatre and Train.

Melisa Olandez

Relaxing place to walk with and enjoy with the kids. Be watchful when exiting! Make sure you leave through the proper south or north side exit to get to your vehicle or you'll be getting in your 6000 steps for sure. As for eating, we never go wrong with the strawberry ice cream funnel cake and starbucks.

Norman Robinson

Brilliant zoo. It's free to get in though you can buy an adventure pass . Which gets you into dinosaur world, 4d movie , carousel unlimited train and sea lion show for $15. Well worth it. Although there was no sealing show and the 4d movie broke down when we were next to go in , we still had great day

Carol Esser

We enjoyed a great day at the zoo! The exhibits were engaging. The zoo appeared well cared for. We had snacks and lunch and that was also good.

Dawn Kretschmer

Great day at the zoo. Get the safari pass. Best value. Unlimited train rides, touch the sharks and stingrays, historic carousel rides, sea lion show and don't skip the 4d theater. So cool. All included with the pass for $15.

Ethan Nixon

Absolutely beautiful, can’t believe it’s free. Parking is $15. The primate exhibit was the cutest. This zoo is definitely one of the best Zoos we’ve visited.

Courtney Scholar

I'v taken my girls on school field trips here and the only complaint I have is they are short staffed like everyone else so some things were open or had super long lines for concessions. Other wise I love going and hope we can go more often. Only cost $15 to park, then theres food/drinks, souvenirs, 4d theater, a carousel and a train. Only thing we haven't done yet is the 4d theater and the dinosaur area. Maybe next time.

Heidi Guenther

Growing up with the Saint Louis Zoo as your "home" zoo ruins you for most other zoos. The quality and variety of the exhibits are unrivaled in other zoos of this size. The herpetarium features the largest collection of venomous snakes in North America. The penguin house lets you get nose to nose with the penguins. And of course, it's free.

Cassandra Bates

We love the St. Louis Zoo. If you're local, I strongly encourage becoming a Zoo member, it is worth it knowing you're helping the incredible conservation efforts & most memberships include free parking for at least 6 visits. If you're not local, you should absolutely check out our Zoo!! It's free, there is plenty of free parking and if you want to pay it is only $10. It's a beautiful park, and if it's a holiday time they host special events like Boo at the Zoo and Lights at the Zoo over the Winter holiday!! This Zoo is a true gem. 🖤

ShootingStar

Great free attraction! Spent 5 hours walking around with the kids, seeing so many animals, more than we expected, so we never heard of! Being from Orlando we were very impressed! Bravo!

Joe Baumgarten

Love the zoo! Went late in the day and it was chilly so not all the animals were out and about but I can understand that completely. But even if it's a short trip, it's always worth it.

Zoë Rutledge

Literally my favorite place in Earth. Without a doubt the best free zoo and top 5 zoos overall. Wonderful place, volunteers are very kind and helpful. Loved getting to see all the animals out in the sunshine!

Jessiebon

Omgg this place is HUGE I TELL YOU! Soo much too do for the whole family too enjoy. We had a great time for the first time here. There are other areas where you pay small fee. Like the dinosaur park and carousel 🎠 ride for kids. Lots of gift shops and refreshments too purchase along the way and definitely lots of public restrooms. There are indoor and outdoor animals throughout too see enjoy the park. Definitely must have too enjoy with the kids.

Mark Shear

Best free thing to do In St Louis. FYI bring your own food and drink inside. Yes you read that right, the zoo can be completely free if you plan it.

Noah Gudim

Over all the St. Louis zoo is great. My family was only there for an hour and it was really busy. I think we came on fieldtrip day. Once we got in though it was spread out. Parking was bad especially for a twelve passenger van. We only got to see four animal species. The grizzlies look tired but it was hot out. The Polar Bear was the same but at least moving. I really enjoyed the Pengujn house. You could literally touch the penguins but you aren't supposed to. The puffins were really cute. It poured on our way to the apes and so we took shelter near the gorilla enclosure. We made a run for the exit and stopped at the reptile house. However the staff kicked us off. I heard rumors about a escaped snake but that seems unlikely. Overall nice zoo.

Andrew Ricketts

Such a great zoo! We spend 7 hours and still didn’t complete it all. This zoo is free but the extras do cost $15 extra a person unlimited times. The train stations are the best. You can coordinate your day with using the trains. I say it’s worth the free trip.

Ashley Howard

I loved that it was free and seeing the animals, however even with a map and signs, I found it a little hard to navigate. Wish there were more detailed signs at each intersection. Was very clean and part of a really cool park!

Rhonda Richardson-Kovanda

We try to visit zoos in every place we go. St. Louis Zoo ranks with some of the best. It was easy for us to take in a full day and stay busy with walking forever and not seeing anything. Administration is free, but unless you park on the street, you have to pay to park. Attractions inside will cost you if you're into the train, tram, etc. Food and beverage prices are comparable to any zoo I've been to.

handey fan

As with most zoos, be prepared for a walk. If you have small children, I'd definitely recommend a stroller or be ready for "I'm tired" complaints. There are paid parking areas, but there are plenty of free places to park as well, and the zoo admission is free. A few areas can get congested because of their popularity or space, but, overall, was not too crowded (we were there on a Friday in August when the Cardinals had a home game in the evening). There are shaded areas, but you'll be exposed to the sun a lot, so make sure to have provisions to deal with that such as sunscreen, water, personal fans, etc. An assortment of animals are available to view with different types being categorized by the free handheld maps that are provided throughout the park. There are a couple cafes on site, and there were a few booths or kiosks to grab a snack or drink while roaming. There are a lot of tables and benches scattered throughout the zoo if you need to rest or want to have a picnic near your favorite area. The only downside we experienced was a couple main attractions (lions and the majority of the monkeys) were not there. It would be nice to have signs at the main entrance of the park to let patrons know if these exhibits are empty to save us from walking to that area, but the zoo is free and well worth your time even if a few exhibits are empty.

Rebecca Schnetzler

This is a really nice zoo!!!! Probably one of my favorites!!! What is really awesome is that you get in free!!! I probably should add though, it does cost to ride the train and other little add-ons. The penguin 🐧 exhibit is one of my kid's favorite! She got to watch them as the employees were feeding them! It was a super cool experience! Edit- We went again this September and had a blast! It wasn't busy at all and we were able to visit every part of the zoo. Some of the exhibits multiple times! The workers were all super friendly and the zoo was very clean and well kept! I would definitely recommend getting the wrist band that allows you to get into all the add-ons. It was worth the money!

Jeff Stowell

The zoo is free! Parking is not free unless you find a spot outside of the zoo. Lots of great exhibits and small enough to walk around to see them all. Don't pass up the dippin dots!

Dave Weaver

Incredible zoo and we had a blast. This Zoo is amazing and absolutely blows our Zoo in Houston out of the water. I'm amazed at how it's free to the public as we pay over $100 for a family of 4 to go to the Houston Zoo and other city Zoo's need to follow their leed.

Judy Liesch

This is the best zoo I've ever been to. The zoo is free but during covid you need to make an entry reservation on line. It's free. I think they don't want to many people coming in at one time. The parking for cars is $10.00. I thought that is fine since the zoo is free. I went to see the puffins and penguins and they are amazing. There house is the most amazing place, most of the time you see them in zoo's and they are behind a glass wall. Not here there water pond is about five feet tall and filled to the top. I was standing about a foot away from the wall and a penguin swam past and splashed me. It was incredibly exciting. The puffins are set up in a separate room with the same kind of open pond. The whole rest of the zoo was very well set up and all the animals had large clean enclosures. I honestly will make a trip back down to St. Louis to go to this zoo again.

Mrs. Mica

My kids had a Field Trip on May 17,2022 and it's was amazing and because me and hubby hasn't been here since 17 yrs ago. So go with kids this year and see the new attractions was Great 👍🏾

Shaik Abdul Cader Shaik Dawood

A large zoo, with various exhibits. Do get the adventure pass. The pass gives you access to various activities (carousel, dinosaur animatronic park, 4d theater, tram, and more). If you have an AZA membership you'll get the pass at a 50% discount. We spent about 2.5 hours here. Could've easily spent more time. Our 3 yr old enjoyed the Dinoraurus and the stingray feeding area (although he couldn't feed a stingray, due to his height). There's ample parking here. And the place is stroller and wheelchair friendly.

Rebecca Hoffman

This was one of the best zoos I've ever been to. I'd rate the quality up there with the Smithsonian. The exhibits were great, the staff were friendly, and the wide variety of animals was awesome. My favorite exhibits were probably the penguins and butterflies. My only disappointment was that the flamingoes were put up for the winter and there wasn't any place to go see them in the winter time..they're my favorite animal so I was bummed but it just means we will have to come back.

Josie Jastram

Coming from a place where the zoo is $30/person, I thought it was amazing that this zoo is free. There's so much to walk around and see here. I would like to see more shade areas or more indoor areas to cool off since most of the zoo seems to be outside under the sun. The penguin exhibit was absolutely AMAZING! I've never seen such a thing designed like that. It was our favorite part of the zoo. I also enjoyed going through the gift shop and seeing all the crafts from around the world. The prices are fair and it's wonderful knowing the money goes towards conservation efforts. Elephants are my absolute favorite animal so of course I had to buy so many elephant items at the zoo. Also, if you're a smashed penny collector, this is the place for you!

Hafsa

I love the zoo, it is so great and i go all the time. There is even a baby chimp there now(she is one year old and her name is raven) she is super cute. More things are the birds, they are cool because they can fly and they have a cool habitat. Another cool thing is stingrays, in the summer you can go and feed the stingrays and little shark thigys so thats cool.

Tati Raz

Best zoo ever! Train is like $7 and takes you all over the zoo and you can see all the animals!!! Perfectly organized and maintained!!! Really welcoming stuff. Lots of animals to see!

Kazal Abzu

I really enjoyed my time there and can't wait to go back. I didn't get to see everything but I got to see alot of animals for the first time. I went during the end of the day and it was still very crowded in places. Definitely going back just to ride the train around the park. Also you don't have to go through the gift shop to exit the park, just in case I'm not the only one.

Matt Alvino

Regularly considered on of the world's top Zoos and it's completely free to get in. Built with Victorian flair, those that appreciate architecture will like the eastern side of the park. The reptile and monkey houses as well as the 1904 bird cage towards the northeast corner are prime examples. The western end boasts the Rivers Edge, which is filled with elephants, rhinos, and cheetahs, among others. This area was renovated maybe 20 years ago and still looks great. There is a parking lot near the main entrance, but I have never paid to use it... If you don't go on a busy weekend or on an unseasonably nice day, you can usually get on-street parking withing a few hundred yards of the entrance. Oct 22 update Went to "Boo at the Zoo" with our two year old and loved it. We went last year and he wasn't old enough to really get it, but it was awesome at this stage. He especially loved the juggler hanging out by the Lakeside patio area.

Dennis Mays

Visiting this zoo involves a LOT of walking and waiting to see animals. That being said, it's worth the visit if you're in the St. Louis area! We'll definitely be back.

Shamon Williams

Perfect day to visit the Zoo, and while there were lots of people there due to the Holiday it really didn't seem that congested. Its a perk that you dont have to pay to attrnd, which leaves the opportunity to do things such as ride the train, visit the dino park and other attractions inside of the zoo or purchase food during your visit. We really enjoyed seeing all of the animals and visiting the animated dinosaur park where one of the dinosaurs lunged water at us. Funnel cakes are always a treat!

Candi Schaefer

We use to be members at the STL zoo but dropped the membership since we have always lived over an hour away and our sone is now 19 years old. We had not been since before COVID hit in 2020 and it is still as amazing as ever. The new primate outdoor enclosure was so awesome.

Brandi Gartley

Beautiful zoo the layout walking trails and what not is easy...no real steep hills ...very clean..animals all look very healthy!! Would definitely come back again!!

Rafael McAnally

Always a great family experience at the STL ZOO! Many of the animals were out even on this hot day! The sea lion show ($4) was amazing and fun. Well worth the $4 tickets!! Sit close and on the right of the stage and you may even catch a frisbee from a sea lion. I dont think the large primates like the heat at all as they were all very slow or sleeping. But the rest of the was up and lively. Admission as always I'd free and you can bring in your own cooler, combined with limited free street side parking it is possible to make this a completely free trip. You will have a bit of a walk if you get a street parking spot. Otherwise the parking is $15 and gets you just a few steps from the entrance.

Kaitlyn Hutson

I enjoyed coming here. It was our first zoo trip with my boyfriend that was just the two of us. We had a really nice time. Weather was perfect. The animals were outside. It was a little warm inside, but tolerable. A lot of the concession stands were closed. The monkey exhibit was finished, unlike last time. It was well done.

Leon Widhalm

It, was free!! What's better than Free! Was a cold day, most animals not out, but there is alot to see. Go, never too old to go to the zoo.

Doris Harris

Loved loved loved the St Louis zoo. We had a blast! It was so much fun! I can't wait to visit St Louis so I can go again.

Your Mom

It’s true St Louis has an amazing zoo and the best part is general admission is free and it includes many exhibits. We decided last minute to go on a rainy Sunday. The rain made it not too hot and not too crowded which was amazing. We saw almost all of the free animal exhibits even though some stayed inside due to rain. Pro Tip: 8-9am everyday - stingrays, carousel and children’s zoo is free so get there right at 8am go directly to the stingrays then carousel then go into the children’s zoo right before 9am. Save yourself about $10-12 per person!

Aaron Lewis

Having a great time. All the amenities are clean and up and running. Everything looks well taken care of. Prices are fair. You can come for free and just walk around or pay $15 and go through all the attractions. Drinks and food or a bit high but that's to be expected when admission is free. You can pay $15 for parking or you can park for free on the road in. Definitely recommend

Rishikesh Nalapur

While I have lost count of the number of times I have visited STL Zoo, this was the first ever I visited the Emerson dinosaur section. Thanks to my toddler's interest in Dinos. The exhibits are very realistic. So realistic that I am afraid my little one will need some time to believe that dinosaurs are really extinct .The play area was unnecessary though , could have utilized the space for more useful stuff. Maybe for an explanation of why dinosaurs are extinct or how fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy. After all, the last thing you want in a zoo is the play area !!

Nicole Heath

This was a great day trip. Alot of the animals weren't out and almost all the gift shops closed earlier than when zoo closed. Kinda disappointed at that. We disnt get to see any of the large monkeys. And the downstairs of the teptile house was closed. Alot of the habits were down due to repairs and maintenance. Went to see the sea lions and it was great. Dino area was pretty awesome to. Loved penguins and bears. Tried to bring a penguin 🐧 home with me but no luck!!

Rakim 7

We visited the zoo on March 6th, 2022. It was in the 50's weather wise. Didn't have to park far. Once inside, the staff was extremely helpful and nice. A lady with gray hair that was working in the gift shop, drew on my map to help guide my family! It cost nothing to enter, we simply reserved a time slot (between 9a -12p). We arrived around 10:30 and did not leave until 5. This zoo has it all pretty much, from flyers (eagle, owl, etc) reptiles, the cats (lions, tiger, cheetah), the gorillas/monkeys, seals, penguins, bears, hippos, rhinos, and more. They even have a train that takes you around the zoo to several stations. Definitely the best zoo I have visited. Did I mention it was FREE!

Ken Uhlenkamp

Best zoo I have ever been too! The paths are thick with vegetation. You can get really close to most of the animals. It was a great experience. Highly recommend! It was free to get in. We didn't purchase any extra attractions. You do have to reserve your spot online before arriving.

Angela Lower

We had a very short amount of time to explore the zoo. We weren't able to go see everything. Got to see the elephants and bears, hyenas and wild dogs, but the best was the insects and the butterfly garden! For a free zoo, in the middle of winter, it was wonderful. Well worth visiting any time of year. I'm surprised the place wasn't more packed. I can imagine it being packed in spring and summer. Get your tickets in advance. Parking is 10$ unless you are handicapped, there were free street parking near the entrance.

Alan Franklin

My family always has a blast at the zoo. Between day trips and zoo lights we’ve never been disappointed. Also, it’s free! Unless you want to ride the train or visit the speciality locations. You can either pay per experience or obtain an adventure pass/membership.

Mark Zeman

The St. Louis Zoo is one of the premiere attractions in the city. It is a microcosm of the world's animals in a beautiful, clean, and well-laid-out environment. The animals are all well fed and well cared for, and staff go to exceptional lengths to provide the most fulfilling life they can, away from their native habitat. Zoos are increasingly important as for many species they may be the last habitats and chances for future survival. The zoo hosts educational programs to help students learn about ecosystems and the importance of preserving biodiversity and a healthy planet. So the zoo is not only a wonderful place to see many species from around the world, it is a place to learn mankind's role in their preservation. The zoo is free, enabling every resident and visitor alike the opportunity to enjoy it. Truly a wonderful place.

Katie Welter

This zoo was fantastic! And it is free. The animals have wonderful enclosures and the zoo is beautifully landscaped in between enclosures. The animals seem very happy and I believe most animals were able to be viewed in multiple ways. This zoo has all the "major" animals you'd ever want to see and many more! Lions tigers bears, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, all the big cats, and a bird hall, reptile hall and a fantastic penguin exhibit.

Rush Mayo

We've been to several zoos & this one is great! Very family friendly. Very nice exhibits. Really good plant areas. The people explaining about the animals seemed to have indepth knowledge.

Ian Carroll

Wow, best free zoo I've ever not paid for. I mean, for a visiting family you can't go wrong by going here. The surrounding park is impressive.

Jason Marsh

Fun place with the kids. Only had to pay to park but there is also free parking. My son is in a motorized wheelchair and everything is very accessible!

Productive Slug

An amazing experience. Was surprised with the size for enterence having no cost. Plenty to see with a big variety and offers different types of side attractions for a decent fee.

Stephanie Diggs

St Louis Zoo is best in the world! Because it's free unless you choose to pay for food, train or special shows. The animals are in a habitat thats as close to their natural homes as possible. It's open all year round! They are constantly expanding and upgrading the animals homes. They have a hands on climbing area in the trees for kids in the monkey habitat! Employees seem pleased with their jobs! It was a perfect day at the zoo!

Kate Deters

The zoo was a zoo today! We LOVE our St. Louis Zoo, but I highly recommend going early in the morning or later in the afternoon. Especially Friday, Saturday and Sundays. If you're planning a trip any weekday is great. The STL zoo is beautifully maintained, great exhibits with education offered on all animals. My kids loved learning about all the different reptiles, birds, primates, etc by reading the info signs. So many good options for food and refreshments. Be sure to see the Sea Lion Show. It's so entertaining and has great shade/fans going for those hot Midwest days. Riding the train is a must! If you have a train fanatic, try to sit in the back and they may let them say "all abroad". The Zoo is one of our favorite family days, just highly recommend any other day than Fri/Sat.

Yixin Song

Cutie animals! I came with my friend. I could not believe our three adult male had such a lovely day here! Just by looking those beautiful animals resting and eating is worthy coming! If you have kids, don't hesitate where to go to spend the day.

Adam Holleman

It was the best zoo I've ever been to. It's got a well designed bird 🦜 house, elephant 🐘 enclosure, hyena enclosure, ape house, and play area. The map is helpful, and the ice cream 🍨 in the cafe is so good 😄! …

Kristina Durbin

One of my children's absolute favorite places to visit! It was a chilly-and a little drizzly- fall day so there was hardly any people. We waited in line for the train to come, but not because there was so many people. We didn't have to wait to see animals, and almost all of them were out. The zoo was still decorated for Halloween, so we got to see all of that too. Gorgeous place to visit for fall!

Chloe Barker

I really enjoy the St. Louis zoo! It’s free, with some areas that do charge a fee such as the children’s area. Due to covid they’re currently requiring tickets for entry, free tickets but they need the number of people entering I guess. There was a line to enter when we got there but they were just scanning tickets so it took maybe 5 minutes waiting in line. I also believe there is a parking fee. It can take hours to see the entire zoo so give yourself time if you want to see everything. The animal exhibits seem well maintained and the animals seem healthy. I would recommend visiting if you’re in the area!

Ron Lindy

The St. Louis Zoo is the best Zoo in the USA. It's always been one of the best places to go in St. Louis. I can spend all day walking around, seeing all the animals and the additional attractions. The train ride around the zoo is a great way of seeing the animals and to relax. We really enjoy the Boo at the Zoo in October and the Wild Lights in December.

Verjulia

Went to the saint louis zoo had a blast. If you get there early. Free parking on the lot..I arrived at 8:04 am. Schedule online only..

Tyra Murray

Great place to take the kids for almost no cost. Street Parking can be free if there are any spots available. If not, Parking is $15/vehicle. Once inside, the large plastic, reusable Zoo cups are $11.50 & refills are $1.50 or you can refill with Icee drinks for $2.50. Food on average is $8-$14. While there are many costly items in the gifts shops, there are some stuffed animals for $12 & magnets from $3-$5, if wanting souvenirs. The only downfall for us was the heat. It happened to be the hottesr weekend of the year at 104°, which made it well over 110° due to humidity. Alot of the animals weren't outside, such as the lions, tigers, hippos, polar bears, etc. The Adventure Pass for $15/person is well worth the money. This keeps you from paying for individual things such as the train, sea lion show, Dinosaur exhibit, petting the sting rays, and a couple other things.

Dream World

Always an awesome place to go. My mom likes to get the character portrait drawings. Can't wait to go again. Lots of beautiful women as well as animals.

That Anonymous Panda

Saw every single animal except the polar bears. Very happy we came! Spent our whole week here. Love the red panda, grizzlies, and the seal exhibit is amazing!

Apollo Forhan

I love animals so much. This is truly the best free zoo, but i have to ask why the reptiles follow me. The way that Covid-19 has been handled here is fantastic. (This is a school assignment, please do not reply.)

Timisha Sawyers

I’m from Nashville and it’s the BEST zoo we’ve been too and we’ve been to the one in Nashville, Birmingham and Ohio. All the workers were so nice and eager to give you information and show you really cool stuff. We went to the zoo 2 times in a row because it was so big and was so much fun. My favorite part is you can honestly tell they care for the animals. Through out the day you constantly see them cleaning the habitats and feeding them. I love it!

TheInfamousCK1 THEInfamousONE

Really cool place that's FREE. But don't forget you have to make reservations. But you can easily do so in literally 2 minutes on your phone by going to STLzoo.com\reservations. Place was clean, staff was friendly and the animals were cute. I always highly recommend this place 👌. …

Ronald Flack

It's honestly pretty great. If you live even with in a few hours of this zoo it's definitely worth going to see. Great variety of animals, free admission, all you HAVE to pay is $10 for parking.

Chrystal Y

Admissions is free. Excellent because I have a huge family. The gift shop and the vendors all around the zoo have great prices. Highly recommend bringing your family here.

Dawn S

This place is great to spend the day at but you have to go early to see all the animals. The park closed at 7 but at 4 they started pouring the animals away for the night. After that you just have to walk around to try your luck to see some.

Aaron Smith

We enjoyed our visit, a lot of the things we wanted to visit were closed like the reptile place and the dinosaur place. But over all we enjoyed it, the penguin indoor viewing area was the worst, only because of how bad it smelled inside.

Jeff Thompson

Great Zoo. You can see that they love their animals. This Zoo is free to the public. You will find plenty to eat eat and so many shady places to relax. I will be back.

Isaac Finn

I come here every year to see all of the animals! A great place to go while on a vacation. I would definitely recommend this during a St. Louis trip.

Mike Brockmeier

What's not to love?!? Lots of amazing animals and exhibits. The new primate canopy is really cool. Pro tip: Head to the butterfly room attached to the insectarium around 4:30 and watch them release butterflies that have just emerged from their chrysalis. Some experiences require a fee, but admission to the Zoo is free!

Asifbhai Huddani

Zoo parking cost $15, and if you spending whole day then $14.99 pass for all attractions is best value. Lots of animals and lots of stuff there. Food is great we tried lakeside restaurant, serve hot. I like butterfly house, bird house, but cats, elephant and Giraffe. We spend around 4 hours from 12 pm to 4pm, it was super fun and I recommend this place to everyone who would like their toddler / kids to learn and enjoy.

Yog

This is one of the best zoos in the US. Free for public which makes it even better to take the kids every month! So many animals and birds for kids to learn more about. Food prices are doubled but somehow they need to make money so.

brian fathera

Great zoo for the mid west. You can find free parking on the street or pay to park in the lot closer to the zoo entrance. Be prepared to walk a lot. Service at the concession stands was not great. Employees did not seem to be very well trained.

Jamaal Currie

The Zoo is huge, fun, and free. It will take just all day to go through everything. Get your walking shows ready. We had a ball!

Megan Smithhart

My favorite zoo to visit with my family. We bought the package with the theater, carousel, and train this time, and it was definitely a great deal! Lots of animals to see and learn about. The dinosaur exhibit was a big hit for our dinosaur loving kids!

Jarrod West

First time I've gone to the zoo in months outside the summer. Game changer. It was an even more fantastic experience than usual. Everybody was happier! Patrons, workers and even the animals seemed to be relishing the lack of oppressive heat that comes to the Lou in summer. If you haven't gone "off-season" I highly recommend it.

Mary Shadowens

Lovely zoo. Wear comfy shoes it's much bigger than you may think! You must make reservations ahead of time.

jackson p

a nice place over all food is uh rather on the expensive side but i mean they have to make some way you can walk around freely and wasn't too crowded even on a holiday >:) i suggest trying to find a place to park outside the parking lot cause it's free and it'll save you a lot more money than wasting 15 dollars for parking and having to still walk a lot on a really busy day

Tyler Bennett

Incredibly enjoyable experience. The zoo was well designed and laid out. The exhibits were clean and it showed that care was had in the caring of the animals. A few exhibits were closed, but allowances must be made. It is a zoo with live animals that require constant maintenance. We were there during Zootoberfest. So there were tasty beers to be had while perambulating around the grounds.

Angelo Angelo

Excellent, Dinosaur exhibit was great. Don't try for parking unless you're very early (had a 630 slot and it was a long line with no spaces in the south lot). North lot was full. Park in the roadway spots . It will save you a lot of time and traffic issues.

Bryan Rupp

The St. Louis Zoo is one of the premiere if not the premiere zoo in the United States. This zoo is free to the public almost every day of the year, including the winter. The animals appear to be taken care of very well. The exhibits are clean and provide the animals with what they need. One way to judge whether a zoo takes good care of their animals is to look at the quality of the water. The water in the exhibits is clean.

Bethany Stephenson

Great zoo. The hippo exhibit was closed for cleaning which is sad. They have a great hippo viewing area. Love the penguins and the monkey area.

Ken Hasekamp

Great day at the zoo. By noon it was packed & lines for train & major attractions like penguins were long & parking lots full. Otherwise another wonderful day. Animals were active. A number of empty exhibits a bit disappointing. A great zoo always worth a visit.

Mars Bars

I've been visiting STL Zoo my whole life and it has only gotten better. Every animal seems content and well-cared for, the staff is friendly and often sharing knowledge about nearby animals, there are tons of interactive displays to interest kids in learning, and they work consistently to conserve our own native species like Hellbenders. I've always preferred to bring my own sealable snacks and drinks, but the zoo has stands and restaurants that are pretty reasonably priced. There are tons of places to stop and rest, and most if not all exhibits and activities are wheelchair accessible. People of all kinds come to this zoo and I've never been treated poorly or seen anyone be treated differently. On top of all of this, it is free! What more do you need to hear?

Peggy Irving

Amazing place and it's free. The dinoraurus exhibit was more than I imagined it would be. The day was filled with one great exhibit after another. My two and a half year old grandson loved the carousel and train rides as well as the animals. There weren't too many people so the wait times were minimal. It's a must for families if you're in the area.

alex bonick

One of my favorite zoos in the entire country! They have an astounding number of exhibits, many of them in historic and ornately decorated buildings that are well over 100 years old. The zoo has been in existence for a long time and they are doing a lot of things right! Plenty of refreshments, train rides and other amenities as well.

Clint Mifflin

We had a great time! The Kiddos loved the Hippos 🦛! All the animals looked healthy. (I'm not a vet.) It was clean, hand sanitizer was anywhere you needed it to be. The staff was very friendly! My favorite was the Butterfly room.

Judy Melnick

Totally awesome visit. A must see. It was cold today so we didn't get to see all animals, but it was a fantastic day. Definitely going back again.

Christy Ferguson

Very nice walk through! Lines weren't to long. Warm drinks, toasty fire, with smores. What else could you ask for oh tons and tons of lights.

Beth Richardson

Edit: Masks not required at all anymore. Reservations aren’t required either. Masks not required all the time anymore, just when in buildings. We made reservations online a week in advance. $15 dollars to park in the lots. $3 to ride the carousel. The sea lion exhibit is still closed off for the inside tour. To see the penguins exhibit on the inside you have ti have a time ticket. The dinosaur exhibit was open now. Only a few more things needs to open back up and everything should be back to normal. We came on memorial day, Monday, around 10:30 am and it wasn't too bad, but was getting busier as the day went.

Shannon Ausmer

We had a great time. We were able to find parking on the street so free parking free admission. When we got to the gate didn't know we needed to make reservations but luckily there was still availability so we were able to go right in. All the zoo staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Only downside was that I purchased tickets for 3 separate attractions and didn't realize that the pass they offered would have been cheaper and included almost all the attractions.

Candy Sharp

The zoo was amazing with all my son's favorites (animals, carousel, train, dinosaurs, and his favorite movie in 4d) it was definitely a hit

Kelly Wachtl

An amazing zoo, and it's free. There are extras you can purchase like the train, and sea lion show, which was great !

Jamie Berning

The St Louis Zoo is a lovely place to spend the day! Admission is free and the collection of animals is impressive. Highly recommend checking it out if you’re visiting the area!

SlightlyPsycho

Well maintained. I have loved this place since I was very young. One of the best zoo's in the world. AND ITS FREE. Come take your kids! Family fun for all.

Anoushka Padmane

I was surprised with the experience of the zoo. It was quite good. The place has amazing views as well. My favourite one was definitely with the penguins.

Karina Koji

As always, the zoo is amazing! Best one in the nation. Always surprised that it's free. They are going to great lengths to keep visitors and staff safe during the pandemic. I needed to rent a scooter, and the staff person who attended me was immensely kind and helpful. We had a great time, first visit since COVID and we felt very safe.

Salty Chewbacca

The best 2 days of my life in a long time so much too do and so many different species of animals they even have a wide variety of insects and snakes and lizards. The best part it is free to get in just order in advance on line and getting the adventure pass was definitely well worth the $15 that is how you get to pet the stingrays, see the amazing sea lion show, ride the cool train around the park, and see the animatronic dinosaur exhibit. I'm a grown man and I actually shed a tear when it was time to leave. My family and I are definitely going back next year it was flipping awesome! Oh and you can pay to park or park for free I would arrive early before zoo opens and park by the north entrance

Nathan Choler

What a great zoo. I'd put this right with the top zoos we have been to. It has every animal you could possibly hope to see and all it cost us was $15 to park. The zoo is very large, but is built where you never feel like you are walking long ways to see the next exhibit. The other great part is that each exhibit tended to have at least 2-3 different spots to see the animals from, so if you couldn't see anything from one angle, there's a good chance you could from other angles. Wife and I came here on a parents only trip, but will definitely make the 6 hour trip back to St. Louis again to bring the kids.

Beverly McBride

This is one of my favs when we visit the area! The admission is free! We purchased a wristband that allowed us into the "special attractions", as well as the train. Great option!

Daniel J

Free entry to this amazing, free zoo??? Wwhhaattt? Great experience for the kids, tons of stuff to do, lots of fun. A few of the exhibits like the dino area and the tram cost for tickets, but since the zoo was free no biggie. Consider a membership if you come often. 🦓🦍🦁

Laura Rexing

You'd never know this zoo was free. The animals had interactive and stimulating items in their enclosures. The grounds are relatively flat with a decent amount of shade. There's a super fun climbing structure to take a break from looking at animals. Several spots indoors can help you cool off or warm up depending on the season

Jon Reynolds

Place is absolutely free, except for some exhibits. Zoo is pretty large in size as well so plenty of things to do and see for most of a day

Patricia Love

Love coming to STL Zoo. Free to enter the park. Plenty of food stands, gift shops, restrooms. The park also provides map of the zoo, & a Dinosaur exhibit. Along with alot of fun things to do!

Anthony Reyes

Certainly a pleasant surprise. Very clean area and great staff. Easy zoo to navigate with LOTS to do.

Chevy Chevelle

My family and I absolutely loved visiting this zoo and will be back as soon as we start heading back to Florida from Iowa! It was raining and cold when we went so not all the animals were active but they have a bunch of inside activities and most of their animal viewing stations have covered areas to look at the exhibits. We didn't get to see the whole zoo but we will when we go back and it's free unless you choose to park near the entrance. Cars have a parking lot and trucks are parked further back for a bit extra of a fee on the trucks but if you don't have a problem with walking there's also free parking.

Tyler Cabanaw

One of our favorite zoos. Free admission, adventure pass is a must, great exhibits and attractions. Forrest park offers free parking for a short walk.

Mulisha M

We had a amazing time 🪅🪅🪅 the cost depends on what you want to do for the day. We got the wrist bands where you can pretty much go anywhere and do anything for a full days of fun and it was well worth it.

SLW Mom

Everything was easy going, and stress free. The kids had a great time! Loved that the stingray exhibit was included with the ticket price.

ting chi

Still can’t believe such a cute zoo is free of admission. I have never been so close to penguins, they are just so adorable, which totally made my day. The zoo is overall super clean with super nice pavilions scattered around the zoo. Food and drinks prices at the food are surprising cheap too, maybe I’m just used to the east coast price. And strongly recommend for the Zoo Boo event there happening around Halloween. I think I have found my favorite zoo!

Ali Khan

Free zoo! It's vast so be ready to walk alot. Very fun, the best I've been to in America

B. MIchael McFarland

What an incredible surprise! This zoo is among the best I have ever visited, and it is FREE! Though you pay for parking, it was extremely close to the entrance. It was a very hot day, so several animals were inside and unavailable for viewing, but the open exhibits more than made up for that. There are lots of activities for children, and several cafes for food and drink.

David Montgomery

The zoo is amazing, the staff that we encountered were all very friendly and it is absolutely beautiful and amazing. The entire family loved our visit, and best of all entry is absolutely free!

Colleen Stalnaker

The Saint Louis zoo is second to none. The animals are well cared for and the facility is beautiful. I love taking my kids and having the opportunity to see so many incredible animals in person! Admission is free and I recommend paying for parking.

M D

Best zoo! The adventure pass is for sure worth it. Lovely animal care and staff.

BogdanM

An interesting, pleasant, relaxing place. Congratulations to the administrators, everything looks beautiful, diverse and well organized, especially given that admission is free to all.

Anya Bennett

It was so fun we went at 9am it was not busy at all and we found a parking spot right in the front. Also all the animals was out early. Around 130 it started to get packed.

Peter Marsh

Thr place seems like it should be a ton of fun but I spent several hours here and didn't see half the animals they advertised. After a while getting to see none of the animals I went for got real annoying. I know they can't control the animals or force them to be seen but it was like a joke after a while. Probably won't return.

Brendan Chan

Great zoo! Love the train rides and the carousel! A lot of well-taken care off animals, in a very family centric setting!

A Schneider

Best free zoo in the world with historic buildings and healthy animals. I'm so lucky I got to grow up here and visit the zoo often, now I bring my own children and recommend it to everyone!

Jamie Fron

Free zoo, friendly staff, lots to see! We did a whole day pass that included train ride, stingrays, etc.. Highly recommend! 😀

sheridan shauntee

Zoo admission $7 and the zoo train $7. Clean environment. Active animals and very helpful staff!, 2hour walkabout including train ride.

Abby Van Korlaar

STL Zoo is a large, wonderful zoo with FREE admission and a variety of animals to see. You can purchase extras - such as live animals shows and train tickets. There are two parking lots - north and south. $15 parking fee per vehicle. Admittedly, I’m not really a “zoo person”. But the rest of the family can’t get enough. It was a little drizzly when we were there, but they did not stop a large crowd from going to the zoo that day. Wear comfortable shoes and bring your patience!

Ali

Free zoo i. St Louis. Very fun trip with my wife. The zoo is near the city and we found free parking. The zoo itself was semi-busy on a Friday midday when we visited. Highly recommend if you need something fun to do while passing the time in the city. A lot to do and experience there in the area.

Christina Sutton

We love St. Louis Zoo. I give 5 stars because the workers were so friendly out and about in the park. The Cafe for breakfast was terrible! Workers were standing around not working. The cashier we had was friendly but the other one was terrible. The manager I got a hold of after waiting for 30-40 minutes went to check on our order and they lost it. He did make sure to let me have a orange juice for my husband to use because he had low blood sugar.

Cody Grammer

This has always been my favorite zoo. Just outside of St. Louis. They have paid parking close to the entrance, but there is PLENTY of free parking in Forest Park and not much of an extended walk. The zoo itself is FREE! There are a few attractions to pay for, but they are not expensive and well worth it. My son loved getting to pet the stingrays and see the dinosaurs! The giraffes were his favorite. The snakes and butterflies were closed, this time, but they usually have most of the exhibits open. The turtles were especially active today. Lunch at the Lakeside cafe was delicious. The Primate Canopy Trails opened today and it was a blast! A great new addition to an already wonderful place.

Avijit Mukherjee

One of the best maintained zoos in USA. Let me share some tips here: 1. Book your visit online (Tickets are always FREE) a day or two before. Two slots are available - morning and afternoon. 2. If you can’t get parking outside which is very likely, try park inside the zoo parking near south gate by $15. 3. Get hop-n-hop rail tickets for $8, it is useful if you’ve a plan for an entire day. 4. Visit each and every enclosure if you want your kids to know more about the nature and wildlife. Each of them has one or more bulletin boards with detailed information including natural habitat, food, life expectancy, behavior and conservation status about the animal.

Al G.

One of nice places to visit in St. Louis. The zoo is clean and well cared. The insectarium with live butterflies is very informative and well organized. The highlight of the animals collection is the hippos! Those massive animals are much fun to watch enjoying the deep water swims.

Brandon Orlando

Very proud of our local zoo! Whether you want to get some dip n dots, take a casual stroll, enjoy photographic scenery, or just observe the animals, this is a great place to do it. Admission is free if you didn't know already.

Rachel P

This was one of the most incredible zoo experiences I had ever had. The animals all seemed so happy! We got to see some hilarious things like a gorilla relaxing 10000000% (pictured) and we got to see a gentoo up close! The zoo is SO clean and even though it is huge, it’s mapped out really well overall. Food and concessions are also not terribly overpriced either, which I found shocking since admission to the zoo is free. Parking was $15, but it was close to the entrance and very nicely maintained and under surveillance so it was well worth that! Trash cans and recycling were available. Water refill stations were available. We didn’t have to wait long in many lines at all even though it was pretty busy! The staff were also SO nice. The nicest staff I had experienced at a zoo honestly. It was visually such a beautiful place too and I would totally go back. 10/10!!!

Our Country Road

We purchased a zoo membership and had an awesome day with our cousins. For just $99, we become members of the St. Louis Zoo. As members, we enjoyed a day that included parking, riding the carousel, seeing the new dinosaur area, a sea lion show, and a ride on the train for 10 of us! We saved a lot of money while supporting a great cause. We also brought my father who uses a motorized wheelchair and the zoo was so accommodating of his needs. If you don't like crowds, a Saturday in October is not a recommended time to visit, but we had a great time inspite of the packed park.

Cadence Giddings

Amazing zoo! Free admission! The grounds are always very well kept and clean. The tickets for extras are decently priced. You can’t miss riding the train around the park. We usually get an arm band so we can ride it whenever. The animal exhibits are spacious and you can tell that great care goes into them. The seasonal events are very fun too. We always have a great time visiting and go several times a year.

Ellie -Nicole- Stief

We went 12-21 and a few of the animals were out!! It was a lot of fun. 4 stars only though because there was absolutely nowhere to buy drinks except for the entrance. 3.5 hours without any water bc the fountains were closed due to Corona. My friends got physically sick as a result.

Ryan Drabek

Amazingly free zoo... Well kinda, pay for parking and obvious treats and eats. A thoroughly enjoyable day with much to see, even later in the season. Would come back and recommend.

Corey Twardoski

Best zoo in the US and one of the best in the world. The St. Louis Zoo does an amazing amount of good for both the St. Louis community and the zoological conversation effort worldwide. It's amazing that still to this day, even with all of the economic greed, the STL Zoo remains free and open to all. A truly inspirational and unique place to visit.

Becky Burton

It was very interesting and fun, had a great time with my brother and his family, the 2 year old son had a blast!! I will be going back!

Contessa W4

First time at the st.louis zoo,it's Free to get in.... here from (Dallas Texas) WE like it so much I ended up getting a St.louis Zoo membership.. (The Dallas zoo is not FREE)

Jolene VanDonselaar

Fun and free! We did pay to park near the entrance but one wouldn't have to. Beautiful place!

John Foughty

The zoo is one of the best parts of St Louis! The kids love it, there are plenty of outdoor and indoor locations to visit. From the newer installations like being able to see the penguins and polar bears, to the classics like the reptile house and birdhouse, all the animals are so fun to see! The food throughout the park is decent and priced right for what you're getting. The 3D movie house, the train, and carousel are just the icing on the cake for a day out with the family.

Kanga Kangoga

Great zoo. I love that it's free to enter, but be warned that the food and drinks are where the prices get a little steep. The Stingray petting exhibit is also extra, but it's totally worth it, especially if you have little ones. Quite a few zoos around the U.S. have removed the stingray exhibits in the past, so it's rare to find one that is treating the animals respectfully and still providing a fun, interactive learning experience. Definitely a zoo worth visiting.

INDIANA JONES

What a great Free Zoo. I suggest you get the adventure wrist ban for 14.95 per person. Saves you alot of money in the long run going into different exhibits. Family had a blast. Get there early before the rush or wait until 2pm to come in. Check out my pictures. Enjoying an adventure every time you visit. Knowing a discovery will be made around each corner. You’re at the Saint Louis Zoo, a get-away destination that brings together more than 16,000* wild animals and 3,000,000 visitors each year. Voted America's top free attraction, the Zoo is located on 90 acres in beautiful Forest Park, and home to more than 600 species of animals, many of them rare and endangered. It is one of the few free zoos in the nation. Since its inception in 1910, the Zoo has been renowned for its beautiful naturalistic exhibits and for its diverse collection of animals from the major continents and biomes of the world. It is widely recognized for its animal management, wildlife conservation and research.

S Cam

One of the best attractions St. Louis has to offer and it's FREE,but becoming a member pays for itself the first visit.

Christian Gin

Can't go wrong with a free zoo. Plus it's easy to wander without being confusing.

Zachary Huggins

This zoo was the highlight of our trip to St. Louis the zoo was free and the gift shop prices were amazing and the profit for many of the items went towards conservation of animals.

Roy Sher

great zoo that is free to the public. tickets no longer required, but they do have different membership levels for rides on train and other events. we went early on in the morning and it was not too crowded, but some of the animals were not out and about yet from sleeping. a number of their indoor viewing areas were not open right now, but there were plenty of outdoor viewing areas that made it easy to see all the different animals still. it did get crowded a little later on with a few groups as the day went on parking does get a bit wild on holidays but there are some areas closer to the art museum you can park at train is a bit crowded at rivers end vs. other stops dinosaur area is closed now during winter

Anne Nelson

Amazing quality for a free zoo! Loved the brown bears and the penguins and the Dinoraurs! Riding the train and the carousel made me feel like a little kid again. The zoo was clean and felt new and looked gorgeous. Worth driving 2.5 hours.

Becky Loden

The St Louis Zoo is always so much fun!! My grandson loved the dinosaur area!!! 🦕 We celebrated his 4th Birthday with a trip to visit all our friends at the zoo. Definitely suggest buying the adventure pass. It's $14.95 per person over 2 years old.

Melissa Corral

My husband and I took an adults only trip over the weekend from Illinois to celebrate my birthday and we had a very good time at the St. Louis zoo. Compared to our go to Brookfield zoo near Chicago I would say this one is WAYY better. Not only is it free ($15 parking and reservations required) but the enclosures were so spacious, the landscape and design, waterfalls, exotic plants and variety of animals being well taken care of were superb. Compared to Brookfield zoo, the monkeys and gorillas are indoors at all times over there. Over here they have them indoor/outdoor so they get to see light and fresh air. The reptile and insect house is a must see. I also feel like you can view most or all of the animals so close. I witnessed a chimpanzee caring for its baby 😍, hippos near the glass, a huge anaconda, and monkeys in an outdoor/indoor cage system running and a baby jumping all over mom. It was amazing. I love animals. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience but I’m getting mom guilt about not bringing my kids so I’m definitely returning so they can enjoy it too. The Halloween decor placed throughout was really fun too.

Esther Kparyea

The car line was long and the middle lane was closed and the parking lot needs more structure because it is so small. The zoo is free. It cost 15.00 to park and the attractions cost, but I felt everything was reasonably priced. Some of the areas don't make sense and it's quite small, but we enjoyed the dinosaur and insect exhibits.

Mike Radabaugh

Zoo is GREAT and free. 140 year Historical Rainfall while we were in Saint Louis. The Zoo is Fire.

Karoly Halvachs

The new monkey exhibit is pretty amazing. And this zoo has always been pretty phenomenal. Also if you need to rent a motarized scooter for a disabled/elderly person they make sure to do a short course on how it operates for maximum safety and ability to utilize it.

Stephanie Murrell

To me the zoo didn't feel like a zoo. It kinda just felt like a part of Forest Park. The animals look happy and well cared for and the conservation efforts not only locally but across the world is mentioned a lot....it was quite educational and left learning some new things. My favorite was the butterfly house and the penguin exhibits. Entry was free...but with covid you have to set up a reservation online. I've never been to a free zoo honestly. The food in the zoo is actually tasty...there are many stands where you can get ice cream and dipping dots. The is this stand called pineapple paradise where you fresh smoothie is served inside the pineapple. The cored pineapple slices are included with your smoothie to eat.

Paul Hieser

One of our nation's best zoo! I've been to several across the US and I loved it. So much to see and do. The habitats are large and well maintained. The sea lion show is a must see. They also had dinosaur animatronics during our visit.

gcap06

Great value(considering its free.) Get the refillable cups, well worth it. I spent 15$ on drinks for myself over 5 hours with is a steal for a touristy attraction. All the attractions of a bigger pay for entrance zoo, but for free.

Brandon Hentze

A gem in the heart of the city... And the United States! The St Louis Zoo is a world class facility, and it's entirely free! Arrived early and beat the crowds! For the first hour, the paid admission for the extras is waived! If it's a perfect day, plan on lots of traffic. A tip though... Enter from lindell boulevard, and then park at the visitor center and walk up to the zoo or take the Forest Park trolley.

Valerie Berry

My all time favorite zoo! I have been 3 times, can't wait to go again!

Jessica Basham

A really great zoo. I would return visit. We didn't see everything in 1 visit. The $15 pass is worth it!

Kathryn Futch

Free family fun. So much to see we had a wonderful day with our granddaughters. We did seal show an fed sting rays! Now 3 thrilled exhausted young ladies sleeping on way home

Theo P

One of the best zoos I have ever been to. Admission is free but you need a free reservation to get in.

The kemetic Cc

The st. Louis zoo has a very wide variety of animals, and fun activities to do, the snakes were wonderful as always, the stingrays were majestic and beautiful. I love how they just glide and fly in the water. The monkeys were great as usual doing their own thing and hanging out. Got to see birds, lions, tigers, and leopards. I could go on and on about the beauty of the st. Louis zoo, but I won't. Go out there and experience the beauty of the STL Zoo. It's worth every penny.

A&J Phillips

I’m giving 4 stars instead of 5 only due to when we went this year the red panda was not out in its exhibit and it’s my favorite one to check out. The penguin exhibit is the coolest! You get real up close and personal with the cool little fellas! The animals are taken care of and there is plenty to see compared to some others I have visited. The best part: ITS FREE! You should make a free reservation for you and your party before you go though. It’s a beautiful stroll and my family had a great time!

Fangykins

We LOVE St.Louis Zoo!!! It's a bit of a journey from home, but totally worth it! We go at least once a year.

Lisa Carpenter

Really good zoo. You can use the train to get to the opposite side of the zoo so you can see more in the time you have without wearing out. During COVID-19 you do have to reserve beforehand.

Haley Winderlich

Loved it!! The penguin exhibit was awesome and it was a shared experience. The glass stopped at your mid torso and the rest was shared space.

Paul Robinson

Wonderful zoo didn't get a chance to see it all. The trains make it convenient to hop around the park.

morgan teslow

The zoo is really nice. It's mostly clean. I say mostly cuz I saw a lot of people discarding their trash just wherever which isn't cool. The animals were amazing to see. If you don't do well in heat or hotter temperature deffinition go when the whether is chillier as you'll have a hard time otherwise. The staff were pretty nice.

Dana Wert

Love the Zoo, seeing all the beautiful animals. The staff are always wonderful and very helpful.

Dustin Landert

Grate place to go and have a fun filled day I would recommend getting the guardian membership even if your just going once it is definitely worth the money

Morgan Elise

Love this zoo! The only thing I don't like is the lack of signs and directions. It got very confusing and frustrating trying to navigate where we were going.

Ericka Nash

Parking took forever since we went on memorial day but had a great time with the fam. The snake was pretty active in the photo and I had a pineapple drink that was really good.

Brandon Simmons

Visiting from MI, this was near the top of our list. It’s great that admission is free, but parking is $10, and there’s lots that is extra. The train, sting rays, dinosaurs, and sea lion show are all extra. It’s huge and so easy to lose where you are on the map, and we’re frequent road trippers. The grounds and exhibits are clean, detailed, fancy, and enjoyable. If you have a few hours, the kids are being good, and you brought some money, you’ll have a great time!

Hoferin Omala

We had a wonderful time at the Zoo. So many new things to see. The Dinosaures 🦕 exhibit was cool 😎 …

Paris Henry

First! I love that the Zoo is free entry! Parking is not expensive & worth it when it’s for all day! The exhibits were a little disappointing when half of the animals weren’t available for viewing like the cheetah, grizzly bear, etc. the elephants are my favorite! The whole zoo was clean and easily to navigate with the map & with the directional signage.

Scottie Smith

It was cold with flurries and sleet when I visited, but I still enjoyed the St. Louis Zoo. Getting to see the Polar Bear swim was a treat. The Hippos had it made with their heated pool.

Kylie Homan

Spent hours here and still didn't see everything! It's one of my favorite places I've ever been and I can't wait to go back and neither can my kids ❤️

Gene Posik

It’s a Zoo..It’s awesome! Lol It had the best Snake area I’ve ever seen!! Even had an Anaconda!! AMAZING TIME!! And you really can’t beat FREE!!

John K

October 28, 2022, first time visiting since 2005. The zoo keeps getting better. It was a mild afternoon so many animals were out. We saw a keeper feed the sea lions. That’s fun to watch. You’re up close with the penguins and puffins. We caught a keeper feeding the gorillas and chimpanzees. They have adoring personalities. I liked the space they live in. We went to big cat country which is awesome. Went to the giraffe enclosure and they were making a beeline to go inside. It was probably feeding time for them. I like the huge jungle gym they built for children to play on. We were there 2.5 hours and we needed another 2.5 hours to see everything. Great job STL Zoo!

Lynn Sanders

It was a beautiful zoo..my only complaint would be..the viewing areas for some of the animals are a bit small...but otherwise its a gorgeous zoo...its nice that its free too..

andrew moulden

Wow! I would have loved it better if all of the animals were out but, it was about 100 degrees that day. I am assuming this is why about 1/4 of the animals were not out? Great place though. We all loved it! Cute train and carousel.

S Stagner

We had a great day at the zoo! It is free general admission, but it costs extra for everything! I suggest getting the All Day Adventure Pass to pet the stingrays, ride carousel, see the sea lion show, and be able to ride the train all day! I will also take some snacks and frozen bottles of water to save money.

Dana Lampley

My family and I visited the zoo to see the Christmas lights. The boys (ages 2 and 5) really loved it. They did not want to leave. The lights were beautiful, and there were many opportunities to stop and take pictures in front of the various light displays. We went on December 1st in hopes of avoiding a large crowd, and we succeeded. There were people there, but it wasn't too many people to distract from the lights and ruin the experience. Parking and the Carousel were free.

Annie Jones

Absolutely loved the zoo. It is an incredible place to visit, parking is relatively priced and tickets to zoo are free! Souvenirs are a great way to give back, so we bought a few items. Thanks for the memories!

Linda P. Seal

Haven't been to the zoo in years . . First time to Wild Lights . . Loved it!

Cyndi Stuekey

Always love this place! Free, but takes donations. One of the best zoos in the country too! Worth it to take a day at the zoo if you can. Right now they have reservations that they want you to place due to covid.

Ashley Gutowski

Zoo is free. Well worth the visit and wouldn't mind going back. Lots of animals to see. Felt a lot of animals were put and active. Animals look to be in good condition and well tooken care off. Parking lots were full and zoo did not feel super crowded. Seemed to feel close to the animals.

Linda Stein

So much fun and animals to see. Food n drinks pricey. Cool Halloween decor going up everywhere. Great family day for all ages

Jen Smith

This zoo is the most beautiful zoo I have ever been to! The scenery is just breathtaking. The kids really enjoyed the penguin exhibit. They were so fun to watch!! It was nice and cool in there too, on a hot summer day.

mommys grimlin

I love the zoo! Parking is around $15 but to enter the zoo it's free! They have made some really awesome changes and I recommend taking a whole day to walk around! Masks are required to enter the zoo (but not once your inside) and if you go inside of any of the exhibits, stores or cafés. The zoo is also fully NON smoking now!

Tyler Bartholomew

Amazing free zoo, I took my kids here and they absolutely loved it! Very easy to navigate and tons of cool stuff to see and do. They loved the monkey area with the climbing thing and the tubes!!

Scarlett Zim

I've been going here for years since I was a kid, every few years something new seems to be added which always makes my family, and I want to go! All of the animals are amazing. This is a fun, and safe trip for kids, or anyone practically. The food is always good, but you can't go wrong with the Prarie Fatms ice cream stand, with the real ice cream. It is a great learning experience for anyone, also to anyone wondering, the Starbucks is amazing.

Leah Burns

We drove in from Indianapolis to spend the day at the zoo and go to the penguin encounter. The penguins were great. We got a close view of them and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. My only issue is that half of the exhibits were closed. I highly recommend listing on the website or at the entrance of the zoo which exhibits are closed for the day. Also, most of the eating places were closed or out of food. However, the animals we did see were amazing and we got a great view. And the food we did get was delicious too. The park area of the zoo was absolutely gorgeous. I hope to come again and for everything to be open, but I will definitely call to find out what exhibits are closed.

Monica Shanks

This zoo is so awesome! Well laid out and spacious. Make sure to pet the stingrays

Eric Willson

Really great variety of animals at this Zoo that I had never seen before, and it was free.

Sharonda Davenport

I absolutely love this zoo! The train is very inexpensive and takes you all around the park. The exhibits were well kept and very well explained. Friendly and welcoming staff. They even have boozy drinks served inside of pineapples, which was a shock to me! And I love that it's mostly free aside from the specialty exhibits like the stingray show. A great and inexpensive place to spend the day with family and friends.

J Reighard

STL Zoo provides fun & informative exhibits for all age ranges. Was a great family experience!!

All Over The Place

It was fun a little pricey on food and drinks in places but really fun lots to do is if you pay to do each one unless u have the pass I think but loves it way less busy in the afternoon

Cheyènna

The staff members were nice and the animals were all playful and looked to be happy and well taken care of as were their enclosures and homes. The zoo was clean as well, which is a plus! We had to make a reservation ahead of time due to COVID and this was well prepared and taken care of upon entry. We had a great time and will return. (We were sad that the polar bear wasn’t there today!)

Stedman We

Depressing but that's just all zoos. Overall the best [zoo] I've been to. Very cool train. Good service

Ducky 2513

Good day trip! Parking is 15 dollars but the zoo is free. There are some extras that you have to pay for.

Just Me

Its free to visit and one of the better zoos I have been to. Lots to do in the area. Zootoberfest was great.

Stephen Jackson

Huge, just huge. Parking was free as it was a weekday and the streets were clear. Fun was had by the kids on the miniature locomotive though my backside didn't love it. We spent hours just in one quarter of the zoo and still ended up walking forever to get to our exit. Plenty of value to be found in the band or season pass for all the attractions.

Jess Colopy

Best zoo I’ve ever been to. The staff was all so friendly and helpful, and many of them approached me themselves to give me extra info since I was a solo traveler among a sea of families. I really appreciated their kindness & how well cared for the animals were. It’s free, and the extra exhibits are super cheap (less than $5 each). There are tons of gift shops (not too expensive either) and various delicious snack stands themed after different fruits and foods. They even have dole whip! I had an amazing experience meeting animals close up and far away. I thought St Louis would be a one and done travel destination for me, but I think I’ll find myself back just for this zoo one day.

Thomas Hicks

One of the best zoos the best part is it is free to enter. Only reason that giving a 4 star review is because of several of the staff where rude at some of the restaurants

Christina Nguyen

Staff were very prepared for the crowd and handled it well. A lot of the animal exhibits were not open. Maybe because of it still being early Spring. We had a good time. Only thing we wasn't happy with is drinks. We paid $13 believing we had refills on the large cup size. So I wouldn't advise buying the zoo tumbler. Other than that great day!

Nicholas Drake

Bummed the snake exhibit closed at noon (with no warning at the entrance) and that we didn't get to see the polar bear. Otherwise, great experience!

Amanda

Such a beautiful place. We're so lucky to have this in our city. So much to do and see for free although we get the family membership which includes almost all of the additional activities and attractions. The perks are great too. Staff is usually friendly and helpful. I do wish there were more water filling stations, especially when it gets so hot. Also, the bathrooms are decently clean but there are a few really gross ones. This is such a great place to bring out of town visitors. The food is really good too. I like the chicken quesadilla at the lakeside food court. Spend all day or just a few hours! Highly recommend this gem.

shawn smith

Always a great family trip. Can't beat a free zoo with that many animals. Road the train around the zoo for the 1st time it was awesome. Even got to see a few animals that you can't see any other way. Petting the stingrays was great too (my daughters favorite thing there). Very clean and safe zoo.

Sebastian Roe

The zoo was clean, well maintained, and had a great variety of exhibits. We found it a bit difficult to navigate, as the posted maps seem to point in the wrong directions for various exhibits. Given it was a hot day, many of the animals were in hiding, so we didn't get to seel many of the animals. It was a good way to spend a few hours, and entry was free, so I can't complain much.

Reece Palmer

Well first...it's free. It was crazy hot out so the cold weather animals weren't out. All in all great experience.

Jason H.

Always a good time at the zoo. Can't recommend enough to get there when they open to catch the animals when they're more active.

Troy Davidhizer

Really fun zoo. Very well maintained and exhibits are well thought out so you can see the animals. Glad we saw the dinosaur exhibit while it's here.

Mitch

Fantastic zoo. The foliage is top notch. The train is convenient and fun to ride although is pretty stinky in the tunnels. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area. We weren't able to see it all in one day so we'll be back next time we are in St. Louis.

Dan Wortmann

I can see why this is a top rated zoo in the country. Its not only free but offers a variety of attractions and animals. We opted in for the adventure pass and hit all of the attractions throughout the day. They also had the temporary dinosaur exhibit going on and both our boys loved it. The first time we ended up coming on a Tuesday morning and quite a few animals were off display so we had to return another day. But hey its free!

B Ruce

1st visit. We really enjoyed ourselves. Such a beautiful place and almost all of the animals were out. I wasn't WOWED though! Honestly feel like the Kansas City Zoo is better.

Max Power 16

The zoo is free and has great attractions. What more could you want?

Justin Baughman

We had a great time at this zoo! It was huge, lots of animals. We got a much better look at some animals than we have before at our zoo at home. We got to see a polar bear who was super active. The zoo at home hasn't had a polar bear since we were children so our daughter has never seen one. She loved it and got a polar bear stuffed animal afterwards. The penguin exhibit was amazing! So many kinds of penguins and they were so close! Penguins are my wife's favorite so she loved it! We saw many different animals! My daughter was so excited for the hippo exhibit she spent 30 minutes screaming in excitement Everytime they swam by! The reptile house was awesome too! The buildings were really cool and very kid friendly. Our daughter loved the carousel as well. We had a great time!

RJavier_StL

Family friendly....one of the best zoo's I've been to. Yes, it's free but be prepared for the $15 parking, high everything else prices. Saw a boa eating a bunny....which honestly was kinda cool. Highly recommend.

Nirmala manisekar

Nice zoo, well maintained. Would recommend to get daily pass to enjoy the major attractionsin the zoo. The pass is very helpful and you can take multiple zoo train rides. We enjoyed dinosaur park so much, lot of zebras, and have not seen jaguar anywhere recently. Lot of flowers around, lot of food options. Plan to reach there early so you can enjoy the entire day !

Sunny

Not first time I have been here. But first time having to register for tickets in advance [theyre free] not sure when this started but Definitely in last 2 years. Now they have to times to register 9am and 12pm but guests can stay until close. I am unsure how strict they are on arrival time with those 2 times. I chose 9am and arrived around 930 no issue. Ive been to this zoo maybe 4-5x in 20 years. Definitely takes 3-5 hours with walking to see every area [they need Segways] Now they have volunteers at different spots. The red vests are the ones with real knowledge on animals. I realized I have missed the monkey house the previous trips so I asked an employee where it was because the sign and map were not helpful. It's up a hill next to reptile house with an outside play area for kids. I did not eat any food while I was there. I went to the Boat House nearby that was a good spot to eat! Zoo does seem to allow people to bring their own snacks as I saw many children with their own.

Scot Sample

We went to the zoo for a few hours as we were driving through the area to get to our destination. The zoo is way better than the zoos in my area and it was free! We got there right as they were opening on a weekday and was able to get some free parking. So many cool animals to see. If you like zoos than this will quickly become your favorite one!

Duo Rose

One of our favorite zoos! Amazing diversity and enclosures. The monkey and lemur center is so well designed. Watching them climb and swing overhead is a sight to see! The penguins are also super close. Took our family multiple times.

Eli Robinson

Great zoo. Free! Just need to pay for parking ($15 for day). Nice selection of animals although bunch of monkeys were not on display or maybe they had to get rid of? Last week we saw ton of reptiles, birds, penguins, giraffes, polar bear to name a few. And for parents... 10min away from zoo is the Free science center which my kids love as well. When we can't afford a real vacation through the years we take kids to St Louis (we live about hr and half away) get a deal on hotel with a pool, go to zoo one day and science center the other.

Robbie Asbridge

Going to the zoo is always fun but they had alot of closed displays. Hope the animals are ok.

Rachel Iverson

Probably the best zoo I’ve visited! We were not expecting it to be so gorgeous. All the animals seemed extremely well cared for and they had tons and tons of space/enrichment opportunities. The zoo is also an animal breeding center and does a ton of conservation projects. The staff was extremely friendly and the gift shops weren’t overpriced. Parking was $15. The penguin/puffin exhibit was the best experience I’ve had at a zoo. That alone was worth the cost of parking. You could easily spend 6 hours here. The gardens were lush and manicured. Honestly so much thought went into every aspect of this place, I plan on coming back for a weekend to spend more time here and I live 12 hours away.

JS Bani

It was a great first trip to the zoo. Bring your walking shoes, my feet were beat! My kiddo loved it very much, especially the dinosaur exhibit. Very worth the trip.

CJ

We drive from Springfield at LEAST once a year for the purpose of visiting this zoo. It's amazing and we'll worth the drive. Also, spend the extra $4 to pet the stingrays, 110% worth it!

Briana S

Me and my husband had our reception in the River's Edge location and it was a dream come true! It was the most phenomenal experience from planning till the actual day. We worked with professional, kind, and ultimately outstanding individuals who made our day perfect. They start helping you plan early and are open to any and all questions. They knew more than I did when it came to all the things we had to consider for the reception and were open to ideas we had (like serving champagne with edible glitter). We went with the barbecue package for the meal and that was delicious as well! I have no complaints at all. On the day of, the kitchen staff, the facilitators, and the audio & visual specialists were beyond helpful and considerate. I truly thank each and every person there for helping us have a great reception. We already want to plan another event here because it was such a great experience.

phillip brown

The st. Louis zoo is a must. We go every year. The entire family loves seeing all the different animals.

M Rolling

The St Louis Zoo is beautiful. Lots of hills. I recommend bringing in snacks and water and allow for plenty of time to be able to see all the animals.

Celeste Devall

The fact that it's FREE to visit this Zoo is incredible! The staff is very knowledgeable and polite. There are so many things to see here that it takes hours to see everything. There are a lot of different varieties of food and drinks. They decorate according to the season. It was very clean. There are a lot of things for children of all ages. I was in town for a week and went to the Zoo twice. I had a great time TWICE! I would definitely recommend going.

Samantha Chapman

The most incredible zoo I have ever been too. We went on a Friday morning and it was not at all busy. It has free admission along with free parking. The zoo is in Forest Park and is enormous in size. The staff are friendly & knowledgeable and the zoo is kept clean. There are many different species of animals inside the zoo and the exhibits are incredible. My favorite part was the penguins, you are able to get within a few feet of them while they are just happily swimming and doing their thing! They also have other amenities such as the Emerson Zooline Railroad, 4D theater, and a carousel. If you ever stop in St. Louis, I definitely recommend. This was an amazing experience!

Tyler Womack

Went on friday it wasn't too crowded just walking through. Its to bad the dino exhibit was closed.

Lisa Lee

Best zoo in the U.S. and Free! Give it 2 days, buy the adventure pass which covers the train, 4d movie, Dinoroarus, etc. park on the street so you don't pay for parking. Then enjoy!

Victoria Whitebread

The zoo is really nice but smaller than I was expecting. I am truly blown away with the level of landscaping and design that goes into the exhibits and visitor areas. And you really can't beat free! We got through it faster than anticipated though. I guess I'm used to the Kansas City zoo closer to where I live, so I probably shouldn't compare. At the end of the day, a beautiful zoo in a nice location. Reminds me of a smaller version of Central Park.

Bobby Miller

This was a really fun zoo! The grounds are very big and they have a great variety of animals and the enclosures all look to be very well maintained and comfortable for the needs of each animal. My wife loved the butterfly habitat, and I enjoyed that there were multiple indoor enclosures to take breaks from the heat. Lots of exhibits and interesting animals for people of all ages to enjoy - and it was free, which was great sonwe could break up our visits between two days and not get burned out.

Denise Hignite

Really nice zoo, couldn't believe it was free entry.

Lauren

Always a great experience. Since my son was born we have bought the family membership, the free parking pays for it in the end. Otherwise the zoo is free for others. The zoo is big enough to spend an entire day at or just a couple hours. I highly recommend it if you live here or are just visiting.

Kimberlin Rothwell

We love the St. Louis Zoo. Its one of the main reasons we come back to visit every year.

nikki Edwards

Beautiful, lush zoo with lots of opportunities to see animals up close.

Katrina Rush

There are plenty of places to get drinks and snacks throughout the zoo. It was very hot when we went. I very much appreciated having access to free water fountains and bottle filling stations. There's so many animals. We got to see a hippo push it's nose right up against the glass in front of us. The grizzly bear was surprisingly active too. There's a carousel and train ride. There were some weird bee looking things everywhere. They weren't aggressive. You could literally snack them away and they would come right back for your ice cream. That was very annoying, but not that big a deal.

The Pierce Pack

Beautiful zoo! Very large. Very fun to see all the animals. Be prepared to walk a lot. Two days would be best!

Ryan Cummings

This zoo is incredible! The layout is awesome, love the paths through the trees. Lots to see and do here, tons of animals and interactive stuff for kids to do. And all you pay for is parking, that is crazy. We have been to bigger zoos with entry fees that couldn't compare to this zoo. Definitely a must visit place when you are in the st Louis area!!

Christina Luthy

I have traveled around the world and this zoo is by far the best one EVER! The staff is friendly and the animals are happy.

Nerd Philosopher

For starters, lovely zoo. The animals are wonderful, and the conservation efforts are fascinating. I remember speaking with Jordan who was really helpful and made the experience better. That's the zoo itself, I however don't recommend staying overnight as they don't allow tents and staying indoors sleeping on the hard floor was not pleasurable.

Terrie Franklin

Beautiful zoo with lots of animals and lucky for us a lot of the animals were out. Took a long time to just get in the parking lot, like 20 to 25 minutes.

My Vo

I enjoyed seeing all the adorable animals and especially the cool penguin exhibit. The zoo was very large so it was a little hard to follow the map. We still made it out and enjoyed it nonetheless!

Barry Bayles

The lights were amazing. The price for tickets was well worth it. And the evening was very nice. The penguins were the best. 1-4-23...something I thought about after our visit to Wild Lights. I was so impressed with the massive light display, I commented to my daughter that it would be fascinating to see the 'set up' of the lights in a time lapse display. I'm sure that could be a lot of work, but I think it would be a HUGE marketing hit for next year's lights. I'd love to watch 'stages' of the lights going up prior to seeing the finished product. Just a thought. Again, great display.

Jason Kincaid

This is such a good zoo especially considering it's free to get in. They keep on making it better too. The new monkey exhibit is so well done.

Joey R.

This zoo is huge, spent several hours here and covered most of it with a child in a stroller, but without the stroller we couldn't have done even half of it. We were just killing time so went with no plan and no map, next time I will plan better. All of the animals look well cared for and the exhibits look well thought out and big, we liked the bird house the best, with the climbing space by the monkeys in a close second. Best of all FREE!

Tz Y

This is a great zoo. Come for the animals or the fun, there's lots to see and do. The animals are out today and they keep the zoo very clean. There's plenty of parking but reserve in advance.

Marina Zhuravleva

Quite nice zoo, not really big, but an interesting collection. Could see hippo in the water really close, kids were super excited. Didn't see any zoo keepers showing or explaining anything to kids, may be we missed it. Zoo Train is fun, face painting was a hit!

Omz B

It's free and has something for all ages (our group ranged from 3 to 73). I strongly recommend the all-access wristband. It's very durable (still on my wrist after 2 nights), and the experiences are totally worth 15 dollars. I saw the excellent sea lion show, rode the carousel with some family (twice!), fed sting rays, rode the train, and saw my first 4D movie. And we left plenty on the table! The sheer variety of animals, the Zoo's layout--breathtaking. I even got to see my favorite animal, the polar bear. That was worth the entire trip to St. Louis, honestly. To finally meet one of the few natural predators of human beings was humbling stuff. Go with your family and have a great time. Come early if you can't handle a 5-10 minute walk for free parking, you ninny.

Nick Fletcher

One of the best zoos in the country. I come here about twice a month with my daughter. Most of the employees and volunteers are super friendly and helpful. The seniors working the train stations and carousel have bad attitudes though. The carousel people yelled at my mother, my toddler, and me for trying to buy tickets when the zoo was closed. They were still running the ride for a special event that day and we didn't hear the announcement that the zoo was closing. No need to make a 2 year old cry from your tone of voice when you could just politely say "sorry the zoo closed a little while ago. This is a private event." The train station lady got real condescending about 2 years old is NOT under 2 years old. She knew this because "she was a math teacher." Gertrude, I told you how old she was. I didn't ask for anything, especially a lecture. Most of the time they don't charge for my daughter but some do. I just say she's 2 and let the worker decide. I'm happy to pay the price but I don't need a "math lesson" in the process.

Todd Irvine

Very big and good collections. Could not believe a free zoo was this good.

Angela Chandler

Really nice, very clean! The animals seem well taken care of, although the penguin exhibit is VERY stinky, but then again birds in general are stinky animals and hard to keep up with haha. The staff are nice as well and helpful!

Cynthia Craig

Very nice, but parking lot needs to be realigned a little tight someone knicked my car...my advice park and walk.

BadASS Chass

Always fun at the zoo and free for all and great activities for all

Brandy Galloway

This is a MUST SEE experience for your family. The zoo is HUGE so give yourself plenty of time. Entrance is FREE, parking is $15. I highly recommend the adventure pass for $15 which gets you access to activities like train rides and shows and special exhibits. If you pay out of pocket for activities you're going to be well over the cost of a pass. It's worth it. The butterfly experience was down today and no polar bears, lions or tigers but still an incredible experience! Oh, the Cafe is phenomenal. Great food and very affordable.

Kierstin Danyail

St. Louis Zoo was incredible! Lots of cool plants and animals for everyone to see and enjoy! They had this wonderful little bakery that sold fudge and chocolate! They also had some ice cream, popcorn, and pineapple drink stands (could add spirts for the adults). I think my favorite exhibits were the penguins and the stingrays. We had a blast with the whole family!

Queen S

Such a beautiful zoo with amazing sights ands exhibits! A must see.

Rod Uding

Great day for being at the Zoo. Lots of activity by most of the animals because of the cooler weather. Parking is always a issue in Forest Park. But it is something we are used to.

Shell Bell

This zoo is 1 of my favorite places to go especially with the kids!! The walkways are mostly shaded so even going the end of July like we just did, yes it was in the 90's but it was bearable with the shaded paths and the layout is just fabulous 2-3 different angles of viewing on each exhibit . And the train ride is always a big hit .. u pay 1 fee and can ride it as many times as u like with 4-5 different stopping stations Can't say enough good things about this place!!!!

Rachel Aristeo

We had a blast. We both enjoyed petting the stingrays most. My husband enjoyed the elephants, and the grizzly bears. The butterfly room was neat. My favorite part was this crazy little bird in a cage all alone who dives close to you. We didn’t see anything in the cage and then this bird dove at my husband. I felt the air of the bird’s wings on my face when he circled around. He flew at another family. We laughed for an hour about that funny bird. I wish I could see him again tomorrow. I’ll never forget that. We also saw a cute baby monkey playing with his mom. It was so precious. Staff were all friendly and it was a beautiful day

J D Kelley

Great fun! Animals are amazing. Concessions limited (post Labor Day.) We were old folks on carts fascinating children and scaring adults.

Debi Anderson

Pack up the family or come alone, the Zoo offers fun, educational, and interactive experiences, holiday decor, train rides (or walk) you will need more than I visit to see all there is to see from apes to zebras and everything in between. Enjoy the various food, souvenir shops, kids petting and rides, special shows, and more. All ages from 1 - 99 and beyond can visit and enjoy. I recommend highly you plan to visit often!!!

Explorer MF

Amazing zoo, probably the best in the country based just on the fact it's the only zoo with free entry. Very well done exhibits that make you feel out in nature, very educational, great for kids, and put you close to the animals. Plus they do awesome, fun events throughout the year, they have incredible spaces you can rent for private events, not to mention all the great things they do for conservation all over the world.

Julie Creech

Only thing that would make this place better on scorching days is random misters. Definitely worth $15 for the extra attractions. (Train rides, carousel, 4D movie, stingray pool, sea lion show and dinosaur park)

Sarah R Edwards

We've had the greatest family outing in years at the zoo

Robert P.

Honestly, I just like walking through the zoo in St. Louis when I visit friends or family. We often like to go to the museums and parks while we catch up, and remanence. It's a real good time. Forest Park has good courts for sport, too. They have really fascinating, exotic animals at this zoo. The information provided at the exhibits is extensive, and I always seem to leave feeling better educated, and entertained as well. You can bring food and drinks into the zoo. It's my favorite place for a picnic! I often bring alcoholic beverages into the zoo, and nobody gives me any lip about it! Anyone can fit in at the zoo. Personally, my favorite exhibit is the flamingo, because they're gorgeous to look at. Very graceful.

Sarah

I love this zoo! It’s free, there are a great variety of species, and the animals have clean enclosures. Usually when I visit zoos, the animals are pretty far away, but at this zoo I got to see many animals up close. My favorite part is the monkey area because you can walk on bridges near the trees and see different monkeys interacting with each other. All restrooms were clean, but the common area was a little dirty with food on the tables and ground. Parking is hectic and busy, so we parked near Forest Park and walked to the gate. Overall, I had a great experience and it is a MUST to visit this zoo!

Paula S

Wow. Wow wow wow. The kids loved it. Even the preteen who didn't want to go. The gardens are beautiful, the habitats are clean. The staff was friendly. A great fun (and free) family activity. Pay the extra and get an all day train pass. You won't regret it.

Justin Johnson

Loved the zoo, it was well laid out and there were so many different animals. The food options were limited but apparently they have had staying difficulties do no surprise, unfortunately.

Lindsey Noall

We love the zoo! Much cooler day today and a lot of the animals were out. The hippos and elephants are always our favorite

Luke Neumann

This zoo has everything and it’s free, for the most part. Very nicely kept and a ton of animals you can see up close.

Koren Tarwater

Amazing zoo and such a fun trip. The buildings here are amazing and they put a lot of effort into making this place beautiful

Chris Bloomfield

Amazing it's a free zoo. We have been to lots of zoos all over America that cost a small fortune and this zoo was just as good, if not better! They will charge for all kinds of extras, but you don't have to spend a dime if you don't want to. We parked for free in the park and walked in. Spent almost all day and we didn't even see everything. Update. Visit number two. Still a good zoo considering it's free. They have lots of empty exhibits, like half the primates were gone, no apes and no monkeys! The cats were all no shows, not sure if they were inside for the day or what. They started charging for the sea lion show, which is new. Some of the staff was friendly and told about the animals they were near, some just stood there silently. Still a good free zoo, just not as good as it used to be.

Gabrielle Standley

The ticket scanning staff member at the entrance was rude. (But I might be cranky too if I had to sit in 100° weather with a mask on outside all day) Loved this zoo though!

Cory Menke

We love the St.Louis Zoo. I think it is the best Zoo in the USA!! We had a blast even though we did not see all the exhibits. Looking forward to visiting again.

amy gans

Everyone loves the zoo! We have a season pass and I lost it not to long after arriving. So spent a minute looking for that. Due to covid had to schedule a time. We went first thing in morning to beat the heat and hopefully see the animals come out first thing. We didn’t really see many animals out. Keepers were cleaning the yards. Got to see a few big cats that was cool. A bear was making the kids super excited to watch. The dinosaur exhibit was over rated for me, but my kids loved it and that all the matters. The food is good- Looking forward to the new monkey exhibit. It looks like it’s going to be really neat. I feel like you can’t really get everything in on one day. You can if you stay all day long. But our family can’t. So we will be back of course.

CASSANDRA CHAPMAN

Best Penguin and Puffin exhibit! AND THE MONKEYS!!! This zoo is free! Just pay for parking....

Sarah Hernandez

The new monkey treetop exhibit is so cool! Have always loved this zoo and it's certainly one of, if not THE, best free zoo in the country.

Patricia Sloan

Jungle Boogie concert series. Super fun listening to Vote for Pedro. They are a great party band!

Hilary Hex

This zoo was lovely, though free to enter we paid the 14.95 for activities which was well worth it. The train was slow and silly but fun, and the stingrays were incredible. Some of the enclosures seemed a little small for the creatures, but most were very well sized and many had opportunities for privacy if they wanted out of the public eye. The hippos and elephants were exceptional.

Krista Leyhue

I despise not being able to apply 5 stars here.. Oddly enough the gift shops here didn't allow cash payments, but u could pay cash for the Zoo atraction passes, food, ice cream, sodas, and beer, u cld even pay cash for sum1 2 paint ur face, or draw a cartoon version of u🤔 if uve never been make sure u take advantage of the 14.95 passes its worth it... its fairly easy to get turned around here as well... bathrooms r Conveniently located in several places, as are bench seats... there's a mini hospital like emergency building inside as well.. very clean for the most part, the eating area in front of the flamingos was excessively messy, both the seating area and the garbage cans needed attention... The animals were amazing.. many different kinds from all over... we saw animals we didn't even know existed... the looked happy and healthy for the most part.. the zebras really need a much bigger area to be able to run around in... my fiancée and I did have a wonderful time.. b prepared to spend 3 to 4 hours here to experience the whole place without feeling like ur rushing thru... very great place for adults and kids that don't mind allloottttt of walking... if u are using the adventure pass make sure ur mindful of the times.. time seems to fly by while ur here... wheelchair accessible pretty much everywhere I noticed... there's a 28$(I think is what it said) refundable deposit for a power chair rental...

H Goodwin

Haven't been to the zoo in a few years! We got there a lil late in the day but we had a great day!

Isabela Ramos

Super fun, My son loved it .. great fun and huge zoo, couldn't see it all, excited to come back

Erez Haluf

We LOVE the zoo! Even on a cold day, it will still be an educational experience for us!

cory edinger

Good sized Zoo, a lot of walking but they do have some carts for the littles. Penguin exhibit and the Puffins was awesome - and Air conditioned. Monkeys were really active - with a baby. Feeding time for the seals was also the kids favorite. Great time with Free entry is Definitely worth the $15 parking.

Marci Rinehart

Love this zoo! Weather is a little colder, so some animals weren't out. The zoo has beautiful landscaping and there isn't a bunch of walking between the exhibits. Will definitely come back in warmer weather.

Stephanie Weeks

Always a blast. Last time I went nearly every exhibit was open. Everything is well maintained and the animals are seemingly happy.

Philip Dennis

The STL Zoo is a convenient way to spend an afternoon, and the surrounding park provides some extra life to this public city zoo. General admission is free with an extra cost added to include all exhibits. The Zoo's animal conservation efforts are commendable but be aware the animal enclosures are depressingly small. Still most kids will enjoy and likely can walk through the whole Zoo by themselves.

Cassaap

Went to the St. Louis zoo for a few hours and would have loved to spend more time there! We had a 9 month old, so we couldn't stay for very long. We focused on the sea lions, bears, penguins, and then whatever we could see in between. The exhibits are amazing, you can get so close. It was great for little kid eyes. It is a free zoo, still amazed by that! So you can just walk in, but parking is $15. Recommend the carousel, it was $3 for a ride and worth it. We paid for one ticket, which was an adult and then baby was able to go free. I would not recommend the train if you are just wanting a fun little train ride. It's small, so kind of hard to maneuver in and out. We thought it was going to be more scenic and fun, but it's really just a way to get you from one side of the zoo to the other. It has 4 stops and would be good if you want to get off at other locations. We had a stroller so we needed to get on and off at the same spot where we left the stroller. At least half of the train is through small tunnels, so you don't even get to see the animals or scenery as you go. It was about $15 for two adult wristbands. But that does allow you to use the train as much as you want all day. We loved the zoo and will definitely be back!

Michael Pry

Great place to take the kids. Entry is free, parking in special lots is not free but there is street parking. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. $4 for a bottle of water. They do have tap water fountains though. Animals are unpredictable of course so sometimes they are napping or just want to hide away, that's nature don't get upset if you miss some. 11650 steps that day. I'm not used to it and have sore calf muscles. LoL 😆. Gift shop is pretty expensive. Great place to spend the day. There is quite a bit of greenery to provide shade and that helps a lot. Some exhibits are inside with air conditioning to give you a break from the heat in summer.

Tressa Dorman-Downing

A very lovely zoo experience. If we ever come to St. Louis again we will come back to the zoo. It was our favorite attraction in Forest Park.

Daniel Jou

Wow! What a great zoo! And it's completely free! We came here about 2 hours before closing and were only able to see 2 of the 4 exhibits. This zoo is massive and has a ton of animals. Great place to bring your kids!

Ellie Sullivan

Always a little crowded but you can tell how well loved these animals are while learning all about them and the work of the zoo

Micah Fordson

$15 parking but free entry into the zoo. There is street parking but it can be difficult to find during busy hours. Lots of food options, movie theater, animal shows. Train that goes around the grounds. Overall great place for family.

Kimberly Teague

I haven't been here since I was a little girl, but I had such a great time. I brought my daughter and she loved it! I wasn't surprised that most of the fun attractions cost $ seeing as the admission is still free. But they do have a wristband "adventure pass" you can purchase for $15 a person and it includes all those attractions! The train ride, the carousel, petting the stingrays, a new Dinosaur exhibit, and a few other cool things. It's definitely always a fun place to go!

C Vynatheya

Big, beautiful zoo with lots of fun things to do for children.

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