The Philadelphia Zoo Day Trip
September 17, 2009 by Don
Filed under Featured, Kids, Philadelphia
The oldest zoo in the United States, the Philadelphia Zoo has a well-deserved reputation for making a great day trip. Stand-out features include Big Cat Falls, the brand new McNeil Aviary, Lorikeet adventure (pictured above), The Philly Zoo balloon and a terrific children’s/ petting zoo.
Located about 15 minutes outside of Center City Philadelphia, the zoo is easily accessible from the Girard Avenue exit off of the Skuylkill Expressway.
At a cheetah’s pace you can get through the major exhibits in about 2.5 hours. To see the whole zoo and spend serious time in Big Cat Falls you can expect to take 4-5 hours.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Website: www.philadelphiazoo.org
Fees:
- Adults 12+ $18
- Kids 2-11 $15
- Winter (Nov – Feb) $12.95 for adults and kids
- Zoo balloon – $15
Pros:
- Really good new exhibits – primate house, big cat falls, and the bird show should not be missed.
- Children’s zoo – from seeing a tarantula to feeding a duck to grooming a goat this section is always a winner!
- Helpful staff/ volunteers
- Lots of fun extras – camel/pony rides, swan boats, carousel, and more (these have $ attached).
- Zoo balloon – fantastic view of the city, zoo and surrounding area
Cons:
- Can get very hot in the summer with lots of walking and limited air conditioned areas.
- Some exhibits seem dated
- Elephants are gone for some time
Notes:
- If you’re local with a family and expect to visit the zoo at least 2x you should consider a family membership ($99 and up)
- Feel free to pack a picnic basket. There are plenty of tables and eating areas. The zoo’s food fare is very average but not terribly expensive. Note: unless you wish to have an un-nerving dining experience DO NOT feed the ducks, geese and peacocks. If folks around you are feeding them you might want to consider moving if you have young kids. They will try to peck the food out of your hands.
- Parking for the zoo is a bit hairy as traffic in the area is busy and directional signs aren’t great. Parking is $12 (free for members).
Photos
Directions, phone & address:
I’m not sure about the $50 offer as it’s not on the Zoo website. However, you can do a family membership for one year for $99 – easily pays for itself with just two visits.
We’ve done that for the last 5 years and usually go about 4 times/ year. The link for info on the membership is: http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/go/become-a-zoo-member.htm it also has the zoo membership phone number so you can call and ask about the $50 deal.
Best,
Don
We had a very nice day at the Zoo last Sunday. The weather was perfect and the animals were active.
On the way out at a ticket window we saw a $50 family(4)pack sign on the window. How do I purcashe one for my son and his family?